Air vent

Abstract

The present invention provides a rain-resistant vent. The vent comprises a support frame having an inner perimeter; a set of blades arranged in an array, a first end of each blade being attached to a corresponding first part of the frame, a second end of each blade being attached to a corresponding second part of the frame, a first substantially flat portion forming an initial part of a cross-section of each blade, and the first substantially flat portion is followed by a ridge or valley portion, and at the first end of each blade the first substantially flat portion is at least partly separated from the inner perimeter by an opening allowing water to drain from the first substantially flat portion onto the inner perimeter. A vent kit is also provided.

1 . A vent ( 200 ), comprising:
 a support frame ( 101 ) having an inner perimeter ( 202 ),   a set of blades ( 203   a , 203   b , 203   c , 204   a , 204   b , 204   c ) arranged in an array, a first end ( 206   a ,  206   b ,  206   c ) of each blade being attached to a corresponding first part of the frame, a second end ( 207   a ,  207   b ,  207   c ) of each blade being attached to a corresponding second part of the frame, a first substantially flat portion ( 511 ) forming an initial part of a cross-section of each blade, and the first substantially flat portion ( 511 ) is followed by a ridge or valley portion ( 512 ), and at the first end of each blade the first substantially flat portion ( 511 ) is at least partly separated from the inner perimeter by an opening ( 410   m ) allowing water to drain from the first substantially flat portion ( 511 ) onto the inner perimeter ( 202 ).   
     
     
         2 . A vent in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said cross-section of each blade is an intersection between said each blade and a plane which is perpendicular to a line extending from the first end of said each blade to the second end of said each blade. 
     
     
         3 . A vent in accordance with  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the vent comprises blades that are not flat and have a flat portion followed by a ridge or valley portion. 
     
     
         4 . A vent in accordance with one of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein the first substantially flat portion ( 511 ) of two adjacent blades ( 203   a ,  203   b ,  204   a ,  204   b ) are substantially parallel. 
     
     
         5 . A vent in accordance with one of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein the ridge or valley portion ( 512 ) is followed by a second substantially flat portion ( 513 ) forming a final part of the cross-section. 
     
     
         6 . A vent in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the second substantially flat portion ( 513 ) of two adjacent blades are substantially parallel. 
     
     
         7 . A vent in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the first substantially flat portions of two adjacent blades form an inlet having an inlet direction that is substantially parallel to a surface normal of a front side of the vent. 
     
     
         8 . A vent in accordance with  claim 6  or  7 , wherein the second substantially flat portions of two adjacent blades form an outlet having an outlet direction that is substantially parallel to a surface normal of a front side of the vent. 
     
     
         9 . A vent in accordance with one of the preceding claims, wherein a height of a straight through-going vent opening between two adjacent blades is at most 20% of a height of one of the two adjacent blades. 
     
     
         10 . A vent in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the first substantially flat portion is followed by a ridge portion. 
     
     
         11 . A vent in accordance with one of  claims 1 - 8 , wherein between a pair of adjacent blades there is no straight through-going opening. 
     
     
         12 . A vent in accordance with one of the preceding claims, wherein each blade is straight in a direction between the blade's first end and the blade's second end. 
     
     
         13 . A vent in accordance with one of  claims 1 - 11 , wherein each blade comprises a first blade element extending from the first end of the blade and a second blade element extending from the second end of the blade, the first and second blade elements being joined to one another at a joint position between the first and the second end of the blade, the first blade element being joined to the second blade element at an angle. 
     
     
         14 . A vent in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein a smallest angle between the blade elements of a blade is between 20 and 160 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . A vent in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein a smallest angle between the blade elements of a blade is between 90 and 150 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . A vent in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein a smallest angle between the blade elements of a blade is between 150 and 170 degrees. 
     
     
         17 . A vent in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein each blade is symmetrical around the joint position. 
     
     
         18 . A vent in accordance with one of the preceding claims, further comprising a drain configured to carry water away from a bottom portion of the vent. 
     
     
         19 . A vent in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the drain comprises a duct having an inlet at said bottom portion to receive water from the bottom portion and having an outlet end configured to drain water out of the duct. 
     
     
         20 . A vent in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the duct encloses water from the drain inlet to the drain outlet. 
     
     
         21 . A method for mounting a vent in accordance with one of  claims 1 - 20  in a duct, the method comprising: arranging the vent in such a way that at least two of the blades or blade elements in the array of blades are slanted from horizontal by at least 10 degrees. 
     
     
         22 . A method in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein each blade comprises a first blade element extending from the first end of the blade and a second blade element extending from the second end of the blade, the first and second blade elements being joined to one another at a joint position between the first and the second end of the blade, the first blade element being joined to the second blade element at an angle, the vent having a symmetry axis when considered from a front side of the vent, and the method comprises arranging the vent so that the first and second blade elements of each blade form substantially the same angle with respect to horizontal. 
     
     
         23 . A vent kit comprising a plurality of vent elements that, when assembled, form a vent in accordance with one of  claims 1 - 20 . 
     
     
         24 . A vent kit in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein one or more of the vent elements provide a corresponding part of the blade cross-section of the vent. 
     
     
         25 . A vent kit in accordance with one of  claims 23 - 24 , further comprising a cover flange element to be assembled with the vent elements to form a flange for engaging with a wall surface when the vent is inserted into a wall. 
     
     
         26 . A vent kit in accordance with  claim 25 , wherein the cover flange element has a drain part that, when the vent is assembled, provides a drain, and the drain part of the cover flange element comprises a duct having an inlet at the bottom portion of the vent to receive water from the inner perimeter of the vent and having an outlet configured to drain water out of the duct, away from the blades and flange element. 
     
     
         27 . A vent kit in accordance with one of  claims 23 - 26 , wherein the vent elements and cover flange element, if present, comprise fastening means for maintaining the vent elements and cover flange element, if present, rigidly attached to one another using corresponding one or more fasteners. 
     
     
         28 . A vent kit in accordance with  claim 27 , wherein the vent element fastening means comprise one or more through holes in each of the vent elements for maintaining the vent elements rigidly attached to one another using corresponding one or more fasteners, and the cover flange element, if present, comprises a recess or through hole for maintaining the vent elements and cover flange element rigidly attached to one another using corresponding one or more fasteners. 
     
     
         29 . A vent kit in accordance with one of  claims 27 - 28 , wherein at least one of the fasteners is a rivet or snap rivet. 
     
     
         30 . A vent kit in accordance with one of  claims 27 - 28 , wherein the fastening means in the vent elements and the fastening means in the cover flange element, if present, comprise an internal threading, and at least one of the fasteners is a screw or threaded pin corresponding to the threading. 
     
     
         31 . A vent kit in accordance with one of  claims 23 - 30 , wherein at least two of the vent elements are identical, or at least substantially identical.