DUCT GEOMETRY MEASUREMENT TOOL
First Claim
1. A duct geometry measurement tool comprising:
- a flag configured to be mounted to a first duct in a first predetermined spatial relationship to a first reference point of said first duct; and
a handheld unit configured to be mounted to a second duct in a second predetermined spatial relationship to a second reference point of said second duct, said handheld unit comprising;
a distance measuring unit operable to measure a linear distance between said first and second reference points as a function of positions of said flag, said handheld unit, and said first and second predetermined spatial relationships; and
a memory operably connected to said distance measuring unit for storing measured distances.
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Abstract
A measurement tool for use in creating a customized duct segment for connecting existing adjacent HVAC ducts. The tool includes a handheld unit and a flag, each of which is configured for mounting to a respective duct. A measuring unit, such as a laser rangefinder, of the tool is capable of measuring a linear distance between the unit and the flag, and thus between reference points on the HVAC ducts, such as corners, to which the handheld unit and flag are mounted. The tool is configured to measure and store in its memory multiple distance measurements between multiple reference points. A method of using the tool involves gathering enough measurements between enough reference points, such as corners, that the required configuration for the customized duct segment can be determined, e.g. by CAD/CAM equipment. The tool may include a data port for transmitting gathered data for CAD/CAM purposes.
39 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A duct geometry measurement tool comprising:
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a flag configured to be mounted to a first duct in a first predetermined spatial relationship to a first reference point of said first duct; and a handheld unit configured to be mounted to a second duct in a second predetermined spatial relationship to a second reference point of said second duct, said handheld unit comprising; a distance measuring unit operable to measure a linear distance between said first and second reference points as a function of positions of said flag, said handheld unit, and said first and second predetermined spatial relationships; and a memory operably connected to said distance measuring unit for storing measured distances. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A duct geometry measurement tool comprising:
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a flag configured to be mounted to a first duct in a first predetermined spatial relationship to a first reference point of said first duct; and a handheld unit comprising; a handle grip supporting a base; a turret mounted to said base, said turret being configured to be mounted to a second duct in a second predetermined spatial relationship to a second reference point of said second duct; a distance measuring unit mounted to said turret, said distance measuring unit being operable to measure a distance between said first and second reference points as a function of a spatial relationship between said flag and said turret; a memory operably connected to said distance measuring unit to store in said memory a plurality of measured distances, each of said plurality of measured distances being stored in said memory in relation to respective reference points of said first and second ducts between which each distance was measured; and a data communications port operably connected to said memory to transmit data corresponding to said measured distances. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for measuring geometry for a customized ductwork segment having geometry for joining specific first and second ducts, the method comprising:
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measuring a respective distance between each of a plurality of pairs of reference points of said ducts, each pair of reference points comprising a first reference point on said first duct and a second reference point on said second duct; storing each measured distance in a memory of a computerized device; and transmitting data corresponding to said stored distance measurements via a communications port of said computerized device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification