Patent Publication Number: US-2011061260-A1

Title: Apparatus for drying structural cavities

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/275,872 filed Sep. 3, 2009. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to apparatus for drying structural cavities. For example, the apparatus may be used to dry a sill plate underneath an existing wall. This apparatus may also be used to dry underneath cabinets such as kitchen cabinets resting on a floor and can also be used for drying a sill plate of a stud wall before sheetrock has been installed. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to apparatus for drying structural cavities located within a space defined by a floor and a vertical surface such as a wall or cabinet. The apparatus includes an elongate sheet of flexible material and a plurality of spaced apart and parallel arranged reinforcing bars extending in a lateral direction between the longitudinal ends of the elongate sheet. The elongate sheet with the reinforcing bars is positioned to diagonally span across the cavity and an air blower is provided for blowing air into the cavity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front plan view of apparatus according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear plan view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial plan view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial plan view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the apparatus used to dry a sill plate under an existing wall; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the apparatus used to dry underneath wall mounted cabinets; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the apparatus used for drying a sill underneath a stud wall. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The apparatus  10 , according to the present invention, is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The apparatus  10  includes a sheet of vinyl material  12 . However other sheets of material such as plastic or canvas could be used equally as well. A series of spaced apart and parallel arranged pockets  14  are sewn on to the vinyl sheet  12  at  16  as shown in  FIG. 2 . An end lateral edge of sheet  12  is provided with a Velcro® type hook material  18  and the longitudinal edge of the sheet  12  is provided with a Velcro® type hook material  20 . On the opposite side of the sheet  12  and along the same longitudinal edge is provided a Velcro® type loop material  22  as shown in  FIG. 2 . At an end lateral edge opposite from the Velcro® type material  18  and on the opposite side of the sheet  12  is provided a Velcro® type loop material  24  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     A rigid bar  26  is inserted in each of the pockets  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The rigid bar  26  in a preferred embodiment has weight to provide rigidity and stability to the sheet  12  when it is being used. Three clips  28 ,  30  and  32  are connected with straps  34 ,  36 , and  38  respectively which are in turn sewn to the sheet  12  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . 
     When using the invention, the apparatus  10  is used with an air mover  40  as shown in  FIG. 5  which blows air into a lay flat ducting tube  42 . The end of the lay flat ducting tube  42  is clipped with the clips  28 ,  30  and  32 , shown in  FIG. 2 . The strap  34  is longer than the other two straps  36  and  38  and is used for clipping to the bottom of the lay flat ducting tube  42 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the apparatus  10  can be used for drying underneath a sill plate of a wall by placing the sheet  12  diagonally across the junction between a floor  44  and the wall  46  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The rigid bars  26  are placed diagonally between the floor  44  and the wall  46  and serve to provide rigidity to the sheet  12  and also act as a weight to hold the sheet  12  against the floor  44  and the wall  46 . 
     Similarly the apparatus  10  can be used to dry underneath cabinets as shown in  FIG. 6 . When apparatus  10  is being used in this manner, the sheet  12  is placed diagonally across the junction between the floor  44  and cabinets  48  with the rigid bars  26  correspondingly placed diagonally between the floor  44  and the cabinets  48 . When the air mover  40  is actuated, air is transported through the lay flat ducting  42  to the space between the vinyl sheet  12  and the cabinets  48 . 
     The apparatus  10  can also be used when drying a sill plate under a stud wall before the sheet rock is applied. In using the apparatus  10  for this purpose, two sheets  12  are joined together with a Velcro® type hook material  20  of one sheet and the Velcro® type loop material  22  of an adjacent sheet as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     Further, when additional length of the sheets are needed, adjoining sheets can be joined together using the Velcro® type hook material  18  of one sheet joined together with the Velcro® type loop material  24  of an adjacent sheet. 
     With the present invention, apparatus is provided for drying several types of structural cavities. The apparatus is versatile, easy to make, and easy to use. 
     While the fundamental novel features of the invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the arts, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications or variations are included in the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims: