US 10,207,563 B2Granted

Refrigeration trailer air distribution chute

AssigneeSignode Industrial Group LLC

InventorToby Wynn Clark

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Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigeration trailer air distribution chute. The chute includes a first air director attachable to a ceiling of a refrigeration trailer spanning a refrigeration unit and a side wall of the trailer, and a second air director attachable to and extending along the ceiling proximate the side wall to the rear of the trailer. The first air director is attachable to the ceiling along two lines of attachment, causing the first air director to have a cross section of a first shape regardless of whether the chute is in an unexpanded or an expanded state. The second air director is attachable to the ceiling along one line of attachment, causing the second air director to have a cross section of a second shape when the chute is in the unexpanded state and a third shape when the chute is in the expanded state.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

mounting a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion of a deformable first air director such that the first air director is fluidically connected to an air outlet of a refrigeration unit of a refrigeration trailer;
mounting a deformable second air director to the refrigeration trailer such that the second air director extends along a first side wall of the refrigeration trailer;
mounting a deformable third air director to the refrigeration trailer such that the third air director extends along a second side wall of the refrigeration trailer that opposes the first side wall;
fluidically connecting the second air director to the air outlet of the refrigeration unit via the first air director such that:
(1) air can flow from the air outlet of the refrigeration unit into the first air director to expand the first air director from a first air director unexpanded state to a first air director expanded state;
and (2) air can flow from the air outlet of the refrigeration unit into the second air director via the first air director to expand the second air director from a second air director unexpanded state to a second air director expanded state;
and
fluidically connecting the third air director to the air outlet of the refrigeration unit such that air can flow from the air outlet of the refrigeration unit into the third air director to expand the third air director from a third air director unexpanded state to a third air director expanded state,
wherein a portion of the first air director has:
(1) a first cross-section when the first air director is in the first air director unexpanded state;
and (2) a second cross-section different from the first cross-section when the first air director is in the first air director expanded state,
wherein a portion of the second air director has:
(1) a third cross-section when the second air director is in the second air director unexpanded state;
and (2) a fourth cross-section different from the second cross-section and the third cross-section when the second air director is in the second air director expanded state, and
wherein a portion of the third air director has:
(1) a fifth cross-section when the third air director is in the third air director unexpanded state;
and (2) a sixth cross-section different from the second cross-section and the fifth cross-section when the third air director is in the third air director expanded state.

14 more elements

An air distribution chute comprising:

a deformable first air director at least partially defining a chute inlet, the first air director mountable to a refrigeration trailer at a first attachment area via first fastener elements and at a second attachment area spaced apart from the first attachment area,
wherein a portion of the first air director has a first cross-section when the first air director is in a first air director unexpanded state and a second cross-section different from the first cross-section when the first air director is in a first air director expanded state;
a deformable second air director comprising multiple spaced-apart second fastener elements and at least partially defining a chute outlet, the second air director mountable to the refrigeration trailer via the second fastener elements at a third attachment area different from the first and second attachment areas,
wherein the second air director is fluidically connectable to the first air director to enable fluid to flow from the chute inlet, through the first and second air directors, and out of the chute outlet, and
wherein a portion of the second air director has a third cross-section when the second air director is in a second air director unexpanded state and a fourth cross-section different from the third cross-section when the second air director is in a second air director expanded state.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/945,284Filed 4 Apr 2018 · continuation
Priority: 13 May 2013
Published: US 2018/0290513 A111 Oct 2018
Granted: 19 Feb 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B60H 1/00014
Combined heating, ventilating, or cooling devices: for load cargos on load transporting vehicles
B60H 1/00564
Details of ducts or cables: of air ducts
B60H 1/3407
Nozzles; Air-diffusers: providing an air stream in a fixed direction, e.g. using a grid or porous panel
F25D 17/005
Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces: in cold rooms

Family

Application61/822,718Us provisional application · filed 13 May 2013
Application14/263,452Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Apr 2014
Application15/497,833Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Apr 2017
US 9,636,967 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 May 2017
US 2018/0290513 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Oct 2018
US 9,937,767 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0335775 A1Published application
US 2017/0225538 A1Published application
US 10,207,563 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.