GB2136108A

GB2136108A - Ventilator

Info

Publication number: GB2136108A
Application number: GB08404649A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Bottomore; Glen Robert Hayes
Original assignee: Glidevale Building and Products Ltd
Current assignee: Glidevale Building and Products Ltd
Priority date: 1983-03-02
Filing date: 1984-02-22
Publication date: 1984-09-12
Also published as: GB8404649D0

Abstract

A ventilator (1) for use between adjacent bricks in a brick structure includes a hollow member (2) through which air can flow, end baffles (9, 10, 11) disposed within the hollow member. The hollow member has a front face (3) and a rear face (5) each having at least one aperture (4, 6) through which air can enter and leave the hollow member. The baffles are arranged so that there is no possible straight-line airflow path between the aperture of the front face and the aperture of the rear face. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wall ventilator This invention relates to a wall ventilator.

It is quite often necessary to provide a ventilation passage from one side of a wall to the other. Such ventilation is of particular importance with those cavity wall structures which have been provided with insulating material.

The effect of providing insulating materials within a cavity wall structure is to significantly reduce temperatures on the cooler side of the insulation. However, the passage of water vapour is little effected by insulation; attempts to control the passage of water vapour by means of a 'water vapour barrier' have so far met with little success.

In the past the presence of this water vapour has caused very few problems, but the recent trend within the building industry towards using higher levels of cavity wall insulation has resulted in the presence of substantial amounts of water vapour within the cavity wall and on the insulating material. Since most insulating materials have an open texture in order to enhance their insulating properties, it is clear that the insulation can very easily be penetrated by condensation.

Condensation of the water vapour causes degradation of the insulating material and seriously effects its insulating properties. Nor is the damage restricted to the insulating material; metal cavity wall ties can be severely corroded, and mould growth together with associated difficulties are very common.

The occurrence of these problems may be stopped by preventing condensation, and the condensation can be controlled by providing adequate ventilation to the inside of the cavity wall, preferably through the external wall.

There are already ventilators available for this purpose and in general their design specifications are governed by the considerations of British Standard 493 Part 2 (1970).

Ventilators constructed in this way themselves give rise to a number of problems. For example, although they are to a limited extent weather proof, they cannot prevent water (e.g. rain water) from passing through the ventilator. In addiction they cannot easily provide sufficient ventilation to meet the requirements of modern building designs.

Moreoever, although these ventilators can prevent the ingress of vermin they do not stop insects from accessing the cavity, since it is impractical and expensive to provide such protection.

According to the present invention there is provided a ventilator for use between adjacent bricks in a brick structure, comprising a hollow member through which air can flow, and baffle means disposed within the hollow member, said hollow member including first and second faces, each face having at least one aperture through which air can enter and leave the hollow member, wherein said baffle is arranged such that there is no possible straight-line airflow path between the or each aperture of the first face and the or each aperture of the second face.

Advantageously the baffle means is-arranged such that air cannot flow through the hollow member without altering its direction of flow by at least 1 00, more preferably by at least 450, and most preferably by at least 900, during the course of its passage through the ventilator.

Advantageously the baffle means comprises three baffles, a first of which is located substantially midway between the first and second faces, and the others are located one on each side of the first baffle.

In one embodiment a mesh is provided within the hollow member so thus: air cannot flow through the ventilator without also flowing through the mesh. The mesh may conveniently be affixed to the first baffle.

In an alternative embodiment an array of cylindrical pins is arranged substantially midway along the ventilator so that air cannot pass through the ventilator without also passing between the pins.

It is preferable that the apertures are provided with louvres, and most preferably each aperture has three louvres. Preferably the louvres are inclined at an angle of between 450 and 700 to the first face or the second face. More preferably the louvres are inclined at an angle of 600 to the first face or the second face.

Desirably the hollow member includes a bottom face which is sloped so that water alighting upon the bottom face can run out of the ventilator under the influence of gravitation.

The inside wails of the hollow member may be provided with grooves or projections in order to inhibit the flow of water.

The ventilator may conveniently be formed from a thermoplastics material.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a brick structure comprising a plurality of courses of bricks and at least one ventilator as described above arranged between adjacent bricks of a course.

Preferably the brick structure has an inner and an outer surface, wherein the first face of the hollow member is coplanar with the outer surface of the brick structure, and the second surface of the hollow member is coplanar with the inner surface of the brick structure.

The ventilator of the present invention is small, compact and waterproof. Not only can the ventilator provide complete protection against the penetration of water, but in the embodiment in which the mesh is provided it can also prevent the ingress of vermin and small insects. In addition if a plurality of the ventilators are arranged in a brick structure, they can provide sufficient ventilation requirements of the Public Health Act.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ventilator according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the ventilator shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section along lines 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the ventilator shown in Figure 1, with part cut away; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the ventilator shown in Figure 1, illustrated in position in a brick structure; and Figure 6 is a perspective view, with part cut away, of an alternative embodiment of the ventilator according to the invention.

In the drawings a ventilator according to the invention is generally designated 1. The ventilator 1 includes a hollow member 2 of generally cuboid construction. The hollow member 2 has a first face 3 which is provided with an aperture 4, and a second face 5 which is provided with an aperture 6. The apertures 4 and 6 are each divided into 3 sections by louvres 7 and 8 respectively.

Within the ventilator a first baffle 9 is arranged substantially midway between face 3 and face 5.

Another baffle 10 is situated between baffle 9 and face 3, and a baffle 11 is situated between baffle 9 and face 5. The baffle 9 is formed from two side plates 9a and 9b, and an upper plate 9c. The piates 9a, 9b and 9c are arranged to form a triangular prism.

A fly screen or mesh 12 is attached between a surface of the hollow member 2 and the baffle 9.

The mesh 12 is arranged so that air cannot pass through the hollow member 2 from aperture 4 to aperture 6, or vice versa, without also passing through the mesh, hence preventing the ingress of insects.

The surface of the hollow member 2 is provided with projections 1 3 which serve to inhibit the flow of water over its inner surface.

The bottom inner surface 1 4 of the hollowed member 2 is slightly sloped so that water falling upon the surface will flow out of the ventilator.

The highest point 1 5 of the surface 14 lies substantially midway between the faces 3 and 5.

In use, the ventilator 1 can be located between adjacent bricks 1 6 of a brick structure generally designated 1 7 (see Figure 5). The brick structure has an outer surface 18 and an inner surface 1 9.

The ventilator 1 permits the passage of air from one side to the other of the brick structure 1 7 through the apertures 4 and 6 and through the hollow member 2.

The ventilator 1 shown in Figure 6 is very similar to the ventilator shown in Figures 1 to 5.

The baffle 9 is not provided with an upper plate 9c, nor is a mesh provided. Instead, a vertical array of cylindrical pins 1 2a are arranged substantially midway along the ventilator 1 between the inside top surface and the inside bottom surface of the ventilator. The pins 1 2a may be of 2 mm diameter and may be spaced at 4 mm intervals, these dimensions are sufficient to prevent the ingress of most of the larger insects.

The baffles are arranged so that there are no possible straight-line air flow paths through the hollow member 2 from aperture 4 to aperture 6, or vice versa. In the arrangement shown air is unable to pass from one aperture 4 to aperture 6 (or vice versa) without changing its direction by at least 900 at least twice.

These restrictions on the air flow path through the ventilator 1 also apply to any possible water flow path through the ventilator, and consequently it is extremely difficult for water entering through one aperture to be able to pass through the hollow member 2 and leave by the other aperture.

Claims

1. A ventilator for use between adjacent bricks in a brick structure, comprising a hollow member through which air can flow, and baffle means disposed within the hollow member, said hollow member including first and second faces, each face having at least one aperture through which air can enter and leave the hollow member, wherein said baffle is arranged such that there is no possible straight-line air flow path between the or each apertures of the first face and the or each aperture of the second face.

2. A ventilator according to Claim 1 in which the baffle means is arranged such that air cannot flow through the hollow member without altering its direction of flow by at least 100, during the course of its passage through the hollow member.

3. A ventilator according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the baffle means is arranged such that air cannot flow through the hollow member without altering its direction of flow by at least 450, during the course of its passage through the hollow member,

4. A ventilator according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the baffle means is arranged such that air cannot flow through the hollow member without altering its direction of flow by at least 900, during the course of its passage through the hollow member.

5. A ventilator according to any preceding claim in which the baffle means comprises three baffles, a first of which is located substantially midway between the first and second faces, and the others are located one on each side of the first baffle.

6. A ventilator according to any preceding claim in which a mesh is provided within the hollow member so that air cannot flow through the ventilator without also flowing through the mesh.

7. A ventilator according to Claim 6, when dependent upon Claim 5, in which the mesh is affixed to the first baffle.

8. A ventilator according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 in which an array of cylindrical pins is arranged substantially midway along the ventilator so that air cannot pass through the ventilator without also passing between the pins.

9. A ventilator according to any preceding claim in which the apertures are provided with louvres.

1 0. A ventilator according to Claim 9 in which the louvres are inclined at an angle of between 450 and 700 to the first face or the second face.

1 A ventilator according to Claim 9 or Claim 10 in which the louvres are inclined at an angle of 600 to the first face or the second face.

1 2. A ventilator according to any preceding claim in which the hollow member includes a bottom face which is sloped.

13. A brick structure comprising a plurality of courses of bricks and at least one ventilator as claimed in any preceding claim arranged between adjacent bricks of a course.

14. A brick structure according to Claim 1 3 having an inner and an outer surface, wherein the first face of the hollow member is coplanar with the inner surface of the brick structure.

1 5. A ventilator substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.