Combined ventilating louver and back draft damper

Claim 2

A combined ventilating louver and back draft damper unit comprising a rigid frame having parallel, vertical side members and defining an opening through which air may flow, a plurality of fixed louver blades spanning said opening and joined to said side members, said fixed lower blades being spaced vertically from each other to define air passageways therebetween and extending downwardly and forwardly from upper, rearward portions thereof, a plurality of damper blades pivotally mounted for swinging between an opening position in which air may flow through said passageways in a forward direction and a closed position in which said blades substantially close said passageways to air flow in a reverse direction, a lower seal on said damper blades for swinging into sealing engagement with a fixed louver blade therebeneath when said damper blades are in said closed position, said vertical side members of said frame having vertically extending and inwardly projecting side seal flanges adjacent the rear of said ventilating louver, hinge means pivotally mounting said damper blades on the undersides of said fixed blades at positions forward of said side seal flanges, said hinge means comprising interlocking hinge portions on the respective damper and louver blades assembled by axial sliding of one relative to the other, said damper blades having portions extending in a rearward direction from said interlocking hinge portions and then extending downwardly to provide surfaces disposed relative to said side seal flanges for sealing engagement therewith when said damper blades are in said closed position.

Claim 3

A unit in accordance with claim 1 in which vertically extending rails are provided on said side members and have portions inteRfitted with said fixed louver blades and in which stop means on said damper blades center the same between said rails to limit longitudinal sliding movement of said movable blades relative to said fixed louver ventilator blades.

Claim 4

A unit in accordance with claim 1 in which rain barriers having horizontally extending flanges are formed on the upper portion of said fixed blades and are disposed for sealing engagement with said lower seals.

Claim 5

A unit in accordance with claim 1 in which said lower seal includes a resilient seal pad carried on the lower end of said damper blades to abut said fixed blade flanges.

Claim 6

A combined ventilating louver and back draft damper unit comprising a rigid frame having parallel, vertical side members and defining an opening through which air may flow, a plurality of fixed louver blades spanning said opening and joined to said side member, vertically extending rails projecting inwardly from said vertically extending side members and interfitted with said fixed louver blades and spacing the same vertically from each other to define air passageways therebetween, said fixed louver blades extending downwardly and forwardly from upper, rearward portions thereof, a plurality of damper blades, hinge means on the undersides of said fixed blades for pivotally mounting said damper blades for swinging between an open position in which air may flow through said passageways in a forward direction and a closed position in which said blades substantially close said passageways to air flow in a reverse direction, said hinge means comprising interlocking hinge portions on the respective damper and louver blades, a lower seal on said damper blades for sealing engagement with a fixed louver blade therebeneath when said damper blades are in said closed position, said vertical side members of said frame having inwardly projecting side seal flanges adjacent the rear of said ventilating louver and located rearwardly of said hinge means, said damper blades having portions extending in a rearward direction from said interlocking hinge portions and then extending downwardly and having surfaces disposed relative to said side seal flanges for sealing engagement therewith when said damper blades are in said closed position, said damper blades having stop means thereon projecting forwardly therefrom between and adjacent an opposing pair of said inwardly projecting rails to continuously limit axial sliding of said hinge portions relative to one another.

Claim 7

A combined ventilating louver and back draft damper unit comprising a rigid frame having parallel, vertical side members and defining an opening through which air may flow, a plurality of fixed louver blades spanning said opening and joined to said side member, vertically extending rails projecting inwardly from said vertically extending side members and interfitted with said fixed louver blades and spacing the same vertically from each other to define air passageways therebetween, said fixed louver blades extending downwardly and forwardly from upper, rearward portions thereof, a plurality of damper blades, hinge means on the undersides of said fixed blades for pivotally mounting said damper blades for swinging between an open position in which air may flow through said passageways in a forward direction and a closed position in which said blades substantially close said passageways to air flow in a reverse direction, said hinge means comprising interlocking hinge portions on the respective damper and louver blades, a lower seal on said damper blades for sealing engagement with a fixed louver blade therebeneath when said damper blades are in said closed position, said vertical side members of said frame having inwardly projecting side seal flanges adjacent the rear of said ventilating louver and located rearwardly of said hinge means, said damper blades having portions extending in a rearward direction from said interlocking hinge portions and then extending downwardly and having surfaces disposed relative to said side seal flanges for sealing engagement therewith when said damper blades are in said closed position, said damper blades having stop means thereon projecting forwardly therefrom between and adjacent an opposing pair of said inwardly projecting rails to continuously limit axial sliding of said hinge portions relative to one another.