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.
Claims20
A volume fill airflow measurement device comprising:
- a frame having a volume capture element sealably connected thereto;
- a frame shutter openable and closeable about the frame;
- and
- a sensor module adapted to sense a filled state of the volume capture element.
A method for volume fill airflow measurement comprising:
- providing a volume fill airflow measurement device having a frame having a volume capture element sealably connected thereto, a frame shutter openable and closeable about the frame, and
- a sensor module adapted to sense a 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.
A method of measuring airflow from an HVAC outlet vent using a LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor to detect a filled state of a volume capture element, the method comprising:
- placing a frame having the volume capture element sealably attached thereto, with the volume capture element in a collapsed unfilled state, over the HVAC vent to be measured, the volume capture element comprising a flexible bag;
- starting a timer when the bag is allowed to begin to fill with airflow from the outlet vent;
- upon starting the timer, causing the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor to measure a distance to a surface of the bag;
- 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, the predetermined range corresponding to the bag being in a filled state;
- calculating, using a processor and electronic circuitry associated with the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor, 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 associated with the LIDAR or Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser-ranging sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.