Patent Publication Number: US-2021190343-A1

Title: Ventilation shutter with louver having sealing lip

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/949,726, filed Dec. 18, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     This invention relates to climate control systems for buildings used to house animals, and more particularly to a ventilation shutter used to control the passage of air between the interior and the outside of the building. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Maintaining a proper climate in buildings where living creatures such as poultry, swine or livestock are maintained is highly desirable. A well-controlled environment involves monitoring and regulating the temperature, relative humidity and air quality in the building. For example, properly controlled temperatures enable animals to use feed for growth rather than for body heat. A properly heated animal house results in lower feed costs and increased animal productivity. Additionally, control over the level of humidity in the building is necessary because excess humidity contributes to animal discomfort and promotes the growth of harmful air born bacteria that can cause respiration diseases. Having an elevated humidity level in the animal house may also lead to more frequent changes of bedding and litter which increases production costs. An important component in maintaining a proper environment in such buildings is providing proper ventilation. 
     There are many designs of air ventilating systems that can be used to control ventilation. These systems typically contain ventilating fans in cooperation with shutters over air openings used to bring in fresh air into and exhaust stale air from the interior of the building. The shutters typically have pivoted louvers moveable between an open position and a closed position. When ambient temperatures are high, movement of air into the interior of the building is essential to maintain proper conditions inside the building. However, when ambient temperatures are low, introduction of cold outside air increases heating costs. Most traditional shutters allow outside air to leak into the building. Leakage of unwanted outside air into the building during cold temperatures increases heating costs, since more fuel is required to maintain the desired temperature. Desirably, the louvers operate automatically in response to the negative or positive pressure created in the building by the ventilation fans. However, with known ventilation shutters of the automatic type, the louvers often do not seal completely, thus allowing outside air to leak into the building. 
     There is therefore a need for an improved shutter system having multiple louvers which when mounted in the wall of the building will provide an airtight system, resulting in minimal air leakage with minimal heat loss or cold air entering the building. 
     OVERVIEW 
     In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a ventilation shutter for use in a building having an exhaust fan that provides air flow from an interior of the building to an exterior of the building. The shutter includes a frame providing an opening between the exterior and the interior of the building. The frame has a top member, a bottom member and side members extending between the top member and the bottom member. The shutter has a plurality of louvers positioned in the frame, each of the plurality of louvers having a top edge, a bottom edge and outer ends. Each louver is pivotally mounted in the frame such that each louver is moveable between an open position and a closed position where the bottom edge of one louver engages the top edge of the next lower louver. The top edge of each louver has a sealing lip extending therefrom configured to engage with the bottom edge of the adjacent louver when the plurality of louvers are in the closed position. The bottom edge of each louver has a sealing tail extending therefrom, wherein sealing lip contacts the adjacent sealing tail so as to provide a seal between adjacent louvers. 
     These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the systems and methods according to this invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above mentioned and other features of this invention will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a ventilation shutter according to an embodiment of the invention, showing a plurality of louvers in the closed position; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged exploded view of a portion of the ventilation shutter of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view of a louver of the ventilation shutter; and 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of several louvers of the ventilation shutter in the closed position. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention will now be described in the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein preferred embodiments are described in detail to enable practice of the invention. Although the invention is described with reference to these specific preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments. But to the contrary, the invention includes numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents as will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a ventilation shutter  10  has a rectangular frame  12  configured such that the ventilation shutter  10  of the invention can be installed in an opening in a wall of a building to be ventilated. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the ventilation shutter  10  is combined with one or more exhaust fans (not shown) which, when on, will draw air from the inside of the building and exhaust the air outside of the building. The frame  12  includes a top member  14 , a bottom member  16  and two side members  18  that comprise the mounting structure for a plurality of louvers  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the frame  12  has two horizontal internal cross members  22  and two vertical internal cross members  24  to provide rigidity to the frame  12 . The use of one or more interior cross members  22 ,  24  depends upon the size of the ventilation shutter  10  designed for its specific installation. 
       FIG. 2  shows a portion of one of the side members  18  with the louvers  20  exploded to better illustrate one embodiment of the ventilation shutter  10 . Each louver  20  has a top edge  26 , a bottom edge  28  and outer ends  30 . Each outer end  30  of the louver  20  is pivotally mounted to a side member  18  of the frame  12 . Alternately, one or more outer ends  30  of the louver  20  can be pivotally mounted to a vertical internal cross member  24 . Desirably, as best seen in  FIG. 3 , each louver  20  is formed such that it has an aerodynamic shape. 
     In one embodiment, the inside edge of each side member  18  (and each vertical cross member  22  that also mounts louvers  20 ) has a base strip  32  configured to interface with the louvers  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the base strip  32  has an inwardly extending pivot pin  40  for each louver  20  received by the base strip  32 . The outer ends  30  of each louver  20  have an opening  42  near the upper edge  26  for receiving the pivot pin  40  such that the louver  20  is capable of pivoting movement about an axis formed by the pivot pins  40  on either side of the louver  20  used to mount the louver  20 . However, one skilled in the art will understand that the pivot pin  40  may be part of the louver  20  and the openings may be on the base strip  32  without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the louvers  20  are moveable from an open position to a closed position where the bottom edge  28  of a louver  20  engages the top edge  26  of the next lower louver  20 . 
     Desirably, the base strip  32  has a sealing interface  44  formed to match the curved shape of the louver  20 . The sealing interface  44  extends inwardly a sufficient distance to engage the surface of the louver  20  along its outer end  30  when the louver  20  in a closed position. The engagement of the outer end  30  of the louver  20  with the sealing interface  44  provides for a seal at the outer ends  30  of the louvers  20  when the louvers  20  are in a closed position, thus minimizing any leakage of outside air into the building when the fans are operating. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the top edge  26  of the louver  20  has a pivot crown  50  that forms the opening  42  that receives the pivot pin  40 , or alternately mounts the pivot pin that can engage with the side member  18 . The pivot crown  50  has an increased cross sectional area that other portions of the louver  20  to accommodate the features necessary to enable to pivot the louver  20  between the open and closed position. According to the invention, the top edge  26  of each louver  20  has a sealing lip  60  extending from the pivot crown  50  configured to engage with a sealing tail  62  extending from the bottom edge  28  of the adjacent louver  20 . In the closed position, the sealing lip  60  contacts the adjacent sealing tail  62  so as to provide a seal between adjacent louvers  20 . In one embodiment, the sealing lip  60  has a base arm  64  joined with an engagement arm  66  at elbow  68 . Desirably, the engagement arm  66  extends from the base arm  64  so that the elbow  68  forms an angle α of less than 90 degrees, and preferably between about 20 and 70 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, a proximal end of the engagement arm  66  is joined with the base arm  64  and a distal end of the engagement arm  66  extends away from the pivot crown  50  to provide an engagement surface  70 . The engagement surface  74  mates with the bottom edge  28  of the adjacent louver  20  when the louvers  20  are in the closed position. 
     In one embodiment, the sealing tail  62  forms a compound geometric shape such that it has a first leg  74  extending downward as shown in the orientation of  FIG. 3  connected with a second leg  76  at knee  78 . Desirably, the second leg  76  extends from the first leg  74  so that the knee  78  forms an angle β of greater than 70 degrees, and preferably between about 80 and 120 degrees. Desirably, the second leg  76  is oriented such that it mates with the surface of the adjacent louver  20  when the louvers  20  are in the closed position. 
     Thus, the louvers  20  will seal tightly with adjacent louvers  20  when in the closed position and discourage cold air or light from leaking into the building. Desirably, the louvers  20  will remain in the closed position and not open until fan power is applied. When fans within the building are turned on, negative pressure will pull the louvers  20  in the open position, allowing air to flow through the ventilation shutter  10 . The louvers  20  will remain in the open position as long as the fans are in operation. 
     The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.