Register assembly with a movable front panel

Claim 1

A register assembly for directing and controlling a flow of air, said register assembly comprising a base having top, bottom, front, back and end portions with an air inlet in aid bottom portion, a louvered front panel pivotally connected to said end portions of said base and extending across an opening in aid front portion of said base, said louvered front panel having a pair of end panels integrally formed therewith and disposed in sliding engagement with said end portions of said base, said louvered front panel being movable between a closed position extending transversely to said back portion of said base and engaging said top portion of said base and an open position extending generally parallel to said back portion and spaced from said top portion of said base to at least partially define an opening between said top portion of said base and an uppermost portion of said louvered front panel, a damper member, connection means for pivotally mounting said damper member on said uppermost portion of said louvered front panel, said connection means including a plurality of outwardly projecting leg sections connected to said head portion, each of said head portions of said fastener members being dIsposed in abutting engagement with one of said end panels with said legs extending through an opening in the associated one of said end panels and an elongated arcuate opening in an associated said end portion of said base to thereby interconnect said base and said louvered front panel, said damper member being movable with said louvered front panel upon movement of said louvered front panel between said open and closed positions, said damper member being pivotal relative to said louvered front panel between a first position in which said damper member is generally parallel to said louvered front panel and blocks a flow of air through said louvered front panel and a second position in which said damper member extends downwardly and rearwardly from said uppermost portion of said louvered front panel to direct a flow of air through said louvered front panel, and a manually operable actuator member fixedly connected at one end portion to said damper member and extending through said louvered front panel to enable said damper member to be pivoted between said first and second positions, said manually operable actuator member being movable with said louvered front panel upon movement of said louvered front panel between said open and closed positions, said register assembly being operable between a first condition in which said louvered front panel is in said closed position and said damper member is in said second position to enable a flow of relatively warm air to be directed outwardly by said louvered front panel and a second condition in which said louvered front panel is in said open position and said damper member is in said first position to direct a flow of relatively cool air through the opening formed between said uppermost portion of said front panel and said top portion of said base, said damper member being pivotal from said first position to a position intermediate said first and second positions when said louvered front panel is in said open position to direct one portion of a flow of relatively cool air through said louvered front panel and another portion of the flow of relatively cool air through the opening formed between said uppermost portion of said front panel and top portion of said base.