Ventilation – Having inlet airway – Including specific air distributor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-23
2004-12-21
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3749)
Ventilation
Having inlet airway
Including specific air distributor
C454S324000, C454S334000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832951
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a vent assembly having an air flow regulator slidable relative to a vent cover to control the flow of air through the vent cover. The invention also relates to methods relating to such a vent assembly.
BACKGROUND
Vent assemblies with a cover and a sliding air flow regulator or grill of various constructions are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,380 to Sarazen, Jr. et al. is understood to illustrate a construction in which a register or vent cover slidably receives a slide grill. The register defines a groove between the underside of vanes of the register and the upper surface of ridges formed in opposed sidewalls of the register. A handle, or tab, which can be integrally formed as part of the slide grill, extends upwardly in the space between two vanes of the cover so that it can be used to slide the grill.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,309 to Prager is understood to disclose an adjustable ventilator which has a vaned louver plate on one surface of a wall. A slidable plate assembly is located at the opposite side of the wall. The slidable plate assembly includes a cover having a plurality of openings which overlies a slide plate. Handles extend through slots in the cover and are used to slide the slide plate to selectively block or open the openings through the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,812 to James is understood to illustrate a construction of a ventilator having an apertured back member fixed to a supporting surface and a front apertured member which is slidably mounted to the back member.
Although constructions of this type are known, a need exists for an improved vent assembly and method.
SUMMARY
The present invention is directed toward new and unobvious aspects of a vent assembly and method alone and in various combinations and subcombinations with one another. The invention is not limited to a vent assembly or method which includes all of the various components described below in connection with the illustrated embodiments.
In accordance with a first embodiment, a vent assembly is described for controlling the flow of air through an opening. The assembly comprises a vent cover with a plurality of air flow openings. An air flow regulator is slidable relative to the vent cover from a first closed position in which the air flow regulator substantially blocks the flow of air through the air flow openings to second open positions in which air flow paths are provided through the air flow regulator and air flow openings. By substantially blocking the flow of air, it is meant that air flow is severely restricted as some air flow leakage or minimal air flow may still take place even though the air flow regulator is in the closed position. One or more open positions may be provided with air flow being less restricted by the air flow regulator as the air flow regulator is moved toward its most open position. In this embodiment, plural couplers may be used to slidably couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. These couplers may each comprise at least one first coupler portion coupled to the air flow regulator and at least one second coupler portion frictionally coupled to the vent cover. The at least one second coupler portion may be inserted into a coupler receiving opening in the vent cover, such as into an air flow slot between vanes of the vent cover. The second coupler portion may frictionally engage the boundaries defining the receiving opening, such as the vanes, to retain the air flow regulator in a coupled relationship to the vent cover.
As another aspect of an embodiment, the air flow regulator may comprise plural guide openings through which the plural couplers respectively extend with the first coupler portion and at least one second coupler portion being on opposite sides of the air flow regulator from one another. The guide openings may engage the plural couplers to guide the sliding motion of the air flow regulator. In desirable forms, the air flow guide openings may comprise elongated slots oriented in a direction parallel to the direction in which the air flow regulator slides.
Couplers which engage the air flow regulator may have a portion which is compressed when inserted into a respective coupler receiver opening. The compressible member engages the vent cover within the coupler receiving opening to couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. The compressible member may comprise a spring wire. In addition, the compressible member may be designed for compression in at least two directions when inserted into a coupler receiving opening.
In one embodiment, the vent assembly may comprise a vent cover comprising opposed outer and inner major surfaces with air flow openings extending between the outer and inner major surfaces. An air flow regulator may comprise first and second major opposed air flow regulator surfaces. When assembled, the first air flow regulator surface in this embodiment may be positioned adjacent to the inner major surface of the vent cover. A plurality of couplers each comprising a spring clip may be used to slidably couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. The respective spring clips may each comprise at least two second coupler portions which are spaced apart from one another and a first coupler portion which interconnects the at least two of the second coupler portions. The first coupler portion may comprise an air flow regulator support portion which is coupled to the second air flow regulator surface to support the air flow regulator. The air flow regulator support portion may be positioned parallel to the second air flow regulator surface. The first coupler portion may lack any portion which projects away from the second air flow regulator surface. In an alternative form, the first coupler portion may comprise a duct retaining portion which projects away from the second air flow regulator surface.
As a further aspect of the last described embodiment, the vent cover may comprise first and second vent cover side portions and a plurality of spaced apart vanes extending between the first and second vent cover side portions. The air flow openings may comprise elongated air flow slots having sides bounded by respective vanes and ends bounded by respective portions of the first and second vent cover side portions. The second coupler portions may have a first dimension in a first direction which is greater than the spacing between the first and second of said vanes. The second coupler portions may also be oriented relative to the vent cover such that the second coupler portions are compressed in the first direction by the first and second vanes upon insertion of the second coupler portions into an air flow slot between the first and second vanes to thereby couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. As another aspect of an alternative embodiment, the second coupler portions of each coupler may be spaced apart a distance which is greater than the distance between the ends of the air flow slot. In this case, the second coupler portion may be configured so as to be compressed in a second direction toward one another by the respective portions of the first and second vent cover side portions which define the air flow slot when the second coupler portions are inserted into the air flow slot.
The second coupler portions may be configured so as to be compressed in only the first direction to couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover; to be compressed in only the second direction (although this is less desirable) to couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover; or be compressed in both the first and second directions to accomplish the desired coupling. The second coupler portions in this embodiment may otherwise be compressible to accomplish this coupling.
As another aspect of an embodiment, the vanes may define slots oriented at a first angle relative to the inner major surface of the vent cover. In addition, the second coupler portions and air flow regulator support portions of the couplers may be at a second angle from one another with the second angle being less than the first angle.
The s
Classic Manufacturing NW LLC
Joyce Harold
Klarquist & Sparkman, LLP
LandOfFree
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