Air duct connecting assembly
AssigneeJohns Manville
InventorRobert Henry Meserole
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air duct connecting assembly which consists of sleeve-like male and female connectors. The connectors, which are fabricated from a resilient sheet material, are manipulated from generally flat rectangular blanks into their sleeve-like configurations and are retained therein by the use of lock-tab and matching slot arrangements. One portion of each connector is adapted for insertion into the end of a tubular air duct section, two of which are to be connected, and each has means for mechanically joining the connector to the duct. The other portions of the connectors are adapted to be mated in male and female telescoped relationship. Means are provided on the mating portions of the male and female connectors for locking the connectors in their telescoped relationship.
Claims5
An air duct connecting assembly comprising,
- a. a sleeve-like male connector,
- b. a sleeve-like female connector, each of said connectors having circumferentially overlapping and overlapped portions,
- c. means integral with each of said connectors for retaining each connector in said sleeve-like configuration,
- d. said means comprising:
- (i) a tongue extending circumferentially from a longitudinal edge of said overlapping portion, said tongue having a longitudinal extent less than said longitudinal edge and having at least one detent in an intermediate portion thereof, said detent having a radially inwardly protruding locking edge,
- (ii) a slot in said overlapped portion, said slot having at least one edge for cooperating with said locking edge when said detent passes through said slot, and
- (iii) a louver-like radially outwardly protruding hood covering said slot, said hood having a longitudinally extending opening for receiving said tongue and having a longitudinally extending wall portion for limiting movement of said tongue in a circumferential direction, and
- e. cooperating means on said male connector and said female connector for holding said connectors in a telescoped relationship,
- f. means on each of said connectors for mechanically securing each connector to a core of a tubular air duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.