AU2003100865B4 - Duct screen - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INVENTION PATENT NEW DUCT SCREEN The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: For a provisional specification you would use the words "The invention is described in the following statement:] .4 2 o DUCT SCREEN For many years the under floor ducted air conditioning and heating systems have o required regular cleaning to remove the accumulated dirt and other particles which have Z caused bad odor, unhealthy environment, blockage to air streams, and damages to the 00 heating and the air conditioning machines. This invention has been specially devised in o0 order to provide simple, cheap, and effective means to rectify these unsolved problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a duct screen for positioning within a duct boot, including a screen holder which fits firmly inside the boot; said screen IND holder having a flexible flange extending from the screen holder to the inside of the duct 00 boot and a plurality of internal seats upon which a screen may be positioned; a screen to prevent objects from entering the boot and to prevent insects from exiting the boot and o which sits on the seats; and retaining means to prevent vertical or horizontal movement of the screen in the screen holder.

o In order that the invention may be better understood, it will now be described non- Cl 20 limitingly by reference to preferred embodiments as shown in the attached Figures.

This duct screen device in accordance with this invention comprises a rectangular screen holder which fits firmly inside the rectangular section of the boot. At the top end of the holder there is a rectangular flexible flange which covers any possible clearance in between boot and holder. The holder's internal walls consists of six extruded seats, two of which are located at the central parts of the long adjacent walls, and the other four seats are located at the four corners. These seats carry the perforated screen.

The screen perforations are made of such material and sizes in which to allow for warm and cool air to flow across with minimal pressure drop, with low noise, and to efficiently collect all particles and dirt dropping on it through the floor register flush with the floor pieces of bread, cat food, screws, rings, pens, etc), also to restrict any insects from entering the house via the floor register.

The screen is pushed down firmly against the six seats via four metal sliding clips in order to restrict its possible vertical or horizontal movement under any air pressure magnitude.

The four sliding metal clips while in fully open position are situated at the top end of the screen holder next to the top flange which surrounds the screen holder. The internal part of this clip slides vertically from top end of screen holder along a slim rectangular groove (groove is built-in the internal face of wall) until it reaches and secures the screen to seat underneath. At the same instance, the external part of the clip slides at the external face of holder and through a rectangular slim opening through the attached top flange.

At one end of the screen frame there is an existing handle which allows the house to hold and lift the screen in order to access the damper situated at the lower end of the boot for the purpose of manually adjusting the air flow.

The duct screen device can be easily installed by any house hold simply by sliding it inside the floor boot and by fastening it to the floor boot using two supplied self screws.

The screen can be easily accessed for cleaning purposes by simply removing the floor register and vacuuming the screen.

The duct screen assembly except for the screen and clips is preferably made from'heat resistant plastic material, same material as floor boot. The screen material should-be made from stainless steel or equivalent material to resist any possible damaging, mishandling and to last longer.

The invention may be better understood with reference to the illustrations of embodiments of the invention which:- Figure 1 shows the top view of the duct screen assembly inside the duct boot, Figure 3 shows the side view at Section A-A of the duct screen assembly inside the duct boot.

Figure 2 shows the side view at Section A-A of the duct screen assembly only.

View B shows an enlargement of the right side clip for clarification purposes.

In Figs. 3 2 the rectangular holder 3 is located just above the bottom end of boot's rectangular section 1 and is joined to boot by two adjoining self screws 10. At the upper end of the screen holder 3 a rectangular plastic flexible flange 6 is connected, and at the middle of each flange there is a slim rectangular hole in which the external part of each clip 7 pass and slide vertically along the external side of each wall, refer to View B for clarification.

The screen holder's internal walls consists of six extruded seats 5 in which the perforated screen 4 lays on. Screen is pushed down wards firmly against the seats by the four sliding clips 7.

Screen 4 can be removed by first sliding clips 7 vertically upwards, second by pulling the screen handle 8 outwards. Screen 4 is built inside a frame 9.

Claims (2)

1. 3. A duct screen as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the flange includes a plurality of openings through which the clips may pass.
2. 4. A duct screen as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the screen holder is fixed to the boot by a plurality of self screws. A duct screen substantially as herein before described with reference to figures 1- 3 of the drawings.