Ventilation – Having inlet airway – Including specific air distributor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-05-22
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Having inlet airway
Including specific air distributor
C454S324000, C454S332000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234894
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to ventilation heating and cooling and more particularly to a forced air vent register that can be made to match the surrounding environment.
The normal practice when installing ceramic floor tile is to lay the tile up to the edges of the register opening and then to install a conventional metal register over or in the opening such that the flange of the register overlaps the ceramic tile about the periphery of the register opening and transitions or “dresses” the tiled floor into the register opening. The process is similar whether the flooring material is wood, carpeting, ceramic tile, linoleum, laminate, or stone such as granite, marble or slate.
In upscale residential or commercial buildings, flooring commonly uses expensive hardwoods or tile such as ceramic, slate, marble, granite, laminate, etc. Coordinating the forced air vent registers or grilles to the flooring is desirable but difficult because of the limited styles of registers. Fabrication of matching wood grilles is possible because of wood's structural characteristics but because of the open space required for air passage, wooden registers have limited strength. Although wooden grilles are available at a premium price, they are only readily available in domestic woods such as oak, which will not coordinate with the flooring if the flooring is of an exotic wood or has contrasting colored accents in the area of the register opening. This mismatch between the floor covering and the registers detracts from the area's aesthetic appeal. Additionally, wooden constructed registers are usually “fixed” and do not have the capability to adjust the air flow through the register.
Fabrication of a grill solely from ceramic tile is impractical because the brittle nature of ceramic tile will not accommodate the application of unsupported weight. Hiding or disguising registers in a ceramic tile floor is often impossible as the available registers are of painted or plated steel construction and stand out from the flooring material.
Another problem with existing registers is that they tend to sit slightly above the flooring which emphasizes the visual obtrusiveness of the register. These registers also function as a lip on which to stub toes or damage footwear.
Fabrication of matching registers for each separate type of flooring in all the applicable sizes would be impractical and would result in prohibitively expensive registers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, an improved air vent register is provided which is adapted to sit flush with the surrounding flooring and to allow flooring pieces to be installed into the grille thereby making a perfect match for the floor.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved forced air vent register that can withstand the application of considerable unsupported weight without deformation or structural damage.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved forced air vent register that can house sections of flooring so as to visually appear to be a continuation of the floor.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved forced air vent register that resides flush with the top surface of the existing floor and which allows for a full range of air flow adjustments.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved forced air vent register that is easily removed for cleaning and retrieval of objects.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved forced air vent register that houses and supports cut pieces of tile, stone, hardwood and laminate floor covering thus coordinating the register to the surrounding floor covering.
It is yet still a further object of the present invention to provide an improved forced air vent register that houses and supports cut pieces of flooring, resides flush with the top surface of the existing floor and has a mechanism capable of adjusting the air flow through the register.
The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.
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Albert Stephen B.
Goracke Mark A.
Dellett and Walters
Joyce Harold
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