Rotatable Vent Tube Termination Fitting for Low-Pressure Exhaust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vent tube termination fittings often result in reduced fan efficiency due to excessive ductwork length, sharp bends, and improper installation, leading to increased internal friction and interference with building features like windows or lights.
Innovation Solution
A termination fitting with a mounting bracket, vent body, damper assembly, and diffuser that allows for pre-installation adjacent to the soffit, enabling proper duct length, reducing excess tubing, and allowing adjustable orientation to minimize bends and interference, while incorporating a damper for element sealing and a rotatable diffuser for directional exhaust.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the tube is extended to reach the farthest location, then the termination can be positioned far from the wall, but the ductwork length increases causing higher internal friction and reduced fan effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The termination fitting is pre-installed on the exterior wall before soffit installation, allowing the ductwork to be cut to the exact required length and connected directly without excessive extension. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need to over-extend the duct to ensure reachability.
Solution Approach 2:
The termination fitting is divided into separate components (mounting bracket, vent body, damper assembly, diffuser) that can be assembled and positioned independently. This allows precise placement at the optimal location without requiring excessive ductwork length.
2Adaptability or versatility
If extra length of tubing is left to ensure reach, then installation flexibility is improved, but sharp bends and kinks are introduced that dramatically reduce fan effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The termination fitting is installed beforehand at the precise location where the duct should terminate. This allows the duct to be cut to the correct length and connected in a straight run, eliminating the need to leave excessive tail length that would require bending and kinking to reach the fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket includes a rotatable retainer that allows the vent body to be rotated to different orientations after installation. This provides installation flexibility to accommodate various duct approaches without requiring excessive duct length or sharp bends.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tube connects vertically with a 90 degree bend at the junction, then installation is simplified, but internal friction increases and effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is designed to be rotatable, allowing the vent body to be oriented at different angles (horizontal, vertical, or intermediate) after mounting. This enables the duct to connect in the most direct, straight-run configuration possible, minimizing bends and internal friction while maintaining installation simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation of the vent body can be changed by rotating the retainer, allowing optimization of the duct connection angle to minimize the number and sharpness of bends, thereby reducing internal friction while maintaining ease of installation.
4Productivity
If the termination is installed after the soffit, then the installation sequence is simplified, but the termination location cannot be precisely positioned and may interfere with windows or lights
Solution Approach 1:
The termination fitting is installed on the exterior wall before the soffit is installed. This preliminary placement allows the location to be precisely positioned according to architectural requirements, ensuring it will not interfere with windows or lights, while the subsequent soffit installation integrates seamlessly with the pre-positioned termination.
5Productivity
If the damper is installed after soffit installation, then the installation sequence is simplified, but the termination end is exposed to elements, debris and animals during construction
Solution Approach 1:
The damper assembly is pre-installed as part of the termination fitting before soffit installation. This allows the damper and termination end to be sealed and protected from elements, debris, and animals during construction, while the overall installation sequence remains efficient with no additional steps required.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a termination fitting that is mountable adjacent to, but independent of, and before installation of, the soffit. The termination fitting has a mounting bracket, a vent body, a damper assembly and a diffuser. The mounting bracket has a base attachable to a vertical surface and a retainer that can have a generally arc shaped outer wall. The vent body has an inlet end and an outlet end. The outlet end is attachable to the retainer in a rotatable and lockable manner. The damper assembly is connected to the inlet end of the vent body and has a damper housing and a damper. The damper housing has a face that is held in an inclined place to hold the damper in the inclined plane when in a resting position. The diffuser is rotatable relative to the vent body.