AU8317398A

AU8317398A - An outlet boot

Info

Publication number: AU8317398A
Application number: AU83173/98A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Victor John Smith
Original assignee: NORDIN ENGINEERED AIR TECHNOLO
Current assignee: NORDIN ENGINEERED AIR TECHNOLOGIES Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1997-09-30
Filing date: 1998-09-08
Publication date: 1999-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-08
Also published as: AU750556B2

Description

OUR REF 1240 P010 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: NORDIN ENGINEERED AIR TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD Actual Inventor: VICTOR JOHN SMITH Address for Service: A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys GPO Box 772, Adelaide, SA 5001 Invention Title: AN OUTLET BOOT Details of Associated Provisional Application No.

P0955 3 DATED 30TH SEPTEMBER 1997 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing It knowin to us:-

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i m The invention herein relates to a boot for an air conditioning outlet. Air conditioning systems typically involve an air conditioning plant and ducting leading therefrom to a plurality of outlets. The ducting is typically located in wall or ceiling spaces of a building. The outlets typically are mounted in wall or ceiling panels.

The air within wall or ceiling spaces is generally in communication with air outside the building. As such it may be warmer or cooler than the air within the ducting and passing through the outlets. Therefore, the temperature of the air within the ducting or outlets may be effected by the air in the wall or ceiling space.

Further, especially in tropical climates, the air within the wall or ceiling spaces due to j its communication with that outside the building may be very humid. When the i temperature within the ducting and outlets is cooler than that within the ceiling or wall spaces, typical of such climates, condensation can form on the surfaces of ducting or the rear surfaces of outlets. Outlets are typically manufactured of metal or plastic and y so can be subject to condensation. Condensation can lead to water damage to the

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i 15 building. In some cases this damage can be very significant and expensive to repair.

Insulation for ducting or ducting incorporating insulation is known. However, for the outlet there is no simple, fast and effective means known to the inventor of providing insulation for outlets. Previously, insulating material has been wrapped about and over an outlet and held in place with adhesive tape. This, in a wall or ceiling space, is a time consuming process and may be difficult to achieve an effective cover due to the cramped working conditions. Therefore, there is an inherent cost with such an approach.

It is a proposed object of this invention to provide a boot to obviate or minimise at least one of the aforementioned problems, or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

The invention may be said to reside, not necessarily in the broadest or only form, in a j boot for the rear side of an air conditioning outlet, the boot including: a thermally insulating body; a passageway between a first end and.a second end for reception of the rear side 3.

of an outlet; a first portion toward the first end of the body adapted to be secured to and S -around the rear side of an outlet at a ducting joining-portion of an outlet; S..a second portion toward the second end of the body; and, a resilient third portion between the first and second portions, the third portion being adapted to bias the second portion away from the first portion; and, the boot being adapted to be fitted second end first over and about the external rear of an outlet mounted within a panel with the passageway accommodating the outlet, the first portion being secured to the outlet and the second portion being biased by the third portion to bare against the rear side of the panel about the outlet or to bare against the rear of the outlet proximal to the rear side of the panel.

In this manner the flow of air about the rear surfaces of an outlet can be minimised.

By fitting the boot to the rear of an outlet, the outlet is substantially covered and insulated from the air within a wall of ceiling space. Typically, insulation of the ducting or that applied about the join between ducting and outlet will cover surfaces of the outlet not covered by the boot. With the surfaces of the outlet insulated, the occurrence of condensation is reduced or substantially eliminated.

Securing the first portion to an outlet provides a fixture to resist movement of the boot due to the second portion bearing against a rear side of a panel about the outlet or the "rear of the outlet proximal to the rear side of the panel. Thus, in use, the boot is compressed to some degree.

In a preferred form, the bootis one wherein the second portion is a flange projecting form the body substantially radial to the axis of the passageway at the second end.

According to a preferred form, the second portion is resilient and elastomeric and "adapted, when in use, to substantially conform about irregularities of the rear side of the panel or the rear of the outlet proximal to the rear side of thdie panel.

By urging the second portion, by the bias'ng due to the third portion, against the rear i. side of a panel in which the outlet is mounted, and assisted by the flexible and resilient nature of the elastomeric second portion, a seal is formed about the outlet. This seal S restricts air flow from the wall or ceiling space to being directly proximal to rear the surfaces of the outlet and hence reduces or substantially eliminates the risk of condensation and thus resultant water damage.

In a preferred form, the boot is one wherein the third portion is made of an elastomer.

According to a preferred form, the boot is one wherein the first portion is a band about the body and axial to the axis of the passageway, the band is resilient and elastomeric J and adapted, when in use, to be forced over the outlet against the resiliency of the first i :1 :I portion to grip and thereby secure the body to the outlet. In a preferred form, the first portion is adapted, when in use on an outlet having a tapered tail, to be forced over the 1"Si~~ i

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tail against the resiliency of the first portion to grip and thereby secure the body to the outlet. In this manner, the boot can grip and secure to an outlet without the need for a separate fastening means such as a large diameter hose clamp or cable tie.

In one preferred form, the boot is one wherein the body is or substantially wholly manufactured of a resilient and elastomeric material. This permits relatively simple manufacture. In a preferred form, the boot boots is moulded. Further, in another preferred form, the boot is made of polyurethane.

According to a preferred form, the boot is one wherein the body includes at least one fourth portion between the first and second portions projecting, relative to the axis of the passageway, radially and axially along from the body thereby forming an internal recess in communication with the passageway, the fourth portion or portions being adapted to stiffen the resiliency of the third portion and further, when in use with an outlet having a peripheral projecting fixing means, to accommodate and cover the fixing means.

As will be appreciated, the fourth portions not only provide recesses for fastening means such as clips but also the axial sides provide stiffening for the third portion. This permits the.bobi to be made of a very flexible elastomeric material than would otherwise be desirable. The second portion is advantageously very flexible and so form a conforming seal with the rear side of a panel with the fourth portions stiffening the third portion to ensure desirable biasing of the second portion.

In a preferred form, the boot is one wherein the body is shaped to substantially conform to the external rear of an outlet and thereby closely fit about the outlet. In this manner the air space about the rear external surfaces of an outlet are minimised and so an insulating air space can be formed.

The boot, in a preferred from, in one wherein the second portion is adapted, when in use, to bare against the rear side of the panel about the outlet By having the outlet covered by the boot rear outlet surfaces are covered. However, should it be desired the second portion can bare against the a rear surface of the outlet proximal to the rear side of the panel. In this case the exposed surface of the outlet is limited and reduced thus resultant condensation is reduced.

To assist in the understanding of the invention preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a set of sketches showing different views of a first preferred embodiment; ;'7 Figure 2 is a sketch of a cross sectional view of an outlet mounted in a panel suitable with which the first embodiment can be used; Figure 3 is a sketch of a cross sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing the boot in place; Figure 4 is a set of sketches showing different views of a second preferred embodiment; Figure 5 is a sketch showing a perspective view of an outlet with which the second embodiment can be used; and, Figure 6 is a set of sketches showing different views of the outlet illustrated in Figure Referring to the drawings. In figure l the views of the first embodiment are: top view side view, rear perspective view, and front perspective view. The rear view is the view as seen from the ducting or ceiling or wall space, and the front view is the view as seen from the outlet.

15 In broad terms the first embodiment is a boot for the rear side of a circular outlet.

The boot has a body with a passageway there through. The body has a first end and a second end Towards the first end, in this case substantially at the first .2 \end, there is a first portion There is a second portion toward the second end of the body, in this case substantially at the second end. Between the first and second portions is a resilient third portion The boot is fitted, second end first, over and about the external rear of an outlet mounted within a panel. The passageway accommodates the outlet. The first portion is *adapted to be secured to the outlet. The second portion is biased by the third portion to .bare against the rear side of the panel about the outlet or to bare against the rear of the outlet proximal to the rear side of the panel.

In the first embodiment, the boot is made from a sheet of polyurethane which is a flexible elastomeric material which is moulded to the shape illustrated in figure 1.

The first portion is a band about the body at the first end and the passageway diameter at the first end is slightly smaller than the diameter of a tapered tail of an outlet as illustrated in figures 2 and 3. The tapered tail is a portion of the outlet for joining .ducting. Due to the material the boot is made of and the sizing of the passageway at the Sfirst end, the boot can be pushed onto the tail of the outlet until it securely grips the tail.

.The boot also has fourth portions (one shown as 11) which project from the body. Each i il forms a recess (one shown as 12) There are sufficient fourth portions to accommodate i the fastening clips (one shown as 13) of the outlet. The fourth portions project axially from the body, with respect to the axis of the passageway, and along the body towards the second end. The axial sides of the fourth portions (such as 14) provides stiffening to the third portion.

When the boot is fitted to the outlet mounted in a panel (15) the boot is slightly compressed. The first portion grips the tail resisting the resiliency of the body. Thus the second portion, being a flange with a broad flat radial surface (16) is urged by the compressive force due principally the third portion to substantially form a conforming seal against the rear side (17) of the panel. Thus there are seals substantially formed out the outlet at the substantially either end. The remainder of the tail not covered by the boot is typically covered by the ducting. adhesive tape, packing or a combination of those.

The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment excepting that it is intended to be used with a rectilinear outlet as illustrated in figures 5 and 6. In figure 5 the 15 views of the first embodiment are: top view side view, rear perspective view, and front perspective view. Figure 6 illustrates such an outlet in two views: side view, and rear view as seen from within wall or ceiling space. Excepting the shape, the boot functions the same as that of the first embodiment. It is made of the same material and process. For sake of brevity and avoidance of repetition, the second embodiment will not be described in detail. The figures 4, 5 and 6 include reference numerals the same as those used in figures 1, 2 and 3 referring to like parts of the first embodiment.

It will be appreciated that this disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to preferred embodiments or details thereof.

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Claims

1. A boot for the rear side of an air conditioning outlet, the boot including: a thermally insulating body; a passageway between a first end and a second end for reception of the rear side of an outlet; a first portion toward the first end of the body adapted to be secured to and around the rear side of an outlet at a ducting joining portion of an outlet; a second portion toward the second end of the body; and, a resilient third portion between the first and second portions, the third portion being adapted to bias the second portion away from the first portion; and, the boot being adapted to be fitted second end first over and about the external rear of t an outlet mounted within a panel with the passageway accommodating the outlet, the first portion being secured to the outlet and the second portion being biased by the third portion to bare against the rear side of the panel about the outlet or to bare against the 15 rear of the outlet proximal to the rear side of the panel.

2. A boot as in Claim I wherein the second portion is a flange projecting from the body substantially radial to the axis of the passageway at the second end.

3. A boot as in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the second portion is resilient and elastomeric and adapted, when in use, to substantially conform about irregularities 20 of the rear side of the panel or the rear of the outlet proximal to the rear side of the panel.

4. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the third portion is made of an elastomer.

A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the first portion is a band about the body and axial to the axis of the passageway, the band is resilient and elastomeric and adapted, when in use, to be forced over the outlet against the resiliency of the first portion to grip and thereby secure the body to the outlet.

6. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the first portion is resilient and elastomeric and is adapted, when in use on an outlet having a tapered tail, to be i forced over the tail against the resiliency of the first portion to grip and thereby secure the body to the outlet. ii h, :i

7. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the boot is one wherein the body is or substantially wholly manufactured of a resilient and elastomeric material.

8. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the boot is moulded.

9. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the boot is made of polyurethane.

A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the body includes at least one fourth portion between the first and second portions projecting, relative to the axis of the passageway, radially and axially along from the body thereby forming an internal recess in communication with the passageway, the fourth portion or portions being adapted to stiffen the resiliency of the third portion and further, when in use with an outlet having a peripheral projecting fixing means, to accommodate and cover the Sfixing means.

11. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the boot is one wherein the body is shaped to substantially conform to the external rear of an outlet and thereby 15 closely fit about the outlet.

:12. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the second portion is adapted, when in use, to bare against the rear side of the panel about the outlet.

13. A boot as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the second portion is adapted, when in use, to bare against a rear surface of the outlet proximal to the rear side of the panel.

14. A boot substantially as disclosed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 8th day of September 1998 A NORDIN ENGINEERED AIR TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys A. P. T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys r iW r^ tt 1 1 1^