Substantially airtight register box for HVAC systems
OwnerMichael D. Stepp, Chris A. Van Riteinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A substantially airtight ducting enclosure is provided for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning system. The enclosure, which may be a register box for return air or supply air, has a body formed from at least one planar sheet, the body having an inlet and an outlet. At least one of the inlet and the outlet is formed by folding corners of the planar sheet to form planar sides that lie in intersecting planes. The enclosure is then mounted to a surface of an interior area of a structure, and connected to ducts for communicating air between the interior area and a central air-handler unit.
Claims18
A substantially airtight ducting enclosure for an air-handler system, the enclosure comprising:
- a body constructed from a planar form, the body having an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of planar sides;
- wherein
- at least one of the inlet and the outlet has external corners, each external corner having a diagonal wing with two plies folded over one another and folded over one of the planar sides.
A substantially airtight ducting enclosure for an air-handler system, the enclosure comprising:
- a sheet metal body having a plurality of planar sides joined at corners, the body having a top with a circular aperture and a bottom that is open;
- wherein
- each of the corners has a first fold line that extends vertically along with one of the sides and a second fold line that extends vertically along another of the sides, the first and second fold lines joining each other at a junction and extending to the bottom of the body;
- and
- each of the corners has a diagonal fold line that extends from the junction to the bottom of the body at a point between the first and second fold lines, defining two triangular-shaped portions that overlap one another and one of the sides.
A method of forming a substantially airtight ducting enclosure, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a planar sheet of plastically deformable material;
- (b) bending sections of the planar sheet to construct a body having an inlet and an outlet, at least one of the inlet and the outlet having a plurality of planar sides;
- (c) forming seamless corners at the intersections of the sides by folding portions of the planar sheet into a corner wing at each corner.
A method of forming a substantially airtight ducting enclosure, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a planar sheet of plastically deformable material with edges intersecting to define two external corners;
- (b) folding the sheet along upper fold lines parallel to the edges to form planar sides that intersect at the corners;
- (c) folding the sheet to define a diagonal fold line that extends from the intersection of the upper fold line to the corner of the sheet, thereby forming two triangular portions;
- (d) folding the triangular portions over each other and against one of the sides;
- and
- (e) forming a circular opening in the sheet for connecting the enclosure to a duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.