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US-20260126140-A1 - CONNECTOR FOR AN OUTDOOR STRUCTURE

US20260126140A1US 20260126140 A1US20260126140 A1US 20260126140A1US-20260126140-A1

Abstract

A connector for installment in an outdoor structure to link an air-flow source with an inside of the outdoor structure. The connector includes a main body for extending through a wall of an outdoor structure and a nut for engagement with the main body to secure the connector to the outdoor structure. The connector also includes a cover assembly that includes a rotatable door portion and a hingedly connected door retaining ring.

Inventors

  • Chris Cloutier

Assignees

  • Chris Cloutier

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251031

Claims (19)

  1. 1 . A connector for installment in an outdoor structure to link an air-flow source with an inside of the outdoor structure, the connector comprising: a main body for extending through a wall of an outdoor structure; a nut for engagement with the main body to secure the connector to the outdoor structure; and a cover assembly that includes a rotatable door portion and a hingedly connected door retaining ring.
  2. 2 . The connector of claim 1 wherein the door portion is rotatable within the door retaining ring.
  3. 3 . The connector of claim 2 wherein the door portion includes a wider part with a groove disposed around a circumference thereof.
  4. 4 . The connector of claim 3 wherein the door retaining ring includes a ridge extending circumferentially around an inner side for engaging with the groove of the door portion to support the rotatable relation between the door portion and the door retaining ring.
  5. 5 . The connector of claim 4 wherein the door portion has a narrow part extending from the wider part of the door portion having a thread thereon to engage a first thread disposed on an inner side of the main body.
  6. 6 . The connector of claim 1 further comprising a vent selectively securable to the main body.
  7. 7 . The connector of claim 6 wherein the vent can engage with a second thread disposed on an inner side of the main body to maintain position of the vent with respect to the main body.
  8. 8 . The connector of claim 6 further comprising a hose adapter selectively securable to the main body on a first end and selectively engageable by a hose on a second end.
  9. 9 . The connector of claim 8 wherein the first end of the hose adapter includes a thread for engaging a first thread disposed on an inner side of the main body when the door portion of the cover assembly is in an open position.
  10. 10 . The connector of claim 9 wherein the hose adapter has a sleeve on the second end that includes ridges disposed thereon to allow for better engagement with the hose.
  11. 11 . The connector of claim 10 wherein the hose adapter and the main body are designed such that the first end of the hose adapter can be secured to a first thread on an inner side of the main body or a second thread on the inner side of the main body.
  12. 12 . The connector of claim 1 further comprising a sealing member disposed between the nut and the main body.
  13. 13 . The connector of claim 1 wherein the main body includes a flanged portion the door retaining ring is hingedly connected to.
  14. 14 . The connector of claim 1 wherein the cover assembly further comprises a sealing member supported by the door portion to provide a seal between the door portion and the main body.
  15. 15 . The connector of claim 1 further comprising an extension sleeve disposed between the nut and the main body to permit the connector to be used with an outdoor structure with a thicker wall.
  16. 16 . The connector of claim 15 wherein the extension sleeve includes threads on an inner side that can engage threads on an outer side of the main body.
  17. 17 . The connector of claim 15 wherein the extension sleeve includes break sections where the extension sleeve can have sections removed to provide the extension sleeve with a desired length.
  18. 18 . The connector of claim 4 wherein the door retaining ring extends around only a portion of the door portion of the cover assembly.
  19. 19 . The connector of claim 8 further comprising a second hose adapter supported by the main body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a conversion of U.S. Provisional Application having U.S. Ser. No. 63/717,006, filed Nov. 6, 2024, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 1. Field of the Invention The present disclosure relates to a weather-resistant and dust-sealed connector for air, with an optional positive-pressure mode for minimizing dust ingress, and an internal rotatable vent for directing airflow. The connector can be used with outdoor and mobile heating, cooling or venting systems. More specifically, the connector is used in a heater port to securely connect an external heating hose to the wall of an outdoor structure (e.g., campers, tents, truck toppers). 2. Description of the Related Art Conventional ports for ventilation and heating often allow weather, dust, and pests to enter when not in use, as they lack an effective sealing mechanism. Additionally, existing solutions do not offer a positive-pressure feature to keep dust out while driving in high-dust environments. Previous solutions primarily focus on providing a simple entry point for hoses but fail to adequately address sealing, environmental protection, and dust control. Accordingly, there is a need for a connector for heat ports that overcomes the deficiencies of the existing solutions. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure is directed to a connector for installment in an outdoor structure to link an air-flow source with an inside of the outdoor structure. The connector includes a main body for extending through a wall of an outdoor structure and a nut for engagement with the main body to secure the connector to the outdoor structure. The connector also includes a cover assembly that includes a rotatable door portion and a hingedly connected door retaining ring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector for an outdoor structure constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the connector constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the connector constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views of the connector shown in FIG. 2 and constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views of connector shown in FIG. 3 and constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the connector constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the connector constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE Referring now to FIG. 1, the present disclosure relates to a connector 10 for attachment to an outdoor structure 12 (e.g., tents, campers, truck toppers, vans, trailer, shed, permanent structure, tiny home, boat, etc.) to connect an air-flow source (not shown), which can provide heated, cooled, or vented air, to an interior of the outdoor structure 12. The connector 10 can be closed during transport or when air from the flow source is undesired. When the connector 10 is closed it prevents dust, debris, etc. from entering the outdoor structure 12. When it is desirable for air from the flow source to be directed into the outdoor structure 12, the connector 10 can be opened and connected to the air-flow source via any means known in the art, such as a hose 14. It should be understood and appreciated that outdoor structure is not limited in any way to a specific type of structure. It could be any structure the connector 10 could be attached to. In one exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the connector 10 can include a main body 16 that passes through a wall 18 of the outdoor structure 12 and a nut 20 to be secured to the main body 16 to maintain the connector's engagement with the outdoor structure 12. The connector 10 can also include a cover assembly 22 hingedly supported by the main body 16 of the connector 10. The cover assembly 22 can be selectively engaged with the main body 16 to open or close the connector 10. The connector 10 can also include a hose adapter 24 selectively securable to the main body 16 when the cover assembly 22 is in the open position and removable from the main body 16 when it is desired to have the connector 10 closed. In another embodiment, the connector 10 can include a vent 26 disposable within the main body 16 to direct the flow of air from the air-flow source in the desired direction as the air flows into the outdoor structure 12. The cover assembly 22 can include a door portion 30 and a door retaining ring 32 that surrounds the door portion 30 and can be hingedly coupled