Stacking brackets and systems for rooftop HVAC units
AssigneeLennox Industries Inc.
InventorsDavid Michael Wynnick, Corrine Anne Hudson, Timothy Grant Weigel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for securing at least two heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units stacked on each other for transportation includes corner brackets on at least the four corners of the lower unit and between the units. Each corner bracket has a banding channel, a plank-receiving channel, and a plurality of protrusions on a top side. The brackets are banded in place using the banding channels. On each longitudinal side, planks are used to extend between corner brackets to help control the loads and to distribute the loads. The corner brackets may be made from a synthetic material and the planks from wood or wood-like material. Other aspects are disclosed.
Claims20
A system for securing at least two heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units stacked on each other for transportation, the system comprising:
- a first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit having a bottom frame formed with base rails and having four bottom corners on a bottom portion and a top planar surface forming four top corners on a top portion;
- a second heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit having a bottom frame formed with base rails and having four bottom corners on a bottom portion and a top planar surface forming four top corners on a top portion;
- a first corner bracket, a second corner bracket, a third corner bracket, and a fourth corner bracket applied to each of the four top corners of the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit;
- a first lateral banding member extending laterally across the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit going from a first longitudinal side of the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit to a second longitudinal side of the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit, the first lateral banding member extending over and held in place by the first and second corner brackets;
- a second lateral banding member extending laterally across the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit going from a first longitudinal side of the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit to a second longitudinal side of the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit, the second lateral banding member extending over and held in place by the third and fourth corner brackets;
- a first plank member extending between and secured to the first corner bracket and the fourth corner bracket and positioned proximate a first longitudinal edge of the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit;
- a second plank member extending between and secured to the second corner bracket and the third corner bracket and positioned proximate a second longitudinal edge of the first heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit;
- and
- wherein the first, second, third, and fourth corner brackets are each formed from a bracket body having at least one lateral banding channel and having a plank-receiving channel.
A corner bracket for placing on four corners of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit, the corner bracket comprising:
- a bracket body formed from a synthetic material and formed with a plank-receiving channel;
- the bracket body formed from a synthetic material and having a top side, an outer lateral side, an inner lateral side, an outer longitudinal side, and an inner longitudinal side with reference to an installed position;
- a first top protrusion formed on the top side of the bracket body and extending vertically away from other portions of the bracket body on the top side to define a first height and positioned proximate an interface of the inner lateral side and the top side;
- a banding channel formed laterally across the top side of the bracket body for receiving one or more bands;
- a second top protrusion formed on the top side of the bracket body and extending vertically away from other portions of the bracket body on the top side to define a second height and the second top protrusion displaced longitudinally from the first top protrusion to form a lateral, top strapping channel between the first top protrusion and the second top protrusion;
- and
- a first outer longitudinal protrusion and a second outer longitudinal protrusion formed on the bracket body and displaced from one another to form a longitudinal strapping channel for receiving a strap;
- and
- wherein the plank-receiving channel is sized and configured to receive the plank member.
A corner bracket for use on the top corners of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units when stacked for transportation, the corner bracket comprising:
- a bracket body form from a synthetic material and formed with a longitudinal plank-receiving channel for receiving a plank extending longitudinally between longitudinally opposed corner brackets when in a deployed position with a corner bracket on each corner of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit;
- a plurality of protrusions formed on a top surface of the bracket body for defining a first strapping channel, wherein a the first strapping channel is sized configured to receive a first trailer strap that is held in relative position by the first strapping channel;
- a lateral banding channel formed on the top surface of the bracket body for receiving banding member to hold the corner bracket in position;
- and
- a plurality of side protrusions for forming at least a second strapping channel, wherein the second strapping channel is sized and configured to receive a second trailer strap that is held in relative position by the plurality of side protrusions that form the second strapping channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.