Fan Housing Bendable-Tab Mounting for Room-Side Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of objects like fans and light fixtures within structural members, such as ceilings and walls, is complex and time-consuming, often requiring access to the back side of the surface and the use of tools and fasteners, which is undesirable, especially in constrained spaces.
Innovation Solution
A fan housing and mounting system utilizing bendable tabs for tool-free attachment to structural members and a vent duct connector with a slidable connection assembly, allowing for installation from the room side without tools and facilitating connection to existing or new ducting, with tabs capable of being bent manually up to 90 degrees and repositioned multiple times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fastening methods with screws and tools are used, then secure attachment to structural members is achieved, but installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fastening function from separate screws and tools, integrating it directly into the housing structure through built-in tabs that combine positioning and securing functions. The tabs are formed as integral parts of the housing, eliminating the need for separate fasteners and installation tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure provides self-service by incorporating self-aligning and self-securing tabs that automatically engage with structural members during insertion. The tabs are designed to bend and lock into place without requiring external tools or fasteners, allowing the housing to secure itself to the structural member.
2Reliability
If access to the back side of structural members is required for installation, then proper fastening can be achieved, but installation accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional installation approach by designing tabs that engage structural members from the front side rather than requiring back-side access. The tabs extend through the housing and engage with the structural member's surface, allowing installation to be performed from the accessible front side only.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-sided installation requirement to a single-sided installation by orienting the tab engagement in a different dimensional direction. The tabs engage the structural member perpendicular to the housing face, enabling secure attachment while maintaining front-side accessibility.
3Stability of the object's composition
If tabs are made thick enough to retain bent shape, then structural stability is improved, but manual bendability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the tab thickness parameter to a specific range that balances flexibility and shape retention. The tabs are made thick enough to maintain their bent configuration under operational loads but thin enough to be manually bent during installation. This parameter optimization enables both easy installation and reliable long-term performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy, tool-free installation of fan housings from the room side, reducing installation time and complexity, and allowing for secure attachment without screws, even in constrained spaces, while accommodating various structural member thicknesses and enabling easy removal and reinstallation.
Implementation Method 1
the first and second tabs formed of bendable material that retains a bent shape and can be bent back to an original position
Data Source
AI summary
A fan housing and mounting system, including vent duct connector, that facilitates installation of a fan in a rough opening in a wall or ceiling, the housing having a first tab extending from the distal end of the wall and a second tab extending from the distal end of the wall, the first tab sized and shaped to engage a first side of the wall or ceiling, and the second tab sized and shaped to engage a second side of the structural member adjacent the rough opening to attach the housing to the wall or ceiling. A vent duct connector utilizes a novel notched flange to engage the housing in restricted installation spaces.