Contingencies	9 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2011
Contingencies [Abstract]
Contingencies	13. CONTINGENCIES On August 25, 2011 one of the Company's subsidiaries, RBC Manufacturing Corporation, and Nordyne LLC entered into a settlement agreement resolving the patent litigation that was filed by Nordyne and that was pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Civil Action No. 4:09-cv-00203-ERW. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, both parties have dismissed their respective claims, we have received an undisclosed payment from Nordyne, and Nordyne shall have the rights under the asserted patent to continue to manufacture and sell all of its products. One of the Company's subsidiaries that it acquired in 2007 is subject to numerous claims filed in various jurisdictions relating to certain sub-fractional motors that were primarily manufactured through 2004 and that were included as components of residential and commercial ventilation units marketed by a third party. These claims generally allege that the ventilation units were the cause of fires. Based on the current facts, the Company does not believe these claims, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material effect on its results of operations or financial condition. However, the Company cannot predict the outcome of these claims, or the nature or extent of remedial actions, if any, it may need to undertake with respect to motors that remain in the field. As a result, it cannot estimate a range of reasonably possible losses associated with these matters, some of which could be significant. The Company is, from time to time, party to litigation that arises in the normal course of its business operations, including product warranty and liability claims, contract disputes and environmental, asbestos, employment and other litigation matters. The Company's products are used in a variety of industrial, commercial and residential applications that subject us to claims that the use of our products is alleged to have resulted in injury or other damage. The Company accrues for anticipated costs in defending against such lawsuits in amounts that we believe are adequate, and the Company does not believe that the outcome of any such lawsuit, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material effect on the Company's financial position or its results of operations.

Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Oct. 01, 2011

13. CONTINGENCIES

On August 25, 2011 one of the Company's subsidiaries, RBC Manufacturing Corporation, and Nordyne LLC entered into a settlement agreement resolving the patent litigation that was filed by Nordyne and that was pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Civil Action No. 4:09-cv-00203-ERW. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, both parties have dismissed their respective claims, we have received an undisclosed payment from Nordyne, and Nordyne shall have the rights under the asserted patent to continue to manufacture and sell all of its products.

One of the Company's subsidiaries that it acquired in 2007 is subject to numerous claims filed in various jurisdictions relating to certain sub-fractional motors that were primarily manufactured through 2004 and that were included as components of residential and commercial ventilation units marketed by a third party. These claims generally allege that the ventilation units were the cause of fires. Based on the current facts, the Company does not believe these claims, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material effect on its results of operations or financial condition. However, the Company cannot predict the outcome of these claims, or the nature or extent of remedial actions, if any, it may need to undertake with respect to motors that remain in the field. As a result, it cannot estimate a range of reasonably possible losses associated with these matters, some of which could be significant.

The Company is, from time to time, party to litigation that arises in the normal course of its business operations, including product warranty and liability claims, contract disputes and environmental, asbestos, employment and other litigation matters. The Company's products are used in a variety of industrial, commercial and residential applications that subject us to claims that the use of our products is alleged to have resulted in injury or other damage. The Company accrues for anticipated costs in defending against such lawsuits in amounts that we believe are adequate, and the Company does not believe that the outcome of any such lawsuit, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material effect on the Company's financial position or its results of operations.