Foundation dryer vent
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Installing a clothes dryer vent through an existing exterior wall of a building is costly and destructive, as it requires drilling and modification, especially in structures built on concrete block foundations.
Innovation Solution
A foundation dryer vent is integrated into the building foundation during initial construction, featuring a rigid rectangular plate with a central circular aperture and attached components like a truncated conical tube for hose attachment, a flapper valve system, and a removable cage, allowing for easy installation and future-proofing without later modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a dryer vent is installed through an existing exterior wall after building construction, then the building can be equipped with dryer vent functionality, but the installation becomes expensive and requires destructive drilling and modification of the wall structure
Solution Approach 1:
The dryer vent is integrated into the foundation wall during initial construction rather than being installed later. The rigid plate with aperture is placed within the foundation wall structure before the wall is completed, allowing the vent to be built-in from the start and eliminating the need for subsequent drilling or modification of the exterior wall.
2Ease of manufacture
If a dryer vent is installed during initial building construction by integrating it into the foundation wall, then future installation costs and structural damage are eliminated, but the vent must be designed to fit within the foundation wall structure
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid plate is designed with specific dimensional characteristics to match the foundation wall structure. The plate has a rectangular outer perimeter that fits within the foundation wall opening and a central circular aperture for the vent hose. The plate thickness is specifically designed to be less than the foundation wall thickness, allowing it to be properly integrated into the wall structure while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If a rigid plate with aperture is integrated into the foundation wall during construction, then a permanent dryer vent passage is created without later modifications, but the plate requires precise dimensional specifications to fit properly in the foundation wall
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid plate is designed with specific dimensional parameters: the outer perimeter dimensions are substantially equal to the foundation wall opening dimensions, the central aperture has a diameter that accommodates the dryer vent hose, and the plate thickness is less than the foundation wall thickness. These parameter specifications ensure proper fit and integration into the foundation wall structure while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of installing a dryer vent in a building exterior foundation wall during construction of the building. The dryer vent installation method comprises mounting a rigid wall plate that includes a fastener tube, the fastener tube includes outwardly facing pins. The dryer vent installation method includes mounting a removable flapper housing with mounting slots, the housing including a flapper valve. The dryer vent installation method further includes removably fastening the flapper valve housing slots to the fastener tube pins.