Louver assembly particularly useful for air-conditioning units or other like appliances

A louver assembly particularly useful for air-conditioning units and other like appliances comprises a frame defining an opening; a first group of slats extending along one coordinate axis mounted to the frame within the opening and pivotable about that axis; a second group of slats extending along a second coordinate axis mounted on the first group of slats within the opening and pivotable about that axis; and a manipulatable knob coupled to both groups of slats such that moving the knob in a direction parallel to the second coordinate axis pivots the first group of slats about the first coordinate axis, and rotating the knob about the second coordinate axis pivots the second group of slats about the second coordinate axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to louver assemblies, and also to an 
adjusting device particularly useful in such assemblies. The invention is 
especially useful in louver assemblies for directing the air from an 
air-conditioning unit, fan, heater or other like appliance, and is 
therefore described below with respect to this application. 
Louver assemblies for air-conditioning units or other like appliances 
commonly include a group of vertically-extending slats and a group of 
horizontally-extending slats, one or both of which groups are adjustable 
in order to direct the air as desired. One common arrangement is to make 
only one group of slats adjustable, to permit adjustment of the air 
direction along one coordinate axis; if adjustment along the other 
coordinate axis is desired, the louver assembly is removed and rotated 
90.degree.. Another known arrangement is to provide the slats in the form 
of two separate groups, each pivotably mounted to the frame and adjustable 
by a separate manipulatable member, such as a lever or knob. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a louver assembly of novel 
construction in that it permits the two groups of slats to be adjusted by 
operating a single manipulatable member. Another object of the present 
invention is to provide an adjusting device particularly useful in the 
novel louver assembly. 
According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a 
louver assembly comprising a frame defining an opening; a first group of 
slats extending along one coordinate axis mounted to said frame within 
said opening and pivotable about said one coordinate axis; a second group 
of slats extending along a second coordinate axis mounted on the first 
group of slats within the opening and pivotable about the second 
coordinate axis; and a manipulatable member coupled to both the groups of 
slats such that moving the manipulatable member in one direction pivots 
the first group of slats about the first coordinate axis, and moving the 
manipulatable member in another direction pivots the second group of slats 
about the second coordinate axis. 
In the preferred embodiment of the invention described below, the 
manipulatable member is a knob and is coupled to both the groups of slats 
such that moving the knob in a direction parallel to the second coordinate 
axis (e.g. horizontally) pivots the first group of slats about the first 
coordinate axis (e.g. vertically), and rotating the knob about the second 
coordinate axis pivots the second group of slats about the second 
coordinate axis. 
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an 
adjusting device comprising a knob movable in the longitudinal and rotary 
directions, and including a first plurality of recesses formed on one 
section of the knob extending parallel to the longitudinal direction, and 
a second plurality of recesses formed on another section of the knob and 
extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; a first projection 
receivable in the first plurality of recesses for releasably retaining the 
knob in position when moved in the longitudinal direction; and a 
projection receivable in the second plurality of recesses for releasably 
retaining the knob in position when moved in the rotary direction. 
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the 
description below.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As shown in FIG. 1, the louver assembly illustrated therein, and generally 
designated 2, is mounted within a rectangular opening 4 formed in the 
frame 6 of an electrical appliance, such as an air-conditioning unit 8, to 
direct the cooled air exiting therefrom. The electrical appliance 8 is 
provided with a knob 10 passing through an end wall of the appliance and 
manipulatable by the user in order to direct the air as desired. As will 
be described more particularly below, in this case knob 10 is moved 
longitudinally, (i.e., parallel to its longitudinal axis) in order to 
pivot the vertical slats in the louver assembly 2 about the vertical axis, 
and is rotated about its horizontal axis in order to pivot the horizontal 
slats about the horizontal axis. 
The appliance 8 illustrated in FIG. 1 also includes a protective grill 12 
applied to the outer side of the louver assembly 2. The slats of the 
protective grill are fixed and not adjustable. Only a small end portion of 
protective grill 12 is illustrated in FIG. 1 in order to permit a better 
showing of the louver assembly 2 behind the grill. 
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, louver assembly 2 includes two groups of slats 
each extending along one coordinate axis and pivotable about its 
respective axis. Thus, the illustrated assembly includes a group of 
vertically-extending slats 14 each pivotable about the vertical axis, and 
a group of horizontally-extending slats 16 each pivotable about the 
horizontal axis. The vertically-extending slats 14 are located forwardly 
of the horizontally-extending slats 16, i.e. adjacent to the protective 
grill 12. 
FIG. 2 more particularly illustrates the construction of the 
vertically-extending slats 14 and their pivotable mountings to the frame 
6. The vertically-extending slats 14 are formed integrally with frame 6, 
as by injection molding plastic, such that each slat 14 extends across the 
complete height of opening 4 within frame 6 and is connected at each of 
its opposite ends by a web 18 integrally formed with frame 6. Webs 18 thus 
serve as plastic hinges which permit each of the slats 14 to be pivoted 
about its vertical axis. 
FIG. 2 also illustrates the structure of the horizontally-extending slats 
16 and their pivotable mountings permitting them to be pivoted about the 
horizontal axis. Thus, each slat 16 is formed with a plurality of pairs of 
spring fingers 20 spaced along its length, there being one pair of fingers 
in each slat 16 for each of the vertically extending slats 14 and 
receivable in openings 22 formed in slats 14. Spring fingers 20 in slats 
16 are thickened at their tips, as shown at 20'; and similarly, the 
openings 22 in slats 14 are circumscribed by an annular thickened rib, as 
shown at 22'. This arrangement permits slats 16 to be applied by a 
snap-action to slats 14 by merely snapping spring fingers 20 of slats 16 
into openings 22 of slats 14. Such an arrangement not only effects a 
pivotable mounting of slats 16 to slats 14, but also enables slats 16 to 
be quickly attached and detached from slats 14 for cleaning or repair 
purposes. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the opposite ends of the horizontally-extending slats 
16 are pivotably mounted to a pair of end links 24 (only one end being 
shown in FIG. 3), which links extend in the vertical direction, i.e. 
parallel to slats 14. Each of these end links 24 is also formed with a 
plurality of pairs of spring fingers 26, corresponding to spring fingers 
20 in slats 16, which spring fingers are received within the openings 22 
in the two end vertically-extending slats 14. It will thus be seen that 
all the horizontally-extending slats 16 are coupled by the end links 24 to 
pivot together with respect to the vertically-extending slats 14. 
As also shown in FIG. 3, one of the horizontally-extending slats 16, in 
this case the center slat, is formed with an extension 28 for coupling the 
two groups of slats 14 and 16 to knob 10. Thus, knob 10 is formed with a 
stem 30 terminating in a bifurcated end 32 adapted to receive extension 28 
and secured thereto by a pin 34 received within openings in extension 28 
and the bifurcated end 32 of the knob stem 30. This arrangement permits 
knob 10 to be moved in the horizontal direction (i.e. parallel to slats 
16), to pivot the vertically-extending slats 14 about the vertical axis, 
and may also be rotated in order to pivot the horizontally-extending slats 
16 about the horizontal axis. 
FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement for retaining knob 10 in either of its 
moved positions. As shown in FIG. 4, the side wall of appliance 8 includes 
a bushing 34 formed with a pair of square openings 36 on its opposite 
sides. A plastic spring 38 of elliptical shape is adapted to be applied in 
a snap-on manner over bushing 34. Spring 38 is integrally formed with a 
pair of projections 40, 42 on its inner face, at the opposite ends of its 
minor axis, so as to be aligned with openings 36. The minor axis of 
elliptical spring 38 is less than the diameter of bushing 34 thereby 
permitting the spring to be applied in a snap-on manner over bushing 34 
with projections 40, 42 received within openings 36. 
Knob 10 is formed with a plurality of longitudinally-extending recesses 44 
on one side of its outer face, and with a plurality of 
circumferentially-extending recesses 46 on the opposite side of its outer 
face. Recesses 46 are cooperable with projection 40 to releasably retain 
knob 10 in position when the knob is moved longitudinally, i.e. parallel 
to its horizontal axis; and recesses 44 are cooperable with projection 42 
to releasably retain the knob in position when rotated about its 
longitudinal axis. 
It will be seen that knob 10 may be used for pivoting both the 
vertically-extending slats 14 and the horizontally-extending slats 16 to 
direct the air flowing out of appliance 8 as desired. 
Thus, if knob 10 is moved in the longitudinal direction (i.e. parallel to 
its horizontal axis), its coupling (elements 30, 32, 28, FIG. 3) to the 
horizontally-extending slats 16 will shift them, and thereby the 
vertically-extending slats 14, in the horizontal direction, the pivotable 
movement of the vertically-extending slats 14 being permitted by their 
plastic hinge connections 18 to frame 6. Knob 10 will be retained in its 
longitudinally-moved position by projection 40 of plastic spring 38 
received within one of the recesses 46 in the knob. 
Now, when it is desired to pivot the horizontally-extending slats 16 about 
their horizontal axes, this can be done by rotating the same knob 10, 
which is coupled via the same coupling elements 30, 32, 28, to the center 
horizontally-extending slat 16. The latter slat is coupled by the end 
links 24 to all the remaining horizontally-extending slats 16, so that all 
of the latter slats will thereby pivot, about their spring fingers 20, 
with respect to the vertically-extending slats 14. Knob 10 is releasably 
retained in its rotated position by projection 42 of spring 38 received 
within one of the recesses 40 of the knob. 
While the invention has been described with respect to one preferred 
embodiment, it will be appreciated that many other variations, 
modifications and applications of the invention may be made.