Patent Grant
9841209
The disclosure relates to so-called rough-in boxes that can be used during construction to hold various components that are used to support air conditioner systems such as, for example, mini-split air conditioners.
All mini-split air conditioner evaporators require a minimum of two mechanical connections and one electrical connection to operate, namely: (1) a lineset having two or more insulated copper pipes connecting the evaporator to the condenser; (2) a power cable; and (3) a gravity condensate drainage method which usually requires connection to the building's drain pipe system, or may be routed to a convenient drain point outside the building, or may use a pump to evacuate the condensate, for example, in installations where the condensate must be fed upward and thus gravity cannot be utilized to facilitate gravity drainage.
In many countries, to reduce costs, modern interior walls (and some exterior walls) consist of a framework constructed of wooden studs typically used for residential applications, or metal studs typically used for commercial applications. Once all the services such as electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc. have been installed, this framework is then clad on both sides with Gypsum boards (commonly known as sheetrock) to form a wall with an internal cavity which is often filled with Fiberglass or foam to provide thermal and/or sound insulation.
In new construction, this requires the air conditioning installer to preposition the above-mentioned three inputs into a stud wall frame prior to sheet rocking and this in turn creates at least two problems. First, it is difficult for the installer to determine the correct position of the three inputs relative to the final position of the air conditioner and as a result, they often emerge from the wall in the wrong position, creating substantial problems when they have to be connected during the installation phase. Second, it is necessary for the installer to leave some pipe and cable sticking out of the finished wall so the air conditioner can be installed and connected up after the sheetrock and painting have been completed, and these items (the pipe and cable) are consistently damaged and covered with mud during the sheet rocking process. The items (pipe and cable) are also subject to severe mechanical damage by tradesmen installing other services such as electrical, plumbing, data and alarm.
It is therefore very desirable to provide a way to ensure that these service connections will not only emerge from the wall in the correct orientation to the air conditioner but also that the piping and wiring itself is shielded from damage until such time as it is ready for final connection to the air conditioner. These issues have been addressed in the past by the introduction of a “rough-in box”, which is a plastic box pre-mounted into the wall cavity in the approximate position where the air conditioner (having the evaporator unit) is to be placed and which is pre-piped and prewired with all the necessary connections, leaving sufficient slack inside the box so that these services can easily be connected into the air conditioner during the installation process. After initial installation, an open front side of the box with the enclosed wires and piping is covered up with a removable cover plate which is left in place to protect the contents during all subsequent installation activities up to and including the final process of painting. After painting is completed, the cover is removed, exposing the pristine contents ready for connection to the air conditioner.
Installation aids of this nature have been available for some time in various configurations and sizes, however they all have a number of shortcomings and can be improved. There are a number of injection molded plastic boxes available from various European and Asian manufacturers all of which disclose a simple rectangular box with an open front and a sloped drainage sump at the bottom which terminates in a drain outlet. Also included are some knockouts on the top and sides through which the pipes and cables can be introduced into the box. The box may be closed with a separate cover which is attached with screws. A box also is available from Polar of Brazil, which is manufactured under Brazilian Patent Number 8,700,323-6, and which discloses a single piece blow molded box with an integral faceplate and a sloped drainage sump at the bottom which terminates in a drain outlet. Also included are some knockouts on the top and sides. With this single piece blow molded box, the installer must insert the cables and tubing into the box blind (that is, without being able to see the positions of these items within the box). There thus is room for improvement of the known rough-in boxes.
According to one aspect, a rough-in box includes a faceplate equipped with an integral hinge on its bottom edge or, any of its three other edges, so that, after the other three edges are cut, using the uncut edge as a hinge, the faceplate can be folded open to provide complete access with full visibility for the installer to easily insert the lineset and cable into their correct positions inside the box. Also included is a closure for keeping the faceplate in the vertical, or closed, position during the subsequent building and finishing operations to protect the contents of the box. According to a preferred embodiment, the closure is one or more clips. However, other structures such as screws or hook-and-loop fastener strips, for example, can be used as well as a pressure fit to secure the faceplate, and can be attached to the top or any other side of the faceplate to prevent it from inadvertently opening until access is required to complete the installation process. Once finishing operations are completed, the faceplate is removed by simply undoing whatever closure method is used and cutting along the hinged edge, thus exposing the pipe and wiring for the installer to make the final connections to the air conditioner.
The above described aspect addresses problems that occur in boxes that are closed on all sides and that require blind insertion of the pipes and cables into the box. Because the copper lineset is relatively inflexible, installation of the lineset into the box is a difficult and delicate procedure, which is easier to perform with full visibility of the box interior and of the cable and piping that is being introduced into it. Providing the hinged faceplate that can be closed after installation of the lineset eases use and improves the installation while still protecting the contents.
According to another aspect, a rough-in box includes an inlet port for the refrigerant lineset which incorporates a rolled edge with sufficient radius to provide a rounded surface without sharp edges to facilitate the insertion of the lineset into the box. The rounded edge eliminates any possibility of cutting or tearing of the insulation that is typically provided on the tubing of the refrigerant lineset.
Some existing boxes have a number of raised ports, all of which are capped as part of the manufacturing process. The installer then selects the port that he intends to use and removes the cap to expose the opening underneath it. This poses no problem for the electrical connection, which simply requires a round hole into which a cable gland is fitted and through which the cable is subsequently inserted into the box. However, for the refrigerant lineset, this creates a major problem in that when the two or more copper pipes, which are both insulated, are inserted into the port on the box which has a raw edge, the insulation catches on this raw edge making it difficult for the installer to pull the lineset into the box. Further, this raw edge often cuts and/or tears the insulation during the insertion process, leaving uninsulated areas on the lineset, which will lead to sweating with the potential for unsightly and damaging water leaks on the wall beneath the air conditioner. Providing a rough-in box that includes an inlet port for the refrigerant lineset which incorporates a roiled edge, as described above, eliminates this problem of existing boxes.
According to another aspect, a rough-in box includes two or more integral mounting surfaces which can be placed at the top, the bottom or any of the four corners of the box. Each of these mounting surfaces incorporates a simple ratchet device (for example, a series of teeth) or any other means of adjustment which enables adjustment of the position of a mounting bracket that engages the mounting surface for mounting the box to wall studs. Each of the mounting brackets (at least two, and up to four mounting brackets can be used) can have its position adjusted to extend/retract by up to approximately 1.25 inches (3.0 cm), for example, so it can reach into the web of the wall stud and easily then be attached to the flat surface. The mounting brackets can be made of plastic or metal. This provides a further advantage in that only one size of the box is required because the box can be mounted with the extendable brackets facing in either direction, or, should the situation arise where the flat sides of the two studs are both facing outwards, the box could still be used by extending the brackets on both sides. In addition, notches can be provided on arms of the brackets so that flanges of metal studs will be accommodated by the notches when the recessed side (the non-flat side) of the metal stud faces the rough-in box.
Many existing boxes have no specific means of attachment into the wall space, and no adjustment for any variations therein. In wooden stud construction, this is of little importance as the box can simply be fixed into the wood studs at either end by a screw through the end plates. However, in metal stud construction, this is of paramount importance because metal studs typically are made in a U-Shape cross-section and are always installed facing the same direction. This means that in any given stud space, one side will present a flat surface, which is formed by the bottom of the stud facing into the space. On the other side, however, there will not be a flat surface as there will be a recess formed by the upright legs of the stud. This recess typically is approximately 1.25 inches deep. A further complication is that when these boxes are installed, the orientation of the metal studs can be in either direction, which would then require a similarly oriented box, i.e., one model of box with the mounting structures on the left side and another version with the mounting structure on the right side. The above-described aspect, having the adjustable brackets, addresses these issues.
Although a condensate drainage pipe system typically is installed for an air conditioning system, in approximately 10 to 15% of installations, the use of condensate drainage pipe systems is not possible, and in these case, a separate aftermarket condensate pump has to be used. Sometimes an externally mounted pump can be utilized, however in many cases it is desirable to install a concealed pump, and no existing boxes make any provision for an arrangement of this nature.
According to another aspect, and to facilitate the use of a condensate pump, a rough-in box includes a flat plate to be clipped into the box at a point above the sloped drainage sump, thus providing a stable base on which to mount the reservoir of a condensate pump, as well as, if required, the actual pump mechanism, which is often a separate component, although it can also be a Monobloc type, i.e., a single mechanism. Further, the faceplate of the box, which is removed when the air conditioner is installed, may be cut to size and clipped into position inside the box to provide a base for the pump and/or reservoir assembly, thus eliminating the need for the installer to fabricate a separate mounting plate. The base is further designed with reinforcing strips included in it to provide a very stable base for the pump/reservoir which will prevent any vibration which can result in a noise within the conditioned space. This feature may be left unused if a more substantial mounting base is required in which case the installer would acquire a mounting base made from a heavier material.
According to another aspect, a rough-in box includes a drain outlet assembly which has a threaded nipple, to the open end of which are attached two barbs, one suitable for a 16 MM inner diameter flexible hose, at the end of which another barb suitable for a 14 MM inner diameter flexible hose is attached. This enables the installer to select either the threaded nipple or whichever barb size he requires for his particular installation. Existing boxes have either a threaded or plain nipple, which is intended to connect to a rigid PVC pipe system, and make no provision for those instances where a flexible drain hose, usually 16 MM inner diameter if plain hose is used, or 14 MM inner diameter if insulated hose is used. The above-described aspect addresses this issue and eliminates the need for a special adaptor.
Existing boxes have no means of access from the rear in cases where this is required for maintenance or repairs to the pump, reservoir or air conditioner, for example. Such boxes have a rear face that is fixed and which is not designed to be removed, thus eliminating the possibility of any future access from the rear should this become necessary or desirable.
According to another aspect, and to facilitate access from the rear, a rough-in box includes a provision to cut out the rear faceplate of the box. For example, a thinned cutting line that can be similar to the thinned cutting line provided on the front faceplate of the box, can be provided on the rear faceplate of the box. By cutting a corresponding hole in the sheetrock on the other side of the wall, and cutting through the cutting line on the rear faceplate, an opening will be produced which will permit access from the rear to the components inside of the box. When not in use (that is, after the box has been accessed from the rear and the repairs, etc. are made), the hole can be covered by a decorative faceplate which may be supplied separately. In the event that no rear access is required, this option can be left unused (that is, the thinned cutting line is not cut), and, in the event that it is not utilized during initial installation and rear access becomes desirable at a later date, it can easily be accessed.
Existing boxes provide no frame of reference which the sheetrocker can use during the installation process to cut a hole into the sheetrock which corresponds with the opening of the box.
According to another aspect, and to address the above-identified issue, a rough-in box includes a one piece box which includes a protruding frame (protruding, for example, by 0.5 inches (1.3 cm)) that provides a definitive edge on the front of the box. The front surface of the frame will be flush with the exterior surface of the sheetrock on the front of the wall. This provides a specific frame to which the sheetrocker can tailor the sheetrock and which will result in a neatly framed hole in the sheetrock in the correct orientation to accommodate the air conditioner. In addition, a protruding frame may be provided on each of the front and back surfaces of the box, providing complete reversibility. In addition, marking pins can be provided with the rough-in box to aid in its installation. In particular four marking pins can be provided, each being attachable to a corresponding one of the four corners of protruding frame and having a sharp marking portion that protrudes forwardly when attached to the rough-in box. The marking portion of each marking pin will penetrate and thus mark the sheetrock so that the installer can easily locate the mounted rough-in box and cut an appropriate hole through the sheetrock to access the rough-in box. The marking pins can be removed after the hole has been cut through the sheetrock.
Some existing boxes provide a side entry which features a sloped semicircular sump of approximately 1.25 inches in diameter at the bottom of the box and which runs from one end of the box to the other at an angle of around 30 degrees and which terminates in a symmetrical threaded fitting of 0.75 inches in inner diameter. Because the actual outlet side is smaller than the inlet side, and the diameters are concentric, this creates a small area in this fitting from which all the condensate will not be able to drain out, creating a “dead space” in which the water will tend to collect and promote the growth of algae, mold and mildew, etc.
According to another aspect, the above-identified issue is addressed by providing a rough-in box that includes a sump which terminates in an asymmetrical fitting so there is no low area from which the water cannot drain, thus eliminating the above-identified problem.
According to another aspect, the rough-in box may be fabricated or mass produced from any kind of plastic, or any other kind of non-metallic material including fiberglass or carbon fiber. The box may be produced by injection molding, vacuum molding, rotational molding, blow molding or any other method of fabrication. The box may be fabricated, pressed or molded from any kind of metal. The box may be square or rectangular in form or it could also be round, triangular or any other geometric shape which does not interfere with the required function.
In some embodiments, couplings can be provided to couple the AC unit condensate line to the drain line of the building. In this case, the liquid condensate does not flow into the sump but instead flows directly from the AC unit condensate line into the drain line of the building. This enables the condensate line clog detector of the AC unit to detect clogging of the drain line that is connected to the drain outlet of the sump. This also prevents liquid from being present within the rough-in box, which may be a requirement of certain building codes that prohibit the collection of liquid within a rough-in box.
A first embodiment of a rough-in box for use with an air conditioner evaporator unit is now described in connection with
One or both of the smaller ports 50 can be used to introduce a power cable into the box 1. Typically only one of the small ports 50 is used for a particular installation.
Typically one of the larger ports 80 is used for introduction of the lineset, which, as noted above, includes copper tubes surrounded by insulation.
The side ports 60 are optional, and typically are not used. However, certain installations may require that the lineset be introduced from the side, in which case one of the side ports 60 is used.
A rectangular-shaped cutting line is provided in the front wall 10F of the box 1. The cutting line includes an upper, horizontal cutting line 32, vertical right and left cutting lines 31, 33, and a lower, horizontal cutting line 35. The cutting lines 31, 32, 33 and 35 are formed as thinned portions of the front wall 10F. The lower cutting line 35 can be similar to the other cutting lines 31-33, or, as shown in
In particular, and prior to installation of the sheet rock, three of the cutting lines, for example, lines 31, 32 and 33, are cut by the installer. This enables the faceplate 20 defined by the cutting lines 31-33 and 35 to be pivoted open about the integral hinge 35. This cutting and opening can occur before the rough-in box 1 is mounted with brackets 90 (to be discussed below) or after mounting with the brackets 90.
With the faceplate 20 in the open position, and with the appropriate ports 50, 60 and/or 80 having their caps removed, the installer can insert the power cable and lineset into the box 1 while easily viewing the arrangement of the power cable and lineset within the box 1. The faceplate 20 then can be closed and secured in the closed position, for example, with clips or other closure structure to be described below.
Two or four adjustable mounting brackets 90 can be provided for mounting the rough-in box 1 to studs of the building.
In preferred embodiments, four adjustable mounting brackets 90 are provided. Each mounting bracket 90 includes holes 92 through which a fixing element such as a screw can be inserted in order to secure the mounting bracket to a wall stud. The mounting brackets 90 are adjustably attached to the rough-in box 1. One of the mounting brackets 90 is shown in
Once the rough-in box has been mounted between two studs, the installer cuts the cutting lines 31, 32 and 33. The faceplate 20 then can be opened by pivoting about the integral hinge 35. The installer then determines which of the small ports 50 will be used and either removes the cap (if a removable cap is provided) of cuts off the cap to provide access to the inside of the rough-in box 1.
The installer also determines whether one of the large ports 80 on the top wall 10T will be used to receive the lineset, or whether one of the large side ports 60 will be used to receive the lineset. The cap of the selected port 80 or 60 then is removed, for example by cutting.
Because the lineset consists of copper pipes having insulation, the insulation can be cut or otherwise damaged by the edge of the port particularly when the lineset is pulled or pushed into the rough-in box 1. Accordingly, the ports 60 and 80, which receive the lineset, have rounded lips to avoid cutting the insulation provided on the copper tubes of the lineset. This can be achieved by having the edge of the port protrude by about 0.125 inches outward of the top plate 10T or left or right plates 10L and 10R. The protruded port then is rounded so as to present a curved surface that will exist once the cap is removed.
Once the cables and lineset have been placed into the rough-in box, the faceplate 20 is moved to the closed position and held in place by a closure. According to a preferred embodiment, the closure consists of one or more clips 45. The clips 45 are provided with the rough-in box 1 and can, for example, be located inside the box when it is delivered. The installer fastens the one or more clips 45 to an edge of the faceplate, for example, the edge adjacent to cutting line 32. When the faceplate 20 is moved to the closed position, the clips will engage with the portion of the front wall 10F above the cutting line 32 to hold the faceplate 20 in the closed position. Recesses 22 can be provided adjacent to the cutting line 32 on the faceplate in order to receive the clips. Similar recesses 38 can be provided on the portion of the front wall 10F above the cutting line 32 to receive the clips.
The reinforcing bracket 55 and the clips 45 can be molded as one piece as shown in
After the faceplate 20 has been closed, the sheet rock installer installs the sheet rock. Because the portion of the front surface 10F extends by about 0.50 inches outward beyond the wall studs, it is easy for the sheet rock installer to cut an appropriate opening in the sheet rock so that the sheetrock surrounds the accessible part of the rough-in box 1. That is, after the sheet rock has been installed, one can see the front wall 10F (including the faceplate 20 in the closed position) through the hole that has been cut in the sheet rock.
Because the faceplate 20 is securely held in the closed position, no mud or other contaminants can enter the rough-in box during installation.
When it is time to install the evaporator, the faceplate 20 is completely removed, for example, by cutting through the integral hinge 35. The lineset and power cable then can be coupled to the appropriate couplings of the evaporator. The evaporator then is hung on the wall covering the opening in the sheetrock formed for the rough-in box 1.
As shown in
In a typical installation, condensate from the evaporator flows into the rough-in box and flows downward into sump 70. As shown, for example, in
The outer portion of the sump 70 also includes a leveling fin 75. The lowest surface of the leveling fin 75 is at the same position as the lowest surface of the couplings 72, 74, 76 such that the installer can place a level against the lowest surface of the fin 75 and the lowest surface of the couplings 72, 74, 76 to ensure that the rough-in box 1 is mounted in a level position (or, perhaps, mounted so that flow will be downward toward the couplings 72, 74, 76).
Although a condensate drainage pipe system (relying on gravity to cause the condensate liquid to flow from the sump 70) typically is installed for an air conditioning system, in approximately 10 to 15% of installations, the use of condensate drainage pipe systems is not possible (for example, if the liquid must flow upward to exit the rough-in box), and in these case, a separate aftermarket condensate pump has to be used. To facilitate the use of a condensate pump, the rough-in box 1 includes a flat plate to be clipped into the box at a point above the sloped drainage sump 70, thus providing a stable base on which to mount the reservoir of a condensate pump, as well as, if required, the actual pump mechanism, which is often a separate component, although it can also be a Monobloc type, i.e., a single mechanism. Further, the faceplate 20 of the box, which is removed when the air conditioner is installed, may be cut to size and clipped into position inside the box 1 to provide a base for the pump and/or reservoir assembly, thus eliminating the need for the installer to fabricate a separate mounting plate. The base is further designed with reinforcing strips included in it to provide a very stable base for the pump/reservoir which will prevent any vibration which can result in a noise within the conditioned space. This feature may be left unused if a more substantial mounting base is required in which case the installer would acquire a mounting base made from a heavier material.
In the embodiments described thus far, the condensate line of the air-conditioning (AC) unit terminates within the rough-in box and the condensate exiting the condensate line flows into the sump 70. A drain line then is attached to the drain outlet 71 of the sump 70 so that the liquid in the sump can be directed to outside of the building, for example. Such an arrangement potentially has some issues. One issue is that certain building codes may prohibit the collection of liquid within a rough-in box (although with many installations there will be no exposed electrical wires within the rough-in box). Another issue is that the condensate line clog detector of the AC unit will not be able to detect clogging of the drain line that is connected to the drain outlet 71 because that drain line is separated from the AC unit condensate line by the sump 70. These issues can be addressed by providing a coupling that is placed inside the rough-in box and by which the condensate line of the AC unit is directly attached to the drain line that exits the rough-in box. Such a modification is described below in connection with
The above-described exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Various alterations may be made.
This is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/408,769 filed Jan. 18, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/281,816, filed Jan. 22, 2016. The contents of each of the prior applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6196015 | Pignolo | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6321554 | Rigoni | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| MU-8700323-6 | Oct 2008 | BR |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170254560 A1 | Sep 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62281816 | Jan 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15408769 | Jan 2017 | US |
| Child | 15602443 | US |
