INSTALLATION BRACKET AND SYSTEM FOR ATTACHING A PTAC CHASSIS INTO A WALL SLEEVE

Description

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 63/573,326, filed Apr. 2, 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs), and, more particularly, relates to attachment of a PTAC chassis into a wall sleeve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common bracket used for attaching a PTAC chassis to a wall sleeve, into which the PTAC chassis is being installed, is an elongated ninety-degree angle bracket having a first wall section that is configured to mount to the PTAC chassis, and a second wall that extends from a vertical edge of the first wall section at a ninety-degree angle. The first wall section will have two or three holes that are intended to line up with corresponding holes in the side of the PTAC chassis. At each hole a screw is screwed into both openings; the threads of the screw thread into the holes, creating a mechanical interfere with the edge of the opening in the PTAC chassis to fasten the bracket to the PTAC chassis. On the second wall section there are two or three vertical slots that are intended to line up over corresponding holes in the front side edge of the wall sleeve. The front side edge is a narrow vertically elongated portion of the sheet metal of the wall sleeve that extends in the plane of the front opening of the wall sleeve. The slots in the second wall section of the bracket allow for variance in the vertical positioning of the PTAC chassis within the wall sleeve, and again machine screws are used to fasten the second wall section of the bracket to the front side edge of the wall sleeve, and thus attach the PTAC chassis to the wall sleeve. A cover is then placed over the front of the chassis, which protrudes out from the front of the wall sleeve, to cover the chassis and front side edge of the wall sleeve.

Accordingly, when the PTAC chassis is installed into a wall sleeve, the chassis is typically screwed or bolted to the wall sleeve at the front of the wall sleeve using a bracket that attaches to the side of the chassis and the front of the wall sleeve, and is typically installed on site during installation of the PTAC. There are numerous problems with this method of installation. For one, the screws used to attach the bracket to the chassis and the wall sleeve can easily get stripped. This can occur when the screw is either too large for the bracket, the bracket is not properly aligned with the screw hole, or excessive force is used. Another problem is that screws can easily get lost at the point of attempting to screw them into the bracket and wall sleeve. If the screw falls, it can fall into the chassis, or roll under the wall sleeve and take time to retrieve. This slows down the installation process. A further problem is that it can be difficult to get the holes in the bracket, which is attached to the chassis, to line up with corresponding holes in the wall sleeve. Thus, in general, installing a PTAC unit can be time consuming, which can be aggravated by the chassis to wall sleeve connection.

Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.

SUMMARY

In accordance with some embodiments of the inventive disclosure, there is provided a bracket for installing a packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC) chassis into a wall sleeve that includes a first wall section configured to mount at a side of the PTAC chassis. The first wall section being elongated and vertically oriented and having at least two L or inverted T shaped slots positioned along the vertical wall section. There is further includes a second vertical wall section which extends from a front edge of the first wall section in a perpendicular direction. The second wall section having at least two tab sections which extend forward and perpendicular to the second wall section, each of the at least two tab section configured to fit into a respective corresponding slot at a front side edge of the wall sleeve, each of the at least two tab sections having an attached portion that is attached to the second wall, and a free hanging portion that extends downward from the attached portion, wherein the free hanging portion is configured to create an interference with an inside side of the front side edge of the wall sleeve.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a bracket and installation system for a PTAC chassis and wall sleeve, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.

Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. The figures of the drawings are not drawn to scale.

Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term “providing” is defined herein in its broadest sense, e.g., bringing/coming into physical existence, making available, and/or supplying to someone or something, in whole or in multiple parts at once or over a period of time.

“In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, azimuth or positional relationships indicated by terms such as “up”, “down”, “left”, “right”, “inside”, “outside”, “front”, “back”, “head”, “tail” and so on, are azimuth or positional relationships based on the drawings, which are only to facilitate description of the embodiments of the present invention and simplify the description, but not to indicate or imply that the devices or components must have a specific azimuth, or be constructed or operated in the specific azimuth, which thus cannot be understood as a limitation to the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, terms such as “first”, “second”, “third” and so on are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, terms such as “installed”, “coupled”, “connected” should be broadly interpreted, for example, it may be fixedly connected, or may be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it may be mechanically connected, or may be electrically connected; it may be directly connected, or may be indirectly connected via an intermediate medium. As used herein, the terms “about” or “approximately” apply to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure. Terms such as “vertical” and “horizontal,” as well as “top” and “bottom,” are meant to be understood as relating to the ordinary position of the article being referenced when in its intended usage. Thus, while an article can be turned upside down, rolled on its side, and so on, a feature that is referenced as having a vertical orientation will mean a vertical orientation when the article is in its intended usage orientation. Reference to an article being “elongated,” or having an “elongated direction,” shall be understood to refer to a direction in which the article is longer than it is wide; a direction of maximal length of the article.

Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above-mentioned terms in the embodiments of the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a wall sleeve for a PTAC, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2A is a side elevational view of a PTAC system in which a chassis is being installed into a wall sleeve, in accordance with some embodiment.

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of a PTAC system in which a chassis is being installed into a wall sleeve, in accordance with some embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a first side elevational view of a bracket for installing a PTAC chassis into a wall sleeve, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 4A-4E show a series of second side elevational views of the bracket of FIG. 3, taken at a ninety-degree viewpoint from that of FIG. 3, in various installation positions, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 5A-5C show a series of side views of a tab of an installation bracket being inserted into a corresponding slot at the front side edge of the wall sleeve, in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a wall sleeve 100 for a PTAC, in accordance with some embodiments. The wall sleeve 100 fits through an opening of an exterior wall of a structure and facilitates the sealing of the opening around the wall sleeve 100 to prevent unwanted water and debris intrusion. The wall sleeve 100 also typically holds a drain pan, or the floor 116 of the wall sleeve 100 acts as a drain pan, to drain water out of the PTAC unit. The PTAC chassis is inserted and installed into the wall sleeve 100, allowing the compressor coil access to the outside ambient air, and the chiller coil and heating unit access to the air inside the structure. The wall sleeve 100 is also shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The wall sleeve 100 has a top 102 that is typically a rectangular surface. Likewise, there is a first side 106 and a second side 112 at opposite ends of the top 102. Thus, sides 106, 112 oppose each other. The top 102, and sides 106, 112 can be formed of sheet metal which is stamped and bent into the form shown, or an equivalent. At the front of the top 102, first side 106, and second side 112, there are front edge sides 104, 108, 114. The front edge sides 104, 108, 114 are flat areas that extend from the top and sides along a front plane that defines an opening 118. At the front side edges 108, 114 along the first and second sides 106, 112, there are vertically elongated slots 110a-110d. These slots 110a-110d are configured to receive an engagement tab from an installation bracket, as will be shown. The PTAC chassis fits into opening 118 and slides into the wall sleeve 100 to be installed into the wall sleeve 100. Installation brackets on each side of the chassis then engage the slots 110a-110d with tabs that hook over the bottom of the slots 110a-110d and create an interference to hold the chassis in the wall sleeve 100.

FIG. 2A is a side elevational view of a PTAC system 200 in which a chassis 202 is being installed into a wall sleeve 100, in accordance with some embodiments. Similarly, FIG. 2B shows a top view of the same system 200 and installation of the chassis 202 into the wall sleeve 100. For the purposes of illustration, the wall in which the wall sleeve 100 is mounted is not shown, however, it will be understood that the wall sleeve 100 is intended to be mounted through an exterior wall of a structure. The structure can be, for example, a hotel room, dormitory, or other similar dwelling structure. PTAC systems are particularly in common use in hotels and motels in North America.

The PTAC chassis 202 includes a main portion 204 and the front control portion 206, which has sides 213. The sides 213 are one opposing sides of the PTAC chassis 202, and are, in general, made of sheet metal which has several screw holes for installation of a bracket 208. The main portion 204 includes various pumps, valves, tubing, motors, fans, and coils, including the compressor coil 215 which is positioned at the rear or exterior side of the chassis 202 so that it will be adjacent to the outside of the structure, and a chiller coil 217 through which interior air is cycled to chill the interior air. It will be appreciated that the main portion 204 is shown as a block here, but includes all of those common air conditioning and heating components commonly found in a PTAC chassis.

The brackets 208 are positioned on the opposing sides of the control portion 206 and are vertically elongated articles. There are at least two slots 212 that have a horizontal segment and a vertical segment. Thus, the slots 212 can have either an “L” shape, or an upside-down “T” shape. That is, there is a vertical portion of the slot 212, and a horizontal portion at the bottom of the vertical portion of the slot 212. The slots 212 shown here have the inverted “T” configuration. A fastener such as a bolt or screw, or a shoulder bolt, can pass through the slot and into a opening in the side 213 of the chassis 202. The slot 212 is wider that the diameter of the fastener, but not the head of the fastener. Thus, the bracket is floating and can be moved, limited to the dimensions of the slots 212. The bracket 208 includes a first wall portion in which the slots 212 are located. The first wall portion is vertically oriented and has a plane that will be parallel to the side 213, and a second wall portion extends from one side of the first wall portion (out of the page, as shown here) at substantially a right angle. Then extending from the second wall portion are at least two tab sections 210. The tab sections fit into the slots 110a-110d and hook into the wall sleeve 100 at the slots 110a-110d. The tabs 212 extend forward and then turn downward. In FIG. 2B, and referencing FIG. 1, it can be seen that the tab sections 210 on each of the brackets 208 on each side of the chassis 202 line up with the slots 110 at the front side edges 108, 114 of the wall sleeve 100. The thickness of the tab sections 210 in FIG. 2B is exaggerated for purposes of illustration here.

FIG. 3 is a first side elevational view of a bracket 208 for installing a PTAC chassis 202 into a wall sleeve 100, in accordance with some embodiments. In this view, the viewpoint is looking in a direction perpendicular to that of FIG. 2A and from the front of the chassis 202, and if the bracket 208 were lined up with a wall sleeve, this view would then be in the same orientation as that of FIG. 1. The bracket 208 includes a first wall section 214 that will be placed against the side 213 of the chassis 202. There are slots 212 in the first wall section 214 that are not visible from the viewpoint of FIG. 3, but are seen in FIG. 2A. Fasteners 302 pass through these slots and engage openings in the side 213 of chassis 202. In some embodiments the fasteners 302 can be shoulder bolts that have an unthreaded shoulder 304. A shoulder bolt can be threaded into the chassis 202 until the unthreaded shoulder 304 reaches the opening, and since the shoulder bolts pass through the slots 212, the bracket can move around the shoulders of the shoulder bolts via the slots. Because the head of the shoulder bolt has a larger diameter than the width of the slots 212, the brackets 208 will be captured at the sides 213 of the chassis 202. The first wall section 214 and the second wall section 216 both are elongated in the vertical direction. Arrow 306 indicates the direction of the side of the chassis on which the bracket 208 is to be mounted. A mirror image version of the bracket 208 shown here is used on the opposite side of the chassis.

The second wall section 216 extends from an edge of the first wall section, forming a corner, at about a ninety-degree angle. Tabs 210a, 210b are formed in the second wall section which extend forward of the second wall section 216, as can be seen in FIG. 2A. The tabs 210a, 210b are configured to fit into the slots 110 at the front side edges 108, 114 of the wall sleeve 100 when the chassis 202 is inserted into the opening 118 of the wall sleeve 100. A top tab 218 and a bottom tab 220 can be provided as grip locations so that a person can grasp the bracket at either or both the top and bottom tabs 218, 220 to move or otherwise adjust the position of the bracket 208 once it is captured at the side 213 of the chassis 202, as the chassis 202 is being inserted and installed in the wall sleeve 100. By lifting the bracket 208, the engagement tabs 210 can be positioned to pass through slots 110 in the wall sleeve. Then, once the tabs 210 are inserted into the slots 110, by pushing down on either the top or bottom tab 218, 220, or both, the engagement tabs 210 can be moved into engagement with the wall sleeve, meaning the lower portion of the tabs is captured behind the front side edges 108, 114. The top and bottom tabs 218, 220 can extend from either the first wall section 214 as shown here, or equivalently from the second wall section 216. In general, the top and bottom tabs 218, 220 can be extensions of either of the wall sections 214, 216 that are bent over at a ninety-degree angle to the wall section 216. The entire bracket 208 can be made of sheet metal and stamped and then folded to produce the two wall sections 214, 216, engagement tabs 210a, 210b, and the top and bottom grip tabs 218, 220.

FIGS. 4A-4D show a series of second side elevational views of the bracket of FIG. 3, taken at a ninety-degree viewpoint from that of FIG. 3, in various installation positions, in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 4E shows a bracket 208 being moved into position at the side 213 of the chassis, where slots 212 will be aligned with holes 408 into which fasteners will be threaded through slots 212, thereby capturing the bracket 208 at the side 213, in a floating arrangement. The view in each of FIGS. 4A-4D is the same as that of FIG. 2A, however, the chassis 202 and wall sleeve 100 have been removed. In each of FIGS. 4A-4D the slots 212 have the inverted or upside-down “T” shape with a horizontal portion 402 at the bottom and vertical portion 404 extending upward from the horizontal portion 402. The slots 212 are openings that pass entirely through the first wall section 214. The engagement tabs 210 can be seen extending forward from the second wall section 216.

In FIG. 4B there is shown shoulder bolts 302 passing through each of the slots 212. These shoulder bolts will be threaded into holes 408 at the side 213 of the chassis. The head of the shoulder bolts 302 has a diameter that is larger than the width of the slots 212, and the shoulder 304 of the shoulder bolts 302 has a diameter that is narrower than the width of the slots 212. As a result, assuming the bolts 302 are threaded into the chassis 202, the bracket 208 is captured on the bolts 302 in a floating arrangement. The bolts 302 are fixed, being threaded into the chassis 202, and the bracket is positioned as far back as it can be moved, resulting in the bolts 302 being in the front of the horizontal portion 402 of the slot 212. FIG. 4C results when the bracket is then moved forward, in the direction of arrow 406. In FIG. 4C, the bolts 302 are in the back of the horizontal portion 402 of the slot 212. If the slots 212 were “L” shaped slots, then the bolts would be centered at the bottom of the vertical portion 404 of the slots 212. In FIG. 4D the bracket 208 is moved horizontally backward, or the chassis is moved forward, and then the bracket 208 is moved down so that the bolts 302 are then at the top of the vertical portion 404 of the slots 212. Thus, the ability of the bracket 208 to be moved forward, backward, up, and down facilitates easier alignment of the engagement tabs 210 with the slots 110 on the wall sleeve 100. Once the engagement tabs are passed into, and through the slots 110, the bracket 208 is moved downward, such as by pressing downward on grip tabs 218, 220, thereby moving the free portion of the engagement tab downward, on the rear side of the front side edge 108 or 114. Accordingly, the vertical height of the engagement tab 210 has to be smaller than the vertical length of the slots 110.

FIGS. 5A-5C show a series of side views of an engagement tab 210 of an installation bracket 208 being inserted into a corresponding slot 110 at the front side edge 108 of the wall sleeve, in accordance with some embodiments. The engagement tab 210 has an attached portion 222 that is attached directly to the second wall section 216 of the bracket 208. The attached portion 222 extends forward from the second wall section 216. At the bottom of the attached portion 222 is a free portion 224, which has a back edge 226. The back edge 226 can be angled such that the bottom tip of the free portion 224 at the back edge 226 is farther forward (away from the second wall section 116) than the top of the back edge 226 where the back edge 226 meets the attached portion 222. The angle can be slight, such as on the order of five to ten degrees. The back edge 226 is intended to make contact with the inner surface 120 of the front side edge 108. The inner or rear surface 120 is opposite the outer or front surface 124 seen in FIG. 1. In FIG. 5A the engagement tab 222 is in an elevated position relative to the slot 110 in the front side edge 108 of the wall sleeve 100. This means that the bracket 208 is raised such that the bolts 302 are in the horizontal portion 402 of the slots 212, and likely at the front of the horizontal portion 402 of the slots 212. In FIG. 5B the bracket 208 is pushed forward, or the chassis is moved forward, so that the engagement tab 210 is mostly through the slot 110. The attached portion 222 transitions through the slot 110 but is attached to the second wall section 116 which will be against, or nearly against the outer surface of the front side edge 108. The free portion 224 of the engagement tab is entirely through the slot 110. In FIG. 5C, the bracket 208 is pushed downward. To do that, the bracket 208 must be moved so that the bolts 302 line up, vertically, with the vertical portion 404 of the slots 212, then the operator/installer can, for example, press down on the top tab 218 to push the bracket 208 downward. In doing so, the back edge 226 of the free portion 224 of the engagement tab 210 may bear against the inside 120 of the front side edge 108. If the back edge 226 is angled, then pushing the bracket 208 downward will have the result of pulling the chassis forward into the wall sleeve a small amount of distance. In this position the bracket 208 will be as shown in FIG. 4D, with the bolts 302 in the top of the vertical portion 404 of the slots 212, and at that point the chassis 208 is installed in the wall sleeve 100. No screws are needed to secure the chassis 208 to the wall sleeve 100, rather, the interference between the inside 120 of the wall sleeve's front side edge 108 (and 114 on the other side) prevents the chassis 208 from backing out of the wall sleeve 100. In addition, to remove the chassis, the process of FIGS. 5A-C is simply reversed, and the user removing the chassis does not have to unscrew any screws.

Since the chassis can be shipped from the manufacturer with the brackets 208 in place on the chassis, the installer at the site location where the PTAC chassis is being installed does not have to screw the chassis to the wall sleeve, either, making installation, as well as removing of the chassis, much easier, while allowing for the chassis to be secured in the wall sleeve.