U.S. patent application number 10/103626 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-25 for h-shaped boot-to-register cover mounting adapter.
Invention is credited to Botting, William Andrew.
Application Number | 20030177724 10/103626 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28040441 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030177724 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Botting, William Andrew |
September 25, 2003 |
H-shaped boot-to-register cover mounting adapter
Abstract
An adapter including a central body portion and a mount for
connection to each of an HVAC register cover and duct-engaging
boot. A surface of the central body portion includes mounting
apertures, each configured to accept a fastener so that the central
body portion can be mounted to a support structure, such as a
ceiling joist. The adapter includes a register cover mounting
surface that is adjustable so that it can accommodate
different-sized register covers. The adapter also includes a boot
mounting surface coupled to the register cover mounting surface
such that, upon engagement between the register cover mounting
surface and the register cover and upon engagement between the boot
mounting surface and the boot, fluid communication between the boot
and the register cover is established. Preferably, the adapter is
made from a plastic, and more particularly an injection-molded
plastic.
Inventors: |
Botting, William Andrew;
(West Alexandria, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Killworth, Gottman, Hagan & Schaeff, L.L.P.
Suite 500
One Dayton Centre
Dayton
OH
45402-2023
US
|
Family ID: |
28040441 |
Appl. No.: |
10/103626 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/302.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 13/06 20130101;
F24F 13/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/302.1 |
International
Class: |
E04B 001/70; E04F
017/04 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An adapter assembly for mounting an HVAC boot to a register
cover, said adapter assembly comprising: a central body portion
defining a support structure mounting surface, said support
structure mounting surface including a plurality of mounting
apertures disposed therein, each of said plurality of mounting
apertures configured to accept a fastener therethrough; a register
cover mounting surface at least a part of which is adjustably
coupled to said central body portion; and at least one boot
mounting surface coupled to said register cover mounting surface
such that, upon engagement between said register cover mounting
surface and said register cover and upon engagement between said at
least one boot mounting surface and said boot, fluid communication
between said boot and said register cover is established.
2. An adapter assembly according to claim 1, wherein said support
structure mounting surface of said central body portion defines an
HVAC flowpath therethrough.
3. An adapter assembly according to claim 2, wherein said HVAC
flowpath is substantially rectangular-shaped, and is configured to
accept a comparably-sized flowpath defined by said register
cover.
4. An adapter assembly according to claim 2, wherein said part of
said register cover mounting surface that is adjustably coupled to
said central body portion is slidably cooperative therewith said
such that said register cover mounting surface at least partially
occupies an area projected by said HVAC flowpath.
5. An adapter assembly according to claim 4, wherein at least a
part of said central body portion includes a substantially planar
surface configured to engage a flange of said register cover or a
surface of a ceiling panel.
6. An adapter assembly according to claim 4, wherein said central
body portion, said register cover mounting surface and said at
least one boot mounting surface form a contiguous structure.
7. An adapter assembly according to claim 6, wherein said central
body portion further includes plurality of elongate tabs extending
therefrom such that at least one of said plurality of mounting
apertures are situated in each of said plurality of elongate
tabs.
8. An adapter assembly according to claim 7, wherein said central
body portion and said plurality of elongate tabs extending
therefrom define a generally H-shaped construction.
9. An adapter assembly according to claim 1, wherein said at least
one boot mounting surface comprises a plurality of upstanding tabs
with fastener-accepting orifices disposed therein.
10. An adapter assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least a
part of each of said register cover mounting surface and said at
least one boot mounting surface forms an integral part of said
central body portion.
11. An adapter assembly according to claim 1, wherein said adapter
is plastic.
12. An adapter assembly according to claim 11, wherein said plastic
is an injection-molded plastic.
13. An H-shaped interjoist adapter for mounting an HVAC boot to a
register cover, said H-shaped interjoist adapter defined by a
central body portion comprising: a support structure mounting
surface defining an HVAC flowpath in said central body portion,
said support structure mounting surface including a plurality of
mounting apertures disposed therein, each of said plurality of
mounting apertures configured to accept a fastener therethrough; a
register cover mounting surface that at least partially occupies an
area in said HVAC flowpath, said register cover mounting surface
comprising: a first part slidably coupled to said central body
portion; and a second part integrally formed with said central body
portion; a plurality of boot mounting surfaces, including: at least
one of which is coupled to said first part of said register cover
mounting surface; and at least one coupled to said second part of
said register cover mounting surface such that, upon engagement
between said register cover mounting surface and said register
cover and upon engagement between said plurality of boot mounting
surfaces and said boot, fluid communication between said boot and
said register cover is established.
14. A method of mounting an HVAC boot comprising: configuring an
adapter to include: a central body portion defining a support
structure mounting surface, said support structure mounting surface
including a plurality of mounting apertures disposed therein, each
of said plurality of mounting apertures configured to accept a
fastener therethrough; a register cover mounting surface at least a
part of which is adjustably coupled to said central body portion;
and at least one boot mounting surface coupled to said register
cover mounting surface such that, upon engagement between said
register cover mounting surface and said register cover and upon
engagement between said at least one boot mounting surface and said
boot, fluid communication between said boot and said register cover
is established; adjusting said register cover mounting surface and
said at least one boot mounting surface to engage corresponding
parts of said adapter and HVAC boot, respectively; and connecting
said adapter to said HVAC boot.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said step of connecting
said adapter to said HVAC boot is effected with fasteners.
16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said fasteners are
threaded.
17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the
additional steps of: attaching said adapter to a building support
structure; and connecting said HVAC boot to an HVAC duct.
18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the
additional step of connecting said adapter to a register cover.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said register cover is
secured to said adapter with fasteners.
20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said fasteners are
threaded.
21. A method according to claim 14, wherein said adjustably coupled
part of said register cover mounting surface is slidably
cooperative with said central body portion to effect said step of
adjusting said register cover mounting surface and said at least
one boot mounting surface.
22. A method of securing an HVAC register cover, said method
comprising the steps of: configuring an adapter to include: a
central body portion defining a support structure mounting surface,
said support structure mounting surface including a plurality of
mounting apertures disposed therein, each of said plurality of
mounting apertures configured to accept a fastener therethrough; a
register cover mounting surface at least a part of which is
adjustably coupled to said central body portion; and at least one
boot mounting surface coupled to said register cover mounting
surface such that, upon engagement between said register cover
mounting surface and said register cover and upon engagement
between said at least one boot mounting surface and said boot,
fluid communication between said boot and said register cover is
established; connecting said boot to said adapter; mounting said
adapter to a building support structure; fluidly coupling an HVAC
duct to said boot; and connecting said register cover to said
adapter.
23. A method according to claim 20, comprising the additional step
of covering said joist prior to said step of connecting said
register cover to said adapter.
24. A method according to claim 22, wherein said adjustably coupled
part of said register cover mounting surface is slidably
cooperative with said central body portion to effect said step of
connecting said boot to said adapter.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a device for
securely mounting heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
components, and in particular to a mounting adapter used to secure
ventilation register covers to duct boxes and underlying building
support structure, even in configurations requiring unconventional
component spacing or dimensions.
[0002] In most HVAC systems, air-supply ducts are routed through a
building to move air from its source through ducting to one or more
terminal outlets, typically in the form of a register cover.
Additional ducts are employed to return the air back to the source.
Each supply duct typically terminates in a box (also known as a
boot), which itself mounts to a structural member within the
building and provides a surface upon which the register cover (also
known as a grille) can be attached, usually by threaded fastener.
The ducts are often mounted in a relatively unobtrusive location,
such as between wall studs, underneath a floor, or from a joist or
similar overhead support, using hangers or brackets to secure the
duct to the support structure. Once the duct and boot are mounted
in place to the support structure, the installer covers them with
floor, wall or ceiling panels, taking care to align cut-outs in the
panels with the location of the boots. The register cover is
inserted into the cut-out such that a flange on the cover rests on
the room-side surface of the panel, with the remainder projecting
through the cut-out and into engagement with the boot. Most
conventional register covers are manufactured with two fastener
holes, each spaced at opposing ends of the flange by an amount
typically set to industry norms, such as eight, ten or twelve
inches. A screw is typically driven through the prefabricated
fastener holes in the register cover, the panel, and into the boot
or support structure (or both) to secure the register cover in
place.
[0003] Two recent trends in the construction industry have shifted
the way HVAC systems are installed in buildings. The first trend,
toward ceiling-mounted register covers rather than those mounted in
floors or walls, is in its ascendancy because of lower installation
and material costs. The majority of residential, commercial and
professional dwellings incorporate either "drop" ceilings, where a
lattice of inverted T-bars are suspended from an overhead support
with decorative panels resting within the lattice, or sheets
(alternately referred to as panels) of drywall directly fastened to
the overhead joists. Unhappily, both situations reduce the
capability of the ceiling to provide secure structural installation
to the register covers, and both make the installer's task of
mounting and connecting the various components more difficult and
time-consuming such that the time and cost savings associated with
an overhead system are often offset by increased expense in trying
to more securely mount the boot in place until final connection
between the register cover, boot and air duct can be made. In
situations where the interjoist spacing is conventional, the
load-bearing capability of the drywall or drop ceiling panel is
often insufficient support for the duct, boot and register cover.
This problem is exacerbated where the boot and register cover are
placed between joists that do not exhibit the traditional sixteen
or twenty-four inch spacing, or where an undersized register cover
is being mounted into a space designed for a larger unit. In order
to ensure a secure mount in such situations, installers will custom
form sheet metal adapters on the job site to form a frame that can
be used to hold the boot or duct in place. Once this onsite
fabricated part is assembled, it is held in place against the
joists and fastened into place. This approach leads to excessive
time and cost as each of these adapters must be measured, cut,
configured, fastened and then applied to the overhead outlet. This
also leads to excessive material waste as unusable pieces of sheet
metal are discarded. In addition, unless extreme care is taken in
the placement of attachment holes and related connection locations
within the frame, there is no reliable way to ensure the holes will
align with the fastener holes in the register cover. In addition,
cutting and fastening pieces of sheet metal is dangerous, as the
jagged edge of the sheets can cause cuts, leading to lost job time
and increased workers' compensation claims. A more secure, simple,
robust installation system is therefore needed.
[0004] The second trend has been to move away from rigid sheet
metal ductwork to flexible ducting. While flexible ducts enjoy
distinct advantages over rigid ductwork in terms of weight,
fabrication expense and ease of installation, their reliance on the
boot (or similar structure) to provide solid, secure connection to
building structure can often negate these benefits, as their
flexible outer wall of the duct, which is typically a thin sheet of
polypropylene or similar plastic, lacks the rigid mounting surfaces
inherently available in rigid ducts. As such, conventional methods
of fastening a boot or register cover to the duct, or the duct to
adjacent building structure, are unavailing, as the flexible duct
has insufficient load-bearing capability. Thus, as previously
discussed, if any of the components (i.e., duct, boot or register
cover) of the ventilation assembly are either to be mounted in an
unconventional location or aren't sized for that location, then a
structurally unsound installation could result. For example, one or
both of the prefabricated fastener holes in the register cover
might not properly align with the boot or joist, relying for
attachment on the relatively non-structural panels. This approach
would result in substandard installation, as this type of
connection, which may initially hold, will over time (due to loads,
vibrations and routine removal and reinstallation of the register
cover) cause the hole in the panel to enlarge to the point where
the fastener would no longer hold. Ceiling panels (as well as the
now largely discontinued plaster) do not demonstrate long-term
viability because of the tendency of these materials to weaken,
crumble and eventually break apart over time in the presence of
threaded fasteners. To alleviate this, the installer can fabricate
a suitable mounting platform that can provide a secure attachment
point for the boot or the peculiar position or size of the register
cover (as previously discussed). This installation approach
exacerbates the already increasingly difficult and expensive task
of securing the boot, duct and register cover, as the lack of a
rigid surface in the duct further reduces the number of viable
attachment locations.
[0005] Various attempts at using load-spreading clips have been
devised to solve the problem of attaching the ventilation register
cover to an unsecured location in a wall or ceiling. See, for
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,349 to Dearing and U.S. Pat. No.
5,494,244 to Walton. These devices allow installation of a register
cover to drywall (or similar material) away from an underlying
support member (such as a joist or wall stud). Nevertheless, these
devices also have certain disadvantages. For example, their
construction either limits their applicability to a wall or ceiling
panel of a predetermined thickness, or requires cumbersome and
time-consuming on-site bending of the clips. Thus, in applications
involving panels of different thickness, the installer would either
have to stock numerous clips of corresponding thickness, or would
have to bend the clip to fit at the job site. In addition, the
prior art clips do not necessarily free the installer's hands
during the installation, as the clips are liable to shift during
duct, boot or register cover insertion, thus necessitating
continued oversight by the installer. Lastly, while the clips help
reduce the incidence of panel hole crumbling, enlargement or
outright disintegration by spreading the load, they do not transfer
the load to a more structural member, as the combined weight of the
duct, boot and register cover assembly continues to be supported by
the relatively non-structural wall or ceiling panel.
[0006] Other approaches have focused on using a combination of
rail-like elements independently mounted to the joists. See, for
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,981 to Hodges and U.S. Pat. No.
4,406,216 to Hott et al. These configurations permit myriad
mounting positions due to the multihole or telescoping nature of
the rails. However, the use of multiple parts increases the
difficulty of the installer's task, as precise positioning between
the various components is required. In addition, storing and
tracking multiple components on a job site requires additional
oversight. Furthermore, the installation of telescoping devices can
be difficult, as proper interjoist alignment is difficult to
ensure, especially when the installer is working in a confined
space. Moreover, the installation of multihole rails can be limited
by the L-shaped nature of the rail, as such three-dimensional
aspects either limits the location on the joist (often above or in
between the joists) or the ability to place a ceiling panel over
the rail once the rail is in place.
[0007] Accordingly, what is needed is a simple, inexpensive device
that can be used in a variety of different mounting dimensions to
ensure reliable, secure attachment of the duct, boot and register
cover.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] This need is met by the present invention, where a mounting
adapter is disclosed. The adapter, which is preferably a generally
planar, H-shaped device, reduces the time, cost and complexity
associated with mounting the register cover to the boot and duct,
as well as securing both to building support structure, such as a
wall stud or ceiling joist.
[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, an adapter
assembly for mounting an HVAC boot to a register cover is
disclosed. The adapter assembly includes a central body portion
defining a support structure mounting surface, a register cover
mounting surface, and at least one boot mounting surface coupled to
the register cover mounting surface. At least a portion of the
register cover mounting surface is adjustably coupled to the
central body portion. The central body portion includes mounting
apertures disposed in its surface, where each of the mounting
apertures can accept a fastener so that the adapter can engage a
building support structure (such as a joist). Upon engagement
between the register cover mounting surface and the register cover
and upon engagement between the boot mounting surface and the boot,
fluid communication between the boot and the register cover is
established. In the present context, the boot can be any box-like
device that fluidly connects the end of flexible HVAC duct to the
ventilation register cover. As such, the boot can be separate from
or an integral attachment to either the register cover or flexible
duct.
[0010] Optionally the surface of the central body portion defines a
substantially centrally-disposed HVAC flowpath that is preferably
substantially rectangular-shaped. The HVAC flowpath is configured
to accept a comparably-sized flowpath defined by the register
cover. In addition, the part of the register cover mounting surface
that is adjustably coupled to the central body portion is slidably
cooperative therewith such that the register cover mounting surface
at least partially occupies the area defined by the HVAC flowpath.
At least a part of the central body portion may further include a
substantially planar surface configured to engage a flange of the
register cover or a surface of a ceiling panel. Preferably, the
central body portion, the register cover mounting surface and the
boot mounting surface form a contiguous structure. This simplifies
the task of storing and keeping track of the adapter, as there is
little or no risk of the components of the adapter becoming
separated. The central body portion can further include elongate
tabs extending therefrom such that at least one of the plurality of
mounting apertures are situated in each of the elongate tabs.
Moreover, the central body portion and the plurality of elongate
tabs extending therefrom can define a generally H-shaped
construction. The boot mounting surface may comprise a plurality of
upstanding tabs that can accept fasteners to help secure the mount
to the boot. As an additional option, the adapter is plastic, and
more preferably, an injection-molded plastic.
[0011] According to another aspect of the invention, an H-shaped
interjoist adapter for mounting an HVAC boot to a register cover is
disclosed. The adapter is defined by a central body portion
comprising multiple mounting surfaces, including a support
structure mounting surface, a register cover mounting surface and a
plurality of boot mounting surfaces. The support structure mounting
surface defines an HVAC flowpath in the central body portion, and
includes a plurality of mounting apertures each configured to
accept a fastener to effect mounted connection between the adapter
and building support structure, such as a joist or wall stud. The
register cover mounting surface at least partially occupies an area
in the HVAC flowpath, and includes a first part slidably coupled to
the central body portion and a second part integrally formed with
the central body portion. At least one of the boot mounting
surfaces is coupled to each of the first and second parts of the
register cover mounting surface. As with the previous aspect of the
invention, upon engagement between the register cover mounting
surface and the register cover and upon engagement between the boot
mounting surfaces and the boot, fluid communication between the
boot and the register cover is established.
[0012] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of
mounting an HVAC boot is disclosed. The method comprises the steps
of configuring an adapter to include a central body portion,
register cover mounting surface and at least one boot mounting
surface with features similar to those previously mentioned in
conjunction with the first aspect of the invention. Additional
steps include adjusting the register cover mounting surface and the
boot mounting surface to engage corresponding parts of the adapter
and the HVAC boot. Optionally, the steps of connecting the adapter
to the HVAC boot is effected with fasteners, preferably threaded
fasteners, such as screws. In the present context, means of
joining, including attaching, connecting, securing or the like all
encompass ways by which adjacent or contacting components can be
brought into mechanical cooperation with one another to form from
the disparate components an assembled structure. Additional steps
may include attaching the adapter to a building support structure
(such as a joist or wall stud), connecting the HVAC boot to an HVAC
duct, and connecting the adapter to a register cover. As with the
adapter-to-boot connection, the register cover can be secured to
the adapter with fasteners. In addition, the step of adjusting the
register cover mounting surface and at least one of the boot
mounting surfaces is accomplished by the slidably cooperative
engagement between the register cover mounting surface and the
central body portion.
[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of
securing an HVAC register cover is disclosed. The adapter is
configured similar to that of the first aspect of the invention.
The method includes the steps of connecting the boot to the
adapter, mounting the adapter to a building support structure (such
as a joist or wall stud), fluidly coupling the HVAC duct to the
boot and connecting the register cover to the adapter. Optionally,
the method may comprise the additional step of covering the joist
prior to the step of connecting the register cover to the adapter.
In addition, the step of adjusting the register cover mounting
surface and at least one of the boot mounting surfaces is
accomplished by the slidably cooperative engagement between the
register cover mounting surface and the central body portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one form of the prior art,
showing load-spreading clips;
[0015] FIG. 1B is a perspective view of another form of the prior
art, showing joist-spanning rails;
[0016] FIG. 1C is a bottom view of a custom-built interjoist
mounting bracket of the prior art;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a top view of an adapter according to an aspect of
the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2A is a section view along line A-A of FIG. 2;
[0019] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the adapter of
FIG. 2;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the adapter of FIG. 2 with
an HVAC boot mounted to it;
[0021] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the opposing
surface of the adapter of FIG. 2 with an HVAC boot and register
cover; and
[0022] FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the relative mounting
positions of the adapter, register cover, HVAC boot and duct.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1A through 1C, various forms of prior art
mounting devices are shown. In FIG. 1A, an HVAC register cover 10,
with flowpath walls 12, flange 14 and mounting apertures 16 is
inserted into a cut-out 18 in ceiling panel 20 (which could also be
a wall). A boot 30 is used to transition the air to the rectangular
flowpath 40 at one end from a cylindrical flowpath 50 at the other
end to engage flexible HVAC duct 60. Boot 30 may include mounting
apertures 32. Load-spreading clips 70 straddle the edges of the
cut-out 18 in ceiling panel 20, and include apertures 72 through
which fasteners 80 can pass, securing register cover 10 and clip 70
to ceiling panel 20. Such an arrangement can be (and often is) used
when a support structure, such as a joist or wall stud (neither of
which are presently shown) is inaccessible. FIG. 1B shows a
mounting bracket made up of a pair of rails 75 that extend between
adjacent joists 25. The frequently-spaced apertures 77 in the rails
75 permit the boot 30 to be placed at one of various locations
between the joist 25, and can be used between joists with larger or
smaller spacing than the sixteen or twenty-four inch industry
standards. The rails 75 typically are used in pairs, and are spaced
according to the boot 30 dimensions. The two rails 75 are mounted
separately, and therefore do not make up a contiguous structure.
While the present rails 75 are shown extending between the joists
25, they can also be longer, such that they can be mounted either
on top of or below joists 25. FIG. 1C represents an ad hoc approach
to mounting a boot 30 and register cover (not presently shown) in
the presence of joists 25. Rather than using the clips 70 or rails
75, both of which were created expressly for the purpose of
providing a more secure mount between an outlet and the wall or
ceiling, an installer may opt to custom-build one or more mounting
brackets 90 upon encountering an unconventional joist spacing or
register cover size. Typically, the installer cuts sheet metal into
the appropriate length, either drills mounting apertures into or
drives fastener 80 through the bracket 90 until engagement with a
joist 25 is made. As with the rails 75 of FIG. 1B, the mounting
brackets 90 are installed individually, and spaced according to the
dimension of the register cover and boot 30, which may include a
flanged portion 33 at the end of the rectangular flowpath 40 to
allow the boot 30 to either rest upon or be secured to the brackets
90. As before, the rectangular flowpath 40 of one end of the boot
30 is facing the register cover, while the cylindrical flowpath 50
at the other end can engage a duct (not presently shown). The
installer often will cut strips of sheet metal wider than
necessary, then fold them over one or more times along a
longitudinal axis to increase the rigidity of the mounting bracket
90.
[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 2, 2A and 5, an adapter 100 according
to the present invention is shown. Adapter 100 is in the form of an
assembly, and includes a central body portion 110 with a support
structure mounting surface 120 and an opposing register
cover-facing surface 122. Preferably, all the components in the
assembly are made from a rigid, durable plastic, such as
polypropylene. In addition to being strong, tough and
corrosion-resistant, such plastic can also be inexpensively
manufactured, using well-known injection molding techniques, for
example. First end mounting apertures 125 are disposed at one end
of the support structure mounting surface 120, so that fasteners
(such as screws, nails, rivets or the like) can secure the adapter
100 to a building support structure (such as a joist or wall stud,
neither of which are currently shown), while second end mounting
apertures 126A, 126B and 126C are placed at the other end of the
support structure mounting surface 120 to permit mounting along
various predetermined interjoist spacings, such as twenty four
inches between first end mounting apertures 125 and second end
mounting apertures 126A, nineteen and two-tenths inches between
first end mounting apertures 125 and second end mounting apertures
126B and sixteen inches between first end mounting apertures 125
and second end mounting apertures 126C. While the second end
mounting apertures 126A, 126B and 126C are only shown for the three
aforementioned spacings near the ends of the legs of the H-shaped
adapter 100, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that additional apertures could be disposed at other longitudinal
locations to accommodate distances other than the industry
standards. In addition, since the parts of the adapter 100 can be
inexpensively manufactured, it will be appreciated by those skilled
in the art that the size of the adapter 100 can be fabricated in
numerous sizes, depending on the application. An HVAC flowpath 140
is defined as a substantially rectangular cut-out between first and
second parts 132, 134 of register cover mounting surface 130. The
central body portion 110 is generally H-shaped, with a plurality of
elongate tabs 150 defining the leg portions of the H. A set of
upstanding tabs 160A, 160B and 160C together define a boot mounting
surface 160.
[0025] The register cover mounting surface 130 is used to connect
the adapter 100 to the register cover 10. Lateral edge 132A of
first part 132 is designed to be angularly placed in notched region
135A, after which the other lateral edge 132B can be snap-fir into
notched region 135B. Thus, first part 132 of the register cover
mounting surface 130 is adjustably coupled to the central body
portion 110 so that it can slide back and forth along direction S
with its lateral motion limited by slots in notched region 135A
that are integrally formed in guide rail 135, as shown with
particularity in FIG. 2A. The lower surface 132C of first part 132
rests on top of central body portion 110. The thickness of central
body portion 110 is relatively thin, so that so that the lower
surface 132C of first part 132 is substantially coplanar with
register cover-facing surface 122 of central body portion 110. A
second part 134 of the register cover mounting surface 130 forms an
integral part of central body portion 110. Both the first and
second parts 132, 134 include apertures 136 disposed in their
respective surfaces, which can be aligned with corresponding
apertures in HVAC register cover 10 to effect fastened connection
between the adapter 100 and register cover 10.
[0026] Referring with particularity to FIG. 5, a boss 138 is used
as a built-up pedestal to extend the apertures 136 away from
register cover-facing surface 122 to effect easier engagement with
flanges 14 in register cover 10. The boss 138 is self-threading to
avoid stripping during repeated fastener insertion and removal. A
cutout 111 in central body portion 110 allows the boss 138 to fit
into the cutout, thereby enabling full extension of second part 132
of register mounting surface 130 when the largest register cover 10
spacing (typically twelve inches) is required. The presence of
upstanding tab 160B along the sliding path of second part 132 of
register mounting surface 130 limits travel of the second part to
no less than a preset minimum spacing between mounting apertures
136, typically eight inches. A downward-extending ridge is used to
define the hole to be cut into the ceiling panel (not presently
shown). The ridge is made up of a first part 137A that is integral
with register-facing surface 122 of central body portion 110, and a
second part 137B that is integral with the lower surface 132C of
first part 132, as shown in both FIGS. 2A and 5. The ridge is of
sufficient height such that once the hole in the ceiling panel is
placed over and aligned with the flowpath 140, the lowermost
extension of the first and second parts 137A, 137B of the ridge can
be flush with the room-facing surface of the ceiling panel (not
presently shown). One preferred height for the ridge is one-half
inch, to coincide with a common drywall thickness. Ridge first part
137A preferably surrounds three sides of HVAC flowpath 140, being
disposed at the respective edges thereof such that ridge first part
137A can be placed into contact with the flange 14 of the register
cover, thus allowing by quick visual inspection a verification that
the mounting adapter 100 and the ceiling panel are properly aligned
relative to one another. Preferably, the ridge second part 137B
projects downwardly in a manner similar to that of the first part
137A, except that it does not extend from an edge of first part 132
of register cover mounting surface 130, instead extending from
lower surface 132C to allow engagement between the first part 132
and the notched regions 135A and 135B, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3.
The register cover 10 is inserted through the HVAC flowpath 140
defined by the register cover mounting surface 130 of adapter 100
such that flowpath walls 12 of register cover 10 pass through
flowpath 140 and into the rectangular compartment defined by
rectangular flowpath 40 of boot 30.
[0027] Referring next to FIG. 3, the placement of the first part
132 of register cover mounting surface 130 relative to the central
body portion 110 is shown via exploded view. By virtue of the
slidably adjustable arrangement between first and second parts 132
and 134 of register cover mounting surface 130, the HVAC flowpath
can be tailored to various register cover sizes, particularly along
the lengthwise dimension of the register cover. Moreover, since the
first part 132 is held in contact with the rest of adapter 100 by
the slots 135A, 135B of guide rail 135 (as previously shown in FIG.
2A), and the entire adapter 100 is a rigid structural assembly,
installation is simplified, as an installer can hold the adapter
100 in one hand, while securing it to a joist or similar support
structure with the other, leaving the determination of the precise
distance between the apertures 136 used to mount the register cover
until later. The three upstanding tabs 160A, 160B and 160C that
make up boot mounting surface 160 are each coupled to respective
parts of the register cover mounting surface 130, preferably such
that upstanding tab 160A is integral with the slidably disposed
first part 132 of register cover mounting surface 130, and
upstanding tabs 160B and 160C are integral with second part 134.
Apertures disposed within each of the upstanding tabs 160A, 160B
and 160C can accept a fastener that is used to secure the boot (not
presently shown) to the adapter 100.
[0028] Referring next to FIG. 4, the adapter 100 is shown with a
boot 30 mounted thereto. The apertures disposed within each of the
upstanding tabs 160A, 160B and 160C (only the first of which is
presently shown) can accept a fastener 80 that is used to secure
the boot 30 to the adapter 100 via register cover mounting surface
130 and its first and second parts 132 and 134, respectively. The
rectangular flowpath 40 of the boot 30 is inserted through flowpath
140. Second part 132 of register cover mounting surface 130 is then
slid until tab 160A is adjacent the respective sidewall of boot 30
to allow fastening therebetween. Preferably, the boot 30 is secured
to the adapter 100 prior to mounting the adapter 100 onto the
joists (not presently shown). This simplifies the installer's task
of allowing the fastening of the two to take place in a convenient,
safe open space (such as on a floor, table or bench top), thereby
avoiding the potential danger of having to secure the boot 30 to
the adapter 100 when elevated off the ground in an awkward, often
unstable position. Once the boot 30 is secured to the adapter 100,
and the adapter 100 is secured to a building support structure (not
presently shown), the HVAC duct 60 can be easily connected to the
duct-engaging cylindrical end 50 of the boot 30. After that, the
register cover 10 can be secured to the adapter 100 either prior to
the installation of the ceiling panel 20, or, in situations where
no panel is used, in lieu thereof.
[0029] Referring finally to FIG. 6, an exploded view showing the
interconnection between the register cover 10, adapter 100, boot
30, joists 25, and duct 60 is shown. The present view is not to be
construed as showing the preferred order of installation, but
merely the relative placement between the various assembly
components; as previously discussed, in a preferred embodiment, the
boot 30 and adapter 100 are secured to one another prior to
mounting the adapter 100 to the joists 25. The installer preferably
then secures the adapter 100 to the joists 25. As previously
discussed, adapter 100 can have numerous apertures 125 disposed
along the longitudinal dimension of its H-shape to accommodate
various interjoist spacings. Thereafter, the boot 30 and the duct
60 can be brought into secure engagement via comparable fasteners.
The wall or ceiling panels 20 may then be installed (with
appropriate cut-outs around the location of the mounted boot 30) so
that the flowpath walls 12 of register cover 10 can pass through
the cut-out, the register cover mounting surface 130 to establish
fluid communication between the duct 60, boot 30 and register cover
10, while simultaneously establishing a structurally secure
mounting for the various HVAC components. It will be appreciated by
those of ordinary skill in the art that although the preferred
order of assembly is discussed above, other sequences are
contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention to
satisfy the exigencies of a particular installation situation.
[0030] Having described the invention in detail and by reference to
preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that
modifications and variations are possible without departing from
the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
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