FR2995388A1 - Ventilation device for e.g. boat, has membrane made of gas permeable and liquid impermeable material, so as to permit free flow of air and prevent passage of liquid in opening when closure element closes opening - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has an opening (10) for supply and exhaust of air, and a closure element (11) for closing the opening. A membrane is made of a gas permeable and liquid impermeable material, so as to permit the free flow of air and prevent passage of liquid in the opening when the closure element closes the opening. A rod (12) moves the closure element between an open position in which the closure element is spaced from the opening for the passage of air, and a closed position in which the closure element closes the opening. An independent claim is also included for a ventilation system.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ventilation device. In particular, the invention relates to a closed space aeration device and more particularly to living boats, caravans or motor homes, or buildings. BACKGROUND ART It is known in the yachting industry to use aerators to ensure the internal ventilation of the cabin of a boat. These aerators, which are simple but effective vents, provide better ventilation and increased well-being in the cabin. Figure 1 shows such an aerator 1 for boat of the state of the art. This aerator 1 comprises a bridge opening 2 for the passage of air, this opening 2 being in communication with the inside of the boat (not shown), a shutter 3 for closing this opening and a manual control device 4 to move the shutter and thus ensure the opening and closing of the aerator. Such an aerator 1 which can be made of stainless steel, ensures the transfer of stale air to the outside of the cabin and the delivery of fresh air inside the cabin.

However, in case of strong wind, heavy rain or moving the boat in a sea formed, the user is required to close the aerator to prevent water infiltration into the cabin.

However, we note that once closed, the aerator is perfectly sealed. Thus, the stale air can no longer be extracted from the interior of the cabin, which can contribute to the ill-being of the crew members present in the cabin. The present invention aims to overcome this disadvantage by providing an aerator, simple in its design and its operating mode, ensuring the renewal of the interior air of a passenger even in case of adverse external conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION For this purpose, the invention relates to a ventilation device comprising an air intake and exhaust port and a closure element for closing said supply and exhaust port of air.

According to the invention, one or more constituent parts of said aeration device are gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable so as to allow the free flow of gases and to prevent the passage of liquid in said orifice when said closure element closes said orifice supply and exhaust air.

For example, this aeration device is an air sleeve, a bream or an aerator. Advantageously, the aeration device of the present invention makes it possible to maintain an exit of moist and stale air even in the closed position thereof.

In the open position, the aeration device ensures a free flow of air and a greater air flow. In various particular embodiments of this aeration device, each having its particular advantages and capable of many possible technical combinations: this aeration device comprises means for moving said closure element between an open position where said element closure is placed at a distance from said orifice for the passage of air and a closed position where said closure element closes said orifice. These means for moving the closure element comprise, for example, an axis along which the locking element moves in translation so as to be moved towards or away from the air intake and exhaust port and than a manual control device such as a button. Alternatively, the aeration device may include a remote control device for moving this closure element. For purely illustrative purposes, this remote control device comprises a worm connected to a remotely controlled motor or an actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder, controlled remotely. said closure member comprises a liquid-impermeable closure wall whose dimensions are at least equal to those of said orifice, said wall comprising one or more gas-permeable and liquid-impervious parts. Advantageously, this shutter wall can have the shape of a disk, a square, a rectangle, an ellipse or any other geometry adapted to its use. It can be flat or not. - said air intake and exhaust port being delimited by a wall structure, said closure member is connected to said wall structure by at least one foldable wall at least partially made of a gas-permeable and impermeable material the liquid, said at least one foldable wall surrounding said orifice so as to form a barrier preventing water from entering it, - said inlet and exhaust air orifice being delimited by a wall structure, said closure element is connected to said wall structure by at least one foldable wall, said at least one foldable wall surrounding said opening so as to form a barrier preventing water from entering it. Preferably, said at least one foldable wall is made of a flexible, waterproof and rot-proof material. said membrane and said material, which are gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable, are preferably made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. The present invention also relates to a ventilation system. According to the invention, this aeration system comprises an aeration device as described above and one or more flexible conduits intended to be connected to said aeration device so that the orifice of said aeration device communicates with the air distribution system formed by these conduits after assembly. For illustrative purposes, at least one of these ducts is a sheath made of fiberglass fabric, plastic or in a metallic material. Advantageously, this ventilation system is provided with a mosquito net. The invention also relates to a boat equipped with an aerator, a bream or an windsock. According to the invention, this aerator, this bream or this windsock comprises a ventilation device as described above. The invention also relates to a vehicle or a building equipped with a ventilation device as described above or an aeration system 15 as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other advantages, aims and particular features of the present invention will emerge from the description which follows, for explanatory and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows schematically An aerator of the prior art, Figure 2 shows a sectional view of an aeration device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2a) showing the ventilation device in its open position and FIG. 2b) showing this device in its closed position, - Figure 3 schematically shows a top view of the closure element of the aeration device of Figure 2, - Figure 4 shows a sectional view of a device of FIG. According to a second embodiment of the present invention, in its closed position, FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the aeration device of FIG. 4 in its open position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Firstly, it is noted that the figures are not to scale. Figures 2 and 3 show an aeration device according to a particular embodiment of the present invention. This aeration device comprises a port 10 for supplying and exhausting air in communication with the interior volume of the passenger compartment or the room to be ventilated, so as to ensure the exchange of air between the interior and the outside of this cabin or this room. It also comprises a closure element 11 to close this orifice 10 and a manual control device 12 to move this closure element 11 and thus ensure the opening and closing of the ventilation device.

This manual control device 12 is represented here schematically by a simple rod for moving the closure element 11. Alternatively, this manual control device 12 may be a screw system. The closure member 11 has the form of a disc whose dimensions are greater than the dimensions of the inlet port 10 and exhaust air. This closure element 11 comprises a rigid support 13, which is perforated. This rigid support 13 here has a cross shape but could take any other shape delimiting one or more openings for the passage of gas such as air, the number of openings and the dimensions of these openings being related to the volume of air stale to evacuate. The rigid support 13 is here made of plastic but could be metallic or composite material such as carbon fiber. A membrane 14 made of a material that is permeable to gases and impervious to liquids is secured to this support 13 by bonding, soldering, or assembled in sandwich between two walls, the rods of fasteners passing through this assembly thus assembled to secure it. This material is here expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) and especially one of the materials marketed under the name GORE-TEX® by WL Gore & Associates, Inc. Alternatively, it could still be a microporous polypropylene film such as one sold under the name Entrant® by the company Toray Industries, Inc. It could still be a hydrophilic polyurethane film such as one of those marketed under the name MP + 0 by the company RAIDLIGHT.

This closing element 11 thus ensures, when the aeration device is in its closed position, the free flow of gases while preventing the passage of liquid such as water into the inlet and outlet port of air. Figures 4 and 5 show an aeration device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The elements of Figures 4 and 5 bearing the same references as those of Figures 2 and 3 represent the same objects, which will not be described again below. The ventilation device shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 4 and 5 differs from that of FIGS. 2 and 3 in that the closure element 11 is connected to the wall structure delimiting the inlet and outlet orifice 10. air by two walls 15, 16 foldable. These two foldable walls 15, 16 are placed concentrically or substantially concentrically with the air intake and exhaust port 10 so as to form a double barrier being spaced apart from one another to define a reservoir chamber 17 between them. Each of these walls 15, 16 foldable comprises several openings placed so as to define a ventilation zone 18, 19 such that a ventilation strip of the corresponding foldable wall, these aeration zones 18, 19 being placed at opposed to one another relative to the closure member 11 to prevent water from entering directly into the air intake and exhaust port 10, while ensuring a good gas exchange between the orifice 10 and the outside. Advantageously, this aeration device being placed on a boat, these aeration zones 18, 19 are placed relative to the intake port 10 and 30 exhaust air so that the house of the boat hunt l In addition, the walls 15, 16 foldable are advantageously made of flexible materials, waterproof and rot-proof such as neoprene or preferably, the ethylene-diene monomer (EPDM) which presents 35 good resistance to UV rays and aggressive external conditions.

The assembly may be molded or assembled for example by gluing, welding or any other suitable assembly technique. The manual control device here comprises a rod 12 at one end of which is fixed the closure element 11, a compression spring 20 centered on the rod 12 and placed between the closure element 11 and the inlet of the opening 10 allows to move in translation the assembly comprising the closure member 11 and its rod 12, reversibly. A control button 21 ensures the release of this spring 20 to allow the movement of this assembly and thus the opening and closing of the aeration device. At least one stop (not shown) placed on the rod 12 makes it possible to limit the displacement stroke of the closure element 11. This control knob 21 also makes it possible to keep the closing element 11 pressed against the structure 22 delimiting the opening 10, in the closed position of the aeration device. This structure 22 is preferably made of a flexible, waterproof, rotproof and compressible material so that in the closed position of the aeration device, the closure element 11 has its outer surface flush or substantially level with the outer surface 23 surrounding the aeration device, such as the deck of a boat. This outcropping of the surfaces is not only aesthetic in nature but also provides increased safety when moving on the outer surface 23.

The material in which the structure 22 is made is, for example, neoprene or even EPDM. In addition, the outer surface of this structure 22 advantageously has a slope whose lowest point is located towards the outside of the aeration device so that the aeration device being in the open position, this lowest point is located at or above the outer surface 23 to ensure the evacuation of liquids.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Aeration device comprising an air supply and exhaust port (10) and a closure element (11) for closing said air supply and exhaust port (10), characterized in that one or more portions (14) constituting said aeration device are gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable so as to allow the free flow of gases and to prevent the passage of liquid into said orifice (10) when said closure member ( 11) closes said orifice (10) for supplying and exhausting air. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for moving said closure element (11) between an open position where said closure element (11) is placed at a distance from said orifice (10) for the passage of air and a closed position where said closure member closes said orifice (10). 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said closure element (11) comprises a sealing wall impermeable to liquids and whose dimensions are at least equal to those of said orifice (10), said wall having a or a plurality of gas permeable and liquid impermeable portions (14). 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said closure wall comprises a support (13) perforated on which is fixed a membrane (14) permeable to gases and impervious to liquids. 5. Device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said orifice (10) of supply and exhaust air being delimited by a wall structure, said closure element (11) is connected to said structure of wall by at least one foldable wall, said at least one foldable wall surrounding said orifice (10) so as to form a barrier preventing water from entering it. 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said closure element (11) is connected to said wall structure by two of said foldable walls, placed concentrically or substantially concentrically to said orifice (10) so as to form a double barrier in being spaced from each other to define a reservoir chamber therebetween, each of said collapsible walls having a plurality of apertures positioned to define an aeration zone (18, 19) of said collapsible wall, said aeration zones of said two wherein the walls are opposed to each other with respect to said closure member (11) to prevent water from entering said orifice (10) while ensuring good gas transfer between the orifice (10) ) and the outside. 7. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said membrane (14) or said material which is permeable to gases and impermeable to liquids, are made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. 8. Aeration system, characterized in that it comprises a ventilation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and one or more flexible ducts intended to be connected to said aeration device so that the orifice (10) of said aeration device communicates with the air distribution system formed by these conduits after assembly. 9. Boat equipped with an aerator, a bream or windsock, characterized in that said aerator, said bream or said windsock comprises a ventilation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 10. Vehicle or building equipped with a ventilation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or an aeration system according to claim 8.