US3202083A

US3202083A - One way flow ventilator damper

Info

Publication number: US3202083A
Application number: US436067A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Eichhorn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-03-01
Filing date: 1965-03-01
Publication date: 1965-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-24

Description

g- 1965 c. w. EICHHORN ONE WAY FLOW VENTILATOR DAMPER Filed March 1, 1965 INVENTOR. CHARLES W. EICHHORN United States Patent 3,2ii2,083 ONE WAY FLOW VENTHLATOR DAMPER Charles W. Eichhorn, 26718A (lair Crossing Road, Newhall, Calif. Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,067 Claims. (Cl. 98-116) end of an exhaust flue or vent associated with an exhaust fan and which is readily displaceable to any air flow into the vent or flue and which operates to at least substantially prevent air flow in the opposite direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a damper embodying the above objective which is formed from a single piece of light weight, resilient sheet material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a oneway damper means which is capable of installation on existing exhaust fan equipment without the need of any special tools or other equipment.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the provision of a oneway damper means which is responsive to differential air flows in one direction only as disclosed in the following specification of certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings which form apart of said specification. and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a one-way damper means constituting a first embodiment of the invention shown in its normal position of repose,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention also shown in its normal position of repose,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the damper means constituting the first embodiment of the invention as distorting an air flow through the flue or vent with which the said first embodiment of the invention may be associated,

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of a building ceiling showing an exhaust fan installed in a vent leading from the ceiling of a room and with the first embodiment of the invention installed in connection therewith, the said first embodiment being shown as extended in response to air flow initiated by operation of the exhaust fan,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the invention as extended in response to air flow, and

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing the second embodiment installed and caused to be extended and opened by a draft or air flow created by the operation. of the associated exhaust fan.

Referring firs-t to FIG. 4, there is shown a ceiling exhaust fan installation which is typical of those with which the invention is proposed to be associated. Exhaust fans and associated vents of this type are commonly employed in kitchens and bathrooms of dwelling houses and apartments, the illustrated installation comprising a metal flue or vent A extending from an opening B in the ceiling to a suitable opening in the roof (not shown). Slightly above the lower end of the flue and within the flue there is mounted a vertical shaft electric motor C driving a propeller type fan D in a direction of rotation to draw air from the room upwardly through the flue. At the lower end thereof, the flue vent is concealed by an ornamental metal or plastic grille E removably secured by any suitable means as, for example, by a stud F projecting downwardly from the motor through the grille and having a threaded end disposed below the grille engaged by a hand knob or nut G holding the periphery of the grille against the ceiling surface.

Referring next to FIGS. 1 and 3 together with FIG. 4, the first embodiment of the invention comprises a thin, flat, generally rectangular plate 1 of light weight, somewhat resilient metal or plastic, the perimeter shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 including slightly convex side edges 2 and rounded corners 3 to accommodate the inner perimeter of the edges of the grille. The metal, for example, may be tempered aluminum of about .015" thickness and any sheet plastic used would have a comparableweight and resilience. The plate 1 is installed between the upper face of the grille E and the ceiling and is provided with a first hole 4 at the center thereof to which the stud F' extends; said central hole serving as a starting point or a narrow spiral cut or slot 5 of some 2 /2 convolutions terminating at a radial distance which is less than the smallest radial dimension of the flue opening. The plate may be further provided with a second hole 6 laterally offset from the center hole to accommodate a pull chain for those fans which are operated by a pull chain switch as shown at H rather than by a wall switch, both types of fan control being commonly used on difierent installations.

Referring again to FIG. 4, theplate is shown .in the. attitude occupied when the fan is in operation with the convolutions separated from one another as shown in FIG. 3, the perimeter of the plate being restrained by engagement between the grille and the ceiling. When the motor and fan are not in operation, the resilience of the material of the plate brings the convolutions into the plane of the perimeter thereof thus effecting a substantial closure of the vent against down drafts therethrough since such down drafts would merely displace the convolutions downwardly into engagement with the upper surface of the grille affording little, if any room for the passage of air therethrough. It is, of course, essential that the material of this damper element be sufficiently light to be readily displaced by the draft induced by action of the fan while at the same time having sufficient resilience to normally lie in a single plane when in repose.

FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention in which the damper element, instead of being mounted against the ceiling surface by the grille and having the center portion thereof movable in response to air flow, is mounted at its center on the stud which supports the grille with the convolutions and peripheral portion being yieldable up into the flue in response to exhaust fan induced air flow. In this form of the invention, the damper element comprises a circular plate 10 formed of the same materials as the plate 1 of the first described embodiment, said circular plate having a central hole 11 extending therethrough for reception of the: stud F. The hole 11, however, serves as the mounting and securing means and to this end, the stud F is provided with a sleeve 12 extending from the motor to the plane in which the plate It is to be located, said sleeve being of greater diameter than the hole 11. The nut G which secures the grille E against the ceiling, also clamps the plate. 10

plate, like the plate 1, into a weak spiral spring having a i normal or reposed position in which the convolutions lie in the same plane and serve as a damper preventing down drafts through the exhaust fan flue by engagement with the adjacent upper face of the grille. If desired, a hole 14 for a pull chain switch may be provided. On operation of the exhaust fan, however, the induced flow of air will displace the convolutions substantially as shown in FIGS. and 6 opening the damper and allowing substantially free flow of air therethrough.

Thus there has been provided a reverse flow preventing damper means which is particularly useful for ceiling exhaust fan vents and wihch is capable of being installed by merely removing the removable grille associated with such exhaust fans. Moreover, since it is formed of a single sheet of resilient metal or plastic, this damper is economical to manufacture and when it is in its normal position of repose it affords a satisfactory barrier for down drafts from wind or other conditions Also, while it is useful for and will be more commonly employed for ceiling vents, the resilience of the plate obviously permits it to be employed in vents or flues which are located in walls rather than in the ceiling.

While in the foregoing specification there has been disclosed certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention, such disclosure has been by Way of example, and the invention will be understood to include, as well, all such changes and modifications as shall come Within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A normally closed room exhaust vent damper means for use with a vent having a grille extending thereacross, said damper means comprising a normally fiat, resilient sheet of material impervious to air and having a portion thereof resiliently displaceable out of the plane of said sheet when in its normal fiat condition in response to a pressure differential on opposite sides thereof to create opening for air passage therethrough, and means for mounting said sheet at the side of the grille adjacent to the vent opening; said sheet including a portion thereof positioned to permit said sheet to be secured in operative position at said side of the grille by the means by which the grille is mounted across the vent opening.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said damper means is disposed in such close adjacency to the adjacent surface of said grille as to be preveneted thereby from displacement in response to a pressure condition tending to cause air fiow through the vent into the room.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which said damper means is larger than the vent and has the peripheral edge thereof confined between the grille and the surface through which the vent extends.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which said damper means has a peripheral dimension and configuration closely fitting the vent, in which a mounting means for the grille is disposed at the center of the vent, and in which said damper means is secured at the center thereof on the mounting means for the grille.

5. A damper means as claimed in claim 1 in which said sheet has the central portion thereof formed into a spiral by a spiral cut of more than one convolution extending from a point near the center of the sheet to a point adjacent the peripheral edge of the sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,053,507 2/13 I-Iiett 98-119 2,368,320 1/45 Norris 98ll6 X 3,063,461 11/62 Rudolph.

FOREIGN PATENTS 5,502 12/80 Great Britain. 166,131 2/ 34 Switzerland.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Acting Primary Examiner. JOHN F. OCONNOR, Examiner.

Claims

1. A NORMALLY CLOSED ROOM EXHAUST VENT DAMPER MEANS FOR USE WITH A VENT HAVING A GRILLE EXTENDING THEREACROSS, SAID DAMPER MEANS COMPRISING A NORMALLY FLAT, RESILIENT SHEET OF MATERIAL IMPERVIOUS TO AIR AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF RESILIENT DISPLACEABLE OUT OF THE PLANE OF SAID SHEET WHEN IN ITS NORMAL FLAT CONDITION IN RESPONSE TO A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF TO CREATE OPENING FOR AIR PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID SHEET AT THE SIDE OF THE GRILLE ADJACENT TO THE VENT OPENING; SAID SHEET INCLUDING A PORTION THEREOF POSITIONED TO PERMIT SAID SHEET TO BE SECURED IN OPERATIVE POSITION AT SAID SIDE OF THE GRILLE BY THE MEANS BY WHICH THE GRILLE IS MOUNTED ACROSS THE VENT OPENING.