Air diverter for evaporator and heating units

Abstract

A snap-on downwardly deflecting air diverter for freeblow evaporator and/or heating units. The diverter includes a hood having a closed upper section and an open bottom section defined by a front panel and two side panels that extend generally perpendicularly from the front panel. The free edge of-each side panel has at least one fastening element for removably securing the diverter to the outlet grille of the evaporator and/or heating unit. With the diverter in place, air exiting the evaporator and/or heating unit passes through the grille and, in that area covered by the diverter, strikes the inner surface of the hood and is directed downwardly through the open bottom section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to the field of heating, ventilating and air conditioning and, more particularly, to a device for deflecting an air flow exiting a heating or cooling unit.

2. Description of the Related Art

Heating and air conditioning units installed in multi-passenger commercial vehicles such as buses and the like are typically mounted on the ceiling of the vehicle, generally at the front and rear of the passenger compartment. The units are suspended against the ceiling with side sections thereof being equipped with louvered grille structures. High velocity air is blown from these units through the louvered grille structures which direct the air generally horizontally along the ceiling toward the middle, with respect to the longitudinal length, of the passenger compartment.

While high air speed is necessary to achieve maximum air distribution and to reach the front and rear ends of the vehicle, passengers positioned directly under the unit often do not receive adequate heating or cooling as the air passes overhead. This is particularly true in the case of air conditioning units. The cold air, while heavy and tending to fall, is propelled by the force of the blower so that it does not drop to cool the passengers below until it has traveled some distance from the unit. Therefore, a need exists for a device capable of directing some of the heated or cooled air downward at the point of exit from the evaporator or heating unit while the remaining section of the air continues to be directed horizontally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the foregoing drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention is directed to a downward air diverter which can snap onto the front of the outlet grill of freeblow evaporator and/or heating units. The diverter includes a hood with a curved upper section and an open bottom section defined by a solid front panel and two side panels that extend generally perpendicularly from the front panel and the curved upper section. The free edge of each side panel has at least one fastening element for removably securing the diverter to the outlet grille of a freeblow evaporator and/or heating unit. The curved upper section can also be provided with a fastening element to secure the upper section against the grille. The fastening elements are configured to allow the diverter to be clipped or snapped into position on the grille. Removal is effected by squeezing or otherwise flexing the adjacent diverter part to disengage the corresponding fastening elements.

In its preferred embodiments, the diverter of the present invention is made of one piece molded polymeric material. Suitable polymeric materials for the diverter of this invention include Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), polystyrene, polypropylene and nylon among others; ABS is preferred. The diverter is sized to fit onto the front of the outlet grille used in ceiling mounted cooling and/or heating units of a bus or similar passenger vehicle.

With the diverter in place, air exiting the freeblow evaporator and/or heating unit passes -through the grille and, in that area covered by the diverter, strikes the inner surface of the hood and is directed downwardly through the open bottom section. Multiple diverters may be installed on each grille and are easily snapped on and off without tools to suit the current heating and cooling needs within the vehicle.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a one-piece snap-on diverter for diverting part of the air being forced through the grille of a freeblow evaporator and/or heater unit in a direction other than that determined by the louvers of the grille.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air diverter in accordance with the preceding object in which the evaporator and/or heater unit is mounted on the ceiling of a bus or other large capacity passenger vehicle and the diverter directs the air downwardly towards the space below the unit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable air diverter that is easy to install and remove on a variety of existing evaporator and/or heating units installed in buses or other large capacity passenger vehicles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air diverter that can be constructed to attach to the grille of an evaporator and/or heating unit in various ways, including directly to the grille louvers or to a vertical support element associated with the louver.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a downward air diverter that is simple in structure and which can be manufactured at low cost but yet be used to efficiently solve air distribution problems in large commercial and/or recreational vehicles.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an evaporator unit having two diverters coupled thereto in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the louvered grille of the evaporator unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a downward air diverter in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the diverter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5A is a side view of the diverter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5B is an end view of the diverter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5C is a top view of the diverter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5D is a bottom perspective view of the diverter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5E is a cross sectional view of the diverter of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of a louvered grille having two downward air diverters coupled thereto in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a downward air diverter in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the downward air diverter of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the diverter of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9A is an end view of the diverter of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9B is a top view of the diverter of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a partial front view of a louvered grille with the diverter of FIG. 7 coupled thereto.

FIG. 10A is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 10.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an evaporator unit with the diverter of FIG. 7 coupled thereto.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a downward air diverter in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 13 is another perspective view of the downward air diverter of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a partial front view of a louvered grille with the diverter of FIG. 12 coupled thereto.

FIG. 14A is a sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 14.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view as seen from a passenger's perspective of an evaporator unit having two diverters coupled thereto in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention is directed to an air diverter, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, for attachment to the grille 12 of an evaporator and/or heating unit 14. For purposes of discussion, the evaporator and/or heating unit 14 will be referred to hereinafter as simply “the evaporator unit” with the understanding that the invention is equally applicable to any forced air system including those for heating, cooling, and combined heating and cooling.

The evaporator unit 14 has an upper surface 16 that is mounted on the ceiling of the passenger compartment of a bus or other large capacity passenger vehicle (not shown). High velocity air is forced through the louvers 18 of the grille 12, as shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 2A, and moves outwardly in a direction that is generally parallel to the upper surface 16. In the ceiling-mounted arrangement just described, this generally parallel flow direction results in a substantially horizontal air flow in the area adjacent the grille.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the louvers 18 typically have two generally parallel side surfaces 20 and an angled front edge 22. They are strengthened along their length by a plurality of vertical reinforcement members 24. The louvers 18 are inset within the front face 26 of the reinforcement members 24 so as to project through the side surfaces 28 thereof.

According to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5A-5E, the air diverter 10 according to the present invention includes a hood, generally designated by the reference numeral 30, and a coupling component, generally designated by the reference numeral 32. The hood 30 includes a front panel 34 with a rearwardly directed upper section forming a closed top, generally designated by the reference numeral 40. Two side panels 42 extend generally perpendicularly from the front panel 34. The lower edge 44 of the front panel 34 and lower edges 46 of the side panels 42 define an open bottom section, generally designated by reference numeral 50, opposite the closed top 40.

As used herein, directional indicators such as “lower” and “downwardly” are made with reference to the diverter as mounted on a grille element as shown in FIG. 1. Hence, the rearwardly directed upper section is at the top of the diverter and the open bottom section is “lower” or located “downwardly” with respect to the top. The side of the diverter corresponding with the front panel and facing outwardly when installed is the forward side or direction, while that side inserted into the grille is the rearward side or direction.

The free side edge 52 of each side panel 42 extending from the closed top 40 to the open bottom section 50 has a plurality of cutouts 54 with a spacing from one another that corresponds with the spacing of the grille louvers 18. As shown, the cutouts 54 are preferably generally triangular in shape to correspond with the angled shape of the front edge 22 of the mating louver. Other shapes such as rectangular could also be used but, assuming the angled shape of the louver as a standard shape, the alternative shapes are not preferred as a snug complementary fit with the louvers is desirable to ensure the maximum volume of downwardly deflected air.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5A and 5D, a distal end section 56 of the side panels 42 adjacent the free side edges 52 can be constructed to have a reduced thickness as compared with the proximal section 58 of the side panels 42 adjacent the front panel 34. This difference in thickness results in a shoulder 60 that extends longitudinally along the length of the diverter 10. When the diverter 10 is coupled to the louvers 18, the shoulder 60 comes into abutment with the front face 26 of vertical reinforcement members 24 of the grille 12. Particularly, the distal end sections 56 are inserted into the grille 12 and into juxtaposition with the side surfaces 28 of two neighboring reinforcement members 24 until the shoulder 60 is brought into abutment against the front face 26 thereof. This blocks virtually all air flow between the diverter 10 and the neighboring reinforcement members 24 such that all of the air passing through the segment of the grille defined by the two neighboring reinforcement members 24 is deflected downwardly.

The coupling component 32 includes a plurality of fastening elements 62, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5A, 5D and 5E, for removably securing the diverter 10 to the outlet grille 12 of the evaporator unit 14. In the first embodiment shown, the closed top 40 and the lower end of each side panel are each provided with a respective fastening element 62. The fastening elements 62 on the two side panels 42 are horizontally aligned with one another, with each being adjacent the bottom edge 46 of a respective side panel 42. The fastening element 62 on the closed top 40 extends from and is generally centered on an uppermost free edge 64 of the top 40.

The fastening elements 62 on the side panels 42 each include a leg member 66 having a downwardly directed hook member 68. The downwardly directed hook member 68 is located adjacent the distal edge 70 of each side panel leg member 66 and is substantially planar with the leg up to a catch point 72. From the distal edge 70 of the leg 66, the hook member 68 has a first surface 74 that slopes downwardly and rearwardly to the catch point 72, and a second surface 76 that runs generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the diverter 10, i.e., is substantially vertical when the diverter 10 is coupled to the grille 12. The slope of the first surface 74 facilitates the snap-on connection of the diverter 10 to the louvered grille 12, while the substantially vertical second surface 76 acts to catch against the rear surface 78 of a respective louver element upon installation, as shown in FIGS. 5E and 6.

The fastening element 62 on the free edge 64 of the closed top 40 has a rearwardly extending flange 80 with a hook member 82 provided thereon. The hook member 82 has a first surface 81 that slopes upwardly and forwardly from the distal edge 71 of the flange 80 to a catch point 73. From the catch point 73, the surface of the hook member 82 runs generally parallel to the longitudinal direction of the flange 80 to form a generally vertical catch surface 86 that extends upwardly from the flange 80. Hence, the lower surface 88 of the flange 80 between its distal edge 71 and the free edge 64 of the closed top 40 is substantially planar, while the corresponding upper surface 90 is substantially planar up to the catch surface 86.

The side panels 42 have a width that increases from the closed top 40 to the open bottom section 50 such that the front panel 34 slopes forwardly from the upper section 36 to the bottom section 50. Because of this slope, the distance between the inner or deflection surface 92 of the front panel 34 and the free edges 46 of the side panels 42 increases from the upper section 36 to the lower section 50, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5A, 5B and 5E. The front panel 34 is also longer in length than the side panels 42 for increased surface area and improved downward deflection of the air.

For installation, the diverter 10 is held by the hood 30 while the legs 66 are brought into proximity with the grille 12. The hook member 82 on the flange 80 of the top section 40 is aligned just below the upper louver 18a while the legs 66 on the two side panels 34 are aligned just above the lowermost louver 18b. Installation is completed by applying rearwardly directed pressure against the hood 30. With this pressure, the surface 84 of the center hook member that slopes upwardly and forwardly from the distal edge 71 of the flange 80 slides along the side surface 20 of the uppermost louver 18a while the surfaces 74 of the side panel hook members 68 that slope downwardly and forwardly from the distal side edges 70 slide along the side surface 20 of the lowermost louver 18b. Once the catch points 72 are passed, the side panel hook members 68 flex downwardly, bringing the vertical catch surfaces 76 into abutment with the rear surface 78 of the lowermost louver 18b. The center hook member 82 flexes upwardly, bringing its vertical catch surface 86 into abutment with the rear surface 78 of the uppermost louver 18a. The diverter 10 is then securely coupled to the grille 12.

To remove the diverter 10, downward pressure is applied against the closed top section 40 to free the catch point 73 of the hook member 82 from the uppermost louver 18a. Once the closed top section is freed, the diverter can be drawn out with an upwardly and forwardly directed motion to free the catch points 72 of the side panel hook members 68 from the lowermost louver 18b.

A second embodiment of the diverter according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 9A, 9B, 10 and 10A. As in the first embodiment, the air diverter generally designated by reference numeral 110 includes a hood 130 with front panel 134 and a coupling component, generally designated by the reference numeral 132. The hood 130 is constructed in the same manner as that set forth in the first embodiment and therefore a description thereof is not repeated here.

The coupling component 132 includes a plurality of fastening elements 162 provided on each of the upper and lower ends of the hood for removably securing the diverter 110 to the outlet grille 12 of the evaporator unit 14. These fastening elements 162 include two pairs of leg members 166, 167, one on the upper end and one on the lower end, with a hook element 168 on the distal end 170 of each leg member. The respective pairs of fastening elements 162 are aligned with one another such that pressure applied to the outer surfaces of the two side panels 142 moves the pairs of fastening elements 162 toward one another, respectively.

Each hook member 168 is provided with a surface 174 that slopes outwardly from the distal edge 170 of the respective leg 166, 167 to a catch point 172. From the catch point 172, the surface of the hook member runs generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the leg to form a catch surface 176. For the aligned pair of fastening elements on each of the upper and lower ends of the side panels, the catch surfaces 176 of the associated hook members 168 extend outwardly from the outer surfaces 200 of the respective legs of which they are a part. Thus, the inner surfaces 202 of the leg members between the upper and lower edges 204, 206, respectively, are substantially planar up to the distal edge 170, while the corresponding outer surfaces 200 are substantially planar up to the catch surfaces 176.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 9, the distal edges 170 of the leg members 166, 167 are not perpendicular to the upper and lower edges 204, 206 of the legs but are angled. More particularly, the distal edges 170 on each of the leg members 166 at the upper end of the diverter slope from a shorter upper edge 204 to a longer lower edge 206 of the leg. Conversely, the distal edges on each of the leg members 167 at the lower end of the diverter slope from a longer upper edge 204 to a shorter lower edge 206 of the leg. The resulting angled surfaces in the distal edges 170 facilitate the snap-on connection of the diverter 110 to the louvered grille.

To snap the diverter 110 in place, the diverter is held by the hood 130 while the legs 166, 167 are brought into proximity with the grille. The upper and lower pairs of fastening elements 162 are aligned between two neighboring vertical reinforcement members 24 and adjacent the uppermost and lowermost louvers 18a, 18b, respectively. Installation is completed by pressing the diverter rearwardly against the grille. With this pressure, the surfaces 174 of the side panel hook members that slope outwardly and forwardly from the distal side edges 170 slide along the side surfaces 20 of the neighboring reinforcement members 24. Once the catch points 172 are passed, the side panel hook members 168 flex outwardly, bringing their respective vertical catch surfaces 176 into abutment with the rear surface 79 of the neighboring vertical reinforcement members 24. The diverter 110 is then securely coupled to the grille 12.

With the air diverter 110 in place on the grille, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 11, a section of the air exiting the evaporator unit and passing through the grille comes into contact with the diverter. Specifically, this section of air strikes the inner deflection surface 92 of the hood 130 and is directed downwardly along the outwardly directed slope of the front panel 134 to exit through the open bottom section. The slope reduces the disruption in air flow while yet effectively redirecting the air downwardly into the area situated beneath and immediately adjacent the evaporator unit.

To remove the diverter 110, inward pressure is applied against the side panels adjacent the uppermost or lowermost pair of fastening elements. This pressure pushes the fastening elements toward one another to free the catch points of the hook members from the neighboring reinforcement members. Once one end of the diverter is freed, inward pressure is similarly applied against the side panels adjacent the other pair of fastening elements in the same way. Depending upon the construction of the diverter, it may be possible to free both the uppermost and lowermost pairs of fastening elements simultaneously with appropriate inward pressure against both of the side panels at any point therealong.

A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 12, 13, 14 and 14A. As in the previous embodiments, the air diverter generally designated by reference numeral 210 includes a hood generally designated by reference numeral 230 and a coupling component generally designated by reference numeral 232. The hood has a front panel 234 with a rearwardly directed upper section 236, and two side panels 242 extending generally perpendicularly from the front panel.

The free edge 246 of each side panel 242 has a plurality of two-stage cutouts 254 with a spacing from one another that corresponds with the spacing of the grille louvers 18. The first stage 251 of the cutouts is generally rectangular while the second stage 253 is preferably generally triangular in shape as shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14A. These shapes correspond with the angled front edge 22 and flat side surfaces 20, respectively, of the louvers 18.

Each side panel 242 also includes a proximal section 258 nearest the front panel and a distal section 256 farthest therefrom. Like the first embodiment, the distal section 256 has a thickness that is less than the thickness of the proximal section 258, as best seen in FIG. 13. This change is thickness is defined by a shoulder 260 which also represents the line of demarcation between the first and second stages of the cutouts 254. The distal section 256 is constructed for insertion between the louvers of the grille, with the shoulder 260 providing an abutment surface against the front face 26 of the vertical reinforcement members 24 when the diverter 210 is properly positioned and snapped in place.

The coupling component 232 includes a plurality of pairs of clipping mechanisms 250 spaced between the upper and lower ends of the hood for removably securing the diverter to the outlet grille of the evaporator unit. As in the second embodiment, the clipping mechanisms include leg members 266 and hook members 268 on the distal ends 270 of the leg members. However, as best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the construction of the leg and hook members incorporates different design characteristics.

Specifically, each leg member 266 is divided into an upper part 265 and a lower part 267, with the upper and lower parts being spaced from one another to have inside faces 261 that face one another and oppositely oriented outside faces 263 that are generally parallel with the inside faces 261.

Each of the upper and lower parts 265, 267 is provided with a blunted hook member 268 having a rounded free end 269 and a catch point 272. From the catch point 272, the surface of the hook member runs generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the leg to form a catch surface 276. For each corresponding pair of leg member upper and lower parts 265, 267, the catch surfaces 276 of the associated hook members 268 extend upwardly and downwardly, respectively, from the outside faces 263 of their corresponding upper and lower parts. Thus, the faces 261 of the upper and lower parts facing one another are substantially parallel planar up to the rounded free end, while the corresponding outside faces 263 are substantially parallel planar up to the catch surfaces 276. The outer and inner surfaces 255, 257 of the distal section are generally planar and substantially perpendicular to the facing and opposing faces 261, 263. The rounded ends 269 of the hook members 268 facilitate the sliding insertion of the leg members 266 over the opposed side surfaces 20 of adjacent louvers 18 of the louvered grille to which the diverter is to be secured against the catch surfaces. They also facilitate removal of the diverter.

As in the first and second embodiments, the front panel 234 slopes outwardly from the upper section 236 to the open bottom section 250. Because of this slope, the distance between the inner surface of the front panel and the free edges of the side panels increases from the upper section to the lower section, as shown in FIG. 14A. The length of the front panel is also longer than the side panels to improve the downward deflection of the air.

The installation process is similar to that undertaken with the first embodiment. The diverter 210 is held by the hood while the legs 266 are brought into proximity with the grille 12. The closed top section is placed adjacent the uppermost louver while the clipping mechanisms are aligned adjacent appropriate louvers spaced from the top and bottom of the grille, respectively. Rearwardly directed pressure is then applied against the hood. With this pressure, the rounded ends 269 of the hook members 268 slide along the side surfaces 20 of the adjacent louvers above and below them, respectively. Once the catch points 272 are passed, the hook members 268 of each pair of clipping mechanisms 250 flex upwardly and downwardly, respectively, bringing the vertical catch surfaces 276 into abutment with the rear surfaces 78 of the adjacent louvers. The diverter is then securely coupled to the grille.

To remove the diverter, the smaller and somewhat rounded nature of the catch point, and the flexible nature of the legs 266 allow the diverter to be worked outwardly by grasping the hood.

In all three embodiments, the diverter is preferably made as a single molded construction of a suitable plastic material such as ABS, polystyrene, polypropylene, nylon, etc. Such a construction is inexpensive and allows the diverters to be made easily and economically. As described herein, the diverters fit a wide range of louvered grille designs, although modifications to the diverter design could be implemented in the manufacturing process to accommodate specific grille designs.

The diverters may be used individually to deflect air on only one side of the grille as might be appropriate with certain passenger loading configurations. It is anticipated, however, that in most instances several diverters will be coupled to the grille to provide downward deflection of air across the width of the passenger compartment. Because of the ease with which the diverters can be snapped in place and then removed, any changes in passenger distribution and/or cooling/heating preferences may be accommodated easily, dynamically and repetitively without the need for any tools or special training on the part of the individual making the adjustments. When installed on the ceiling of the multi-passenger vehicle, as shown in FIG. 15, the evaporator unit with diverters mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention provides for improved air circulation and comfort for all the passengers.

The foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by the dimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A diverter for deflecting air exiting through a louvered grille of an evaporator unit comprising:

a hood having a front panel with a closed top section and two opposed side panels extending from said closed top section to form an open bottom section with said front panel; and

a coupling component integral with said hood for removably coupling said diverter to the louvered grille.

2. The diverter as set forth in claim 1, wherein said diverter is made as a single molded construction of a plastic material.

3. The diverter as set forth in claim 1, wherein a free edge of each side panel has a plurality of cutouts with a spacing from one another that corresponds with the spacing of the grille louvers.

4. The diverter as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cutouts are generally triangular in shape to correspond with an angled edge of the grille louvers.

5. The diverter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling component includes at least one fastening element projecting from each of said side panels.

6. The diverter as set forth in claim 5, wherein the fastening elements on the two side panels are aligned with one another, each being adjacent the bottom edge.

7. The diverter as set forth in claim 6, wherein the coupling component further includes a fastening element on the closed top section that extends from and is generally centered on an uppermost free edge thereof.

8. The diverter as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of said fastening elements includes a hook member that is flexibly engaged with a section of said grille.

9. The diverter as set forth in claim 8, wherein said section is one of said louvers.

10. The diverter as set forth in claim 8, wherein said section is a reinforcement member extending transversely to said louvers.

11. In combination, an evaporator unit and a diverter for deflecting air exiting said evaporator unit, said combination comprising:

an evaporator unit having a grille with generally horizontal louvers and generally vertical reinforcement members;

a diverter removably mounted on said grille to deflect a section of air exiting from said evaporator unit through said grille, said diverter including: a hood having a front panel with a closed top section and two opposed side panels extending from said closed top section to form an open bottom section with said front panel, said open bottom section having a greater depth than said closed top section; two side panels oriented generally perpendicularly to said front panel; and a coupling component for removably coupling said diverter to said grille, said coupling component including at least two fastening elements each having a hook member, said fastening elements being flexibly engaged with two of said louvers or two of said reinforcement elements.

12. The diverter as set forth in claim 11, wherein said diverter is made as a single molded construction of a polymeric material.

13. The diverter as set forth in claim 11, wherein a free edge of each side panel has a plurality of cutouts with a spacing from one another that corresponds with the spacing of the grille louvers.

14. The diverter as set forth in claim 13, wherein said cutouts are generally triangular in shape to correspond with an angled edge of the grille louvers.

15. The diverter as set forth in claim 11, wherein the coupling component includes at least one fastening element projecting from each of said side panels.

16. The diverter as set forth in claim 15, wherein the fastening elements on the two side panels are aligned with one another, each being adjacent the bottom edge.

17. The diverter as set forth in claim 16, wherein each of said side panel fastening elements includes a hook member that is flexibly engaged with a section of said grille.

18. The diverter as set forth in claim 17, wherein said section is one of said louvers.

19. The diverter as set forth in claim 16, wherein each of said side panel fastening elements includes a flexible leg and a hook member with a sloped surface that facilitates snap-on connection with said grille.