CA2003637A1 - Supporting plate for underfloor heating - Google Patents
Supporting plate for underfloor heatingInfo
- Publication number
- CA2003637A1 CA2003637A1 CA002003637A CA2003637A CA2003637A1 CA 2003637 A1 CA2003637 A1 CA 2003637A1 CA 002003637 A CA002003637 A CA 002003637A CA 2003637 A CA2003637 A CA 2003637A CA 2003637 A1 CA2003637 A1 CA 2003637A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- plate
- underfloor heating
- load carrying
- supporting plate
- load
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
- F24D3/00—Hot-water central heating systems
- F24D3/12—Tube and panel arrangements for ceiling, wall, or underfloor heating
- F24D3/14—Tube and panel arrangements for ceiling, wall, or underfloor heating incorporated in a ceiling, wall or floor
- F24D3/141—Tube mountings specially adapted therefor
- F24D3/142—Tube mountings specially adapted therefor integrated in prefab construction elements
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F15/00—Flooring
- E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02B30/00—Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The invention relates to a supporting plate for under-floor heating, for supporting underfloor heating pipes and consisting of a plate (2) of a material having good thermal conductivity and being provided with at least one upwardly open groove (3, 4) extended in the longitudinal direction of the plate and being intended for receiving said underfloor heating pipes. According to the invention at least one load carrying member (6) is provided at the underside of the plate (2), which member is connected to the plate adjacent its side edges in such a way that it extends across the underside of the plate. Moreover a load distributing member (7) is provided between the plate (2) and said load carrying member (6) and is supported by said load carrying member or members such that by means of said member (7) a load being applied to the upper side of the plate (2) is distributed over and is carried by said load carrying member or members.
(Fig. 1b)
The invention relates to a supporting plate for under-floor heating, for supporting underfloor heating pipes and consisting of a plate (2) of a material having good thermal conductivity and being provided with at least one upwardly open groove (3, 4) extended in the longitudinal direction of the plate and being intended for receiving said underfloor heating pipes. According to the invention at least one load carrying member (6) is provided at the underside of the plate (2), which member is connected to the plate adjacent its side edges in such a way that it extends across the underside of the plate. Moreover a load distributing member (7) is provided between the plate (2) and said load carrying member (6) and is supported by said load carrying member or members such that by means of said member (7) a load being applied to the upper side of the plate (2) is distributed over and is carried by said load carrying member or members.
(Fig. 1b)
Description
ZOOf~f63f7f ~UPPORTING PLATE FOR UNDERFLOOR HEATING
The present invention generally relates to the installa-tion of underfloor heating, and more specifically relates to a supporting plate for underfloor heating, for suppor-ting underfloor heating pipes, which consists of a plate of a material having good thermal conductivity and being provided with at least one upwardly open groove extended in the longitudinal direction of the plate and being intended for receiving said underfloor heating pipes.
~ ~ .
Underfloor heating is presently installed above all in residential buildings, offices, hotels and sports facili-ties etc, but will in the future also be installed to an ever increasing extent in industrial plants. Among the advantages of employing underfloor heating complementary to conventional heating, it may above all be mentioned that underfloor heating is ideal for the comfort of a room, since it provides optimum temperature distribution in the room, i.e. the temperature is slightly higher at the feet than on a level with a person's head. Underfloor heating is also advantageous in the aspect of consumed energy, since the energy consumption for the conventional heating may be lowered essentially when the floor is warm. The reason for this is that a person finds the room warmer if his feet are warm, which means that the air temperature in the room may be lowered thanks to the underfloor heating.
In an underfloor heating system low temperature water (having a temperature ofl30-45C depending upon the type of floor) is allowed to circulate through pipes laid in loops in the floor. Thereby the laying of the pipes is more or less complicated depending upon the type of floor structure. In connection with casting the underfloor heating loops into a concrete floor, the pipes are simply tied to the reinforcement, whereupon the floor is cast and is provided with a suitable type of flooring. When `' ' ' ~. ' 200;~637 installing underfloor heating in connection with the laying of so called floating floors, i.e. on concrete, particle board or wooden floors, underfloor heating sheets of cellular plastic, for instance Styrolit, are laid out over the floor. These sheets are provided with grooves in which a corresponding groove of a heat -emitting plate, for instance of aluminum and of the kind indicated in the introduction, is pushed down, whereupon the pipes are laid in loops in these grooves and the sub-floor, such as parquet or particle board, is finally laid.
When installing underfloor heating in connection with the above described types of floor structures the actual installation of the underfloor heating or the laying of the flooring presents no problem, since all work is carried out against a structural or bearing base or bedding. However, when installing underfloor heating in connection with floor structures with joist frame it is necessary to solve the problem of supporting the actual underfloor heating installation and of providing a bearing structure that may be employed as a working floor during building. According to a first principle the underfloor heating system may be installed on the joist frame, whereby a secondary spaced boarding is laid across the joist frame, whereupon the heat emitting plates are positioned on the secondary spaced boarding and are nailed thereto with the groove positioned between two adjacent boards of the secondary spaced boarding.
The disadvantage of th'is' solution is that,it may only~be employed in the case where the building structure permits ithat the floor is raised from the joist frame, and more~
over it is obvious that this solution results in an un-`35 acceptably high cost of material and cost of labour on account of the secondary spaced boarding. In this connec-tion it should also be mentioned that when the secondary spaced boarding is laid it is necessary to nail every :
200:~637 other pair of boards to the joist frame and to leave -every other pair loose, the reason for this being that it must be possible to lay out the loop of underfloor heating pipe (which in many cases may be up to for -instance 200 meter long) without passing the pipe under the boards of the secondary spaced boarding.
:, :
According to another principle the underfloor heating -system may be installed in the joist frame whereby a secondary spaced boarding is laid as in the previous case, but in this case along the joist frame and on a level therewith. However, this solution suffers from the - drawback that further work has to be carried out since bearing rails or so called nogging pieces will first have ` j~
to be nailed to the floor joists, extended between the same, in order to serve as a base or support for the secondary spaced boarding. ~ ~;
Thus, a general object of the invention is to provide a supporting plate for underfloor heating of the kind indi~
cated in the introduction, by means of which the above described disadvantages in connection with the installa-tion of underfloor heating systems may be eliminated. ~ -' .,. ~,, A more specific object of the invention is to provide a supporting plate for underfloor heating, which in itself may~carry substantial load and which at the same time`~
provides an optimum heat distribution and heat emission.
.
30 These objects are achieved by means of a supporting plate ~ j ` for underfloor heating comprising the fea~tures indicated in the characterizing portion of the enclosed claim 1.
~ Advantageous further developments of the supporting plate - 35 for underfloor heating according to the invention are -~
indicated in the dependent subclaims.
,. ~
: : . :-; :: :
~''''' ~, : "' '"'` -.''' ~ '' :: ~ ::. ...
- ~ : - . :.
200~637 The invention is described more closely below, with refe-rence to an exemplifying embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the enclosed drawings, on which:
Figs. la and b illustrate the supporting plate for under-floor heating according to the inventionj in a perspec-tive view as viewed obliquely from above and obliquely from below, respectively, -Fig. 2 is a perspective view as viewed obliquely from below, of the supporting plate for underfloor heating according to Figs. la and b, but with the load distribu-ting plate removed, ' '~;''' , - . .
15 Fig. 3 is a perspective view as viewed obliquely from ' ~ -above, of the removed load distributing plate, ' '' Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of an underfloor - -heating installation employing the supporting plate for 20 underfloor heating according to the invention, and ~' Fig. S is a partial perspective view of a prior art '~
underfloor heating installation. ' . ~, As illustrated especially in Figs. la and lb the suppor-ting plate 1 for underfloor heating according to the invention basically consists of a plate which is substan-tially rectangular in a plan view and which in the illu-strated embodiment is provided with three groves 3, 4, 5 extending along the full length of the plate 2, at mutual ' distances'from"e'ach other. The two outer grooves 3, 4 are~ ' -intended for receiving underfloor heating pipes 15 (see Fig. 4) which during the installation are pressed down into the grooves, and the middle groove 5 is an expansion groove, the function of which will be described more closely below.
, .: :~ :~.~.
~ ., . , ! ~ "
; ~ '. '''' '' "''"'-''" "". "
A basic object of the plate 2 is to provide an optimum heat emission with the heat as uniformly distributed over the surface of the plate as possible, and accordingly the plate 2 consists, in a manner known per se, of a material having good thermal conductivity, preferably aluminum. In order to obtain the good heat emission and heat distribu-tion the different parameters plate thickness, material and number of grooves for receiving underfloor heating pipes ~ay be varied, but the experience is that the best result, generally speaking, is achieved with an aluminum plate having a thickness of 0,6 mm and being provided with two grooves 3, 4 for underfloor heating pipes and an - expansion groove 5 provided therebetween. Moreover the outer dimension of the plate 2 is preferably approximate-15 ly 60 x 120 cm, whereby the width is determined by the space between the floor joists.
Regarding the above-mentioned plate thickness of 0,6 mm it should also be mentioned that this thickness is preferable in another respect, since the plate must be sufficiently soft or flexible to permit that the under-floor heating pipes 15 are pressed down into the grooves - 3, 4 which are slightly narrower than the outer dimension of the pipes in order to securely retain the pipes there-in.
From the figures it is also clear that the plate 2 i8 curved or crowned in an upward direction towards the open side of the grooves 3, 4, 5, and the purpose of this is to guarantee a good preloaded engagement between the plate~and-the flooringlto be laid on top of it. This good engagement between the plate and the flooring is of vital importance for obtaining good conduction of heat to the sub-floor, since air pockets between the plate and the sub-fIoor immediately impairs the efficiency of the . .
system. In this connection it should also be pointed out that the above given width of the plate, as well as the ;
width mentioned later on in the specification, refers to :: ,:: ~: ~:, : : ~ .:: "
- '; ~-, . - - . .
the dimension of the plate before it is curved or crowned.
As mentioned above the plate 2 is provided with at least one expansion groove 5, the purpose of which is to take up the lateral expansion of the plate 2, on the one hand when the underfloor heating pipes 15 are pre~sed into the grooves 3, 4 and on the other hand when the curvature or crowning of the plate is pressed down in connection with laying the sub-floor or flooring. Without this expansion groove the material would have nowhere to go when this lateral expansion takes place, which would cause the flooring to rise or would put the plate 2 in such a state of strain that it would produce a banging plate sound when the sub-floor or flooring is loaded. Moreover the expansion groove 5 takes up the lateral expansion occur~
ring when the heat is turned on in the system. To summarize, this means that the expansion groove 5 enables all lateral expansion to be taken up therein such that the conctact between the plate and the sub-floor is as close and even as possible, which essentially improves the efficiency of the system.
A second basic object is that the supporting plate 1 for underfloor heating shall be bearing, i.e. it shall at least be able to take up the load of a person standing on it, and for this purpose the plate 2 is provided with a number of load carrying members 6 at its bottom or under-side. In the illustrated embodiment these load carrying members 6 consist of strips provided at mutual distances from each otherlalongithè length of the p1ate 2. Thelends of the strips 6 are attached to the respective long side of the plate 2. Thus, the strips 6 are extended transver-sely across the plate. The number of strips may vary, but for a plate 2 having a length of approximately 120 cm it , - ~ ... .
has proven to be adequate to employ four or preferably five strips. The strips 6 are preferably manufactured from an appropriate steel quality and are attached to the '.~' ~' ':
:'" :`' ':'~`'~:
" ~
long sides of the plate 2 for instance by stamping out lugs 6a at the ends of the strips, which lugs are brought up through corresponding apertures, not illustrated in detail, in the plate and are bent down against the plate.
Although it has proven to be preferable to employ steel strips, specifically with regard to the attachment of the strips to ~he plate 2, it should be emphasized that any other material (such as plastic) may be employed which in a corresponding manner provides the load carrying func-tion without being elongated or stretched to any essen-tial extent. In such cases the attachment of the strips is carried out in a manner suitable for the respective material.
As illustrated especially in Fig. 2 the strips 6 are of a length slightly exceeding the width of the plate, whereby the strips 6 will hang down in a curve from the underside of the plate 2 so as to act as a hammock in carrying a load distributing member 7 positioned between the strips 6 and the plate 2. In the illustrated and described embodiment the strips are approximately 8 mm longer than the width of the plate 2.
The load distributing member which in the preferred embodiment consists of a plate or sheet 7, i8 basically provided for distributing a load applied to the suppor-ting plate 1 for underfloor heating, between the load carrying strips 6,-but also improves the efficiency of the underfloor heating system since it insulates the plate 2 downwards.
The load distributing sheet 7 preferably consists of cellular plastic, such as Styrolit, and has a generally : ~ .
rectangular shape in a plan view. The length of the sheet 35 7 is substantially the same as that of the plate 2, but ; ;~
the width of the sheet 7 is slightly smaller (for instance approximately 55 cm) in order to leave a portion ;~
of the long side of the plate 2 free. This portion of the - ; -.. ,. ..... : :::
' ~ . .; ; . ~ ' ; ;.
200~637 long side of the plate 2 is intended to be placed on the floor joists and to be nailed thereto. In the illustrated embodiment the maximum thickness of the sheet 7 is approxiamtely 50 mm.
As illustrated in Figs. lb and 3 the sheet 7 is provided with longitudinal grooves 8 which in the assembled condi-tion coincide with the grooves 3, 4, 5 of the plate 2 and receive the latter, and transversal grooves 9 which in the assembled condition coincide with and receive the strips 6. As partly illustrated in Fig. lb the transver-sal grooves 9 are curved corresponding to the curvature of the strips 6, i.e. the grooves 9 have their smallest depth in the middle of the sheet and are deepest at the long sides of the sheet. The purpose of this is naturally to provide an even contact for the load carrying strips 6 against the sheet 7 and thus an even distribution of the load. Fig. 3 also illustrates that at its upper side the sheet 7 is provided with a number of cavities 10 intended to reduce the consumption of material and thereby the ~ost of the sheet 7. The cavities 10 are arranged such that they do not critically impair the strength of the sheet, which means that they are not provided directly adjacent the grooves 9.
In order to prevent transport damage caused by the sharp edges and corners of the plate 2 it may be preferable to m~ke the sheet 7 approximately 5-10 mm longer than the plate such that the sheet extends somewhat past the short sides of the plate.
Through the combination of the plate 2, the strips 6 and the sheet 7 a unit is provided which at least carries ~he weight of a person although the plate 2 is dimensioned to provide optimum heat emission and heat distribution and accordingly is not bearing in itself. Instead the load is carried by the strips 6 acting as a kind of hammock due to the fact that the load applied to the plate 2 is 200;~637 .`. g . . .
evenly distributed between the strips by means of the load distributing sheet 7 positioned between the plate 2 and the strips 6.
The use of the supporting plate for underfloor heating according to the invention in connection with installing an underfloor heating system will now be described, and as a comparison a conventional underfloor heating in~tal-lation will initially be briefly described. Fig. 5 partially illustrates an underfloor heating installation of the kind mentioned in the introduction to the specifi-cation, i.e. with the underfloor heating installed in a - joist frame.
Fig. 5 illustrates that in this case bearing rails 11 will initially h'ave to be provided between the floor joists 12, and said bearing rails are attached by means of special clamps or supports 13. A Recondary spaced boarding 14 is then laid on the bear-ing rails 11 on a level with the floor joists 12. In order to provide an opening for the return loops of the underfloor heating pipes 15 every other pair of boards in the secondary spaced boarding are made shorter and moreover recesses 16 are provided in the floor joists at the location where the pipes 15 pass said floor joists.
When the secondary spaced boarding has been laid the heat emitting plates 17 are laid out, and as illustrated in Fig. 5 these plates ronsist of a flat, rectangular plate which in its center is provided with a longitudinal groove in which the' underfloor heating~ pipes 15 are secured.
In comparison to this prior art method the use of the supporting plate 1 for underfloor heating according to the invention makes it possible to install the underfloor heating system directly without all the previously required preparatory work such as the nailing of the - :.
. ~
200~6~ -, 10 bearing rails and the laying of the secondary spaced boarding. With reference to Fig. 4 it is obvious that the supporting plates 1 for underfloor heating are simply laid out one after the other between the floor joi~ts 12 and nailed thereto at the above mentioned, free portions of the longitudinal edges of the plate. This completes the installation of the supporting plate for underfloor heating and the plates may without any problem be loaded in connection with the laying of the underfloor heating pipes 15 in loops. As illustrated in Fig. 4 a free space must be left for the return loop of the underfloor heating pipe, i.e. so that the plates do not completely cover the floor, and partly for this reason the insula-tion obtained by means of the load distributing sheet 7 is supplemented with a conventional isolation 18 in the same manner as in connection with the prior art method according to Fig. 5.
:
In the light of the above description it is now clear that the objects of the present invention as stated in the introduction, are achieved by means of the described supporting plate for underfloor heating, namely: ~
- that the heat distribution and the efficiency of the - ``i system are optimized by employing the comparatively thin, crowned aluminum plate which contributes to an even, close contact without any space between the plate and the sub-floor, and also by using the insulating distribution sheet;
-- that the supporting~piate for underfloor heating is ;--made bearing by employing the load carrying strips being attached to the plate and the load distributing sheet installed between the plate and the strips; and ~ -- that the material cost as well as the installation cost -may be essentially reduced due to the fact that the supporting plate for underfloor heating is bearing in 200~6"7 itself so that there is no need for the secondary spaced boarding for carrying the underfloor heating system.
Although the invention has been described above with specific reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be obvious that the invention also comprises such alterations and modifications of the illustrated embodi-ment that are obvious to a man skilled in the art.
Examples of such modifications are the choice of other materials having similar properties as those materials -given as examples herein, altered dimensions for the plate and/or the sheet and different numbers of expansion grooves, grooves for receiving underfloor heating pipes and load carrying members. The invention is likewise not restricted to those examples of load carrying and load distributing members used in the illustrated, preferred - :-~
embodiment, but also comprises variants thereof which ~ -serve the same purpose. Thus, it is possible to provide the load carrying member in the shape of rods, a net or as a thin plate/foil having substantially the same dimen-sion as the plate 2, whereby the load distributing member is modified in accordance therewith. Accordinyly, the in~ention shall only be restricted by the enclosed patent claims.
, ' . ., '::".' ~. .
:. - , ~: ~, ,:
,; . : .
.
The present invention generally relates to the installa-tion of underfloor heating, and more specifically relates to a supporting plate for underfloor heating, for suppor-ting underfloor heating pipes, which consists of a plate of a material having good thermal conductivity and being provided with at least one upwardly open groove extended in the longitudinal direction of the plate and being intended for receiving said underfloor heating pipes.
~ ~ .
Underfloor heating is presently installed above all in residential buildings, offices, hotels and sports facili-ties etc, but will in the future also be installed to an ever increasing extent in industrial plants. Among the advantages of employing underfloor heating complementary to conventional heating, it may above all be mentioned that underfloor heating is ideal for the comfort of a room, since it provides optimum temperature distribution in the room, i.e. the temperature is slightly higher at the feet than on a level with a person's head. Underfloor heating is also advantageous in the aspect of consumed energy, since the energy consumption for the conventional heating may be lowered essentially when the floor is warm. The reason for this is that a person finds the room warmer if his feet are warm, which means that the air temperature in the room may be lowered thanks to the underfloor heating.
In an underfloor heating system low temperature water (having a temperature ofl30-45C depending upon the type of floor) is allowed to circulate through pipes laid in loops in the floor. Thereby the laying of the pipes is more or less complicated depending upon the type of floor structure. In connection with casting the underfloor heating loops into a concrete floor, the pipes are simply tied to the reinforcement, whereupon the floor is cast and is provided with a suitable type of flooring. When `' ' ' ~. ' 200;~637 installing underfloor heating in connection with the laying of so called floating floors, i.e. on concrete, particle board or wooden floors, underfloor heating sheets of cellular plastic, for instance Styrolit, are laid out over the floor. These sheets are provided with grooves in which a corresponding groove of a heat -emitting plate, for instance of aluminum and of the kind indicated in the introduction, is pushed down, whereupon the pipes are laid in loops in these grooves and the sub-floor, such as parquet or particle board, is finally laid.
When installing underfloor heating in connection with the above described types of floor structures the actual installation of the underfloor heating or the laying of the flooring presents no problem, since all work is carried out against a structural or bearing base or bedding. However, when installing underfloor heating in connection with floor structures with joist frame it is necessary to solve the problem of supporting the actual underfloor heating installation and of providing a bearing structure that may be employed as a working floor during building. According to a first principle the underfloor heating system may be installed on the joist frame, whereby a secondary spaced boarding is laid across the joist frame, whereupon the heat emitting plates are positioned on the secondary spaced boarding and are nailed thereto with the groove positioned between two adjacent boards of the secondary spaced boarding.
The disadvantage of th'is' solution is that,it may only~be employed in the case where the building structure permits ithat the floor is raised from the joist frame, and more~
over it is obvious that this solution results in an un-`35 acceptably high cost of material and cost of labour on account of the secondary spaced boarding. In this connec-tion it should also be mentioned that when the secondary spaced boarding is laid it is necessary to nail every :
200:~637 other pair of boards to the joist frame and to leave -every other pair loose, the reason for this being that it must be possible to lay out the loop of underfloor heating pipe (which in many cases may be up to for -instance 200 meter long) without passing the pipe under the boards of the secondary spaced boarding.
:, :
According to another principle the underfloor heating -system may be installed in the joist frame whereby a secondary spaced boarding is laid as in the previous case, but in this case along the joist frame and on a level therewith. However, this solution suffers from the - drawback that further work has to be carried out since bearing rails or so called nogging pieces will first have ` j~
to be nailed to the floor joists, extended between the same, in order to serve as a base or support for the secondary spaced boarding. ~ ~;
Thus, a general object of the invention is to provide a supporting plate for underfloor heating of the kind indi~
cated in the introduction, by means of which the above described disadvantages in connection with the installa-tion of underfloor heating systems may be eliminated. ~ -' .,. ~,, A more specific object of the invention is to provide a supporting plate for underfloor heating, which in itself may~carry substantial load and which at the same time`~
provides an optimum heat distribution and heat emission.
.
30 These objects are achieved by means of a supporting plate ~ j ` for underfloor heating comprising the fea~tures indicated in the characterizing portion of the enclosed claim 1.
~ Advantageous further developments of the supporting plate - 35 for underfloor heating according to the invention are -~
indicated in the dependent subclaims.
,. ~
: : . :-; :: :
~''''' ~, : "' '"'` -.''' ~ '' :: ~ ::. ...
- ~ : - . :.
200~637 The invention is described more closely below, with refe-rence to an exemplifying embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the enclosed drawings, on which:
Figs. la and b illustrate the supporting plate for under-floor heating according to the inventionj in a perspec-tive view as viewed obliquely from above and obliquely from below, respectively, -Fig. 2 is a perspective view as viewed obliquely from below, of the supporting plate for underfloor heating according to Figs. la and b, but with the load distribu-ting plate removed, ' '~;''' , - . .
15 Fig. 3 is a perspective view as viewed obliquely from ' ~ -above, of the removed load distributing plate, ' '' Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of an underfloor - -heating installation employing the supporting plate for 20 underfloor heating according to the invention, and ~' Fig. S is a partial perspective view of a prior art '~
underfloor heating installation. ' . ~, As illustrated especially in Figs. la and lb the suppor-ting plate 1 for underfloor heating according to the invention basically consists of a plate which is substan-tially rectangular in a plan view and which in the illu-strated embodiment is provided with three groves 3, 4, 5 extending along the full length of the plate 2, at mutual ' distances'from"e'ach other. The two outer grooves 3, 4 are~ ' -intended for receiving underfloor heating pipes 15 (see Fig. 4) which during the installation are pressed down into the grooves, and the middle groove 5 is an expansion groove, the function of which will be described more closely below.
, .: :~ :~.~.
~ ., . , ! ~ "
; ~ '. '''' '' "''"'-''" "". "
A basic object of the plate 2 is to provide an optimum heat emission with the heat as uniformly distributed over the surface of the plate as possible, and accordingly the plate 2 consists, in a manner known per se, of a material having good thermal conductivity, preferably aluminum. In order to obtain the good heat emission and heat distribu-tion the different parameters plate thickness, material and number of grooves for receiving underfloor heating pipes ~ay be varied, but the experience is that the best result, generally speaking, is achieved with an aluminum plate having a thickness of 0,6 mm and being provided with two grooves 3, 4 for underfloor heating pipes and an - expansion groove 5 provided therebetween. Moreover the outer dimension of the plate 2 is preferably approximate-15 ly 60 x 120 cm, whereby the width is determined by the space between the floor joists.
Regarding the above-mentioned plate thickness of 0,6 mm it should also be mentioned that this thickness is preferable in another respect, since the plate must be sufficiently soft or flexible to permit that the under-floor heating pipes 15 are pressed down into the grooves - 3, 4 which are slightly narrower than the outer dimension of the pipes in order to securely retain the pipes there-in.
From the figures it is also clear that the plate 2 i8 curved or crowned in an upward direction towards the open side of the grooves 3, 4, 5, and the purpose of this is to guarantee a good preloaded engagement between the plate~and-the flooringlto be laid on top of it. This good engagement between the plate and the flooring is of vital importance for obtaining good conduction of heat to the sub-floor, since air pockets between the plate and the sub-fIoor immediately impairs the efficiency of the . .
system. In this connection it should also be pointed out that the above given width of the plate, as well as the ;
width mentioned later on in the specification, refers to :: ,:: ~: ~:, : : ~ .:: "
- '; ~-, . - - . .
the dimension of the plate before it is curved or crowned.
As mentioned above the plate 2 is provided with at least one expansion groove 5, the purpose of which is to take up the lateral expansion of the plate 2, on the one hand when the underfloor heating pipes 15 are pre~sed into the grooves 3, 4 and on the other hand when the curvature or crowning of the plate is pressed down in connection with laying the sub-floor or flooring. Without this expansion groove the material would have nowhere to go when this lateral expansion takes place, which would cause the flooring to rise or would put the plate 2 in such a state of strain that it would produce a banging plate sound when the sub-floor or flooring is loaded. Moreover the expansion groove 5 takes up the lateral expansion occur~
ring when the heat is turned on in the system. To summarize, this means that the expansion groove 5 enables all lateral expansion to be taken up therein such that the conctact between the plate and the sub-floor is as close and even as possible, which essentially improves the efficiency of the system.
A second basic object is that the supporting plate 1 for underfloor heating shall be bearing, i.e. it shall at least be able to take up the load of a person standing on it, and for this purpose the plate 2 is provided with a number of load carrying members 6 at its bottom or under-side. In the illustrated embodiment these load carrying members 6 consist of strips provided at mutual distances from each otherlalongithè length of the p1ate 2. Thelends of the strips 6 are attached to the respective long side of the plate 2. Thus, the strips 6 are extended transver-sely across the plate. The number of strips may vary, but for a plate 2 having a length of approximately 120 cm it , - ~ ... .
has proven to be adequate to employ four or preferably five strips. The strips 6 are preferably manufactured from an appropriate steel quality and are attached to the '.~' ~' ':
:'" :`' ':'~`'~:
" ~
long sides of the plate 2 for instance by stamping out lugs 6a at the ends of the strips, which lugs are brought up through corresponding apertures, not illustrated in detail, in the plate and are bent down against the plate.
Although it has proven to be preferable to employ steel strips, specifically with regard to the attachment of the strips to ~he plate 2, it should be emphasized that any other material (such as plastic) may be employed which in a corresponding manner provides the load carrying func-tion without being elongated or stretched to any essen-tial extent. In such cases the attachment of the strips is carried out in a manner suitable for the respective material.
As illustrated especially in Fig. 2 the strips 6 are of a length slightly exceeding the width of the plate, whereby the strips 6 will hang down in a curve from the underside of the plate 2 so as to act as a hammock in carrying a load distributing member 7 positioned between the strips 6 and the plate 2. In the illustrated and described embodiment the strips are approximately 8 mm longer than the width of the plate 2.
The load distributing member which in the preferred embodiment consists of a plate or sheet 7, i8 basically provided for distributing a load applied to the suppor-ting plate 1 for underfloor heating, between the load carrying strips 6,-but also improves the efficiency of the underfloor heating system since it insulates the plate 2 downwards.
The load distributing sheet 7 preferably consists of cellular plastic, such as Styrolit, and has a generally : ~ .
rectangular shape in a plan view. The length of the sheet 35 7 is substantially the same as that of the plate 2, but ; ;~
the width of the sheet 7 is slightly smaller (for instance approximately 55 cm) in order to leave a portion ;~
of the long side of the plate 2 free. This portion of the - ; -.. ,. ..... : :::
' ~ . .; ; . ~ ' ; ;.
200~637 long side of the plate 2 is intended to be placed on the floor joists and to be nailed thereto. In the illustrated embodiment the maximum thickness of the sheet 7 is approxiamtely 50 mm.
As illustrated in Figs. lb and 3 the sheet 7 is provided with longitudinal grooves 8 which in the assembled condi-tion coincide with the grooves 3, 4, 5 of the plate 2 and receive the latter, and transversal grooves 9 which in the assembled condition coincide with and receive the strips 6. As partly illustrated in Fig. lb the transver-sal grooves 9 are curved corresponding to the curvature of the strips 6, i.e. the grooves 9 have their smallest depth in the middle of the sheet and are deepest at the long sides of the sheet. The purpose of this is naturally to provide an even contact for the load carrying strips 6 against the sheet 7 and thus an even distribution of the load. Fig. 3 also illustrates that at its upper side the sheet 7 is provided with a number of cavities 10 intended to reduce the consumption of material and thereby the ~ost of the sheet 7. The cavities 10 are arranged such that they do not critically impair the strength of the sheet, which means that they are not provided directly adjacent the grooves 9.
In order to prevent transport damage caused by the sharp edges and corners of the plate 2 it may be preferable to m~ke the sheet 7 approximately 5-10 mm longer than the plate such that the sheet extends somewhat past the short sides of the plate.
Through the combination of the plate 2, the strips 6 and the sheet 7 a unit is provided which at least carries ~he weight of a person although the plate 2 is dimensioned to provide optimum heat emission and heat distribution and accordingly is not bearing in itself. Instead the load is carried by the strips 6 acting as a kind of hammock due to the fact that the load applied to the plate 2 is 200;~637 .`. g . . .
evenly distributed between the strips by means of the load distributing sheet 7 positioned between the plate 2 and the strips 6.
The use of the supporting plate for underfloor heating according to the invention in connection with installing an underfloor heating system will now be described, and as a comparison a conventional underfloor heating in~tal-lation will initially be briefly described. Fig. 5 partially illustrates an underfloor heating installation of the kind mentioned in the introduction to the specifi-cation, i.e. with the underfloor heating installed in a - joist frame.
Fig. 5 illustrates that in this case bearing rails 11 will initially h'ave to be provided between the floor joists 12, and said bearing rails are attached by means of special clamps or supports 13. A Recondary spaced boarding 14 is then laid on the bear-ing rails 11 on a level with the floor joists 12. In order to provide an opening for the return loops of the underfloor heating pipes 15 every other pair of boards in the secondary spaced boarding are made shorter and moreover recesses 16 are provided in the floor joists at the location where the pipes 15 pass said floor joists.
When the secondary spaced boarding has been laid the heat emitting plates 17 are laid out, and as illustrated in Fig. 5 these plates ronsist of a flat, rectangular plate which in its center is provided with a longitudinal groove in which the' underfloor heating~ pipes 15 are secured.
In comparison to this prior art method the use of the supporting plate 1 for underfloor heating according to the invention makes it possible to install the underfloor heating system directly without all the previously required preparatory work such as the nailing of the - :.
. ~
200~6~ -, 10 bearing rails and the laying of the secondary spaced boarding. With reference to Fig. 4 it is obvious that the supporting plates 1 for underfloor heating are simply laid out one after the other between the floor joi~ts 12 and nailed thereto at the above mentioned, free portions of the longitudinal edges of the plate. This completes the installation of the supporting plate for underfloor heating and the plates may without any problem be loaded in connection with the laying of the underfloor heating pipes 15 in loops. As illustrated in Fig. 4 a free space must be left for the return loop of the underfloor heating pipe, i.e. so that the plates do not completely cover the floor, and partly for this reason the insula-tion obtained by means of the load distributing sheet 7 is supplemented with a conventional isolation 18 in the same manner as in connection with the prior art method according to Fig. 5.
:
In the light of the above description it is now clear that the objects of the present invention as stated in the introduction, are achieved by means of the described supporting plate for underfloor heating, namely: ~
- that the heat distribution and the efficiency of the - ``i system are optimized by employing the comparatively thin, crowned aluminum plate which contributes to an even, close contact without any space between the plate and the sub-floor, and also by using the insulating distribution sheet;
-- that the supporting~piate for underfloor heating is ;--made bearing by employing the load carrying strips being attached to the plate and the load distributing sheet installed between the plate and the strips; and ~ -- that the material cost as well as the installation cost -may be essentially reduced due to the fact that the supporting plate for underfloor heating is bearing in 200~6"7 itself so that there is no need for the secondary spaced boarding for carrying the underfloor heating system.
Although the invention has been described above with specific reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be obvious that the invention also comprises such alterations and modifications of the illustrated embodi-ment that are obvious to a man skilled in the art.
Examples of such modifications are the choice of other materials having similar properties as those materials -given as examples herein, altered dimensions for the plate and/or the sheet and different numbers of expansion grooves, grooves for receiving underfloor heating pipes and load carrying members. The invention is likewise not restricted to those examples of load carrying and load distributing members used in the illustrated, preferred - :-~
embodiment, but also comprises variants thereof which ~ -serve the same purpose. Thus, it is possible to provide the load carrying member in the shape of rods, a net or as a thin plate/foil having substantially the same dimen-sion as the plate 2, whereby the load distributing member is modified in accordance therewith. Accordinyly, the in~ention shall only be restricted by the enclosed patent claims.
, ' . ., '::".' ~. .
:. - , ~: ~, ,:
,; . : .
.
Claims (10)
1. Supporting plate for underfloor heating, for suppor-ting underfloor heating pipes (15) and consisting of a plate (2) of a material having good thermal conductivity and being provided with at least one upwardly open groove (3, 4) extended in the longitudinal direction of the plate and being intended for receiving said underfloor heating pipes (15), characterized in that at least one load carrying member (6) is provided at the underside of the plate (2), which member (members) is (are) connected to the plate (2) adjacent its side edges in such a way that it (they) extends (extend) across the underside of the plate, and in that a load distributing member (7) is provided between the plate (2) and said load carrying member (-s) (6) and is supported by said load carrying member or members such that by means of said member (7) a load being applied to the upper side of the plate (2) is distributed over and carried by said load carrying member or members (6).
2. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate (2) is upward-ly curved or crowned in cross-section in order to guarantee a close, preloaded contact thereof against a sub-floor or flooring.
3. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plate (2) is provided with at least one expansion groove (5) extending substantially parallel to the groove/grooves (3, 4) for receiving the underfloor heating pipes (15).
4. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate (2) is provided with two grooves (3, 4) for receiving underfloor heating pipes (15) and an expansion groove (5) provided at mutual distances from each other, whereby the expansion groove (5) is provided substantial-ly in the center of the plate (2) with respect to its width and whereby the grooves (3, 4) for receiving under-floor heating pipes are provided one on each side of the expansion groove (5).
5. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that a number of mutually spaced load carrying members (6) in the shape of strips are provided along the length of the plate, with their ends connected to the plate (2) adjacent the respective long side thereof, whereby the strips are extended transversely in relation to the plate and have a length exceeding the width of the plate (2).
6. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to claim 5, characterized in that the load distributing member (7) consists of a sheet provided with grooves (9) at its underside for receiving the load carrying strips (6) and provided with longitudinal grooves (8) for receiving the longitudinal grooves (3, 4, 5) of the plate (2).
7. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to claim 6, characterized in that the plate (2) is manu-factured from aluminum, in that the load carrying strips (6) are manufactured from a suitable steel quality and in that the load distributing sheet (7) is manufactured from cellular plastic, preferably Styrolit.
8. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to any of claims 5-7, characterized in that the plate (2) has a length of approximately 120 cm and a width of approximately 60 cm and a thickness of material of 0,6 mm and in that five load carrying strips (6) are distributed along the length of the plate (2), whereby the outermost strips (6), closest to the short ends of the plate (2), are provided at a distance of approximately 50-70 mm from the short ends of the plate (2).
9. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to claim 8, characterized in that the load distributing sheet (7) has a length of approximately 120 cm and a width of approximately 55 cm, whereby a portion of the long side of the plate (2) is left free for abutting the floor joists (12) of a joist frame when the plate is installed.
10. Supporting plate for underfloor heating according to any of claims 6-9, characterized in that the transver-sal grooves (9) in the load distributing sheet (7) have a curved cross-sectional shape corresponding to that of the load carrying strips (6), i.e. they are most shallow closest to the middle of the sheet and have their greatest depth closest to the longitudinal edges of the sheet.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE8804490-4 | 1988-12-12 | ||
| SE8804490A SE461161B (en) | 1988-12-12 | 1988-12-12 | GOLVVAERMEPLATTA |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2003637A1 true CA2003637A1 (en) | 1990-06-12 |
Family
ID=20374210
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002003637A Abandoned CA2003637A1 (en) | 1988-12-12 | 1989-11-22 | Supporting plate for underfloor heating |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2003637A1 (en) |
| SE (1) | SE461161B (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1990007042A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL1021974C2 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2004-06-07 | Corus Staal Bv | Plate for supporting pipes of a heat wall, and heat wall and method for manufacturing thereof. |
| US9188348B2 (en) * | 2009-08-28 | 2015-11-17 | Progress Profiles Spa | Method and apparatus for positioning heating elements |
| CA3131088C (en) | 2014-08-18 | 2023-03-28 | Progress Profiles Spa | Method and apparatus for positioning heating elements |
| US10859274B2 (en) | 2016-04-01 | 2020-12-08 | Progress Profiles S.P.A. | Support for radiant covering and floor heating elements |
| USD971449S1 (en) | 2016-04-13 | 2022-11-29 | Progress Profiles S.P.A. | Floor underlayment |
| EP3524892A1 (en) * | 2018-02-08 | 2019-08-14 | Ricco Clamer Hansen | Heat transfer plate and system for underfloor heating |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NO802726L (en) * | 1980-09-12 | 1982-03-15 | Rolf Jacobsen | DEVICE FOR USE IN PLANT FOR HEATING OR COOLING ROOM BREAKFAST |
| WO1988006259A1 (en) * | 1987-02-13 | 1988-08-25 | Hans Josef May | Structural element for surface heating and cooling systems and process for manufacturing such elements |
| IT1221502B (en) * | 1987-03-16 | 1990-07-06 | Luciano Pesce | MODULAR PLATE FOR HEATING SYSTEMS |
| GB8712507D0 (en) * | 1987-05-28 | 1987-07-01 | Floorplan Electrica Ltd | Flooring panels |
-
1988
- 1988-12-12 SE SE8804490A patent/SE461161B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1989
- 1989-11-06 WO PCT/SE1989/000629 patent/WO1990007042A1/en unknown
- 1989-11-22 CA CA002003637A patent/CA2003637A1/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| SE8804490A (en) | 1988-12-12 |
| SE461161B (en) | 1990-01-15 |
| WO1990007042A1 (en) | 1990-06-28 |
| SE8804490D0 (en) | 1988-12-12 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US6918215B2 (en) | Free floating sub-floor panel | |
| CA2236560C (en) | Apparatus and method of attaching radiating plate to holders of modular unit for radiant floor and wall hydronic heating systems | |
| US3273296A (en) | Detachable baseboard and flooring trim assembly | |
| WO1983001992A1 (en) | Floor element for making a heated floor | |
| KR100917236B1 (en) | Underfloor heating system for building | |
| CA2003637A1 (en) | Supporting plate for underfloor heating | |
| US6164026A (en) | Raised access floor | |
| CA2185548C (en) | Floor heating system | |
| GB2440204A (en) | Acoustic flooring for underfloor heating | |
| PL167257B1 (en) | Preformed panel member for panel-type heat exchanger used in air conditioning systems | |
| KR102315506B1 (en) | DIY heat sink for easy installation | |
| EP0972893A1 (en) | Sports floor | |
| US9970200B1 (en) | Raised adjustable insulated flooring system | |
| JP4115614B2 (en) | Floor heating panel and its laying method | |
| GB2356205A (en) | Resilient member with projections extending from at least one surface | |
| EP0999415A2 (en) | Underfloor heating panels | |
| CS216928B2 (en) | Precast element for the floor heating particularly by the raw oil facility with the pipeline from the plastic material | |
| AU701134B2 (en) | Floor heating system | |
| CA3000263C (en) | Raised adjustable insulated flooring system | |
| JP2798377B2 (en) | Underfloor insulation board and insulation floor panel | |
| AU2001276229B2 (en) | Free floating sub-floor panel | |
| CA2406323A1 (en) | Buffering material for use in floor, ceiling and wall construction | |
| GB2460420A (en) | Heat transfer panel with reinforcing layer | |
| GB2091406A (en) | Strip for fixing the heating or cooling pipes of a surface-heating or cooling system | |
| JPS5817872Y2 (en) | insulation floor structure |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |