Ember and Fire-Resistant Vent

Abstract

An air intake or exhaust vent for an external roof or wall of a building. The vent is made of an elongate strip of ventilation material providing a plurality of ventilation passageways therethrough permitting air flow therethrough. In addition, an ember-resistant, fireproof material or coating is located on portions of the ventilation material that communicate with ambient atmosphere. Accordingly, wind blown embers are prevented from igniting and passing into and / or through the vent.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 862,220, filed Oct. 20, 2006.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a vent, such as a ridge, soffit, gable, or like vent, that enables air exchange between an area within a building and ambient atmosphere, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an external vent of a building that prevents the ingress of embers or the like into a vented area of the building.[0003]It is useful, and in many locales a building code requirement, that certain interior areas of a building, such as an area underneath a roof, be provided with a means to permit air exchange. The ventilation prevents undue heat buildup that can render the living quarters of the building uncomfortable and that can impose unreasonable energy requirements for cooling. Proper ventilation also preserves the structural integrity of the building...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present invention provides an intake or exhaust vent for an external roof or wall of a building. The vent is made of an elongate strip of ventilation material providing a ventilation passageway therethrough to permit air flow therethrough. An air permeable, ember-resistant, fireproof material covers the portions of the ventilation material that communicate with ambient atmosphere. Accordingly, wind blown embers are prevented from passing into or through the vent and from igniting the vent. As an alternative to a fireproof covering, the ventilation material can be applied with a fireproof coating. The fireproof coating can include an intumescent material that expands when heated. Yet another alternative is to include both a fireproof covering and a fireproof coating on the vent.

[0011]According to some contemplated embodiments of the vent of the present invention, the fireproof material is a layer of Class A fireproof material, a fiberglass fabric, or a mat of fiberglass. As stated above, an alternative is to use a fireproof coating, such as a coating of intumescent material. The vent can also include an air permeable filter material that is located on one or both sides of the fireproof material and / or is coated with a fireproof coating. In some embodiments, the elongate strip of ventilation material can be rollable into a spiral roll for efficient storage and shipment. Other embodiments include sectional or non-rollable vents.

Problems solved by technology

The ventilation prevents undue heat buildup that can render the living quarters of the building uncomfortable and that can impose unreasonable energy requirements for cooling.

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