Air Grille with Collapsible Flaps to Reduce Shipping Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air grilles for HVAC systems are inefficient in reducing shipping density, leading to higher transportation costs due to their rigid structure, which does not collapse or fold during shipping, and they often require additional handling to accommodate air filters.
Innovation Solution
The air grille features a duct face end with collapsible flaps that are coplanar when collapsed, reducing thickness by up to 75% and allowing for easier installation by unfolding during setup, while also securely holding an air filter in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the air grille uses a rigid structure to hold the air filter, then the filter holding function is reliable, but the shipping density is high and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air grille is divided into a face section and a duct section that can be separated or reconfigured. The duct section includes flaps that can be folded along fold lines, allowing the structure to be segmented into collapsible portions that reduce shipping volume while maintaining filter holding capability when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The air grille incorporates movable flaps with fold lines that allow the duct section to transition between expanded and collapsed states. This dynamic structure enables the grille to adapt its volume for shipping while maintaining structural integrity for filter support during installation and operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the air grille has a fixed non-collapsible structure, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the installation complexity increases due to difficulty in handling and positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The grille is segmented into sections connected by fold lines, allowing it to be collapsed into a compact form for easier handling and positioning during installation, while still being manufacturable as a single piece or pre-assembled unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct section is designed to collapse in the dimension perpendicular to the face section, reducing its profile from a three-dimensional box to a two-dimensional flat configuration for shipping, while maintaining full functionality when expanded at the installation site.
3Ease of operation
If the flaps are left uncollapsed during shipping, then the air filter can be easily installed, but the shipping volume and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flaps are pre-configured with fold lines and attachment mechanisms that allow them to be easily unfolded and positioned at the installation site. This preliminary design enables quick transformation from collapsed to expanded state, facilitating easy filter installation without requiring complex assembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible flap design allows the structure to dynamically change volume - collapsed for shipping to minimize volume, and expanded at installation to provide adequate space for filter placement and secure attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure envisages an air grille. The air grille comprises a front face and a duct face end. The duct face end is in the opposite of the front face. A plurality of flaps are configured on the duct face end, wherein the flaps are capable of collapsing. During shipping the flaps are collapsed whereas before installation the flaps are uncollapsed to facilitate containment of an air filter. The air grille has first thickness when the flaps are collapsed and second thickness when the flaps are uncollapsed, wherein the first thickness is less than the second thickness.