Abstract:
According to some embodiments of the invention, an appliance having a removable grille includes: a lip located on the appliance having a hook shape; and a hook shaped end on the grille, the lip and hook shaped end dimensioned to allow the grille to substantially pivot with respect to the appliance when the hook shaped end on the grille and the hook shaped lip are engaged with each other. Other embodiments of the invention include a method of mounting a grille on an appliance including: engaging a hook shaped end of the grille with a lip located on the appliance; moving the grille in a substantially pivoting movement with respect to the appliance; and securing the grille to the appliance.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a grille for a blower. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fastening method for fastening a grille to a blower. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Blowers and other appliances that move air often have grilles that protect an interior portion of the appliance from objects outside the appliance. Often the grille will include holes or slots which enable air to flow between inside the appliance and outside the appliance. In many instances, the grille may be integrated with the housing of the appliance or may be attached to the appliance by mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts. While screws and bolts can do a good job attaching a grille to an appliance, they can be time and labor intensive to manipulate when removing or installing the grille to the appliance. 
         [0003]    Further, appliances are often mounted to a wall in an overhead location. When it is desired to clean the appliance or perform other maintenance, the maintenance worker will often climb a ladder to reach a level to where the worker can reach the appliance. The worker will remove the grille, descend down from the ladder to put the grille down and then climb up the ladder the second time in order to perform the maintenance. Once the maintenance is performed, the worker then will climb down the ladder, get the grille, and then climb back up the ladder a third time in order to reinstall the grille onto the appliance. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an appliance with a grille system where the grille can be quickly and easily attached to and removed from the appliance. Further, it is desirable to provide a method an apparatus where a grille can be moved from its normal position on the appliance to another position where it can be out of the way, yet still be attached to the appliance so that when a worker on a ladder or in another position can perform maintenance operations on the appliance and then replace the grille without having to completely remove the grille from the appliance during the maintenance operation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments a grille can be quickly and easily removed and attached to an appliance. In some embodiments, a grille can be removed from a first position to a second position to permit maintenance such as cleaning or other operations on the appliance without the grille being completely removed from the appliance. 
         [0006]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an appliance having a removable grille is provided. In some embodiments of the invention, the appliance includes: a lip located on the appliance having a hook shape; and a hook shaped end on the grille, the lip and hook shaped end dimensioned to allow the grille to substantially pivot with respect to the appliance when the hook shaped end on the grille and the hook shaped lip are engaged with each other. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of mounting a grille on an appliance is accomplished. In some embodiments of the invention, the method includes: engaging a hook shaped end of the grille with a lip located on the appliance; moving the grille in a substantially pivoting movement with respect to the appliance; and securing the grille to the appliance. 
         [0008]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, an appliance having a removable grille is provided. In some embodiments of invention the appliance includes a first hooking means for engaging a grille located on a housing of the appliance; and a second hooking means engaging the first hooking means for allowing the grille substantially pivot with respect to the appliance; and fasting means to secure the grille to the appliance in a removable manner. 
         [0009]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0010]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0011]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an end view of an appliance showing a grille in a secure location attached to the appliance in solid lines, the grille is shown in two other locations in broken lines, one where the grille is swinging from the secure location to a pendant location still attached to the appliance and the other location is a pendant position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a portion from  FIG. 1  illustrating a hook connection of the grille with a lip on the appliance other positions of the grille are shown in broken lines. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a grille in a secured position on an appliance according to some embodiments of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an appliance with a grille removed in accordance to some of the embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides an appliance such as a blower, capable of creating an air curtain. The appliance includes a grille having a slot mounted on the appliance. In some of the embodiments of the invention, the grille is mounted on the appliance by a pivoting connection. The pivoting connection allows the grille to substantially pivot with the respect to the appliance. In some embodiments of the invention, the grille is also mounted to the appliance by a releasable connection that secures the grille to the appliance. 
         [0017]    An embodiment of the present inventive apparatus is illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is an end view of an appliance  10  such as a blower. Blowers are often used in an industrial applications to provide a curtain of air between an inside of a building and the outside. The curtain of air is useful in hindering cold air in the winter from entering the building and in the summer reducing cool air from the building escaping to the outside. Thus, air curtains are used to help reduce losing treated inside air to the outside. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 1  the blower  10  has a centrifugal fan  12 . The centrifugal fan  12  is connected to a motor  14  which drives the centrifugal fan  12 . The centrifugal fan  12  and the motor  14  are connected to a frame  16 . The centrifugal fan  12 , the motor  14 , and the frame  16  are contained within a housing  18 . A grille  20  is connected to the housing  18 . 
         [0019]    The grille  20  includes vanes  22  and slits  24  (slits  24  are better shown in  FIG. 3 ). The grille  20  shown in  FIG. 1  in solid lines illustrates the grille  20  in a secured position. In some embodiments of the invention, when the grille  20  is securely (but may be releasably) attached to the housing  18  of the blower  10 , the grille  20  and covers the centrifugal fan  12 . The grille  20  is also shown in  FIG. 1  in two different positions in broken lines. These broken line illustrations show examples of different positions that grille  20  can achieve as it pivots away from the secure position of the illustrated embodiment. 
         [0020]    The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  includes a snap fastening system  25  that permits the grille  20  to be secured to the blower  10 . The snap fastening system  25  includes snap fasteners  26  located on the grille  20  and posts  28  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The posts  28  can also function as fasteners for other parts of the blower  10  and have a head configured to received a standard or phillips screwdriver as shown in  FIG. 2 . The post  28  can be connected to the housing  18  and located to receive the snap fasteners  26  from the grille  20  as the grille is moved toward the secured position. Other embodiments of the invention can use other fastening systems such as other snap type fasteners, screws, bolts, rivets, tab and slot, hook and loop, glue, or any other suitable fastening system in accordance with the invention. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the snap fasteners  26  are generally horseshoe in shape. The snap fasteners  26  are configured to flex as the open end of the snap fastener  26  engages the post  28 . Once the snap fastener  26  and post  28  are in an engaged position, then the snap fastener  26  relaxes and the snap fastener  26  is then biased to remain engaged with the post  28  as illustrated in  FIG. 2  where the grille  20  in solid lines in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0022]    In other embodiments of the invention, fastening system  25  may include screw or bolt fasteners  36  as shown in  FIG. 3 . In accordance with the invention, the fasteners  36  may have heads configured to be engage standard for phillips screw drivers. In other embodiments of the invention, the fasteners  36  can have structure that can easily be manipulated by hand, such as a wing nut. Structure that may be easily manipulated by hand should not be limited to a wing nut structure as many structures may accomplish the desired result. Decorative structure may be used. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  (better illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) the grille  20  has a crooked shaped end  30 . The housing  18  has a hooked shape lip  32 . The hooked shaped end  30  and the hooked shaped lip  32  are dimensioned and oriented as can be selected by one skilled in the art to permit the hooked shape end  30  and the hooked shaped lip  32  to engage one another. The hook shaped end  30  and hook shaped lip  32  are dimensioned and oriented to permit the grille  20  to swing through a variety of positions as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0024]    While the movement of the grille  20  with respect to the blower  18  is not a purely pivotal (in the illustrated embodiment there is some sliding occurring in the junction of the hooked shape end  30  and hooked shaped lip  32 ) it can be generally considered to be generally a pivotal movement. 
         [0025]    The hooked shaped end  30  on the grille  20  and the hooked shaped lip  32  on the housing  18  interact with each other so that a tip portion of the hooked shaped end  30  is located in the hollow of U-shaped portion of the lip  32 . A tip portion of the lip  32  is located in the hollow formed by the U-shaped portion of the hooked  30 . 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  the grille  20  can be swung from a secured position as shown in the solid lines in  FIGS. 1 and 2  to a pendant as shown in broken lines in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and noted with the letter A. The grille  20  can be swung to a pendant position where the grille  20  is still supported by the appliance  10  but it is not fastened by the fastener system  25  to the appliance  10 . Rather the weight of the grille  20  is supported purely by the hooked shaped lip  32  engaging the hooked end  30 . 
         [0027]    This features allows the grille  20  be moved to the pendant position to permit access to an interior portion of the appliance  20  without requiring that the grille  20  be completely removed from the appliance  10 . However, in some embodiments of the invention the grille  20  can be completely removed after being swung towards the pendant position and then being lifted so that the tip portion of the hooked shaped end  30  is removed from the hollow formed by the U-shaped portion of the hooked shaped lip  32 . 
         [0028]    In some embodiments of the invention, the grille  20 , once in a pendant position, maybe disengaged from the lip  32 . The grille  20  may be lifted slightly up and to the left (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to be disengaged from the lip  32 . The grille  20  could also be replaced and reengaged to the lip  32  by orienting the grille  20  in a pendant or a slightly pendant position and reengaging the hooked shaped end  30  with a hooked shaped lip  32 . 
         [0029]    Appliances such as the blower  10 , are often mounted to a wall and may be mounted at a high location such as over a door. As such, in order to access the blower  10 , a worker generally needs to climb a ladder in order to reach a location where the blower  10  is located. Some appliances, when mounted high or on a wall are serviced by, a worker that climbs a ladder to remove grille in order to perform maintenance on the appliance. The worker then descends back down the ladder to put the grille down. Then the worker goes back up the ladder to perform maintenance on the appliance. Once the maintenance is completed, the worker again descends down the ladder to get the grille, and goes back up the ladder to replace the grille. 
         [0030]    Some embodiments of the invention can reduce all of the bother of going up and down the ladder multiple times by allowing the grille  20  to hang pendant from the blower  10 . A worker can loosen the grille  20  from the fastener system  25 . Then the worker can pivot the grille  20  to a pendant position. The worker then performs maintenance on an interior portion of the appliance. Once the maintenance is completed the grille  20  is pivoted back to the second position and fastened in placed with a fastener system  25 . Thus, some appliances, in accordance with the invention, can reduce the time and trips up and down a latter to perform maintenance tasks on an appliance. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  illustrates a blower  10  according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the blower  10  has a grille  20  in a secure position. The blower  10  includes on a switch  34  for controlling the function of the blower  10 . The slits  24  are shown in the grille  20 . Fasteners  36  are attached to the grille  20  to keep the grille  20  in a secure position. 
         [0032]    The blower  10  will be oriented so that the switch  34  would be facing down when the blower  10  is mounted against a vertical wall. Thus, the slits  24  and the grille  20  would be facing out, away from the wall. Thus, in some embodiments of the invention, the grille  20  when in the pendant position will hang as the grille  20  is shown in  FIG. 1  as dashed lines as noted by the letter A. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is another perspective view of a blower  10  in accordance to some of the embodiments of the inventions. The grille  20  has been removed in order to illustrate some of the interior parts of the blower  10  such as the centrifugal fan  12  and motor  14 . The lip  32  is visible. 
         [0034]    As shown by comparing  FIG. 4  with  FIG. 3 , a portion of the housing  18  containing several fastener heads  38  is covered by the grille  20  when the grille  20  is in place as shown in  FIG. 3 . When the grille  20  is secured to the blower  10 , the grille  20  can not only provide slits  24  for allowing fluid communication between the outside and the interior portion of the grille  20 , the grille  20  can also cover some less aesthetically pleasing portions of the housing  18 . 
         [0035]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.