Valve package for HVAC system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946573-B2
Application number	US-202117541118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2021
Priority date	Dec 2, 2021
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a conduit assembly with a first conduit segment, a second conduit segment, and a rotational fitting fluidly coupling the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to one another. The conduit assembly is configured to fluidly couple to a port of a heat exchanger of the HVAC system, and the rotational fitting is configured to enable the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to rotate relative to one another between a first orientation and a second orientation and maintain a connection between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment during relative rotation between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a conduit assembly comprising a first conduit segment, a second conduit segment, and a rotational fitting fluidly coupling the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to one another, wherein the conduit assembly is configured to fluidly couple to a port of a heat exchanger of the HVAC system, and the rotational fitting is configured to enable the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to rotate relative to one another between a first orientation and a second orientation and maintain a connection between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment during relative rotation between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment, wherein the rotational fitting comprises a first mount configured to attach to the first conduit segment and a second mount configured to attach to the second conduit segment, and the first mount is configured to rotate relative to the second mount.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational fitting is configured to enable the first conduit segment to rotate about an axis extending along a length of the second conduit segment.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit assembly is a first conduit assembly, the rotational fitting is a first rotational fitting, the connection is a first connection, and the HVAC system comprises a second conduit assembly comprising a third conduit segment, a fourth conduit segment, and a second rotational fitting fluidly coupling the third conduit segment and the fourth conduit segment to one another, wherein the second rotational fitting is configured to enable the third conduit segment and the fourth conduit segment to rotate relative to one another between a third orientation and a fourth orientation and maintain a second connection between the third conduit segment and the fourth conduit segment during relative rotation between the third conduit segment and the fourth conduit segment.

4. The HVAC system of claim 3 , comprising a valve disposed along the first conduit assembly and an actuator configured to operate the valve to control a flow rate of fluid directed through the first conduit assembly.

5. The HVAC system of claim 4 , wherein the actuator is positioned above the second conduit assembly relative to a vertical axis in an installed configuration of the first conduit assembly and the second conduit assembly.

6. The HVAC system of claim 4 , comprising a fifth conduit segment fluidly coupled to the first conduit segment and the third conduit segment, wherein the fifth conduit segment is configured to direct the fluid between the first conduit assembly and the second conduit assembly, and the actuator is configured to operate the valve to control a flow rate of the fluid directed through the fifth conduit segment.

7. A valve package for a terminal unit of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a first conduit segment configured to couple to a port of a heat exchanger of the terminal unit;
a second conduit segment fluidly coupled to the first conduit segment;
a fitting assembly configured to fluidly couple the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to one another, wherein the fitting assembly comprises a rotational fitting configured to enable adjustment of the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment between a first spatial configuration and a second spatial configuration, maintain a securement during the adjustment of the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment, and establish a fluid connection between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment in each of the first spatial configuration and the second spatial configuration; and
a valve fluidly coupled to the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment and configured to control a flow of working fluid through the valve package, a strainer fluidly coupled to the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment and configured to collect solid particles within the working fluid, or both.

8. The valve package of claim 7 , wherein the rotational fitting is configured to maintain a fluid seal during the adjustment of the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment.

9. The valve package of claim 7 , wherein the fitting assembly is configured to transition between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration, the fitting assembly is configured to enable relative rotation between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment via the rotational fitting in the unlocked configuration, and the fitting assembly is configured to block relative rotation between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment via the rotational fitting in the locked configuration.

10. The valve package of claim 7 , wherein the rotational fitting is a first rotational fitting, the fitting assembly comprises an intermediate conduit segment and a second rotational fitting, the first rotational fitting is configured to secure the first conduit segment and the intermediate conduit segment to one another, and the second rotational fitting is configured to secure the second conduit segment and the intermediate conduit segment to one another.

11. The valve package of claim 10 , wherein the intermediate conduit segment comprises a bent or curved geometry.

12. A terminal unit of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a housing;
a heat exchanger disposed within the housing and comprising a coil configured to direct a working fluid therethrough and place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with an air flow directed through the housing; and
a valve package configured to fluidly couple to the coil of the heat exchanger, wherein the valve package is configured to direct the working fluid therethrough, the valve package comprises a first conduit segment, a second conduit segment, and an adjustable fitting coupling the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to one another, and the adjustable fitting is configured to enable the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment to transition between a first spatial configuration and a second spatial configuration and establish a fluid seal between the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment in each of the first spatial configuration and the second spatial configuration, wherein the first conduit segment extends along a lateral axis of the terminal unit in a first direction in the first spatial configuration, and the first conduit segment extends along the lateral axis in a second direction in the second spatial configuration.

13. The terminal unit of claim 12 , wherein the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment are configured to direct the working fluid out of the coil of the heat exchanger in the first spatial configuration, and the first conduit segment and the second conduit segment are configured to direct the working fluid into the coil of the heat exchanger in the second spatial configuration.

14. The terminal unit of claim 12 , wherein the valve package comprises a first conduit assembly comprising the first conduit segment, the second conduit segment, and the adjustable fitting, the valve package comprises a second conduit assembly comprising a third conduit segment, a fourth conduit segment, and an additional adjustable fitting coupling the third conduit segment and the fourth conduit segment to one another, and the first conduit assembly is positioned above the second conduit assembly relative to a vertical axis of the terminal uni

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Salunkke Abhijeet Rajesh
• More Rohan Kailas
• Gorad Sushilkumar Dnyandev
• Wilson Timothy John
• Latham Angus B

Classifications

• F16L19/10 Primary

  the profile of the ring being altered · CPC title

• F24F1/28 Primary

  for connecting several separate outdoor units · CPC title

• F24F1/30

  for use inside the separate outdoor units · CPC title

• F16L2201/20

  Safety or protective couplings · CPC title

• F16L2201/40

  for special environments · CPC title