HVAC device with multi-directional conduit fitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145487-B2
Application number	US-201615147721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2016
Priority date	May 5, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

An HVAC device includes a housing and a conduit tube that defines a lumen into the housing. The conduit tube and/or housing are configured such that rotating the conduit tube relative to the housing changes the direction that an outlet of the conduit tube faces. This may promote easier installation and/or maintenance of the HVAC device in the field, especially in cramped and/or poorly illuminated areas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve actuator assembly for rotating an input shaft of a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) air damper, the valve actuator assembly comprising:
an actuator output for rotating the input shaft of the HVAC air damper;
a housing;
an electric motor situated in the housing;
a drive train operatively coupled to the electric motor for rotating the actuator output;
a first conduit tube rotatably coupled to the housing, the first conduit tube defining a lumen having an inlet facing inside of the housing and an outlet facing outside of the housing, wherein the first conduit tube is configured to change a direction that the outlet of the first conduit tube faces when the first conduit tube is rotated relative to the housing; and
wherein the first conduit tube includes a flange, a body, and a neck extending between the flange and the body, wherein the flange is integral with the neck and the body, and wherein the flange is situated inside of the housing and has a lateral dimension that is larger than a diameter of an aperture extending through the housing, the neck is situated in the aperture, and the body is situated outside of the housing.

2. The valve actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the actuator output extends out through the first side;
a top side and an opposing bottom side extending between the first side and the second side, wherein the bottom side comprises:
a first region that is generally parallel to the top side; and
a second region that is not parallel to the top side, wherein the first conduit tube is rotatably coupled to the second region of the housing.

3. The valve actuator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second region intersects the first region at an angle of between 20 and 80 degrees.

4. The valve actuator assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second region intersects the first region at an angle of between 30 and 60 degrees.

5. The valve actuator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first conduit tube is configured such that the direction that the outlet faces is not orthogonal to the second region.

6. The valve actuator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second conduit tube rotatably coupled to the housing at a location spaced from the first conduit tube, the second conduit tube defining a lumen having an inlet facing inside of the housing and an outlet facing outside of the housing, wherein the second conduit tube is configured to change the direction that the outlet of the second conduit tube faces when the second conduit tube is rotated relative to the housing.

7. The valve actuator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first conduit tube and the second conduit tube are configured to be rotatable independent of one another.

8. The valve actuator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the actuator output extends out through the first side;
a top side and an opposing bottom side extending between the first side and the second side, wherein the bottom side comprises:
a first region that is generally parallel to the top side;
a second region that is not parallel to the top side, wherein the first conduit tube is rotatably coupled to the second region of the housing; and
a third region that is not parallel to the top side and not parallel to the second region, wherein the second conduit tube is rotatably coupled to the third region of the housing.

9. The valve actuator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the actuator output extends out through the first side;
a top side and an opposing bottom side extending between the first side and the second side, wherein the bottom side comprises:
a first conduit receiving region that is not parallel to the top side, wherein the first conduit tube is rotatably coupled to the first conduit receiving region of the housing; and
a second conduit receiving region that is not parallel to the top side and not parallel to the first conduit receiving region, wherein the second conduit tube is rotatably coupled to the second conduit receiving region of the housing.

10. The valve actuator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a stop mechanism for limiting a range of rotation of the first conduit tube relative to the housing.

11. The valve actuator assembly of claim 10 , wherein the stop mechanism is configured to limiting the range of rotation of the first conduit tube relative to the housing to 360° or less.

12. A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) device for controlling one or more HVAC components of an HVAC system of a building, the HVAC device comprising:
a housing having a top housing portion and a bottom housing portion, each of the top and bottom housing portions defining at least part of an aperture that extends through the housing;
one or more electrical components situated in the housing; and
a first conduit tube rotatably coupled to the housing, the first conduit tube including a flange, a body, and a neck extending between the flange and the body, wherein the flange is integral with the neck and the body, and wherein the flange is situated inside of the housing and has a lateral dimension that is larger than a diameter of the aperture, the neck is situated in the aperture, and the body is situated outside of the housing, the first conduit tube defining a lumen having an inlet facing inside of the housing and an outlet facing outside of the housing, wherein the first conduit tube is configured to change a direction that the outlet of the first conduit tube faces when the first conduit tube is rotated relative to the housing.

13. The HVAC device of claim 12 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first side and an opposing second side;
a top side and an opposing bottom side extending between the first side and the second side, wherein the bottom side comprises:
a first region that is generally parallel to the top side; and
a second region that is not parallel to the top side, wherein the first conduit tube is rotatably coupled to the second region of the housing.

14. The HVAC device of claim 13 , wherein the second region intersects the first region at an angle of between 30 and 60 degrees.

15. The HVAC device of claim 12 , wherein the first conduit tube is configured such that the direction that the outlet faces is not orthogonal to the second region.

16. The HVAC device of claim 12 , further comprising a second conduit tube rotatably coupled to the housing at a location spaced from the first conduit tube, the second conduit tube defining a lumen having an inlet facing inside of the housing and an outlet facing outside of the housing, wherein the second conduit tube is configured to change the direction that the outlet of the second conduit tube faces when the second conduit tube is rotated relative to the housing.

17. The HVAC device of claim 12 , further comprising a stop mechanism for limiting a range of rotation of the first conduit tube relative to the housing.

18. A valve actuator for actuating a valve, the valve actuator comprising:
a housing;
an actuator output;
an electric motor situated in the housing;
a drive train operatively coupled to the electric motor for rotating the actuator output;
a first conduit tube;
a second conduit tube;
the housing comprising a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the second side comprises:
a first conduit receiving region that is not parallel to the first s

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Bakken Tom
• Decker Matthew
• Carlson Nathan
• Terlson Brad

Classifications

• F16K31/047

  characterised by mechanical means between the motor and the valve, e.g. lost motion means reducing backlash, clutches, brakes or return means (F16K31/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/041 Primary

  for rotating valves (F16K31/055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K27/02

  of lift valves (for reducing the flow resistance of screw-spindle lift-valves F16K1/06) · CPC title

• F16K27/04

  of sliding valves · CPC title