Snap-in screen frame and mounting for same
AssigneeElixir Industries
InventorTimothy J. Barnett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved ventilation opening having a separate screen frame which is attached to the ventilation opening by pawls mounted on pawl arms, with the pawls inserted into pawl receiving openings in a crossbar on the ventilation opening and having means to more positively retain the pawls within their respective pawl openings.
Claims23
A screen frame attaching apparatus for attaching a screen frame into a ventilation opening housing having a support bar extending between first and second opposing side walls of the ventilation opening housing corresponding to first and second opposing side walls of the screen frame, comprising:
- a first and a second pawl arm each connected to a respective one of the screen frame first and second side walls, and extending above a rim defining the terminus of the respective side wall of the screen frame, each pawl arm having a first surface and an opposing second surface;
- a pawl extending from the respective first surface outwardly beyond the plane of the first surface;
- a first and second pawl receiving opening positioned at opposing ends of the support bar and shaped and positioned to receive a respective one of the pawls, and such that movement of the respective pawl into the respective pawl opening deflects the respective pawl arm resulting in the respective pawl snapping into a mated position when the respective pawl clears the respective pawl opening;
- and
- cooperating means on the opposing second surface of the pawl arm for cooperating with the pawl opening for restraining lateral deflection of the pawl arm from its mated position, to thereby hold the pawl arm in its mated position.
In a vent having a vent housing formed with side walls defining a vent opening, and having a screen mounting member, formed with side walls, with the screen mounting member being of a size and shape to fit within the side walls of the vent housing, the improvement comprising:
- a support bar attached to opposing side walls of the vent housing having a first surface and an opposing second surface;
- a first and a second pawl receiving opening formed generally at opposing ends of the support bar;
- a first and a second pawl arm, each mounted on a respective one of the side walls of the screen mounting member corresponding to the opposing side walls of the vent opening, and each having a first broad surface and a second broad surface;
- a pawl formed to extend out of the plane of the first broad surface of each respective pawl arm from a juncture of the respective pawl and the first broad surface of the respective pawl arm, and extending sufficiently to extend over a portion of the first surface of the support bar when the juncture of the respective pawl and the first surface of the respective pawl arm is positioned adjacent or beyond the first surface of the support bar;
- and
- a pawl arm spine positioned on the second broad surface of each respective pawl arm and extending along the second broad surface of the respective pawl arm, and onto the adjoining surface of the respective screen mounting member side wall.
A vehicle vent comprising:
- a vent frame adapted to be mounted in an opening in the wall of a vehicle, the frame having a movably mounted vent cover, and a crossbar extending across the frame from one side of the frame to the other, the crossbar having screen frame attaching apertures therein at first and second ends thereof, and
- a snap-in screen frame comprising:
- a peripheral frame member extending around the periphery of the frame and having frame member portions adjacent the first and second crossbar ends respectively, and
- resilient attachment means for detachably connecting the screen frame to the crossbar, the attachment means comprising, at each said frame member portion:
- an upstanding support member protruding from the peripheral frame member, the upstanding support member having a free end positioned adjacent the crossbar,
- a resilient arm integrally formed with the upstanding support member projecting from said free end through a respective one of the attaching apertures of the crossbar, the arm including a lateral projection overlying an inner edge of the crossbar on the side thereof remote from the upstanding support member, and
- an elongated locking and reinforcing spine extending along each respective arm on the side thereof opposite the lateral projection, the spine having an outer surface pressed against a surface of the respective attaching aperture to thereby restrain the arm and the lateral projection thereof from being displaced from the inner edge of the respective crossbar attaching aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.