Patent US6986708B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6986708B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for delivering conditioned air using dual plenums
Assignee: Airfixture LLC
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Filing: 2003-04-25
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Granted: 2006-01-17
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Expires: 2023-04-25
Abstract
Abstract Multiple methods of supplying conditioned air to a room and components therefor are provided. A dual plenum system has a supply plenum for delivering supply air to the room and a return plenum for returning room air to an air handling unit. Conduits are provided to permit passage of the return air through the supply plenum without breaching the integrity of the supply plenum. Modular units permit a user to customize the supply and return apparatuses. A terminal unit having a controllable damper blade can be applied to a diffuser to permit the unit to be convertible between a constant volume unit and a variable volume unit. A thermostat generates signals that open and close the damper blade at determined intervals.
Inventors
- 👤 Stanley J. Demster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 15:55
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24F; F24F13/00; F24F13/02; F24F13/06; E; E04; E04B; E04B9/00; E04B9/02; F24F1/00; F24F1/0007; F24F1/00075; F24F11/00; F24F11/30; F24F11/70; F24F11/72; F24F11/74; F24F11/77; F24F11/88; F24F7/00; F24F7/04; F24F7/06; F24F7/08; F24F11/50; F24F11/56; F24F11/58; F24F11/61; F24F11/62; F24F11/63; F24F11/65; F24F11/75; F24F2007/005; F24F2013/0616; F24F2110/00; F24F2110/10; F24F2221/00; F24F2221/14; F24F2221/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A method for delivering conditioned air to a room having a space located above a ceiling overlying the room, said method comprising: separating said space into a supply plenum and a return plenum, said supply and return plenums together occupying a substantial portion of the volume of said space and being located generally one above the other; delivering conditioned air to said supply plenum; discharging the conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room; directing return air from the room into said return plenum; and discharging the return air from said return plenum; wherein said supply plenum is above and adjacent to said ceiling and said return plenum is above and adjacent to said supply plenum, and wherein said step of separating said space into a supply plenum and a return plenum comprises suspending a substantially horizontal partition in said space at a location above and generally parallel to said ceiling.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
152 words
A method for delivering conditioned air to a room having a space located above a ceiling overlying the room, said method comprising: separating said space into a supply plenum and a return plenum, said supply and return plenums together occupying a substantial portion of the volume of said space and being located generally one above the other; delivering conditioned air to said supply plenum; discharging the conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room; directing return air from the room into said return plenum; and discharging the return air from said return plenum; wherein said supply plenum is above and adjacent to said ceiling and said return plenum is above and adjacent to said supply plenum, and wherein said step of separating said space into a supply plenum and a return plenum comprises suspending a substantially horizontal partition in said space at a location above and generally parallel to said ceiling.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as set in claim 1 , wherein said step of delivering conditioned air to said supply plenum comprises delivering conditioned air thereto at a pressure less than about 0.1 inches wg above a pressure of the room.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as set in claim 2 , wherein said step of delivering conditioned air to said supply plenum comprises delivering conditioned air thereto at a pressure of approximately 0.05 inches wg above the pressure of the room.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as set in claim 3 , including the step of maintaining said return plenum at a pressure of approximately 0.02 inches wg below the pressure of the room.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method as set in claim 1 , wherein: said step of discharging the conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room comprises discharging the air into the room at a selected location on the ceiling; and said step of directing return air from the room into said return plenum comprises directing the return air out of the room through the ceiling at a location adjacent to said selected location.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as set in claim 1 , wherein said step of discharging the conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room comprises: sensing a temperature condition in the room; and varying the volume rate of flow from the supply plenum into the room in a manner that depends on said temperature condition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as set in claim 1 , wherein said step of discharging the conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room is carried out at a substantially constant volume rate of air flow.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as set in claim 1 , including the steps of providing a bypass path from said return plenum to said supply plenums; and forcing a selected amount of air from the return plenum into the supply plenum through said bypass path.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as set in claim 1 , wherein said supply plenum and said return plenum are normally maintained at a pressure of approximately zero and said step of discharging conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room comprises arranging an intake side of a fan in communication with said supply plenum and selectively activating said fan to direct air from said supply plenum into the room.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as set forth in claim 9 , including the step of heating the air at a location downstream from said fan before the air enters the room.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for delivering conditioned air to a room having a space located above a ceiling overlying the room, said method comprising: separating said space into a supply plenum and a return plenum, said supply and return plenums together occupying a substantial portion of the volume of said space and being located generally one above the other; delivering conditioned air to said supply plenum; discharging the conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room; directing return air from the room into said return plenum; discharging the return air from said return plenum; providing a bypass path from said return plenum to said supply plenum; closing said bypass path when conditioned air is being discharged from said supply plenum into the room; stopping the discharge of conditioned air from the supply plenum into the room at selected times; opening said bypass path at selected times when the discharge of conditioned air from the supply plenum into the room is stopped; and forcing air through said bypass path from the return plenum into the room when said bypass path is open.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for delivering conditioned air to a room having a space located above a ceiling overlying the room, said method comprising: separating said space into a supply plenum and a return plenum, said supply and return plenums together occupying a substantial portion of the volume of said space and being located generally one above the other; delivering conditioned air to said supply plenum; discharging the conditioned air from said supply plenum into the room; directing return air from the room into said return plenum; discharging the return air from said return plenum; providing a bypass path from said return plenum to said supply plenum; closing said bypass path when conditioned air is being discharged from said supply plenum into the room; stopping the discharge of conditioned air from the supply plenum into the room at selected times; opening said bypass path at selected times when the discharge of conditioned air from the supply plenum into the room is stopped; and forcing air through said bypass path from the return plenum into the room when said bypass path is open.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as set in claim 11 , including the step of heating the air flowing through said bypass path.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
125 words
Apparatus for delivering conditioned air to a room having a ceiling and a space above the ceiling, said apparatus comprising: a supply plenum in said space; a return plenum in said space, said supply plenum and said return plenum together occupying a substantial portion of said space; a source of conditioned air connected with said supply plenum to deliver conditioner air thereto; an air register in the ceiling arranged to direct conditioned air into the room from said supply plenum; a return air path extending from the room to said return plenum to direct return air to said return plenum; said supply plenum immediately overlies said ceiling; and said return plenum immediately overlies said supply plenum and is separated therefrom by a substantially horizontal partition.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
125 words
Apparatus for delivering conditioned air to a room having a ceiling and a space above the ceiling, said apparatus comprising: a supply plenum in said space; a return plenum in said space, said supply plenum and said return plenum together occupying a substantial portion of said space; a source of conditioned air connected with said supply plenum to deliver conditioner air thereto; an air register in the ceiling arranged to direct conditioned air into the room from said supply plenum; a return air path extending from the room to said return plenum to direct return air to said return plenum; said supply plenum immediately overlies said ceiling; and said return plenum immediately overlies said supply plenum and is separated therefrom by a substantially horizontal partition.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus as set in claim 13 , wherein said return air path includes: a return register in the ceiling; and a generally vertical conduit extending from said return register to said return plenum, said conduit extending through and being sealed from said supply plenum.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as set in claim 14 , wherein said air register and said return register are adjacent to one another.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as set in claim 15 , wherein said air register is arranged to direct air generally away from said return register.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as set in claim 13 , including a control for said air register arranged to control the volume rate of air flow through said air register into the room.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for delivering conditioned air to a room having a ceiling and a space above the ceiling, said apparatus comprising: a supply plenum in said space; a return plenum in said space, said supply plenum and said return plenum together occupying a substantial portion of said space; a source of conditioned air connected with said supply plenum to deliver conditioner air thereto; an air register in the ceiling arranged to direct conditioned air into the room from said supply plenum; a return air path extending from the room to said return plenum to direct return air to said return plenum; a bypass path from said return plenum to said supply plenum; and a fan having an active condition wherein air is forced by said fan through said bypass path from said return plenum to said supply plenum.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for delivering conditioned air to a room having a ceiling and a space above the ceiling, said apparatus comprising: a supply plenum in said space; a return plenum in said space, said supply plenum and said return plenum together occupying a substantial portion of said space; a source of conditioned air connected with said supply plenum to deliver conditioner air thereto; an air register in the ceiling arranged to direct conditioned air into the room from said supply plenum; a return air path extending from the room to said return plenum to direct return air to said return plenum; a bypass path from said return plenum to said supply plenum; and a fan having an active condition wherein air is forced by said fan through said bypass path from said return plenum to said supply plenum.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for delivering conditioned air to a room having a space located above a ceiling overlying the room, the method comprising: separating the space into a supply plenum and a return plenum, wherein separating the space includes suspending a substantially horizontal partition in the space at a location above and generally parallel to the ceiling, and wherein the supply and return plenums together occupy a substantial portion of the volume of the space and are located generally one above the other; delivering conditioned air to the supply plenum; discharging the conditioned air from the supply plenum into the room; directing return air from the room into the return plenum; and discharging the return air from the return plenum.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for delivering conditioned air to a room having a space located above a ceiling overlying the room, the method comprising: separating the space into a supply plenum and a return plenum, wherein separating the space includes suspending a substantially horizontal partition in the space at a location above and generally parallel to the ceiling, and wherein the supply and return plenums together occupy a substantial portion of the volume of the space and are located generally one above the other; delivering conditioned air to the supply plenum; discharging the conditioned air from the supply plenum into the room; directing return air from the room into the return plenum; and discharging the return air from the return plenum.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the supply plenum is above and adjacent to the ceiling and the return plenum is above and adjacent to the supply plenum.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 20 , wherein the supply plenum abuts the ceiling and wherein the return plenum abuts the partition.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the supply plenum further abuts the partition.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein one of the plenums is at least partially bounded by the ceiling.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein one of the plenums is at least partially bounded by the partition.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein one of the plenums is at least partially bounded by both the ceiling and the partition and wherein the other plenum is at least partially bounded by the partition.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the conditioned air is delivered to the supply plenum at a pressure less than about 0.1 inches wg above a pressure of the room.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 19 , further comprising: providing a bypass path from the return plenum to the supply plenum; and forcing a selected amount of air from the return plenum into the supply plenum through the bypass path.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2009-01-16 | 2009-07-18 | 2010-01-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2013-01-16 | 2013-07-18 | 2014-01-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-01-16 | 2017-07-18 | 2018-01-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |