Systems and methods for the delivery of fluidic substances in an hvac system

Abstract

Systems and methods for the delivery of fluidic substances in an HVAC system are provided herein. Described herein are various examples of a prisoner cell fluidic substance delivery system. The delivery system installs on an HVAC duct servicing one or more cells. The delivery system includes a removable hatch that allows personnel to access the interior of the HVAC duct. The hatch and its access into the interior of the HVAC duct may be sized to allow for the ability of personnel to clear any debris or other foreign material from the interior prior to the insertion of a fluidic substance, such as tear gas or pepper spray. The various examples described herein allow the introduction of substances to a single cell or a limited number of cells without the need to generally disperse the substance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of installing a security access panel onto a heating, ventilation, and cooling (“HVAC”) duct of a pre-existing HVAC system of a secured facility, the HVAC duct providing air to a subset of secured spaces serviced by the HVAC system, the method comprising:
 providing the HVAC duct; 
 removing at least a portion of the HVAC duct to create an opening in the HVAC duct; 
 installing a duct interface unit over the opening of the HVAC duct defining a first passageway through the duct interface unit into the HVAC duct, wherein the first passageway is sized to allow personnel to clear the first passageway of debris in the HVAC duct; 
 installing a door interface onto the duct interface unit; 
 installing a removable hatch, the removable hatch comprising:
 a hatch panel removably affixed to the duct interface unit; and 
 securement bolts that are removable to secure the hatch panel to the duct interface unit when the securement bolts installed and allow the removal of the hatch panel from the duct interface unit when the securement bolts are removed, wherein a second passageway is defined through the door interface when the hatch panel is removed, the second passageway and the first passageway providing a path to allow an introduction of a fluidic substance into the HVAC duct. 
 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising installing a handle onto the hatch panel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising installing a panel chain between the removable hatch and the duct interface unit. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the removable hatch further comprises a site window to allow an inspection prior to removing the removable hatch. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first passageway defined by the duct interface unit and the HVAC duct is sized to reduce a probability of a human entering an unsecured space from a secured space. 
     
     
         6 . A heating, ventilation, and cooling (“HVAC”) apparatus for fluidic substance delivery, the HVAC apparatus comprising:
 a duct interface unit connected to a portion of an HVAC duct defining a first passageway though the duct interface unit into the HVAC duct; 
 a door interface providing an airtight interface between the duct interface unit and a removable hatch; and 
 the removable hatch comprising:
 a hatch panel removably affixed to the duct interface unit; and 
 securement bolts that are removable to secure the hatch panel to the duct interface unit when the securement bolts installed and allow the removal of the hatch panel from the duct interface unit when the securement bolts are removed, wherein a second passageway is defined through the door interface when the hatch panel is removed, the second passageway and the first passageway providing a path to allow an introduction of a fluidic substance into the HVAC duct. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the removable hatch further comprises a handle. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a chain for securing the removable hatch to the duct interface unit. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the removable hatch further comprises a site window to allow an inspection prior to removing the removable hatch. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first passageway defined by the duct interface unit and the HVAC duct is sized to reduce a probability of a human entering an unsecured space from a secured space. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first passageway defined by the duct interface unit and the HVAC duct is sized to allow personnel to clear the first passageway of debris. 
     
     
         12 . A heating, ventilation, and cooling (“HVAC”) duct for installation into an HVAC system, the HVAC duct used for fluidic substance delivery, the HVAC duct comprising:
 a first end of the HVAC duct to be installed on a first end of the HVAC system; 
 a second end of the HVAC duct to be installed on a second end of the HVAC system; 
 the HVAC duct comprising:
 a duct interface unit connected to a portion of an HVAC duct defining a first passageway though the duct interface unit into the HVAC duct; 
 a door interface providing an airtight interface between the duct interface unit and a removable hatch; and 
 the removable hatch comprising:
 a hatch panel removably affixed to the duct interface unit; and 
 securement bolts that are removable to secure the hatch panel to the duct interface unit when the securement bolts installed and allow the removal of the hatch panel from the duct interface unit when the securement bolts are removed, wherein a second passageway is defined through the door interface when the hatch panel is removed, the second passageway and the first passageway providing a path to allow an introduction of a fluidic substance into the HVAC duct. 
 
 
 
     
     
         13 . The HVAC duct of  claim 12 , wherein the removable hatch further comprises a handle. 
     
     
         14 . The HVAC duct of  claim 12 , further comprising a chain for securing the removable hatch to the duct interface unit. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC duct of  claim 12 , wherein the removable hatch further comprises a site window to allow an inspection prior to removing the removable hatch. 
     
     
         16 . The HVAC duct of  claim 12 , wherein the first passageway defined by the duct interface unit and the HVAC duct is sized to reduce a probability of a human entering an unsecured space from a secured space. 
     
     
         17 . The HVAC duct of  claim 12 , wherein the first passageway defined by the duct interface unit and the HVAC duct is sized to allow personnel to clear the first passageway of debris.