Combined static and powered vent device

• US 4,895,065 A
• Filed: 10/24/1988
• Issued: 01/23/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Transpec, Inc. (White Mountains Insurance Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Transpec, Inc. (White Mountains Insurance Group Limited)
• Inventors: Lamparter, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US07/261,592
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 78/2.14, 78/2.18, 78/42.02, 78/42.07, 78/42.11
• US Class Current: 454/136
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00457 Ventilation unit, e.g. combined with a radiator control systems for ventilators B60H1/00828
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/262 Openings in or on the vehicle roof

Abstract

A combined static and powered vent device for a vehicle such as a bus wherein the interior of the vehicle is continuously vented to the atmosphere in such a way that the forward movement of the bus causes an eductive drawing of the air from the vehicle interior and which also includes a powered fan device for venting the vehicle interior when static or eductive venting is inadequate.

Claims

1. A combined static and powered vent device adapted to be disposed in the roof of a vehicle said device comprising:

A. panel (10) having

(1) vertically spaced upper and lower walls (12 and

     14),

(2) aligned openings (16 and

     18) formed in said panel walls for venting the vehicle interior to the outside atmosphere,

(3) baffle means (38-40) formed on and projecting vertically above the upper panel wall (12) for diverting water from said panel openings;

B. motor-fan means (22) mounted in said panel and generally disposed between said upper and lower walls (12 and

     14), said fan means being adapted to force air to flow through the panel openings to exhaust vehicle interior air; and

C. a domed cover member (42) mounted upon the upper panel wall (12) and enclosing said wall openings and said baffle means, said cover including a rear wall (46) facing the rear of the vehicle, vent openings (48-50) formed in said rear wall, said cover (42) and said baffle means (38-40) coacting to define passages (60-62) through which air may flow from the interior of the vehicle and be expelled through said cover vent openings (48-50);

said baffle means includes a first planar portion (38) surrounding said panel opening (16), said portion being parallel to and elevated above the upper panel wall (12) to provide a first barrier against water flowing into said panel openings, a baffle segment (40) projecting upwardly from said planar portion (38) and extending generally around the rear half circumference of the upper panel opening (16), the upper surface of the baffle segment (40) abuttingly engaging the dome cover (42) whereby the segment and cover block the passage of water into the panel openings;

the upper panel wall (12) includes a first raised dome-supporting rib (64) extending transversely of the panel generally tangentially to the forward edge of panel opening (16), and a pair of longitudinally extending ribs (56 and

     58) laterally spaced from the upper panel opening (16);

said cover including an upper wall adapter to seat upon the upper surface of the ribs (56, 58 and

     64).