Adjustable filter assemblies for HVAC systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11266939-B2
Application number	US-201816218105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

An adjustable filter assembly for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a first filter retainer configured to capture a first filter and a second filter retainer configured to capture a second filter. The adjustable filter assembly also includes a hinge coupled between first filter retainer and the second filter retainer and about which the first filter retainer and the second filter retainer are configured to rotate to position the first filter and the second filter at an angle relative to one another in a first angled operating configuration and to align the first filter and the second filter with one another in a second angled operating configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An adjustable filter assembly for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a first filter retainer configured to capture a first filter;
a second filter retainer configured to capture a second filter;
a hinge coupled between first filter retainer and the second filter retainer and about which the first filter retainer and the second filter retainer are configured to rotate to position the first filter and the second filter at an angle relative to one another in a first angled operating configuration and to align the first filter and the second filter with one another in a second angled operating configuration;
a first guide plate hingedly coupled to the first filter retainer and a second guide plate hingedly coupled to the second filter retainer, wherein the second guide plate is movable relative to the first guide plate in a direction transverse to a hinge axis about which the first filter retainer and the second filter retainer rotate to adjust the adjustable filter assembly between the first angled operating configuration and the second angled operating configuration; and
a first guide rail and a second guide rail opposite the first guide rail, wherein the first guide plate and the second guide plate each extend between the first guide rail and the second guide rail, and wherein the first guide plate and the second guide plate are each configured to translate along the first guide rail and the second guide rail in the direction transverse to the hinge axis to adjust the adjustable filter assembly between the first angled operating configuration and the second angled operating configuration.

2. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinge comprises:
a first panel coupled to the first filter retainer, a second panel coupled to a support, and a first hinge axis about which the first panel and the second panel rotate; and
a third panel coupled to the second filter retainer, a fourth panel coupled to the support, and a second hinge axis about which the third panel and the fourth panel rotate.

3. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinge comprises:
a first panel coupled to the first filter retainer and a second panel coupled to a support, wherein the first panel and the second panel are configured to rotate about the hinge axis, and wherein the second filter retainer is coupled to the support.

4. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second guide plate is movable relative to the first guide plate to adjust the angle in the first angled operating configuration.

5. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinge includes a hinge shaft protruding therefrom, wherein the adjustable filter assembly includes:
a first link coupled between the first guide plate and the hinge shaft; and
a second link coupled between the second guide plate and the hinge shaft.

6. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the first filter retainer includes a first engager configured to engage a first portion of the first filter and a second engager configured to engage a second portion of the first filter, and
the second filter retainer includes a third engager configured to engage a first portion of the second filter and a fourth engager configured to engage a second portion of the second filter.

7. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first guide plate is hingedly coupled to the first engager and the second guide plate is hingedly coupled to the fourth engager.

8. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , comprising the first filter and the second filter, wherein the first filter and the second filter have substantially a same size.

9. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first filter retainer and the second filter retainer each include at least one C-channel.

10. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable filter assembly is configured to be disposed in a vertical orientation and in a horizontal orientation relative to an enclosure of the HVAC system.

11. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinge is a first hinge, and wherein the adjustable filter assembly includes:
a third filter retainer configured to capture a third filter;
a fourth filter retainer configured to capture a fourth filter; and
a second hinge coupled between the third filter retainer and the fourth filter retainer and about which the third filter retainer and the fourth filter retainer are configured to rotate, wherein
the second guide plate is hingedly coupled to the third filter retainer, wherein the first filter retainer is movable relative to the fourth filter retainer to adjust the adjustable filter assembly between the first angled operating configuration and the second angled operating configuration.

12. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 11 , wherein the adjustable filter assembly includes:
a third guide plate hingedly coupled to the fourth filter retainer, wherein the first guide plate, the second guide plate, and the third guide plate are movable relative to one another along the first guide rail and the second guide rail to adjust the adjustable filter assembly between the first angled operating configuration and the second angled operating configuration.

13. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 11 , wherein the third filter retainer and the fourth filter retainer are configured to rotate about the second hinge to position the third filter and the fourth filter at the angle relative to one another in the first angled operating configuration and to align the third filter and the fourth filter with one another in the second angled operating configuration.

14. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second angled operating configuration is a flat operating configuration in which the first filter and the second filter are substantially coplanar and the angle is substantially 180 degrees.

15. An adjustable filter assembly for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a plurality of filter modules, each filter module of the plurality of filter modules adjustable between a first operating configuration and a second operating configuration, wherein adjacent filter modules of the plurality of filter modules are each hingedly coupled to a respective guide plate, and wherein each filter module of the plurality of filter modules includes:
a first filter retainer configured to capture a first filter;
a second filter retainer configured to capture a second filter; and
a hinge coupled between first filter retainer and the second filter retainer and about which the first filter retainer and the second filter retainer are configured to rotate to position the first filter and the second filter at an angle relative to one another in the first operating configuration and to align the first filter and the second filter with one another in the second operating configuration; and

a first guide rail and a second guide rail opposite the first guide rail, wherein each guide plate extends between the first guide rail and the second guide rail, and wherein each guide plate is configured to translate along the first guide rail and the second guide rail to adjust the plurality of filter modules between the first operating configuration and the second operating configuration.

16. The adjustable filter assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first filter retainer of each filter module of the plurality of filter modules includes a first engager configured to engage a first portion of th

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Patil Gaurav S

Classifications

• B01D46/88

  Replacing filter elements · CPC title

• B01D46/58

  connected in parallel · CPC title

• B01D2267/30

  Same type of filters · CPC title

• B01D46/121

  V-type arrangements · CPC title

• B01D46/0016 Primary

  Folded frame or housing constructions · CPC title