Low profile vent terminal with variable exhaust angle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9459007-B2
Application number	US-201313954076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2012
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

Vent terminal apparatus and methods are provided for covering vent pipes in an HVAC system, e.g., air intake and combustion gas exhaust pipes of a furnace or boiler. The vent terminal includes a body defining a shielded air inlet configured to fluidly communicate with an air intake pipe, and an exhaust opening configured to fluidly communicate with an exhaust pipe. The vent terminal also includes a nozzle configured to couple with the body and defining a flowpath therethrough. When the exhaust opening of the body is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe and the nozzle is coupled with the body, the flowpath is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe via the exhaust opening and the flowpath is oriented at an acute angle relative to the exhaust pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vent terminal for covering combustion vent pipes of an HVAC system, comprising:
a body defining a shielded air inlet configured to fluidly communicate with an air intake pipe, and an exhaust opening configured to fluidly communicate with an exhaust pipe; and
a nozzle defining a flowpath therethrough, wherein, when the exhaust opening of the body is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe and the nozzle is coupled with the body, the flowpath is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe via the exhaust opening and the flowpath is oriented at an acute angle relative to the exhaust pipe;
wherein the body further comprises:
a backplate configured to be secured to a wall, the air intake pipe, the exhaust pipe, or a combination thereof, and having first and second pipe couplings for coupling to the air intake pipe and the exhaust pipe, respectively; and
a cover coupled with the backplate, such that the backplate is positionable generally between the cover and the wall;
wherein the cover comprises a rear face and a sidewall extending rearward therefrom, wherein a gap between the sidewall and the backplate provides at least a portion of the shielded air inlet.

2. A vent terminal for covering combustion vent pipes of an HVAC system, comprising:
a body defining a shielded air inlet configured to fluidly communicate with an air intake pipe, and an exhaust opening configured to fluidly communicate with an exhaust pipe; and
a nozzle defining a flowpath therethrough, wherein, when the exhaust opening of the body is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe and the nozzle is coupled with the body, the flowpath is in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe via the exhaust opening and the flowpath is oriented at an acute angle relative to the exhaust pipe;
wherein the body further comprises:
a backplate configured to be secured to a wall, the air intake pipe, the exhaust pipe, or a combination thereof, and having first and second pipe couplings coupled to the air intake pipe and the exhaust pipe, respectively; and
a cover coupled with the backplate, such that the backplate is positionable generally between the cover and the wall;

wherein the cover comprises a rear face and a sidewall extending rearward therefrom, and the rear face faces the backplate and is separated therefrom by a gap, wherein the gap provides at least a portion of the shielded air inlet;
wherein the cover comprises a rib extending rearward from the rear face and configured to abut a front face of the backplate, wherein the rib is configured to maintain the gap between the backplate and the cover.

3. The vent terminal of claim 1 , further comprising an extension extending forward from a front face of the backplate, the extension at least partially defining the exhaust opening.

4. The vent terminal of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is configured to couple to the cover.

5. The vent terminal of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises an oblique, truncated conical angled section.

6. The vent terminal of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises an elbow.

7. The vent terminal of claim 6 , wherein the elbow is configured to be rotatable with respect to the body when the nozzle is coupled to the body.

8. The vent terminal of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is configured to be coupled to the body in at least two orientations separated by at least 90 degrees.

9. The vent terminal of claim 1 , wherein the acute angle is between about 20 degrees and about 60 degrees.

10. The vent terminal of claim 1 , wherein the acute angle is fixed at least when the nozzle is coupled to the body.

11. A method for covering vent pipes of an HVAC system, comprising:
coupling a backplate of a vent terminal to the vent pipes, the backplate defining an air intake opening aligned with an air intake pipe of the vent pipes and defining a first exhaust opening aligned with an exhaust pipe of the vent pipes;
coupling a cover to the backplate so as to define a shielded air intake communicating with the air intake pipe via the air intake opening, wherein the cover defines a second exhaust opening aligned with the first exhaust opening;
determining an orientation for a nozzle from a plurality of possible orientations; and
coupling the nozzle in the orientation to the cover, the backplate, or both, such that the nozzle fluidly communicates with the exhaust pipe via the first and second exhaust gas openings and is configured to direct exhaust gas received from the exhaust pipe at an acute angle with respect to the wall;
wherein coupling the cover to the backplate comprises disposing a sidewall of the cover proximate to the backplate, wherein a gap between the sidewall and the backplate at least partially provides the shielded air inlet.

12. A method for covering vent pipes of an HVAC system, comprising:
coupling a backplate of a vent terminal to the vent pipes, the backplate defining an air intake opening aligned with an air intake pipe of the vent pipes and defining a first exhaust opening aligned with an exhaust pipe of the vent pipes;
coupling a cover to the backplate so as to define a shielded air intake communicating with the air intake pipe via the air intake opening, wherein the cover defines a second exhaust opening aligned with the first exhaust opening;
determining an orientation for a nozzle from a plurality of possible orientations;
coupling the nozzle in the orientation to the cover, the backplate, or both, such that the nozzle fluidly communicates with the exhaust pipe via the first and second exhaust gas openings and is configured to direct exhaust gas received from the exhaust pipe at an acute angle with respect to the wall; and
spacing the backplate from the cover using a rib defined on a rear face of the cover.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising adjusting the orientation of the nozzle while the nozzle is coupled with the cover, backplate, or both.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising exhausting combustion gases from the HVAC system through the exhaust pipe and the nozzle.

15. An apparatus for covering vent pipes of a condensing gas furnace, comprising:
a backplate configured to be secured to a wall and comprising first and second pipe couplings, the first pipe coupling configured to couple with an air intake pipe of the vent pipes, the second pipe coupling configured to couple with an exhaust pipe of the vent pipes, the backplate defining an air inlet opening configured to fluidly communicate with the air inlet pipe and a first exhaust gas opening configured to fluidly communicate with the exhaust pipe;
a cover coupled with the backplate such that the backplate is configured to be disposed intermediate to the cover and the wall, the cover and the backplate together at least partially providing a shielded air inlet configured to fluidly communicate with the air inlet pipe via the air inlet opening of the backplate, the cover defining a second exhaust gas opening configured to be in fluid communication with the exhaust pipe via the first exhaust gas opening of the backplate; and
a nozzle configured to couple with the backplate, the cover, or both, in at least two orientations, the nozzle defining a flowpath therethrough configured to fluidly communicate with the exhaust pipe via the first and second exhaust gas openings, the flowpath being oriented at an acute angle with respect to the exhaust pipe when the nozzle is coupled with the backplate, the cover, or both and the backplate is coupled with the vent pipes;
wherein the cover comprises a rear face and a sidewall extending rearward therefrom, wherein a gap between

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Warmuth David
• Georgette Gary E
• Peitz Robert W

Classifications

• F24H9/0052

  for air heaters · CPC title

• F23J2900/13005

  Protections for chimneys or flue tops against external factors, e.g. birds · CPC title

• F23J13/06 Primary

  Mouths; Inlet holes · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• F24H9/0057

  Guiding means · CPC title