Apparatus for air distribution system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for securing HVAC grilles in duct openings are complex, time-consuming, and may not provide a secure and reliable attachment, leading to potential safety hazards and reduced system performance.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring a grille-frame unit with a permanently mounted recessed safety latch and retractable ball detents that allows easy installation and removal without tools, ensuring secure attachment to HVAC duct openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws or bolts are used to secure the grille to the duct opening, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into multiple components: a mounting frame with mounting slots, a grille-frame unit with retractable ball detents, and a permanently mounted recessed safety latch. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function, enabling quick installation while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractable ball detents provide a dynamic attachment mechanism that allows the grille-frame unit to be quickly inserted and secured without tools. The balls can be easily depressed to release the grille for removal, enabling tool-free installation and removal while maintaining secure attachment during operation.
2Ease of operation
If clips or brackets are used to hold the grille in place, then installation is simplified, but attachment security deteriorates in high airflow environments
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple attachment mechanisms into a single integrated system: the mounting frame provides structural support, the retractable ball detents provide quick-release capability, and the permanently mounted recessed safety latch provides secure anchoring. This combination achieves both easy installation and secure attachment in high airflow environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting frame acts as an intermediary between the duct opening and the grille-frame unit. It provides a stable mounting structure with slots that guide the grille installation, while the safety latch embedded in the mounting frame provides additional security without interfering with the quick-release function of the ball detents.
3Ease of operation
If adhesive or tape is used to secure the grille, then ease of installation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to degradation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to be self-servicing through the retractable ball detents that can be easily depressed to release the grille without requiring adhesives or special tools. The permanently mounted recessed safety latch provides automatic securing when the grille is installed, eliminating the need for degradable adhesive materials.
4Reliability
If screws or bolts are used to secure the grille, then secure attachment is achieved, but device complexity increases due to drilling and assembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting frame is pre-equipped with mounting slots and the permanently mounted recessed safety latch is pre-installed in the duct opening before the grille-frame unit is attached. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for drilling holes or complex assembly operations during installation, reducing device complexity while maintaining secure attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, device, or apparatus includes grille attached to a frame and placed over an outflow or inflow duct a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC). The apparatus includes ball detents and permanently mounted recessed safety latches that securely attach the device over the duct opening and eliminate the need to use tools and thereby expedite the instillation process as well as removal of the system for access to the ducts. The apparatus provides for a secure attachment and ease of installation and removal of the grille, which may be decorative and/or functionally control airflow.