Externally tensioned pliable air ducts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10208981-B2
Application number	US-201715474751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	May 29, 2014
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

Example air duct assemblies include a pliable air duct supported such that the duct is maintained in a generally expanded shape even when the duct is deflated. In some examples, a series of hangers suspend the duct from one or more cables, tracks or other type of overhead support. The hangers are spaced apart and distributed over the length of the duct, and each one contributes in pulling the duct taut in the duct's longitudinal direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air duct assembly comprising:
an air duct having a pliable sidewall, the air duct being elongate in a longitudinal direction, the sidewall defining an interior of the air duct and an external area outside the air duct; and
a dual-hoop structure including a first hoop rigidly connected to a second hoop via a strut extending therebetween, the first hoop defining a first plane and the second hoop defining a second plane spaced apart from the first plane, the strut having a first end located within the first plane and a second end located within the second plane, the dual-hoop structure disposable within the air duct while supported from an overhead support member, the overhead support member being in the external area outside of the air duct, the dual-hoop structure to provide the sidewall with support in a radial direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

2. The air duct assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first hoop includes a first central region and the second hoop includes a second central region, the strut extending between the first central region and the second central region.

3. The air duct assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first hoop includes a first rim and the second hoop includes a second rim, the strut extending between the first rim and the second rim.

4. The air duct assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first hoop includes a first spoke connected to the first rim and the second hoop includes a second spoke connected to the second rim.

5. The air duct assembly of claim 4 , wherein the strut is connected to the first rim at a first circumferential position on the first rim aligned with the first spoke and is connected to the second rim at a second circumferential position on the second rim aligned with the second spoke.

6. The air duct assembly of claim 4 , wherein the strut is connected to the first and second rims circumferentially offset to the first and second spokes.

7. The air duct assembly of claim 1 , wherein the strut is a first strut of a plurality of struts extending between the first and second hoops.

8. The air duct assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first strut is angled relative to a second strut of the plurality of struts such that the first strut crosses the second strut.

9. The air duct assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first strut is parallel to a second strut of the plurality of struts.

10. The air duct assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dual-hoop structure is a first dual-hoop structure, the air duct assembly further including a second dual-hoop structure, the first dual-hoop structure and the second dual-hoop structure being spaced apart from each other when disposed within the air duct, the first dual-hoop structure being independently movable within the air duct relative to the second dual-hoop structure and not being directly coupled to the second dual-hoop structure.

11. The air duct assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second dual-hoop structures are urged apart when connected to the overhead support member to subject the pliable sidewall to tension in the longitudinal direction.

12. An air duct assembly, comprising:
an air duct elongate in a longitudinal direction, the air duct including a tubular sidewall that is pliable; and
a dual-hoop structure including a first hoop, a second hoop spaced apart from the first hoop, and a strut extending between the first and second hoops, the first hoop, the second hoop, and the strut rigidly connected as a unit, the strut having a first end located within a first plane defined by the first hoop and a second end located within a second plane defined by the second hoop, the dual-hoop structure supportable within the air duct with the first and second hoops substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

13. The air duct assembly of claim 12 , further including a connector to connect the dual-hoop structure to an overhead support member external to the air duct.

14. The air duct assembly of claim 13 , wherein the connecter connects to the first hoop to support the dual-hoop structure without a separate connector connecting to the second hoop.

15. The air duct assembly of claim 14 , wherein the dual-hoop structure has a size and a weight to generate a rotational moment on the dual-hoop structure that maintains the first and second hoops substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air duct when the dual-hoop structure is supported by the connector connected to the first hoop.

16. The air duct assembly of claim 13 , wherein the connecter is a first connector that connects to the first hoop, the air duct assembly further including a second connector that connects to the second hoop, the first and second connectors separately connecting to the overhead support member.

17. The air duct assembly of claim 13 , wherein the dual-hoop structure is a first dual-hoop structure, the air duct assembly further including a second dual-hoop structure spaced apart from the first dual-hoop structure when installed within the air duct, wherein no rigid object connects the first and second dual-hoop structures within the air duct.

18. The air duct assembly of claim 17 , wherein the second dual-hoop structure is isolated from the overhead support member.

19. An air duct assembly, comprising:
an air duct elongate in a longitudinal direction, the air duct including a tubular sidewall that is pliable; and
a first dual-hoop structure disposable within the air duct; and
a second dual-hoop structure disposable within the air duct, the first dual-hoop structure spaced apart from the second dual-hoop structure within the air duct without a rigid object extending therebetween within the air duct.

Assignees

• Pinkalla Cary
• Logic Jeff
• Gebke Kevin J
• Kaufmann Nicholas L
• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Pinkalla Cary
• Logic Jeff
• Gebke Kevin J
• Kaufmann Nicholas L

Classifications

• F24F13/0218 Primary

  Flexible soft ducts, e.g. ducts made of permeable textiles · CPC title

• F24F13/0254

  characterised by their mounting means, e.g. supports · CPC title

• F16L3/14

  Hangers in the form of bands or chains · CPC title