Duct board assembly

Claim 2

An article of manufacture of substantially flat configuration from which a thermally-insulated air duct section is formed, comprising: a sheet of thermally-insulating material, having an inside face, an outside face, a pair of longitudinal margins comprised of flexible fibers, and a pair of transverse margins: flange means mounted at one of said longitudinal margins; gripping means, mounted at the other one of said longitudinal margins, adapted to attachingly interconnect with said flange means upon bringing said longitudinal margins into compressed, abutting relationship so that said fibers comprising one of said longitudinal margins contact said fibers comprising the other one of said longitudinal margins continuously along the seam defined by the confluence of said longitudinal margins; means defining a plurality of longitudinal grooves in the inside face of said article for folding said article to form said air duct sections; and frame strips, mounted on the outside face of said article at said transverse margins, compising bendable portions and extending parallel with said grooves, and rigidifying portions interconnecting said bendable portions to rigidify said article, whereby a rigid, thermally-insulated air duct section is formed entirely from said article of manufacture as it exists in its substantially flat configuration.

Claim 3

An article of manufacture of substantially flat configuration from which a thermally-insulated air duct section is formed, comprising: a sheet of thermally-insulating material, having an inside face, an outside face, a pair of longitudinal margins comprised of flexible fibers, and a pair of transverse margins; flange means mounted at one of said longitudinal margins; gripping means, mounted at the other one of said longitudinal margins, adapted to attachingly interconnect with said flange means upon bringing said longitudinal margins into compressed, abutting relationship so that said fibers comprising one of said longitudinal margins contact said fibers comprising the other one of said longitudinal margins continuously along the seam defined by the confluence of said longitudinal margins; means defining a plurality of longitudinal grooves in the inside face of said article for folding said article to form said air duct section; frame strips, mounted on the outside face of said article at said transverse margins, comprising bendable portions and extending parallel with said grooves and rigidifying portions interconnecting said bendable portions to rigidify said article; and locking means, mounted adjacent said transverse margins for permitting a rigid, substantially thermally-insulated connection between said air duct section formed entirely from said article of manufacture as it exists in its substantially flat configuration, and another substantially identical air duct section so formed.

Claim 4

An article of manufacture of substantially flat configuration from which a thermally-insulated air duct section is formed, comprising: a sheet of thermally-insulating material, having an inside face, an outside face, a pair of longitudinal margins comprised of flexible fibers, and a pair of transverse margins; flange means mounted at one of said longitudinal margins; gripping means, mounted at the other one of said longitudinal margins, adapted to attachingly interconnect with said flange means upon bringing said longitudinal margins into compressed, abutting relationship so that said fibers comprising one of said longitudinal margins contact said fibers comprising the other one of said longitudinal margins continuously along the seam defined by the confluence of said longitudinal margins; means defining a plurality of longitudinal grooves in the inside face of said article for folding said article to form said air duct section; frame strips, mounted on the outside face of said article at said transverse margins, comprising bendable portions and extending parallel with said grooves and rigidifying portions interconnecting said bendable portions to rigidify said article; and locking means, mounted adjacent said transverse margins for permitting a rigid, substantially thermally-insulated connection between said air duct section formed entirely from said article of manufacture as it exists in its substantially flat configuration, and another substantially identical air duct section so formed.

Claim 5

The article defined in claim 2 wherein said locking means include framing strip means secured to said transverse margins of said article of manufacture having a turned-back flange defining a bight area, and wherein said article includes cleat means having a turned-back portion adapted to engage said turned-back flange at said bight area to rigidly connect said cleat means to said locking means.

Claim 6

The article defined in claim 3 further including fastening means extending through said sheet for securing said framing strip thereto.

Claim 7

The article defined in claim 3 wherein said cleat means have a rigid tab extending beyond a corner of said air duct section defined by the confluence of said longitudinal margins; said tab being adapted to be bent around said corner to provide rigidity to said air duct section.