Object catcher for floor mounted air vents

Abstract

An open basket of a resilient mesh material having first and second side edges of a frictional flexible material. The side edges are adapted to provide for positioning of the basket either immediately partially between a vent cover and the duct, or alternatively, fully within the duct at a location immediately below and spaced apart from, the vent cover. The mesh size of the basket is chosen to preclude the passage therethrough of commonly experienced objects, such as rounded objects such as marbles, elongated objects such as nail clippers, pens, coins, etc. any of which may pass through the slots defined in the vent cover.

1 . An object catcher for miscellaneous objects potentially entering a floor-mounted air duct directly or through a vent cover for the air duct comprising,
 a. an open top basket including a body portion, first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite sides, each side having an outer margin,   b. said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges comprising a frictional material,   c. said basket being formed of a flexible resilient mesh material whereby said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges is biased laterally outwardly of said body portion when said mesh material is free to seek its relaxed state.   
   
   
       2 . The object catcher of  claim 1  wherein each outer margin of each side of said basket comprises a strip of frictional material having a first side edge incorporated into said basket and a second side edge projecting laterally away from the outer margin of their respective one of said first and second sides of said body portion. 
   
   
       3 . The object catcher of  claim 2  wherein said strip of frictional material is adapted to develop a frictional engagement with either a wooden surface, a polymeric surface or a metallic surface. 
   
   
       4 . The object catcher of  claim 1  wherein said body portion exhibits a substantially “V”-shaped cross section. 
   
   
       5 . The object catcher of  claim 1  wherein said mesh material comprises a resilient wire mesh material or a polymeric material. 
   
   
       6 . The object catcher of  claim 1  wherein said elongated basket is cutaway at each of its opposite ends in a manner which precludes said basket from interfering with the adjustment of air flow through the vent cover. 
   
   
       7 . The object catcher of  claim 5  wherein said mesh material exhibits mesh openings of between about three-eighth and five eighth inch. 
   
   
       8 . A method for capturing objects passing inwardly through an air vent or vent cover into an air duct comprising the steps of
 a. providing a basket having first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite resilient sides having respective outer rims,   b. adapting said outer rims of said first and second sides for frictional engagement with either a wood, polymeric or metallic surface,   c. placing said first and second sides in a compressed state,   d. while said sides are in compression, inserting said basket into a floor-mounted air vent,   e. thereupon releasing said first and second sides from their compressed state whereupon said respective rims of said first and second sides are urged into frictional engagement with said floor-mounted air vent.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  and including the step of providing cutouts proximate each of said first and second opposite ends of said basket, each of said cutouts being of a generally “V” shape with the open top end of each of said cutouts being disposed adjacent the open end of said basket and the vertex of each cutout terminating proximate, but spaced apart from, the bottom of said basket thereby leaving intact a portion of the bottom of said basket which defines a barrier against the escape of a captured object from said basket via the opposite ends of said basket. 
   
   
       10 . A catcher for miscellaneous objects entering the opening of a floor-mounted air duct comprising
 a) a vent cover disposed in covering relationship to the opening,   b) said vent cover having first and second ends and including a plurality of elongated vanes hingedly mounted with said vent cover about respective axels, each such axel having a first end protruding from a first end of said vent cover and a second end protruding from a second end of said duct and depending from said vent cover into the opening of the floor-mounted air duct,   c) a vane adjustment mechanism adapted to rotate said vanes about their respective hinged axels for regulating the flow of air through said vent cover;   d) an open top basket including a body portion, first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite sides, each side having an outer margin,   e) said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges comprising a frictional material,   f) said basket being formed of a flexible resilient mesh material whereby said outer margin of each of said first and second side edges is biased laterally outwardly of said body portion when said mesh material is free to seek its relaxed state, and,   g) each of said opposite ends of said basket being cutout to define at each end thereof a substantially “V” shaped void adapted to receive therein said projecting ends of said axels when said basket is disposed within the floor-mounted air duct proximate said vent cover, whereby said basket is precluded from interfering with the movement of said axels when they are adjusted for regulating the flow of air through said vent cover.