IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,038,202
Granted Patent B2
US 12,038,202 · App. 17/514,708 · Granted Jul 16, 2024

Exhaust vent doors

Inventors: Richard Harpenau (Jupiter, FL); Clifford Budnick (Jupiter, FL); James V. Ortiz (Jupiter, FL); Timothy Podnar (Crescent Township, PA)
Assignee: InOvate Acquisition Company
F24F7/00F24F13/1426F24F2007/001F24F2007/0025F24F2013/148
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,038,202
App. No.
17/514,708
Granted
Jul 16, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wall exhaust vent (e.g., for a dryer or other HVAC system) can include a housing defining a vent opening, and one or more bumpers on or at least partially within the housing and configured contact a door of the wall exhaust vent in a closed position. The one or more bumpers can include a bumper body, and a magnet disposed at least partially within the bumper body that is configured to magnetically interact with the door of the wall exhaust vent to bias the door to the closed position.

Claims (24)

1. A wall exhaust vent kit, comprising:

a first housing portion configured to mount to a wall, comprising:

a mounting plate configured to abut a wall around a wall exhaust opening and comprising a first vent opening;

a plurality of mounting holes defined through the mounting plate and located around the vent opening; and

a drip shield extending from the mounting plate;

a second housing portion configured to attach to the first housing portion, wherein the second housing portion comprises:

a second vent opening defined through the second housing portion and configured to at least partially align with the first vent opening; and

a door rotatably attached to or configured to be rotatably attached to the second housing portion to at least partially cover the second vent opening,

wherein the first housing portion includes a mounting tab extending from the mounting plate, the mounting tab comprising one or more mount holes defined therethrough, wherein the mounting tab is configured to be attached to a second housing portion of the wall exhaust vent to retain the second housing portion to the mounting plate,

wherein the drip shield is configured to cover the second housing portion and configured to at least partially retain the second housing portion to the first housing portion without a fastener between the first housing portion and the second housing portion during assembly,

wherein the second housing portion is configured to mount to the mounting plate via one or more fasteners extending through the one or more mount holes in the mounting tab, wherein the one or more fasteners are configured to be installed from an underside of the second housing portion at a bottom surface of the second housing portion, after the mounting plate is mounted to the wall in which the mounting plate is configured to be installed.

2. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the second housing portion comprises a mount recess configured to receive the mounting tab of the first housing portion to form a substantially flush surface with a fastener when the mounting tab is connected to the second housing portion with the fastener.

3. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the mounting tab is configured to be accessible for mounting the second housing portion to the mounting plate after the mounting plate is mounted to the wall.

4. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the mounting tab extends from the mounting plate in a direction away from the wall in which the mounting plate is configured to be installed.

5. The kit of claim 4 , wherein the mounting tab extends perpendicularly from the mounting plate.

6. A wall exhaust vent kit, comprising:

a first housing portion configured to mount to a wall, comprising:

a mounting plate configured to abut a wall around a wall exhaust opening and comprising a first vent opening;

a plurality of mounting holes defined through the mounting plate and located around the vent opening; and

a drip shield extending from the mounting plate;

a second housing portion configured to attach to the first housing portion, wherein the second housing portion comprises:

a second vent opening defined through the second housing portion and configured to at least partially align with the first vent opening; and

a door rotatably attached to or configured to be rotatably attached to the second housing portion to at least partially cover the second vent opening,

wherein the second housing portion is configured to be mounted to the first housing portion after the first housing portion is mounted to the wall in which the mounting plate is configured to be installed, wherein the drip shield is configured to cover the second housing portion and configured to at least partially retain the second housing portion to the first housing portion without a fastener between the first housing portion and the second housing portion during assembly.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 25, 2025
From: INOVATE ACQUISITION COMPANY
To: INOVATE INC.
Reel/Frame 072266/0244 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2021
From: HARPENAU, RICHARD; BUDNICK, CLIFFORD; ORTIZ, JAMES; PODNAR, TIMOTHY
To: IN-O-VATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058206/0270 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2021
From: IN-O-VATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: INOVATE ACQUISITION COMPANY
Reel/Frame 058206/0791 →
Continuity (2)
Division 16412074 · May 14, 2019
Related Publication 20220049874A1 · Feb 17, 2022