GB2261724A

GB2261724A - Ventilation duct formed by floor components

Info

Publication number: GB2261724A
Application number: GB9124820A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Griffith Fellows
Original assignee: British Gas PLC
Current assignee: British Gas PLC
Priority date: 1991-11-22
Filing date: 1991-11-22
Publication date: 1993-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 2011-11-22
Also published as: GB2261724B; GB9124820D0

Abstract

Underfloor air ducting comprises at least one channel 6 defined by one or more of the components that form the flooring structure, eg concrete base 10, polystyrene boards 11, 12, sealing sheet 13 or chipboard 14. As shown upper boards 12 are spaced apart to form duct 6. Alternatively a channel may be cut in a single polystyrene board (20, fig 2) and closed by floor boards (21). <IMAGE>

Description

AIR DUCKING The present invention relates to air ducting and, more particularly, to underfloor air ducting. The invention also relates to installations or systems for moving or distributing air to remote locations and utilising air ducting.

Such installations include space heating arrangements where, for example, fuel gas fired appliance operating on the balanced-flue principle supplies warm air to one or more rooms other than the one in which the appliance is actually located. Such installations may also include ventilation systems.

From one aspect of the invention underfloor air ducting comprises at least one channel defined by one or more of the components that form the flooring structure.

From another aspect of the invention, an installation comprises apparatus having means for moving air from the apparatus through an outlet into underfloor air ducting which comprises at least one channel defined by one or more of the components that form the floor structure, the at least one channel leading to an outlet means from which the ducted air exits.

A room of a domestic house may, for example, have a floor comprising a concrete base on which one or more layers of insulating material such as polystyrene are provided. A sheet of plastics material such as polyethylene acting as a sealing layer may then extend over the upper surface of the polystyrene. The plastics sheet is covered by wood or chipwood which is usual to cover with a decorative flooring material such as fitted carpet. In such a case one or more channels to serve as air ducting may be defined in part by one or more layers of the insulating material and in part by the underside of the wood or chipboard, with the plastics sheet material, when present,being located between the upper surface of the insulating material and the underside of the wood or chipboard.

The insulating material is often provided in the form of flat boards which can be used whole or cut down to the required size and shape. The layer of insulating material may be one or more boards thick.

Where one board thickness of insulating material is used, a channel which extends partly through the thickness of the board may be cut or formed in the boards. Where two or more board thicknesses are used the upper surface of a lower board may be used to provide the base of the channel while the opposing or facing side edges of two spaced apart upper boards resting on the lower board may provide the sides of the channel.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is which: Figure 1 illustrates part of an installation according to the present invention, and Figures 2, 3 and 4 show schematically different ways in which channels for serving as air ducting may be formed form materials forming the floor of a room.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a fuel-gas fired space heating appliance 1 of the balanced flue type comprises an inlet 2 for drawing in from the surroundings air to be warmed by heat exchange within the appliance before being distributed by fan means or the like (not shown) through outlets into the desired areas. One outlet 3 allows warm air back into the immediate surrounding room.

The appliance also has two warm air outlet ducts 4, 5 which open beneath the floor into respective air ducting channels 6, 7. The channels lead to respective remote outlets (not shown) which open into different rooms.

The floor comprises, from the bottom, a concrete base 10, two thicknesses of polystyrene board, 11, 12 a polyethylene sealing sheet 13, a layer of chipboard 14 and a carpet 15.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 which illustrate different ways of forming the underfloor air ducting will now be described.

In Figure 2 a single board thickness of polystyrene 20 is provided in which the channel is formed within the thickness of the board and bounded at the top by the floor board 21. This arrangement at the top of the channel also applies to Figures 3 and 4.

In Figure 3, two board thickness of polystyrene 11, 12 is used with the upper surface of the lower board providing the base 22 of the channel while opposing side edges of two spaced apart upper boards 23, 24 providing the channel sides.

In Figure 4, two spaced apart polystyrene boards 25, 26 provide the sides of the channel while separate strips 27 of the insulating material are placed at the bottom of the channels, on the concrete base (not shown) to provide the channel bottom.

Air ducting as described above, according to the invention has the following advantages over arrangements employing usual discrete duct sections: - the cost of a duct is saved, - when warm air is to be carried the outlet air reaches temperature more quickly than that when a duct us used, - no duct joints are required and the channels can be cut at any orientation and rounded bends can be cut, - the cross-sectional dimensions of the duct can be varied from site to site or even along the length of a duct, - the surfaces of the channel can be smooth and this minimises the air pressure losses.

Claims

1. Air ducting comprising at least one channel defined by one or more of the components that form the flooring structure.

2. An installation comprising apparatus having means for moving air from the apparatus through an outlet into underfloor air ducting which comprises at least one channel defined by one or more or the components that form the floor structure, the at least one channel leading to an outlet means from which the ducted air exits.

3. Air ducting and an installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.