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US 12,013,279 B2Granted
Volume fill airflow measurement
AssigneeKane USA, Inc.
InventorsDemian Mendez, Adolfo Wurts, Randy Hude
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of measuring airflow from an HVAC outlet vent using a volume fill airflow measurement device having a LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor to detect a filled state of a volume capture element or bag, comprising placing a frame having the bag sealably attached thereto over the vent to be measured, starting a timer, stopping the timer automatically in response to the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor measuring the distance to be within a predetermined range, and calculating the measured airflow based on the volume of the bag and the time for the airflow to fill the bag. The measured airflow is then displayed on the device display.
Claims15
A volume fill airflow measurement device comprising:
- a frame having a volume capture element sealably connected thereto, wherein the volume capture element has a filled state and an unfilled collapsed state, includes an opening attached to the frame and sides extending to a bottom opposite the opening, and expands from the unfilled collapsed state to the filled state as a volume of air is received through the opening, the volume of air being defined by the dimensions of the sides and bottom of the volume capture element when in the filled state, and the volume of air being contained within an interior space defined by the sides and bottom of the volume capture element when in the filled state;
- a frame shutter openable and closeable about the frame, the frame shutter attached to the frame and the opening of the volume capture element so as to permit the volume of air to be received into the interior space of the volume capture element when the frame shutter is in an open state and prevent the volume of air from being received into the interior space of the volume capture element when the frame shutter is in a closed state;
- a sensor module adapted to sense the filled state of the volume capture element, wherein the sensor module comprises a LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor adapted to detect the filled state of the volume capture element, wherein the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor comprises optics positioned within the frame and adapted to detect distance to an interior surface of the volume capture element;
- and
- a timer configured to stop automatically in response to the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor measuring a distance to an interior surface of the volume capture element to be within a predetermined range, the predetermined range corresponding to the volume capture element being in the filled state.
2 more elements
A method for volume fill airflow measurement comprising:
- providing a volume fill airflow measurement device comprising:
- a frame having a volume capture element sealably connected thereto, wherein the volume capture element has a filled state and an unfilled collapsed state, includes an opening attached to the frame and sides extending to a bottom opposite the opening, and expands from the unfilled collapsed state to the filled state as a volume of air is received through the opening, the volume of air being defined by the dimensions of the sides and bottom of the volume capture element when in the filled state, and the volume of air being contained within an interior space defined by the sides and bottom of the volume capture element when in the filled state;
- a frame shutter openable and closeable about the frame, the frame shutter attached to the frame and the opening of the volume capture element so as to permit the volume of air to be received into the interior space of the volume capture element when the frame shutter is in an open state and prevent the volume of air from being received into the interior space of the volume capture element when the frame shutter is in a closed state;
- and a sensor module adapted to sense the filled state of the volume capture element;
- preparing the frame, wherein preparing the frame includes powering on electronics and circuitry associated with the sensor module, verifying the volume capture element is in an unfilled collapsed state, and verifying the frame shutter is closed about the frame so as to contain the volume capture element in the unfilled collapsed state;
- placing the frame with volume capture element over an HVAC vent to be measured;
- opening the frame shutter and starting a timer to allow airflow from the vent to fill the volume capture element;
- detecting with the sensor module the filled state of the volume capture element and stopping the timer;
- calculating, by a processor of the volume fill airflow measurement device, a measured airflow by dividing a volume of the volume capture element in its filled state by the time elapsed between starting and stopping the timer;
- and
- displaying the measured airflow on a display of the volume fill airflow measurement device,
- wherein the sensor module comprises a LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor adapted to detect the filled state of the volume capture element,
- wherein the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor comprises optics positioned within the frame and adapted to detect distance to an interior surface of the volume capture element, and
- wherein stopping the timer comprises stopping the timer automatically in response to the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor measuring a distance to an interior surface of the volume capture element to be within a predetermined range, the predetermined range corresponding to the volume capture element being in a filled state.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.