Vent with relief valve
A vent assembly has a housing defining a cavity, a first end, a second end, a vent opening, a valve opening, and a coupling structure towards the second end. The housing defines a valve opening and a vent opening. A vent is coupled to the housing across the vent opening, and a one-way relief valve is scalably disposed on the housing across a valve opening.
1 . A vent assembly comprising:
a housing defining a cavity, a first end, a second end, a vent opening, a valve opening, and a coupling structure towards the second end;
a passive airflow vent disposed in the housing across the vent opening, wherein the housing defines a housing opening between an ambient environment and the cavity to define a first fluid flow pathway between the ambient environment and the passive airflow vent; and
a one-way relief valve disposed in the housing and forming a seal over the valve opening,
wherein the vent assembly lacks a breathable membrane across the valve opening,
wherein the passive airflow vent and the one-way relief valve share a central axis,
wherein the coupling structure defines a second fluid flow pathway between an outside of the housing and the passive airflow vent, wherein the first fluid flow pathway and the second fluid flow pathway are in selective fluid communication through the one-way relief valve, and wherein the first fluid flow pathway and the second fluid flow pathway are in constant fluid communication through the passive airflow vent.
2 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one-way relief valve is arranged upstream of the housing opening with respect to airflow through the one-way relief valve.
3 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an end cap coupled to the housing towards the first end.
4 . The vent assembly of claim 3 , wherein the end cap defines the first end of the housing and the end cap extends across the one-way relief valve and the passive airflow vent.
5 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the passive airflow vent comprises a breathable membrane.
6 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , the housing comprising a first obstruction, wherein the first obstruction is positioned between the housing opening and the passive airflow vent.
7 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , the housing comprising a second obstruction, wherein the second obstruction is positioned between the housing opening and the one-way relief valve.
8 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid flow pathway defines a tortuous path between the housing opening and the one-way relief valve.
9 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one-way relief valve is configured to unseal when a pressure in the second fluid flow pathway is greater than a pressure in the first fluid flow pathway by 0.5 to 1 psi.
10 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further defines a mounting surface that defines the vent opening.
11 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vent opening is a plurality of openings defining a segmented annulus about the central axis.
12 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve opening comprises a plurality of openings defining a segmented annulus about the central axis.
13 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing opening defines radial openings about the central axis, wherein the radial openings define a fluid flow pathway between an outside of the housing and the passive airflow vent.
14 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the passive airflow vent and the one-way relief valve are concentric.
15 . The vent assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a seal abutting the coupling structure.
16 . A vent assembly comprising:
a housing defining a cavity, a first end, a second end, a vent opening, a valve opening, and a coupling structure towards the second end, wherein the housing defines a housing opening between an ambient environment and the cavity, the housing opening proximate the first end;
a passive airflow vent disposed in the housing across the vent opening, wherein the housing comprises a first obstruction positioned between the ambient environment and the passive airflow vent, wherein the first obstruction creates a tortuous path between the ambient environment and the passive airflow vent; and
a one-way relief valve disposed in the housing and forming a seal over the valve opening,
wherein the passive airflow vent and the one-way relief valve share a central axis, wherein the valve opening comprises a plurality of openings defining a segmented annulus about the central axis,
wherein the coupling structure defines a coupling structure opening between an outside of the housing and the passive airflow vent, wherein the housing opening and the coupling structure opening are in selective fluid communication through the one-way relief valve, and wherein the housing opening and the coupling structure opening are in constant fluid communication through the passive airflow vent.
17 . The vent assembly of claim 16 , wherein the housing opening defines radial openings about the central axis, wherein the radial openings define a first fluid flow pathway between the ambient environment and the passive airflow vent.
18 . The vent assembly of claim 16 , wherein the coupling structure defines one in the group consisting of a snap-fit and a screw fit that is configured to engage a battery housing.
19 . The vent assembly of claim 16 , wherein the housing defines a first fluid flow pathway between an outside of the housing and the passive airflow vent, the coupling structure defines a second fluid flow pathway between the outside of the housing and the passive airflow vent, and the one-way relief valve is configured to unseal when a pressure in the second fluid flow pathway is greater than a pressure in the first fluid flow pathway by 0.5 to 1 psi.
20 . The vent assembly of claim 16 , wherein the vent opening is a plurality of openings defining a segmented annulus about the central axis.