H-shaped boot-to-register cover mounting adapter
An adapter including a central body portion and a mount for connection to each of an HVAC register cover and duct-engaging boot. A surface of the central body portion includes mounting apertures, each configured to accept a fastener so that the central body portion can be mounted to a support structure, such as a ceiling joist. The adapter includes a register cover mounting surface that is adjustable so that it can accommodate different-sized register covers. The adapter also includes a boot mounting surface coupled to the register cover mounting surface such that, upon engagement between the register cover mounting surface and the register cover and upon engagement between the boot mounting surface and the boot, fluid communication between the boot and the register cover is established. Preferably, the adapter is made from a plastic, and more particularly an injection-molded plastic.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/103,626 filed Mar. 21, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to a device for securely mounting heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) components, and in particular to a mounting adapter used to secure ventilation register covers to duct boxes and underlying building support structure, even in configurations requiring unconventional component spacing or dimensions.
In most HVAC systems, air-supply ducts are routed through a building to move air from its source through ducting to one or more terminal outlets, typically in the form of a register cover. Additional ducts are employed to return the air back to the source. Each supply duct typically terminates in a box (also known as a boot), which itself mounts to a structural member within the building and provides a surface upon which the register cover (also known as a grille) can be attached, usually by threaded fastener. The ducts are often mounted in a relatively unobtrusive location, such as between wall studs, underneath a floor, or from a joist or similar overhead support, using hangers or brackets to secure the duct to the support structure. Once the duct and boot are mounted in place to the support structure, the installer covers them with floor, wall or ceiling panels, taking care to align cut-outs in the panels with the location of the boots. The register cover is inserted into the cut-out such that a flange on the cover rests on the room-side surface of the panel, with the remainder projecting through the cut-out and into engagement with the boot. Most conventional register covers are manufactured with two fastener holes, each spaced at opposing ends of the flange by an amount typically set to industry norms, such as eight, ten or twelve inches. A screw is typically driven through the prefabricated fastener holes in the register cover, the panel, and into the boot or support structure (or both) to secure the register cover in place.
Two recent trends in the construction industry have shifted the way HVAC systems are installed in buildings. The first trend, toward ceiling-mounted register covers rather than those mounted in floors or walls, is in its ascendancy because of lower installation and material costs. The majority of residential, commercial and professional dwellings incorporate either “drop” ceilings, where a lattice of inverted T-bars are suspended from an overhead support with decorative panels resting within the lattice, or sheets (alternately referred to as panels) of drywall directly fastened to the overhead joists. Unhappily, both situations reduce the capability of the ceiling to provide secure structural installation to the register covers, and both make the installer's task of mounting and connecting the various components more difficult and time-consuming such that the time and cost savings associated with an overhead system are often offset by increased expense in trying to more securely mount the boot in place until final connection between the register cover, boot and air duct can be made. In situations where the interjoist spacing is conventional, the load-bearing capability of the drywall or drop ceiling panel is often insufficient support for the duct, boot and register cover. This problem is exacerbated where the boot and register cover are placed between joists that do not exhibit the traditional sixteen or twenty-four inch spacing, or where an undersized register cover is being mounted into a space designed for a larger unit. In order to ensure a secure mount in such situations, installers will custom form sheet metal adapters on the job site to form a frame that can be used to hold the boot or duct in place. Once this on-site fabricated part is assembled, it is held in place against the joists and fastened into place. This approach leads to excessive time and cost as each of these adapters must be measured, cut, configured, fastened and then applied to the overhead outlet. This also leads to excessive material waste as unusable pieces of sheet metal are discarded. In addition, unless extreme care is taken in the placement of attachment holes and related connection locations within the frame, there is no reliable way to ensure the holes will align with the fastener holes in the register cover. In addition, cutting and fastening pieces of sheet metal is dangerous, as the jagged edge of the sheets can cause cuts, leading to lost job time and increased workers' compensation claims. A more secure, simple, robust installation system is therefore needed.
The second trend has been to move away from rigid sheet metal ductwork to flexible ducting. While flexible ducts enjoy distinct advantages over rigid ductwork in terms of weight, fabrication expense and ease of installation, their reliance on the boot (or similar structure) to provide solid, secure connection to building structure can often negate these benefits, as their flexible outer wall of the duct, which is typically a thin sheet of polypropylene or similar plastic, lacks the rigid mounting surfaces inherently available in rigid ducts. As such, conventional methods of fastening a boot or register cover to the duct, or the duct to adjacent building structure, are unavailing, as the flexible duct has insufficient load-bearing capability. Thus, as previously discussed, if any of the components (i.e., duct, boot or register cover) of the ventilation assembly are either to be mounted in an unconventional location or aren't sized for that location, then a structurally unsound installation could result. For example, one or both of the prefabricated fastener holes in the register cover might not properly align with the boot or joist, relying for attachment on the relatively non-structural panels. This approach would result in substandard installation, as this type of connection, which may initially hold, will over time (due to loads, vibrations and routine removal and reinstallation of the register cover) cause the hole in the panel to enlarge to the point where the fastener would no longer hold. Ceiling panels (as well as the now largely discontinued plaster) do not demonstrate long-term viability because of the tendency of these materials to weaken, crumble and eventually break apart over time in the presence of threaded fasteners. To alleviate this, the installer can fabricate a suitable mounting platform that can provide a secure attachment point for the boot or the peculiar position or size of the register cover (as previously discussed). This installation approach exacerbates the already increasingly difficult and expensive task of securing the boot, duct and register cover, as the lack of a rigid surface in the duct further reduces the number of viable attachment locations.
Various attempts at using load-spreading clips have been devised to solve the problem of attaching the ventilation register cover to an unsecured location in a wall or ceiling. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,349 to Dearing and U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,244 to Walton. These devices allow installation of a register cover to drywall (or similar material) away from an underlying support member (such as a joist or wall stud). Nevertheless, these devices also have certain disadvantages. For example, their construction either limits their applicability to a wall or ceiling panel of a predetermined thickness, or requires cumbersome and time-consuming on-site bending of the clips. Thus, in applications involving panels of different thickness, the installer would either have to stock numerous clips of corresponding thickness, or would have to bend the clip to fit at the job site. In addition, the prior art clips do not necessarily free the installer's hands during the installation, as the clips are liable to shift during duct, boot or register cover insertion, thus necessitating continued oversight by the installer. Lastly, while the clips help reduce the incidence of panel hole crumbling, enlargement or outright disintegration by spreading the load, they do not transfer the load to a more structural member, as the combined weight of the duct, boot and register cover assembly continues to be supported by the relatively non-structural wall or ceiling panel.
Other approaches have focused on using a combination of rail-like elements independently mounted to the joists. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,981 to Hodges and U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,216 to Hott et al. These configurations permit myriad mounting positions due to the multihole or telescoping nature of the rails. However, the use of multiple parts increases the difficulty of the installer's task, as precise positioning between the various components is required. In addition, storing and tracking multiple components on a job site requires additional oversight. Furthermore, the installation of telescoping devices can be difficult, as proper interjoist alignment is difficult to ensure, especially when the installer is working in a confined space. Moreover, the installation of multihole rails can be limited by the L-shaped nature of the rail, as such three-dimensional aspects either limits the location on the joist (often above or in between the joists) or the ability to place a ceiling panel over the rail once the rail is in place.
Accordingly, what is needed is a simple, inexpensive device that can be used in a variety of different mounting dimensions to ensure reliable, secure attachment of the duct, boot and register cover.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis need is met by the present invention, where a mounting adapter is disclosed. The adapter, which is preferably a generally planar, H-shaped device, reduces the time, cost and complexity associated with mounting the register cover to the boot and duct, as well as securing both to building support structure, such as a wall stud or ceiling joist.
According to a first aspect of the invention, an adapter assembly for mounting an HVAC boot to a register cover is disclosed. The adapter assembly includes a central body portion defining a support structure mounting surface, a register cover mounting surface, and at least one boot mounting surface coupled to the register cover mounting surface. At least a portion of the register cover mounting surface is adjustably coupled to the central body portion. The central body portion includes mounting apertures disposed in its surface, where each of the mounting apertures can accept a fastener so that the adapter can engage a building support structure (such as a joist). Upon engagement between the register cover mounting surface and the register cover and upon engagement between the boot mounting surface and the boot, fluid communication between the boot and the register cover is established. In the present context, the boot can be any box-like device that fluidly connects the end of flexible HVAC duct to the ventilation register cover. As such, the boot can be separate from or an integral attachment to either the register cover or flexible duct.
Optionally the surface of the central body portion defines a substantially centrally-disposed HVAC flowpath that is preferably substantially rectangular-shaped. The HVAC flowpath is configured to accept a comparably-sized flowpath defined by the register cover. In addition, the part of the register cover mounting surface that is adjustably coupled to the central body portion is slidably cooperative therewith such that the register cover mounting surface at least partially occupies the area defined by the HVAC flowpath. At least a part of the central body portion may further include a substantially planar surface configured to engage a flange of the register cover or a surface of a ceiling panel. Preferably, the central body portion, the register cover mounting surface and the boot mounting surface form a contiguous structure. This simplifies the task of storing and keeping track of the adapter, as there is little or no risk of the components of the adapter becoming separated. The central body portion can further include elongate tabs extending therefrom such that at least one of the plurality of mounting apertures are situated in each of the elongate tabs. Moreover, the central body portion and the plurality of elongate tabs extending therefrom can define a generally H-shaped construction. The boot mounting surface may comprise a plurality of upstanding tabs that can accept fasteners to help secure the mount to the boot. As an additional option, the adapter is plastic, and more preferably, an injection-molded plastic.
According to another aspect of the invention, an H-shaped interjoist adapter for mounting an HVAC boot to a register cover is disclosed. The adapter is defined by a central body portion comprising multiple mounting surfaces, including a support structure mounting surface, a register cover mounting surface and a plurality of boot mounting surfaces. The support structure mounting surface defines an HVAC flowpath in the central body portion, and includes a plurality of mounting apertures each configured to accept a fastener to effect mounted connection between the adapter and building support structure, such as a joist or wall stud. The register cover mounting surface at least partially occupies an area in the HVAC flowpath, and includes a first part slidably coupled to the central body portion and a second part integrally formed with the central body portion. At least one of the boot mounting surfaces is coupled to each of the first and second parts of the register cover mounting surface. As with the previous aspect of the invention, upon engagement between the register cover mounting surface and the register cover and upon engagement between the boot mounting surfaces and the boot, fluid communication between the boot and the register cover is established.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of mounting an HVAC boot is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of configuring an adapter to include a central body portion, register cover mounting surface and at least one boot mounting surface with features similar to those previously mentioned in conjunction with the first aspect of the invention. Additional steps include adjusting the register cover mounting surface and the boot mounting surface to engage corresponding parts of the adapter and the HVAC boot. Optionally, the steps of connecting the adapter to the HVAC boot is effected with fasteners, preferably threaded fasteners, such as screws. In the present context, means of joining, including attaching, connecting, securing or the like all encompass ways by which adjacent or contacting components can be brought into mechanical cooperation with one another to form from the disparate components an assembled structure. Additional steps may include attaching the adapter to a building support structure (such as a joist or wall stud), connecting the HVAC boot to an HVAC duct, and connecting the adapter to a register cover. As with the adapter-to-boot connection, the register cover can be secured to the adapter with fasteners. In addition, the step of adjusting the register cover mounting surface and at least one of the boot mounting surfaces is accomplished by the slidably cooperative engagement between the register cover mounting surface and the central body portion.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of securing an HVAC register cover is disclosed. The adapter is configured similar to that of the first aspect of the invention. The method includes the steps of connecting the boot to the adapter, mounting the adapter to a building support structure (such as a joist or wall stud), fluidly coupling the HVAC duct to the boot and connecting the register cover to the adapter. Optionally, the method may comprise the additional step of covering the joist prior to the step of connecting the register cover to the adapter. In addition, the step of adjusting the register cover mounting surface and at least one of the boot mounting surfaces is accomplished by the slidably cooperative engagement between the register cover mounting surface and the central body portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
Referring now to
The register cover mounting surface 130 is used to connect the adapter 100 to the register cover 10. Lateral edge 132A of first part 132 is designed to be angularly placed in notched region 135A, after which the other lateral edge 132B can be snap-fir into notched region 135B. Thus, first part 132 of the register cover mounting surface 130 is adjustably coupled to the central body portion 110 so that it can slide back and forth along direction S with its lateral motion limited by slots in notched region 135A that are integrally formed in guide rail 135, as shown with particularity in
Referring with particularity to
Referring next to
Referring next to
Referring finally to
Having described the invention in detail and by reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1-24. (canceled)
25. An adapter assembly for mounting an HVAC boot and a register cover comprising a one piece central body portion, wherein at least a portion of said central body portion is adjustable.
26. The adapter assembly of claim 25, wherein said adjustable portion is slidable.
27. The adapter of assembly of claim 25, wherein said adjustable portion defines a continuous HVAC flow path in said central body portion.
28. The adapter assembly of claim 25, wherein the central body portion further comprises a plurality of mounting apertures.
29. The adapter assembly of claim 28, wherein said plurality of mounting apertures are configured to accept a fastener therethrough.
30. The adapter assembly of claim 25, further comprising a register cover mounting surface.
31. The adapter assembly of claim 30, wherein the register cover mounting surface comprises the adjustable portion.
32. The adapter assembly of claim 25, further comprising a boot mounting surface.
33. The adapter assembly of claim 32, wherein the boot mounting surface comprises the adjustable portion.
34. The adapter assembly of claim 27, wherein said HVAC flow path is substantially rectangular-shaped.
35. The adapter assembly of claim 25, wherein at least a part of said central body portion includes a substantially planar surface configured to engage a flange of said register cover.
36. The adapter assembly of claim 25, wherein at least a part of said central body portion includes a substantially planar surface configured to engage a ceiling, wall or floor panel.
37. The adapter assembly of claim 25, further comprising a register cover mounting surface and a boot mounting surface, wherein said central body portion, said register cover mounting surface and said boot mounting surface form a contiguous structure.
38. The adapter assembly of claim 28, wherein said central body portion further includes a plurality of elongate tabs.
39. The adapter of claim 38, wherein at least one of said elongate tables comprises at least one of said mounting apertures.
40. The adapter assembly of claim 38, wherein said central body portion ands aid elongate tabs define a generally H-shaped construction.
41. The adapter assembly of claim 32, wherein said boot mounting surface comprises a plurality of upstanding tabs.
42. The adapter assembly of claim 41, wherein at least one of said upstanding tabs comprises at least one mounting aperture.
43. The adapter assembly of claim 25, wherein said adapter comprising plastic.
44. The adapter assembly of claim 43, wherein said plastic comprises an injection-molded plastic.
45. The adapter assembly of claim 25, wherein the adapter is an H-shaped interjoist adapter assembly for mounting an HVAC boot and a register cover.
46. A method of installing the adapter assembly of claim 25.
47. A method of installing an adapter assembly for mounting an HVAC boot and a register cover, comprising the steps of:
- a. placing the HVAC boot into the central body portion, wherein the central body portion comprises one piece and at least a portion of said central body portion is adjustable;
- b. adjusting the adjustable portion to the HVAC boot to define a continuous HVAC flow path in said central body portion; and
- c. fastening the central body portion to the HVAC boot.
48. The method of claim 47, wherein the fastening step comprises fastening the central body portion to the HVAC boot via a plurality of mounting apertures comprised in the central body portion.
49. The method of claim 47, wherein the fastening step comprises fastening with fasteners.
50. The method of claim 49, wherein said fasteners comprise threaded fasteners.
51. The method of claim 47, further comprising the steps of:
- a. attaching said assembly to a building support structure; and
- b. connecting said HVAC boot to an HVAC duct.
52. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of covering said building support structure.
53. The method of claim 52, further comprising the steps of connecting said assembly to a register cover.
54. The method of claim 53, wherein said connecting step comprises connecting with fasteners.
55. The method of claim 54, wherein said fasteners comprise threaded fasteners.
56. The method of claim 47, wherein the adjusting step further comprises sliding said adjustable portion to define the continuous HVAC flow path.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 19, 2007
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2008
Inventor: William Botting (West Alexandria, OH)
Application Number: 11/826,896
International Classification: E04F 17/04 (20060101);