Air admittance vent

Abstract

An air admittance vent including a housing having a base and a cap with a diaphragm assembly disposed therein. The assembly comprises a diaphragm base, an annular retainer ring, and an annular malleable washer. The diaphragm base has an annular portion and a stem extending orthogonally from the center of the annular portion. The annular retainer ring includes a circumferential skirt engaged with an outer perimeter of the annular portion of the base, with the stem extending beyond the annular retainer ring. The annular malleable washer is disposed between the annular retainer ring and the annular portion of the base. A member extends from the housing base into engagement with the stem for guiding movement of the diaphragm assembly to open or close an ambient air passage through said housing base.

1 . An air admittance vent for a plumbing, disposal and waste system (PDWS) comprising: 
 (1) A housing having a cap and a housing base, said housing base defining an ambient air passage therethrough;    (2) A diaphragm assembly disposed within said housing and adapted to open and close said ambient air passage responsive to differential pressures between said PDWS and ambient, said diaphragm assembly comprising: 
 (a) A diaphragm base having an annular portion and a stem extending orthogonally from a center of the annular portion;  
 (b) An annular retainer ring having a circumferential skirt, wherein the circumferential skirt engages the base about an outer perimeter of the annular portion and the stem extends beyond the annular retainer ring; and  
 (c) An annular malleable washer disposed between the annular retainer ring and the annular portion of the diaphragm base; and  
   (3) Means extending from said housing base and engaging said stem for guiding movement of said diaphragm assembly between its open and closed positions.    
     
     
         2 . An air admittance vent of  claim 1 , wherein one of said stem and said means extending from said housing base defines a hollow opening and the other is a pin received within said hollow opening.  
     
     
         3 . An air admittance vent of  claim 2 , wherein said stem is hollow and said means extending from said housing is a pin.  
     
     
         4 . An air admittance vent of  claim 3 , wherein the diaphragm base and the annular retainer ring, in combination, include means for the outer perimeter of the annular portion and the circumferential skirt of the annular retainer ring to mutually engage.  
     
     
         5 . An air admittance vent of  claim 4 , wherein the diaphragm base and the annular retainer ring, in combination, include means for providing an airtight seal between the diaphragm base, the annular retainer ring, and the annular malleable washer.