Patent ID: 8485872

Claim:
A valve for use in a pressure relief vent assembly for a vehicle, the valve comprising: a valve housing having a frame defining a vent opening; a flap having a periphery extending around and covering the vent opening, with the periphery including a first side edge, a second side edge spaced from the first side edge, and a hinge edge extending from the first side edge to the second side edge and affixed to the frame, the flap including a hinge adjacent to the hinge edge that is bendable when a pressure in the vehicle is greater than a pressure outside of the vehicle, and an asymmetric closing characteristic, wherein the asymmetric closing characteristic induces a twisting in the flap when the flap opens and closes; and wherein the asymmetric closing characteristic is defined by the hinge having a width, the width of the hinge being in a direction generally parallel to the first and second side edges, and the width tapering from a first end of the hinge adjacent to the first side edge to a second end of the hinge adjacent to the second side edge, and wherein the first side edge is parallel to the second side edge along the entire width of the hinge.