Expandable shelter HVAC systems
View Patent ↗Expandable shelters having a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system arranged to receive outside air away from a mechanical compartment are disclosed. The expandable shelters may comprise an air inlet vent disposed in a front of the expandable shelter interconnected to an in-floor air duct arranged to draw outside air below an interior floor and exchange heat with the coolest area of the expandable shelter. By virtue of having an air inlet vent receive outside air from a location substantially away from the mechanical compartment and exchange heat with the coolest area of the expandable shelter, an environmental control unit (ECU), housed in the mechanical compartment, receives relatively cool outside air, keeping air temperatures inside the mechanical compartment below the upper operating limit of the ECU.
1. An expandable shelter comprising:
an enclosure defining an interior and including a top, bottom, front, back, and two sides, at least one of the sides being displaceable in order to expand the expandable shelter from a shipping position to a use position;
a mechanical compartment arranged in the back of the enclosure and housing an environmental control unit (ECU) of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;
an air inlet vent of the HVAC system disposed proximate to the bottom of the enclosure and in an exterior of the front to receive outside air;
an in-floor air duct of the HVAC system interconnected to the air inlet and arranged to draw the received outside air from the front to the back and along the bottom of the enclosure, and to exchange heat with the interior of the enclosure;
wherein when the at least one displaceable side is in the shipping position, the at least one displaceable side is arranged in the interior of the enclosure above the in-floor air duct, and
when the at least one displaceable side is in the use position, the at least one displaceable side is arranged out of the interior of the enclosure and away from the in-floor air duct.
2. The expandable shelter of claim 1 , further comprising:
a floor fixed to structural members arranged from the front to the back and along the bottom of the enclosure, wherein the in-floor air duct is arranged below the floor and between the structural members to exchange heat with the floor in the interior of the enclosure.
3. The expandable shelter of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the structural members is formed of a metal beam and at least a portion of the floor is formed of a composite sheet.
4. The expandable shelter of claim 1 , further comprising an insulated air duct of the HVAC system interconnected to the in-floor air duct, the insulated air duct housed in the mechanical compartment and arranged to insulate the received outside air from heat contained in the mechanical compartment and to provide the received outside air to the ECU.
5. The expandable shelter of claim 4 , wherein the insulated air duct comprises an outer shell encasing an inner shell and an insulation material disposed between the outer and inner shells.
6. The expandable shelter of claim 5 , wherein the outer and inner shells are formed of metal, plastic, or composite.
7. The expandable shelter of claim 5 , wherein the outer and inner shells are formed of steel.
8. The expandable shelter of claim 1 , further comprising an air filter arranged in the air inlet vent to prevent debris from contaminating the HVAC system.
9. The expandable shelter of claim 8 , wherein the air filter arranged in the air inlet comprises a hog hair filter, a paper filter, foam filter, a wire mesh filter, or a cotton filter.
10. The expandable shelter of claim 1 , further comprising a screen arranged in the air inlet vent to prevent animals from entering the HVAC system.
11. An expandable shelter comprising:
a displaceable side displaceable to expand the expandable shelter from a shipping position to a use position;
a mechanical compartment arranged in an end of the expandable shelter housing at least an environmental control unit (ECU) of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;
an air inlet vent of the HVAC system disposed at an exterior of another end of the expandable shelter opposite to an end of the expandable shelter having the mechanical compartment, wherein the air inlet is to receive outside air substantially away from the mechanical compartment;
a floor arranged in an interior of the shelter;
an air duct of the HVAC system arranged below the floor from the end to the other end, wherein the air duct is interconnected to the air inlet and arranged to draw outside air from the air inlet vent to the ECU through the air duct below the floor and to exchange heat with the interior of the shelter through the floor,
wherein when the displaceable side is in the shipping position, the displaceable side is arranged in the interior of the expandable shelter above the air duct arranged below the floor, and
when the displaceable side is in the use position, the at least one displaceable side is arranged out of the interior of the expandable shelter and away from the air duct arranged below the floor, and provides another interior in addition to the interior of the expandable shelter.
12. The expandable shelter system of claim 11 , further comprising:
an insulated air duct of the HVAC system arranged in the mechanical compartment, wherein the insulated duct is interconnected to the air duct below the floor and arranged to insulate the received outside air from heat contained in the mechanical compartment and to provide the received outside air to the ECU.
13. The expandable shelter system of claim 11 , further comprising a booster fan to draw the received outside air from the air inlet vent to the ECU and to push the received outside air across a condenser of the ECU.
14. An expandable shelter, comprising:
a top, bottom, front, back, and two sides, at least one of the sides being displaceable in order to expand the expandable shelter from a storage position to a use position;
a mechanical compartment arranged in the back of the expandable shelter housing an environmental control unit (ECU);
an air inlet vent disposed in an exterior of the front of the expandable shelter to receive outside air from a location substantially away from the mechanical compartment in the back of the expandable shelter;
an in-floor air duct arranged below an interior floor of the expandable shelter, wherein the in-floor air duct is interconnected to the air inlet and arranged to draw the received outside air below the interior floor and to exchange heat with the interior of the expandable shelter through the floor;
an insulated air duct arranged in the mechanical compartment, wherein the insulated air duct is interconnected to the in-floor air duct and arranged to insulate the received outside air from heat contained in the mechanical compartment while providing the received outside air to the ECU;
wherein when the at least one displaceable side is in the storage position, the at least one displaceable side is arranged in the interior of the expandable shelter above the in-floor air duct, and
when the at least one displaceable side is in the use position, the at least one displaceable side is arranged out of the interior of the expandable shelter and away from the in-floor air duct of the expandable shelter and provides another interior in addition to the interior of the expandable shelter.
15. The expandable shelter of claim 14 , further comprising a booster fan fixed to the ECU to help draw the received outside air from the air inlet vent through the in-floor air duct and the insulated air duct to the ECU and to push the received outside air across a condenser of the ECU.
16. The expandable shelter of claim 14 , wherein the insulated air duct comprises an outer shell encasing an inner shell and an insulation material disposed between the outer and inner shells.
17. The expandable shelter of claim 14 , wherein the outer and inner shells are formed of steel.
18. The expandable shelter of claim 14 , further comprising an air filter arranged in the air inlet vent.