US 12,215,495 B2
Flood vent having a panel
Winfield Scott Anderson, Jr., Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US); Tom Little, Pitman, NJ (US); and Michael J. Graham, Pitman, NJ (US)
Assigned to Smart Vent Products LLC, Juno Beach, FL (US)
Filed by Smart Vent Products, Inc., Pitman, NJ (US)
Filed on May 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/307,229.
Application 17/307,229 is a continuation of application No. 16/846,781, filed on Apr. 13, 2020, granted, now 11,002,006.
Application 16/846,781 is a continuation of application No. 16/269,448, filed on Feb. 6, 2019, granted, now 10,619,345, issued on Apr. 14, 2020.
Application 16/269,448 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/686,809, filed on Aug. 25, 2017, granted, now 10,385,611, issued on Aug. 20, 2019.
Application 15/686,809 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/583,284, filed on May 1, 2017, granted, now 10,017,937, issued on Jul. 10, 2018.
Application 15/583,284 is a continuation of application No. 14/965,360, filed on Dec. 10, 2015, granted, now 9,637,912, issued on May 2, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0254329 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. E02B 7/00 (2006.01); E04B 1/70 (2006.01); E04H 9/14 (2006.01); E06B 5/10 (2006.01); E06B 7/14 (2006.01); E06B 9/02 (2006.01); E06B 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC E04B 1/7076 (2013.01) [E04H 9/145 (2013.01); E06B 5/10 (2013.01); E06B 7/14 (2013.01); E06B 9/02 (2013.01); E06B 2009/007 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flood vent, comprising:
a frame coupled in a vertical orientation to a structure;
a flood vent panel coupled to the frame so as to at least partially block a fluid passageway through an opening that extends horizontally through the structure, the panel comprising:
a plurality of insulation pieces positioned together to form a plurality of straight rows of insulation pieces and a plurality of straight columns of insulation pieces, wherein the plurality of insulation pieces are further positioned together to form a shape having an outer boundary that comprises a top portion of insulation pieces, a bottom portion of insulation pieces, a left-side portion of insulation pieces, and a right-side portion of insulation pieces;
a panel frame surrounding the plurality of insulation pieces, wherein the panel frame is in direct physical contact with the top portion of insulation pieces, the bottom portion of insulation pieces, the left-side portion of insulation pieces, and the right-side portion of insulation pieces;
wherein each of the plurality of insulation pieces is in direct physical contact with at least two of the other insulation pieces of the plurality of insulation pieces; and
wherein, when at least a predetermined amount of pressure is applied to a portion of the panel by one or more of a fluid or an object carried by the fluid, one or more of the plurality of insulation pieces uncouple from the panel so as to reduce an amount of blockage of the fluid passageway provided by the panel.