Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
HANGER ASSEMBLY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to hanger assemblies and, more
particularly, to a hanger
assembly for mounting a fan housing in a building.
SUMMARY
[0002] Some embodiments of the invention provide a hanger assembly
configured to mount
a fan housing in a building including a first support having a lower surface
and a second support.
In some embodiments, the hanger assembly includes a body having a first end
engageable with
the first support and a second end engageable with the second support, the
body being
connectable to the fan housing to support the fan housing between the first
support and the
second support and being adjustable to change a length defined between the
first end and the
second end. In these embodiments, the first end can include an outwardly
extending flange,
which is engageable with the first support to orient the body and the fan
housing relative to the
lower surface of the first support and to maintain a predetermined distance
between the lower
surface of the first support and a lower surface of one of the fan housing and
the hanger body.
[0003] In addition, the invention provides a hanger assembly configured to
mount a fan
housing to a support in a building, the support having a first surface and a
second surface
substantially normal to the first surface. In these embodiments, the hanger
assembly can include
a body connectable to the fan housing and having a first flange and a second
flange, the first
flange being engageable with the first surface of the support and the second
flange being
engageable with the second surface of the support to secure the hanger body
and the fan housing
to the support.
[0004] The invention also provides a method of mounting a fan housing to a
support in a
building, the support having a side surface and a lower surface substantially
normal to the side
surface. Some embodiments include the acts of providing a hanger assembly
including a body
having an end, the end having a first outwardly extending flange and a second
outwardly
extending flange, securing the fan housing to the hanger body, connecting the
first flange to the
side surface of the support to secure the hanger body and the fan housing to
the support, and
1
CA 02532841 2013-04-02
connecting the second flange to the second surface of the support to orient
the hanger body and
the fan housing relative to the lower surface of the first support and to
maintain a predetermined
distance between a lower surface of the fan housing and the lower surface of
the support.
[0004A] The invention also provides a hanger assembly comprising a fan
housing positioned
between a first support and a second support, with the first support having a
lower surface. The
hanger assembly further comprises a body having a first end engageable with
the first support and
a second end engageable with the second support, with the body being
connectable to the fan
housing to support the fan housing between the first support and the second
support and being
adjustable to change a length defined between the first end and the second
end. The first end
includes an outwardly extending flange, which is engageable with the first
support to orient the
body and the fan housing relative to the lower surface of the first support
and to maintain a
predetermined distance between the lower surface of the first support and a
lower surface of one
of the fan housing and the hanger body. The body includes an inner surface
extending between
the first end and the second end, and a spacer extending outwardly from the
inner surface. The
spacer is engageable with the fan housing to secure the fan housing to the
hanger body and to
form a separation space between the fan housing and the inner surface with the
spacer extending
through the separation space.
[0004B] The invention also provides in another broad aspect a hanger
assembly configured
to connect to a support in a building the support having a first surface and a
second surface
substantially normal to the first surface. The hanger assembly comprises a fan
housing, and a body
connectable to the fan housing and having a first flange and a second flange,
with the first flange
being engageable with the first surface of the support and the second flange
being engageable with
the second surface of the support to secure the hanger body and the fan
housing to the support.
The body includes a first bracket having an inner end and an outer end, and a
second bracket
having an inner end and an outer end, with the outer end of the first bracket
at least partially
defining a first end of the body and the outer end of the second bracket at
least partially defining a
second end of the body. The body further includes a third bracket connectable
to the fan housing
and being slidingly connected to the inner end of the first bracket and the
inner end of the second
2
CA 02532841 2013-04-02
bracket to change a length of the body between the first end of the body and
the second end of the
body. The third bracket defines a channel, and the inner end of the first
bracket and the inner end
of the second bracket are engageable with the third bracket along a length of
the channel such that
the inner end of the first bracket is engageable with the inner end of the
second bracket at least
partially within the channel.
[0005] Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by
consideration of the
detailed description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a fan housing and a hanger
assembly according
to some embodiments of the present invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fan housing and the
hanger assembly
shown in FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is bottom perspective view of the fan housing and hanger
assembly shown
in FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the hanger assembly shown
in FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 5A is a side view of a first mounting bracket of the hanger
assembly shown in
FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 5B is a top view of the first mounting bracket shown in FIG.
5A.
[0012] FIG. 5C is a side view of a portion of the second mounting bracket
shown in
FIG. 5A.
2A
CA 02532841 2013-04-02
[0013] FIG. 6A is side view of a second mounting bracket of the hanger
assembly shown
in FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 6B is a top view of the second mounting bracket of the hanger
assembly
shown in FIG. 6A.
[0015] FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a third mounting bracket of the
hanger assembly
shown in FIG. 1.
2B
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
[0016] Fig. 7B is an end view of the third mounting bracket shown in Fig.
7A.
[0017] Fig. 8 is a side view of the mounting bracket shown in Fig. 7A.
[0018] Fig. 9A is side view of a fastener shown in Fig. 1.
[0019] Fig. 9B is an enlarged side view of a portion of the fastener shown
in Fig. 9A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it
is to be
understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details
of construction and the
arrangement of components set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the following
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced
or of being
carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology
and terminology
used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as
limiting. The use of
"including," "comprising," and "having" and variations thereof herein is meant
to encompass the
items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
[0021] Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted,"
"connected,"
"supported," and "coupled" and variations thereof are used broadly and
encompass both direct
and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further,
"connected" and
"coupled" are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or
couplings.
[0022] In addition, it is to be understood that phraseology and terminology
used herein with
reference to device or element orientation (such as, for example, terms like
"front," "rear," "top,"
"bottom," "lower", "up," "down," etc.) are only used to simplify description
of the present
invention, and do not alone indicate or imply that the device or element
referred to must have a
particular orientation. The elements of the present invention can be installed
and operated in any
orientation desired. In addition, terms such as "first", "second," and "third"
are used herein for
purposes of description and are not intended to indicate or imply relative
importance or
significance.
3
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
[0023] Figs. 1-9B illustrate a hanger assembly 10 and a portion of a fan
housing 12
according to some embodiments of the present invention. The hanger assembly 10
can be
installed or used with any structure capable of ventilation, such as, for
example, a home, a
commercial building, and the like.
[0024] The fan housing 12 can have any shape desired, such as a round
shape, a rectangular,
triangular, or other polygonal shape, an irregular shape, and the like. By way
of example only,
the fan housing 12 of the illustrated embodiment has a generally rectangular
shape, and has
sidewalls 16, 18, a front wall 20, and a back wall 22. Together, the front
wall 20, sidewalls 16,
18, and back wall 22 at least partially define an interior space 24 for a fan,
a fan motor, and/or
other elements of a building ventilation system (e.g., electrical conduits,
heating elements, filters,
and the like). In addition, in some embodiments, the fan housing 12 can have a
relatively small
profile so that the fan housing 12 can be installed or located in relatively
confined areas.
[0025] The fan housing 12 can be mounted in any orientation, such as in a
vertical
orientation installed in a wall, a horizontal orientation installed in a
ceiling, or in any other
orientation desired. The fan housing 12 can be secured within a wall, ceiling,
or other building
structure in a partially or fully recessed position. In such cases, the fan
housing 12 can be
received within an aperture or recessed portion of the wall, ceiling, or other
building structure.
Alternatively, the fan housing 12 can be secured to a building structure in a
non-recessed
position.
[0026] In other embodiments, the fan housing 12 can be partially supported
within an
aperture of a wall, ceiling, or other building structure and can extend
outwardly a predetermined
distance from the wall, ceiling, or other building structure. In these
embodiments, a grill or face
plate can be secured to an exterior side of the fan housing 12.
[0027] In order to secure the fan housing 12 with respect to a wall,
ceiling, or other building
structure as described above, the fan housing 12 can include outwardly
extending mounting
flanges 34, and fasteners 30 (e.g., pins, screws, nails and other conventional
fasteners, magnets,
and clips) can be inserted through attachment holes 36 in the mounting flanges
34 for securing
the fan housing 12 to a structural support 32 of the building structure.
Alternatively and as
described in greater detail below, the fasteners 30 can connect any part of
the fan housing 12,
4
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
' Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
such as, for example, the side walls 16, 18, the back wall 22, or the front
wall 24, to the hanger
assembly 10 and can extend through attachment holes 36 in the fan housing 12
for this purpose.
As used herein and in the appended claims, the term "structural support"
includes any building
structural element to which a fan or ventilation system can be mounted, and
includes without
limitation joists, sub-joists, studs, I-beams or beams having other shapes,
struts, rafters, headers,
girders, trusses, and the like.
[0028] The fan housing 12 of the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 1-3 is
oriented substantially
vertically, with the front wall 20 substantially normal to a structural
support 32. In alternate
embodiments, the fan housing 12 can have other orientations with respect to
the building
structure and its structural support(s) 32, typically determined at least in
part by space
constraints, the orientation of the structural support(s) 32, the spacing
between structural
supports 32, and/or whether the fan housing 12 is mounted in a wall or in a
ceiling.
[0029] As shown in Figs. 1-4, the hanger assembly 10 can include a first
mounting
arrangement 40 and a second mounting arrangement 42 for connecting the fan
housing 12 to a
building structural support 32 and/or for supporting the fan housing 12
between two or more
structural supports 32. More particularly, in some embodiments, such as the
illustrated
embodiment of Figs. 1-4, opposite ends of a first mounting arrangement 40 can
be secured to two
adjacent supports 32, opposite ends of a second mounting arrangement 42 can be
secured to the
same or other supports 32, and a fan housing 12 can be supported between the
first and second
mounting arrangements 40, 42 and between the supports 32. In other
embodiments, a single
mounting arrangement 40 may be used to support the fan housing 12 in a
building.
[0030] As shown in Figs. 1-9B, each of the first and second mounting
arrangements 40, 42
can include a first mounting bracket 46, a second mounting bracket 48, and a
third mounting
bracket or slide 50. Each of the first mounting bracket 46, the second
mounting bracket 48, and
the third mounting bracket 50 of the first and second mounting arrangements
40, 42 can be
manufactured from sheet-metal, steel, other metals, ceramics, composite
materials, plastic, and
the like. Because the first and second mounting arrangements 40, 42 and their
respective first,
second, and third brackets 46, 48, 50 are substantially similar, the following
description refers
only to the first mounting arrangement 40. However, it should be understood
that the second
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
= Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
mounting arrangement 42 is substantially similar and is not described in
detail hereafter only for
reasons of clarity and brevity.
[0031] The first mounting bracket 46 includes an outer end 56 and an
inner end 58. The
outer end 56 includes a first outwardly extending flange 60 and a second
outwardly extending
flange 62. The first flange 60 extends outwardly from the outer end 56 of the
first mounting
bracket 46 and is oriented at an angle a (shown in Fig. 5C) of between about
80 degrees and
about 100 degrees with respect to the first mounting bracket 46. In other
embodiments, the first
flange 60 can be oriented at other angles a with respect to the outer end 56
of the first mounting
bracket 46, such as, for example, between about 120 degrees and about 100
degrees, between
about 60 degrees and about 80 degrees, or between about 40 degrees and about
60 degrees. In
still other embodiments, the first flange 60 can be substantially co-planar
with the outer end 56
of the first mounting bracket 46.
[0032] Fasteners 30 can be inserted through apertures 66 in the first
flange 60 to connect the
first mounting bracket 46 to a side surface of a structural support 32. In
some embodiments,
such as the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 1-5C, the first flange 60 can
include two or more
apertures 66 to provide multiple mounting locations.
[0033] Alternatively or in addition, in some embodiments, such as the
illustrated
embodiment of Figs. 1-5C, fasteners 30 can be mounted on the first flange 60
and can be
maintained in a first or retracted position, in which an outer end or tip of
the fastener 30 is
retracted or substantially retracted with respect to an outer surface of the
first flange 60. In these
embodiments, a retainer, such as, for example, a washer a clip, and the like,
can be used to mount
the fastener 30 on the first flange 60 and to maintain the fastener 30 in the
retracted position. In
other embodiments, the fastener 30 can include outwardly extending threads,
ribs, or other
protrusions for frictionally engaging the first flange 60 to maintain the
fastener 30 in the
retracted position. As explained below in greater detail, after positioning
the hanger assembly 10
in a structure and after positioning the first flange 60 adjacent to a support
32, an operator can
move the fastener 30 from the retracted position toward an extended position,
in which the
fastener 30 engages the support 32 to secure the first mounting bracket 46 to
the structural
support 32.
6
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
' 2 Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
[0034] In the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 1-5C, the second flange 62
extends outwardly
from the first flange 60 and is oriented in a plane which is substantially
normal to the first flange
60 and substantially normal to the body of the first mounting bracket 46.
Fasteners 30 can also
or alternately be inserted through apertures 66 in the second flange 62 to
connect the second
mounting bracket 46 to a lower surface 68 of a structural support 32. In some
embodiments,
such as the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 1-5C, the second flange 62 can
include two or more
apertures 66 to provide multiple mounting locations.
[0035] In some embodiments, fasteners 30 can be mounted on the second
flange 62 and can
be maintained in a first or retracted position, in which an outer end or tip
of the fastener 30 is
retracted or substantially retracted with respect to an outer surface of the
second flange 62.
[0036] As shown in Figs. 4-5C, the first mounting bracket 46 can have a
substantially C-
shaped cross-section and can include an upwardly extending lip or rail 69, a
downwardly
extending lip or rail 70, and a central rib 72 extending along the first
mounting bracket 46
between the outer and inner ends 56, 58. In other embodiments, the first
mounting bracket 46
can take a number of different forms and can have a number of different cross-
sectional shapes,
including without limitation a D-shaped cross-sectional shape, a square cross-
sectional shape, a
triangular cross-sectional shape, a strip having a dimpled, ribbed, or other
varying cross-sectional
shape, and the like. Alternatively or in addition, the first mounting bracket
46 can have one,
three, or more outwardly extending rails 69 located on the upper, lower, side,
rear, or front
surfaces of the first mounting bracket 46.
[0037] In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 1-
9B, the second
mounting bracket 48 can have a substantially similar shape to the first
mounting bracket 46. As
shown in Figs. 4, 6A, and 6B, the second mounting bracket 48 includes an outer
end 78 and an
inner end 80. The outer end 78 includes a first outwardly extending flange 82
and a second
outwardly extending flange 84. The first flange 82 extends outwardly from the
outer end 78 of
the second mounting bracket 48 and is oriented at an angle (3 of between about
80 degrees and
about 100 degrees with respect to the second mounting bracket 48.
[0038] In other embodiments, the first flange 82 can be oriented at other
angles 13 with
respect to the outer end 78 of the second mounting bracket 48, such as, for
example, between
7
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
about 100 degrees and about 120 degrees, between about 60 degrees and about 80
degrees, or
between about 40 degrees and about 60 degrees. In still other embodiments, the
first flange 82
can be substantially co-planar with the outer end 78 of the second mounting
bracket 48.
[0039] The second flange 84 extends outwardly from the first flange 82 and
is oriented in a
plane which is substantially normal to the first flange 82 and substantially
normal to the body of
the second mounting bracket 48.
[0040] Fasteners 30 can be inserted through apertures 66 in the first
flange 82 to connect the
second mounting bracket 48 to a side surface 85 of a structural support 32
and/or through
apertures 66 in the second flange 84 to connect the second mounting bracket 48
to a lower
surface 68 of the structural support 32. In some embodiments, such as the
illustrated
embodiment of Figs. 4, 6A, and 6B, the first flange 82 and/or the second
flange 84 can include
two or more apertures 66 to provide multiple mounting locations.
[0041] In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 4,
6A, and 6B,
fasteners 30 can be mounted on the first flange 80 and the second flange 82
and can be
maintained in a first or retracted position, in which an outer end or tip of
the fastener 30 is
retracted or substantially retracted with respect to outer surfaces of the
first flange 80 and the
second flange 82, respectively. In these embodiments, a retainer, such as, for
example, a washer
a clip, and the like, can be used to mount the fastener 30 on the first and
second flanges 80, 82
and to maintain the fastener 30 in the retracted position. In other
embodiments, the fastener 30
can include outwardly extending threads, ribs, or other protrusions for
frictionally engaging the
first and second flanges 80, 82 to maintain the fastener 30 in the retracted
position. As explained
below in greater detail, after positioning the hanger assembly 10 in a
structure and after
positioning the first and second flanges 82, 84 adjacent to a support 32, an
operator can move the
fastener(s) 30 from the retracted position toward an extended position, in
which the fastener(s)
30 engages the support 32.
[0042] As shown in Figs. 4, 6A, and 6B, the second mounting bracket 48 can
have a
substantially C-shaped cross-section and can include an upwardly extending lip
or rail 88, a
downwardly extending lip or rail 90, and a central rib 92 extending along the
second mounting
bracket 48 between the outer and inner ends 78, 80. In other embodiments, the
second mounting
8
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
bracket 48 can take a number of different forms and can have a number of
different cross-
sectional shapes, including without limitation a D-shaped cross-sectional
shape, a square cross-
sectional shape, a triangular cross-sectional shape, a strip having a dimpled,
ribbed, or other
varying cross-sectional shape, and the like. Alternatively or in addition, the
second mounting
bracket 48 can have one, three, or more outwardly extending rails 88 located
on the upper, lower,
side, rear, or front surfaces of the second mounting bracket 48.
[0043] As shown in Figs. 4, 7A, 7B, and 8, the third mounting bracket 50
can have a
substantially C-shaped cross-section and can include two inwardly extending
tabs 96, which
together define a channel 98 extending along an exterior surface 100 of the
third mounting
bracket 50. In other embodiments, the third mounting bracket 50 can take a
number of different
forms and can have a number of different cross-sectional shapes, including
without limitation a
D-shaped cross-sectional shape, a square cross-sectional shape, a triangular
cross-sectional
shape, a strip having a dimpled, ribbed, or other varying cross-sectional
shape, and the like.
[0044] In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 4,
7A, 7B, and 8,
the third mounting bracket 50 includes outwardly extending spacers 104
positioned along an
interior surface 106 of the third mounting bracket 50. In other embodiments,
the third mounting
bracket 50 can have one, three, or more spacers 104.
[0045] As shown in Fig. 4, outer ends of the spacers 104 can be connected
to one of the side
walls 16, 18 of the fan housing 12 to secure the fan housing 12 to the hanger
assembly 10. In
other embodiments, the spacers 104 can also or alternately be connected to the
front and back
walls 22, 24 of the fan housing 12 to secure the fan housing 12 to the hanger
assembly 10. The
spacers 104 can be sized to provide clearance between other elements of the
hanger assembly 10
(e.g., the first, second, and the third mounting brackets 46, 48, 50) and the
mounting flanges 34
and/or other elements supported on the exterior of or extending outwardly from
the fan housing
12. In this manner, the hanger assembly 10 can be used to mount a number of
differently
configured fan housings 12 in structures without requiring substantial
modification to the hanger
assembly 10 or the fan housings 12.
[0046] As shown in Figs. 1-4, the first and second mounting brackets 46, 48
slidingly engage
the third mounting bracket 50 and are movable relative to the third mounting
bracket 50 to adjust
9
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
a length 105 of the first mounting arrangement 40 measured between the outer
end 56 of the first
mounting bracket 46 and the outer end 78 of the second mounting bracket 48.
More particularly,
the upwardly and downwardly extending rails 60, 62 of the first mounting
bracket 46 slidingly
engage the inwardly extending tabs 96 of the third mounting bracket 50 to
slidingly connect the
first and third mounting brackets 46, 50 and the upwardly and downwardly
extending rails 88, 90
of the second mounting bracket 48 slidingly engage the inwardly extending tabs
96 of the third
mounting bracket 50 to slidingly connect the second and third mounting
brackets 48, 50. In
addition and as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, in some embodiments, the inner end
78 of the second
mounting bracket 48 can be moved across and into overlapping engagement with
the inner end
58 of the first mounting bracket 46 to further adjust the length 105 of the
first mounting
arrangement 40.
[0047] In operation, an installer inserts fasteners 30 through the exterior
surface 100 of the
third mounting bracket 48, through the spacers 104, and into the fan housing
12. The operator
then inserts the inner end 58 of the first mounting bracket 46 into the
channel 98 of the third
mounting bracket 50 and slidingly engages the upwardly and downwardly
extending rails 69, 70
and the inwardly extending tabs 96 of the third mounting bracket 50. Next, the
installer inserts
the inner end 80 of the second mounting bracket 48 into the channel 98 of the
third mounting
bracket 50 and slidingly engages the upwardly and downwardly extending rails
88, 90 and the
inwardly extending tabs 96 of the third mounting bracket 50.
[0048] After the first mounting arrangement 40 is secured to the fan
housing 12, the installer
positions the first mounting arrangement 40 and the fan housing 12 in a
building structure
adjacent to one or more supports 32. The installer can then move the first
and/or second
mounting brackets 46, 48 along the channel 98 and relative to the third
mounting bracket 50 to
adjust the length 105 between the outer ends 56, 78 of the first and second
mounting brackets 46,
48 to fit the first mounting arrangement 40 between adjacent supports 32. In
alternate
embodiments, an installer can assemble the first, second, and third mounting
brackets 46, 48, 50
and can then secure the third mounting bracket 50 and/or the spacers 104 to
the fan housing 12.
[0049] The installer can then position the first flange 60 of the first
mounting bracket 46 on a
side surface 85 of a support 32 and position the second flange 62 of the first
mounting bracket 46
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
on a lower surface 68 of the support 32. The installer positions the first
flange 82 of the second
mounting bracket 48 on a side surface 85 of an adjacent support 32 and
positions the second
flange 84 of the second mounting bracket 48 on the lower surface 68 of the
same support 32. In
this manner, the installer can orient the first mounting arrangement 40 and
the fan housing 12 in
a desired orientation with respect to the lower surface 68 of the supports 32
so that at least one of
the first mounting arrangement 40 and the fan housing 12 can be recessed a
predetermined
distance 108 (e.g., three-eighths of an inch, half an inch, seven-eighths of
an inch) from the
lower surface 68 of the support 32 to provide clearance for drywall, plaster,
or other wall
coverings or wall forming elements without requiring the installer to manually
measure the
distance 108 between the lower surface 68 of the supports 32 and the lower
surface of the fan
housing 12 and/or the distance between the lower surface 68 of the supports 32
and the first
mounting arrangement 40.
[0050] In other embodiments, the engagement between the second flange 62 of
the first
mounting bracket 46 and the lower surface 68 of a support 32 and between the
second flange 84
of the second mounting bracket 48 and the lower surface 68 of an adjacent
support 32 can orient
the first mounting arrangement 40 and the fan housing 12 in a desired
orientation with respect to
the lower surface 68 of the supports 32 so that at least one of the first
mounting arrangement 40
and the fan housing 12 extends outwardly a predetermined distance beyond the
lower surface 68
of the supports 32 for engagement with a fan housing cover, a grill, or other
similar structure.
[0051] In still other embodiments, the engagement between the second flange
62 of the first
mounting bracket 46 and the lower surface 68 of a support 32 and between the
second flange 84
of the second mounting bracket 48 and the lower surface 68 of an adjacent
support 32 can orient
the first mounting arrangement 40 and the fan housing 12 in a desired
orientation with respect to
the lower surface 68 of the supports 32 so that the lower surface 68 of the
support 32 is
substantially aligned with the lower surface of the first mounting arrangement
40 and/or the fan
housing 12. In these embodiments, the predetermined distance 108 is
substantially zero.
[0052] By positioning the first and second flanges 60, 62 of the first
mounting bracket 46 and
the first and second mounting flanges 82, 84 of the second mounting bracket 48
on the side and
lower surfaces 68 of adjacent supports 32, the installer can also orient the
first mounting
11
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
- Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
arrangement 40 and the fan housing 12 to be square, true, and plumb with
respect to the supports
32. The installer can support the first mounting arrangement 40 and the fan
housing 12 with one
hand while using his second hand to adjust the length of the first mounting
arrangement 40 and
to position the flanges 60, 62, 82, 84 of the first and second mounting
brackets 46, 48 on the
supports 32.
[0053] The installer then secures the first mounting arrangement 40 to
the supports 32. In
embodiments of the hanger assembly 10 having fasteners 30 pre-mounted on any
of the flanges
60, 62, 82, 84 of the first and second mounting brackets 46, 48, the operator
can hold the first
mounting arrangement 40 and the fan housing 12 in a desired position and in a
desired
orientation adjacent to the supports 32 with one hand while driving the
fasteners 30 into the
supports 32 with a second hand.
[0054] In some embodiments, such as the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 1-
4, the fan
housing 12 can be supported by two mounting arrangements 40, 42 between two or
more
supports 32. In these embodiments, the installer can secure the spacers 104
and the third
mounting brackets 50 of both the first and second mounting arrangements 40, 42
to respective
side walls 16, 18 of the fan housing 12. The installer can then connect the
first and second
mounting arrangements 40, 42 to the supports 32 as described above with
respect to the first
mounting arrangement 40.
[0055] After the first mounting assembly (and the second mounting
assembly 42 in
embodiments having first and second mounting arrangements 40, 42) are
connected to the
supports 32, the installer can secure the first, second, and third mounting
brackets 46, 48, 50 of
the first mounting arrangement 40 together by crimping the inwardly extending
tabs 96 into
engagement around the upwardly and downwardly extending rails 69, 70, 90, 92
of the first and
second mounting brackets 46, 48 to reduce or prevent relative movement between
the first,
second, and third mounting brackets 46, 48, 50. In a similar manner, the
installer can also secure
the first, second, and third mounting brackets 46, 48, 50 of the second
mounting arrangement 42
together to reduce or prevent relative movement between the first, second, and
third mounting
brackets 46, 48, 50.
12
CA 02532841 2006-01-13
- Attorney Docket No. 018695-9395-00
[0056] Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being
within the scope of
the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the
subject matter regarded
as the invention.
13
