Vent assembly and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vent assembly for controlling the flow of air through an opening, the vent assembly comprising:
- a vent cover comprising a plurality of air flow openings;
an air flow regulator 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 the air flow openings;
plural couplers slidably coupling the air flow regulator to the vent cover, each of said couplers comprising 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.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vent assembly has a vent cover and sliding air flow regulator for controlling the flow of air through the vent cover. Unique couplers may be used to interconnect the air flow regulator and vent cover for relative sliding motion. In addition, actuator mechanisms are used to move the air flow regulator between open and closed positions. A vent assembly for corner applications is also disclosed.
43 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A vent assembly for controlling the flow of air through an opening, the vent assembly comprising:
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a vent cover comprising a plurality of air flow openings;
an air flow regulator 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 the air flow openings;
plural couplers slidably coupling the air flow regulator to the vent cover, each of said couplers comprising 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 18, 40, 41, 42)
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4. A vent assembly for controlling the flow of air through an opening, the vent assembly comprising:
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a vent cover comprising a plurality of air flow openings;
an air flow regulator 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 the air flow openings;
plural couplers slidably coupling the air flow regulator to the vent cover, each of said couplers comprising 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;
wherein the vent cover comprises plural coupler receiving openings each for receiving a respective second coupler portion, each second coupler portion comprising a compressible member sized so as to be compressed in at least one direction when inserted into a respective one of the coupler receiver openings, the compressible member engaging the vent cover within the coupler receiver opening to couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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19. A vent assembly for controlling the flow of air through an opening, the vent assembly comprising:
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a vent cover comprising a back surface and a front surface and a plurality of air flow openings through the vent cover from the front surface to the back surface;
an air flow regulator slidably coupled to the vent cover for sliding movement 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 is permitted to flow through the air flow openings; and
an actuator coupled to the air flow regulator such that the actuator is movable relative to the air flow regulator and not pivoted by a pivot pin to the air flow regulator, and the actuator extending at least partially into at least a first of the air flow openings, the actuator being movable to a first actuator position to slide the air flow regulator to the first closed position and being movable to second actuator positions to slide the air flow regulator to the second open positions. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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23. A vent assembly for controlling the flow of air through an opening, the vent assembly comprising:
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a vent cover comprising a back surface and a front surface and a plurality of air flow openings through the vent cover from the front surface to the back surface;
an air flow regulator slidably coupled to the vent cover for sliding movement 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 is permitted to flow through the air flow openings;
an actuator coupled to the air flow regulator and extending at least partially into at least a first of the air flow openings, the actuator being movable to a first actuator position to slide the air flow regulator to the first closed position and being movable to second actuator positions to slide the air flow regulator to the second open positions; and
in which the actuator comprises a lever having a first portion coupled to the air flow regulator, a pivot portion positioned at least partially within the at least a first of the air flow openings and a grasping portion projecting from the pivot portion and generally away from the air flow regulator, wherein pivoting of the lever in a first direction slides the air flow regulator toward the closed position and pivoting the lever in the opposite direction slides the air flow regulator toward the open positions. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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33. A vent cover assembly comprising:
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vent cover means comprising plural openings;
air regulator means;
means for both frictionally engaging at least some of said plural openings and for slidably coupling the air regulator means to the vent cover means; and
actuator means for sliding the air regulator means relative to the vent cover means from closed to open positions.
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34. A vent assembly for controlling the flow of air through an opening, the vent assembly comprising:
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a vent cover comprising a plurality of air flow openings;
an air flow regulator 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 the air flow openings;
plural couplers slidably coupling the air flow regulator to the vent cover, each of said couplers comprising 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 vent cover comprising plural coupler receiving openings, one of such coupler receiver openings being provided for each of said second coupler portions, the second coupler portions each comprising a compressible member sized so as to be compressed in at least one direction when inserted into a respective one of the coupler receiver openings, the compressible member engaging the vent cover within the coupler receiving opening to frictionally couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover;
the vent cover comprising opposed outer and inner major surfaces with the air flow openings extending between the outer and inner major surfaces, the air flow regulator comprising first and second major opposed air flow regulator surfaces, the first air flow regulator surface being positioned adjacent to the inner major surface of the vent cover, wherein each coupler comprises a spring clip with at least two of said second coupler portions which are spaced apart from one another, and wherein of each coupler, the first coupler portion of each coupler interconnects said at least two of said second coupler portions, said first coupler portion of each coupler comprising an air flow regulator support portion which is coupled to the second air flow regulator surface to support the air flow regulator;
wherein the vent cover comprises 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 comprising elongated slots having sides bounded by respective vanes and ends bounded by respective portions of the first and second vent cover side portions, the coupler portions having a first dimension in a first direction which is greater than the spacing between first and second vanes, the coupler portions being oriented relative to the vent cover such that the second coupler portions are compressed in the first direction by the vanes upon insertion of the second coupler portions of each coupler into an air flow slot;
the vanes defining air flow slots at a first angle relative to the inner major surface of the vent cover, and wherein the second coupler portions and air flow regulator support portions of each coupler extend at a second angle relative to one another, the second angle being less than the first angle;
the air flow regulator comprising plural guide openings through which the plural couplers extend with the first coupler portion and second coupler portions of each coupler being at opposite sides of the air flow regulator from one another, the guide openings engaging the couplers to guide the sliding motion of the air flow regulator; and
an actuator coupled to the air flow regulator and extending at least partially into at least a first of the air flow openings, the actuator being movable to a first actuator position to slide the air flow regulator to the first closed position and being movable to second actuator positions to slide the air flow regulator to the second open positions. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A vent assembly method comprising:
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slidably coupling an air flow regulator to a vent cover for sliding between a plurality of open positions and a closed position; and
wherein the act of coupling comprises frictionally engaging the vent cover at locations within plural openings defined by the vent cover with plural couplers with said couplers also engaging the air flow regulator to slidably couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A vent assembly method comprising:
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slidably coupling an air flow regulator to a vent cover for sliding between a plurality of open positions and a closed position;
wherein the act of coupling comprises frictionally engaging the vent cover with plural couplers with said couplers also engaging the air flow regulator to slidably couple the air flow regulator to the vent cover; and
wherein the vent cover has front and back major surfaces, the method further comprising the act of pivoting an actuator about a pivot axis to slide the air flow regulator between the plurality of positions, and wherein the pivot axis shifts closer to the front surface upon sliding of the air flow regulator from the closed toward the open positions and shifts closer to the back surface upon sliding of the air flow regulator from an open position toward the closed position.
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Specification