US3545131A

US3545131A - Storm door pressure and vacuum release valve

Info

Publication number: US3545131A
Application number: US774677A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anthony R Paytas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-11-12
Filing date: 1968-11-12
Publication date: 1970-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-08

Description

Dc'. s, 1970 R Y A 3,545,131

STORM DOOR PRESSURE 'AND VACUUM RELEASHVALVE Filed Nov. 12, 1968 {1 INVENTORQ United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A storm door having a vent opening with a valve mounted in the vent opening for relieving vacuum pressure between the storm door and house door when the doors move away from each other and for relieving high pressure between the storm door and house door when the doors move toward each other.

This invention relates generally to storm doors and is particularly concerned with an outwardly opening storm door adapted to be mounted in a doorway for cooperation with an, inwardly opening house door and having means operable to'relieve vacuum pressure when the doors move away'from each other and to relieve high pressure between the doors when the doors move toward each other.

During the cold months of the year, it is common to replace screen doors with storm doors to provide a space between the doors separated from both the inside air and the outside air to decrease the heat loss through the doorway. DifiFiculty is sometimes encountered in opening and closing the doors because of the volume of air trapped in the space between the doors when they are in their closed positions. For example, in order to open either door, or move the doors away from each other, there is a tendency for ava'cuum to be created between the doors to resist the opening force on the doors. On the other hand, acushion of air is trapped between the doors when they are moved toward each other to the closed positions which resists the closing force. As a result, it frequently occurs that a storm door does not fully close and the insulating effect is thus lost or curtailed.

An object of this invention is to provide means for re lieving vacuum pressure between a a storm door and house doorwhen the doors are moved away from each other and operable to relieve high pressure between the storm door and house door When the doors are moved toward each other.

In carrying out the foregoing, and other objects, a storm door according to the present invention has a vent opening defined in the door with valve means mounted in the vent opening operable to permit flow through the Opening in a direction to relieve vacuum pressure when the storm door and house door move away from each other, and in a direction to relieve high pressure between the doors when the storm door and house door move toward each other.

The valve means is pressure responsive for movement between a closed position closing the vent opening, and open positions on either side of the storm door panel to permit air fiow through the vent opening. When the doors are moved away from each other; that is, when one of the doors is opened from a closed position, the valve opens in response to the pressure diiferential on opposite sides of the door being opened and permits outside air to flow through the vent opening into the space between the doors until the pressure is equalized on both sides of the storm door, after which the valve closes to shut off communication between outside air and the space between the doors. When one of the doors is moved from an open to closed position, the pressure in the space between the "ice doors increases causing the valve to open in a direction to expel the excess pressure to the outside through the vent until the pressure on both sides of the storm door is equalized, after which the valve returns to its closed position. The valve means may be biased against movement from its closed position by a spring. The spring may react only in one direction so as to restrain the valve means against opening inwardly to admit outside air but permitting the valve to move freely in a direction to permit air to flow to the outside from the space between the doors. Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a storm door embodying the'invention; I

I 'FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the open positions of the valve illustrated; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken along lines 44 of FIG. 2.

With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a doorway having an outwardly opening storm door 12 mounted in the doorway for cooperation with an inwardly opening house door 10. The storm door 12 cmprises panel means 14, 16, 18, and a vent pening 20 is defined in panel 18. Valve means 22 is mounted in the vent opening operable to permit flow through the vent opening in a direction to relieve vacuum pressure between the storm door and house door when the doors move away from each other and in direction to relieve high pressure between the storm door and house door when the doors move toward each other.

Valve 22 is pressure responsive for movement between a closed position (FIG. 2) closing the vent opening 20 and separating the space between doors 10 and 12 from outside air, and open positions (FIG. 3) on either side of panel 18 to permit air flow through the vent opening 20. Valve 22 is biased against movement from its closed position in one direction by biasing means 24, and is mounted for pivotal movement between its closed and open positions on a pivot pin 26 mounted on the door and extending across the vent opening. Furthermore, valve 22 is mounted adjacent its upper edge on pin 26 such that the weight of the valve urges it toward its closed position.

The biasing means 24 is in the form of a spring reacting between the door panel, or structure surrounding the vent opening, and valve 22, for resiliently resisting movement of the valve in the inwardly opening direction from the closed position. The spring comprises a coil spring mounted on pin 26 with an extension 28 engageable with one side of the panel and an extension 30 on the other end engageable with one side of the valve. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve can freely open in a direction to permit the escape of air from the space between doors 10 and 12 to the outside, but the extension 30 of spring 24 resiliently restrains the valve from opening to the phantom line position in FIG. 3 to permit outside air to flow into the space between the doors.

While the valve assembly can be mounted directly on a storm door, in the illustrated embodiment, the assembly may be installed as a separate unit on a door and includes a mounting frame 32 with an opening 34 defined therein. Mounting holes 36 are provided at the comers of the mounting frame 32 for receiving screws or other conventional fasteners 38 for attaching the assembly to the storm door or panel adjacent a vent opening 20 which may be formed at any desired location provided in the door panel.

As shown in FIG. 1, the storm door includes a frame 40 adapted to be hinged at 42 in the doorway; and a lower kick panel 16, a center panel 18 or cross frame member, and a glass panel 1; are mounted in the frame 40 for enclosing the space surrounded by the frame.

Thus, to install an assembly according to this invention on a conventional door, it is only necessary to provide a vent opening sufliciently large to permit the valve 22 to swing through as Shown in FIG. 3 in the full and phantom line positions, and to provide mounting holes for receiving the fasteners 38. The valve can be restrained in both directions against movement from its closed position of FIG. 2, but in the illustrated embodiment, it is restrained only against movement to the phantom line position of FIG. 3 to permit outside air to flow between the doors through

openings

20 and 34. Thus, there is somewhat greater resistance to opening the valve when the house door 10 is opened with the storm door .closed to thereby lessen the amount of outside air pulled in through the

openings

20 and 34.

While a specific form of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown, but that various alternatives in the construction and arrangement of parts will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An outwardly opening storm door adapted to be mounted in a doorway for cooperation with an inwardly opening house door comprising: panel means on the storm door; a vent opening defined in said panel means; a pair of pivot pin receiving members, one of which is secured to said panel means on one side of said vent opening and the other of which is secured to said panel means on the other side of said vent opening; a pivot pin having its ends journalled in said pivot pin receiving members and extending across said vent opening; a one-piece valve element mounted on said pivot pin adjacent the upper edge of said valve element, said valve element having the same shape as said vent opening but being slightly smaller than said vent opening and thereby operable to swing from a normally closed position extending across said vent opening through said vent opening in both directions about .theaxis of said pivot pin; a coil spring mounted on one end of said pin between said valve element and the adjacent pivot pin receiving member with an extension on one end of said spring engageable with one side of said panel and an extension on the other end of said spring engageable with the corresponding side of said valve element but on the opposite side of the axis of said pin for resiliently resisting movement of said valve element from the closed position in one direction only.

2. A storm door valve assembly adapted to be mounted in a vent opening of a storm door comprising: a mounting frame; a vent opening defined in said mounting frame; a pair of pivot pin receiving members, one of which is secured to said frame on one side of said vent opening and the other of which is secured to said frame on the other side of said vent opening, a pivot pin having its ends journalled in said pivot pin receiving members and extending across 'said vent opening; a one-piece valve element mounted on said pivot pin adjacent the upper edge of said valve element, said valve element having the same shape as said vent opening but being slightly smaller than said vent opening and thereby operable to swing from a normally closed position extending across said vent opening through said vent opening in both directions about the axis of said pivot pin; a coil spring mounted on one end of said pin between said valve element and the adjacent pivot pin receiving member with an extension on one end of said spring engageable with one side of said frame and an extension on the other end engageable wtih the corresponding side of said valve element but on the opposite side of the axis of said pin for resiliently resisting movement of said valve element from the closed position in one direction only.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,189 1/1927 Donachy 49-169X 1,911,825 5/1933 Hofer 49-171X 2,774,116 12/1956 Wolverton 49171X 3,123,867 3/1964 Combs 49171X 1,721,223 7/1929 Kern 49-169X KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner