US 12,085,309 B2
Ventilation system with tapered flexible conduit
Neil B. Smith, Ashland, OR (US); and Richard Jacobi, Grants Pass, OR (US)
Assigned to Airscape, Inc., Medford, OR (US)
Filed by Airscape, Inc., Medford, OR (US)
Filed on Mar. 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/825,613.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/821,761, filed on Mar. 21, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0300486 A1, Sep. 24, 2020
Int. Cl. F24F 7/06 (2006.01); F16L 59/153 (2006.01); F24F 7/013 (2006.01); F24F 13/02 (2006.01); F24F 13/24 (2006.01)
CPC F24F 7/065 (2013.01) [F24F 7/013 (2013.01); F24F 13/0218 (2013.01); F24F 13/0263 (2013.01); F16L 59/153 (2013.01); F24F 2013/242 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a tapered conduit configured to be installed at a destination location to interconnect an inlet port and an outlet port, the method comprising:
routing a wire along a helically shaped path to provide a helically formed wire having a succession of turns of successively different diameters;
attaching a first layer of flexible material to the helically formed wire to provide a flexible inner liner having a frusto-conical shape, the flexible inner liner expandable along a longitudinal axis from a maximum expanded length to a minimum retracted length;
forming a flexible outer liner comprising a second layer of flexible material shaped to surround and conform to the frusto-conical shape of the flexible inner liner;
collapsing the flexible inner liner to the minimum retracted length;
folding the flexible outer liner into a compacted volume; and
inserting the folded flexible outer liner into an interior of the collapsed flexible inner liner to place the flexible inner liner and the flexible outer liner in a space-saving, collapsed shipment orientation for shipment to the destination location.