BE1028094A1 - Climate chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

Climate chamber arranged to be built up on a base, comprising a ceiling structure and a plurality of upright walls extending between the base and the ceiling structure to define a space substantially airtight, the ceiling structure having a cavity in which an air handling module containing at least one of a temperature control module , moisture control module and filter module is provided, the ceiling structure having at least one air discharge opening and the upright walls having air ducts extending from an air intake opening in a lower region of the upright wall to the cavity, such that air passes through the air handling module of the air intake openings is transportable to the air discharge openings in order to circulate and treat air in the room, characterized in that the ceiling structure and upright walls are formed as separate panels which in mounted condition shape the space.

Description

Climate chamber The invention relates to a climate chamber. The invention further relates to a method for building a climate chamber.

A climate chamber is built on a substrate with a ceiling construction and with several upright walls that extend between the substrate and the ceiling construction. In this way a space is demarcated almost airtight. The ceiling structure has a cavity in which an air handling module containing at least one of a temperature control module, humidity control module and filter module is provided. The ceiling structure has at least one air discharge opening and the upright walls have air ducts extending from an air intake opening in a lower region of the upright wall to the cavity, such that air is transportable through the air handling module from the air intake openings to the air discharge openings to allow air to enter. to circulate and treat the space.

Such a climatic chamber is known from EP 2 820 356. This describes a construction of a climatic chamber which makes it possible to optimally condition a room. In the context of this description it will be understood that a climate chamber is a room or space in which at least one aspect of the climate is conditioned. In practice, such climate chambers are also called cleanrooms, especially when filter modules are built in. Cleanrooms come in different types, depending on which types of filters are used.

An advantage of the known construction is that a good air circulation can be obtained in a room in a cost-efficient way. Air intake vents are located in a lower segment of the walls so that air is drawn into the bottom of the room. The air intake openings are provided in air channels extending into the cavity such that air can be drawn from the space and flow into the cavity. Air outlet openings are located in the ceiling so that air can be blown out from the cavity into the room. This creates a downward airflow in the room which is extremely beneficial in cleanrooms. A further advantage is that a cavity is formed in the ceiling construction, which is also called a plenum, in which the air treatment modules are placed. Working with a cavity or plenum that is coupled with air ducts located at the walls allows a simple construction of the climate room.

A disadvantage of the known cleanrooms is that the time required to set up the climate chamber is long. A great deal of expertise is also required for installing the various technical modules in the room. This makes a climate chamber expensive.

° BE2020/5125 It is an object of the invention to make a climate chamber cheaper. To this end, the invention provides a climate chamber which is characterized in that the ceiling construction and upright walls are formed as separate panels which form the space in the mounted condition.

The climate chamber according to the invention is constructed with several separate panels. In other words, the space can be created by mounting the individual panels. The climate chamber according to the invention can therefore also be called a modular clean room. The climate chamber is typically offered as a box-in-a-box principle. Alternatively, the climate chamber can be provided as a stand-alone temporary building. Each of the panels is pre-fitted with the necessary, required and desired technical features, parts and modules. The modules can be pre-assembled or provided in such a way that they can be placed when the climate chamber is built up. In the latter case, the panels may be provided with module preparations. The air ducts will for instance be present on or in the panels forming the upright walls, as well as a coupling for operationally connecting the air ducts to the cavity. In the same way, the panels forming the ceiling construction will be pre-fitted with the cavity, with connections for the air ducts and with the air handling modules. The skilled person understands that connecting the individual panels together requires considerably less specialist knowledge than when the air handling module has to be installed on its own. The skilled person will also appreciate that the time required to place individual panels relative to each other is considerably faster when the panels are already preformed, compared to installing the various technical parts of the climate chamber in a pre-provisioned space. As a result, the construction of the climate chamber according to the invention will be considerably faster and with a considerably more limited cost than the construction of the existing climate chamber. The invention further relates to a method for building a climate chamber, comprising: - supplying separate panels which are provided for forming a ceiling construction and upright walls on a base; - mounting the separate panels to form a space substantially airtight, wherein the ceiling construction has a cavity in which an air handling module containing at least one of a temperature control module, humidity control module and filter module is provided, the ceiling construction having at least one air outlet opening and wherein the upright walls have air ducts extending from an air intake opening in a lower region of the upright wall to the cavity such that air is conveyable through the air handling module from the air intake openings to the air discharge openings to circulate and treat air in space; - putting the room into operation as a climate chamber by switching on the air treatment module.

Based on the explanation above, the skilled person will understand that building a climate room from pre-formed individual panels is considerably faster and more efficient than when the various technical elements have to be installed in a room on location.

Further advantageous embodiments are contained in dependent claims and are described in detail below.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.

In the drawings: figure 1 shows a climate chamber according to an embodiment of the invention; figure 2 shows a set of separate panels for forming the climate chamber of figure 1; and figure 3 shows a top view of a climate chamber according to a further embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing, the same reference numeral is assigned to the same or analogous element.

Figure 1 shows a climate chamber 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The climate chamber 1 comprises a floor construction 3, a ceiling construction 4 and several upright walls 5. Upstanding walls 5 extend between the floor construction 3 and the ceiling construction 4. As a result, a space 2 is demarcated by the combination of the floor construction 3, the ceiling construction 4 and the walls 5. Figure 1 illustrates how each of the floor structure 3, ceiling structure 4 and walls 5 are formed by separate panels. Each of the individual panels is provided with a frame or structure in which or with which the various structural and technical parts of the panels are held together.

Each of the individual panels is further provided to be connected with further panels to form the climate chamber 1. This is further explained below.

It will be clear that in practice the floor construction can alternatively be formed by an existing substrate or provided for this purpose, and therefore not be supplied as a separate panel. The substrate is preferably horizontal and has a bearing capacity, for example a concrete slab. In such an embodiment floor tiles are typically provided to be placed on the

* BE2020/5125 substrate, which floor tiles increase the cleanability and can facilitate the airtight connection with the walls. As an alternative to floor tiles, a vinyl floor or known alternative can be provided.

The ceiling structure 4 has a cavity 6. This cavity 6 is also called a plenum. The cavity 6 is located between a roof wall, which forms the top side of the ceiling structure and the ceiling wall, which forms the bottom side of the ceiling structure 4. In a preferred embodiment, the ceiling wall and roof wall are formed as separate panels and technical modules are provided that can be easily mounted as a whole between the ceiling wall and the roof wall. The technical modules are preferably pre-installed and usable as a plug-and-play module. This means that, after correctly positioning and securing the module and after connecting one or more predetermined cables, the module can be started up correctly. The ceiling wall forms the bottom wall in the ceiling construction and also forms the ceiling of the climate chamber 1. The roof wall forms the top wall in the ceiling construction and shields the climate chamber 1 from external influences. The cavity 6 is formed between the ceiling wall and the roof wall. The cavity 6 preferably has a predetermined volume to act as a buffer for air. The ceiling construction 4 preferably has one or more filter modules 7. In figure 1 three filter modules 7 are shown. The filter module 7 is typically constructed with a fan and a mechanical air filter, for example a filter cloth or HEPA filter. The filters 7 are preferably placed at the location of air blow-out openings 9. Air can be blown from the cavity 6 to the space 2 via the air blow-out openings 9. Because filters 7 are provided at the location of the air outlet openings 9, the air will be blown from cavity 6 via filter 7 to space 2, so that the air entering space 2 is pure. This principle allows to obtain a so-called cleanroom. In a preferred embodiment, the air in the space 6 is at least filtered and can optionally be further cooled, humidified and/or dehumidified. One or more modules can be provided for this purpose. In Figure 1, an air conditioner is provided with an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, both indicated by reference numeral 8. Such a module is known to those skilled in the art, and can typically be used for cooling, heating and dehumidification. Since such a module is known, it has not been discussed in further detail. Optionally, an additional moisture control module can be provided in the cavity 6. The above mentioned components and construction can be provided in a single panel or in a combination of several panels. An example of the latter is described below and illustrated in figure 3. The outdoor unit 8 is shown in figure 1

> BE2020/5125 shown outside the cavity.

Alternatively, the outdoor unit can also be provided inside the cavity with a ventilation duct or ventilation grille to the outside.

The cavity 6 is further optionally provided with the electrical cabinet and/or other techniques or technical parts of the space.

These techniques or technical parts can be pre-assembled and provided to allow easy installation without technical prior knowledge.

An access opening is further preferably provided in the cavity 6 .

The access opening is preferably shaped like a manhole through which a person can enter the cavity 6 in order to gain direct access to the techniques or technical parts or modules installed or provided in the cavity.

It will be appreciated that providing an access opening is optional.

The upright walls 5 are provided with one or more air ducts 11. The upright walls 5 are furthermore preferably self-supporting.

This means that the upright walls 5 are provided to bear their own weight and the weight of the ceiling construction.

Figure 1 shows on the left side a wall 5 in which an air duct 114 is provided as a construction element.

The air duct 11a extends between the air intake opening 10 and the cavity 6 of the ceiling construction 4. The air intake opening 10 is provided in a lower segment of the upright wall 5. Air will hereby be withdrawn from the space 2 at the bottom.

The air duct 11a is provided at the top with a connecting element for almost airtight connection of the air duct 11 to the ceiling construction 4 in order to connect the air duct 11 to the cavity 6. This allows air to be drawn in via the suction opening in the lower segment. from the space 2, and to be fed to the cavity 6. At the location of the cavity 6, the air is conditioned by the module 8, the air is filtered by filter modules 7 and the air is blown into the space via the air outlet openings 9. Because the If the air discharge openings 9 are located in the ceiling, and the air intake openings 10 are located in a lower segment of the room 2, a downward airflow is obtained in the room 2. The downward airflow is indicated in figure 1 with arrows 12. In cleanrooms it is known that a downward airflow reduces the risk of contamination of objects or persons in the room.

Air discharge opening 9 is defined in this description as the opening in the ceiling of the space, the purified air is introduced into the space 2 through each opening.

In other words, the air is blown out through the air discharge opening 9 of the cavity 6 into the space 2. Air suction opening 10 is defined in this description as the opening in the lower segment of the space where air is extracted from the space.

In other words, the air is drawn to the cavity 6 from the space 2 via the air suction opening 10.

° BE2020/5125 In figure 1, the floor construction 3 is provided with several foot supports 13. These foot supports can be used to place the floor construction 3 horizontally on a substrate. The skilled person understands that this is only an embodiment, and that the floor construction 3 can also be placed directly on a base. Further alternatively, the base itself can serve as floor construction 3 . The upright wall panels can be placed directly on the substrate. This makes it possible to make the floor panel optional or superfluous. If desired, a floor covering can be provided on the surface. For example, the floor covering can contain several floor tiles. The floor covering or floor tiles can connect to the upright walls.

Figure 1 further shows how the individual panels are further provided with complementary connections 14. For example, at the bottom right, complementary connection 14a is shown with which the upright wall 5 can be connected to the floor construction 3 . The complementary connection is shown as pin and hole shaped to match. Preferably, a seal, for example a rubber seal, is further provided over the full length of the joint. Skirting boards can also be provided to connect the floor covering to the upright wall. Figure 1 shows an alternative connection 14b in which a connection plate is provided to be connected to both the ceiling structure 4 and the upright wall 5. Those skilled in the art understand that various types of connection are possible, including screw connections, hook connections, shape-compatible connections, etc. to connect the different panels together. After the panels have been placed against each other, a sealing layer, adhesive layer or silicone layer is preferably provided on the inside of the space to seal all seams and/or cracks between adjacent panels. Such a sealing layer, adhesive layer or silicone layer is preferably also provided between the floor covering or the floor panels and the upright walls. The floor covering or the floor panels may furthermore be provided with a skirting-board. By providing a plinth, the cleanability can be further improved.

Figure 2 shows the same panels as figure 1, in particular the optional panel which forms the floor structure 3, the panel which forms the ceiling structure 4 and the panels which form the walls 5. In figure 2 the panels are placed parallel to each other. As a result, the panels form a compact set that can be easily stored, transported, etc. Figure 2 illustrates that the technical parts, in particular the air ducts in the walls 5 and the filters 7 and cavity 6 and further air treatment module 8 of the ceiling construction 4 are pre-installed.

Alternatively, the ceiling construction 4 is further segmented into a roof wall panel, ceiling wall panel and one or more technical modules. In such a

! BE2020/5125 surface-mounted, the wall panels preferably continue to the top of the ceiling construction

4. In such a construction, the walls of the cavity 6 are formed by the wall panels.

The wall panels can herein be provided in advance with a structure for connecting the ceiling wall panels. Alternatively, corner or hook elements can be screwed against the upright wall panels with which the ceiling wall panels are connected. In figure 1 only one embodiment is shown in which the wall panels extend to the underside of the ceiling construction. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown.

Furthermore, the technical modules will preferably be provided in such a way that they can be connected at a predetermined position in the ceiling construction and can be put into operation after connecting one or more predetermined cables. In other words, the technical modules are provided plug-and-play. Characteristic of a plug-and-play module is that no significant technical knowledge or skills are required to put the module into operation. This makes installation extremely easy.

Figure 3 shows a top view of a space 2 according to a further preferred embodiment. Figure 3A shows a cleanroom with a people lock 15 and a material lock 16. In order to keep the space 2 free from contamination, the space 2 is made accessible to people and goods from outside via locks 15 and 16. In the embodiment from figure 3, a passenger lock 15 is provided with an outer door 17 and an inner door 20. The outer door 17 makes the passenger lock 15 accessible to the outside, while the inner door 20 is closed. This allows one person to enter the lock 15. The person can enter the space 2 from the lock 15 via the inner door 20 . In the lock 15 the person can perform various actions to prevent contamination of the space 2 . Such operations and processes to enter a cleanroom are known and are therefore not further explained in this description. The material lock 16 works analogously.

In the embodiment from figure 3, the passenger lock 15 is single. It will be clear that multiple locks can also be provided according to the invention. The locks 15 and 16 are formed by placing inner walls 18 and 19 in space 2. These inner walls 18 and 19 make a subdivision in space 2.

The personal lock 15 is connected to the room 2 via the inner door 20. As a result, a person who has performed the prescribed actions can enter the cleanroom 2 via the inner door 20. An air outlet opening 9' is preferably provided in each of the locks 15, 16. As described with reference to Fig. 1, a filter module 7 is preferably provided at each air outlet opening 9'. The material lock 16 is constructed in the same way as the people lock 15.

N BE2020/5125 Figure 3B shows how the climate chamber from figure 3A can be segmented and constructed. More particularly, Figure 3B illustrates how separate panels of substantially equal size and substantially similar construction can be provided to form the climate chamber. The transportability can be further improved by providing separate panels of virtually equal dimensions. Figure 3B illustrates how the climate chamber is subdivided into several segments 21a-21d. This means that the ceiling construction 4 is also built up from several separate panels 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d. It is clear from the figure that the panels 4b and 4c may be identical. Panel 4a may differ from panels 4b and 4c in that panel 4a is provided to connect the wall panels 5e and 5d.

Ceiling panel 4d is typically shaped differently from the panels 4a, 4b, 4c because ceiling panel 4d is provided to connect the inner walls 184, 18b and 18c. Ceiling panel 4d is further provided with a plurality of filter modules 7 and air outlet openings for each of the locks 15 and 16.

Figure 3B further illustrates the various wall panels 54-51. In addition, wall panels 5a, 5j, 5k and 51 may be provided for also mounting the inner walls 18 and wall panels 5k and 51 are provided with the outer doors. Wall panels 5b, 5c, 5h and Si may be identically formed. Alternatively, one or more of these panels may have window openings to allow light into the space 2. Panel 5d may be similarly shaped to panel 5f and panel 5e may be similarly shaped to panel 5g. Corners can be formed with these panels and these panels make it possible to connect upright panels at an angle.

After the climate chamber has been built up, all cracks and seams and connections between the panels are preferably sealed along the inside of the room. This creates an airtight space. After setting up the climate chamber, the technical modules can also be put into operation to use the space as a cleanroom. When the climate chamber is intended for temporary use, the modules will be switched off after a predetermined time, after which the panels are detached from each other and can be moved.

Based on the description above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention can be practiced in different ways and on the basis of different principles. In addition, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The embodiments described above, as well as the figures, are merely illustrative and serve only to enhance the understanding of the invention. The invention will therefore not be limited to the embodiments described herein, but is defined in the claims.

Claims (12)

) BE2020/5125 Conclusions Climatic chamber provided to be built up on a base, comprising a ceiling structure and a plurality of upright walls extending between the base and the ceiling structure in order to delimit a space substantially airtight, wherein the ceiling structure has a cavity in which an air treatment module containing at least one of a temperature control module, humidity control module and filter module is provided, the ceiling structure having at least one air discharge opening and the upright walls having air ducts extending from an air intake opening in a lower zone of the upright wall to the cavity, all such that air passes through the air handling module is transportable from the air intake openings to the air discharge openings in order to circulate and treat air in the room, characterized in that the ceiling structure and upright walls are formed as separate panels which, when mounted, allow and shape the space. Climate chamber according to claim 1, wherein the individual panels can be placed parallel to each other in the disassembled condition to form a compact set. A climate chamber according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the separate panels are provided with complementary connecting elements for connecting the panels to each other in an almost airtight manner. Climate chamber as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the individual panels have contact surfaces with which the panels abut against each other in the mounted condition, wherein the contact surfaces are provided with seals. A climate chamber according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the separate panels comprise one or more ceiling panels which are adapted to form the ceiling construction. 6. Climate chamber according to the preceding claim, wherein the one or more ceiling panels are each built up from a set of a ceiling wall panel, roof panel and one or more technical modules which can be placed at least partially between the ceiling wall panel and the roof panel. A climate chamber according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the separate panels comprise at least four wall panels which are adapted to form the upright walls. A climate chamber according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a partition wall panel for dividing the space into a sluice space and an operational space, wherein the dividing wall panel comprises an inner door and wherein the upright wall at the location of the sluice space comprises an outer door such that the operational space is accessible through the lock space. 9. Method for building a climate chamber, comprising: - supplying separate panels which are provided to form a ceiling construction and upright walls on a base; - mounting the separate panels to form a space substantially airtight, wherein the ceiling construction has a cavity in which an air handling module containing at least one of a temperature control module, humidity control module and filter module is provided, the ceiling construction having at least one air outlet opening and wherein the upright walls have air ducts extending from an air intake opening in a lower region of the upright wall to the cavity such that air is conveyable through the air handling module from the air intake openings to the air discharge openings to circulate and treat air in space; - putting the room into operation as a climate chamber by switching on the air treatment module. A method according to the preceding claim, further comprising a predetermined period after commissioning, switching off the air handling module and disassembling the individual panels. The method of the preceding claim, further comprising forming a compact set by placing the individual panels substantially parallel. Use of the climatic chamber from any one of claims 1-8 as a temporary and mobile climatic chamber.