Air outlet louver assembly
AssigneeManchester Plastics, Inc.
InventorsGeoffrey H. Bowler, Bruce H. B. Chow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air outlet louver assembly (10) includes a housing (12), primary vanes (14,36), secondary vanes (48,49), and a damper door (86). A control handle (58) independently controls the primary and secondary vanes (14,36,48,49), and a wheel (100) controls the damper door (86). Ridges (74) on a secondary vane (48) engage a control fork (66) on the control handle (58) to provide ratcheting control of the primary vanes (14,36) by the control handle (58). A nub (82) on a secondary vane (48) contacts depressions (80) in the housing (12) to provide ratcheting control of the secondary vanes (48,49). Frictional contact between a nub (106) on the wheel (100) and depressions (108) in the housing (12) provide ratcheting control of the damper door (86).
Claims27
An air outlet louver assembly (10) for providing incremental and accurate adjustment of the direction and volume of airflow therefrom, said assembly (10) comprising:
- a housing (12);
- a primary control vane (14);
- a secondary control vane (48);
- said primary control vane (14) being mounted within said housing (12) for pivotal movement independent of said secondary control vane (48) about a first axis (A) for controlling the direction and flow of air out of said housing (12);
- said secondary control vane (48) being mounted within said housing (12) for pivotal movement independent of said primary control vane (14) about a second axis (B) offset from said first axis (A);
- a ratchet surface (68) disposed on said secondary control vane (48);
- and
- characterized by ratchet pawl means (20) disposed on said primary control vane (14) for moving together with said primary control vane (14) in coupled rotation about said first axis (A) to frictionally engage said ratchet surface (68) and for maintaining said engagement with said ratchet surface (68) during the independent movement of said secondary control vane (48) with respect to said primary control vane (14) to intermittently resist movement of said primary control vane (14) and establish a plurality of spaced rest locations for said primary control vane (14).
An assembly as set forth in claim 16 further characterized by said ratchet pawl means (20) being slidably disposed on said primary control vane (14).
An air outlet louver assembly (10) for providing incremental and accurate adjustment of the direction and volume of airflow therefrom, said assembly (10) comprising:
- a housing (12);
- a primary control vane (14) mounted within said housing (12) for pivotal movement about a first axis (A) for controlling the direction and flow of air out of said housing (12);
- a secondary control vane (48) mounted within said housing (12) for pivotal movement about a second axis (B) for controlling the direction and flow of air out of said housing (12);
- a damper vane (86) mounted within said housing (12) for pivotal movement about a third axis (C) for controlling the direction and flow of air out of said housing (12);
- a resilient arm (84) disposed on said secondary control vane (48) in slidable frictional contact with said housing (12);
- a fork (66) on said primary vane (14) straddling said secondary vane (48) and in slidable frictional contact with said secondary vane (48);
- a control handle (100) operatively engaged with said damper vane (86) for controlling said pivotal movement of said damper vane (86);
- a plurality of spaced dimples (80) disposed in said housing (12) in intermittent frictional contact with said resilient arm (84);
- a plurality of ridges (74) on said secondary control vane (48) in intermittent frictional contact with said fork (66);
- and
- a plurality of dimples (108) disposed in said housing (12) in intermittent frictional contact with said control handle (100).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.