Collapsible hood

A method of transitioning a collapsible hood of an air handling unit (AHU) between a collapsed configuration and a working configuration, the collapsible hood comprising a cap plate fixedly connected to a cabinet of the AHU above at least one air vent, a hinge plate fixedly connected to the cap plate, a base bracket fixedly connected to the cabinet below the cap plate, a hood plate pivotally connected to the hinge plate, and a pair of side plates each pivotally connected to the cap plate and the base bracket, wherein a hook shaped flange defined by an aperture of the hood plate is received in a loop aperture of the hinge plate to form a pivotal connection between the hood plate and the hinge plate, the method comprising:

• from the collapsed configuration in which the hood plate and the pair of side plates are folded in a flat stacked arrangement toward the cabinet over the at least one air vent:
• pivoting the hood plate outward about the hinge plate into an inclined orientation to extend down and out from the cap plate;
• and
• pivoting each of the pair of side plates outward to extend away from the cap plate and the base bracket to mate with the hood plate, thereby arranging the collapsible hood in the working configuration in which the collapsible hood inhibits ingress of materials other than air through the at least one air vent.

A method of assembling a collapsible hood on an air handling unit (AHU), the method comprising:

• fixedly connecting a cap plate to a cabinet of the AHU above at least one air vent defined by the cabinet;
• fixedly connecting a hinge plate to the cap plate;
• forming a pivotal connection between a hood plate and the hinge plate by receiving a hook shaped flange defined by an aperture of the hood plate in a loop aperture of the hinge plate;
• fixedly connecting a base bracket to the cabinet below the cap plate;
• and
• pivotally connecting each of a pair of side plates to the cap plate and the base bracket,
• wherein, upon assembly, the collapsible hood is arrangeable in a collapsed configuration in which the hood plate and the pair of side plates are folded in a flat stacked arrangement toward the cabinet over the at least one air vent, and in a working configuration in which the hood plate extends down and out from the cap plate in an inclined orientation and the pair of side plates extend away from the cap plate and the base bracket to mate with the hood plate.