Patent Publication Number: US-6336299-B1

Title: Food storage building floor and method of constructing the same

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to vents and particularly to a food storage building floor and a method of constructing the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Certain fresh fruits and vegetables may be stored in bulk in buildings with controlled atmospheres including circulation of the air for the purpose of retaining produce freshness or decreasing the time within which produce spoilage might occur. In a typical food storage building, air is circulated through a large plenum and into air ducts located below the building floor. The air ducts may be formed by pony walls juxtaposed the plenum that also support the floor. The air then travels through vents located within the floor and circulates through the stored fruits or vegetables. 
     There are a number of building floor systems that have been used. However none of them accomplish the result as contemplated by the present invention. Typically, the floors include thousands of individual vents positioned within the concrete. These floors may require a large amount of money and labor to construct and the concrete surrounding the vents must be done in a single pour. Adverse weather conditions may hinder this construction. They may also be susceptible to damage from equipment or vehicles on the floor. For example, some storage building floors utilizes wooden slots that are placed over concrete slabs. The typical commodity storage facility floor will have thousands of such air vents. The wood slots create an uneven floor surface making it difficult to load and unload bulk produce and to clean the storage building. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,172 to Tegland discloses a storage floor air vent and method of use that includes placing the vents, that are each plugged with a block out, in holes in metal sheets, pouring concrete over the entire floor area including the vents, and finally breaking through and removing the concrete surface above each storage floor air vent and the block out thereby permitting passage of air through the storage floor air vent. The patent referred to herein are provided herewith in an Information Disclosure Statement in accordance with 37 CFR 1.97. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses a storage floor air vent which may comprise at least two vent walls positioned in substantially parallel relation to thereby define a channel having a width in between said at least two vent walls, each of said at least two vent walls having a top end, a bottom end, a first side end, and a second side end; a plurality of angular baffle members, each angular baffle member composed of two segments forming an apex therebetween, each segment having an end; said plurality of angular baffle members may be positioned in between said at least two vent walls in a linear arrangement, with each apex facing upward proximal the top end of each of said at least two vent walls, and each angular baffle member is positioned a distance apart from the adjacent angular baffle member to thereby define an orifice between the segment ends of adjacent angular baffle members. 
     The orifice may be of various sizes depending upon the storage contents and ventilation requirements. 
     The storage floor air vent may further comprise a flange extending outwardly and approximately normal from the bottom end of each of said at least two vent walls. 
     The storage floor air vent may further comprise at least one cap having a width approximately equal to the channel width; said at least one cap is positioned atop at least two of said apexes. The at least one cap may be of various shapes, sizes or configurations. The cap prevents any concrete or other material from entering the vent while a floor is being poured. 
     The invention further discloses a building floor which may comprise a lower floor; a plurality of pony walls positioned atop the lower floor in substantially parallel relation; an upper floor positioned atop the plurality of pony walls to thereby define an air duct in between adjacent pony walls and said lower and upper floors, said upper floor comprising at least one storage floor air vent positioned atop the plurality of pony walls in a substantially orthogonal relation to said plurality of pony walls with each vent wall bottom end proximal the air duct in between adjacent pony walls. Additional embodiments may include other air duct configurations including, but not limited to, conduit or pipes that transmit air. 
     The building floor may further comprise at least one plenum juxtaposed said air duct in between adjacent pony walls. 
     The invention further discloses a method of constructing a building floor comprising the steps of: placing at least one storage floor air vent in a substantially orthogonal position across a plurality of pony walls in substantially parallel relation to each other, said at least one storage floor air vent having at least one cap covering the top end of the at least one storage floor air vent; placing at least one support sheet across said pony walls and next to said at least one storage floor air vent and atop each flange; covering the floor area, encompassing the at least one support sheet, with a concrete slab sufficiently to permit concrete finishing; and removing the at least one cap. Said at least one support sheet is preferably composed of galvanized metal but may be composed of other materials including, but not limited to, plastics or other rigid materials. Each vent apex is preferably positioned a distance below the top of the upper floor to thereby prevent damage from any equipment or vehicles atop the upper floor. Builders using the vents described herein will appreciate that the floor may be poured in sections. They may pour concrete only between two vents and need not complete the entire floor in a single pour. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the method may further comprise the steps of initially forming a lower floor; and forming a plurality of pony walls atop said lower floor in substantially parallel relation before placing at least one storage floor air vent across the plurality of pony walls. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the method may further comprise the step of: finishing the concrete slab edges adjacent the at least one cap  60  before removing the at least one cap. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top section view of a food storage building showing the building upper floor, storage floor air vents, and plenum. 
     FIG. 2 is a top section view of a food storage building showing lower floor and plenum. 
     FIG. 3 is a top section view of a food storage building showing the lower floor, plenum and the pony walls. 
     FIG. 4 is a top section exploded view of a building floor showing the air vents positioned atop a plurality of pony walls. 
     FIG. 5 is a side section view of a building floor showing the upper floor, vents positioned atop a plurality of pony walls. Also shown is the lower floor. 
     FIG. 6 is a front section view of the building floor showing the upper floor, concrete slabs, air vent and flange, support sheet, and pony wall. Also shown is a cap positioned atop the air vent. 
     FIG. 7 is a side section view of the building floor showing the upper floor, vent, pony walls, lower floor, and cap positioned atop the air vent. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIGS. 1 through 7 illustrate the preferred embodiment wherein the storage floor air vent  10  comprises at least two vent walls  12  positioned in substantially parallel relation to thereby define a channel  17  having a width in between said at least two vent walls  12 , each of said at least two vent walls  12  having a top end  20 , a bottom end  22 , a first side end  27 , and a second side end  31 ; a plurality of angular baffle members  34 , each angular baffle member  34  composed of two segments  42  forming an apex  45  therebetween, each segment  42  having an end  44 ; said plurality of angular baffle members  34  positioned in between said at least two vent walls  12  in a linear arrangement, with each apex  45  facing upward proximal the top end  20  of each of said at least two vent walls  12 , and each angular baffle member  34  is positioned a distance apart from the adjacent angular baffle member  34  to thereby define an orifice  53  between the segment ends  44  of adjacent angular baffle members  34 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the storage floor air vent  10  may comprise at least two vent walls  12  positioned in substantially parallel relation to thereby define a channel  17  having a width in between said at least two vent walls  12 , each of said at least two vent walls  12  having a top end  20 , a bottom end  22 , a first side end  27 , and a second side end  31 ; at least one angular baffle member  34  composed of two segments  42  forming an apex  45  therebetween, each segment  42  having an end  44 ; said at least one angular baffle member  34  positioned in between said at least two vent walls  12  in a linear arrangement, with said apex  45  facing upward proximal the top end  20  of each of said at least two vent walls  12 , and said at least one angular baffle member  34  is positioned a distance apart from the first and second wall side ends to thereby define an orifice  53  between each segment end  44  and one of said first or second wall side ends. 
     The angular baffle member  34  may be of various shapes and configurations and may include more rounded configurations or shapes than what is shown in the figures. The angular baffle member  34  may be composed of a single member or the two segments  42  may be separate components joined together to form the angular baffle member  34 . 
     The orifice  53  may be of various sizes depending upon the storage contents and ventilation requirements. 
     The storage floor air vent  10  may further comprise a flange  56  extending outwardly and approximately normal from the bottom end  22  of each of said at least two vent walls  12 . 
     The storage floor air vent  10  may further comprise at least one cap  60  having a width approximately equal to the channel  17  width; said at least one cap  60  is positioned atop at least two of said apexes. The at least one cap  60  may be of various shapes, sizes or configurations. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the storage floor air vent, said at least one cap  60  is secured to said at least two apexes  45  by, but not limited to, bolts, screws, rivets, or other means. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the storage floor air vent, the angular baffle member  34  apexes  45  are juxtaposed the top end  20  of the vent walls  12  but they may be positioned a distance below the top end  20  of the vent walls  12 . 
     The storage floor air vent and the cap are preferably composed of metal but may be composed of other materials including, but not limited to, rigid materials such as plastics and the like. 
     The invention further discloses a building floor  64  which may comprise a lower floor  72 ; a plurality of pony walls  69  positioned atop the lower floor  72  in substantially parallel relation; an upper floor  75  positioned atop the plurality of pony walls  69  to thereby define an air duct  78  in between adjacent pony walls  69  and said lower and upper floors, said upper floor  75  comprising at least one storage floor air vent  10  positioned atop the plurality of pony walls  69  in a substantially orthogonal relation to said plurality of pony walls  69  with each vent  10  wall bottom end  22  proximal the air duct  78  in between adjacent pony walls  69 . 
     Each of said pony walls  69 , upper and lower floors may be composed of, but not limited to, concrete, dirt, clay, metal compositions, wood, or other materials. The preferred material is concrete. Each vent apex is preferably positioned a distance below the top of the upper floor  75  to thereby prevent damage from any equipment or vehicles atop the upper floor  75 . 
     The building floor  64  may further comprise at least one plenum  82  juxtaposed said air duct  78  in between adjacent pony walls  69 . 
     In an alternative embodiment of the building floor  64 , said lower floor  72  may be sloped toward said plenum  82  to thereby allow for liquid run-off from said lower floor  72  toward said plenum  82 . 
     The invention further discloses a method of constructing a building floor  64  comprising the steps of: placing at least one storage floor air vent  10  in a substantially orthogonal position across a plurality of pony walls  69  in substantially parallel relation to each other, said at least one storage floor air vent  10  having at least one cap  60  covering the top end  20  of the at least one storage floor air vent  10 ; placing at least one support sheet  85  across said pony walls  69  and next to said at least one storage floor air vent  10  and atop each flange  56 ; covering the floor area, encompassing the at least one support sheet  85 , with a concrete slab  90  sufficiently to permit concrete finishing; and removing the at least one cap  60 . Said at least one support sheet  85  is preferably composed of galvanized metal but may be composed of other materials including, but not limited to, plastics or other rigid materials. Each vent apex is preferably positioned a distance below the top of the upper floor  75  to thereby prevent damage from any equipment or vehicles atop the upper floor  75 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the method may further comprise the steps of initially forming a lower floor  72 ; and forming a plurality of pony walls  69  atop said lower floor  72  in substantially parallel relation before placing at least one storage floor air vent  10  across the plurality of pony walls  69 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the method may further comprise the step of: finishing the concrete slab  90  edges adjacent the at least one cap  60  before removing the at least one cap  60 . 
     While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.