AU749122B2

AU749122B2 - Air duct connector

Info

Publication number: AU749122B2
Application number: AU22485/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Walter Kimble
Original assignee: Air Advantage Pty Ltd; Advantage Air Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Advantage Air Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-03-30
Filing date: 1999-03-29
Publication date: 2002-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-29
Also published as: AU2248599A

Description

I-'/UU/Ul 1 28/5191 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: AIR DUCT CONNECTOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us IP Australia __1 Documents received on:

C

0 2 9MAR 19993

CD

Batch No: AIR DUCT CONNECTOR The present invention is generally directed to ducting for an air conditioning system, and in particular to an air duct connector for such ducting.

Various forms of air duct connectors are currently used for air conditioning systems. For example, connectors known as "Y pieces" allow a single flexible air duct to be connected to two other flexible air ducts. Other air duct connectors allow for more than three ducts to be inter-connected. Such arrangements are required where refrigerated or heated air from an air conditioning unit needs to be distributed to several outlets within a building.

Variations in the air flow between the various outlets need to be controlled by installing a damper within one or more of the ducts supplying air to the outlets.

The damper is usually in the form of a butterfly valve supported within an annular support.

In systems wherein the building is separated into separate air 15 conditioning zones, the air conditioning within each zone being independently S".1 controlled, it is normally necessary to have several such air duct connectors as well as motorised dampers to control the air flow.

The need for different types of air duct connectors and dampers can complicate the installation process, particularly when not all the required components are available on site or in stock at the time of the installation resulting in delays until the required component is obtained.

It would therefore be advantageous to minimise or eliminate the need to stock different types of connectors and dampers such that the installation time involved can be significantly reduced and the installation process simplified.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved air duct connector which can overcome at least one of the above identified problems associated with the installation of ducting for an air conditioning system.

With this in mind, there is provided an air duct connector for air conditioning ducts including a plenum box having an inlet opening and at least two outlet openings, and at least one flow control means locatable within the plenum box and adjacent a said outlet opening, the flow control means being selected in dependence on the air flow requirements of the outlet opening.

The provision of the flow control means within the plenum box eliminates the need for separate dampers to be placed in the ducting to control air distribution.

The flow control means may include at least one valve member rotatable about a rotational axis thereof and located adjacent the outlet opening. The valve member may be in the form of an elongate blade rotatable about an elongate axis thereof.

In one possible arrangement, the flow control means may include at least one pair of elongate blades, the blades being located such that their elongate axes are at least substantially parallel. Adjacent blades may be rotatable in an at least substantially equal and opposite direction relative to each other. This "opposed" blade arrangement allows for more uniform control of air flow across the flow area of the outlet opening. This is not possible with butterfly valves 15 where the flow control is generally restricted to around the periphery of the valve. The use of other types of flow control means are however also envisaged.

The flow control means may alternatively be a flow diverter for blocking the outlet opening. The flow diverter may include two angled wall sections for diverting the flow to another outlet opening.

According to one preferred embodiment, the plenum box may include upper and lower planar walls, with a single said inlet opening and three said outlet openings provided about the sides of the plenum box. This configuration :facilitates the installation of flow control means as hereinbefore described. The plenum box may be formed of two separate sections, the sections meeting along a plane extending through the plenum box and through each of the inlet and outlet openings thereof. This arrangement facilitates the transport of the air duct connector to site as the two sections can be nested together during transportation reducing the space required to transport the air duct connector.

This arrangement also facilitates on-site adaptation of the air duct connector for different applications. For example, separate flow control means may be located adjacent each of the outlet openings depending on the required 3 application of the air duct connector. Alternatively, the flow control means may be a flow diverter which can block off at least one of the outlet openings when it is not required in the particular application. The two part construction of the plenum box facilitates the adaptation of the air duct connector for different applications because it allows different combinations of flow control means or flow diverters to be installed on-site.

Location means may be provided on each plenum box section to allow the sections to be properly located relative to the other. The location means may for example be in the form of a location pin on one section, with a cooperating aperture being provided in the opposing section.

A neck adaptor may be mounted over the inlet and outlet openings to allow flexible ducts to be connected to the plenum box. According to one preferred embodiment, the plenum box may provide a peripheral shoulder S. about at least one inlet or outlet opening, the neck adaptor may include a collar 15 portion that can be located over and accommodated on the peripheral shoulder.

The neck adaptor may further include a neck portion to which a flexible duct may be secured. The neck portion may be of varying shapes depending on the cross-sectional shape of the air conditioning duct. The neck adaptor, when supported on a said peripheral shoulder may act to hold together the two sections of the plenum box when installed thereon. It is however also envisaged that separate fastening means be provided to secure together the two sections of the plenum box.

According to another preferred embodiment, the neck adaptor may o include a peripheral lip or abutment for engaging the peripheral edge of the inlet or outlet opening of the plenum box. The neck adaptor may further include a neck portion for supporting the air conditioning duct.

It is also envisaged that the neck adaptor may include an adaptor frame for separating an outlet opening into two or more separate flow areas. This arrangement allows for two or more ducts to be connected using this adaptor frame to the outlet opening. This enables the air duct connector according to the above described preferred embodiment to have greater than three outlet openings thereby further increasing the flexibility of this system.

4 According to one preferred embodiment, the outlet opening is provided with two pairs of opposing blades, the blades are supported on a drive assembly which can drive the blades in unison. The drive assembly may include a series of gear wheels, each blade being supported between an upper and lower gear wheel. The adjacent blades may be driven for movement in equal and opposite directions by the drive assembly. The adaptor frame may separate the outlet opening into two flow areas, the air flow through each air flow area being controlled by a respective pair of opposing blades.

The drive assembly may be either manually actuated or actuated by a powered drive arrangement depending on the application of the connector. For example, motorised control is required when the connector is used to control air distribution to different air conditioning zones within a building. Manual control is only required where the flow control means is used to adjust relative air distribution between different outlets.

15 Insulation may be provided for the plenum box in the form of inserts 0 located along the inner surfaces of the plenum box. Insert panels may be provided against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the plenum box. Insert strips may also be provided between openings in the plenum box. Further *insulation may be sprayed on to the outer surfaces of the plenum box. It is also envisaged that insulation may be sprayed on the inside of the plenum box in place of or in addition to the inserts.

0The air duct connector according to the present invention eliminates the need for separate dampers to control air flow through the ducts. Furthermore, the air duct connector according to the present invention can be readily adapted for different applications on-site reducing or eliminating the need for different types of connectors and dampers. The connector according to the present invention can preferably also reduce the number of connectors required in multizone air conditioning systems the connector preferably providing three or more outlet openings.

It will be convenient to further describe the present invention with respect to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention are possible and consequently the particularity of the accompanying drawings is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding description of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled air duct connector according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the plenum box arrangement of the air duct connector shown in Figure 1; Figure 3a and 3b are detailed views of the location means of the plenum box arrangement shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is an exploded view of a blade assembly of the plenum box arrangement of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a blade extension on a blade according to the present invention; ~Figure 6 is a flow diverter for the air duct connector according to the 15 present invention; Figure 7 is a detailed view of a manual control handle for the air duct S- connector according to the present invention; fr Figure 8a and 8b are respectively top and front views of an adaptor frame for the air duct connector according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a fully assembled air duct connector according to the present invention including the plenum box 1 and a series of neck adaptors 2, 3, 9 5 respectively connected to an inlet opening 9 of the plenum box 1 and the various outlet openings 6,7, 8 of the plenum box 1. Two of the neck adaptors 0 2,5 for the outlet openings 6,8 are provide with collar portions 2a,5a that can engage the plenum box 1. The plenum box 1 includes an upper panel wall la, and a lower panel wall Ib, with the inlet opening 9 and three outlet openings 6, 7, 8 being provided about the periphery of the plenum box 1. Flow control means are located within the plenum box 1. These flow control means can be actuated by motor assemblies 60,61.

Figure 2 shows in more detail the plenum box 1 shown in Figure 1 with the exception that a manual controller means 39 is provided in place of the motorised control shown in Figure 1. The plenum box 1 can be formed in two sections which includes an upper plenum box section 10 and a lower plenum box section 11. Flow control means in the form of a blade assembly 12 is located in front of each outlet opening of the plenum box 1. A lower insulation panel 13 is provided at the bottom of the plenum box 1 and upper insulation panel 14, is also provided under the top of the plenum box 1. Insulation strips are provided between the various openings of the plenum box 1.

The upper plenum box section 10 and lower plenum box section 11 are located into their assembled position by location means provided on each section thereof and shown in detail in Figures 3a and 3b. The upper plenum box section 10 includes locating pins 20, 22 for co-operating with apertures 21, 23 provided on the lower plenum box section 11. The plenum box 1 when assembled together provide a shoulder portion 16, 17, 19 about each opening as shown in Figure 2. The shoulder portions respectively support the neck adaptors 2,4,5 on the plenum box 1. Each neck adaptor having a collar section 15 2a, 4a, 5a which can be accommodated over the shoulder portions 16, 17, 19 of .I the plenum box 1. The neck adaptors therefore act to hold together the 9* assembled upper and lower plenum box sections 10, 11.

Figure 4 shows in more detail the construction of one blade 25 of the blade assembly 12. The blade 25 can be formed of two separate sections and 25b which can clip together via co-operating clipping sections 28a, 28b to form the single blade 25. This arrangement improves the rigidity of the blade.

S•The blade 25 may of course alternatively be constructed as a single piece unit as so required. Each blade 25 is supported between an upper gear wheel 26 and a lower gear wheel 27. These gear wheels mesh with the gear wheels of S .I their adjacent blades as best shown in Figures 1 and 2. This ensures that the blades 25 move in unison. Abutment tabs 29 extend from the upper and lower gear wheels 26, 27 for engaging co-operating abutment cavities 30 provided within the upper and lower insulation panels 13, 14 to thereby provide a seal at the upper and lower ends of the blade assembly 12 when closed to minimise leakage across the blade assembly 12. Each of the upper and lower gear wheels 26,27 includes a stub axle rotationally supported within the plenum box.

The lower gear wheels are supported on support apertures 36 provided in the lower plenum box section 11 (see Figure One or more of the upper gear wheels 26 includes a said stub axle 31 accommodated within an aperture 32 of the upper plenum box section Depending on the size of the inlet opening, blades 25 of different widths may be required. One way of providing blades of alternative widths is to provide an edge extension 35 which can be clicked onto either side of the blade 25 as shown in Figure When an outlet opening is not required in the particular application to which the air duct connector is being used, the flow control means may be in the form of a flow diverter 37 as shown in Figure 6 which may be attached over to block the outlet opening. The flow diverter 37 has two angled wall sections 38 which act to divert air flow towards the remaining outlet openings.

~Adjacent pairs of blades can move in equal and opposite directions to thereby provide an opposed blade arrangement. This arrangement provides So 15 improved flow control over the entire flow area of the outlet opening of the plenum box 1. By comparison, butterfly valves commonly used in air conditioning applications can generally only provide flow control about the periphery of the butterfly valve.

The blade assembly 12 can be manually moved by means of a manual I' 20 adjustor 39 shown in Figure 7 supported on the top of the plenum box 1 as 'shown in Figure 2. The manual adjustor 39 includes a spigot 40 which is accommodated within a co-operating opening 33 provided within the stub axle 31 of one of the upper gear wheels 26 as shown in Figure 4. The manual adjustor includes a series of apertures 41 provided in an arc about the axis of rotation 42 of the manual adjustor. The blade assembly 12 is adjusted by rotating the manual adjustor 39 about it's axis of rotation 42. When the manual adjustor 39 is in its final position, one of the apertures 41 can engage a stub (not shown) provided in the top face of the plenum box 1 to retain the manual adjustor in its final position. The manual adjustor 39 is made of flexible material to thereby facilitate the movement thereof and its final co-operation with the stub referred to above.

Figure 8a and 8b shows an adaptor frame 50 that can be located over one outlet opening of the plenum box 1. The adaptor frame 50 includes a central wall 51 which separates the outlet opening into two separate openings.

This enables a neck adaptor 5 as shown in Figure 1 having two separate duct connecting necks 5b to be supported over the outlet opening 8. The air duct connector can therefore have up to five separate outlet openings.

It is also possible to provide motorised control of the blade assembly 12.

As previously noted, figure 1 shows two such motor assemblies 60, 61 adapted to actuate the blade assemblies 25 through a spigot (not shown) similar to the manual adjustor shown in Figure 7.

The neck adaptor 3 may alternatively be supportable within an outlet opening as shown in Figure 1, with a peripheral rib (not shown) of the neck adaptor 3 being secured to the peripheral edge of the outlet opening 7.

The construction of the air duct connector allows for ready adaptation of the connector to different applications. In particular, the need for separate 15 damper means are avoided. Furthermore, the number of connectors required S"for any particular application can be minimised because the air duct connector as described can be adapted to have up to five separate openings. The blade assemblies can be readily adapted for either manual or motorised actuation thereby facilitating the use of the air duct connector in multi-zone air condition 20 applications. Furthermore, the two part construction of the plenum box allows 0. for significant space reductions during transport of the components of the air duct connector. In particular, the upper and lower plenum box sections can be nested together prior to use.

Claims

1. An air duct connector for air conditioning ducts including a plenum box having an inlet opening and at least two outlet openings, and at least one flow control means locatable within the plenum box and adjacent one of said outlet openings, the flow control means being selected in dependence on the air flow requirements of the outlet opening, wherein the flow control means includes at least one pair of elongate blades rotatable about an elongate axis thereof such that their elongate axes are at least substantially parallel, and the blades being located adjacent the outlet opening for controlling the air flow through said outlet opening.

2. An air duct connector according to claim 1, wherein adjacent blades of the flow control means are rotatable in an at least substantially equal and opposite .direction relative to each other.

3. An air duct connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blades of the air flow control means are supported on a drive assembly for driving the blades in unison. til4. An air duct connector according to claim 3, wherein the drive assembly includes a series of gear wheels, each blade being supported between an upper and lower gear wheel, the adjacent blades being driven for movement in equal and opposite directions by the drive assembly. An air duct connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flow control means includes a flow diverter for blocking the outlet opening.

6. An air duct connector according to claim 5, wherein the flow diverter includes two angled wall sections for diverting the air flow to another said outlet e. ening.

7. An air duct connector according to claim 1, wherein the plenum box is formed of two separable sections, the sections meeting along a plane extending through the plenum box and through each of the inlet and outlet openings thereof.

8. An air duct connector according to claim 7, wherein the plenum box sections are adapted to be nestable together prior to use.

9. An air duct connector according to claim 7 or 8, further including location means on each plenum box section for properly locating the two sections when assembled together. An air duct connector according to any on of claims 7 to 9, wherein the plenum box includes upper and lower panel walls, and a single said inlet opening and three said outlet openings provided about the sides of the plenum box.

11. An air duct connector according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the plenum box includes a peripheral shoulder about at least one inlet or outlet opening, the peripheral shoulder supporting a neck adaptor having a collar portion locatable over and accommodated on the peripheral shoulder.

12. An air duct connector according to claim 11, wherein the neck adaptor oo .includes a peripheral lip or abutment for engaging the peripheral edge of the inlet or outlet opening of the plenum box.

13. An air duct connector according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the neck adaptor further includes a neck portion to which a flexible duct is securable, the neck portion being shaped to correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the flexible duct.

14. An air duct connector according to any one of claims 7 to 13, including an adaptor frame locatable over a said outlet opening for separating the outlet opening into two or more separate flow areas. 11 An air duct connector according to claim 14, including a neck adaptor supportable on the adaptor frame and having a respective neck portion for each said flow area.

16. An air duct connector according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the flow control means includes a plurality of pairs of elongate blades located such that their elongate axes are at least substantially parallel, the air flow though each flow area provided by the adaptor frame being controlled by one said pair of blades.

17. An air duct connector according to claim 16, wherein adjacent said blades are rotatable in an at least substantially equal and opposite direction relative to each other. S" 18. An air duct connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein insulation is provided for the plenum box in the form of inserts located along the inner surfaces of the plenum box.

19. An air duct connector according to any one of claims 1 to 17, including insulation sprayed on the inside surfaces of the plenum box.

20. An air duct connector according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 8B. Dated this 23 rd day of April 2002 ADVANTAGE AIR (AUST.) PTY LTD WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 21ST FLOOR, "ALLENDALE SQUARE TOWER" 77 ST GEORGE'S TERRACE PERTH WA 6000