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  Vent assemblyUSPTO Application #: 20060199493Title: Vent assembly Abstract: A vent assembly, suitable for marine use including, for example, venting an enclosure, such as an engine compartment, on a boat. The vent assembly has substantially the external appearance of a cast or machined, one piece, stainless steel vent, at a cost very little more than a molded plastics vent. A molded plastics vent has a head perforated by a pattern of ventilating slots separated by flanking strips. A decorative, corrosion-resistant, sheet metal cover shell lies tight against the front side of the molded plastics vent and has a pattern of slots and strips mapping substantially on the pattern of slots and strips of the molded plastics vent. Snap-fit fasteners fix the cover shell on the vent so that the cover shell slots are a substantially flush continuation of the vent slots, so as to provide the decorative appearance of a solid metal vent at substantially lower cost and without compromising or through flow capability. (end of abstract) Agent: Flynn Thiel Boutell & Tanis, P.C. - Kalamazoo, MI, US Inventors: Richard Hartmann, Richard J. Camarota USPTO Applicaton #: 20060199493 - Class: 454081000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Ventilation, Vehicle (e.g., Automobile, Etc.), Waterborne, Porthole Ventilator The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060199493. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to slotted vents, and more particularly to slotted vents usable in marine applications such as for ventilating a motor enclosure on a boat. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,908, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a apparatus for fixing a ventilating hose at an opening in a wall of an enclosure, e.g. for use on a boat in venting gases from the engine compartment, or venting cooking odor laden air from the galley, or admitting air. That apparatus includes a vent fitting comprising a radially extended, slotted head adapted to rest against the exterior face of the wall to hide an opening therein and a tubular body extending from the rear face of the head through the wall opening, to fix the vent fitting and an attached, rearwardly extending hose to the wall at the opening, to communicate flow through the hose and slotted head. To accomplish its various purposes, such vent fitting is of relatively complex form. Despite this, the assignee of the present invention has succeeded in forming such fittings of molded plastics material at relatively low cost and has successfully marketed units in substantial quantities, for example to boat manufacturers. [0003] However, the present assignee has found that for more expensive lines of boats, boat manufacturers and their buyers prefer more expensive looking fittings, e.g. stainless steel fittings, rather than less expensive looking molded plastics fittings. [0004] With that in mind, the present assignee has marketed molded plastics fittings of this general type with exposed surfaces chromium plated, by a conventional process, to achieve the richer, more expensive appearance of a polished metal fitting. While generally successful commercially, the present assignee has found that continuing contact, over a long period of time, with the elements in a harsh salt water marine environment, may attack, and eventually degrade the appearance of, the plated visible surfaces of such fittings. [0005] Accordingly, the present assignee has considered producing such fittings of corrosion resistant metal, such as stainless steel, as by casting or machining, and while such product is durable and can maintain a rich, expensive appearance over long periods of use, it is many times more expensive to produce than the same product of molded plastics material, and because of this expense would have a very limited market. [0006] The purposes of the present invention include overcoming these conflicting prior difficulties. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] This invention relates to a vent assembly, suitable for marine uses including, for example, venting an enclosure, such as an engine compartment, on a boat, which vent assembly has substantially the external appearance of a cast or machined, one piece stainless steel vent, at a cost very little more than a molded plastics vent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a prior molded plastics vent substantially as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,908 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. [0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 molded plastics vent. [0010] FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of a cover shell of convexly curved shape, taken from the front side thereof, and in accord with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [0011] FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of the FIG. 3 cover shell taken from the rear side thereof. [0012] FIG. 5 is a front view of the FIG. 3 cover shell. [0013] FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view substantially taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5. [0014] FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view substantially taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5. [0015] FIG. 8 is a pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of a molded plastics vent for which the FIG. 3 cover shell is intended. [0016] FIG. 9 shows FIG. 6 cover shell installed on a molded plastics vent like that of FIG. 8. [0017] FIG. 10 shows the FIG. 7 cover shell installed on a molded plastics vent of the type shown in FIG. 8. [0018] FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view substantially taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 5, and showing the cover shell installed on the FIG. 8 vent. [0019] FIG. 11A is a fragment of FIG. 11, but showing the FIG. 3 cover sheet tab at a starting position of installation on the FIG. 8 vent. [0020] FIG. 11B is similar to FIG. 11A, but showing an intermediate position of installation. Continue reading... Full patent description for Vent assembly Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Vent assembly patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Vent assembly or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Beam for reinforcing a vehicle cockpit organized to receive a module for the selective distribution of air from a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning system Next Patent Application: Blast duct for vehicle Industry Class: Ventilation ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Vent assembly patent info. 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