Adjustable Outlet For Ventilating Range Hood

Abstract

A unitary structural assembly providing connector means for use in mounting ventilating range hoods and the like in association with wall structure which may vary as to thickness, and which is particularly adapted for use with the thin walled structures of trailers. The assembly includes a sleeve with a louvered panel at one end, the other end of the sleeve being insertable through an opening of the associated wall and into telescoped relationship with an airflow channel in the hood structure, whereby the spacing between the louvered panel and the hood may be adjustably varied depending upon the thickness of the associated wall structure. The inner end of the sleeve is further provided with means for peripherally engaging the wall of the airflow channel, and a reverse flow air valve is provided in the sleeve of the assembly, which is normally moved to a closed position under the action of gravity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the field of air ventilators.

Heretofore, ventilator hoods of the type utilized with ranges and the like have been provided with conventional suction fans which are connected with a discharge opening in the rear wall of the hood. In order to connect these hoods with an associated wall structure, and provide for discharge of the air from the hood through the wall opening to ambient outside space, it has been the conventional practice to provide a plurality of separately fabricated connector elements. For example, an adapter sleeve was provided which could be attached as by welding or other means to the backwall of the ventilator hood so as to register with the discharge opening therein. This adapter sleeve as a rule also incorporated a reverse airflow valve therein, and as mounted on the hood wall projected outwardly therefrom so as to extend through the wall structure opening with which the hood was to be associated. A separate louvered panel was provided which as a rule included a short rearwardly projecting sleeve portion which could be inserted from the outside of the wall into the wall opening for making overlapped engagement with the adapter sleeve. Due to the finite length required for the adapter sleeve, these parts were not readily adapted for use in narrow associated wall structures such as might be incorporated in the wall of a trailer or mobile home.

In order to overcome this problem, which was inherent with structures heretofore available, the present invention provides a new concept, wherein the louver panel and the adapter sleeve as previously provided are constructed as a unitary assembly, and so arranged that the inner end of the adapter sleeve can be inserted through the air outlet opening in the backwall of the hood so as to adjustably telescopically extend into the airflow channel inside the hood, whereby adjustment to varied wall thickness may be accomplished without the inherent disadvantages of the previous known arrangements, and particularly to accommodate the hood for thin or narrow walled structures such as utilized in trailers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to air ventilators of the range hood type, and is more particularly concerned with improvements in air outlet connector means which are adjustable for installation with associated wall structures having varied thickness.

Having in mind the inherent disadvantages and inadaptability of previously known connector means for the herein described purpose, it is one object of the invention to provide outlet connector means for range hoods, which are fabricated as a unitary structural assembly and embody a connector sleeve adapted to telescopically connect with the airflow channel in the hood.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a unitary connector structure for range hoods, as assembly which includes a reverse flow air valve structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide range hood air outlet connector means which includes a sleeve portion having means at its inner end for engagement with the wall of the airflow channel within the hood, and yet enable longitudinal telescopic adjustable movements of the sleeve portion therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide connector means for range ventilator hoods which embodies a unitary structural assembly, rather than a plurality of separately connectable elements, and which is easily adjustable to accommodate the installation for varied wall thicknesses, particularly thin walls such as utilized in trailer constructions.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing a preferred embodiment of the invention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective exploded view showing the parts of the air outlet connector means of the present invention as associated with a range ventilator hood structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with the connector parts in mounted association with an intermediate wall structure upon which the hood is mounted;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the pivotal mounting structure for the reverse flow air valve; and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the outlet connector means of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring more specifically to the drawings, for illustrative purposes, there is shown in FIG. 1 a ventilator hood as used for ranges and the like, as generally indicated at 10. This hood is of generally rectangular box-shaped configuration with a forwardly projecting overhang 11 and a rear or backwall 12 which is provided with an airflow outlet opening 13, this opening being in communication with an airflow channel within the hood defined by a top wall 14 of the hood, a bottom wall 15, and sidewalls 16 and 17. The airflow channel within the hood communicates with and is connected to a suction fan housing (not shown), and at the opening 13, the walls 16 and 17 are extended to provide projecting flanges 16' and 17', while the wall 15 at the opening is formed with a right-angled downwardly turned flange 15'.

In the normal installation of ventilator hoods of this type, it is a customary practice to connect the airflow outlet opening 13 to an adjacent wall structure, as indicated generally at 18, by means of some kind of coupling device so that the discharged air from the ventilator hood will be carried through an opening in the wall such as indicated at 19, whereby the discharged air may be conducted to ambient atmosphere outside the wall 18. Heretofore, it has been the customary practice to utilize separate adapters and louver plates which are associated to form a flow passage from the hood through the wall structure. These connecting devices have, in the main, suffered from an inherent disadvantage in that they were not adapted for use in connection with relatively narrow or thin walled structures such as found in the walls of trailers, mobile homes and the like.

In the present invention, it is a main feature to provide a unitary connection means fabricated as a single assembly, and wherein the parts are telescopically connected in such a manner as to permit use with wall structures of variable width, and particularly for narrow or thin walls such as used in trailer constructions.

As more specifically disclosed, the connector means of the present invention, as generally indicated at 20, comprises a metallic sleeve member 21 of substantially rectangular transverse configuration, and of a size and shape to permit it to be telescoped through the opening 13 of the hood. The sleeve member embodies an upper wall 22, a lower wall 23, and opposed sidewalls 24 and 25, respectively.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the outermost end of the sleeve 21 is provided with integrally formed right-angled flanges at the respective wall ends as indicated at 22', 23', 24', and 25'.

The outermost end of the sleeve 21 also carries a panel member as generally indicated at 26. This panel is of generally rectangular configuration and of a size so that it extends beyond the end flanges of the sleeve to which it is connected as by welding 27' or other suitable means. As thus positioned, the panel extends transversely of the sleeve and is provided with louvered openings 27 providing flow connections with the interior of the sleeve. The panel is provided preferably at its corners and at other desired positions adjacent its edges with openings as indicated at 28 for receiving fastening screws 29 by means of which the panel may be secured to the outer surface of the adjacent wall 18 in a mounted position with the other end of the sleeve projecting through the opening 13 into telescoped relation with the walls forming the airflow channel within the hood as previously described.

In order to position and steady the innermost end of the sleeve 21 in the flow channel, the inner ends of the sleeve walls are deformed to provide inverted V-flanges 22", 23", 24", and 25". These flanges form sliding contacts of engagement between the inner end of the sleeve 21 and the adjacent walls of the flow channel within the hood. It will be appreciated that with the arrangement just described, the spacing between the panel member 26 and the backwall 12 of the hood may be easily and adjustably varied to accommodate different thicknesses of the wall structure 18, while maintaining efficiency of operation and simplicity of construction.

Adjacent the inner end of the sleeve 21, there is provided a flapper-type reverse airflow valve as generally indicated at 30. This valve is shown as comprising a generally rectangular plate member 31 which is preferably provided at its upper edge with a right-angled flange 32 which provides a rigidified construction. As best shown in FIG. 3, projecting portions at the end of the flange 32 and a contiguous portion of the plate 31 are extended to provide a pivot 33 adapted to extend into a deformed recessed dimple 34 in the adjacent sidewall, in this case wall 25 of the sleeve 21. A similar support is provided at the opposite sidewall 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the plate member 31 is in closed position slightly inclined, and by providing an offcenter pivotal axis, the plate 31 will under the action of gravity be normally motivated towards a valve closed position. However, under exhaust airflow from the hood, the valve or plate 31 will be moved towards open position. In the closed position, the plate acts as a valve to prevent reverse airflow through the connector from outside the wall 18 into the ventilator hood.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be clearly evident that the objects and features of the herein described invention will be accomplished.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned.

Claims

I claim:

1. The combination with a ventilating hood structure having a wall with an air flow opening therein, of a louver assembly, comprising:

a. an elongate sleeve;

b. a panel member transversely extending across and being secured to peripheral projecting flange means at one end of said sleeve, said panel having air flow openings communicating with the sleeve interior and said flange means being adapted for engagement with an adjacent surface of a wall structure positioned between said panel member and the wall of said hood;

c. said sleeve having its other end adapted to telescopically extend into the hood wall opening, and being adjustable therein to vary the spacing relationship between said panel member and the adjacent wall of said hood, said hood wall opening connecting with an air flow channel wall in the hood having a transverse configuration generally conforming to that of said sleeve;

d. means including a deformed end flange structure at said other end of said sleeve having peripheral engagement with the interior of said air flow channel wall; and

e. a reverse flow air valve mounted within said sleeve, comprising a plate member pivotally supported at its opposite ends for swinging movement about an offcenter axis, whereby said plate is normally moved under the action of gravity towards a closed position.