US3846938A

US3846938A - Vent operator assembly

Info

Publication number: US3846938A
Application number: US00305696A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Kelly
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-11-22
Filing date: 1972-11-22
Publication date: 1974-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-12

Abstract

This invention involves an operator assembly for vents particularly roof vents for mobile homes, campers and trailers. It employs the basic operating elements found in operators for casement type windows, including a helical screw rotated by handle and engaging a sector gear on the edge of the vent extension arm. The arm engages a track secured to the vent while the helical screw and crank assembly are secured to the window frame or vent frame. Actuation of the crank in one direction moves the arm through an arc and the arm in turns opens or closes the vent depending upon the direction of rotation of the handle. This invention involves the mounting of these operating elements employing the structural support member for the vent operator as its housing and eliminating the function formerly provided by the operator housing. The support member is conventional I or H beam configuration, a channel or rectangular tube. The operator assembly may be enclosed, if desired, merely by the addition of a snap-on cover engaging one side of the structural support.

Description

United States Patent [191 Kelly [111 3,846,938 [451 Nov. 12, 1974 1 VENT OPERATOR ASSEMBLY Donald V. Kelly, 10642 Helendale, Tujunga, Calif. 91042 [761 Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 49/342 [51] Int. Cl E05f 11/24 [58] Field of Search 49/52, 53, 354, 355, 356, 49/324. 342; 98/998 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,112,401 9/1914 Allen 49/356 2.372.164 3/1945 Woodhams 49/342 X 2.610.848 9/1952 Carlston 49/342 2.699.232 l/l955 Singleton 49/342 2.801.845 8/1957 Rodaway 49/342 Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John E. Wagner [57] ABSTRACT This invention involves an operator assembly for vents particularly roof vents for mobile homes, campers and trailers. It employs the basic operating elements found in operators for casement type windows, including a helical screw rotated by handle and engaging a sector gear on the edge of the vent extension arm. The arm engages a track secured to the vent while the helical screw and crank assembly are secured to the window frame or vent frame. Actuation of the crank in one direction moves the arm through an arc and the arm in turns opens or closes the vent depending upon the direction of rotation of the handle. This invention involves the mounting of these operating elements employing the structural support member for the vent operator as its housing and eliminating the function formerly provided by the operator housing. The support member is conventional l or H beam configuration, a channel or rectangular tube. The operator assembly may be enclosed, if desired, merely by the addition of a snap-on cover engaging one side of the structural support.

1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDIIUV 12 I974 saw ear 2' FIG. 7

FIG.}8

VENT OPERATOR ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The casement window crank type operator has long been made up of five basic parts. There are: (I) an operator arm mounted for rotational movement and having a sector gear surface which engages; (2) a helical screw for rotation of the operator arm. The helical screw and operator arm are secured in (3) a housing which normally is of die cast metal. The operating portion of the arm extends out of the housing to one side and the end of the helical'screw assembly extends out of the opposite side of the housing. Crank connected to the helical screw assembly complete the operator. The housing is secured to a frame member and the end of the operator arm engages a track in the window.

Classical casement window operators of this type have been recently applied as operators for roof vents in mobile homes, trailers and campers to open and close such vents. One unique situation encountered in such applications is that the vent is positioned on the roof and may be opened when the vehicle is moving. Therefore, in addition to the normal loading on such a vent, there is a substantial wind load. For this reason, the operator of such a wing of a vent is positioned along the center line of the vent rather than at one side or the bottom in the case of conventional casement windows. A center placement tends to balance the wind load and transfer it to the operator thereby avoiding distortion of the vent. It does necessitate the presence of a structural member passing through the center of the vent opening. Typically, the operator is secured to the central structural member by its casing. In this use, the housing of the operator is positioned with the operating arm opening on top and in a position that precipitation and dust entering the opening are trapped. Normally such operators have no provision for cleaning and at best are cleaned with extreme difficulty. Gravel or large particles of dust entering the necessary slot can jam the gearing and prevent opening or closing of the vent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I have discovered that it is possible to simplify the construction reduce the cost and minimize the retention of dust, gravel and other contaminants of vent operators. This is accomplished by employing a cross brace in the vent opening as the body and support for the operational portions of the vent operator, namely, the arm which engages the vent cover and the helical screw and crank assembly which advances and returns the operator arm. This is all achieved employing a brace of I or H beam configuration employing the two spaced plates or flanges for mounting the helical screw and the web of the beam for mounting the actuator arm. Minor punching operations only are required to form a brace into the body for the vent operator.

Alternate embodiments of the brace are channel and rectangular tubes. Another alternate embodiment, the brace forms three sides of the housing or enclosure and a simple snap on cover encloses the remainder of the operator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING From the foregoing brief description of the invention it may be more fully understood with the following detailed description and by reference to the drawing in which: I

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vent employing the operator of this invention shown from the underside;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the operator details of the vent assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the vent operator of all lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view of the operator assembly details of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternate embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section to the assembly of FIG. 5 taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cover of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the alternate embodiment of FIG. 5 with portions broken away for clarity;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section view through another alternate embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section through still another alternate embodiment of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Now referring to FIG. 1. A trailer or camper roof vent assumbly is shown in perspective view as would be seen by an occupant within the vehicle and with the vent in open position. The vent generally designated IILir cIudes a cover or window 11 which preferably is molded plastic material, either transparent or translucent and having sufficient structural strength to withstand necessary wind loadings which the vent may encounter when in a partially open position and the vehicle is in motion or subject to wind.

The cover or window 11 is dish shaped with a depending lip portion 12 designed to extend over a mating column portion 13 of the vent frame generally designated 14. At the upper edge of the column portion 13 optionally is included an elastomeric seal 15 providing The vent cover 11 is hinged to the frame 14 at one edge and preferably opened, closed and held in any intermediate position by a positive action operator designated generally as 20 in the drawing. This operator 20 engages both the cover 11 and the frame 14. The engagement with the cover 11 is via a track 21. The track 21 is preferably metal and extends between the hinged edge of cover 11 to the outermost edge and includes a recess for a pin in the end of the operator 20.

The operator 20 is similarly secured to and actually partially integral with a longitudinal brace 22 of the frame 14. In accordance with the prior art each of the elements described above are found in prior art vents, however, the operator in such cases is a separate assembly having its own housing. The operator assembly Now referring to FIG. 2, the fragmentary details of the operator of the assembly may be seen in better detail. The operator comprises in actuality an arm 23 secured by rivet or similar fastener 24 in pivotal relationship with the brace 22 and extends through an opening 25 which preferably is punched in the upper plate 26 of the brace 22. Brace 22 in the preferred embodiment takes the form of an H or I beam, a structural shape having maximum strength for its'weight and a shape which is particularly useful in making attachments to planar objects. This latter characteristic of the H or I beam is particularly advantageous in this invention. Referring again to the operator arm 23 at its lower end pivoted around the rivet 24 has a sector gear 30 with a number of punched or machined gear teeth in the edge of the arm 23. These gear teeth encompassapproximately 180 of the circular end of arm 23 about the axis of rotation defined by the rivet 24. This sector gear engages a helical screw operator 31 journaled between the upper plate 26 and the lower plate 32 of the brace 22. This helical screw includes lower extension 33 to which a crank arm 34 is secured. This arm is used for operating the vent.

As is apparent in FIG. 2, the arm 23 is secured to the central web 27 portion of the structural brace 22 and the helical screw 31 to the two

plates

26 and 32 thereby establishing the required spaced perpendicular relationship of the axes A and D of the arm and screw portion of the operator. The handle 34 is similarly positioned for rotation below the plate 32. Because a reasonably central location of the helical screw 31 is desired a portion of the central web 27 has been removed thereby defining opening 35.

The relationship in a vertical transverse plane of each of these elements as described is better seen in FIG. 3. In this case it may be seen that the brace 22 is of I or H beam configuration with a slight offset of the central web 27. This offset is not required and the widths of the

plates

26 and 32 is determined more by the strength requirements of the brace than the operator 20. It may be seen that the upper and

lower plates

26 and 32 ideally journal the helical screw operator 31 directly in line with the arm 23. This alignment is further illustrated in FIG. 4 to which reference is now made. The extension of the arm 23 through the opening 25 is quite apparent in this figure and the sector gear 30 also is visible through the opening 15.

In carrying out this invention an ancillary advantage has been discovered as compared with the prior art operators for roof vents. In the past, a brace of the general type 22 has been used and an operator including its own housing has been secured to the brace. By the nature of this type of operator a slot 25 normally appears in the housing for the operator and as is apparent in FIG. 4 a slot of this nature exposes the sector gear to precipitation, gravel and other contamination. It has been the practice in the past to heavily lubricate such operators at the factory and thereafter they are for all practical purposes not maintainable. We have discovered that since vents of this type are often used in moving vehicles with the vent open and a significant flow of air occurring in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 that dust particles and gravel could enter the top of the housing and be trapped therein. It should be noted that in this case the operator is opened and there is no trap for gravel or other particles. The gearing is exposed and it may be lubricated and cleaned as desired. This advantage is in addition to the principal advantage of elimination of the housing constituting a major cost element of the operator assembly without elimination of any of its functions and at the same time eliminating the dust trapping characteristics from which it suffered.

Now referring to FIG. 5, in certain applications safety is a consideration, a housing may be required. Normally the working elements of the operator are positioned above the screen and out of reach, however, if housing is required, this may be easily accomplished in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 5.

In FIG. 5, the brace 22a is of substantially the same design as 22 of FIG. 1 with the exception that it employs the pair of

integral ribs

40 and 41 paralleling the central web 27a which define screw slots for end mounting of the brace 22a in a manner well known in the art. These

ribs

40 and 41 perform the second function of holding a flexible plastic cover 42 which includes an edge lip best seen in FIG. 7 snapped under the

ribs

40 and 41. The cover 42 as indicated is of preferably plastic and may easily be removed for cleaning of the operator assembly. In order to enclose the entire operator assembly, I have found that the central web can provide the opposite side of the housing for the operator. This is apparent in FIG. 6 in which a cavity 43 is formed by stretch forming the central web 270 sufficiently to receive the screw operator 31.

The details of the cover 42 including its

edge lip

45 and 46 designed to engage the

ribs

40 and 41 are readily seen in FIG. 7.

The relative position of each of the elements in this alternate embodiment is also easily seen in FIG. 8 which shows a central web 27a with its cavity 43 and the cover 42 and its engagement with rib 41. In this case it should be noted that the operator assembly is totally enclosed except for top opening slot appearing in FIG. 5 and it therefore has all of the advantages of conventional operator with the additional advantages of ease of cleaning.

In the foregoing discussion it is apparent that the ap plicant has employed the cross brace 22 required in all vent operators to constitute the structural support for each of the particular elements of the vent operator. This eliminates the need for vent operator housing. This is accomplished since the brace, as designed, includes three surfaces: two plates which are parallel to each other and a normal or penpendicular web portion. This is characteristic of H or I beam configuration.

I have also found that other structural shapes or braces may similarly be used and such are illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. In these figures the same numeral designations are given to common parts. In this case the brace 22b is in the form of a channel set on edge. It includes upper and lower flanges corresponding flanges 26b and 32b corresponding to the

plates

26 and 32 of the embodiment of FIG. 2. In the central body portion 27b corresponding to a central web of embodiment of FIG. 2 in this embodiment the central portion 27 is not perforated as in the case of FIG. 2 and a spacer 60 is placed between the operator arm 23 and the central portion 27b.

FIG. 10 shows another alternate embodiment. In this case a hollow rectangular tube 220 as the brace and body for the operator 20. In this case the upper wall 260 and the lower wall 320 mount a screw operator 31 and one side wall 270 mounts the arm 23.

From the foregoing it may be seen that I have simplified yet improved vent operators employing the conventional brace member not only as the structural support for the independent operator but supporting each of the component parts in their proper relationship. Employing the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2 and the embodiment of FIG. 9, the operator details are open for easy lubrication and cleaning. Employing the embodiment of FIG. 5 and FIG. the operator assembly is fully enclosed for protection if desired. Employing my invention the cost of vents is significantly reduced and operationally they are superior.

The above described embodiments of this invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. The scope of this invention instead shall be determined from the scope of the following claims, including their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

l. A vent assembly comprising a frame adapted to be installed in an enclosure and defining the opening therein;

a vent cover hinged to one side of said frame;

an operator including an arm engaging said vent cover for opening, closing and securing said vent cover in different positions;

said operator including a brace member including two parallel extending surfaces joined by a perpendicular connecting web portion;

means securing said brace member to said frame with said two parallel extending surfaces generally normal to the direction of opening of said vent cover;

said arm of said operator including one end rotatably secured to the web portion of said brace member and including a sector gear portion centered about the axis of rotation of the arm;

a helical screw journaled between the parallel extending surfaces of said brace member and in operable engagement with said sector gear portion;

said operator also' including means for turning said helical screw to actuate said arm and open and close said vent cover;

and wherein said brace member includes elongated ribs in said paralell extending surfaces integral and extending parallel to and spaced from said web portion and including flexible cover means dimensional to enclose said helical screw and sector gear portion of said arm and in engagement with said elongated ribs.

Claims

1. A vent assembly comprising a frame adapted to be installed in an enclosure and defining the opening therein; a vent cover hinged to one side of said frame; an operator including an arm engaging said vent cover for opening, closing and securing said vent cover in different positions; said operator including a brace member including two parallel extending surfaces joined by a perpendicular connecting web portion; means securing said brace member to said frame with said two parallel extending surfaces generally normal to the direction of opening of said vent cover; said arm of said operator including one end rotatably secured to the web portion of said brace member and including a sector gear portion centered about the axis of rotation of the arm; a helical screw journaled between the parallel extending surfaces of said brace member and in operable engagement with said sector gear portion; said operator also including means for turning said helical screw to actuate said arm and open and close said vent cover; and wherein said brace member includes elongated ribs in said paralell extending surfaces integral and extending parallel to and spaced from said web portion and including flexible cover means dimensional to enclose said helical screw and sector gear portion of said arm and in engagement with said elongated ribs.