Inflatable air ducts with low height-to-width ratios

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9303892-B2
Application number	US-201414151417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2014
Priority date	Jan 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Inflatable air ducts with low height-to-width ratios are disclosed. An example air duct system includes a top sheet, a bottom sheet, a first side sheet, and a second side sheet spaced apart from the first side sheet and extending between the top sheet and the bottom sheet. The top, bottom, first side, and second side sheets provide an inflatable air duct having an inflated state and a deflated state. The inflatable air duct has an inflated length greater than an inflated width. The inflated width is more than twice as great as an inflated height. The interior of the inflatable air duct defining an air passageway having a first airway, a second airway, and an intermediate airway. The intermediate airway is adjacent the first airway at a first transition area. The example air duct system also includes a second transition area between the intermediate airway and the second airway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air duct system, comprising:
an overhead support system including a plurality of lengthwise supports and a crosswise support, the plurality of lengthwise supports being elongate in a longitudinal direction, the crosswise support being elongate in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and
an inflatable air duct supported by both the lengthwise supports and the crosswise support, the inflatable air duct having an inflated state and a deflated state, the inflatable air duct having an exterior and an interior with the interior defining an air passageway that is elongate in the longitudinal direction, the inflatable air duct having an inflated length extending in the longitudinal direction, an inflated width extending in the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and an inflated height extending perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, the inflated length being greater than the inflated width, and the inflated width being at least two times greater than the inflated height.

2. The air duct system of claim 1 , further including:
a first hanger to hold the inflatable air duct in suspension from a first one of the plurality of lengthwise supports;
a second hanger to hold the inflatable air duct in suspension from the crosswise support;
the air passageway to have a first airway along a first lateral side of the air duct, a second airway along a second lateral side of the air duct opposite the first lateral side, and an intermediate airway between the first airway and the second airway; and
an inflated valley defined by a top portion of the air duct, the inflated valley on the exterior of the inflatable air duct and overlying a transition area between the first airway and the intermediate airway, wherein at least one of the first hanger or the second hanger is to connect to the inflatable air duct at a point laterally between the inflated valley and the first lateral side of the air duct.

3. The air duct system of claim 1 , further including
a plurality of crosswise supports that includes the crosswise support, wherein the plurality of lengthwise supports are to carry more weight than do the plurality of crosswise supports.

4. The air duct system of claim 1 , wherein both the lengthwise supports and the crosswise support are above the inflatable air duct in the deflated state.

5. The air duct system of claim 1 , wherein the lengthwise supports and the crosswise support are distinguishable from each other with respect to their stiffness.

6. The air duct system of claim 1 , wherein the lengthwise supports and the crosswise support are distinguishable from each other with respect to their cross-sectional profile.

7. The air duct system of claim 1 , wherein the lengthwise supports are vertically offset relative to the crosswise support.

8. The air duct system of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable air duct includes a top sheet, a bottom sheet underneath the top sheet, a first side extending between the top sheet and the bottom sheet, and a second side spaced apart from the first side and extending between the top sheet and the bottom sheet;
the air passageway being defined by the top sheet, the bottom sheet, the first side and the second side; the air passageway including a first airway, a second airway, an intermediate airway, a first transition area and a second transition area; the first airway being along the first side, the second airway being along the second side, the intermediate airway being between the first airway and the second airway, the first transition area being between the first airway and the intermediate airway, the second transition area being between the intermediate airway and the second airway; the air duct system further including:
a first restraint to connect the top sheet to the bottom sheet in the first transition area;
a second restraint to connect the top sheet to the bottom sheet in the second transition area;
an inflated valley defined by the top sheet, the inflated valley on the exterior of the inflatable air duct and overlying the first transition area when the inflatable air duct is in the inflated state;
an inflated peak defined by the top sheet, the inflated peak on the exterior of the inflatable air duct and overlying the intermediate airway when the inflatable air duct is in the inflated state;
a side hanger on the exterior of the inflatable air duct, the side hanger being proximate the first side of the inflatable air duct, the side hanger to connect the inflatable air duct to the overhead support system; and
a transition hanger on the exterior of the inflatable air duct, the transition hanger being above and proximate the first transition area, the transition hanger to connect the inflatable air duct to the overhead support system, the inflated peak being laterally interposed between the side hanger and the transition hanger.

9. The air duct system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of hangers that are vertically elongate, the plurality of hangers to connect the inflatable air duct to the overhead support system, the plurality of hangers being of different vertical lengths.

10. The air duct system of claim 1 , wherein the inflatable air duct includes a movable section overlying the air passageway, the movable section having a sagging position and a bulging position, the movable section being in the sagging position when the inflatable air duct is in the deflated state, the movable section being in the bulging position when the inflatable air duct is in the inflated state, the movable section in the sagging position being lower than at least one of the lengthwise supports or the crosswise support, and the movable section in the bulging position being higher than at least one of the lengthwise supports or the crosswise support.

11. An air duct system, comprising:
a first inflatable air duct section having an inflated state and a deflated state, the first inflatable air duct section defining a first air passageway that is elongate along a first longitudinal centerline; the first inflatable air duct section having a first inflated length extending along the first longitudinal centerline, a first inflated width extending in a first lateral direction perpendicular to the first longitudinal centerline, and a first inflated thickness extending perpendicular to both the first longitudinal centerline and the first lateral direction, the first inflated length being greater than the first inflated width, and the first inflated width being at least twice greater than the first inflated thickness; and
a second inflatable air duct section connected in fluid communication with the first inflatable air duct section, the second inflatable air duct section having the inflated state and the deflated state, the second inflatable air duct section defining a second air passageway that is elongate along a second longitudinal centerline; the second inflatable air duct section having a second inflated length extending along the second longitudinal centerline, a second inflated width extending in a second lateral direction perpendicular to the second longitudinal centerline, and a second inflated thickness extending substantially perpendicular to both the second longitudinal centerline and the second lateral direction, the second inflated length being greater than the second inflated width, the second inflated width being at least twice greater than a second inflated height, and the second longitudinal centerline being angularly displaced out of collinear alignment with the first longitudinal centerline such that the first and second longitudinal centerlines are not parallel.

Assignees

• Heim Frank
• Gebke Kevin J
• Jacobson Michael A
• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Heim Frank
• Gebke Kevin J
• Jacobson Michael A

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