Register assembly

A register assembly comprising:

• a register frame having a peripheral portion defining an air passage that is substantially circular in cross section,
• a support hub located substantially coaxially with said air passage and means for supporting said hub in said air passage, said hub having a substantially axially oriented bore therethrough,
• a shaft rotatably mounted for rotation in said bore, and means attached to said shaft for manually rotating said shaft,
• at least three closure segments mounted on said shaft for rotational movement relative to each other about the axis of said shaft, said closure segments being arranged on said shaft in serially overlapping relationship relative to the axis of said shaft, said closure segments each extending outwardly from said shaft and having side portions that diverge outwardly from said shaft toward the peripheral portion of said frame and having outer arcuate edge portions terminating in close proximity to the peripheral portion of said frame, said closure segments each being sized to block airflow through a portion of said air passage, said closure segments further being sized so that, when each of said segments is overlapping only the edge portions of adjacent segments, said segments cooperate to block airflow through the entirety of said air passage, a first of said closure segments being affixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, a second of said closure segments being affixed to said frame, said shaft being capable of rotating relative to said second closure segment, the remaining ones of said closure segments mounted on said shaft for rotation relative thereto, said remaining ones of said closure segments being interposed between said first and second closure segments,
• a tab on said first closure segment and on each of said remaining ones of said closure segments, said tabs extending toward the next adjacent one of said closure segments, said tabs being located adjacent first side portions of each of said closure segments;
• said second closure segment and said remaining ones of said closure segments each having a stop surface cooperable with the tab on the next adjacent closure segment, said stop surfaces being located adjacent the other side portions of said closure segments opposite from said first side portions, said tabs and said stop surfaces cooperating so that the first side portions of adjacent ones of said closure segments having cooperating tab and adjacent stop surfaces can rotate in a first direction relative to the axis of said shaft toward the other side portion of the next adjacent closure segment until a respective tab and stop surface engage, whereby as said first closure segment is rotated by said shaft, said remaining ones of said closure segments will first remain stationary relative to said shaft and thereafter be sequentially rotated with said shaft as the respective tabs and stop surfaces are engaged,
• a flange mounted on said first closure segment adjacent the other side portion thereof, said flange extending in an axial direction toward said second closure segment and past the other side portions of said remaining ones of said closure segments, and
• a stop tab on said second closure segment extending in a generally axial direction relative to said shaft, said stop tab being located adjacent the first side portion of said second closure segment and extending past the first side portion of at least one of said remaining ones of said closure segments, said stop tab functioning to limit the rotational movement of said first and said remaining closure segments in said second direction when said first side portion of at least one of said remaining closure segments engages said stop tab, said stop tab further serving to limit rotational movement of said first and remaining closure segments in said first direction when said flange engages said stop tab.