Sealed ventilation duct
OwnerHerbert G. Gibsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sealed ventilation duct for an HVAC system includes a sheet of flexible material incorporating an insulated bonding sealer and folded so as to be self-locking. The insulated bonding sealer adheres the opposing longitudinal edges together to maintain the desired shape of the duct and improves the energy efficiency of the HVAC by reducing the overall thermal conductivity of the duct network. The insulated bonding sealer is applied proximal an edge of the sheet of flexible material which is folded so as form a duct. A method of manufacturing a duct is further included.
Claims29
A duct comprising:
- a sheet of flexible material having a main portion, a first locking portion, and a second locking portion, the first and second locking portions being resiliently deformable so that the first locking portion selectively receives the second locking portion to form a longitudinal seam;
- an insulated bonding sealer affixed to the flexible a sheet of material intermediate the first and second locking portions;
- and
- wherein the insulated bonding sealer substantially seals the seam upon the first locking portion selectively receiving the second locking portion.
An HVAC system comprising:
- an air-handling unit for creating an airflow;
- and
- a duct network in communication with the air-handling unit for routing the airflow, the duct network having at least one duct, the duct comprising:
- a sheet of flexible material having a main portion, a first locking portion, and a second locking portion, the first and second locking portions being resiliently deformable so that the first locking portion selectively receives the second locking portion to form a longitudinal seam;
- an insulated bonding sealer affixed to the flexible a sheet of material intermediate the first and second locking portions;
- and
- wherein the insulated bonding sealer substantially seals the seam.
A method of manufacturing a duct from a sheet of flexible material having first and second parallel longitudinal edges defining a length of the duct, the method comprising the steps of:
- attaching an insulated bonding sealer proximal the first longitudinal edge;
- forming a first locking portion from the a sheet of material proximal the first longitudinal edge;
- forming a second locking portion from the a sheet of material proximal the second longitudinal edge;
- shaping the sheet of flexible material into a self-locking hollow enclosure;
- attaching the insulated bonding sealer proximal the first longitudinal edge;
- and
- engaging the first and second locking portions thereby forming a longitudinal seam substantially sealed by the insulated bonding sealer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.