GB2242735A - Louvre ventilators - Google Patents

Abstract

A ventilator comprises a plurality of louvre blades (10) fixed between spaced mullions (11, 12, 13) (Fig. 3), with each blade (10) supported from a respective mullion by a respective one of a plurality of spaced brackets (30) carried from the mullion. A tongue and groove engagement (20, 31) is provided between the mullion and the brackets, and the spacing between adjacent brackets (30) is determined by distance pieces, suitably the bases (31) of each bracket. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN LOUVRE VENTILATORS This invention relates to improvements in louvre ventilators of the kind in which louvre blades are fixed between spaced mullions.

In a ventilator of the kind set forth, known from GB 1 158 767, a plurality of louvre blades are fixed between spaced mullions, and each blade is supported intermediate its ends by one or more snap-on braces in the form of brackets. Each bracket includes a vertical leg having a flange arrangement at its upper end to receive an out-turned flange of a louvre blade and a leg having an upturned flange to engage a continuous rib or downturned tab on the blade.

In the ventilator of GB 1 158 767 the brackets are fixed to the respective mullions in a vertically spaced relationship by local fixing means, suitably screws or rivets, which involves drilling the mullion at spaced intervals to provide openings adapted to receive the fixing means. This labour intensive and time consuming operation is further complicated by the necessity of having to chose the correct pitch for the openings in a mullion of a given height in order to achieve a constant spacing between adjacent louvre blades in the assembled ventilator.

According to our invention, in a ventilator of the kind set forth comprising a plurality of louvre blades fixed between spaced mullions, with each blade supported from a respective mullion by a respective one of a plurality of spaced brackets carried from the mullion, there is a tongue and groove engagement between the mullion and the brackets, and the spacing between adjacent brackets is determined by distance pieces.

The brackets may be carried from bases which define the distance pieces.

Preferably the brackets comprise separate components of which the bases of adjacent components abut each other to determine the spacing between adjacent brackets.

When the brackets comprise separate components a sets of components having bases of a first length may be used with a mullion of one given length, and a set of components having bases of a second different length may be used with a mullion of a different given length. By relating the lengths of the bases to the length of a respective mullion we are ble to select a set of components which will achieve a desired, suitably constant, spacing between adjacent louvre blades in an assembled ventilator.

Conveniently the mullion is provided with a groove of Tee-outline in which the bases are slidably received.

Our invention simplifies construction, conserves time, and enables a ventilator to be readily assembled, for example on site, from a kit of parts.

The material of the brackets carried from the mullion may have a degree of resilience to provide a snap engagement with the respective blade, and the brackets carried by intermediate mullions may also act as connectors adapted to couple abutting ends of a pair of aligned blades.

One embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a louvre ventilator; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the right hand end of the ventilator in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the ventilator but with an increased number of blades; Figure 4 is a plan of the ventilator with the top frame member omitted for clarity; Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3; and Figure 7 shows the addition of a bird mesh screen.

The louvre ventilator illustrated in the drawings comprises an oblong rectangular frame 1 comprising upright end members 2, 3, and top and bottom members 4, 5. The members comprise metal extrusions, suitably aluminium, and are secured together at the corners of the frame by pairs of screws 7 which are screwed through the top and bottom members 4, 5 and into complementary screw ports 8 in the ends of the end members 2, 3.

A plurality of spaced parallel louvre blades are mounted in the frame 1 and extend between the end members 2, 3. Each blade 10 comprises a metal extrusion, suitably aluminium, and is supported at opposite ends and at an intermediate point in its length by three mullions 11, 12, 13.

Each mullion 11, 12, 13 comprises a metal extrusion, suitably aluminium, having a first longitudinally extending central groove 20 of generally Tee-outline and of substantial width, a pair of longitudinally extending intermediate grooves 21, 22, spaced from opposite sides of the groove 20 but narrower in width, and a pair of outer grooves 23, 24 of substantially Dee outline of which opposite ends define screw ports 25. The end mullions 11 and 13 are secured in the frame 1 in abutment with the end members by means of screws 26 which are screwed through the top and bottom members and into the screw parts 25. The mullions 11, 13 are located by the engagement of ribs at their ends in grooves in the end members 2, 3.The intermediate mullion 12 is similarly secured in a position spaced equally between the mullions 11 and 13 by means of screws (not shown) screwed through the top and bottom members 3, 4 into the ports 25.

A plurality of brackets 30 corresponding in number to the number of blades 10, are slidably received in the central grooves 20 of each mullion. Each bracket 30 is constructed from a material which exhibits a degree of resilience, and preferably comprises a moulding of plastics material. All the brackets 30 in the ventilator are identical in construction.

Each bracket comprises an elongate base 31 of generally Tee outline complementing to that of the groove 20 and from which projects a blade retaining flange 32 comprising a first platform 33 parallel with and spaced from the base 31, and a second platform 34 which is contiguous with the platform 33 and is inclined away from the base 31 substantially at 450 thereto. The flange 32 is carried by spaced webs 35, 36 of which the web 35 at the upper end of the base 31 is spaced below a transverse wall 37 to define a gap therebetween and is inset from the end of the platform 33 so that a tongue at the end of the platform 33 projects towards the wall 37.

Retaining grooves 38 and 39 are defined between pairs of ribs which project from the second platform 34 with the mouth of the groove 38 being directed away from the free end of the platform 34 and the mouth of the groove 39 being directed away from the plane at the second platform 34.

Each blade 10 comprises a metal extrusion, suitably aluminium, and is of an outline shown particularly in Figure 2. The reverse side of each blade 10 includes a groove 50 defined between upper and lower wall 51, 52, of which the wall 52 includes a downwardly directed rib 53, an intermediate rib 54, and a lower rib 55 located adjacent to the lower edge of the blade.

In assembling the ventilator the brackets 30 are slid into the grooves 20 in the mullion 11, 12, 13 with the adjacent ends of the bases 31 in abutment to act as distance pieces and determine the exact spacing between the blade. The mullions 11, 12, 13 are assembled into the frame 1 as described above. Thereafter, as shown particularly in Figure 7 of the drawings, bird mesh screens 60, 61 can span the gaps between the mullions 11 and 12, being secured in position by suitable headed studs 62 which are retained in the grooves 21, 22 of Tee-outline.

Finally the blades 10 are mounted on the brackets 30 but the action of placing the grooves 50 over the horizontally aligned walls 37 and then moving the respective blade 10 angularly about the wall 37 as a fulcrum in a direction towards the respective rows of brackets 30. Due to the resilience of the flange 32 the rib 53 locates behind the tongue at the end of the platform 33, and the ribs 54, 55 are received in the grooves 38 and 39 with a snap engagement therein between projections on the edges of the grooves with which the ribs 54, 55 engage.

In a ventilator of a given height the bases 31 of the brackets 30 are of a predetermined length chosen so that the blades 10 are spaced equally between the top and bottom members 3, 4.

For a ventilator of a different height the brackets 30 have bases 31 which are relatively longer or shorter in length so that the required spacing is achieved by the abutment between the ends of adjacent bases.

Each bracket 30 may be moulded with a locating projection at one end, and the length of such a projection is chosen to provide the correct spacing between the blades 10 of a ventilator of any given height.

Claims (12)

1. A ventilator of the kind set forth comprising a plurality of louvre blades fixed between spaced mullions, with each blade supported from a respective mullion by a respective one of a plurality of spaced brackets carried from the mullion, in which there is a tongue and groove engagement between the mullion and the brackets, and the spacing between adjacent brackets is determined by distance pieces.

2. A ventilator as claimed in claim 1, in which the brackets are carried from bases and the bases define the distance pieces.

3. A ventilator as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the brackets comprise separate components of which the bases of adjacent components abut each other to determine the spacing between adjacent brackets.

4. A ventilator as claimed in claim 2, in which the components are similar in construction and the bases are of similar length whereby to achieve a constant spacing between adjacent louvre blades.

5. A ventilator as claimed in any of claim 2-4, in which each mullion is provided with a groove of Tee-outline in which the bases are slidably received.

6. A ventilator as claimed in claim 5, in which the base of each bracket is of generally Tee-outline complementary to that of the groove and from which projects a blade retaining flange, spaced retaining grooves on the flange being adapted to receive complementary spaced ribs on a respective blade.

7. A ventilator as claimed in claim 6, in which the flange comprises a first platform parallel with and spaced from the base, and a second platform which is contiguous with the first platform and is inclined away from the base, the retaining grooves being defined between a pair of ribs which project from the second platform with the mouth of one groove being directed away from the free end of the second platform, and the mouth of the other groove being directed away from the plane of the second platform.

8. A ventilator as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the material of the brackets has a degree of resilience to provide a snap engagement with the respective blade.

9. A ventilator as claimed in claim 6, in which each bracket comprises a moulding of plastics material.

10. A ventilator as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the brackets carried by an intermediate mullion act as connectors adapted to couple abutting ends cf a pair of aligned blades.

11. A ventilator as claimed in any of claims 5, 6 or 7, including a bird mesh screen spanning a gap between a pair of adjacent mullions, in which the screen is secured in position by studs retained in the grooves of Tee-outline.

12. A ventilator substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.