GB2278429A

GB2278429A - Air vent with heating

Info

Publication number: GB2278429A
Application number: GB9310829A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Martin Brand
Original assignee: AZTEC FLEXEL MANUFACTURING
Current assignee: AZTEC FLEXEL MANUFACTURING
Priority date: 1993-05-26
Filing date: 1993-05-26
Publication date: 1994-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-26
Also published as: GB2278429B; GB9310829D0

Abstract

There is disclosed an air vent 5a particularly for use in caravans comprising a first inlet orifice 10a having one or more heating elements 15a provided on an outermost side 20a thereof such that, in use, air passing through the first inlet orifice 10a from outside to inside is heated by the one or more heating elements 15a. The air vent preferably has an insulated enclosure 25a which defines the first inlet orifice 10a and a second inlet orifice 40a. Grills 45a, 50a are preferably provided over the inlet orifices 10a, 40a. A lip 51a may be provided to facilitate fixing the vent in a hole 55a in the floor of a caravan. Alternatively the vent may be located above a hole (55b, figure 3) in the floor or alongside a hole (55c, figure 4) in the wall of a caravan. The elements may be planar sheets or wires. <IMAGE>

Description

Air Vent This invention relates to an air vent, and in particular to an air vent for use in caravans or the like.

In the United Kingdom and elsewhere legislation has set statutory requirements for the ventilation of caravans. This is mainly because of the provision in many caravans of gas appliances.

The level of ventilation V required in any given room may be calculated as follows: V = 2200U + 440F + 650P where, U = the input rating of all unflued gas appliances; F = the input rating of all flued gas appliances that are not room sealed; P = number of persons the caravan is designed for.

The ventilation requirements for various rooms are, therefore, as follows: for a lounge/kitchen, 22000 mm2; for a bedroom/bunk-room, 3000 mm2; for a shower or WC, 3000 mm2.

Presently known vents are normally provided on the floor of the caravan. Such a vent essentially comprises a mesh covering member retained over a hole cut in the floor.

A problem with such known vents is that they allow valuable heated air within the caravan to escape, and/or be cooled by cooler air entering the caravan there through.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned problem.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an air vent comprising a first inlet orifice having one or more heating elements provided on an outermost side thereof such that, in use, air passing through the first inlet orifice from outside to inside is heated by the one or more heating elements.

The air vent may further comprise an enclosure wherein there is provided the one or more heating elements, the enclosure further defining the first inlet orifice and also a second inlet orifice on an outermost side of the one or more heating elements such that, in use, air passing through the second inlet orifice from outside to inside thereafter is heated by the one or more heating elements. The enclosure may be formed at least partially from a heat insulative material.

Preferably the first inlet orifice has a first air permeable planar member provided thereacross.

Preferably the second inlet orifice has a second air permeable planar member provided thereacross.

The air permeable planar member may be in the form of a sheet metal grill or a mesh.

In a first embodiment of a vent according to the present invention the vent is provided with a peripheral lip or lips provided at or near the first inlet orifice such that, the vent may be inserted within a hole in a floor of a caravan and a lowerfacing surface of the lip or lips rest upon an upperfacing surface of the floor adjacent the hole.

In this embodiment the enclosure may, therefore, extend below the caravan floor, the second inlet orifice being provided outwith the caravan.

In a second embodiment of a vent according to the present invention the enclosure of the vent is adapted to be located and secured against a floor and a vertical side wall of a caravan, the first inlet orifice being provided on an inner facing surface of the enclosure and the second inlet orifice being provided on an outer facing surface of the enclosure and substantially coincident with a hole in the floor of the caravan.

In a third embodiment of a vent according to the present invention the enclosure of the vent is adapted to be located and secured against a vertical side wall of a caravan, the first inlet orifice being provided on an innerfacing surface of the enclosure and the second inlet orifice being provided on an outerfacing surface of the enclosure and substantially coincident with a hole in the side wall of the caravan.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a caravan or the like having an air vent according to the present invention.

A number of embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are: Fig 1 a schematic sectional end view of a first embodiment of an air vent according to the present invention; Fig 2 a schematic sectional side view of the air vent of Fig 1; Fig 3 a schematic sectional end view of a second embodiment of an air vent according to the present invention; Fig 4 a schematic sectional end view of a third embodiment of an air vent according to the present invention; and Fig 5 a schematic sectional end view of a fourth embodiment of an air vent according to the present invention.

Referring to Figs 1 and 2 there is illustrated a first embodiment of an air vent, generally designated 5a, according to the present invention. The vent 5a comprises a first inlet orifice 10a having a plurality of heating elements 15a provided on one side (an outermost side) 20a thereof.

The air vent 5a further comprises a substantially rectilinear enclosure 25a wherein there is provided the heating elements 15a. The enclosure 25a has an open top 30a which defines the first inlet orifice 10a and an open base 35a which defines a second inlet orifice 40a on an outermost side of the plurality of heating elements 15a.

The enclosure 25a is, in this embodiment, formed from a suitable heat insulative material.

The first inlet orifice 10a has a first rectangular sheet metal grill 45a fixed thereacross, while the second inlet orifice 40a has a second rectangular sheet metal grill 50a fixed thereacross.

In this embodiment the first grill 45a is larger than the top 30a of the enclosure 25a such that a laterally extending circumferencial lip 51a is formed.

This lip 51a allows the vent 5a to be inserted into a hole 55a in a floor 60a of a caravan, such that a lowerfacing surface 65a of the lip 50a rests upon and may be suitably secured to an upperfacing surface 70a of the floor 60a adjacent the hole 55a.

In this embodiment, when installed, the enclosure 25a, therefore, extends below (and outside) the caravan.

As can be seen from Figs 1 and 2, in this embodiment the heating elements 15a are substantially planar and are each aligned substantially longitudinally between the first and second orifices 10a, 40a substantially parallel to and equally spaced from one another. In this embodiment there are provided 4 substantially identical such heating elements 15a.

The elements 15a are spaced from one another by spacer elements 75a, made from, for example, a heat insulative plastic or ceramic material.

It is particularly preferred that the elements 15a are of the flexible, impregnated type (such as "Flexel" (TM), available from the present applicants.) which comprise sheets of woven, carbon impregnated glass fibre material having copper foil busbars stitched to opposite edges thereof for connection to an electrical power supply (not shown) via a connection wire 80a. Such elements can be made in almost any required size and may be manufactured in a wide range of resistances, power ratings and operating temperatures. Alternatively, etched or screen-printed elements could be used or, less desirably, laminated, planar, wire-wound elements.

Typical power ratings for the plurality of heating elements would be as follows: for use in a lounge/kitchen, approximately 350 to 400W; for use in a bedroom/bunk- room/shower- room/bathroom, approximately 200 to 350W.

In use, when the heating elements 15a are not being supplied with electrical power, the vent 5a will act as a conventional air vent. When the heating elements 15a are being supplied with electrical power, the elements 15a will heat. Air passing through the second inlet orifice 40a from outside the caravan into the enclosure 25a is, therefore, heated by the elements 15a and thereafter passes through the first inlet orifice l0a from the enclosure 25a to inside the caravan. In this way air vented into the caravan can be delivered at a temperature above the external ambient temperature. It is also apparent that the convective effects of the heating elements 15a may assist in ventilation.

Referring to Fig 3 there is illustrated a second embodiment of an air vent, generally designated 5b, according to the present invention. The vent 5b is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, like parts being referred to by the numeral except suffixed by 'b' rather than 'a'.

A difference between the first and second embodiments, however, is that the vent 5b is adapted to be located and secured within a corner between a floor 60b and vertical side wall 85b of a caravan. The first inlet orifice lOb is, therefore, provided on an upperfacing end of the enclosure 25b, while the second inlet orifice 40b is provided on a lowerfacing end of the enclosure 25b and positioned so as to be substantially coincident with a hole 55b in the floor 60b of the caravan.

Referring to Fig 4 there is illustrated a third embodiment of an air vent, generally designated 5c, according to the present invention. The vent Sc is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, like parts being referred to by like numeral except suffixed by 'c' rather than ga.

A difference between the first and third embodiment, however, is that the vent Sc is adapted to be located and secured within a corner between a floor 60c and vertical side wall 85c of a caravan. The first inlet orifice lOc is, therefore, provided on an upperfacing end of the enclosure 25c, while the second inlet orifice 40c is provided on an outerfacing side wall 90c of the enclosure 25c and positioned so as to be substantially coincident with a hole 55c in the wall 85c of the caravan.

Referring to Fig 5 there is illustrated a fourth embodiment of an air vent, generally designated 5d, according to the present invention. The vent 5d is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, like parts being referred to by like numerals except suffixed by 'd' rather than 'a'.

A difference between the first and fourth embodiments, however, is that the heating elements 15d comprise a plurality of longitudinally spaced substantially parallel heating wires which together form an array.

Finally, it should be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention hereinbefore described are given by way of example only, and are not in any way meant to limit the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An air vent comprising a first inlet orifice having one or more heating elements provided on an outermost side thereof such that, in use, air passing through the first inlet orifice from outside to inside is heated by the one or more heating elements.

2. An air vent as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vent further comprises an enclosure wherein there is provided the one or more heating elements, the enclosure further defining the first inlet orifice and also a second inlet orifice on an outermost side of the one or more heating elements such that, in use, air passing through the second inlet orifice from outside to inside is heated by the one or more heating elements.

3. An air vent as claimed in claim 2, wherein the enclosure is formed at least partially from a heat insulative material.

4. An air vent as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first inlet orifice has a first air permeable planar member provided thereacross.

5. An air vent as claimed in either of claims 2 or 3, or claim 4 when dependent on claim 2 or 3, wherein the second inlet orifice has a second air permeable planar member provided thereacross.

6. An air vent as claimed in either of claims 4 or 5, wherein the first/second air permeable planar member is in the form of a sheet metal grill or a mesh.

7. An air vent as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vent is provided with a peripheral lip or lips at or near the first inlet orifice such that the vent may be inserted within a hole in a floor of a caravan and a lowerfacing surface of the lip or lips rest upon an upperfacing surface of the floor adjacent the hole.

8. An air vent as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the enclosure of the vent is adapted to be located and secured against a floor and a vertical side wall of a caravan, the first inlet orifice being provided on an inner facing surface of the enclosure and the second inlet orifice being provided on an outer facing surface of the enclosure and substantially coincident with a hole in the floor of the caravan.

9. An air vent as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the enclosure of the vent is adapted to be located and secured against a vertical side wall of a caravan, the first inlet orifice being provided on an innerfacing surface of the enclosure and the second inlet orifice being provided on an outerfacing surface of the enclosure and substantially coincident with a hole in the side wall of the caravan.

10. A caravan or the like having at least one air vent according to any of claims 1 to 9.

11. An air vent as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs 1 and 2, Fig 3, Fig 4 or Fig 5.