Adjustable Air Handler Stand With Integrated Filter Rack
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning equipment base assemblies for air handlers lack features such as double adjustable screws for height and lateral size, horizontal support members, and vertical adjustability, and often fail to provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for supporting heavy units and facilitating filter replacement.
Innovation Solution
A base assembly with metallic legs, upper frames, and C-shaped air filter tracks that allow for adjustable mounting, vibration absorption, and easy filter replacement, featuring telescopic extensions and horizontal arms for adaptable installation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing base assemblies are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but adaptability to different air handler units and adjustment capabilities are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The base assembly incorporates adjustable legs with telescopic sections that can be extended or retracted to different lengths, allowing the structure to adapt to various air handler heights and configurations. This dynamic adjustability enables a single base design to accommodate multiple air handler units from different manufacturers while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The base assembly is designed with universal mounting features including horizontal support members and adjustable attachment points that can accommodate different air handler footprints and configurations. The same base structure can support various air handler units regardless of manufacturer, making it a multi-functional platform that eliminates the need for manufacturer-specific bases.
2Strength
If existing base assemblies are used, then device complexity is reduced, but ability to support heavy air handlers and provide vertical adjustability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The legs are divided into telescopic sections that can independently adjust in length, allowing precise vertical positioning while distributing the load across multiple segments. This segmentation enables the structure to support heavy air handlers through distributed load bearing while maintaining adjustability without requiring an overly complex single-piece design.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable mounting system uses dynamic telescopic mechanisms with locking features that allow vertical adjustment to different heights. These mechanisms maintain structural strength when locked in position while enabling easy adjustment during installation, resolving the conflict between strength and adjustability complexity.
3Ease of operation
If filter tracks are not integrated, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but ease of filter replacement is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The filter track is integrated directly into the base assembly structure, combining the support function and filter storage function into a single unified component. This merging eliminates the need for separate filter holders or racks, making filter replacement as simple as accessing a designated compartment in the base while avoiding the complexity of multiple independent components.
Data Source
AI summary
A base assembly for air handlers having a filter. Four metallic legs each have a distal end. The metallic legs also have first through holes at first predetermined distances from their respective distal ends. The metallic legs have a rectangular or square cross section, and each distal end mounts to a floor. First and second metallic upper frames have vertical extensions to telescopically receive the four metallic legs respectively. The first and second metallic upper frames further have braces member and air filter C-shaped tracks. The first and second metallic upper frames each further have elongated male horizontal arms and elongated female horizontal arms that join whereby the air filter C-shaped tracks face each other to receive a filter.