HVAC Housing With Integrated Flanges to Reduce Installation Errors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HVAC system housing designs require separate brackets and fasteners for installation, leading to increased complexity and the likelihood of installation errors and delays.
Innovation Solution
The proposed HVAC system housing features integrated panels with attachment flanges that can move from a collapsed to a deployed configuration, eliminating the need for separate brackets and fasteners during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate brackets and fasteners are used for housing installation, then the housing can be assembled with multiple sections, but the installation process becomes more complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates brackets and fasteners directly into the housing sections as built-in features. The housing sections include integrated attachment means such as flanges, tabs, or interlocking structures that are permanently formed as part of the housing, eliminating the need for separate brackets and fasteners. This merging reduces the number of discrete components and simplifies the installation process while maintaining the ability to assemble multiple housing sections together.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing sections are designed with multi-functional integrated features that serve both structural and attachment purposes. The same housing section that provides enclosure also includes built-in attachment structures for connecting to other sections or mounting to surfaces. This universal design allows the housing to perform multiple functions without requiring additional specialized components, thereby reducing installation complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate brackets and fasteners are provided as a kit, then the housing can be fully assembled, but installation time increases due to misplaced components and corrections
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the attachment features directly into the housing sections during manufacturing, the patent eliminates the need for installers to locate, handle, and install separate brackets and fasteners. The integrated attachment means are already in place on the housing sections, ready for direct assembly, which significantly reduces installation time and eliminates delays caused by misplaced components.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment features are pre-integrated into the housing sections during the manufacturing process rather than being added during installation. This preliminary action of incorporating attachment means during fabrication ensures that all necessary components are already in their correct positions when the housing arrives at the installation site, eliminating time lost during installation for locating and positioning separate brackets and fasteners.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate pieces are used for housing sections, then the housing can enclose different components, but the likelihood of installation errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates attachment features directly into each housing section, creating self-contained units with built-in connection mechanisms. This integration reduces the number of separate components that need to be handled and assembled, thereby reducing the opportunities for installation errors. The housing sections can still be designed in multiple pieces to enclose different components, but each piece includes its own integrated attachment means for reliable assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A housing for a component (e.g., a heat exchanger) of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system is disclosed that includes one or more attachment flanges and/or one or more support flanges that are integrated into the housing. The disclosed housing reduces or completely eliminates the use of separate brackets and fasteners when installing components within the housing and/or when coupling the housing to other components of the HVAC system. By dramatically reducing or eliminating these separate components, the disclosed housing designs reduce the likelihood for installation errors, as well as delays due to misplaced brackets and/or fasteners during installation. Accordingly, the disclosed housing designs enable a cost-effective solution for reducing the cost and complexity of installing HVAC system components.