HVAC adapter curb and installation method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional roof adapter curbs for HVAC systems require significant on-site labor and time for electrical and gas piping connections, sealing, and securing, often necessitating work below the roof, which increases installation costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
An improved adapter curb with pre-installed features such as electrical connection assemblies, access panels, pre-installed seals, insulation, wind brackets, and pre-drilled holes, allowing for external connection and securing of new HVAC units, reducing the need for on-site fabrication and labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional adapter curbs are used with loose installation items, then the curb can be shipped to the job site, but significant on-site labor and time are required for field fabricating and installing electrical connections, gas piping, sealing materials, and insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing electrical connection assemblies, gas piping connections, sealing materials, and insulation materials onto the adapter curb at the factory before shipping to the job site. This eliminates the need for field technicians to perform these labor-intensive tasks on-site, reducing installation time from potentially days to hours while maintaining proper installation quality through controlled factory conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple separate installation components (electrical connections, gas piping, sealing materials, insulation) into a single integrated adapter curb assembly. Instead of carrying and installing numerous loose items separately, all components are combined into one pre-assembled unit that can be installed as a complete system, streamlining the installation process and reducing the number of separate tasks required on-site.
2Ease of operation
If electrical connections and gas piping are field installed on conventional curbs, then connections can be made to new HVAC units, but technicians must work below the roof using ladders and lifts, which is cumbersome and increases installation costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dimensionality change principle by repositioning electrical connection assemblies and gas piping connections from below the roof to the top surface of the adapter curb, which is accessible from the rooftop. This spatial reconfiguration allows technicians to perform all connection work from above, eliminating the need to work below the roof with ladders and lifts, thereby simplifying the installation process and improving ease of operation.
3Reliability
If sealing materials are field applied to adapter curbs, then sealing between the curb and HVAC units can be achieved, but the process is laborious and time-consuming, and adhesive-backed foam materials may not stick properly in damp or wet weather
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing sealing materials onto the adapter curb at the factory under controlled conditions. This eliminates the time-consuming on-site application process and ensures proper adhesion regardless of weather conditions, as the sealing materials are installed in the controlled factory environment rather than subject to damp or wet weather on the rooftop.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes pre-formed sealant bars made of flexible foam material that are designed to be compressed and conform to mating surfaces. These disposable sealant bars replace complex field-applied adhesive systems, providing reliable sealing through their inherent compressibility and conformability while eliminating the need for adhesives that may fail in wet conditions.
4Ease of manufacture
If adapter curbs are factory fabricated to match existing units, then the curbs can be shipped to job sites, but up to 50% of the crew's time is spent field fabricating and extending service cables alone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing electrical connection assemblies with pre-extended service cables during factory fabrication. This allows the adapter curb to be customized to match the specific existing unit at the job site while having all cable extensions and connections prepared in advance, eliminating the need for field technicians to spend up to 50% of their time on cable fabrication and extension tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
An adapter curb for supporting a new HVAC unit on an existing HVAC curb at a work site is disclosed. The adapter curb can include an adapter curb frame including an upper end sized to mate with the new HVAC unit, a lower end sized to mate with the existing HVAC curb, and peripheral walls having an interior surface. One or more components can be pre-installed on the adapter curb frame, including but not limited to an electrical connection assembly, upper and lower sealing elements, interior insulation, one or more wind brackets, and/or a plurality of lifting flanges. The adapter curb with pre-installed features can help reduce installation time on site. A method of installing a new HVAC unit onto an existing HVAC curb with an adapter curb having pre-installed components is also disclosed.