AU619838B2 - Duct components - Google Patents

Description

SPE C I FICATION COMLETE FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Class Int. Class 4 S *4 6 6 *0 6I 6 6 *46 4. 6*

S

*666 4. S S 4 46 64 'i6S 4 8406

S

.4 4 4 6* 4 Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor/s: Address for Service: Complete Specification GENDA CORPORATION PTY. LTD.

326 Albert Street, Brunswick, Victoria, 3056 William J. Donnelly SMITH SHELSTON BEADLE 207 Riversdale Road Box 410) Hawthorn, 3122, Victoria, Australia for the invention entitled; DUCT COMPONENTS I 681 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: Page I Our Ref: #3509 PS:LG 1O.duct 2 1 This invention relates to duct components.

2 It has been common in the heating and airconditioning 3 industry to use duct components of metal to connect a first 4 duct of a first diameter to one or more further ducts of different diameter. However, such metal duct components are 6 difficult to make and require skilled labour and expensive 7 equipment.

8 The present invention provides a duct component for use 9 in an air distribution system for connecting a first length of ducting to a second length of ducting, the component

SI

S 11 being integrally formed of synthetic plastics material and *:too: 12 comprising first and second tubular portions for connection S 1 respectively, to said first and second lengths of ducting S 14 and a hollow body portion spacing the tubular portions apart and wherein the body portion has a wall thickness cf not i 16 greater than 2.5 mm and is strengthened against collapse or 17 deformation by at least one circumferentially or 18 longitudinally extending strengthening rib which extends 19 outwardly on the outer surface of the body portion.

Preferably said rib is represented on the inner surface 21 of the body as a channel and wherein the channel has a width 22 sufficiently small and a depth sufficiently large such that iLl 23 air within the channel will be substantially dead air 24 whereby, in use to reduce the rate of heat transfer between the interior and exterior of the component in the region of 26 the rib.

27 The channel preferably has a width of not less than 28 2'm, more preferably not less than 4mm and a depth of at 29 least 2mm more preferably at least 4mm.

890519,.tpsspe.OlOduct.spe, 3- 1 Preferably the body portion has a wall thickness of 2mm 2 or less.

3 Preferably at least the body portion is provided with 4 external insulating material. As will be likely, the thickness of such insulation in the region of the rib will.

6 be less than the thickness of the insulation in regions 7 remote from the web.

8 The insulation may be a sprayed on insulation such as a 9 polyurethane foam but polyurethane foam is not permitted in some countries due to noxious fumes that are produced when a 11 it burns. In the event that the insulation is a sprayed on 12 insulation, the rib may also serve as a key to hold the V~ 13 insulation to the body portion.

14 It is however preferred that the insulation be provided by individual portions of insulation material secured to the 16 body portion.

17 In this last respect, it is preferred that there is a 18 plurality of such. ribs and that that plurality effectively 19 divides the body portion into a nqmber of panels in respect of each of which an individual portton of insulation may be 21 located, 22 Further, it 1s preferred that the insulation locate 23 over those panels without substantially covering the ribs as 24 so Going makes for easy assembly but as in this instance the ribs per so~ are not insulated, the aforesaid substantially 26 dead air becomes particularly important.

27 The individual portions of insulation may be adherred 28 to the body portion, 29 The individual portions of insulation may be shaped to 890519, 1 psspe iQ01, duct. spe, r 1 I t 4

V

I

I

i

I

I

1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 S 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 closely fit the panels.

The tubular portions preferably have projections adapted to engage with the first and the second length of ducting to restrict against removal from such engagement.

Specific embodiments of duct components in accordance with this invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first duct component, Fig. 2 is a side view of the first duct component, Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an individual portion of insulation, Fig 5 is a perspective view of another individual portion of insulation, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another individual portion of insulation, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a second duct component, and Fig. 8 is a side view of the second duct component.

The duct component shown in Fig. 1 and 2 is integrally formed of synthetic plastics material with a wall thickness of 2 mm or less. As svuch it is not particularly strong but it is strengthened against deformation by ribs 1 and 2.

The ribs 1 and 2, from the inside of the duct component as seen in Fig. 3, are seen as channels 3 and have a width of about 3mm and a depth of about 4mm.

In practice that sizing of the channels 3 will result in dead air being trapped therein and the dead air will have an insulating effect to restrict heat losses or gains 8905l9,!psspe.O1Oduct.spet r 5 1 through the ribs 1 and 2.

2 Insulation for the component shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is 3 conveniently provided by the pieces 6 and 7 shown iii Figs. 4 4 and 5 which can be fitted to the panels 8 and 9 respectively, defined by the ribs 1 and 2. The pieces 6 and 6 7 may be adherred to the panels 8 and 9.

7 Since the pieces 6 and 7 do not overlap the ribs 1 and 8 2, the advantage of the dead air will be apparent.

9 The component shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has tubular portions 21, 22 and 23 for connection to ducting and thereon 11 has projections 24 which can engage with the ducting.

Si! S 12 The insulation pieces 6 and 7 are preferably of i 1" 13 flexible foam material.

l. 14 The component shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is similar to that *I shown in Figs. 1 and 2 excepting for being of different 16 shape. That component may be used with the insulation 17 piece shown in Fig. 6.

18 It will be evident to persons skilled in the art that 19 the present invention provides improved duct components which are more easily manufactured than known metal duct 21 components. The unique arrangement of strengthening ribs S22 which define panels on the outer surface of a component 23 enables pre-cut insulation pieces to be readily placed on 24 the corresponding panel during manufacture. This provides 23 a significant improvement in the manufacturing process as 26 opposed to wrapping insulattin around the component whilst 27 trying to glue the insulation in place. The re-inforcing 28 ribs are also designed to minimiz heat loss in the area of 29 the ribs.

890519, psspe.010,duct.spe,

J

6 1 The entire contents of the provisional specifications 2 lodged with Australian Patent Applications of which this is 3 the complete specification are hereby imported into this 4 specification and form part of the disclosure of this specification. The claims form part of the disclosure of 6 this specification.

7 t c t t t

I

t l 890519,psspe.010,duct.spe,

Claims (4)

1. 2. A duct component as defined in claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of longitudinally extending said strengthening ribs which divide the body portion into a number of panels on the outer surface of said component and .P;'+tea to an individual piece of insulation ever~cd37± each said panel
2. 3. A duct. component as defined in claim 2, wherein said pieces of insulation substantially cover the outer surface of said component between said ribs and are adhered to said body portion.
3. 4. A duct component as defined in any one of claims 1# 2 or 3 wherein each said rib is represented on the inner surface of the body portion as a channel and wherein the channel has a width sufficiently small and a depth sufficiently large such that air within the channel will be substantially dead air whereby, in use to reduce the rate of 29 890519, 1 psape.010, duct. spe, I -I 8 I 1 heat transfer between the interior and exterior of the 2 zomponent in the region of the rib. 3 5. A duct component as defined in claim 4, wherein said 4 channel has a width of not less than 2 mm, a depth of not less than 2 mm and a wall thickness of 2 mm or less. 6 6. A duct component as defined in claim 5, wherein said 7 channel has a width of not less than 4 mm and a depth of not 8 less than 4 mm. 9 7. A duct component as defined in any one of the preceding S0 claims, wherein said tubular portions have projections S 11 adapted to engage with the first and second lengths of 12 ducting respectively, to restrict against removal from such 13 engagement. 14 8. A duct component substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the 16 accompanying drawings. 17 9. A duct component substantially as hereinbefore S1 described with reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the 19 accompanying drawings.
4. 10. The artiele, par- emnt s 21 methods, processes, compounds and composi a referred to 22 or indicated in the spec ation and/or claims of the 23 application vidually or collectively, and any and all 24 mare ef su.ch. 890519, psspe.010.duct.spe, 4 9- 4 1 4 @1 4 4 4014 41 I 44 4 4,4 I 4£ 4£ t 41£ I 1 2 DATED THIS 19th May, 1989 3 SMITH SHELSTON BEADLE 4 Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Austr2alia. 6 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 7 GENDA CORPORATION PTY. LTD. 89O519, lpsspe.O1O,duct.spe,