# US 10,502,475 B2 · Refrigerated container and duct extension > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,475 B2 - Document ID: US10502475B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/786,283 - Filed: 2014-04-11 - Published: 2016-03-17 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-22 - Assignees: Carrier Corporation - Applicants: Carrier Corporation - Inventors: Shafi N. Khan; Peter R. Bushnell; Richie C. Stauter; Dale R. Fine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502475B2 ## CPC - F25D 17/08: using ducts - B60H 1/00014: {for load cargos on load transporting vehicles} - B60H 1/00557: {Details of ducts or cables} - B60P 3/20: Refrigerated goods vehicles (air treatment of goods space B60H; {air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048}) - F16L 9/12: of plastics with or without reinforcement (F16L9/16 - F16L9/22 take precedence) - F25D 17/005: {in cold rooms} - B29C 51/105: {Twin sheet thermoforming, i.e. deforming two parallel opposing sheets or foils at the same time by using one common mould cavity and without welding them together during thermoforming (B29C51/267, B29C49/0691 take precedence)} - B29L 2023/22: {Tubes or pipes, i.e. rigid (bent tubes not for use as pipe couplings B29L2023/004)} - B65D 88/745: {blowing or injecting heating, cooling or other conditioning fluid inside the container} - F25D 11/003: {Transport containers} - F25D 2317/063: with air guides - F25D 2317/067: characterised by air ducts - F25D 2500/02: Geometry problems - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES - B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00) - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES ## Abstract A duct (100) comprises the molded combination of: an inlet flange (110) surrounding an inlet (102), the inlet having a height and a width; and body (112) extending from the inlet to an outlet (104) and having a body interior that laterally outwardly diverges and upwardly shifts from the inlet toward the outlet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transport refrigeration system comprising: a refrigeration system (30) including: a fan (42) for driving air along a flowpath from an inlet (62) to an outlet (64); and a heat exchanger (38) along the flowpath for cooling the air; and a duct (100) comprising a twin-sheet thermoformed combination of: an inlet flange (110) surrounding an inlet (102), the duct mounted so that the duct inlet (102) receives air from the refrigeration system outlet, the duct inlet having a height and a width; and body (112) extending from the duct inlet to an outlet (104) and having a body interior that laterally outwardly diverges and upwardly shifts from the duct inlet toward the duct outlet wherein: the duct comprises a proximal trunk (130) and a plurality of distal branches (132A-132D); a plurality of walls (134A-134C) divide the distal branches, each wall comprising at least one portion protruding upward from a bottom of the body and at least one portion protruding downward from a top of the body and meeting; and one or more of the walls includes an interrupted portion (186) wherein the interrupted portion of the one or more of the walls protrudes upward from the bottom of the duct to a non-recessed location on the top of the duct. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein: the duct comprises thermoplastic polyolefin. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein: the interrupted portion includes a mounting hole (188). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of tabs (142) at the duct outlet, each tab including a mounting a hole (144). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The transport refrigeration system of claim 1 further comprising: a container (22). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The transport refrigeration system of claim 5 wherein: the refrigeration system is mounted along a front wall of the container. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method for making the transport refrigeration system of claim 1, the method comprising: making the duct by: providing a first sheet and a second sheet; vacuum thermoforming the first sheet and the second sheet; and pressing the thermoformed first sheet and thermoformed second sheet together so as to fuse the first and second sheets together. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method for using the transport refrigeration system of claim 1, the method comprising: attaching the flange (110) to an outlet (64) of a refrigeration system (30) of a transport container (22). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising: attaching the duct body (112) to a ceiling (70) of the container. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein: the attaching the duct body to the ceiling comprises screwing through tabs protruding from an upper portion of the duct at the duct outlet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein: the attaching of the duct body to the ceiling comprises screwing through upwardly-projecting pockets. ### Claim 12 A transport refrigeration system comprising: a refrigeration system (30) including: a fan (42) for driving air along a flow path from an inlet (62) to an outlet (64); and a heat exchanger (38) along the flowpath for cooling the air; and a duct (100) comprising a twin-sheet thermoformed combination of: an inlet flange (110) surrounding an inlet (102), the duct mounted so that the duct inlet (102) receives air from the refrigeration system outlet, the duct inlet having a height and a width; and a body (112) extending from the duct inlet to an outlet (104) and having a body interior that laterally outwardly diverges and upwardly shifts from the duct inlet toward the duct outlet, the body having: a proximal trunk (130); a plurality of distal branches (132A-132D); and a plurality of walls (134A-134C), wherein the plurality of walls divide the plurality of distal branches, each wall comprising at least one first portion protruding upward from a bottom sheet of the body and at least two second portions protruding downward from a top sheet of the body, said at least one first portion and said at least two second portions meeting between said top and bottom sheets; and wherein one or more of the walls includes an interrupted portion (186), the interrupted portion formed by deformation of the bottom sheet so that the bottom and top sheets fuse at a location locally coplanar with the top sheet, and said interrupted portion being located between the at least two second portions of a respective wall of said one or more of the walls. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The transport refrigeration system of claim 12 wherein: the duct comprises thermoplastic polyolefin.