GB2076943A

GB2076943A - Heat-insulation material

Info

Publication number: GB2076943A
Application number: GB8017686A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WARDLAW MICHAEL GUY
Current assignee: WARDLAW MICHAEL GUY
Priority date: 1980-05-30
Filing date: 1980-05-30
Publication date: 1981-12-09
Also published as: GB2076943B

Abstract

The invention relates to a strip or band of heat-insulation material which is specifically designed to be spirally wrapped round a water pipe or tank in a hot water system, the strip or band comprising synthetic plastics foam material, e.g. foamed polyethylene, having closed cells.

Description

SPECIFICATION Heat-insulation material This invention relates to heat-insulation material.

Jobbing plumbers and others involved in the installation and servicing of heating systems, especially central heating equipment, have long used felt lagging material to insulate water pipes and water tanks to prevent damage through freezing of the water in the pipes or tanks. Although there are various ways of wrapping the felt material round the pipes or tanks, it is usual for the felt material to be applied in the form of a strip having a width of, say, 4 inches which is wound spirally round a pipe or tank, its ends being fastened by bands or other fastening means.

The present invention is concerned with a new form of heat-insulation material which can be wrapped round pipes and tanks in the same way but which has better handling properties.

The invention is accordingly directed to a strip or band of closed-cell synthetic plastics foam material, preferably in a coiled form, for use in wrapping round pipes as a lagging or heat-insulation material.

Although various synthetic plastics foam materials are suitable, it is preferred to use polyethylene foam.

Normally, the strip or band will be sold in a coiled form with an adhesive label serving to hold the outer free end of the coil so that the latter is prevented from unwinding until it is desired to use it.

In order that the invention may be thoroughly understood, a specific example in accordance with it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the strip or band in a coiled form as sold, for example in a shop; and Figure 2 is an enlarged section through part of the strip or band to show its closed-cell construction.

The heat-insulation material shown in Figure 1 is in the form of a strip or band 10 of polyethylene closed-cell foam material which has been wrapped in the form of a coil. The outer free end 12 of the coil is held by an adhesive label 14 which can easily be peeled off prior to use of the strip or band. The label 14 can bear the name of the manufacturer and any trade mark to describe the heat-insulation material.

After the label 14 has been removed, the strip or band 10 can be wrapped round water pipes in a spiral fashion and the ends secured by bands or other fastening means.

Figure 2 shows the construction of the polyethylene foam material 10 in greater detail. It is produced by incorporating an inert gas into polyethylene during manufacture of the latter. The result is a material which has a completely-closed cell structure with the walls of each cell 16 being linked together. The manufacturing process also ensures that the upper and lower surfaces of the strip or band are formed by imperforate polyethylene films 18 and 20 which are integral parts of the foam. As apparatus is available on the market for producing such closed-cell synthetic plastics foam material, it is not thought necessary to describe the manufacturing process in greater detail.

In certain circumstances it might be feasible for thin films of synthetic plastics material to be bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of synthetic plastics foam material having inter-communicating cells in order to form a material having similar properties to that shown in the accompanying drawing, but this method would normally be more expensive than the first method. Further, the material items produced would not have such good heat-insulating properties as the closed-cell foam.

The length, width and thickness of the coiled strip or band 10 shown in Figure 1 can vary greatly in practice. As sold to the public, the strip or band can have a length of as little as 2 metres or it can have a length as great as 30 metres. Similarly, the width of the strip or band 10 may vary between 50 mm and 300 mm, while its thickness can be between 2 mm and 20 mm. One convenient form of material has a length of 7.5 metres, a width of 100 mm and a thickness of 4 mm.

The invention has been described above in relation to the strip or band 10 of polyethylene closedcell foam material. It is however to be understood that the invention extends to water pipes or other parts of water heating systems having a wrapping of such material around them.

1. For use in wrapping round water pipes or tanks as a lagging or heat-insulation material, a heat-insulating strip or band comprising synthetic plastics foam material having closed cells.

2. A strip or band according to claim 1, in which the synthetic plastics foam material is polyethylene foam.

3. A strip or band according to claim 1 or claim 2 which is in a coiled form with a removable adhesive label on it serving to hold the outer free end of the coil so that the strip or band is prevented from unwinding until the label is peeled off prior to use of the strip or band.

4. A strip or band according to any preceding claim, in which the foam material is formed by incorporating an inert gas into the synthetic plastics material while the latter is in a liquid state, the resultant foam material having a completely-closed cell structure with the walls of each cell being linked together, and the two sides of the strip or band being formed by inperforate films which are integral parts of the foam material.

5. A strip or band according to any preceding claim, in which its width is between 50 and 300 mm.

6. A strip or band according to any preceding claim, in which its thickness is between 2 and 20 mm.

7. A strip or band according to any preceding claim having a width of substantially 100 mm. and a thickness of substantially 4 mm.

8. A strip or band according to claim 1 substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.

8. A water-pipe, tank or other part of a hot water system having a heat-insulating lagging formed by a spirally-wrapped strip or band as claimed in any

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Heat-insulation material This invention relates to heat-insulation material. Jobbing plumbers and others involved in the installation and servicing of heating systems, especially central heating equipment, have long used felt lagging material to insulate water pipes and water tanks to prevent damage through freezing of the water in the pipes or tanks. Although there are various ways of wrapping the felt material round the pipes or tanks, it is usual for the felt material to be applied in the form of a strip having a width of, say, 4 inches which is wound spirally round a pipe or tank, its ends being fastened by bands or other fastening means. The present invention is concerned with a new form of heat-insulation material which can be wrapped round pipes and tanks in the same way but which has better handling properties. The invention is accordingly directed to a strip or band of closed-cell synthetic plastics foam material, preferably in a coiled form, for use in wrapping round pipes as a lagging or heat-insulation material. Although various synthetic plastics foam materials are suitable, it is preferred to use polyethylene foam. Normally, the strip or band will be sold in a coiled form with an adhesive label serving to hold the outer free end of the coil so that the latter is prevented from unwinding until it is desired to use it. In order that the invention may be thoroughly understood, a specific example in accordance with it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the strip or band in a coiled form as sold, for example in a shop; and Figure 2 is an enlarged section through part of the strip or band to show its closed-cell construction. The heat-insulation material shown in Figure 1 is in the form of a strip or band 10 of polyethylene closed-cell foam material which has been wrapped in the form of a coil. The outer free end 12 of the coil is held by an adhesive label 14 which can easily be peeled off prior to use of the strip or band. The label 14 can bear the name of the manufacturer and any trade mark to describe the heat-insulation material. After the label 14 has been removed, the strip or band 10 can be wrapped round water pipes in a spiral fashion and the ends secured by bands or other fastening means. Figure 2 shows the construction of the polyethylene foam material 10 in greater detail. It is produced by incorporating an inert gas into polyethylene during manufacture of the latter. The result is a material which has a completely-closed cell structure with the walls of each cell 16 being linked together. The manufacturing process also ensures that the upper and lower surfaces of the strip or band are formed by imperforate polyethylene films 18 and 20 which are integral parts of the foam. As apparatus is available on the market for producing such closed-cell synthetic plastics foam material, it is not thought necessary to describe the manufacturing process in greater detail. In certain circumstances it might be feasible for thin films of synthetic plastics material to be bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of synthetic plastics foam material having inter-communicating cells in order to form a material having similar properties to that shown in the accompanying drawing, but this method would normally be more expensive than the first method. Further, the material items produced would not have such good heat-insulating properties as the closed-cell foam. The length, width and thickness of the coiled strip or band 10 shown in Figure 1 can vary greatly in practice. As sold to the public, the strip or band can have a length of as little as 2 metres or it can have a length as great as 30 metres. Similarly, the width of the strip or band 10 may vary between 50 mm and 300 mm, while its thickness can be between 2 mm and 20 mm. One convenient form of material has a length of 7.5 metres, a width of 100 mm and a thickness of 4 mm. The invention has been described above in relation to the strip or band 10 of polyethylene closedcell foam material. It is however to be understood that the invention extends to water pipes or other parts of water heating systems having a wrapping of such material around them. CLAIMS

8. A water-pipe, tank or other part of a hot water system having a heat-insulating lagging formed by a spirally-wrapped strip or band as claimed in any preceding claim.