Vent operator

Abstract

A vent operator assembly employing a pair of operator arms which simultaneously control the position of an edge opening vent for recreational vehicles and the like. An operator body is secured to the inner side of the recreational vehicle adjacent to the vent opening therein. The body mounts a worm gear extending between a wall of the body and a cup recess in a bridge extending across a sector shaped recess in the body. A pair of operator arms, each including integral gears are journaled in the body from within the sector recess for simultaneous rotation in opposite arcs. The operator arms are relatively rigid except for the outer 16% which is a flexure spring element. Each spring element mounts a roller which engages a track in the edge of the vent cover opposite its hinged side. Upon rotation of a knob connected to the worm gear, the operator arms move simultaneously in the opposite direction to either open or close the vent cover. In the process, the flexure portion of the operator arms is distorted and applies a spring bias against the track of the vent cover providing rigid support thereof and vibration absorbtion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.