Mounting pad and method for deterring theft and securing air conditioning units against high winds
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing AC pads fail to securely raise and anchor outdoor split air conditioning units off the ground, preventing theft and securing them in high winds, due to issues with weight, fragility, and handling difficulties, especially in hurricane conditions.
Innovation Solution
A hollow plastic AC pad with a gelling formulation that converts water to a solid, allowing complete filling and providing uniform support, combined with adjustable securing straps and optional anchors for additional stability, ensuring the pad is lightweight, rugged, and cost-effective while preventing theft and tipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If a solid concrete pad is used to provide weight for wind resistance, then the pad can secure the AC unit in high winds, but the pad becomes heavy and difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is divided into a hollow outer shell and an internal granular fill material. The hollow shell can be manufactured and transported separately from the fill material, allowing the shell to be lightweight and easy to handle. The fill material is added on-site to provide the necessary weight for wind resistance, resolving the contradiction between lightweight transportability and heavy weight for storm resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow shell acts as an intermediary container that holds the granular fill material. This intermediary structure allows the system to achieve the weight of solid concrete when filled, while the shell itself remains lightweight and easy to transport. The intermediary container enables separation of the weight-providing function from the handling function.
2Ease of operation
If a lightweight foam interior pad is used to reduce weight for easier handling, then the pad becomes easier to transport, but the pad becomes fragile and can be damaged if dropped
Solution Approach 1:
The pad uses a hollow shell structure that can be manufactured from durable, flexible materials resistant to impact and dropping. This shell structure provides the necessary strength and durability while remaining lightweight for easy transport. The hollow design eliminates the need for heavy foam interiors, allowing the shell material itself to provide the required strength without adding excessive weight.
3Ease of manufacture
If the AC unit is mounted on a flat ground without elevation, then installation is simpler, but the AC unit is vulnerable to theft and does not meet building code requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The pad includes pre-integrated theft prevention mechanisms such as anchor holes or attachment points built into the pad structure during manufacturing. These preliminary features allow installers to easily secure the AC unit to the pad using simple anchors or fasteners, maintaining installation simplicity while effectively preventing theft. The theft prevention capability is built into the pad design rather than requiring complex additional components.
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
The solution provides a lightweight, easy-to-transport AC pad that securely raises and anchors the AC unit, preventing theft and maintaining stability in high winds, even at extreme speeds, while being easy to install and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
A hollow plastic AC pad with a gelling formulation that converts water to a solid
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting pad system and method for an HVAC outdoor unit that includes providing a lightweight fillable pad shell containing a gelling material and having securing slots extending from an underside surface to an upper side surface of the shell. The shell is filled with water through a port at its upper surface. Prior to leveling the filled pad on the soil at the site and installation of the outdoor unit, securing straps are inserted into the slots from the underside surface of the shell so as to extend through an upper surface thereof. The filling port is covered when the HVAC unit is placed on top of the pad. One or more securing anchors can be used to anchor the pad to the ground, which are also covered when the HVAC unit is place on top of the pad and an anti-theft cable can be employed to further prevent theft.