Abstract:
A pest guard vent cover may prevent the entry of large insects and animals into, but not obstruct the flow out of, the exhaust vent. A frame may have a rain guard, which terminates in pivot slots. A guard basket is pivotally and removably mounted within the pivot slots, so that it may pivot out and away from the frame for easy cleaning of dryer fluff. It may also be pivoted down towards the frame and attached to the frame by means of latches having angled flanges, which flanges catch the basket and releasably hold it against the frame.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates generally to venting and specifically to a pest guard cover that fits over an external wall vent. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Vents are required in buildings to permit air exchange with the outside for dryers, bathroom and kitchen fans, and heating and cooling, among other reasons. Vents, as access points to the building, must be restricted to prevent the entry of animals and other pests that may inhabit a vent, or further use the vent as access to infest a building. Traditionally, pest guards in the form of wire screening have been used to effectively keep animals out, however they are difficult to maintain. 
         [0003]    Some attempts to address this problem have been made in the prior art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,023 (Meyer), where a hooded exhaust vent includes a grid-like guard which is removable but must be awkwardly maneuvered into the vent hood where it is attached by means of projections. The projections may also break off in the course of removing the guard. This hooded vent also deflects the exhaust vent air downward, which reduces the efficiency of the vent and may create a backpressure. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,554 (Berger) describes a hooded exhaust vent, and attempts to remedy some of the shortcomings of Meyer, through the use of a sliding track and projections for the replacement of a guard. It may be difficult in the cold, with cold hands to remove the guard that is attached by means of projections or a rail, in that it may be difficult to maneuver the guard into position. Further, since the guard is totally removable it may fall into the snow and become lost. Accordingly, there is a need for a guard that prevents the entry of pests, is easy to clean but overcomes some of the shortcomings found in the prior art to address these needs. Furthermore, this design also has the shortcoming of deflecting the exhaust vent air downward, which reduces the efficiency of the vent and may create a backpressure. 
         [0005]    In Canadian Patent Application No. 2,330,821, a vent assembly is shown which prevents the entry of animals but permits rain to enter the exhaust vent structure. Snow may clog the vents of this vent assembly by falling on top of the upper grille and/or partially melting and falling through to block the lower grille. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, there is a need for a pest guard which prevents the entry of animals but does not obstruct the flow of the exhaust vent, and is reliable and easy to maintain. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Embodiments of the present invention include a pest guard vent cover which prevents the entry of large insects and animals into, but does not obstruct the flow out of, an exhaust vent. A frame may have a rain guard, which terminates in pivot slots. A guard basket is pivotally and removably mounted within the pivot slots, so that it may pivot out and away from the frame for easy cleaning of dryer fluff. A pull handle mounted on the lower portion of the guard basket facilitates pulling it out and up from the frame. The guard basket may also be pivoted down towards the frame and attached to the frame by means of latches having angled flanges, which flanges catch the basket, and releasably hold it against the frame. The alignment of the basket to the frame is facilitated by the use of alignment tabs mounted on the basket. The frame has a surrounding lip surface to enable it to sealingly engage the exterior of the wall to which it is mounted by means of screws. The pest guard may be made from molded plastic, metal or other materials. 
         [0008]    A pest guard cover for an external wall vent, arranged to be mounted over an existing exhaust vent cover and vent louvers, may include a rectangular frame; a rain shield projecting from the frame, in a downward-sloping inclination; a guard basket having a plurality of perforations forming a grid, providing sufficient clearance for the vent louvers to open; and a hinge between the rain shield and the guard basket so as to permit the guard basket to be pivoted between the frame and rain shield; wherein the frame is affixed over the exhaust vent cover, and the guard basket pivotally hangs from the rain shield by the hinge. The hinge may include one or more pivot members; and one or more pivot slots wherein the pivot members are inserted into the pivot slots so as to be capable of pivoting. The pest guard vent cover may include a first latch and a second latch projecting from the frame; and one or more perforations in the guard basket wherein the first and second latches with and releasably lock within the perforations. The guard basket may have one or more alignment tabs. The guard basket may have a pull handle. The rectangular frame may have apertures to allow for the rectangular frame to be attached to a building. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    It will now be convenient to describe the invention with particular reference to one embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the diagrams relate to one embodiment of the present invention only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a frame used in a Universal Pest guard according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are perspective views of the front and back of a pest guard cover used in a Universal Pest guard according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a Universal Pest Guard Cover, shown with the guard raised, according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the Pest Guard Cover, shown with the guard lowered, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of the Pest Guard Cover, shown with the guard in place, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , a rectangular frame  10  for a universal pest guard vent cover is shown having a rain shield  15  with pivot slots  20  located at the extremity of the rain shield  15 . The pivot slots  20  are to receive pivot members (not shown) attached to a guard basket (not shown) to form a hinge (not shown) and the resulting hinge allows for the movement of the guard basket. The frame  10  also has latches  30  extending away from frame  10  and these latches  30  interconnect with the guard basket (not shown). The latches  30  have angled flanges  35  to allow an easy interconnectability between the frame  10  and the perforations of the guard basket (not shown). The frame  10  also has a surrounding lip surface  40  on the outer perimeter of the frame which allows for installation of the frame  10  on the surface of a building. To facilitate the securing of the frame  10  onto a building surface, apertures  50  are positioned within the lip surface  40 . These apertures  50  allow for the use of screws or nails in order to secure the frame  10  onto a building surface. 
         [0017]    With reference to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  and according to one embodiment of the present invention, a guard basket  60  is shown having internal ribs  70  and pivot members  80 . The pivot members  80  operatively connect with the pivot slots (not shown) to form a hinge (not shown) and allow for the guard basket  60  to be in a raised or lowered position as further described below. The guard basket  60  also has alignment tabs  90  to provide further rigidity to the guard basket  60  and align it into position over the frame  10 . The guard basket  60  also has a surrounding lip surface  100  to seal with frame  10  (not shown) of the Universal Pest Guard. A pull handle  120  is also present on the guard basket  60  in order to facilitate the raising or lowered of the guard basket  60  onto the frame  10  (not shown). 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIG. 3  and according to one embodiment of the present invention, the guard basket  60  is intended to be mounted over an existing exhaust vent cover. The sheet metal exhaust vent duct opening (not shown) will typically be covered by an exhaust vent cover (not shown), consisting of a vent housing (not shown) which is sealed to the side of the building by caulk (not shown). The vent housing (not shown) often contains a series of louvers (not shown) or a flapper (not shown), to permit air to flow out of the building through the vent (not shown), while preventing a back draft. The frame  10  of the pest guard cover fits over the existing exhaust vent cover (not shown) and louvers or flapper (not shown), and is attached through screw holes  100  by means of screws (not shown) or other means known to those skilled in the art. The frame  10  is not intended to replace the existing exhaust vent cover (not shown) and louvers or flapper (not shown), merely provide a pest guard over the existing cover to prevent the entry of insects, animals and leaves. 
         [0019]    With reference to  FIG. 3  and according to one embodiment of the present invention, the Universal pest guard has a frame  10  and a guard basket  60 . The rain shield  15  projects approximately 2″ from the frame  10 , and is gently downward-sloping towards the front of the guard basket  60 . The guard basket  60  is secured to the frame  10  by inserting the pivot members  80  into the pivot slots  20 . The pivot members can be easily snapped into positioned and the pivot slots  20  are designed for a snap fit. The pivot members  80  allow for the guard basket  60  to be raised and lowered for maintenance and cleaning of lint from the interior of the guard basket  60 , but does not require that the guard basket  60  be detached to perform maintenance. The guard basket  60 , may, however optionally be detached if this is desired. Accordingly, the guard basket  60  is able to pivot up and down on the pivot members  80  positioned within the pivot slots  20 , and when in its lowest position, against the frame, may be snapped into place by pushing the guard basket  60  over a first latch  30  and a second latch  32 , which project from the frame  10  and which latches  30  and  32  snap into place through a perforation within the internal ribs  70  in the guard basket  60 , and lock the guard basket  60  to the frame  10  by means of angled flanges  35  on each of the latches  30  and  32 . The angled flanges  35  may be released from the internal ribs  70 , and the guard basket  60  freed to swing up, by bending latches  30  and  32  inward, effectively pushing the angled flanges  35  in through the internal ribs  70 , all the while gently pulling on the guard basket  60 . The pull handle  120  facilitates the movement of the guard basket  60  away from the frame  10  and latches  30  and  32 . Also, if the guard basket  60  falls against the frame  10 , the guard basket  60  will lock into place automatically as the latches  30  and  32  will be pushed inward by the force of the impact of the falling guard basket  60  on the angled flanges  35  wherein the flanges  35  will lock into place within the internal ribs  70 . 
         [0020]    With further reference to  FIG. 3 , the guard basket  60  is substantially a basket made of a grid-like plastic forming perforations, which basket shape allows the flapper or louvers of the exhaust vent (not shown) sufficient clearance to open and close and permit the air to flow out of the exhaust vent. The internal ribs  70  of the grid are small enough to prevent rodents, birds and large insects from entering the exhaust vent (not shown), yet are large enough for air to flow unimpeded out of the exhaust vent (not shown). 
         [0021]    With reference to  FIG. 4  and according to one embodiment of the present invention, the guard basket  60  is secured to the frame  10 . As described under  FIG. 3 , the pivot members  80  allow for the guard basket  60  to rest on the frame and the flanges  35  interlock with the internal rib  70  of the guard basket  60  which secures the guard basket  60  onto the frame. By locking the guard basket  60  to the frame  10 , a pest or rodent cannot pivot the guard basket  60  in order to enter into the vent (not shown). The pull handle  120  also rest on the frame  10  and apertures  50  allow for the frame to be secured onto a building (not shown). 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIG. 5  and according to one embodiment of the present invention, the pivot members  80  are inserted into the pivot slots  20  have a first pivot slot  22  and a second pivot slot  24  which receive the pivot members  80 . The first and second pivot slots  22  and  24  allow for the pivot slot region to expand and the pivot members  80  can then snap into position on the frame  10 . The first and second slots  22  and  24  are integral to and molded as part of the guard basket  60 . The first and second slots  22  and  24  are positioned generally horizontal to the ground and in-line with the face of the guard basket  60  which will assure that the guard cover lip  100  to rest flush on the frame lip section. 
         [0023]    One skilled in the art would appreciate that the pivot members and the material used to manufacture the frame which includes the pivot slots may be formed of another material, for instance a metal hinge affixed to the rain shield and guard, or the hinge may consist of flexible plastic which may be bent by the user, any of which could be substituted for the molded hinge described above, and still fall within the scope of the invention. 
         [0024]    The pest guard cover is manufactured of molded plastic, however one skilled in the art would appreciate that it may be made of other materials as well and still fall within the scope of the invention. For instance, the components may easily be made of metal for a longer-lasting industrial-strength application. 
         [0025]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of a person skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.