AU2004201938B2

AU2004201938B2 - Insulation Sheeting

Info

Publication number: AU2004201938B2
Application number: AU2004201938A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael Robert Peter Stoopman
Original assignee: PTT Management Pty Ltd
Current assignee: PTT Management Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-05-10
Filing date: 2004-05-10
Publication date: 2010-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 2024-05-10
Also published as: AU2004201938A1

Description

INSULATION SHEETING FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to insulation sheeting with a reflective foil layer. 5 The present invention has particular but not exclusive application for insulating buildings and other structures and for packaging. BACKGROUND Current reflective foil insulation sheeting usually consists of a closed air cell 10 layer with an outer reflective foil layer. The closed air cell layer is often a type of bubble wrap where two membranes are bonded together to form a plurality of cells in a single layer. The closed air cell layer serves to reduce the amount of conducted heat. In contrast, the reflective foil layer is able to reduce the transmission of radiated heat. Insulation sheeting with both a closed air cell layer and a reflective foil 15 layer provides effective insulation with the synergistic effect of the complementary characteristics of the two layers in reducing heat transmission. An example of reflective foil insulation sheeting is described in Australian innovation patent 2003100663. The insulation sheeting described in Australian innovation patent 2003100663 has a single closed air cell layer sandwiched between 20 two outer layers wherein one of the outer layers is a reflective foil layer and the exposed surface of the reflective foil layer is printed with ink to reduce glare. The printing of ink on the foil surface is a well known application to reduce the reflection from the foil layer and is widely used in the building industry to prevent builders from being temporarily blinded or distracted and causing workplace 25 accidents while installing the insulation sheeting. The printing of ink on the foil -2 surface is achieved by the use of rollers transferring ink from a tray onto the surface of the aluminum foil, then drying the ink in an oven with hot air. A problem with printing ink on the foil surface is that it is very difficult to obtain an even distribution of the ink on the surface and often the application of ink can be 5 patchy. Furthermore, the foil surface with or without ink, often becomes oxidized and/or suffers corrosion over a period of time, resulting in the foil surface becoming less effective in reducing the transmission of heat. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 10 It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative insulation sheeting that overcomes at least in part one or more of the above mentioned problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 15 In one aspect the present invention broadly resides in insulation sheeting including one or more closed air cell layers, at least one foil layer adjacent an outer surface of one of said one or more closed air cell layers, and 20 an outer polymer layer adjacent said foil layer wherein said outer polymer layer reduces glare from the foil surface. The term air cell layer means a layer that contains air pockets or bubbles preferably produced from a plastic or a foam. An example of a commercially branded air cell layer is Bubble-wrap. Where the air cell layer is produced from 25 foam, there may be a plurality of layers.

-3 The polymer layer preferably contains a small amount of colouring agent to assist in the reduction of glare reflected from the foil. Preferably the colouring agent is a dye. Preferably the polymer layer contains between 0.5% and 9% colouring agent. More preferably the polymer layer contains between 3.5% to 6% colouring 5 agent. In one preferred embodiment the polymer layer contains approximately 4.5% colouring agent. In one preferred form the polymer agent does not contain a colouring agent and the polymer layer becomes translucent as it sets. The polymer is preferably a polyolefin. The polymer is preferably a 10 polyethylene or a polypropylene. The polymer layer is preferably preformed as a film and then overlaid on the foil surface. The polymer overlaid foil surface is then preferably cooled and the polymer layer becomes translucent thereby being able to reduce the glare from the foil surface. The polymer layer is preferably impermeable and oxygen or corrosive 15 residues are prevented from contacting the foil surface. In another embodiment the polymer layer preferably has an anti-slip characteristic. The anti-slip characteristic is useful where builders are installing the insulation sheeting on roofs during wet or windy climatic conditions. In a further embodiment the polymer layer may also include a strip which has 20 a width of between 25mm to 200mm that can cover a second sheet and provide an effective seal. The strip in one preferred embodiment has an adhesive surface for . joining to the second sheet. Alternatively the strip may not have an adhesive surface but overlaps the second sheet. While there may be embodiments having two or more closed air cell layers, 25 the preferred insulation sheeting has a single closed air cell layer. The single closed -4 air cell layer preferably has cells with a diameter between 10 and 40 mm and a depth between 2 and 15 mm. Insulation sheeting for different purposes preferably have air cells of different size. One preferred embodiment has an air cell of 20 mm in diameter and 6 mm in depth. 5 In one embodiment there is a foil layer only on one side. However, in other embodiments there may be a foil layer either side of the one or more closed air cell layers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 10 In order that the present invention be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the insulation sheeting of the preferred embodiment. 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to Figure 1, there is shown insulation sheeting 10 including a single closed air cell layer 11, which on one side has an aluminum foil layer 12 and a polymer layer 13 overlaying the foil layer 12. On the other side of the single closed air cell layer 11, there is a plastic layer 14 to support the closed air cell layer 11. 20 The single closed air cell layer 11 comprises of two plastic membranes 15,16 bonded together to form a plurality of air cells. Each air cell has a diameter of 20mm and a depth of 6mm. The foil layer 12 has a scrim bonded on the underside of the foil for providing strength and integrity. The polymer layer 13 is preformed as an extruded film then layered over the 25 foil surface 15 and fixed by cooling the insulation sheeting with chilled rollers on the -5 opposite side of the sheeting. The polymer layer 13 comprises of a layer of polyolefin and containing between 3.5% to 6.0% colouring agent. The colouring agent and the fixing of the polymer layer 13 produces a translucent appearance and reduces the reflectivity from the foil layer surface 17. 5 The polymer layer 13 is also impermeable and prevents oxidation of the foil surface 17 and prevents corrosive residues from accumulated degraded (acidic) debris, corrosive environments such as salty environments or acidic industrial environments, or moisture and condensation in the roof enclosure from contacting the foil surface 7 and reducing the useful life of the insulation sheeting 10. 10 ADVANTAGES The insulation sheeting of the preferred embodiment has the advantage that it can reduce the reflection from the foil surface and substantially prevent oxidation and corrosion of the foil surface by having an overlaid impermeable polymer layer. The 15 substantial prevention of the oxidation and corrosion of the foil surface extends the useful life of the insulation sheeting. Other embodiments also include an anti-slip surface on the polymer layer and a polymer layer with one or more adhesive or non adhesive strips for the joining and sealing with a second insulation sheet. 20 VARIATIONS It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

-6 Throughout the description and claims this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

Claims

1. Insulation shooting including one or more closed air cell layers, 5 at least one reflective foil layer adjacent an outer surface of one of said one or more closed air cell layers, and an outer polyolefin layer adjacent said foil layer wherein said outer polyolefin layer is preformed as a film, overlaid onto the foil surface and cooled to form a translucent layer which reduces glare from the foil surface. 10

2. Insulation sheeting as claimed in claim 1 wherein the translucent outer polyolefin layer contains colouring agent.

3. Insulation sheeting as claimed in claim 2 wherein the translucent outer 15 polyolefin layer contains between 0.5% and 9% colouring agent.

4. Insulation sheeting as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the translucent outer polyolefin layer contains between 3.5% and 6% colouring agent. 20

5. Insulation sheeting as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein the colouring agent is a dye.

6. Insulation sheeting as claimed in any one of claims I to 5 wherein the polyolefin is polypropylene. 25 -8

7. Insulation sheeting as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

8. Insulation sheeting as claimed in any one of the abovementioned claims 5 wherein the polyolefin layer has an anti-slip characteristic,

9. Insulation sheeting as claimed in any one of the above mentioned claims wherein the polymer layer includes a strip which has a width of between 25mm to 200mm that can cover a second sheet and provide an effective seal. 10

10. Insulation sheeting as claimed in claim 9 wherein the strip has an adhesive surface.

11. Insulation sheeting as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein there are 15 two or more closed air cell layers.

12. Insulation sheeting as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein there is a single closed air cell layer. 20

13. Insulation sheeting according to any one of the abovementioned claims wherein an air cell layer has cells with a diameter between 10 and 40 mm and a depth between 2 and 15 mm.

14. Insulation sheeting according to any one of the abovementioned claims 25 wherein an air cell layer has cells with a diameter of 20 mm and a depth of 6 mm.

15. Insulation sheeting according to any one of the abovementioned claims wherein there is a foil layer on only one side. 5

16. Insulation sheeting according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein there is a foil layer on either side of one or more closed air cell layers.

17. Insulation according to any one of the abovementioned claims wherein a scrim is bonded to the underside of the foil. 10

18. Insulation sheeting as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.