An external suspension system for supporting an inflatable air duct includes a series of external hangers that help hold the duct open while the duct is deflated. In some embodiments, the suspension system supports the duct at a series of points that are broadly distributed in a staggered pattern ac
An external suspension system for supporting an inflatable air duct includes a series of external hangers that help hold the duct open while the duct is deflated. In some embodiments, the suspension system supports the duct at a series of points that are broadly distributed in a staggered pattern across the duct, yet the entire duct can be suspended from a single overhead cable, even if the duct is a stepped tube with multiple diameters. The system includes novel ways of locking the hangers to the duct and to the overhead cable.
대표청구항▼
1. An air duct assembly, comprising: an inflatable tube defining an air passageway therethrough;a support structure defining a line centrally disposed above the inflatable tube;a plurality of hangers attached to the support structure to be above the inflatable tube, each of the plurality of hangers
1. An air duct assembly, comprising: an inflatable tube defining an air passageway therethrough;a support structure defining a line centrally disposed above the inflatable tube;a plurality of hangers attached to the support structure to be above the inflatable tube, each of the plurality of hangers having a longitudinal length extending in a direction traversing the line centrally disposed above the inflatable tube, the plurality of hangers including a hanger having a first end of the longitudinal length coupled to a first point of the inflatable tube and a second end of the longitudinal length coupled to a second point of the inflatable tube, the first point located within a first portion of the tube extending along a length of the tube, the second point located within a second portion of the tube extending along the length of the tube, the tube being solely formed from a unitary pliable material at the first and second portions; anda plurality of connectors attached to the support structure, the plurality of connectors being structurally different from the plurality of hangers, the plurality of connectors including a connector coupled to a third point within a third portion of the inflatable tube extending along the length of the tube, the third portion being spaced-apart from the first and second portions, the plurality of hangers and the plurality of connectors being distributed in an alternating pattern along the line. 2. The air duct assembly of claim 1, wherein the support structure includes a suspension line, the hanger defining a line-receiving slot, and the suspension line extending into the line-receiving slot. 3. The air duct assembly of claim 2, further including a stopper attached to the hanger in proximity with the line-receiving slot to help contain the suspension line within the line-receiving slot. 4. The air duct assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable tube includes a relatively large diameter tube and a relatively small diameter tube, the plurality of hangers includes a plurality of relatively large hangers and a plurality of relatively small hangers, the relatively large hangers supporting the relatively large diameter tube, the relatively small hangers supporting the relatively small diameter tube, and the support structure supporting both the relatively large hangers and the relatively small hangers. 5. The air duct assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable tube has an inflated volume when inflated and a deflated volume when deflated, the deflated volume being at least 70% of the inflated volume. 6. An air duct assembly, comprising: an inflatable tube defining an air passageway therethrough, the inflatable tube having a longitudinal length defining a lengthwise direction; anda suspension system including hangers connected to the inflatable tube solely at ones of a plurality of points on the inflatable tube, each of the hangers to be spaced apart from portions of the inflatable tube extending between the ones of the plurality of points to which each hanger is connected, the plurality of points corresponding to a first lateral set of points spaced apart in the lengthwise direction along the longitudinal length of the inflatable tube, a second lateral set of points spaced apart in the lengthwise direction along the longitudinal length of the inflatable tube, and a central set of points spaced apart in the lengthwise direction along the longitudinal length of the inflatable tube, the central set of points to be staggered out of alignment with the first and second lateral sets of points in the lengthwise direction, the central set of points to be closer to a top of the inflatable tube than the first and second lateral sets of points, the first and second lateral sets of points to be above a midpoint of the inflatable tube, the inflatable tube being formed of a flexible material to include a flexible cross-sectional shape at corresponding points of the first and second lateral sets of points connected to a first one of the hangers. 7. The air duct assembly of claim 6, wherein the central set of points are above the first and second lateral sets of points. 8. The air duct assembly of claim 6, wherein the inflatable tube includes a pliable sheet completely encircling the air passageway. 9. The air duct assembly of claim 6, wherein the inflatable tube has an inflated volume when inflated and a deflated volume when deflated, the deflated volume being at least 70% of the inflated volume. 10. A method of suspending an inflatable tube from a support structure, wherein the inflatable tube has a length and an interior air passageway, the method comprising: providing the inflatable tube which has a first lateral set of points and a second lateral set of points at an exterior surface of the inflatable tube, the first lateral set of points distributed in a longitudinal direction along the length of the inflatable tube, the second lateral set of points distributed in the longitudinal direction along the length of the inflatable tube, portions of the tube being unitary pliable material at the first and second lateral sets of points along the length of the inflatable tube, wherein the first lateral set of points and the second lateral set of points are lower than a top central portion of the inflatable tube extending in the longitudinal direction along the length of the inflatable tube, the inflatable tube having a third set of points at the exterior surface of the inflatable tube and distributed along the top central portion of the inflatable tube;suspending a plurality of lateral supports from the support structure such that the plurality of lateral supports are spaced-apart along the length of the inflatable tube, each of the lateral supports positioned to traverse the longitudinal direction along the length of the inflatable tube;connecting one of the plurality of lateral supports to one point of each of the first and second lateral sets of points corresponding to a single cross-section of the inflatable tube associated with a location where the one lateral support traverses the inflatable tube, wherein a shape of the single cross-section is different when the tube is inflated relative to when the tube is not inflated; andcoupling at least one of the third set of points to the support structure via at least a connector, the connector being different from the lateral supports. 11. The air duct assembly of claim 6, wherein the first lateral set of points, the second lateral set of points, and the central set of points are located at different circumferential positions from one another on the inflatable tube. 12. The air duct assembly of claim 2, wherein the hanger includes a generally arcuate arm formed of sheet metal disposed substantially perpendicular to the suspension line. 13. The air duct assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are integral to the inflatable tube. 14. The air duct assembly of claim 13, further including rings to couple the first and second portions to the hanger, each ring having a D-shape. 15. The air duct assembly of claim 1, further including straps to couple the first and second portions to the hanger. 16. The air duct assembly of claim 1, wherein the pliable material is to hang freely below the first and second points where the first and second ends are coupled. 17. The air duct assembly of claim 6, wherein the first hanger defines a slot that opens to an edge of the first hanger, a suspension wire associated with the suspension system to extend through the slot to support the first hanger. 18. The method of claim 10, wherein the one of the plurality of lateral supports hangs substantially vertically from the support structure above the one point of each of the first and second lateral sets of points. 19. The method of claim 10, wherein the inflatable tube at the single cross-section is solely supported at the one point of each of the first and second lateral sets of points by the one of the plurality of lateral supports. 20. The air duct assembly of claim 1, wherein ones of the plurality of hangers are positioned substantially at a midpoint between adjacent ones of the plurality of connectors.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (7)
Bond Richard J. (Austin TX) Bond Richard C. (Dakota Dunes SD), Duct system and method for assembling same.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.