The present invention relates to stacking of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units and, more particularly, to packaging and stacking brackets for rooftop HVAC units and methods of making and using the same.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units are used to condition air to make a controlled environment more pleasant. Often in commercial buildings, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and other stores, rooftop units are installed as self-contained units located on the rooftops. These rooftop units are stored as multi-unit stacks and have to be transported to the commercial building for installation. The transportation is typically accomplished using a semi-trailer truck. To use the space on the semi-trailer truck efficiently, two rooftop HVAC units are often stacked on top of each other, placed a flatbed trailer, and strapped in place. The stacking may poses certain risks of damage to the rooftop units. To avoid damage, wood crates have at times been used.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the disclosure, a system for securing at least two heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units stacked on each other for transportation includes a first HVAC unit having a bottom frame formed with base rails. The first HVAC unit having four bottom corners on a bottom portion and a top planar surface forming four top corners on a top portion. The system further includes a second HVAC unit having a bottom frame formed with base rails and having four bottom corners on a bottom portion and a top planar surface forming four top corners on a top portion. The system further includes a first corner bracket, a second corner bracket, a third corner bracket, and a fourth corner bracket applied to each of the four top corners of the first HVAC unit.
The system also has a first lateral banding member extending laterally across the first HVAC unit going from a first longitudinal side of the first HVAC unit to a second longitudinal side of the first HVAC unit. The first lateral banding member extending over and held in place by the first and second corner brackets. The system also has a second lateral banding member extending laterally across the first HVAC unit going from a first longitudinal side of the first HVAC unit to a second longitudinal side of the first HVAC unit. The second lateral banding member extending over and held in place by the third and fourth corner brackets.
The system further includes a first plank member extending between and secured to the first corner bracket and the fourth corner bracket and positioned proximate a first longitudinal edge of the first HVAC unit. The system also has a second plank member extending between and secured to the second corner bracket and the third corner bracket and positioned proximate a second longitudinal edge of the first HVAC unit. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth corner brackets each are formed from a bracket body having at least one lateral banding channel and having a plank-receiving channel.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the disclosure, a corner bracket for placing on four corners of a first HVAC unit to assist with stacking a second HVAC unit on the first HVAC unit includes a bracket body formed from a synthetic material and formed with a plank-receiving channel. The bracket body is formed from a synthetic material and has a top side, an outer lateral side, an inner lateral side, an outer longitudinal side, and an inner longitudinal side with reference to an installed position. The bracket also includes a first top protrusion formed on the top side of the bracket body and extending vertically away from other portions of the bracket body on the top side to define a first height and positioned proximate an interface of the inner lateral side and the top side. The first top protrusion is for positioning a portion of a base rail of a bottom frame of the second HVAC unit and includes a banding channel formed laterally across the top side of the bracket body for receiving one or more bands.
The corner bracket further includes a second top protrusion formed on the top side of the bracket body and extending vertically away from other portions of the bracket body on the top side to define a second height. The second top protrusion displaced longitudinally from the first top protrusion to form a lateral, top strapping channel between the first top protrusion and the second top protrusion. The corner bracket also having a first outer longitudinal protrusion and a second out longitudinal protrusion formed on the bracket body and displaced from one another to form a longitudinal strapping channel for receiving a strap. The plank-receiving channel is sized and configured to receive the plank member.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the disclosure, a corner bracket for use on the top corners of HVAC units when stacked for transportation includes a bracket body formed from a synthetic material and formed with a longitudinal plank-receiving channel for receiving a plank extending longitudinally between longitudinally opposed corner brackets when in a deployed position with a corner bracket on each corner of the HVAC unit. The corner bracket includes a plurality of protrusions formed on a top surface of the bracket body for defining a first strapping channel. The first strapping channel is sized configured to receive a first trailer strap. The first trailer strap is held in relative position when deployed by the first strapping channel. The corner bracket also includes a lateral banding channel formed on the top surface of the bracket body for receiving banding member to hold the corner bracket in position. The corner bracket also includes a plurality of side protrusions for forming at least a second strapping channel. The second strapping channel is sized and configured to receive a second trailer strap that is held in relative position by the plurality of side protrusions that form the second strapping channel. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to the figures, and initially and primarily to
A second HVAC unit would be stacked on top of the first HVAC unit 104. The second HVAC unit is analogous to the first HVAC unit 104. For illustration purposes, only a bottom frame 164 of the second HVAC unit is shown on top of the first HVAC unit 104. The bottom frame 164 of the second HVAC unit has four corners 168, 172, 176, and 180 that are shown resting on the four corner brackets 148, 152, 156, and 160. In this view, the fourth corner 180 can be seen to the outboard of much of the fourth corner bracket 160.
Referring now primarily to
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Referring primarily now primarily to
While not explicitly shown, the second HVAC unit is analogous to the first HVAC unit 104 and for a number of reasons may also have four corner brackets applied to its four top corners. These additional brackets—fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth stacking brackets—are analogous to the other corner brackets and are positioned on the four top corners to accommodate banding of the two HVAC units together for stability and protection. Moreover, in some situations, three HVAC units may be stacked or other items placed on top.
Referring now to primarily
Continuing to refer to
The plank-receiving channel 228 is sized and configured to receive the corresponding plank member. The plank-receiving channel 228 may take numerous shapes and in one embodiment may be a channel having an open side and in another embodiment may form a plank-receiving socket having a top wall, bottom wall, first side wall, second side wall, and an end wall. The bracket body 224 has a top side 232, an outer lateral side 236, an inner lateral side 240, an outer longitudinal side 244, and an inner longitudinal side 248. It will be appreciated that the top side 232 has various features with different heights that may be referenced by an average height for all the surfaces from a datum.
In this regard, a first protrusion 252 is formed on the top side 232 of the bracket body 224 and extends vertically away from other portions of the bracket body 224 (e.g., from the average height for all the surfaces from a datum) to define a first height 256 (
A second top protrusion 264 is formed on the bracket body 224 on the top side 232 and extends vertically away from other portions of the bracket body 224 on the top side 232 to define a second height 268 (
The bracket body 224 may also have a third top protrusion portion 318 shown best in
The bracket body 224 is also formed with a first outer longitudinal protrusion 276 and a second outer longitudinal protrusion 280. The first outer longitudinal protrusion 276 and the second outer longitudinal protrusion 280 are displaced from one another to form a longitudinal strapping channel 284 for receiving a strap on a semi-trailer.
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The corner bracket 152 may include a plurality of ridges 312 with a corresponding plurality of void spaces 316. The plurality of void spaces 316 allow for less material to be used and makes the part more lightweight. The plurality of ridges 312 and void spaces 316 may be formed on both of the lateral sides or just one of the lateral sides. The ridges 312 and void spaces 316 may also be formed on the longitudinal side as shown in
In use, first HVAC unit 104 may have four corner brackets 148, 152, 156, and 160 applied to the top corners. Banding is then run laterally across the unit through the banding channels 260 and through one or more of the access openings 167 on each side of the lower frame member of the first HVAC unit. In this way, the corner brackets are securely attached to the first HVAC unit. Then, the second HVAC unit may be placed on top of the first HVAC unit 104 with the second bottom frame 164 resting on each of the corner brackets. Four more corner brackets, i.e., fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth corner brackets, may be applied to the top corners of the second HVAC unit. A second banding member may be applied across the second HVAC unit. The banding member may run from either the access openings 167 on the bottom frame of the first HVAC member or some embodiments could be from the second bottom frame 164. More typically, the banding would be from the bottom frame 108 of the first HVAC unit across the corner brackets on the second HVAC units at the top and then back down to the bottom frame 108 of the first HVAC unit and tightened to hold the whole unit securely in place. The banding need not go through the access openings or eyelets, but could go underneath the unit.
The unit may then be placed on a flat bed of a semi-trailer truck. Strapping members may then be run in two directions laterally and longitudinally. The lateral strapping may be held in place by the lateral strapping channel 296 and the longitudinal strapping may be held in place by the longitudinal strapping channel 284. The process is reversed upon arrival at the commercial building and the corner brackets may be easily removed, and one may readily dispose of them.
The brackets and planks herein may perform multiple functions: protect the product from damage during stacking and unstacking, secure the product when multiple units are transported; protect the unit during shipment even when only one unit is being transported, or provide a location for strapping on flatbed trailers.
As used herein, the term “coupled” includes coupling via a separate object and includes direct coupling. The term “coupled” also encompasses two or more components that are continuous with one another by virtue of each of the components being formed from the same piece of material or associated one to another by a magnetic field.
The present invention and its advantages have been disclosed in the context of certain illustrative, non-limiting embodiments. The illustrative descriptions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Moreover, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, permutations, and alterations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be appreciated that any feature that is described in connection to any one embodiment may also be applicable to any other embodiment.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1541872 | Stoddard | Jun 1925 | A |
6488247 | Gonzalez | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6530191 | Rieke | Mar 2003 | B2 |
9151535 | Wynnick | Oct 2015 | B2 |
9272829 | Wynnick | Mar 2016 | B2 |