Adjustable register vent and grill assembly designed to fit all size standard air distribution boot openings

Abstract

An apparatus, methods and systems for an independent air register vent assembly having means to adjust register frame and louver components, rotatable and non-rotatable, to match standard length and width openings in a manner that arranges the entire assembly to conform to all common standard size vent boot outlets. In one example, the main register frame assembly has a small programmable wireless receiver attached to an electric battery motorized to self-regulate the air register assembly, an adjustable housing frame, and adjustable louvers in the housing frame regulating the air flow volume, with a separate wireless remote controlled linear sliding potentiometer transmitter plate, a digital thermometer fixed to a wireless transmitter device, indicating changes in room temperatures as a result of adjusting the degree of the remote controlled adjustable louvers.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/849,662, filed Jan. 30, 2013.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Examples of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate to apparatus, methods and systems for an independent air register vent and grill assembly that can be easily installed and removed by a homeowner or general handyman without the use of tools.

2. Discussion of Background

The present invention relates to the common comfort demands, convenience and expense of over-heated or overcooled rooms whether occupied or unoccupied.

Ventilation systems are common place in all modem structures such as offices or homes providing a comfortable indoor climate controlled condition for the occupants. The occupants are able to turn on their air conditioning during the summer and the heater during the winter as needed to provide for a comfortable living environment. The typical ventilation system generates a flow of cool or warm air to each room of the home or building through ventilation outlets mounted on ceilings, walls and floorings of each room of the structure.

Typical ventilating configurations have common disadvantages in that they must generate sufficient cool or warm air flowing towards all the rooms whether occupied are not. Other disadvantages are related to the inability of the system's main blower to provide an adequate volume of conditioned air flowing to each single room throughout the home or structure. Given the fact that various rooms in a particular structure tend to be unequal in size and volume causes a system with a one centrally located thermostat incapable of satisfying the predetermined desired temperature equally throughout the rooms in a particular home or structure. The described shortfalls are not only inconvenient in terms of comfort but waste energy resources and money.

In response to these challenges the most common way to regulate desired airflow is to adjust the ventilation outlets by means of manually moving the lever attached to the louver system located within the main body of the air vent frame. However, most of the ventilation outlets are typically mounted on the ceiling of the room.

Ceiling mounted air vent registers in most cases present a great deal of inconvenience for the user as they must climb up to the ceiling in order to manually move the lever to regulate the desired air flowing through the register outlet. Since there could be numerous occasions throughout the day when an occupant may want to adjust a particular room's temperature the exercise of physically moving the louver control lever is simply too inconvenient, therefore leaving the room environment inefficiently controlled and the occupant dissatisfied.

The HVAC industries' answer to the common problem of unbalanced air circulation is to install a zoning system, also known as an automatic balancing system. Independent tests have shown that zoning systems can save 30 percent or more on homes HVAC heating and cooling cost.

A zone is an area of a house with independent heating and/or cooling control. Zoning segments the house into particular areas that can be individually controlled efficiently. The normal zoning in the average home is a 3 zone system. This type of zoning is fine for houses around 1000 to 2000 sq. feet and can be controlled very efficiently using a three zone controller. Zone design systems require expert HVAC technicians to install and the cost is prohibitive to most ordinary homeowners.

In addition, there are numerous other prior art attempts that use a programmable remote-control motion vent outlet, wherein the user is able to selectively open the motion vent outlet for allowing the ventilating air flowing into the corresponding room and close the motion vent outlet for blocking the ventilating air flowing by means of a remote control system, so as to ensure a more efficient operation of the air condition system. These devices have major drawbacks in that they need complicated programming with limited functionalities that mainly prohibit spontaneous adjustments when outdoor conditions change that require indoor register ventilation adjustments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the battery operated remote controlled micro transmitter with a linear sliding potentiometer and permanently mounted digital thermometer affixed to the plate assembly with the ability of a self-adhesive strip for tool less mounting included.

FIG. 2 provides a perspective view of the six (6) main interlocking units that, when together make up the fully adjustable grill assembly with separate sliding adjustable louver assemblies.

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view perspective of the complete main register assembly and featured components as seen from the perspective of a mounted unit installed in a ceiling boot box.

FIG. 4 is an overall cutaway top viewpoint of the main air register portraying the various major components as related to their adjustability and functionalities.

FIG. 5 demonstrates in order a tool-free installation example of the main register assembly and a fully adjustable grill assembly being placed within a typical ceiling mounted air boot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

U.S. Provisional Application No. 6161/849,662, filed Jan. 30, 2013 for ADJUSTABLE REGISTER VENT AND GRILL ASSEMBLY DESIGNED TO FIT ALL SIZE STANDARD AIR DISTRIBUTION BOOT OPENINGS by Richard D. Frank is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

An object of the present invention is to provide an independent air register vent and grill assembly that improves on the shortcomings of prior art devices. Said assembly allows for the means to adjust the register frame and louver components, rotatable and non-rotatable, to match standard length and width openings in a manner that arranges the entire assembly to conform to all common standard size vent boot outlets. In one embodiment, within the main register frame assembly is a small programmable wireless receiver attached to the electric battery motorized self-regulating air register assembly, adjustable housing frame, adjustable louvers in the housing frame regulating the air flow volume, separate wireless remote controlled linear sliding potentiometer transmitter plate, digital thermometer fixed to said wireless transmitter device, accurately indicating changes in room temperatures as a result of adjusting the degree of said remote controlled louvers. Furthermore, the complete adjustable register and grill system can be easily installed and removed by a homeowner or general handyman without the use of tools. In addition the adjustable register vent and grill assembly as described is designed in a manner that allows for a manual version of the main register and grill assembly to operate without the micro controlled components to provide the same fully adjustable features of the “one size fits all” installation that will require manual adjustments of the louvers housed in the main register frame.

The present invention relates to home or commercial Heat Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems, more particularly designed to address the comfort levels, reduce utility costs, and simplify vent register sizing selections when replacing older registers, “one size fits all”, while providing a tool free installation and removal of the complete register or just the grill assembly for cleaning purposes.

A main object of the present invention is to provide the industry with an inexpensive fully adjustable battery powered electric remote-controlled air vent register frame and grill assembly suitable for installation in the most common size standard residential and commercial air duct boot compartment boxes.

FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate various examples of the invention. The following numbering and description of the referenced numerals is used throughout the various drawing figures.

1 Typical light switch and plate

2 Main remote control signal transmitting panel

3 Digital thermometer room temperature display

4 Battery access cover plate

5 Louver travel adjustment graphic indicator main face of controller

6 Sliding potentiometer dial remotely replicating controlling lever action of main register

7 Main control panel housing micro controller transmitter and battery powered devices

8 User

9 Wall

20 Main complete register adjustable grill cover plate louvers and adjustable frame housing

21 Plurality of receiving sliding adjustable grill cover plate louvers

21A Center frame receiving sliding louver

21B Lower recessed sliding louver

21C Upper level receiver frame for sliding recessed adjustable louvers

22A Lower level sliding recessed adjustable frame and louvers

22B Lower recessed sliding louver

23A Lower level sliding center recessed frame for supporting adjustable frame and louvers

23B Lower center frame recessed sliding louver

24A Lower level sliding recessed adjustable frame and louvers

24B Upper level receiver frame for sliding recessed adjustable lower level frame and louver

25 Attachment points to installed grill cover plate to main register

26B Upper level receiver frame for sliding recessed adjustable lower level frame and louver

27B Upper level center receiver frame for supporting sliding recessed adjustable lower level frame and louver

28 Upper level receiver frame for receiving sliding recessed adjustable lower level frame and louver

29 Frame area

30 Directional adjustability of main complete register grill cover plate louvers and adjustable frame housing

31 Upper level receiver louver blade for sliding recessed adjustable lower leveler blade

32 Lower level sliding recessed adjustable louver blade

33 Main register compression corner spring frame housing

34 Longitudinal recessed support frame with attached spring snap button for securing longitudinal frame adjustments.

35 Easy access battery compartment cover for replacing batteries when needed

36 Latitudinal receiver support frame with attached spring snap button opening hole for securing longitudinal frame adjustments

37 Latitudinal recessed support frame with attached spring snap button for securing latitudinal frame adjustments

38 Main longitudinal receiver support frame with pre-positioned receiver holes for securing longitudinal frame adjustments

39 Housing compartment for micro receiver device, electrical, mechanical and louver forced generating means

40 Pivoting points centrally positioned in the first ends of the louver and rotatable within the circular recess.

41 Removable cartridge housing louver compartment including micro receiver device, electrical, mechanical and louver forced generating means

42 Bottom perspective view of the main registers components prior to boot installation

43 Top perspective view of the main registers components prior to boot installation

44 Internal view of longitudinal recessed support frame with attached spring snap and button for securing longitudinal frame adjustments.

45 Spring loaded button for securing longitudinal and securing longitudinal main frame adjustments

46 Force generating means for louver movement

47 Microcontroller receiver components' housed within the component housing cavity

48 Internal view of the main register compression corner spring within the frame

49 Main register compression corner spring frame housing with travel guide opening

50 Longitudinal recessed support frame with attached fixed button for securing longitudinal frame pressure travel movement

51 Main adjustable register assembly

52 Main adjustable grill assembly

53 Typical air register receiver boot

Accordingly, the adjustable remote-controlled main air vent register frame illustrated in FIG. 4 and grill assembly shown in FIG. 2 is purposely constructed such in a manner to both adjust in length and width to accommodate said standard air duct boot compartment boxes.

Another object of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 5 is to allow for a tool free installation and removal of said adjustable air vent register frame and grill assembly that can be easily installed and removed by a homeowner or general handyman for scheduled cleaning without the use of tools.

The present invention also provides for a battery powered remote controlled plurality of adjustable vent louver blades mounted to rotate within the adjustable air vent register frame and adjustable grill assembly. Each component within the main frame is capable of extending in a manner that accommodates different width size air duct boot compartment openings while fully extending the louvers in a linier fashion within the frame to accommodate the standard air boot lengths.

The present invention also provides a method of controlling the linearly adjustable vent louver blades airflow passage through the air vent register frame and grill assembly by means of a battery powered remote control microcontroller mounted on a separate switch plate as shown on FIG. 1 of the attached drawings. The micro controlled linear sliding potentiometer transmitter is designed to replicate the manual movement associated with prior art devices that required manually moving the typical lever attached to the louver system mounted in the commonly used grill system. The present invention allows for remotely replicating the manual lever movement of said louvers in a full range of positions controlling the volume of air flow rather than as previously mentioned in other prior art, simply commanding louvers to adjust in a fully open or fully close positions with no provision for interim adjustments of air flow volume. The said linear sliding potentiometer transmitter as shown in FIG. 1 is designed to be conveniently adjusted at anytime conditions change within the room.

Yet another object of the present invention is to incorporate a battery powered digital thermometer housed within the above mentioned potentiometer transmitter plate capable of displaying room temperature changes as a result of remotely signaling minor adjustments to the linier adjustable vent louver blades housed within the fully adjustable frame. This remote potentiometer action allows for the slightest movement control angle of the louvers to change the desired air flow which further provides the user to more precisely control the room's temperature, which results will be clearly indicated by the attached digital thermometer mounted on the independent transmitter.

The present invention can produce the same results claimed by the much more expensive conventional Multi-Zone HVAC Systems. A further advantage of the present invention is the ability to control the air in a particular room of a house or structure by changing that specific individual room's register, whereas a typical conventional Multi-Zone HVAC Systems affect several rooms in a zone.

In present day, a home office that needs extra air conditioning during the day, and none at night or occupants that may only use the upstairs bedrooms when guests visit can be conveniently regulated by an inexpensive fully adjustable battery powered electric remote-controlled air vent register frame and grill assembly. The results of which could only be previously achieved by use of a conventional Multi-Zone HVAC System. Conventional Multi-Zone HVAC Systems generally control several areas of a home or structure. The present invention can be used to control the environment in a single room if necessary without the cost of a Multi-Zone HVAC System.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed drawings and associated description that accompanying the drawings.

Although the present invention is described herein with reference to a specific preferred embodiment(s), many modifications and variations therein will readily occur to those with ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, all such variations and modifications are included within the intended scope of the present invention as defined by the reference numerals used.

From the description contained herein, the features of any of the examples, especially as set forth in the claims, can be combined with each other in any meaningful manner to form further examples and/or embodiments.

The foregoing description is presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to limit the invention to the forms disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings and the teaching of the relevant art are within the spirit of the invention. Such variations will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the relevant structural or mechanical art. Further, the embodiments described are also intended to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and such or other embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular applications or uses of the invention.

Claims

1. An air register system comprising:

a main register frame assembly;

louver components;

means to adjust the register frame and louver components, rotatable and non-rotatable, to match standard length and width openings.

2. The air register system of claim 1 comprising:

a small programmable wireless receiver attached to the electric battery motorized self-regulating air register assembly;

an adjustable housing frame,

adjustable louvers in the housing frame regulating the air flow volume;

a separate wireless remote controlled linear sliding potentiometer transmitter plate;

a digital thermometer fixed to said wireless transmitter, accurately indicating changes in room temperatures as a result of adjusting the degree of said remote controlled louvers.