VENTILATOR

The present invention relates to a ventilator, for example, of the type for controlling ventilation in the region of windows and doors, such as glazed in vents. The invention also relates to window assemblies and door assemblies, including patio door assemblies, including such ventilators.

A known glazed in ventilator of the type adapted to be fitted along the edge of a double glazing panel and between said edge and a sash of a window assembly comprises inner and outer extrusions of aluminium having slots therethrough to provide an airflow passage from one side of the ventilator to the other, and an end cap provided at each end of the extrusions to hold the ventilator together. Additionally, a moveable closure member is provided cooperating with the aluminium extrusions in order to open or close the airflow passage through the ventilator. The closure member is operated by an actuator which extends from the closure member into one of the end caps and, via a linkage, a control external to the end cap may be operated in order to move the closure member.

The prior art ventilator has the problem that water in the air flow passing into the ventilator, such as water containing in atmospheric air due to rain, may become trapped in the ventilator and flow along into the end cap from where it may leak into the surrounding structure of the window assembly or door assembly or into the building to which said assembly is attached, thereby causing damage or unsightly water spillage.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least to a certain extent the problems of the prior art and a further object of the present invention is to provide a useful ventilator for use with window and door assemblies.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a ventilator comprising: an elongate body, the body being comprised of at least one elongate section for defining a flow passage through the ventilator; a closure device having a main closure member for controlling ventilation through the flow passage; and an actuator for operating the closure member; wherein a seal (such as a water seal) is provided for isolating the flow passage from the actuator.

This construction has the advantage that water leakage from the ventilator is less likely to occur.

The elongate sections may define at least part of a chamber, such as a control chamber, for containing the actuator, and the seal may isolate the chamber from the flow passage. Locating the actuator in a control chamber which may be isolated from the flow passage for the main flow of air through the ventilator may enable control of the ventilator to be accomplished without the likelihood of water or the likelihood of debris, such as airborne particles, dust etc, that is present in the air passing through the passage from coming into contact with the actuator, which could impair the operation of the actuator and ultimately could cause the actuator to jam.

The seal may be located in the chamber.

The actuator may be attached to the closure device inside the control chamber.

Preferably, the closure member is pivotally connected to at least one of the elongate sections. The closure member may be formed with an elongate socket

which pivotally engages around an elongate cylindrical portion of said elongate section.

The closure device may consist of the closure member and the seal, and the closure member and seal may be integrally formed with one another.

The closure member and the seal may be integrally formed of different materials, such as by co-extrusion. In one embodiment, the closure device includes a seal co-extruded of sealing material with a main PVC closure section thereof.

The closure member and seal may extend from a pivot point of the closure device in different directions. The pivot point of the closure device may be comprised of an elongate socket-shaped section thereof.

In one embodiment, the seal may be oriented approximately perpendicular to a main body section of the closure device. The main body section of the closure device may have a generally curved cross-sectional configuration, which may be arcuate.

The closure device may be moveable to a close configuration in which the flow passage is closed by the closure member and the seal engages at least one of the elongate sections in order to isolate the control chamber from the flow passageway across the ventilator. In the closed configuration, the seal may be attached to one of the elongate sections and may engage the other set elongate section.

Preferably, at least one end cap is provided fitted to an end of the at least one elongate section and the actuator preferably extends into the end cap from the position in the control chamber where it engages the closure device. The end cap

may have a sealing plate adapted to engage the at least one elongate section. The elongate body may be defined by the at least one elongate section to form a box- shaped unit containing the control chamber located above a main airflow passageway chamber, the control chamber and main airflow passageway chamber being isolated from one another, the end cap sealing the main airflow passage chamber. The end cap may be provided with an aperture in a region thereof adapted to be located adjacent the control chamber for enabling the actuator to extend into the end cap from the control chamber.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a window or door assembly including a ventilator in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. The assembly may comprise a window assembly containing a glazing unit and a ventilator may be fitted along an edge of the glazing unit, such as along an upper edge of a double glazing unit, between the glazing unit and an inner edge of a sash containing the glazing unit.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a ventilator comprising: an elongate body, the body being comprised of at least one elongate section for defining a flow passage through the ventilator; a closure device having a main closure member for controlling ventilation through the flow passage; and an end cap located on an end of at least one of the elongate sections; and a seal (such as a water seal) for isolating the flow passage from an interior space of the end cap.

The present invention may be carried out in various ways and preferred embodiments of ventilators and window/door assemblies in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a window/door assembly in accordance with the present invention;

Figures 2a and 2b show end views of a first preferred ventilator in accordance with the invention in open and closed configurations thereof;

Figure 3a and 3b show cross-sectional views of a second preferred ventilator in accordance with the invention in open and closed configurations thereof;

Figure 4 is an exploded view of an end cap for the embodiment of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a further exploded view of the end cap of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a part-isometric view of the ventilator of Figure 2 with a filter box partially fitted thereto and with one end cap removed;

Figure 7 is an isometric view of the ventilator of Figure 2 with the filter box of Figure 6 fitted thereto;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of the ventilator of Figure 2 with an end cap thereof removed but showing an actuator and worm drive mechanism therefor, with a closure member thereof in an open configuration;

Figure 9 is a view corresponding to Figure 8, but with the closure member in a closed configuration thereof;

Figure 10a, 10b and 10c are, respectively, isometric exploded, end, and exploded cross-sectional views of an end cap of ventilator of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, a preferred window or door assembly (10) installed in a building (12) having a wall (14) includes a rectangular exterior frame (16) surrounding a sash (18) which may be moveable in the frame (16). The sash (18) is filled by a double glazing unit (20) along the top edge of which is installed a ventilator (22) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The ventilator (22) is shown in more detail in Figures 2a and 2b and includes anouter aluminium elongate extrusion (24) connected by PVC elongate upper and lower thermal barrier elements (26, 28) to an inner elongate aluminium extrusion (30). As shown in Figure 7, two end caps (32, 34) are provided for attachment to the ends of the inner and outer elongate extruded sections (24, 30) and the upper and lower thermal-barriers (26, 28).

The inner elongate section (30) includes a series of flow apertures (36) and the outer elongate extrusion (24) includes a series of flow apertures (38), the apertures (36, 38) enabling airflow through a flow passageway (40) in a main flow chamber (42) of the ventilator (22).

A moveable closure member 44 is provided for movement between an open configuration shown in Figure 2b and a closed configuration shown in Figure 2a for enabling or preventing airflow through the ventilator (22) from one side thereof to the other. The closure member includes a generally curved configuration in a lower main body portion thereof (46), a pivot section (48) in the form of an elongate socket, a seal, e.g. water seal (50), and an elongate control socket (52).

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, an actuator member (54) includes a control member (56) which is engageable within the control socket (52). The actuator member also includes a drive member (58) which is engageable by a rotatable worm gear (60) having a threaded worm portion (62) for rotating the control member about a pivot axis defined by a spigot (64) of a support member (66) for rotating the closure member (44) between the open and closed configuration thereof.

As shown in Figures 10a and 10c, the spigot (64) is arranged to extend through a bore (68) of the actuator member (54) into a blind bore (70) of the end cap (34). Clips (72, 74) are provided for engagement with formations (76, 78) of end cap (34) for holding the support member (66) and actuator (54).

The worm gear (60) is held in a bore portion (80) of the end cap (34) and is driven by a drive wheel (82) by a chain (84).

The end cap (34) has an inner end plate (86) which is sealingly engageable against the ends of the elongate sections (24, 30) and the thermal barrier portions (26, 28). A rectangular moulding recess (88) is provided in the end plate face (86) simply for providing a relatively constant thickness to the end plate wall to enable reliable moulding of the end cap (34). Otherwise, the portion of the end plate which engages the elongate sections (24, 30) and thermal barrier portions (26, 28) includes screw holes (100, 102) which are sealed by screws (not shown) which are screwed into screw hole portions (104, 106) of the lower and upper barriers (28, 26). The end plate (86) also includes recessed section (110) which provides a tolerance to allow the closure member (44) to move and rotate without scraping against the end cap (34). With the screw holes (100) sealed by screws, the only other ports of communication into the end cap from the flow chamber (40) and an

upper control chamber (112) are an arcuate slot (116), enabling movement of the control member (66) to move the closure member (44), and formations (78) which engage clips (72). However, when the ventilator (22) is closed as shown in Figure 2a, the main flow chamber (40) is isolated from and sealed from the control chamber (112) by virtue of the sealing/sliding engagement between the socket section (48) of the control device/member (44) and an elongate cylindrical formation (120) on the inner elongate section (30), as well as engagement between the seal (50) and a substantially horizontal web section of the outer elongate section (24). Therefore, since the arcuate socket (116) and formations (78) (which are apertures through the end plate) are above the web (122) and are therefore in communication with the control chamber (112) rather than the main flow chamber (40), there is no communication between the main flow chamber (40) and the outside area of the end cap (130) when the control device/member (44) is closed. Therefore, when gusts of wind in atmospheric air containing water droplets blow onto the exterior side of the ventilator, water is not forced along the ventilator into the end caps, but is prevented from entering the end caps by the sealed nature of the end plate (86), such that water damage does not occur. When the ventilator is open as shown in Figure 2b, gusts of wind from the outside do not cause such a pressure build up inside the ventilator and water is still not forced up into the control chamber (112).

Any water entering the ventilator may drain out again through the outer apertures (38)

It is also noted that lower thermal barrier member (28) includes an upstanding PVC web (140) which includes a co-extruded soft sealing material (142) for engagement with closure (44) when closure member (44) is closed. The closure member may be made of PVC in order to ensure a thermal break which, together

with the upper and lower thermal barrier members (26, 28), extends all of the way up the ventilator (22) so that heat does not easily pass across the ventilator.

An optional filter box (140) with vent apertures (142) may be fitted with a filter element (not shown) and may then be attached to the ventilator inner elongated sections (30) and the end caps (34) by virtue of formations (144, 146, 148 and 150).

Figures 3a and 3b show how the ventilator (22) may be adapted by replacing the upper and lower thermal barriers (26, 28) with thermal barriers (226, 228) of greater width. It will be seen that the seal (50) still engages the flange (122) when the closure member (44) is closed such that sealing is still provided. All of the components in the ventilator of Figures 3a and 3b are the same as those in the ventilator of Figures 2a and 2b apart from the upper and lower thermal barriers (226, 228) and the end caps (not shown) which will also be wider than the end caps (34).

Various modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.