GB2151770A - Air ventilation slots for windows - Google Patents

Abstract

A slot valve comprises a support member (1) and a movable damper (2) which can be set in a closed position to seal an air ventilation slot and in an open position is pulled into the support member (1), which is channel-shaped, by means of an actuating knob (5) which is movable in the damper (2) and when moved can be locked to an opening in the support member. In an unloaded state the damper has a slightly curved configuration, so that when it is urged into contact with the material surrounding the ventilation slot of a window, it seals uniformly along its entire length. On the side facing the window frame the damper (2) is provided with weatherstripping (4). There are end mountings (14) at the ends of the support member which have guide flanges (15) for guidance of the ends of the damper (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A slot valve This invention relates to a slot valve for an air ventilation slot of a window.

Present-day building codes require that windows have an air vent at the top, usually placed in the window frame. Owing to the dimensions of the window frame material, the ventilation slot has to be very narrow and therefore elongated, and a number of slot valves of quite different forms have been developed for closing the air vent when it is not needed. These known slot valves have a supporting member which is fastened to the material around the air vent, and the support member carries a damper which can be moved for either closing or opening the air vent, allowing air to enter by passing around the support member which is spaced a distance away from the material surrounding the air vent.

As demands for more tightly sealed windows have increased, so have the demands for tightsealing slot valves. Prior art slot valves based on two elongated metal plates having bore holes, wherein the plates are movable relative to each other so that the openings either coincide or are closed, are not satisfactory in this respect; moreover, the cross section of air flow is substantially smaller than the dimensions of the ventilation slot should indicate.

One prior art solution that has been developed to alleviate the above drawbacks has a damper whose ends are clamped against the window frame around the air vent. This embodiment has actuating means at the ends of the damper, but since the damper, as explained above, is narrow and elongated, its substantial length prevents it from providing a completely satisfactory seal at the middle section thereof, despite the fact that the damper is provided with weather-stripping facing the air vent.

The prior art slot valves are also unnecessarily complicated, consisting of many parts that have to be assembled, for example by rivets or similar fastening means.

An object of the present invention is to provide a slot valve which does not have the above drawbacks, in that the damper for sealing the ventilation slot provides a tight seal all the way around the damper, while at the same time the slot valve is easy to produce, consisting of very few parts, and it also presents a pleasing appearance, inter alia because it is possible to produce slot valves in coherent lengths which can extend over larger window surfaces when such design is more esthetically pleasing than a number of shorter slot valves mounted at the top edge of the window or windows.

Accordingly, the invention provides a slot valve for an air ventilation slot in the frame of a window, comprising a channel-shaped support member for permanent mounting over but spaced from the ventilation slot in the window frame, and damper which is movable relative to the support member from a closed position in which it seals the ventilation slot to an open position in which the ventilation slot is open to permit the passage of air, in which valve the damper is movable away from and towards the support member, the damper curves slightly from a middle section thereof towards its ends in the open position thereof and an acutating member is provided at the middle section of the damper for moving the damper between its open and closed positions.

Thus, in a slot valve embodying the invention, the seal is obtained by the damper having, in an open unloaded condition, a slight curvature from the middle section, where the actuating member is located, out toward the free ends thereof. The curvature causes an application of spring force, when the damper is pushed in by the actuating member to close and seal the ventilation slot, providing a better seal than if the damper had actuating means at both ends.

Furthermore, the slot valve of the invention can be produced from extruded profiles which are cut to the length required, and it may be assembled with other components to form a complete valve without the use of screws, rivets or similar fastening means.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a slot valve embodying the invention in plan view; Figure 2 shows an actuating knob of the valve in side view; Figure 3 shows the actuating knob of Figure 2 as seen from one end; Figure 4 shows a section of a damper of the valve; and Figure 5 shows a section of the supporting member of the valve.

The illustrated slot valve embodying the invention comprises a support member 1 with a channel-shaped configuration as seen in Figure 5. For reasons of strength and rigidity as well as appearance, the profile may be formed with a gradated or offset configuration, or in any other way desired, as long as it provides space for receiving a damper 2.

A damper 2, as shown in Figure 1, curves slightly outward away from the support member 1 when in an open, unloaded condition, but will naturally lie flat against the material surrounding the ventilation slot of a window when it is in the closed, sealed position. The damper, as seen in Figure 4, is also channel-shaped and has an undercut or dovetail slot 3. On the side which is to face a window frame or the like, the damper is provided with sealing material in the form of weather-stripping 4. The damper 2 has an actuating member in the form of a knob 5 by which the damper 2 can be pulled in the direction indicated by the arrow 6, in Figure 1 which will cause the damper to enter the support member 1 and thus allow air to pass through the ventilation slot of the window.The damper 2 fits within the channel-shaped support member 1 and is retained in this position by friction between the actuating knob 5 and an opening 7 in the support member.

The actuating knob 5 can be formed as shown in Figure 2, for example, where surfaces 8 on two legs 9 of the knob make frictional contact against the edges 10 of the opening 7 in the support member 1 when the knob 5 has been pulled through the opening to retract the damper 2 into the channelshaped support member 1. The legs 9 have feet 11 which fit inside the dovetail slot 3 in the damper, as seen in Figure 3, thus permitting the actuating knob 5 to slide easily in the damper 2. This naturally provides very simple assembly, but even more important is the fact that, when the slot valve has been mounted, the knob 5 remains movable in the damper and can be moved in one direction or the other as indicated by the arrow 12 in Figure 2, so as to that the knob 5 in position by engaging a locking notch 13 on one of the two sides of the knob with a respective edge 10 of the opening 7.

The ends of the support member 1 are closed by plugs or mountings 14 as appropriate for the surroundings in which the slot valve will be mounted.

The mountings 14, which may be made of plastics, have guide flanges 15 for guiding the ends of the damper, which enter the space between the guide flanges.

As mentioned previously, several slot valves as described above can be assembled as a unit, if desired. In that case, the end mountings 14 are formed as shown in dashed lines in Figure 5, with guide flanges 15 and 16 on both ends, while the valve members on each side of the end mounting 14 are formed as described above.

The end mountings 14 and support member 1 have a through-bore for a screw, as indicated by the line 17 in Figure 1. These screws are the only fastening means holding the slot valve together.

The present invention thus provides a slot valve which is reliable, which provides a good seal against window frames made of various materials, and which is easy to mount, resists wear and can be given a pleasing appearance.

Claims (10)

1. A slot valve for an air ventilation slot in the frame of a window, comprising a channel-shaped support member for permanent mounting over but spaced from the ventilation slot in the window frame, and damper which is movable relative to the support member from a closed position in which it seals the ventilation slot to an open position in which the ventilation slot is open to permit the passage of air, in which valve the damper is movable away from and towards the support member, the damper curves slightly from a middle section thereof towards its ends in the open position thereof and an actuating member is provided at the middle section of the damper for moving the damper between its open and closed positions.

2. A slot valve according to claim 1 in which the damper is provided with sealing material, e.g.

in the form of resilient weather-stripping, on the side thereof which faces toward the ventilation slot in the window frame.

3. A slot valve according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the actuating member penetrates through an opening in the support member and is coupled to the damper so as to be movable longitudinally of the damper.

4. A slot valve according to claim 3, in which the damper has a dovetail slot profile, while the actuating member has feet which fit within the profile and are movable along the damper.

5. A slot valve according to claim 3 or 4 in which the actuating member has a locking groove for engaging an edge of the opening in the support member when the actuation is in the closed position.

6. A slot valve according to any one of claims 3 to 5, in which the actuating member has two legs which, when the valve is in the open position, make frictional engagement with the opening in the support member.

7. A slot valve according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the ends of the support member are closed by end mountings which have guide flanges for guiding the ends of the movable damper.

8. A slot valve according to any one of the preceding claims, in which several valves are assembled to form a single unit and an end mounting having guide flanges on both ends of the moutning is provided between adjacent dampers.

9. A slot valve for an air ventilation slot of a window, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.