EP1185828B1

EP1185828B1 - Accessory for mounting an air diffuser to the end of a ventilation air duct

Info

Publication number: EP1185828B1
Application number: EP00935248A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heikki Hänninen
Original assignee: Flaekt Woods AB
Current assignee: Flaekt Woods AB
Priority date: 1999-06-11
Filing date: 2000-06-09
Publication date: 2004-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 2020-06-09
Also published as: FI104582B; FI991344A0; EP1185828A1; AU5081100A; NO20015577D0; NO315533B1; NO20015577L; WO2000077455A1

Description

The present invention relates to an accessory for mounting an air diffuser to the end of a ventilation air duct in accordance with the preamble of the enclosed claim.

This kind of air diffuser, generally used as an inlet or outlet air diffuser is typically mounted at the end of a ventilation air duct by first attaching to the duct end a so-called mounting collar that has its inner periphery provided with grooves or the like shaped formation on which the air diffuser is mounted by a rotating or pressing action. One embodiment of such a mounting frame is disclosed in FI Pat. No. 102,111.

It must be noted that one additional requirement set for this kind of diffuser is an easy dismounting of the diffuser for control or cleaning. Besides, the mounting of the diffuser must also be leak-proof and sufficiently tight to prevent the diffuser from dropping off or becoming loose in its mount unintentionally.

In practice it is common that a situation is encountered in which the use of a mounting collar is impossible simply because of a lacking facility for attaching the collar, e.g., to the end of a duct. Herein, the duct itself has no grooves or the like that could support the diffuser. A plurality of arrangements are known in the art to meet these circumstances. One such embodiment is disclosed in FI Pat. No. 59,299, wherein the outer surface of a diffuser is machined into or provided with springed clamping members projecting outward from the surface. Then, the diffuser can be inserted in place by pushing the diffuser inward into the duct with a simultaneously rotating action, whereby the inclined edges of the springed clamping members make a firm grip on the inner surface of the duct thus locking the diffuser in place. Such a diffuser design is intended to be dismounted by rotating the diffuser in the opposite direction. However, field experience tells that the diffusers after some time stick so tightly to the ducts that their dismounting without damage is almost impossible.

Further, the document SE-C-157746 discloses an accessory for mounting an air diffuser to the end of a ventilation air duct, the rear end of the diffuser having at least two pivotally flipping springed clamping members adapted thereto capable of firmly holding the diffuser in place, wherein said accessory comprises one clamp piece adapted to fit against the inner surface of the ventilaition air duct, and wherein the surface of said clamping piece which remains radially toward the longitudinal center axis of the duct has a groove or the like holding recess made thereto for the purpose of accommodating the springed clamping member of the diffuser.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a construction by virtue of which a diffuser can be mounted to, as well as dismounted from, the end of a duct in an extremely easy manner. The invention relates to an accessory characterized in that the accessory is comprised of a pair of essentially L-shaped clamp pieces, either one of them including a groove for accommodating the springed wire of the diffuser clamping member, and that one leg of said L-shaped clamp piece locks against the edge of the duct rim thus preventing the clamp piece from sliding further into the interior of the ventilation air duct during the diffuser insertion step. The invention is intended to be used in conjunction with a conventional type of diffuser having two bent hemicircularly bent springed clamping members made from a wire material. In the prior art, this type of diffuser could only be mounted into a mounting collar having ready-made grooves to accommodate the clamping members. Now the accessory according to the invention makes it possible to mount such a diffuser in a smooth-walled ventilation air duct without the need for installing a mounting frame. This is made possible by the groove designed into the clamp pieces of the accessory. These clamp pieces can be manufactured at a low cost and their insertion and removal when necessary is extremely easy and simple.

In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with the help of a preferred exemplifying embodiment by making reference to the appended drawings in which

FIG. 1: shows the initial phase of the diffuser insertion;
FIG. 2: shows the end phase of the diffuser insertion; and
FIG. 3: shows the situation of FIG. 2 as seen from the direction of arrow A.

In FIG. 1 is illustrated the use of clamp pieces 4 according to the invention in the mounting of a diffuser 2 equipped with springed-wire clamping members 3 to the end of a ventilation air duct 1, whereby the diffuser may serve as an air outlet or inlet diffuser. The clamp pieces 4 are provided on that surface of said clamp piece which remains radially toward the longitudinal center axis of the duct with grooves suitable for accommodating the springed-wire clamping members 3. Accordingly, there are two clamp pieces 4, one either side of the duct as shown in the diagrams elucidating an exemplifying embodiment, whereby either one of springed-wire clamping member 3 rests on one clamp piece. The clamp pieces are separate add-on components which means that they need not be mounted on the duct by any special operation.

Advantageously, the clamp pieces 4 are formed into an L-shape so that one leg of said L-shaped clamp piece locks against the wall or the edge of the duct rim. This possibility is particularly important in the initial phase of installation illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein the springed-wire clamping members 3 are already placed in the grooves of the clamp pieces 4 and the clamp pieces are mounted in place at the end of the duct. Starting from this initial situation, the insertion of the diffuser simply takes place by way of pushing the diffuser in the direction of the arrow which in FIG 1 is upwards. If the clamp pieces would not have the above-described shape, the pieces at this instant could start sliding further into the interior of the ventilation air duct, thus bringing the diffuser insertion operation into a complete failure. Herein, the short legs of the L-shaped pieces serve to keep the clamp pieces in place. A pushing force imposed on the diffuser makes the springed-wire clamping members to yield bendingly to some extent with a simultaneous flipping action about their pivot point, thus permitting the diffuser to slide into the interior of the duct end. Immediately after the springed clamping members have passed the position, where they are perpendicular to the axial direction of the diffuser, the diffuser will snap deeper under the force exerted by the springed clamping members into the position shown in FIG 2, which is the final installation position of the diffuser. The spring force keeps then the diffuser in place and the force is also sufficiently strong to create a sufficient friction between the clamp piece and the inner wall of the duct to prevent the clamp pieces from sliding out from the duct. This final situation (as viewed from the direction of arrow A) is also elucidated in FIG. 3.

Obviously, the dismounting of the diffuser from the duct end takes place by pulling the diffuser outward from the duct end. The pulling action must be started by initially exerting such a stronger force that exceeds the holding force exerted by the springed clamping members, after which the diffuser (with its clamp pieces) in practice pops out form the duct end. This type of diffuser equipped with springed clamping members is well known in the art as was mentioned above. However, its mounting in place has until now required a mounting collar with proper grooves to be preinstalled at the duct end. By virtue of the present invention, the applications of such a springed-member diffuser can be widened substantially.

To those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the invention is not limited to the above-described exemplifying embodiment, but rather, may be modified within the scope of the appended claim. Hence, e.g., the cross section of the channel or duct into which the diffuser is to be mounted, need not be circular, but instead, other shapes including a rectangular duct can be accommodated. The number of the clamp pieces is not limited to two, but rather, a greater number may be used as required when, e.g., the diffuser is equipped with a plurality of springed clamping members. Also other types of clamp piece junction point for holding the springed clamping member of the diffuser may be contemplated.

Claims

Accessory (4) for mounting an air diffuser (2) to the end of a ventilation air duct (1), the rear end of the diffuser having at least two pivotally flipping springed clamping members (3) adapted thereto capable of firmly holding the diffuser in place, said accessory comprising least one clamp piece (4) adapted to fit against the inner surface of the ventilation air duct (1), and the surface of said clamp piece which remains radially toward the longitudinal center axis of the duct having a groove or the like holding recess made thereto for the purpose of accommodating the springed clamping member (3) of the diffuser (2), characterized in that the accessory is comprised of a pair of essentially L-shaped clamp pieces (4), either one of them including a groove for accommodating the springed wire of the clamping member (3) of the diffuser (2), and that one leg of said L-shaped clamp piece locks against the edge of the duct rim thus preventing the clamp piece (4) from sliding further into the interior of the ventilation air duct during the diffuser insertion step.