Patent Publication Number: US-2022219507-A1

Title: Window vent

Description:
The present disclosure is directed to a window vent, and more particularly, to a window vent that can be positioned in a window opening to provide ventilation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Window vents can be inserted into a window opening to provide ventilation to the associated interior space. Such window vents typically include an opening, and a screen or mesh positioned over the opening to allow air to flow therethrough but to block insects, debris or other undesired components from entering. However, many existing window vents can be ineffective and/or challenging to manufacture. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment the present disclosure is directed to a window vent which is configured to allow sufficient air flow and is relatively easy to manufacture. In particular, in one embodiment the invention is a window vent system including a window vent having a unitary, one-piece panel body including a first panel portion and a second panel portion oriented generally parallel to the first panel portion. The first panel portion has a set of openings formed therein and the second panel portion has a set of openings formed therein. Each opening of the second panel portion is at least partially aligned with an opening of the first panel portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the window vent of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2A  is a rear perspective view of the window vent of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a detail view of the area indicated in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the window vent of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a vehicle showing the window vent of  FIG. 1  inserted therein; and 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a precursor of the window vent, showing an intermediate step in the manufacture thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The window vent system  10  ( FIG. 4 ) can include a window vent  12  ( FIGS. 1-3 ) which can include a panel body  14  having a first panel portion  16  and a second panel portion  18  oriented generally parallel to the first panel portion  16 . The first panel portion  16  can include a plurality of openings  20  (first openings) formed therethrough. The first panel portion  16  can further include a plurality of louvers  22 , where each louver  22  is positioned adjacent to and generally covers an associated first opening  20 . Each louver  22  is, in one embodiment, positioned above the upper and/or side surfaces of an associated first opening  20  to block or limit the entry of rain or moisture through the first openings  20 . The vertically-stacked arrangement of louvers  22  can help to limit the entry of rain or moisture, as rain/moisture from an upper louver  22  can be smoothly directed to a lower louver  20  which deflects the rain/moisture. 
     In  FIG. 1  one of the louvers  22  (in the upper left corner) is removed/not shown, for illustrative purposes, to show the corresponding shape and configuration of an exemplary first opening  20 . In one embodiment, each of the first openings  20  can have an average/effective length dimension (extending generally left-to-right in  FIG. 1 ) of about 2½″ and an average/effective height dimension (extending generally in the vertical direction of  FIG. 1 ) of about 0.5″, resulting in each first opening  20  having a surface area of about 1.25 square inches in one case. In the illustrated embodiment the first panel portion  16  has twenty first openings  20 , leading to a total surface area, of the first openings  20 , of about twenty-five square inches. However, the size, shape, number, location and surface area of the first openings  20  can be varied as desired. For example, in one case the number of first openings  20  is greater than four, or greater than ten, or less than fifty. 
     The first openings  20  can be provided in sufficient size and/or quantity to provide sufficient ventilation through the window vent  12 . Thus in one embodiment the first openings  20  have a total/combined surface area of at least about five percent of the surface area first panel portion  16 /window vent  12 , or in another embodiment at least about ten percent, or another embodiment at least about fifteen percent. However, the total surface area of the first openings  20  may be desired to not be too large to ensure sufficient structural integrity to the first panel portion  16 /window vent  12 . Accordingly, in one embodiment the first openings  20  may comprise less than about ninety percent of the surface area of the first panel portion  16 /window vent  12 , or less than about seventy-five percent in another embodiment, and less than about fifty percent in yet another embodiment. 
     The second panel portion  18  can have a set of openings  24  therein (second openings) that are generally aligned with the first openings  20  to allow air to flow through the panel body  14 /window vent  12 . The second openings  24  can each be relatively small to limit the entry of insects, debris or other undesired components. In the illustrated embodiment, each second opening  24  is a relatively narrow, long slot-like opening, with its smallest dimension, in a two dimensional plane (in the transverse direction A of  FIG. 2 ), of less than about 4 millimeters in one case, and less than about 2 millimeters in another case, and greater than about 1 millimeter in yet another case, to ensure sufficient air flow. 
     The slot-like second openings  24  can be positioned at an angle relative to the height dimension of the second panel portion  18 /window vent  12 . The second openings  24  are shown at an illustrated angle of forty-five degrees, but the angle can vary in one case between about twenty and seventy degrees. However, the second openings  24  may not be angled at all, and can be arranged strictly vertically and/or horizontally if desired. In addition, the second openings  24  need not be slots, but can instead take the form of various other shapes including circles, squares, triangles, curved slots, “zig-zagged” slots, irregular shapes, etc. The total surface area of the second openings  24 , compared to the total surface area of the second panel portion  18 /window vent  12  can be in the same ranges as the first openings  20  relative to the first panel portion  16 /window vent  12  as described above. 
     The second openings  24  can be arranged in groups and all or most of the second openings  24  of a group can be at least partially aligned with an associated first opening  20  or openings to allow air to flow therethrough for ventilation, but the relatively small size of the second openings  24  can block insects, debris or other undesired components from entering or passing through the window vent  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, each first opening  20  is significantly larger in surface area than each second opening  24  to allow ventilation, e.g. at least about ten times larger in surface area in one case, or at least about twenty times larger in another case. Thus, each first opening  20  may have a plurality of second openings  24  corresponding thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, there are twenty-two second openings  24  associated with each first opening  20 , but this number can vary as desired and can be at least five or at least ten in one case, and less than about fifty or less than about twenty-five in another case. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the first panel portion  16  can have a flared-out portion  26  along a bottom edge thereof including or connected by an angled portion  28 , and the second panel portion  18  can similarly include a flared-out portion  26  including or connected by an angled portion  28  thereof. The flared-out portions  26  can define a channel  30  therebetween extending in the height direction of the window vent  12  to receive a window therein  32 , as will be described in greater detail below. In one embodiment, the channel  30  may have a width of about seven millimeters, although the window of the channel  30  can be varied as desired. For example, in one case the channel  30  has a width larger than about four millimeters and/or smaller than about ten millimeters. As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , in one case the channel  30  (defined by the flared-out portion  26  and optionally the angled portion  28 ) can extend about twenty-five percent of the height of the window vent  12 , and in one embodiment extends at least about ten percent of the height of the window vent  12  and/or less than about fifty percent of the height of the window vent  12 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , in one embodiment the window vent  12  can include a handle  34  coupled to panel body  14 /second panel portion  18 . The handle  34  includes an angled gripping portion  36  extending away from the panel body  14 /second panel portion  18  such that a user can grip the handle  34  for installation/removal of the window vent  12 . 
     The window vent  12  of  FIGS. 1-3  can be used with a window  32  or pane of glass positioned in a window opening  38 , such as the window  32  and window opening  38  as shown in  FIG. 4  in context with a motorized vehicle/trailer/recreational vehicle  40 . The window  32  can be vertically moved between an upper or closed position, and a lower, fully or partially, retracted position. In order to utilize the window vent  12 , the window  32  is first retracted down to a sufficient height, and the window vent  12  inserted into an upper portion of the window opening  38 . The window  32  is then raised until the upper edge of the window  32  is closely received in the channel  30 , and the window  32  is then further raised until the upper edge of the window vent  12  is positioned securely within the window casing or weather stripping, molding, gasket etc. The window vent  12  can be positioned such that the first panel portion  16  and louvers  22  are outward-facing and the second panel portion  18  and handle  34  are inward-facing such that a user on the inside of the vehicle  40  can grip the handle  34  and easily manipulate the window vent  12  in place. In the particular view and embodiment of  FIG. 4 , part of the window vent  12  (the upper left corner) happens to not be visible behind a deflector or baffle  50  of the vehicle  40 . 
     After installation of the window vent  12 , the window  32  covers part of the window opening  38  and the window vent  12  covers the remainder of the window opening  38 . In this manner the window vent  12  is held securely in place, and the window vent  12  allows ventilation therethrough and prevents insects, debris or other undesirable components from entering the vehicle  40  through the window opening  38 . The window vent  12  can be used in one case while the vehicle  40  is not moving, to allow outside air to circulate and assist in controlling the temperature in the vehicle  40  by the natural flow of air through the window vent  12 . While  FIG. 4  illustrates the window vent  12  in conjunction with a particular window  32  of a particular vehicle  40 , it should be understood that the window vent  12  can be used in nearly any window system with a retractable window, including cars, trucks, vans, motorized recreational vehicles, trailers, homes, office buildings, etc. The window vent  12  may be customized in size and shape and configuration to match the size and shape of the corresponding window opening. 
     In order to form the window vent  12  of  FIGS. 1-3 , a blank piece of material having an outline in the shape of the piece of material  42  shown in  FIG. 5  can be provided. In one embodiment the piece of material  42  is a unitary, integral, seamless, one-piece component made of metal or other materials. As shown, in one embodiment the second panel portion  18  has a somewhat different size and/or shape than the first panel portion  16 , and in particular is somewhat smaller than the first panel portion  16  in surface area. The second panel portion  18  can be smaller than the first panel portion  16 , so long as, in one case, the second panel portion  18  (or the openings  24 ) covers each of the first openings  20  when the window vent  12  is formed. Moreover, the second panel portion  18  can be the same size as the first panel portion  16 , or if desired larger than the first panel portion  16 . 
     The first openings  20  can then be formed in the first panel portion  16  such as by cutting, punching, etc., and the louvers  22  can then be positioned over each first opening  20 . Alternatively, the louvers  22  can be formed by deforming or pushing outwardly portions of material corresponding to the first openings  20  by molding and/or shaping to provide the desired shape to the louvers  22 . The second openings  24  can then be formed in the second panel portion  18 , such as by cutting, punching, etc. In this case, then the openings  20 ,  24  are formed simply by removing material from the piece of material  42 /panel portions  16 ,  18 . Next, the flared-out portions  26  and angled portions  28  can be formed in the panel portions  16 ,  18  by bending, forming or the like. Finally, if desired holes or openings  44  for rivets  48  or other attachment means can be formed in the piece of material  42 . 
     The piece of material  42  is then folded about the fold line  46  which is at the junction between the panel portions  16 ,  18  and will form or define the upper edge of the window vent  12  such that the first panel portion  16  and second panel portion  18  are parallel and in close or at least partial facial contact with each other as shown in  FIG. 3 . If desired, fasteners, such as rivets  48  in the illustrated embodiment, can then be passed through aligned openings of the first  16  and second  18  panel portions to couple the first  16  and second panel  18  portions together and ensure they remain in position, and to secure the handle  34 . Various other means or mechanisms for securing the first  16  and second panels  18 , and the handle  34  can be utilized, such as threaded fasteners, adhesives, welds, solder attachments, clips, brackets, brazes, etc., all of which are termed a “fastener” herein. 
     The method of making/formation and resultant window vent  12  provides several advantages. First, the window vent  12  is formed from a single piece of material  42  which provides greater strength, ease of assembly and reduced manufacturing steps. In addition, the resultant window vent  12  is secured by a continuous portion/material along its upper edge (the seam along fold line  46 ) which is strong and inherently moisture-proof/waterproof. In addition, the first  20  and second  24  openings are automatically aligned so long as the folding/bending process is carried out properly, and separate alignment and attachment steps are eliminated. 
     In some window vent designs, a separate screen is provided and attached to the rear of the panel body  14 . That method and system can result in a gap along at least the upper edge of the screen, and requires additional alignment and attachment steps. In addition, the second panel portion  18  of the current window vent  12  integrates together, as a single piece, the screen/mesh (provided by the second openings  24 ) and the flared-out portion  26  on the back side of the window vent  12 . In previous designs, a separate screen and separate flared-out portion may be provided, which requires additional steps and precise assembly, increasing costs and difficulty of manufacture. 
     Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.