Patent ID: 6361432
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: F24F

Abstract:
An air diffuser comprising:a housing comprising a first surface of revolution with apertures in said surface; a flow regulator comprising a second surface of revolution that is complimentary to said first surface, said second surface having apertures that are positioned to move into and out of registry with the apertures in said first surface when said flow regulator is rotated with respect to said housing, so that the apertures in said first surface and the apertures in said second surface may be opened or closed by rotating the flow regulator; one or more housing stops mounted on the housing and one or more regulator stops mounted on the flow regulator, said stops on said flow regulator being designed and positioned to engage the stops on the housing and limit rotation of said regulator with respect to said housing so that said apertures are substantially fully open at a first end of a range of rotation of said flow regulator and are substantially fully closed at a second end of said range of rotation; a grille supported by and adapted to rotate with respect to said housing, and adapted to engage said flow regulator, whereby said flow regulator is opened or closed by rotating said grille with respect to said housing; a first indicator on a surface of said grille and a second indicator on another component of said diffuser, at least one of said indicators comprising a figure that simulates a graph of the flow rate through said diffuser as a function of the opening of said apertures; whereby said first indicator and said second indicators provide both a visual indication of the position of said regulator and a visual indication of the flow rate through said regulator as said grill rotates with respect to said other component.