High-flow ember shield building ventilator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building ventilation systems face challenges in maintaining net free area while preventing the entry of small airborne particles like glowing embers during wildfires, as reduced maximum opening sizes compromise ventilation efficiency and structure safety.
Innovation Solution
A high-flow ember shield building ventilator with a trapezoidal outer frame and folded metal insert, featuring a three-dimensional shape with diamond-shaped openings and cross members, maintains net free area while blocking small particles, enhancing airflow and protection from embers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the maximum opening size of screen is reduced to 1/8'' or less, then the blocking of hot embers is improved, but the net free area is greatly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is formed into three-dimensional shapes including diamond-shaped openings and cross members that extend into the opening space, rather than using a flat two-dimensional screen. This dimensional transformation allows the screen to block embers effectively while preserving net free area by utilizing the third dimension to create protective barriers without reducing the overall opening area.
Solution Approach 2:
The folded metal insert is positioned within the vent opening, nested between the outer frame and the exterior environment. This nested configuration allows the screen structure to occupy the depth of the opening rather than reducing the face area, enabling ember blocking while maintaining net free area specifications.
2Productivity
If multiple additional ventilators are installed to meet original NFA targets, then the net free area is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilator design integrates multiple functions into a single unit: the outer frame provides structural support and defines the opening, the folded metal insert provides ember blocking, and the three-dimensional screen structure provides both protection and airflow pathways. This multi-functional integration allows one ventilator to achieve what previously required multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the screen structure, folding metal insert, and outer frame into a single integrated ventilator assembly. By merging these previously separate elements into one unified component, the design maintains net free area without requiring multiple additional ventilators, thereby reducing installation complexity while preserving ventilation effectiveness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively preserves the original net free area while preventing ember intrusion, improving structure safety and ventilation performance by allowing greater airflow and moisture elimination in attic, roof, and wall cavity systems.
Implementation Method 1
forming the screen into three dimensional shapes allows for significantly greater amount of screen to be installed in same original opening and allowing for total net free area of openings to be equal to original specifications while blocking passage to small airborne particles like glowing embers from a forest fire
Implementation Method 2
Static ventilation works on principals of thermodynamics where delta air temperature inside space and outside create natural convection between intake and exhaust vents
Data Source
AI summary
A high-flow ember shield building ventilator with a substantially trapezoidal outer frame portion with a long side, a short side, a substantially vertical front side and opposing angled sides; and a folded metal insert. The long side has a first long side end and a second long side end, the short side has a first short side end and a second short side end, the substantially vertical front side has a first substantially vertical front side end and a second substantially vertical front side end, the angled side has a first angled side end and a second angled side end and the folded metal insert is between the first angled side end and the second angled side end.