WO2005003501A1

WO2005003501A1 - A ventilation device

Info

Publication number: WO2005003501A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/002217
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Edward Tomlin; Nicholas Charles Howlett
Original assignee: Titon Hardware Limited
Priority date: 2003-06-25
Filing date: 2004-05-24
Publication date: 2005-01-13
Also published as: GB0314838D0; EP1636456B1; EP1636456A1

Abstract

A ventilation device suitable for controlling ventilation through a ventilation passageway formed through a building comprises two ventilators arranged back to back for the control of ventilation in two directions through the ventilation passageway.

Description

A VENTILATION DEVICE

The present invention relates to a ventilation device for controlling ventilation in ventilation passageways and through building assemblies, such as passageways formed through window or door frames or through housings of ventilation assemblies to be installed in the region of window or door assemblies.

WO99/09357 discloses a ventilator for controlling ventilation in a ventilation passageway formed through a building assembly, the ventilator comprising a generally horizontal duct and a flap located in the duct, the flap being adapted to move in response to airflow for controlling ventilation through the duct. The flap is gravity biased and includes a wedge-shaped section with a thick leading edge and a thin trailing edge, the leading edge being raised such that the flap is oriented at an angle of approximately 30° to the horizontal when in a maximum airflow position of the flap. The flap blocks about 50% of the airflow through the duct when in the maximum airflow condition. The ventilator is operable by airflow from one direction only. There are various situations in which it is desirable for the ventilator to be operable in response to airflow from both ends of the ventilation passageway such that both ventilation out of the building and ventilation into the building are controllable. The present invention aims to provide an improved ventilator in a simple yet effective manner and to alleviate at least some of the problems of the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a ventilator with the features of claim 1. The present invention enables ventilation through the ventilation passageway to be controllable from each side of the passageway. The low angle of the flap enables good airflow when the flap is in the open position.

Preferably, the flap is adapted to move, preferably to be lifted, preferably at least at a leading edge thereof to restrict airflow in response to increasing flow of ventilation through the duct.

Preferably, the angle is less than 10°, more preferably less than 5°. The flap may be horizontal in the open position thereof. This enables the full width of the duct to provide airflow in order to provide reasonably good ventilation when the pressure differential across the ventilator is low.

Preferably, the outer-side ventilator and inner-side ventilator are substantially inside of the ventilation passageway. The inner-side ventilator may be mounted substantially external of the ventilation passageway. For example, it can be located inside a room. Preferably, the leading edge of the flap of the inner-side ventilator is adapted to face the leading edge of the flap of the outer-side ventilator. This configuration allows the ventilation device to be operable by airflow forces acting from both sides of the ventilation passageway. The ventilators may be mounted horizontally. The outer-side ventilator and/or inner-side ventilator may be mounted at a slant relative to the horizontal. Thus the ventilators can be automatically operated at a predetermined level of air pressure differential across the ventilation passageway. The air pressure differential required to activate the ventilators need not be equal. Hence the outer-side and inner-side ventilators may be mounted at a slant relative to each other. The duct portion has a horizontal top surface. The duct may have a slanted top surface. Preferably, the duct has a generally horizontal lower surface. The duct may have a slanted lower surface. Preferably, at least one spacer is provided for spacing the flap when in the open position thereof from the lower surface. A said spacer may comprise an elongate rib aligned generally with the direction of airflow, the rib being located on the lower surface of the duct. Preferably, the lower surface includes a recess adapted to form a space below a leading edge of the flap when the flap is located in the open position thereof. This is advantageous since the recess enables a high-pressure region to develop under the leading edge of the flap for raising the flap from the horizontal position, the formation of turbulence or eddies in the recess accomplishing this function. The recess may be formed by a sloped portion of the lower surface of the duct. The sloped portion may be angled at about 5° to the horizontal. The lower surface may include a rear portion in the region of a trailing edge of the flap, the rear portion being sloped at about 1° to the horizontal. The flap may be flat in at least one position thereof. Alternatively, the flap may have a curved or airfoil section, or be wing-shaped.

The flap may have a uniform thickness along a leading edge thereof to a trailing edge thereof. This is advantageous in that the flap may be relatively light at the leading edge thereof thus enabling the flap to take up a relatively low position in the duct when in the open position thereof, such that maximum airflow is enabled at low pressure differentials across the ventilator.

Preferably, the flap, when moving from the open position, is biased towards the open position by the weight thereof. Preferably, a spring bias adapted to bias the flap towards the open position is provided. The spring bias may be adapted to operate only once the flap is in a partially closed position. The spring bias may include a first spring bias arrangement adapted to operate only once the flap is in a partially closed position. The spring bias may include a first spring bias arrangement adapted to operate once the flap is in a first partially open position and a second spring bias arrangement adapted to operate in addition to the first spring bias arrangement once the flap is in a second partially open position. The spring bias may be at least partly formed integrally with the flap.

The spring bias may comprise at least one finger located at a leading edge of the flap. The finger may have a leading edge adjacent a leading edge of an adjacent main section of the flap. The inner-side ventilator and/or the outer-side ventilator may be adapted to be located adjacent an entrance to a ventilation passageway, the entrance being formed through a generally vertical surface. The generally vertical surface may comprise a surface of a frame member of a window frame or sash or a door frame or door member. The ventilator may be fitted over an entrance to the ventilation passageway.

The ventilation device may form part of a housing adapted to be located between an edge of a wing of a door or window assembly and a surrounding frame thereof.

The flap may be adapted to pivot about a trailing edge thereof, between the open position and at least one partially closed position thereof. Preferably, a leading edge (with respect to airflow) of the flap is adapted to be lifted from the open position to at least one raised partially closed position. A lower wall of the inner-side ventilator and/or outer-side ventilator may contain apertures through which an airstream may enter the ventilator and lift the flap.

The various aspects and features of the ventilator described above enable an improved ventilator to be formed. Arranging two ventilators in a "back-to-back" configuration enables ventilation in both directions through the passageway to be controllable.

Furthermore, in WO99/09357, the flap needs to be relatively heavy such that weight bias thereof provides sufficient control at high-pressure differential and it is noted that the bias provided to return the flap to the open position becomes weaker as the flap closes. The flap may therefore be unstable, snapping closed directly from the open configuration to the closed configuration. The heavy weight of the flap, particularly in the region of the leading edge means that the leading edge is raised in the open position so as to ensure the generation of lift when the flap is in the open position.

The various features described above in relation to the present invention enable a smooth and satisfactory flap position/airflow restriction to pressure differential profile as well as allowing maximum ventilation at low-pressure differential and a simple construction. For example, the recess, where provided, enables sufficient lift to be generated for lifting the flap. Even when horizontal, in the open position thereof; the uniform thickness of the flap from leading to trailing edges thereof means that the flap is not too heavy. The spring bias, where provided, means that resistance to further deflection of the flap from the open position may increase (rather than decrease as in prior art) once the spring bias is operational. The spacer, where provided ensures that the flap may easily move from the fully open position thereof since a slight amount of airflow may quickly and easily fill the space below the flap as movement of the flap up from the open position is initiated. The simple construction also enables the ventilator or at least the flap thereof to be removably installed such that cleaning or servicing thereof may conveniently be carried out. It is envisaged that the ventilator may be modified for operation in different countries with different climates and airflow regulations simply by changing the thickness of the flap, in order to change weight bias and spring bias characteristics thereof. The present invention may be carried out in various ways and a number of preferred embodiments in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig.lA is a schematic part-sectional side view of a window assembly incorporating a first preferred embodiment of a ventilation device in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. IB is a schematic side-sectional view of a second window assembly incorporating the ventilation device of Fig.lA but having a modified building assembly structure; Fig. 1C is a schematic side-sectional view of a second window assembly incorporating a ventilation device according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig.2A shows a schematic representation of outer-side and inner-side ventilators according to the embodiment of Figs.1 A and IB;

Fig.2B is an enlarged view of the ventilation device of the embodiment of Figs. lA and IB;

Fig.3 is an enlarged view of a ventilator as shown in Figs.l and 2;

Fig.4 is a schematic perspective view of a ventilator as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig.5A shows a schematic side view representation of outer-side and inner-side ventilators according to the embodiment of Fig. 1C;

Fig.5B is a schematic cross-section according to the embodiment of Fig. 1C showing the flap of the first ventilator in the closed position; and

Fig.6 is a schematic cross-section according to the embodiment of Fig. 1C showing the flap of the second ventilator in the closed position. Fig.lA shows a window assembly 1 including a ventilation device 10 in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention. Ventilation device 10 is attached to a top member 12 of a rectangular window frame, the top member having a ventilation passage 14 formed therethrough from an outer side 16 to an inner side 18 thereof. A weather canopy 20 is fitted to the outer side of the window frame 12. A rectangular window sash 22 is contained by the window frame 12 and the window sash 22 holds a double glazing unit 24. The window frame 12 is fitted in an aperture 26 formed through a wall 28 of a building 30. A lintel 32 is provided above the window frame 12.

In an alternative arrangement shown in Fig. IB, the ventilation device 10 may be fitted to a ventilator housing 34 with a weather canopy 36, the housing having a channel 38 adapted to engage the top edge 40 of the double glazing unit 42 and the housing 34 and double glazing unit 42 being retained by a window sash 44. The window sash in turn is retained by a window frame 46, the window frame in turn being retained in an aperture 48 formed in a wall 50 of a building 52.

As shown in Fig.2, the ventilation device according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises two ventilators 60 and 60b. The ventilators 60 and 60b are structurally identical. Each comprises a duct 70,70b and an automatically operated flap 80,80b. The flaps 80 and 80b are adapted to move in response to an air pressure differential across the duct 70,70b and airflow through the duct.

Each ventilator 60, 60b is structurally identical and so the following description refers to outer-side ventilator 60 only. Reference to inner-side ventilator 60b is made using the same reference numeral with an additional 'b'. As shown in Figs.2 and 3, the duct of the ventilator 60 has an upper horizontal wall 72 with a horizontal lower surface 74, the upper wall being spaced from a lower wall 76 of the duct 70, the lower wall also being generally horizontal. The lower wall 76 has a rear portion 78 extending about three quarters of the way from a trailing edge 82 to a leading edge 84 of the flap 80, the rear portion being angled at about 1° to the horizontal, such that the rear portion 78 and the lower surface 74 of the upper wall 72 are very slightly converging moving from left to right in Fig.3. The lower wall 76 also includes a recess portion 90 extending from the front of the rear portion 78 to the front 86 of the duct. The recess portion is angled at about 5° to the horizontal such that the recess portion 90 and lower surface 74 converge moving from left to right along the duct 70. The recess portion includes an optional horizontal mouth 92. The recess portion 90 provides a space 94 under the leading edge 84 of the flap 80. The lower wall 76 of the duct 70 also includes a series of ribs 95, shown in Fig.4, each rib extending longitudinally in the direction of airflow through the duct 70.

The flap 80 is flat and in a fully open position thereof, shown in Fig.3, rests horizontally on the ribs 95. The flap 80 may consist of several separate flap portions (not shown) spaced apart along the ventilator 60. The flap 80 is of uniform thickness from the leading edge 84 to the trailing edge 82 thereof. Spring members 100 are provided at the leading edge of each flap member in order to provide a spring biasing function.

As shown in Fig.4, the duct 70 is formed with a number of primary 105 and well as secondary 110 spring bias members which, in addition to end stops (not shown) are adapted to control movement of the flap. Primary spring bias members 105 are adapted to engage the adjacent flap when the flap is partially closed and secondary spring bias members 110 are adapted to engage the flap when further closed. End stops are adapted to engage flap members to prevent further movement. The spring members 100 bend when engaged by the spring bias members 105,110.

When in the open position shown in Fig.3, the flap 80 enables maximum airflow at low pressure differentials across the ventilation passageway. As the flow increases from left to right as shown in Fig.3, the leading edge 84 of the flap 80 is lifted against the weight of the flap and the flap therefore pivots up about the trailing edge 82 thereof. After a certain closing point, members 105 are engaged by fingers 100 to provide an opening bias then, on further movement, members 110 are engaged and, eventually, stop members may be engaged. The flexing fingers 100 and members 105,110 then ensure a smooth opening of the flap 80 again as the pressure differential drops and, as the differential drops further, the flap may fall under its own weight back to the open position shown in Fig.3.

As shown in Fig.2B, two of the ventilators 60,60b are located in the ventilation passage 14 such that the duct 70 lies adjacent the upper 72 and lower 76 walls of ventilation passage 14. The ventilators 60,60b are mounted back-to-back such that the leading edge 84,84b of the flap 80,80b faces internally towards the other ventilator.

Thus as shown in Fig.2B, flap 80 of the ventilator 60 is operable by airflow forces acting from the inner side 18 of ventilation passage 14. Accordingly, flap 80b is operable by airflow forces acting from the outer side 16 of ventilation passage 14.

In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the ventilators 60,60b can be mounted at an angle to the horizontal if desired and can be mounted at different slant angles to each other so as to be operable under unequal pressure differentials across the ventilation passage 14.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 1C, 5 A, 5B and Fig.6. The ventilation device 200 comprises ventilators 260 and 360. The ventilator 260 is identical to the ventilator 60 and 60b of the first embodiment. The ventilator 360 operates on the same principle as ventilator 60 but comprises a duct 370 having a slanted upper wall 372. Upper wall 372 has a short horizontal portion 374 at one end thereof before the wall 372 slants at an angle of approximately 30° from the horizontal towards a horizontal lower wall 376. Flap 380 of ventilator 360 is flat and is of uniform thickness, being slightly thinner than flap 280 of ventilator 260. Thus less of an air pressure differential across the ventilation passage 14 is required to operate flap 380 towards the closed position than is required to operate flap 280. Flap 380 is shown in an open position in Fig.5B. As the flap 380 is activated, spring fingers (not shown) engage spring bias members as in the first embodiment for controlling the movement thereof.

The ventilator 360 includes a flange 365 at an end thereof for mounting the ventilator 360 over an entrance 373 of the ventilation passage 14. The flange 365 fits closely inside the entrance 373. An opening 375 in a front wall 377 of the vent 360 corresponds generally with the entrance at the inner side 18 of the passage 14, so that when the vent 360 is mounted over the entrance 377, disruption to air flowing through the ventilator 360 and ventilation passageway 14 is minimised.

A portion of the lower wall 376 of the duct 370 may contain apertures (not shown). The apertures allow air to enter the ventilator 360 through the lower wall 376 of the duct 370. The airstream flowing through the apertures may act substantially perpendicularly to the lower surface of the flap 380 whilst it is in the open configuration, to lift the flap against its weight and to pivot it upwards about its trailing edge. If the lower wall 376 contains no aperture, it may be recessed at an angle of about 5° as in the first embodiment, such that the recessed portion provides a space under the leading edge 384 of the flap 380.

In use, airflow from the inner side of the ventilation passage 14 flows through the ventilator 360 through opening 375 or apertures in the lower wall 376. At a predetermined pressure differential, the ventilator 260 flap 280 is lifted by the high pressure formed beneath it, to close or partially close the ventilator 260 against the gust, as shown in Fig.5B. Accordingly, if airflow acting from the outer side 16 of the ventilation passage 14 creates a predetermined pressure differential across the passage, then ventilator 360 is automatically lifted towards its closed position as shown in Fig.6. As the air pressure differential reduces, the flaps 260 and 360 fall under their own weight back towards the open position. The ventilators can be situated substantially internally of the ventilation passageway or they can be situated close to an entrance to the ventilation passageway. The inner and outer sides of the ventilation passageway can both be internal to a building and do not necessarily indicate that the outer side is at the exterior of a building. The first and second embodiments of the invention can be used in either of the building arrangements shown or in any other suitable building arrangement.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the embodiment described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A ventilation device for controlling ventilation in a ventilation passageway formed through a building assembly, the ventilation device comprising an inner-side ventilator at an inner side of the ventilation passageway and an outer-side ventilator at an outer side of the ventilation passageway, the inner-side ventilator and outer-side ventilator each having a duct portion and a flap located in the duct portion, the flap being adapted to move in response to airflow and by airflow forces for controlling ventilation through the duct portion, the duct having a lower surface extending along the length of the flap from a leading edge to a trailing edge thereof, wherein the flap of the outer-side ventilator is adapted to be lifted away from a lower surface of the duct portion from an open position thereof by airflow forces acting from an inner-side entrance of the ventilation passageway, and the flap of the inner-side ventilator is adapted to be lifted away from a lower surface of the duct portion from an open position thereof by airflow forces acting from an outer-side entrance to the ventilation passageway.

2. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 1 in which the flap is generally oriented at an angle of less than 20° to the duct portion when in an open position thereof and being

3. A ventilator as claimed in claim 2 in which the angle is less then 5°.

4. A ventilator as claimed in claim 2 in which the angle is less than 10°.

5. A ventilation device as claimed in any previous claim in which the flap is generally horizontal in an open position thereof.

6. A ventilation device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the outer-side ventilator and inner-side ventilator are located substantially inside of the ventilation passageway.

7. A ventilation device as claimed in claims 1-4 wherein the outer-side ventilator is located substantially inside of the ventilation passageway and the inner-side ventilator is mounted substantially external of the ventilation passageway.

8. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the leading edge of the flap of the inner-side ventilator is arranged to face the leading edge of the flap of the outer-side ventilator.

9. A ventilation device as claimed in any previous claim in which the inner side ventilator and/or outer side ventilator is mounted horizontally.

10. A ventilation device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 in which the inner side ventilator and/or outer side ventilator is mounted at a slant relative to the horizontal.

11. A ventilation device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 or claim 10 in which the inner-side ventilator and outer-side ventilator are mounted at a slant relative to each other.

12. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the duct has a horizontal top surface.

13. A ventilation device as claimed in any of claims 1-11 in which the duct has a slanted top surface.

14. A ventilation device as claimed in any of claims 1-12 in which the duct has a generally horizontal lower surface.

15. A ventilation device as claimed in any of claims 1-12 in which the duct has a slanted lower surface.

16. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim which includes at least one spacer for spacing the flap, when in the open position thereof, from the lower surface.

17. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16 in which the lower surface includes a recess adapted to form a space below a leading edge of the flap when the flap is located in the open position thereof.

18. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 17 in which the recess is formed by a sloped portion of the lower surface.

19. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 18 in which the sloped portion is angled at about 5° to the horizontal.

20. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the lower surface includes a rear portion in the region of a trailing edge of the flap, the rear portion being sloped at about 1° to the horizontal.

21. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the flap is planar when in at least one position thereof.

22. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the flap has a uniform thickness along from a leading edge thereof to a trailing edge thereof.

23. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the flap, when moving from the open position, is biased towards the open position by the weight thereof.

24. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim which includes a spring bias adapted to bias the flap towards the open position.

25. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 24 in which the spring bias is adapted to operate only once the flap is in a partially closed position.

26. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 24 or claim 25 in which the spring bias includes a first spring bias arrangement adapted to operate once the flap is in a first partially open position and a second spring bias arrangement adapted to operate in addition to the first spring bias arrangement once the flap is in a second partially open position.

27. A ventilation device as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 26 in which the flap includes integrally formed spring bias members.

28. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 27 in which the spring bias comprises at least one finger located at a leading edge of the flap.

29. A ventilation device as claimed in claim 28 in which the spring finger has a leading edge adjacent to a leading edge of an adjacent main section of the flap.

30. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the inner-side ventilator and/or outer-side ventilator is adapted to be located adjacent an entrance to a ventilation passageway, the entrance being formed through a generally vertical surface.

31. A ventilation device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 30 which forms part of a housing adapted to be located between an edge of a wing of a window or door device and a surrounding frame.

32. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the flap is adapted to pivot about a trailing edge thereof, between an open position and at least one partially closed position thereof.

33. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which a leading edge (with respect to airflow) of the flap is adapted to be lifted from the open position, to at least one raised partially closed position.

34. A ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the lower wall of the inner-side ventilator and/or the outer-side ventilator contains apertures adapted to allow air to enter the ventilator through the apertures.

35. A window or door assembly having a passageway for providing ventilation from one side to another side thereof, and a ventilation device as claimed in any preceding claim for controlling ventilation through the passageway.

36. A ventilation device substantially as described herein and by the accompanying drawings.

37. A window or door assembly substantially as described herein and by the accompanying drawings.