GB2274511A

GB2274511A - Ventilation slide and vent

Info

Publication number: GB2274511A
Application number: GB9400581A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrianus Jacobus Zwaan
Original assignee: ZWAAN ADRIANUS J
Current assignee: ZWAAN ADRIANUS J
Priority date: 1993-01-26
Filing date: 1994-01-13
Publication date: 1994-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2014-01-13
Also published as: GB9400581D0; BE1008023A3; GB2274511B; NL191068B; DE4401251A1; NL191068C

Description

2274511 Ventilation slide and Vent The invention relates to a ventilation

slide, par ti arl.--- to such a slide provided laith an elongated substantialilly block-sped hoLisirg, in which two opposite walls are provided with ventilation openings, at least one of said walls being detachably connected with the housing and being capable of cooperating with a plate-shaped valve member which can fully, partly or not close the ventilation openings, the detachable wall being capable of abutting against stop shoulders in the housing, and the housing having disposed therein an insect screen extendIng from a fastening groove near one stop shoulder into a fastening groove near the other stop shoulder.

Such a ventilation slide is known from Dutch patent application 9100271. The special three-plate valve structure results in excellent air sealing properties of this ventila tion slide. In the open position of such a ventilation slide, like of similar known ventilation slides having a two-plate valve structure, attention must also be paid to watertight ness.

Rain can be prevented from directly coming in by-providing shielding sections on the exterior of the ventilation slide.

Despite the presence of these shielding sections, however, it can be regularly observed that water leaks in, especially on the underside of the detachable wall forming the inner wall in valves of this type. An investigation has shown that this leakage results from finely divided water droplets entrained by the airstream through the open or partly open ventilation slide and precipitating on the wire gauze insect screen. After some time these finely divided water droplets will grow into a water drop which moves down along the screen and finds its way into the fastening groove of the screen. However, this fastening groove is not intended for this. It is true that this fastening groove is in the form of a gutter, but it has no drain, in particular no drain into the atmosphere. Water collected in this groove will therefore seek an outlet through slits, the adjacent stop shoulder often being a barrier to drainage into the atmosphere, so that the drainage water can 2 be observed as leakage water passing along the interior of the ventilation slide.

The pr,.sent invention preferably seeks-to solve, wIth relatively simple means, this leakage problem occurring in a ventilation slide of the type described in the opening paragraph.

According to the invention this aim may- be achieved by providing at least one of the fastening grooves, in the mounted condition of the ventilation slide at least the lower fastening groove, beyond the stop shoulder, seen from the ventilation openings in the detachable side wall. Taking these measures is based, on the one hand, on the determination and analysis of the cause of leakage and, on the other hand, on the insight that the water collecting in the fastening groove of the insect screen must be given such a possibility of drainage that this water can only drain away into the atmosphere. In the known structures the fastening groove is positioned adjacent to the stop shoulder. At first sight it therefore seems sufficient to ensure that the fastening groove, after having been filled up, can only overflow the stop shoulder so that drainage into the atmosphere is ensured. In practice, however, this solution has been found insufficient and this for the following reasons. The fastening groove ends near the end side walls of the housing, which side walls must close the sides of the fastening groove. Because of manufacturing tolerances and inaccuracies there will nearly always be a slit or opening, so that water collected in the fastening groove will drain away before the fastening groove can overflow. This drainage water is separated by the stop shoulder from the space with the drain into the atmosphere and will thus seek an outlet via the underside of the detachable wall and cause the above leakage. Closing or sealing the ends of the groove is hardly, if at all, possible because of the fact that, on the one hand, the enclosed screen, held by the groove, must extend to the end side walls and, on the other hand, the screen must be detachable for cleaning and replacement, that is to say the groove must be displaceable with 3 respect to the end side wall, which renders the provision of a sealing between these two parts extremely problematic.

Further, after the fastening groove has filled up at least in places, water overflowing the edge thereof may adhere to the side wall of that groove in a split between the stop shoulder and the fastening groove. This split may be locally untight so that especially through capillary action water can pass the split and thus find its way again to the wrong side of the stop shoulder. This, too, results in leakage water on the underside of the detachable wall.

By positioning the fastening groove according to the invention in such a manner that the sides thereof are located above the space with the drain into the atmosphere and the fastening groove projects into this space, it can be reliably ensured that water collecting in the fastening groove finds its way into the space with the drain into the atmosphere, the stop shoulder additionally being a barrier to the water draining away into the inside.

The fastening grooves with the insect screen fixed therein may be attached to the outer wall of the ventilation slide. This, however, results in that when the detachable wall is removed for maintenance and cleaning operations the insect screen is left in the housing so that additional operations are required for cleaning the insect screen. It may be added that not cleaning the screen will adversely affect the ventilating effect of the slide. According to a further embodiment of the invention it is therefore preferred that the fastening grooves are connected with the detachable wall, the lower fastening groove being connected with the detachable wall by means of a wall portion forming an upwardly inclined surface. Thus, when removing the detachable wall, the insect screen can be removed simultaneously so that it can be readily cleaned. The inclined wall between the fastening groove and the detachable wall can further ensure that water collected in the fastening groove is drained into the space with the drain into the atmosphere, as contemplated.

4 The underside of the fastening groove can be positioned in such a manner that it can move freely over the stop shoulder when mounting the detachable wall. According to a further embodiment of the invention, however, it is further preferred that in the mounted position of the detachable wall the raised edge of the lower fastening groove that is nearest to the ventilation openings contacts the stop shoulder, the detachable wall being provided with a further downwardly extending edge which abuts against an upwardly extending flange edge of the housing. Then a double abutment between the housing and the detachable wall can be realized by appropriate determination of sizes. The detachable wall may then be rapidly and simply mounted and demounted if according to a further embodiment of the invention the downwardly extending edge and the upwardly extending flange edge are interconnectable by fastening means, such as screws, the upper longitudinal edge of the detachable wall being adapteed to be ncorporated in a slot of the housing in such a manner that the upper longitudinal edge can be moved into the slot so far that.the lower fastening groove can pass the stop shoulder and,after the detachable wall has been slightly lowered while the upper longitudinal edge remains in the slot, this wall can be fixed by means of the fastening means. The slide connection between the housing and the upper longitudinal edge of the detachable wall can enable the wall to be fastened in the housing by applying screws in only the lower edge area of the wall, while at the place of insertion, if required, a double seal can be created.

Another possibility of fastening the detachable wall to a fastening groove located beyond the stop shoulder is to be realized if the raised edge of the fastening groove and the downwardly extending edge form the walls of a slot which, when coinciding with the upwardly extending flange edge, can slidably receive the stop shoulder, fastening means, such as screws, being provided near the upper longitudinal edge to interconnect the housing and the detachable wall. Thus a kind a labyrinth seal can be obtained which may of course also be provided along the upper longitudinal edge of the detachable wall. In that case a structure can be obtained in --he fastening grooves are located beyond their adjacent stop shoulder, seen from the ventilation openings in the detachable wall.

Withreference to the examples of embodiment shown in the drawings the ventilation slide according to the invention will now be further explained and elucidated. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a first preferred embodiment in cross-se(,4-on; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representationof a secon.d preferred embodiment in cross-section; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a third preferred embodiment in c-0s5-settion; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a fourth preftrred embodiment in cross-section.

The ventilation slide shown in cross-section in Fig. 1 is provided with a housing 1 composed of an upper section 2, a lower section 3 and an outer wall 4 connecting these sections.

The sections 2 and 3 are each composed of two portions 2a, 2b and 3a, 3b, respectively, which are made of, e.g., aluminium and are connected by a heat insulating synthetic element. The sections 2 and 3 are further provided with leg-shaped portions 2d and 3d, respectively, for mounting the housing 1 in a frame not shown or for receiving a sheet-like portion not shown, like a window.

The housing 1 is tubularly closed by a detachable wall provided in the area bounded by the upper section 2 with a slot 5a opening in the direction of the section 2 and having a downwardly extending edge 2e slidingly engaged therein. The U shaped portion of the wall 5 forming the slot Sa has an L-shaped elongation for forming a fastening groove 5b which receives a longitudinal edge area of an insect screen 6. The opposite longitudinal edge area of the screen 6 is located in a fastening groove 5c formed by a U-shaped portion which is connected via an upwardly inclined portion 5d with an L-shaped guiding portion 5e which together with the main surface of the wall 5 forms a guide slot for a longitudinal edge area of a 6 plate-shaped valve member 7. The opposite longitudinal edge area of the valve member 7 is guided in a similar groove, which groove is bounded by the main surface of the wall 5 and a leg of the U-shaped portion forming the slot 5a. Disposed below the guiding portion 5e is a downwardly extending edge 5f provided with a bore for passing a screw 8 which engages the wall of a bore in an upwardly extending edge 3e of the lower section 3, thus fixing, together with the cooperating slot 5a and edge 2e, the wall 5 in the housing 1.

The main surface of the wall 1 is provided in a known manner with a plurality of substantially rectangular ventilation openings which are separated from each other by approximately equally large wall surfaces. The valve member 7 is provided with a similar configuration of openings and wall surfaces, in such a manner that by sliding the valve member 7 by means of a control knob 9 the openings in the main surface of the wall 5 are fully or partly exposed, or fully closed, as discussed in applicant's Dutch patent application 9100271. Of course, a three-plate structure as shown in that publication can also be used, instead of the two-plate structure shown in Fig. 1.

The outer wall 4 is also provided with ventilation openings which can be fully or partly exposed, or fully closed, by a valve member 10, the valve member 10 being operated, simultaneously with the valve member 7, by means of the knob 9.

The section 2 is further provided with an outwardly extending portion 2f carrying a shielding section 11 which must prevent rain from coming in through the openings in the wall 4. At the front ends these rain shielding means as well as the housing 1 are closed by end walls 12.

The section 3 is further provided with a stop shoulder 3f, the upper edge area of which laterally abuts - against a leg of the U-shaped portion forming the fastening groove 5c, namely the leg connecting to the upwardly inclined portion 5d. Thus, the fastening groove Sc is located beyond the stop shoulder 3f.

7 Finely divided water droplets entrained by the air flowing through the ventilation slide will at least partly remain on the screen 6 and combine thereon to form a larger drop moving downwards along the screen 6 and finding its way into the fastening groove 5c. If the fastening groove 5c has filled up, the water will overflow the free leg of the U-shaped portion forming the fastening groove 5c and will drop downwards. Because of the widely projecting groove structure it is virtually impossible that the water could drain away over the stop shoulder 3f via the underside of the U-shaped portion forming the fastening groove 5c. Also, the upward!v extending portion 5d can prevent the water from finding its way from the fastening groove 5c to near the valve member 7. The water dropping downwards from the fastening groove 5c will find its way into a space 13 bounded by the stop shoulder 3f, the synthetic element 3c, and a raised edge of the section portion 3b. The raised edge is provided with a plurality of bores 3g, via which the water can drain away into the atmosphere.

In case the fastening groove 5c does not sealingly connect to the end wall 12, which will mostly be the case, water collected in the fastening groove 5c, before the fastening groove Sc would be filled up and going to overflow, can drain away via an opening between the U-shaped portion forming the fastening groove 5c and the end wall 12. Then, too, the water will find its way into the space 13 and will be discharged via the bores 3g into the atmosphere.

There is thus obtained a ventilation slide which in the open position is watertight up to at least 75 Pa excess pressure or e.g. a wind-force of 7 to 8 Beaufort. At higher wind-velocities the water drops will no longer move downwards along the screen 6, but are directly blown through the screen into the space to be ventilated. Watertightness is then only obtainable by fully or partly closing the ventilation slide.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a variant of the ventilation slide shown in Fig. 1. This variant is provided with a housing 21 composed of an insulated upper 8 section 22, an insulated lower section 23, a wall 24 connect ing these sections and carrying three shielding sectionsfor preventing the rain from coming in, and a detachable wall 25 provided with a three-plate valve structure as shown and described in Dutch patent application 9100271. Of course, the outer wall 24 may also be provided with such a slide valve structure.

In the longitudinal edge area near the section 22 the wall 25 is provided with an upwardly extending longitudinal rib 25a which abuts against the free leg of an L-shaped portion 22a of the section 22, as well as of an L-shaped portion 25b forming a downwardly opening fastening groove 25c, the free leg of which abuts against a downwardly extending edge 22b of the section 22. Thus the upper edge area is slidably incorporated in a channel formed in the section 22 and contacts the walls of that channel in two places.

The fastening groove 25c serves to receive an insect screen 26, which is further supported in a fastening groove 25d located near the longitudinal edge area of the wall 25 contacting the section 23. This contact is made by firmly holding an L-shaped portion 25e against a stop shoulder 23a of the section 23 by means of a screw 27. The lower surface of the fastening groove 25d is then positioned in such a manner that when demounting the wall 25 the fastening groove 25d can move over the stop shoulder 23a.

Water collected in the fastening groove 25d will find its way from the groove into the space 28 and can drain away into the atmosphere via bores 24a in the wall 24.

The ventilation slide according to Fig. 3 is provided with a housing 31 composed of an insulated upper section 32, an insulated lower section 33, a wall 34 connecting these sections and carrying three shielding sections for preventing the rain from coming in, and a detachable wall 35 with a slide valve structure.

Located near the section 33 is a U-shaped portion 35b forming a fastening groove 35a and connected with the main surface of the wall 35 via an upwardly inclined portion 35c 9 and an L-shaped portion 35d. The section 33 is provided with an upwardly extending stop shoulder 33a, which extends into a slot formed by the sections 315b, 35c and 35d. Supported in the fastening groove 35a is a longitudinal edge of an insect screen 36, the other longitudinal edge of which extends a fastening groove 35e formed by an L-shaped portion 35f in cooperation with an L-shaped portion 35g, the latter portion connecting to the main surface of the wall. 35. After the wall has been placed on the stop shoulder 33a, the wall 35 is secured by means of a screw 37, the free leg of the L-shaped portion 35f being pressed against the section 32 surface-to surface.

Water collected in the fastening groove 35a should always find its way from the groove into the space 38 and can drain away into the atmosphere via bores 34a in the wall 34.

The ventilation slide according to Fig. 4 is provided with a housing 41 composed of an insulated upper section 42, an insulated lower section 43, a wall 44 connecting these sections and carrying three shielding sections for Dre.rentin.e, --'-e rain from coming in, and a detachable wall 45 with a slide valve structure.

The longitudinal edge area of the wall 45 is passed into a channel 42a formed at the section 42 to form a bilateral contact in the manner corresponding to the manner discussed in connection with Fig. 2. An insect screen 46 extends from a fastening groove 42b formed at the section 42 to a fastening groove 43a formed at the section 43. in this structure the insect screen 46 will remain in the housing when the wall 45 is demounted and removed. It will further be clear without an additional explanation that water collected in the fastening groove 43a should always find its day from this fastening groove into the space 47 and drain away into the atmosphere via bores 44a in the wall 44.

It will be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A ventilation slide provided with an elongated, substantially blockshaped housing, in which two opposite walls are provided with ventilation openings, at least one of said walls being detachably connected with the housing and being capable of cooperating with a plate-shaped valve member which can fully, partly or not close the ventilation openings, the detachable wall being capable of abutting against stop shoulders in the housing, and said housing having disposed therein an insect screen extending from a fastening groove near one stop shoulder into a fastening groove near the other stop shoulder, characterized in that at least one of the fastening grooves, in the mounted condition of the ventilation slide at least the lower fastening groove, is located beyond the stop shoulder, seen from the ventilation openings in the detachable side wall.

2. A ventilation slide according to claim 1, character ized in that the fastening grooves are connected with the detachable wall, said lower fastening groove being connected with the detachable wall by means of a wall portion forming an upwardly inclined surface.

3. A ventilation slide according to claim 1 or 2, charac terized in that in the mounted position of the detachable wall the raised edge of the lower fastening groove nearest to the ventilation openings contacts the stop shoulder, said detach- able wall being provided with a further downwardly extending edge which abuts against an upwardly extending flange edge of the housing.

4. A ventilation slide according to claim 3, character ized in that the downwardly extending edge and the upwardly extending flange edge are interconnectable by fastening means, such as screws, the upper longitudinal edge of the detachable wall being adapted to be incorporated in a s16t of the housing in such a manner that the upper longitudinal edge can be moved into the slot so far that said lower fastening groove can pass the stop shoulder and,after the detachable wall has been slightly lowered while the upper longitudinal edge remains in the slot, said wall can be fixed by means of the fastening means.

5. A ventilation slide according to claim 31, characterized in that the raised edge of the fastening groove and the downwardly extending edge form the walls of a slot which, when coinciding with the upwardly extending flange edge, can slidably receive the stop shoulder, fastening means, such as screws, being provided near the upper longitudinal edge to interconnect the housing and the detachable wall.

6. A ventilation slide according to any of -Me n-rece,-i-i-g claims, characterized in that the two fastening grooves are located beyond their adjacent stop shoulder, seen -from the ventilation openings 4Ln the detachable wall.

7. A vent comprising a housing having two opposing walls provided with ventilation openings, at least one of the walls being detachably connected to the remainder of the housing, the detachable wall being capable of abutting against a stop shoulder in the housing, and an insect screen in the housing mounted in a fastening groove near the stop shoulder, the fastening groove being located beyond the stop shoulder when viewed from the or a ventilation opening in the detachable wall.

8. A vent according to Claim 7 wherein the fastening groove is connected to the detachable wall so as to be detachable therewith.

9. A vent according to Claim 8 wherein the fastening groove is connected to the detachable wall by means of a wall portion which inclines from the groove inwardly towards the detachable wall.

10. A vent according to any of Claims 7 to 9 wherein two stop shoulders are provided, together with a respective fastening groove adjacent each stop shoulder, the insect screen extending between the two fastening grooves.

11. A vent according to Claim 10 wherein the two fastening grooves are located beyond their adjacent stop shoulder when viewed from the or a ventilation opening in the detachable wall.

0

12. A vent substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 or 4 of the accompanying drawings.

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