Radial compression packaging of a flexible duct
AssigneeQuietflex Manufacturing Co., LP
InventorsStanley Rusek, Jr., Darrin L. Affeldt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for packing and assembling a flexible duct that includes a sleeve. The sleeve includes a tubular vapor barrier and an insulating layer within the vapor barrier and includes a central cavity. Further, the sleeve is radially compressed and rolled along an axial direction. The system also includes an air core sized to fit within the central cavity of the insulating layer. The air core includes a sheet that blocks fluid flow therethrough and a structural support coiled within the sheet and the air core is flattenable and not within the rolled sleeve.
Claims22
A system for packing and assembling a flexible duct, comprising:
- a sleeve comprising:
- a tubular vapor barrier;
- an insulating layer within the vapor barrier and comprising a central cavity;
- and
- wherein the sleeve is radially compressed and rolled along an axial direction;
- and
- an air core sized to fit within the central cavity of the insulating layer, the air core comprising a sheet configured to block fluid flow therethrough and a structural support coiled within the sheet and wherein the air core is flattenable and not within the rolled sleeve.
A method for compressing a flexible duct comprising:
- radially compressing a sleeve comprising an insulating layer within a vapor barrier;
- rolling the compressed vapor barrier and insulating layer along an axial direction;
- and
- flattening an air core comprising a tubular sheet and a structural support coiled within the tubular sheet, wherein the air core is sized to fit within a central cavity of the insulating layer.
A method for assembling a flexible duct comprising:
- partially unrolling a sleeve that comprises an insulating layer within a vapor barrier;
- and
- expanding a flattened air core within a shuttle bag inside the sleeve and into radial engagement with the insulating layer by providing a pressurized stream of air into the air core to unroll the sleeve extend the air core into the unrolled portion of the sleeve using the shuttle bag, and expand the air core into the unrolled sleeve in an un-flattened position to assemble the flexible duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.