US3648592A

US3648592A - Air-conditioning vent

Info

Publication number: US3648592A
Application number: US15049A
Authority: US
Inventors: Keith A Nieboer
Original assignee: Keeler Brass Co
Current assignee: Keeler Brass Co
Priority date: 1970-02-27
Filing date: 1970-02-27
Publication date: 1972-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1989-03-14
Also published as: CA929021A

Abstract

An air vent for an air-conditioning duct especially suitable for automobiles. The vent has a plurality of movable vanes supported by a barrel which is pivotably mounted within a duct housing. Resilient, self-locking tabs are provided on either side of the duct housing to hold the air vent in a support plate. The tabs abut against the sides of the barrel when it is in the normal operating position, but are free to move inwardly when the barrel is in an inoperative position. The air vent is shipped with the barrel in the inoperative position and, for assembly into the duct, is quickly snapped into place in the support plate. The barrel is then rotated to a normal operating position. Means are provided to retain the barrel in the normal operating position once the assembly has been fixed in the support plate.

Description

United States Patent Mar. 14, 1972 Nieboer [54] AIR-CONDITIONING VENT [72] Inventor: Keith A. Niehoer, Holland, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Keeler Brass Company, Grand Rapids,

Mich.

[22] Filed: Feb. 27, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 15,049

[52] U.S.Cl. ..98/107,29/l57.3R,49/57, 98/110, 98/114 [51] Int.Cl ..F24f1l3/00 [58] Field oi Search ..98/107, 110, 114, 40 A, 40 VM; 49/57; 70/450; 29/l57.3 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,229,388 1/1941 Postlewait ..98/114 3,012,494 12/1961 Drummond.... ...98/40A 1,336,210 4/1920 Druliner ..98/l14 3,031,945 5/1962 Kelly ..98/ll4 3,236,171 2/1966 Vaskov ..98/114 Palmer ..98ll l4 Broberg ..98/1 14 [57] ABSTRACT An air vent for an air-conditioning duct especially suitable for automobiles. The vent has a plurality of movable vanes supported by a barrel which is pivotably mounted within a duct housing. Resilient, self-locking tabs are provided on either side of the duct housing to hold the air vent in a support plate. The tabs abut against the sides of the barrel when it is in the normal operating position, but are free to move inwardly when the barrel is in an inoperative position, The air vent is shipped with the barrel in the inoperative position and, for assembly into the duct, is quickly snapped into place in the support plate. The barrel is then rotated to a normal operating position. Means are provided to retain the barrel in the normal operating position once the assembly has been fixed in the support plate,

24 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures mmmdl March M, W72 3,648,592

INVENTOR KEITH A [0155092 ATTORNEYS AIR-CONDITIONING VENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In air-conditioning units and in particular those mounted in automobiles, conventional practice provides an air vent mounted on a support plate which, once mounted, must be locked into position so as to be incapable of being pulled away from the support plate. Prior constructions have been beset with the problem of locking means which are complicated and expensive to manufacture, and which are not conducive to quick assembly. Even the use of an inexpensive locking screw does not avoid the time-consuming work required to screw in such locking screws.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to air vents. In one of its aspects, it relates to a method for locking an assembled air vent to a supporting plate. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an improvement in air vents of the type which include a housing, and a barrel pivoted within the housing and provided with means for controlling air flow through the housing. The improved air vent has means for attaching the housing to a support plate, the means being mounted on the housing of the air vent so as to be locked in engagement with the support plate when the barrel of the air vent is in its operative controlling positions, and so as to be free for movement into and out of engagement with the support plate when the barrel is in inoperative positions, i.e., other than the normal operating positions. This is accomplished by providing means for blocking the attaching means from disengagement with the plate and means for preventing the blocking means from moving out of its blocking position. The blocking means includes the barrel.

By means of the aforedescribed structure, a method of shipping and assembly of the air vent is provided wherein the barrel is shipped while temporarily restrained in inoperative positions. The assembly of the air unit occurs thereafter by sliding the air vent into the support plate with the barrel still temporarily restrained in the inoperative position. After the air vent housing is positioned with its outer flanges in abutment with the support plate, the locking means automatically snaps behind the support plate so as to permanently engage the support plate. Thereafter, the barrel is moved to its operative controlling positions whereby it prevents the locking means from unlocking the air vent housing from the support plate. Means are also provided to prevent the barrel from moving back into its inoperative position, thereby per manently preventing any unlocking.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an air vent unit having a locking means of simple inexpensive construction which allows the vent to be easily assembled with the support plate.

It is another object of the invention to provide a facile method of shipping and assembly of an air vent unit for automobiles and the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an air vent unit and a method of assembling the unit into an air duct wherein, once the vent unit is assembled, the barrel of the unit is restrained from movement to an inoperative position.

It is an object of this invention to provide an air vent for automobile air-conditioning systems and the like wherein the air vent can be snapped into place in the automobile air system as a final assembly step, and then, by a simple rotation of an air directing barrel of the air vent, the air vent is locked in place in the automobile air system.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reference to the following drawings and detailed discussion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating an air vent constructed in accordance with the invention and positioned and locked to the supporting plate;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, partially broken away, taken along the lines II-II of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines IIIIIl of FIG. 2, the louvers'of the barrel being omitted for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the air vent in its unlocked position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines V-V ofFIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines VI-VI of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, there is illustrated an air vent which is mounted on the dash of an automobile, for example, by means such as a supporting plate 10. The air vent has a barrel 12 with exterior surfaces 13 (FIG. 3) and stub axles 16 (FIG. 2) by which the barrel is pivotably mounted within a housing 14. A louvered structure I8 is provided within the barrel 12 (FIGS. 1 and 2), to control the flow of air through the air vent, including closing off the flow. The structure 18 comprises individual louvers I9 and 22 each pivotally mounted to the inside walls of the barrel 12. The louvers I9 and 22 are joined by a linkage 20 at a top corner of each louver. A button 2I, mounted on the face of barrel I2, engages the cent-er louver 22 such that movement of the center louver 22 causes the louver 22 to pivot about its axes within the barrel 12. Because all louvers are joined by linkage 20, rotation of louver 22 will cause all louvers to pivot about their respective axes. In this manner, the flow of air can be directed either straight out or deflected to either side of the vent. It should be noted that any louvered structure, adjustable or otherwise, controlling the air flow through the air vent when the barrel I2 is in certain operative positions can be utilized. An example of another usable type is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,456,574.

At the outer end 23 of the housing, a circumferential flange 24 extends around the opening in plate 10. A felt strip 82 can be provided between flange 24 and plate 10 to dampen the vibrational noises between the two parts.

In accordance with the invention, the housing I4 is provided at opposite sides with locking abutments or tabs 30 having camming surfaces 31 (FIG. 4). The tabs are integrally formed with

sides

32 and 34 of the housing 14. The housing is made from a resilient material such as plastic so that the tabs 30 can flex resiliently with respect to the

sides

34 and 36. The walls of the

sides

32 and 34 are substantially inflexible due to their construction and the ends 38 of the tabs 30 opposite the hinges 36 are also inflexible due to their increased thickness. The thickness of the ends 38 exceeds that of the walls of the

sides

32 and 34. Each of the tabs 30 bends at hinges 36. The housing is preferably molded in one piece out of plastic so that the tabs 30 are formed integrally with the

sides

32 and 34, with a slot 40 (FIG. 2) around three sides of the tab 30. Any suitable plastic material can be utilized. For example, the material can be ABS plastic (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, or other synthetic polymers. 7

The barrel I2 is shaped so that the top and bottom edges are closely adjacent to the tabs 30 when the barrel is oriented in its normal operative position. Thus, as seen in FIG. 3, the operative orientation of the barrel 12 allowing the barrel to control the flow of air by the louvers I9 through the air vent, also prevents the tabs 30 from being depressed below the exterior surface of the walls forming the

sides

32 and 34. On the other hand, when the barrel 12 is rotated into its inoperative position (FIG. 4), there is ample room for the tabs 30 to be depressed below the exterior surface of the

sides

32 and 34.

A stop 50 is mounted on side 52 of the housing to control and restrain the amount of rotation which the barrel 12 can undergo, the stop comprising a shoulder which extends at least into the path of rotation of the barrel 12 (FIG. 4). Specifically, the surface 54 of the shoulder 50 abuts against surface 56 of the barrel I2 when the barrel is rotated clockwise from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 3 to the position shown in phantom in that figure. At that point, the barrel 12 can undergo no further clockwise rotation. Thus, the surface 54 serves to limit the rotation of the barrel 12 in its operative controlling position to a point where the exterior surface 13 of the barrel forms an angle alpha with respect to the flange 24. A preferred value for alpha" is 35.

A raised surface 58 is provided on the shoulder 50 as a stop for a tongue 60 which depends from the barrel 12. This stops rotation when the barrel is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 3). In this manner the other limit of rotation for the barrel 12 is established for operative conditions. The edge 62 of the tongue 60 is blunted so as to preclude the tongue from being forced over the shoulder 50 at the surface 58 thereof. The barrel l2 rotated to its limit in one direction with respect to the housing is shown in solid lines in FIG. 3. Thus, the surface 13 of the barrel 12 can tilt from the plane of the flange 24 up to angle beta. The tongue 60 can be shaped so that the angle beta is equal to the angle alpha.

The air vent is preferably assembled with the barrel 12 in the position shown in FIG. 4. In order that the barrel be rotatable to the operative positions shown in FIG. 3, a camming surface 70 is formed on the end of the shoulder 50 (FIGS. 4 and 5). The surface is sloped toward the side 32 and upwardly toward flange 24, so as to assist in the camming of the tongue 60 thereover when moving from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 3. A surface 72 is formed on the tongue 60 (FIGS. 3 and 6) to slope downwardly and inwardly approximately in the same plane as that of surface 70. It will be readily appreciated that the cooperating surfaces 70 and 72 allow the tongue 60 to ride over the shoulder 50 but only when rotating in the clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that shown in FIG. 3.

METHOD Because of the clearanceprovided for the tab 30 when the barrel is in its inoperative position as shown in FIG. 4, the barrel 12 is assembled to the housing 14 so that it occupies the position shown in FIG. 4. The shoulder 50 serves to temporari ly restrain the barrel in this position by slightly abutting the tongue 60 notwithstanding the cooperating surfaces 70 and 72. The surface 58 of the shoulder also prevents additional counterclockwise rotation from the position shown in FIG. 4 by abutting against the surface 76 of the barrel 12.

While the barrel 12 is so oriented, the air vent housing is assembled into the support plate by sliding the end 80 opposite to the end bearing the flanges 22 into the opening in the support plate. As the housing 14 slides into the opening, the edges of the plate 10 bear against the camming surfaces 31 to force tabs 30 inwardly below the exterior surface of the

walls

32 and 34. The tabs 30 continue to flex inwardly until they occupy the positions shown in phantom in FIG. 4, at which position the plate 10 slides up over the tabs and into abutment with the flanges 22. A compressible felt strip 82 is attached to the underside of the flanges 22 so as to deaden any rattle which might develop otherwise.

After the plate has slipped over the tabs into the position abutting the flanges 22, the hinges 36 automatically force the tabs 30 outwardly into the released position shown in FIG. 3, thereby snapping behind the underside of the plate 10. The housing is thus secured to the plate 10 with the plate between the tabs 30 and the flanges 22.

The barrel 12 is then rotated in the direction of the arrow 84 as shown in FIG. 4 until the surface 72 of tongue 60 cams up over the surface 70 of the shoulder 50. The tongue 60 is thereby carried over the shoulder 50 into its locked arrangement as shown in FIG. 3. The ends of barrel 12 are thus in a position to prevent the tabs 30 from being depressed away from their engagement with the plate 10. The edge 62 of the tongue 60 and the surface 56 of the barrel 12 thereafter prevent the barrel from rotating out of its operative controlling positions and serve to limit the motion of the surface 13 of the barrel to the angular limitations defined by angles "alpha" and beta.

It will be appreciated that this assembly of the vent housing to the plate 10 is exceedingly rapid, the camming surfaces 31 on the abutments 30 allowing the assembly to be accomplished merely by pushing the housing 12 into the opening. A simple turning of the barrel 12 completes the assembly so as to both lock the vent housing 12 in its position in engagement with the support plate 10 and also so as to limit the rotation of the barrel 12 only to its operative air-controlling positions.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be readily appreciated that equivalent structure can be devised to practice the invention. For example, the angles alpha" and beta" need not equal 35 but can equal any angle which still allows the barrel 12 to deliver a flow of air through the vent. Similarly, the angle beta need not be equal to angle alpha." Also, the vent need not be limited to use on automobiles. Thus, the invention is intended to include these equivalent embodiments unless the following claims by their express language state otherwise.

The embodiments of the invention is which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.

1. In an air-conditioning vent including a housing, and a bar rel pivotably mounted within said housing and provided with means for controlling air flow through said housing, the improvement comprising said housing including means for attaching said housing to a support plate, said attaching means being mounted on said housing so as to be locked in engagement with said plate and prevented from disengagement by said barrel when said barrel is in its operative controlling positions, and so as to be free for movement into or out of engagement with said plate when said barrel is in inoperative positions other than said controlling positions.

2. The improved vent as defined in claim 1, wherein said attaching means includes abutments resiliently mounted on opposite sides of said housing, said barrel having edges sufficiently close to said housing sides as to prevent inward movement of said abutments when said barrel is in said controlling positions.

3. The improved vent as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing opposite sides are parallel to the pivot axis of said barre].

4. The improved vent as defined in claim 2, wherein said abutments are tabs integrally formed with said housing opposite sides, a space being formed between said tabs on at least three sides thereof forming a hinge, the thickness of said tabs at the free end thereof exceeding the thickness of the walls of said housing.

5. The improved vent as defined in claim 4, wherein the thickness of said tabs decreases progressively from said end to said hinge, at which said tab thickness equals that of said walls.

6. The improved vent as defined in claim 4 further including a flange extending from said housing at one end thereof, said free end of said tabs being positioned between said flange and said hinge.

7. The improved vent as defined in claim 4, wherein said housing and said tabs are integrally molded out of a resilient plastic.

8. The improved vent as defined in claim 1, and further including stop means for preventing said barrel from moving from said controlling positions into one of said inoperative,

positions.

9. The improved vent as defined in claim 8, wherein said stop means includes means for temporarily retaining said barrel in said inoperative positions, and said housing can be mounted on said support plate by said movement of said attaching means while said barrel is still retained in said inoperative positions.

10. The improved vent as defined in claim 9, wherein said stop means includes a shoulder on said housing projecting into the line of rotational travel of said barrel, regardless of the position of said barrel, so as to restrict the rotational move ment of said barrel either temporarily to said inoperative positions, or permanently to said controlling positions.

11. The improved vent as defined in claim 10, wherein said stop means includes an abutment on said barrel, said abutinnm-v "Hm ment having a camming surface, said camming surface being sloped and positioned so as to cam said abutment over said shoulder when said barrel is rotated only in one rotational direction.

12. The improved vent as defined in claim 11, wherein said camming surface is located on a tongue projecting outwardly away from said barrel.

13. The improved vent as defined in claim 111, wherein said shoulder is cooperatively sloped so as to assist said abutment to cam over said shoulder but only when said barrel is rotated in said one rotational direction.

114. In an air-conditioning vent including a housing, and a barrel pivoted within said housing between at least operative controlling and inoperative positions, said barrel including an abutment and provided with means for controlling air flow through said housing, the improvement comprising said housing including at least one stop positioned adjacent the end of said barrel so as to abut said abutment positioned on the end of said barrel, said stop and abutment including camming means, said stop providing a means for restraining the rotation of said barrel by means of said abutment in said inoperative position until said barrel is rotated, said rotation causing said abutment to be cammed over said stop by said camming means, thereby placing said barrel in at least one of said operative controlling positions.

15. The improved vent as defined in claim 14, wherein said stop includes a shoulder on at least one side of said housing adjacent to the end of said barrel and projecting into the line of rotational travel of said abutment positioned on the end of said barrel. I

16. The improved vent as defined in claim 15, wherein said barrel includes a tongue projecting therefrom, said tongue and said shoulder abutting to prevent movement of said barrel in one rotational direction beyond its operative controlling positions, said barrel having means contacting said shoulder to restrain movement of said barrel in the opposite rotational direction beyond its operative controlling positions.

17. In an air vent mountable on a support, said vent including a housing, means for directing flow out through the vent, and resilient locking means for attaching said vent to a support plate, the improvement comprising means for blocking said locking means from disengagement from said plate, said blocking means consisting of said flow directing means movable from a blocking position to a non-blocking position, and means for preventing said blocking means from moving from the blocking position, which preventing means include a stop integral with said housing and an abutment formed integrally with said flow directing means.

18. In an air vent mountable on a support, said vent including a housing, means for directing flow out through the vent, and means for attaching said vent to a support plate, the improvement comprising means for blocking said attaching means from disengagement from said plate, said blocking means consisting of said flow directing means, and means for preventing said blocking means from moving from the blocking position, which preventing means are attached to said flow directing means, said attaching means including tabs hingedly attached for movement into and out of said housing.

19. The improved vent as defined in claim 18, wherein said blocking means comprises a barrel-like cylinder rotatably mounted so as to block said tabs from moving into the housing when in one position, and so as to allow movement of said tabs into said housing when in another position.

20. The improved vent as defined in claim 19, wherein said preventing means includes a shoulder fixed to said housing within the rotational path of said cylinder.

21. The improved vent as defined in claim 18, wherein said tabs include means for camming the same into said housing when the latter is inserted into the support.

22. A method of assembling an air vent in a support plate of an air-conditioning system, said vent including a housing, a barrel provided with means for controlling air flow through said housing, said housing includin clipping abutments resiliently connected to the walls of Set housing in the vicinity of said barrel, when mounted, for engaging said support plate, means for locking said barrel in a position operative to control the air flow, the surfaces of said barrel in said operative position being so close to said abutments as to prevent them from disengaging said plate, and means for biasing said abutments outwardly away from said barrel; the method comprising the steps of (a) assembling said barrel to said housing so that it is in a position therein other than said operative position capable of controlling the air flow, said locking means being disengaged; and (b) shipping said vent with said barrel temporarily limited to said other position with said locking means disengaged.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, and further including the steps of slidingsaid vent with respect to said plate while retaining said barrel in said other position, so that said plate slides over said walls and said abutments, said abutments snapping behind said plate to lock said housing to said support plate, and whereby said abutments can no longer be depressed and said vent is locked to said plate permanently.

24. A method of mounting within a support plate an air vent including a housing, a barrel provided with means for controlling air flow through said housing, said housing including clipping abutments resiliently connected to the walls of said housing in the vicinity of said barrel, when mounted, for engaging said support plate, means for locking said barrel in a position operative to control the air flow, the surfaces of said barrel in said operative position being so close to said abutments as to prevent them from disengaging said plate, and means for biasing said abutments outwardly away from said barrel; the method comprising the steps of rotating said barrel from an inoperative position to said operative positions and thereafter preventing said barrel from rotating back into said other position, whereby said abutments can no longer be depressed.

Claims

1. In an air-conditioning vent including a housing, and a barrel pivotably mounted within said housing and provided with means for controlling air flow through said housing, the improvement comprising said housing including means for attaching said housing to a support plate, said attaching means being mounted on said housing so as to be locked in engagement with said plate and prevented from disengagement by said barrel when said barrel is in its operative controlling positions, and so as to be free for movement into or out of engagement with said plate when said barrel is in inoperative positions other than said controlling positions.

3. The improved vent as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing opposite sides are parallel to the pivot axis of said barrel.

8. The improved vent as defined in claim 1, and further including stop means for preventing said barrel from moving from said controlling positions into one of said inoperative positions.

10. The improved vent as defined in claim 9, wherein said stop means includes a shoulder on said housing projecting into the line of rotational travel of said barrel, regardless of the position of said barrel, so as to restrict the rotational movement of said barrel either temporarily to said inoperative positions, or permanently to said controlling positions.

11. The improved vent as defined in claim 10, wherein said stop means includes an abutment on said barrel, said abutment having a camming surface, said camming surface being sloped and positioned so as to cam said abutment over said shoulder when said barrel is rotated only in one rotational direction.

13. The improved vent as defined in claim 11, wherein said shoulder is cooperatively sloped so as to assist said abutment to cam over said shoulder but only when said barrel is rotated in said one rotational direction.

14. In an air-conditioning vent including a housing, and a barrel pivoted within said housing between at least operative controlling and inoperative positions, said barrel including an abutment and provided with means for controlling air flow through said housing, the improvement comprising said housing including at least one stop positioned adjacent the end of said barrel so as to abut said abutment positioned on the end of said barrel, said stop and abutment including camming means, said stop providing a means for restraining the rotation of said barrel by means of said abutment in said inoperative position until said barrel is rotated, said rotation causing said abutment to be cammed over said stop by said camming means, thereby placing said barrel in at least one of said operative controlling positions.

15. The improved vent as defined in claim 14, wherein said stop includes a shoulder on at least one side of said housing adjacent to the end of said barrel and projecting into the line of rotational travel of said abutment positioned on the end of said barrel.

22. A method of assembling an air vent in a support plate of an air-conditioning system, said vent including a housing, a barrel provided with means for controlling air flow through said housing, said housing including clipping abutments resiliently connected to the walls of said housing in the vicinity of said barrel, when mounted, for engaging said support plate, means for locking said barrel in a position operative to control the air flow, the surfaces of said barrel in said operative position being so close to said abutments as to prevent them from disengaging said plate, and means for biasing said abutments outwardly away from said barrel; the method comprising the steps of (a) assembling said barrel to said housing so that it is in a position therein other than said operative position capable of controlling the air flow, said locking means being disengaged; and (b) shipping said vent with said barrel temporarily limited to said other position with said locking means disengaged.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, and further including the steps of sliding said vent with respect to said plate while retaining said barrel in said other position, so that said plate slides over said walls and said abutments, said abutments snapping behind said plate to lock said housing to said support plate, and whereby said abutments can no longer be depressed and said vent is locked to said plate permanently.