The present invention relates generally to ventilation devices and methods and more particularly to a ventilation device suitable for mounting with a vehicle window for ventilation and exhaust of interior air and/or associated airborne impurities or contaminants.
There are two common methods that people use to ventilate a vehicle's interior. One method is to open the vehicle's windows when the vehicle is moving or parked. This method allows smoke, pet smells, and other foul odors to be ventilated to the outside atmosphere, while simultaneously allowing the fresh, outside air to enter the vehicle's cabin. There are, however, some disadvantages to opening the vehicle's windows for ventilation. First, the outside air may not be fresh and clean at all times. For example, the outside air may include rain, snow, pollen, bugs or any number of other outside contaminants, which will also enter the vehicle's cabin. Second, while the vehicle is in a parked position and left unattended, having the windows down may result in the vehicle's theft or vandalism. Third, if the windows are down while the vehicle is in motion, the vehicle's aerodynamic qualities will be affected significantly. Approximately 10% of the vehicle's fuel economy will be lost due to drag forces. Finally, if the windows are down while the vehicle is in motion, a significant noise is produced which will cause discomfort to the ordinary passenger. The passengers will be required to converse at a higher decibel and also be required to turn vehicle audio equipment to a louder setting.
Another method commonly used to ventilate the vehicle is to use the ventilation feature on the vehicle's control panel. This feature allows fresh air at a particular temperature to enter the vehicle's cabin. While the fan functions adequately in most situations, there are some scenarios where the fan still leaves behind undesirable odors. For example, some odors which have penetrated the seat's fabric are not capable of being removed by the fans. Instead, the high velocity air entering the vehicle's window, while the vehicle is moving at high speeds, is more suitable for removing these types of odors.
Various solutions have been proposed to resolve the problem of safe vehicle ventilation. One such solution proposes using a panel mountable between a window frame and a window. Although prior art devices allow air to exchange between the vehicle's exterior and its interior, only one of these prior art devices forcefully removes air from the vehicle's interior by creating a pressure differential between the vehicle's interior and its exterior. Forceful air removal increases the speed with which the vehicle's interior is ventilated and the obnoxious odors are removed. Several drawbacks exist in the current art which include, but are not limited to, requiring the mounting of a device between the window and the window frame, the window not being capable of fully closing, inefficient pressure differential along the device, and water leakage possibilities around the device.
What has been lacking, however, until the present invention, and what the industry long has sought, is a cabin exhaust device that has flexibility in its mounting, allows the windows to fully close when exhaust is not needed, creates a more efficient pressure differential throughout the device's length and prevents water leakage around the device.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to disclose and claim a cabin exhaust device for use in vehicles with retractable windows.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device that facilitates the creation of a vacuum, or pressure differential, between the vehicle's interior and its exterior and along the entire length of the cabin exhaust device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device that allows the windows to fully close while the cabin exhaust device is mounted.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device that vents cabin heat and removes odors when the vehicle is either parked or in motion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device which keeps out dust, pollen, allergens, and other similar pollutants.
It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a cabin exhaust device which is easy to position and mount.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device which can be mounted on the outside of the door frame or in an opening between the window panel and the window frame.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device which is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device which helps lower the temperature inside the cabin when the vehicle is stationary, thereby preventing the deterioration of adhesives within the vehicle, extend the life of plastics and other materials within the vehicle, and provide environmental safety to the vehicle's passengers by eliminating plastic and glue fumes as well as other contaminants that accumulate in the vehicle's cabin.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device which provides cabin ventilation in a fuel efficient manner.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cabin exhaust device that prevents rain from entering the vehicle's cabin.
It will become apparent to one skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter as a whole, including the structure of the apparatus, and the cooperation of the elements of the apparatus, combine to result in the unexpected advantages and utilities of the present invention. The advantages and objects of the present invention and features of such a cabin exhaust device will become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying description, drawing figures, and appended claims.