GB2208248A - Convector space heaters - Google Patents

Abstract

A window structure includes, along a lower portion (a) a panel 40 forming a box with external panel 20 and filled with thermal insulation 41 and (b) a convector heating installation formed as a hollow structure 42 with a finned tube 43, lower gap 44 and top louvred openings 45. By thus incorporating the heater in the window installation during construction floor space is saved. <IMAGE>

Description

HEATING INSTALLATION This invention relates to heati g installations in buildings, and more especially Wo liquid filled convector heaters installed in commercial buildings as what is known as "perimeter heating", that is to say heating systems which run around. each floor inside the outer building walls. For convenience the invention will be described and discussed in relation to such "perimeter heating", although it has broader applications to single installations of heating, for example in erection of new residential buildings or as a modification to existing commercial or residential buildings.

Perimeter heating of a commercial building, designed for example for use as an office block where each floor is subdivided in accordance with the requirements of individual lessees, is typicallY fitted after the main structure of the building has een built, and extends as runs of pipework along the low regions of the walls, e.g.at the skirting board, intrspersed with liquid filled convector heaters commonly although erroneously known as "radiators". InevitabXy, such heaters must have a surface area adequate to fulfil their intended function, that of heating the whole volume of one floor of the building.They must therefore either extend up the wall (in which case they are obtrusive to the fitting of office furniture) or extend outwards as finned tubes or pipework from a lower region (in which case they also take up more floor space even though the wall space may be freed). Generally speaking it is reckoned that the provision of pipework and convector systems takes up one percent of the available floor area. In terms of profit to a lessor this is a significant burden.

If it were possible therefore to arrange the heaters in such a way that the floor area was not encumbered the available floor space, and hence the rental and sale value of the building would be significantly increased.

It is known to arrange convectors in alcoves or recesses in walls but in practice the provision of such recesses is itself a further expense and can lead to complications in the sub-division of a building.

We have realised that suitable convector equipment can be combined with window installations, so as to free the floor area of any encumbrance and so that the position of the convector is optimised firstly having regard to its primary function of providing warm air at the cold window zones,where it is most needed, and secondly having regard to the eventual partitioning of the office, which will always take place with the location of windows as a major constrai t.

The invention accordingly sets out to provide a heating installation in combination wit a window installation.

In one aspect the present invention consists in the combination of a window installation and a heating installation. for incorporation into cavity external walls which extending along beneath window glazing locations there is provided at least one external heat insulating panel generally in continuation of an outer leaf of the cavity wall, and or lie convector heating installation generally in cont nuation of the inner leaf of the cavity wall.

The heating installation will typically consist of a finned tube, or like installation, extending along beneath the window and as a co tinuation of the inner leaf of the wall, being prefer bly located within a housing permitting air inlet at or near the bottom and warmed air outlet at the top. The top of the housing will of course generally core late with the bottom edge of the glazed portion of the ç windows. thereby providing warm air at the optimum location for efficient heating.

The inner, heating, installation most preferably consists of an elongate finned tube, supports for holding the elongate tube horizontally an insulating packing, and a removable front panel spaced from the backing to define a channel open at the top and bottom whereby air can be drawn into the bottom and passed out of the top. Typically, the channel is covered by some form of grill or louvres.

The exterior panel is preferably formed of two outer walls of metal such as aluminium, containing a packing of insulating material whereby the composite has generally the insulating effect of a single outer brickwork leaf of a cavity wall.

The window installation can be of a generally conventional type, that is to say, can possess a surrounding metal frame structure with uprights defining separate glazed portions. In accordance with the invention it is preferred for subsidiary transverse members to be located between each upright in a single line parallel to and spaced from the bottom of the window frame, by an amount to accommodate the insulating layer and the convection heating means.

Glazing members, whether stati or moveable, can be located within the surrounding frame in a conventional manner, above the convector he ting installation.

Although as described the invention relates to a heating installation, the man skilled Ln the art will realise that a building structure continuing such aheating installations, whether incorpoated at the time of building or as refurbishment is a also an aspect of the invention. Also, and a method Df heating a building in which such a heating installations are installed and operated is another aspect of the present invention.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a general elevation of a set of windows of a commercial building, from the outside; Figure 2 shows a vertical section along the line II-II of Figure 1, continued for so e distance above and below the window structure itself: Figure 3 shows a section along line III-III of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a section along line IV-IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a section along line V-V of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a section along line VI-VI of Figure 1; and Figure 7 shows a section along line VII-VII of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows in elevation a group of windows 1 in a commercial building. By way of example, the brickwork above and below the window is shown as ornamental courses of brickwork at 2 and 3 respectively. The window generally indicated at 1 has four glazed sections, each end section (4 and 5 respectively) being an inwardly-openable casement and each intermediate section 6 and 7 being a non-opening glazed panel. The window frame for this arrangement consists of a top bar 8, a bottom bar 9, vertical bars 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 (defining the four glazed sections 4, 5, 6 and 7) and transverse bars 15, 16, 17 and 18 defining the lower limits of the glazed sections. All bars 8 - 18 are box-shaped and fabricated from aluminium. Between the bars 15, 16, 17 and 18 and the single bottom bar 9 so as to be located between lower portions of consecutive members of the vertical bars 10 to 14 an aluminium panel (19, 20. 21 and 22) is in each case visible from the outside elevation. With the possible exception of these aluminium panels, therefore. the external appearance of the window structure is generally conventional.

Figure 2 shows a vertical section along line II-II, but continued above and below the window frame as shown in Figure 1 so as to indicate the environment in which such a frame is used. Like refere ces to those in Figure 1 indicate like features, for correlation.

The structure in which the widow is positioned consists essentially of a cavity-wall facing for a vertically-spaced succession of concrete floor slabs with integral downstand beams.

Thus, above the window, a flour slab 23 with integral downstand beam 24, both fabricated in concrete, and supported upon main structurail members of the building (not shown) supports an internal breeze block leaf 25 of the cavity wall. Beneath the window the same elements are respectively numbered as slab 26, beam 27 and breeze-block leaf 28. The external leaf of the cavity wall is shown by courses of b ickwork 29 and 30, terminating in the ornamental courses 2 and 3 as described above.Floor and ceiling levels are defined at 31 and 32 respectively. Between the leaves of the cavity wall, in addition to conventional ties (not shown in Figure 2) there exist structural members 33 and 34 along the top of each window and damp-proofing material 35, 36, 37 and 38 and 39 as shown in more detail below.

The window structure described in Figure 1 fits generally within a rectangular opening in this structure. As shown in section, and in addition to the features already described, it possesses a panel 40, forming a box structure with the external panel 20 and filled with insulation 41, and a hollow structure 42 containing a finned tube connector heater 43, whereby air entering through gap 44 can issue through louvred top openings 45. These features will also be described in more detail below.

Figure 3 shows in more detail the fitment of the upper framing bar of the window to the building structure.

Downstand beam 24 has bolted thereto structural member 33 and is covered over its lower face with damp proof material 36 shaped to fit generally over the other members and grouted into place at a grooved portion 45 at its upper end. The damp-proof material of course passes beneath the lower face of the ornamental course of bricks 2.

Beneath and attached to the downstand beam 24 and its attached structural angle member 33 is a conventional ceiling structure 32. At the outer edge of this is attached the upper horizontal box section subframe member 8, using for example, t e metal fixing element 46 and suitable finishing and cla ding members 47, 48 in a manner generally as shown in o r earlier Patent Application 8519880.

The glazing bars shown general y at 49 and 40 form the the surround for the glazing of the window frame. Once again, such bars are described in considerable detail in our copending Application referred to above, and their particular advantages and methods of fixing beneath subframe 8, which form no part of the present invention, can be ascertained from that earlier document.

Figure 4. however. shows in more detail the lower part of the window structure includlng the elements forming major features of the present nvention. As can be established from a re-examination of Figure 2, these elements, while constituting a coordinated unit, can be considered in two portions a jays continuations of the two leaves of the underlying cavity wall.

On that basis, the outer portion of the lower window structure is supported upon tie course of brickwork 3.

Firstly, there is a polymeric cavity cover 51 above which is fixed (e.g. by suitable sealant 52) firstly a protruding sill member generally indicated at 53 and secondly the lower box section frame 9 as referred to above. Upon this is supported the filled aluminium panel 19 (20), 40, 41 typically consisting of 50 millimetre gauge aluminium, pressed into a shallow box-shape and filled with insulation filling known under the Trademark "PHENEFORM. (Panel 19 in Figure 4, in section, is equivalent to panel 20 in Figure 2).This box-shaped structure, where supported on box section frame member 9, is finished off with aluminiummbeading as at 54 and 55 in a generally conventional fashion. Similarly, at its upper edge it meets the intermediate horizontal frame member 16, and is similarly finished in appearance by beading 56 and 57.The intermediate horizontal member 16 then supports the glazing bars generally indicated at 58, and sill member 59. again as described in our earlier Patent Application as referred to above.

It will be apparent therefore that the general function of this outer portion of the lower structure is to provide an insulating layer broadly equivalent in insulating effect to that of the outer brick leaf.

Conceivably, a leaf of brickwork could be provided between the two aluminium framing members, but in practice this is not easy to achieve. An integral window structure made up as shown with an insulated box type panel is greatly to be preferred.

The inner element of the lower window structure consists of support and insulation for a suspended finned tube convection heater. Reference is also made in this respect to Figure 5.

The course of blockwork 28 is covered by a polymeric cavity cover 60, with the internal wall being finished by a thin layer of plaster 61a. Above this base is supported a convector heater (generally indicated at 42) being located inside an outer panel 61 in such as way as to provide an air inlet space 44 beneath the convector and an air outlet defined by llouvred grille 45 above the convector. This convector heather runs essentially the whole length of the four elements of the window, except of course for lead-in and lead-out pipework. At intervals along this length there is a metal support structure both for the external: panel 61 and for the finned heater. This support structure consists of metal uprights 62 to which are bolted shaped strips 63 with upper and lower turned lips 64 and 65 respectively for attaching the protective panel61, and with additional support members for brackets 6from which hang the tube 67, with fins 68, of the heater 42.

The back of this structure is /formed by an insulation board 69, for example, of 20 millimetres gauge, backed by a reflective metal foil 70 ksee also Figure 6).

Attention is drawn in Figures 4 and 5 to the essentially coplanar configuration of the protective plate 61 (over the convector heater) and the inner building surface (as defined by the plaster 61a). Hitherto, convector heaters have been fitted after the structure of the building has been otherwise designed, and effectively take up a proportion - up to 1% - of the floor space. In accordance with the present invention such heating elements are incorporated into a structural and insulated base to a run of window openings, being thereby exactly located where they are most effective and being recessed effectively into the wall so as to liberate the maximum floor space for use.

Figure 5 shows essentially the same features as Figure 4, except to indicate that the uprights and supports 62 and 63 only occur at intervals, and that predominantly the rearward face of the inner element of the overall structure is an insulation material whereby loss of heat from the convector heater to the outer elements of the structure (especially the box frame unit 16 and 9) is avoided.

Figure 6, having regard to the above description, will be largely self-explanatory It shows the details of the side fixing of the windows, including box frame upright 10, and the insulated aluminium panels 19, 40 and 41.

Beading 71 and 72 is provided for finish purposes, (although not shown in Figures 5 and 6 for clarity of illustration). The uprights 10 can be fixed to the adjacent wall surfaces by any c nvenient manner as known in the art. Attention is drawn to the conventional brick outer cladding at 73, the internal blockwork at 74 finished with suitable plaster finishing 75, and the cavity closer 76 extending down the vertical opening of the cavity and the cavity walls.

Similar, Figure 7 is generally self-explanatory having regard to its correlation with Figure 2 and to the existing references as entered upon it. It shows the louvred outlet 45 of the convector heater from a top view and shows moreover side th glazing bars 49 and 50, being the same as shown in a vertical section in Figure 3 and as described in more detail in our copending Application 8519888.

Claims (10)

1. The combination of a window installation and a heating installation, for incorporation into cavity external walls, in which extending along beneath window glazing locations there is provided at least one external heat insulating panel generally in continuation of an outer leaf of the cavity wall, and one convector heating installation generally in continuation of the inner leaf of the cavity wall.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the heating installation comprises a finned tube extending along beneath the window and as a continuation of the inner leaf of the wall.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 in which the heating installation is located within a housing permitting air inlet at or near the bottom and warmed air outlet at the top.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 2 or 3 comprising an elongate finned tube, supports for holding the elongate tube horizontally, an insulating backing, and a removable front panel spaced from the backing to define a channel open at the top and bottom whereby air can be drawn into the bottom and passed out of the top.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 in which the channel is covered by a grille or louvres.

6. The combination as claimed in any one preceding claim wherein the external panel comprises two outer walls of metal and a packing of insulating material.

7. The combination as clawed in any one preceding claim wherein the windy installation prossesses a surrounding metal frame structure, uprights defining separate glazed portions and subsidiary members located between uprights in a single line parallel to and spaced from the E ottom of the window frame by an amount to accommodat the external insulating panel and heating means

8. The combination as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A building structure containing one or more interconnected or separate combinations as claimed in any one preceding claim.

10. A method of heating a building in which one or more combinations as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 8, installed separately or interonnectedly in a building, are operated.