OBJECT CATCHER FOR FLOOR MOUNTED AIR VENTS
An open basket of a resilient mesh material having first and second side edges of a frictional flexible material. The side edges are adapted to provide for positioning of the basket either immediately partially between a vent cover and the duct, or alternatively, fully within the duct at a location immediately below and spaced apart from, the vent cover. The mesh size of the basket is chosen to preclude the passage therethrough of commonly experienced objects, such as rounded objects such as marbles, elongated objects such as nail clippers, pens, coins, etc. any of which may pass through the slots defined in the vent cover.
This invention relates to devices for capturing miscellaneous objects that find their way into the duct work of a flow system through the common floor-mounted air flow vent of a heating, ventilation or other air flow system. (HVAC system, for example).
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONCommonly floor-mounted air flow vents comprise a duct having a terminal end thereof mounted generally flush with an opening through the floor. Also commonly such opening is fitted with an air flow control vent cover whose primary function is to regulate the quantity of air allowed to flow from the duct into the atmosphere external of the duct opening. Whereas such devices may provide limited restriction of the passage of miscellaneous objects from the atmosphere external of the duct opening, through the vent cover, thence into the duct itself and/or on occasion into an air blower of the HVAC unit, such covers are inadequate as devices for precluding the passage of miscellaneous objects through the cover and into the duct, due to the need for relatively large openings through the vent cover for substantially unimpeded passage of air out of the duct. Further, such vent covers commonly define multiple parallel spaced apart slots through which objects may readily pass. Commonly, miscellaneous objects passing into a air duct may require the services of a costly HVAC technician for cleaning the air duct or for recovery of a valuable object from the air duct or even from the air blower of the HVAC unit.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTIONIn one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an open basket of a resilient mesh material having first and second side edges of a frictional flexible material. The side edges are adapted to provide for positioning of the basket either immediately partially between a vent cover and the duct, or alternatively, fully within the duct at a location immediately below and spaced apart from, the vent cover. The mesh size of the basket is chosen to preclude the passage there through of commonly experienced objects, such as rounded objects such as marbles, elongated objects such as nail clippers, pens, coins, jewelry, small toys etc. any of which may pass through the slots defined in the vent cover.
Anchoring of the basket of the present invention may be effected by positioning the side edges thereof laterally outwardly of the basket such that these side edges overlie the side edges of the vent opening, or by squeezing the side edges of the basket toward each other, then inserting the basket and its frictional side edges fully within the opening through the floor or fully into the duct, and then releasing the side edges of the basket so that their inherent resiliency urges the frictional side edges into frictional engagement with the side walls of the floor opening or of the duct itself. Reversing this action provides for ready withdrawal of the basket from the vent opening when and if such withdrawal becomes necessary.
Referring initially to
The outer margin 30, 32 of each of the first and second sides 22 and 24 of the basket 16 are provided with an outer covering 34 which overwraps each of the outer margins 30 and 32 and extends inwardly of the basket 16 body portion 12 a relatively short distance, for example about one-eighth of the overall depth of the side wall. Alternatively, in another embodiment, there may be attached to the outer rim 36, 38 of each of the side edges 22 and 24 a rigid or semi-rigid strip 40, 41 of material such as a plastic strip or a relatively heavy weight paperboard. In either event, if the strip 40, 41 material is not inherently suitable for frictionally engaging the inner wall 42 of a floor opening 44 or the inner wall 46 of an air duct 48, the strip 40, 41 material may be coated or covered with a material of the desired frictional property, such as a polymeric material. In any event, the strip 40, 41 material is to cooperate with the resiliency of the basket 16 itself to cause the strip 40, 41 material to frictionally engage the inner wall 42 of the floor opening 44 or the inner wall 46 of the air duct 48 with a force which will retain the basket 16 within the floor opening 44 or the duct 48 when the basket 16 mesh 14 is free to seek its relaxed state.
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In the embodiment of an object catcher 10 of the present invention depicted in the
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In one embodiment of the present invention the mesh opening of the basket 16 material 14 may be between about ⅜ and ⅝ inch in that such mesh 14 size will capture most anticipated objects 68. However, a smaller or larger mesh 14 size may be preferred, depending upon such factors as the potential impedence of air flow, the anticipated size of objects 68, and/or other factors well recognizable by one skilled in the art.
While the present invention has been illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intentions of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departure may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.
Claims
1. An object catcher for miscellaneous objects potentially entering a floor-mounted air duct directly or through a vent cover for the air duct comprising,
- a. an open top basket including a body portion, first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite sides, each side having an outer margin,
- b. said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges comprising a frictional material,
- c. said basket being formed of a flexible resilient mesh material whereby said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges is biased laterally outwardly of said body portion when said mesh material is free to seek its relaxed state.
2. The object catcher of claim 1 wherein each outer margin of each side of said basket comprises a strip of frictional material having a first side edge incorporated into said basket and a second side edge projecting laterally away from the outer margin of their respective one of said first and second sides of said body portion.
3. The object catcher of claim 2 wherein said strip of frictional material is adapted to develop a frictional engagement with either a wooden surface, a polymeric surface or a metallic surface.
4. The object catcher of claim 1 wherein said body portion exhibits a substantially “V”-shaped cross section.
5. The object catcher of claim 1 wherein said mesh material comprises a resilient wire mesh material or a polymeric material.
6. The object catcher of claim 1 wherein said elongated basket is cutaway at each of its opposite ends in a manner which precludes said basket from interfering with the adjustment of air flow through the vent cover.
7. The object catcher of claim 5 wherein said mesh material exhibits mesh openings of between about three-eighth and five eighth inch.
8. A method for capturing objects passing inwardly through an air vent or vent cover into an air duct comprising the steps of
- a. providing a basket having first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite resilient sides having respective outer rims,
- b. adapting said outer rims of said first and second sides for frictional engagement with either a wood, polymeric or metallic surface,
- c. placing said first and second sides in a compressed state,
- d. while said sides are in compression, inserting said basket into a floor-mounted air vent,
- e. thereupon releasing said first and second sides from their compressed state whereupon said respective rims of said first and second sides are urged into frictional engagement with said floor-mounted air vent.
9. The method of claim 7 and including the step of providing cutouts proximate each of said first and second opposite ends of said basket, each of said cutouts being of a generally “V” shape with the open top end of each of said cutouts being disposed adjacent the open end of said basket and the vertex of each cutout terminating proximate, but spaced apart from, the bottom of said basket thereby leaving intact a portion of the bottom of said basket which defines a barrier against the escape of a captured object from said basket via the opposite ends of said basket.
10. A catcher for miscellaneous objects entering the opening of a floor-mounted air duct comprising
- a) a vent cover disposed in covering relationship to the opening,
- b) said vent cover having first and second ends and including a plurality of elongated vanes hingedly mounted with said vent cover about respective axels, each such axel having a first end protruding from a first end of said vent cover and a second end protruding from a second end of said duct and depending from said vent cover into the opening of the floor-mounted air duct,
- c) a vane adjustment mechanism adapted to rotate said vanes about their respective hinged axels for regulating the flow of air through said vent cover;
- d) an open top basket including a body portion, first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite sides, each side having an outer margin,
- e) said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges comprising a frictional material,
- f) said basket being formed of a flexible resilient mesh material whereby said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges is biased laterally outwardly of said body portion when said mesh material is free to seek its relaxed state, and,
- g) each of said opposite ends of said basket being cutout to define at each end thereof a substantially “V” shaped void adapted to receive therein said projecting ends of said axels when said basket is disposed within the floor-mounted air duct proximate said vent cover, whereby said basket is precluded from interfering with the movement of said axels when they are adjusted for regulating the flow of air through said vent cover.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 7, 2008
Publication Date: Feb 11, 2010
Inventor: Robert K. White (Knoxville, TN)
Application Number: 12/187,748
International Classification: F24F 13/08 (20060101);