CA1287771C

CA1287771C - Collapsible air deflector

Info

Publication number: CA1287771C
Application number: CA 586735
Authority: CA
Inventors: Grzegorz J. Dworak
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-12-22
Filing date: 1988-12-22
Publication date: 1991-08-20

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A collapsible air deflector for use with floor register commonly found in forced air heating and cooling systems has a plastic film body having two side walls joined by a curved back wall, a piece of elastic stretched between the side walls and a stiffener attached to the upper edge of the back wall. To secure the air deflector to the floor register the lower edge of the back wall, the lower edges of the both side walls and the elastic are slipped under the floor register top rim. When the air is blown through the floor register it inflates the collapsible air deflector, the curved back wall directs the forced air along the floor and this results in good mixing of forced air with the ambient air.

When the forced air stops to be blown through the floor register the collapsible air deflector collapses under its own weight and the weight of the stiffener, and covers the floor register preventing the cold air and dust from entering the floor register and the ducts.

Description

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SPECIFICATION

The invention relates generally to air deflecting and air duct closing means, and particularly to collapsible air deflector which acts as air deflector when inf`lated and as air duct cover when collapsed and which can be easily installed on a forced air heating and cooling system floor register.
The known air deflectors comprise rigid plastic body and are secured to the floor register by a set of magnets. Examples of such air deflectors are described and illustrated in Canadian Patent No. 751,679 dated Jan. 31~ 1967, granted to C. P. Meyer and in United States Patent No. 4,501,195 dated Feb. 26, 1985 granted to P. J. Held.
The known air duct covers comprise flat, rigid sheet or sheets of plastic pivotally connected to a frame attached to the air register and they act as air deflectors when air is blown and as duct covers when the air stops to be blown from the duct. An example of SUC'I air duct cover is described and illustrated in United States Patent No. 4,457,21~-dated July 3, 1984, gran-ted to E. H. Vogt.
Another example of air duct cover is described and illustra-ted in United States Patent No. 1,975,686, dated Oct. 2, 1934 and granted to W. Froelich.
The Patent is issued f'or a spring loaded holder which can serve -to attach a piece of fabric to the air register. The fabric can be lifted by the forced air or can fall down and cover the floor regis-ter.
A rigid body air deflector doesn't perform the function of the air duct cover and is also susceptible to inadvertent or accidental damage. Pivoted flat duct covers, although they can act as an air deflector and duct cover, are relatively complicated and therefore easy to damage.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a collapsible air deflector which can perform the function of the air deflector when inflated by forced air and the function of duct cover when air stops to be blown from the duct.

A further object is to provide a collapsible air deflector made from plastic film and therefore very resis-tant to damage.

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The present in;ention consists of an air deflector made from plastic film which can be easily installed on the floor register, the flexibility of material allowing the air deflector to assume shape similar -to rigid air deflector when inflated by forced air, and to collapse and cover the f`loor register when the air stops to be blown from the duct, and thus to act as an duct cover.
The flexibility of material makes the air deflector very resistant to damage, even after being trampled by someone it con-tinues to operate.

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the collapsible air deflector in two positions:
inflated position: continuous line collapsed position: dash-dot line Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing the collapsible air deflector installed on the floor register and inflated, acting as air deflector.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing the air deflector installed on the floor register and collapsed, acting as a duct cover.

The illustrated collapsible air deflector comprises a plastic film body B
having two side walls 1 joined by a curved back wall 2. A lower strip 3 of back wall 2 which, together with two lower strips L~ of the side walls 1 and an elastic 5 are slipped under a floor register R top rim 9 -to secure the collap-sible air deflector to the f'loor register R. A stiff'ener 6 is moun-ted to a top edge 10 of the back wall 2 which keeps the top edge 10 of the back wall 2 straight and with its weight pulls the collapsible air deflector down to its collapsed position when the air stops to be blown through the floor register.
Additionally, the two lower strips 4 of the side walls 1 can be reinforced with stiffening strips 7. Furthermore corners 8 of the side walls 1 may be cut out to facilitate the collapsing of the air deflector.

Claims

1. A collapsible air deflector made from a plastic film comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls joined by a curved back wall, having means for securing it to a floor register, being able to become inflated by air blown through the floor register and when inflated assuming the shape of an air deflector and being able to collapse when the air stops to be blown through the floor register, and when collapsed covering or partly covering the floor register.

2. A collapsible air deflector as defined in claim 1, wherein a stiffener is mounted at an upper edge of the back wall for keeping said upper edge of the back wall straight, and for providing additional weight for pulling the col-lapsible air deflector down to the collapsed position when the air stops to be blown through the floor register.

3. A collapsible air deflector as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a piece of elastic is stretched between the side walls for securing the air deflector to the floor register by slipping thereof along with a lower edge of the back wall and lower edges of the side walls under a floor register top rim.

4. A collapsible air deflector as defined in claim 1, wherein corners of the side walls are cut out for preventing wrinkling at the corners thereof, whereby the collapsing of the air deflector is facilitated.

5. A collapsible air deflector made from a plastic film comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls joined by a curved back wall, having means for securing it to a floor register, whereby the air deflector becomes inflated by air blown through the floor register and thus assumes an air deflector shape, whereas the air deflector collapses as the air flow through the floor register stops and thus covers at least partly the floor register.