Patent Publication Number: US-2009233538-A1

Title: Foundation Door-Vent with Insulation

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
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     STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED R&amp;D 
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     REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”, ETC 
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     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Most crawl space foundations have vent screens inserted between the cement blocks so as to allow for moisture to escape from under a house which helps prevent mold, mildew, fungi growth and wood rot. All existing vents can be opened and shut during the winter to keep the wind from blowing cold air under the house; however, most people find that closing the vent is insufficient for keeping the crawl space protected against the cold winter air. For years people have reacted to this situation by stuffing insulation behind the vent or propping something like a bail of straw or a piece of insulation in front of the vent. Both methods work, but propping or stuffing something in front of the vent is unsightly and crawling under a house is unpleasant. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An attractive permanent insulated foundation vent with a housing and door system that allows the user to both insert/remove a styrofoam insulation block or change a damaged crawl space screen by opening the vent door from the outside of the house. The unique and structurally attractive door system is designed to be permanent, easy to use, construction friendly and user friendly. It is designed to be used for both new construction and to replace existing vent systems 
    
    
     
       A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       Application #11608608 
         FIG. 1  is the front elevation of the foundation vent as it would appear assembled. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the vent housing. 
         FIG. 3  is the front elevation of the vent housing. 
         FIG. 4  shows the door section inserted into the vent housing. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross section showing how the door and screen fit into the vent housing. 
         FIG. 6  is an end view of the door illustrating the method of securing the screen and insulation block into the end of the door. 
         FIG. 7  shows the screen frame and varmint grill structure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Application #11608608 
     The invention will be described by way of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the insulated foundation vent, a plastic injection molded ventilation system, comprised of a frame  1 , a door  2  and a screen  7 . The door  2  inserts into the frame  1  and is secured by slipping the door  2  under a weather flange  3  of the frame  1 . The door  2  also has a weather flange  4  that meets up with flange  3  to form a reasonable weather seal. The insertion of door  2  into the frame  1  creates a non-mechanical hinge allowing the door to open and close with a rotating motion. Door  2  is secured to frame  1  by plastic tabs  6  that overlap each other and, with moderate pressure, snaps tightly. Door  2  has a pull cavity  5  that allows the operator to pull the door open. Door  2  also has a screen  7  that inserts into the door while in the open position. The screen  7  is replaceable in the event that it becomes damaged. 
       FIG. 2 , is a side view of the vent frame  1 . Behind the façade of the vent frame  1  there is a groove  8  that surrounds the vent and is used for placing a bead of caulk or construction glue that will secure the vent to a cement wall. There is also a cut-off indentation  9  that can be scored with a utility knife to remove a portion of the frame  1  making the vent easier to install when replacing an existing foundation vent. A piece of Styrofoam  10  is glued to the top of the vent frame  1  to make it equal to the size of a cement block opening. This insures a good fit and helps conserve energy. The opposing ends  11  of the vent frame are sized to fit appropriately between two cement blocks where a block has been left out of the foundation for venting purposes. 
       FIG. 3  is the front view of the vent frame  1  and shows both the cut-off groove  9  and position of the Styrofoam block  10 . Particular emphasis is placed on the housing weather flange  3  that is used for the door insert. 
       FIG. 4  shows the door  2  inserted into the frame  1  at intersection area  12 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross section of the frame  1 , door  2 , screen  7  and Styrofoam block  14  that is inserted into the door to create an insulation barrier. An angle  13  is used mid-way through the door frame  2  which allows the door to open while at the same time providing for a minimum loss in insular quality. 
       FIG. 6 , is an end view of the door frame  2  and illustrates the position of the screen  7  between two tabs  16  that secure it into place. The tabs  15  also work in conjunction with tabs  16  to secure the Styrofoam insulation block  17 . 
       FIG. 7 , illustrates the screen frame  7  and how it is formed with a varmint grill  18  through injection molding. A piece of metal screen  19  is applied to the frame  7  and grill  18  using a heat process. 
     Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a foundation vent that opens from the exterior like a door and allows for the insertion or removal of a Styrofoam insulation block, the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiment, and various modifications in design may be used as a method of opening and closing the vent door