Ceiling Duct Insert Flange Design for Secure Hose Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
HVAC system failures in commercial buildings often result in the need for portable air conditioning units, which generate warm air that needs to be vented away, but existing duct hoses tend to disconnect from the drop ceiling and lack a secure attachment point for additional hoses, leading to potential disconnection and inefficient air ventilation.
Innovation Solution
A ceiling duct insert with a flange design featuring a negative angle and wider diameter at the bottom to securely attach duct hoses, allowing for better retention and enabling multiple hoses to be connected for efficient air ventilation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple ring flange is used to attach the duct hose, then the installation is simple, but the duct hose easily disconnects and falls down
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is designed with an asymmetric conical shape where the outer surface diameter varies along its length, being larger at the distal end and smaller at the proximal end. This asymmetric geometry creates a tapered configuration that provides mechanical retention for the duct hose, preventing it from sliding off while maintaining ease of installation through a simple snap-fit mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange incorporates a conical curved surface instead of a flat or cylindrical shape. This curvature creates a tapered geometry that naturally retains the duct hose through friction and geometric constraint, ensuring the hose remains securely attached while allowing for simple installation without complex fastening mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If a single duct hose is used for ventilation, then the system is simple, but it cannot efficiently vent warm air from portable HVAC units
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is designed with a universal attachment capability that can accommodate multiple duct hoses simultaneously. The distal end of the flange provides a broad surface area that allows several hoses to be secured around it, enabling the system to handle multiple ventilation streams and improve overall ventilation efficiency while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange extends in the vertical dimension with its conical shape, creating multiple attachment zones along its length. This dimensional extension allows multiple duct hoses to be attached at different positions around the flange, transforming a single-point attachment into a multi-point distribution system that enhances ventilation capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the flange has a uniform diameter, then the manufacturing is simple, but it cannot effectively prevent the duct hose from disconnecting
Solution Approach 1:
The flange employs an asymmetric diameter design where the outer surface diameter changes along the length of the flange, creating a conical shape. This asymmetric geometry is achieved through simple rotational molding or extrusion processes, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while providing the tapered configuration necessary for reliable hose retention through friction and geometric constraint.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling duct insert is provided. The ceiling duct insert is attachable to a duct hose. The ceiling duct includes a ceiling panel with an opening disposed therethrough. The ceiling panel further includes a ring-shaped flange located about a periphery of the opening, extends from a first side of the ceiling panel, and is configured to attach to the duct hose. At least a portion of the ring-shaped flange has an outer surface, and the outer surface of the ring-shaped flange has a second diameter distal from the ceiling panel that is wider than a first diameter of the outer surface of the ring-shaped flange, proximal to the ceiling panel.