Modular in-wall functional conduits
AssigneeDirtt Environmental Solutions Ltd.
InventorGeoff Gosling
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Implementations of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for delivering and/or removing fluid from a discrete location within a building. In particular, the present invention involves a modular conduit system that can supply or remove air, water, gas, or other fluids to/from an individual space created by modular walls.
Claims20
A functional wall module for at least partially forming an individual space and for providing fluids into the individual space or for removing fluids therefrom, the functional wall module comprising:
- one or more vertical supports;
- one or more horizontal supports secured to at least one of the one or more vertical supports;
- and
- a modular conduit system coupled to at least one of the one or more vertical support or at least one of the one or more horizontal supports, the modular conduit system comprising:
- a modular conduit sized and configured for one or more of delivering fluids to the individual space and extracting fluids from the individual space, the modular conduit being movable vertically between the vertical supports, allowing a register to be repositioned by a user from a first vertical position to a second different vertical position in the functional wall module, the register incorporating one or more seals that channel the flow of fluid through the register;
- one or more vertical conduit supports coupled to and at least partially supporting the modular conduit and the functional devices connected thereto, the one or more vertical conduit supports further being coupled to at least one of the one or more vertical supports and one or more horizontal supports;
- and
- one or more panels removably secured to at least one of the one or more vertical supports or to at least one of the one or more horizontal supports, wherein the one or more panels have a snap-in connection with the at least one of the one or more vertical supports and the one or more horizontal supports.
A modular wall installation for creating an individual space that has fluid delivery thereto and/or fluid removal therefrom, the modular wall installation comprising:
- one or more wall modules selectively and detachably coupled together, the one or more wall modules forming the individual space;
- wherein the one or more wall modules comprise:
- at least one plain wall module having a first frame and one or more panels secured to the first frame, the first frame comprising one or more vertical supports having connecting elements;
- at least one functional wall module having a frame and a modular conduit system secured to or within the frame of the functional wall module, the frame of the at least one functional module comprising one or more vertical supports having connecting elements, wherein the at least one functional wall module conveys fluid into the individual space or removes fluid from the individual space, the modular conduit system being movable vertically within the frame, allowing a register to be repositioned by a user from a first vertical position to a second different vertical position in the functional wall module, the register incorporating one or more seals that channel the flow of fluid through the register;
- and
- at least one snap-in connector detachably secures the vertical supports of the at least one plain wall module with the vertical supports of the at least one functional wall module.
A method of setting up a modular wall installation capable of selective configuration and reconfiguration and further capable of conveying fluid to as well as removing fluid from an individual space, the method comprising:
- assembling a frame of a first functional wall module;
- securing a modular conduit system to or within the frame of the first functional wall module;
- securing one or more panels to the frame of the first functional wall module;
- selectively coupling the first functional wall module to one or more other wall modules, thereby forming the individual space, wherein selectively coupling the first functional wall module to one or more other wall modules comprises detachably securing the frame of the first functional wall module with a frame of the one or more other wall module with at least one snap-in connector, wherein the one or more other wall modules comprise one or more of a second functional wall module and a plain wall module, the first functional wall module including a register that can be repositioned by a user from a first vertical position to a second different vertical position in the first functional wall module, the register incorporating one or more seals that channel the flow of fluid through the register.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.