GB2324357A

GB2324357A - Insulation product

Info

Publication number: GB2324357A
Application number: GB9707702A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Don Simpson; Grace Smellie
Original assignee: SUPERGLASS INSULATION Ltd
Current assignee: SUPERGLASS INSULATION Ltd
Priority date: 1997-04-16
Filing date: 1997-04-16
Publication date: 1998-10-21
Also published as: GB9707702D0

Abstract

Insulation comprises a flexible mat (2) of thermal insulating material within a wrapper (1), the wrapper having a longitudinal flange (5) along one side. The wrapper is suitably formed of a heat-weldable material, e.g.. polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene and the flexible mat of thermal insulating material is suitably of glass or rock wool. The material is useful for insulating pipes which are close to walls. The flange is passed between the wall and the pipe and is then pulled to squeeze the remainder of the material between the pipe and the wall so that it may be wrapped round the pipe.

Description

INSULATION PRODUCT This invention relates to an insulation product, and especially to a product for insulating pipes which are situated close to obstructions.

Insulation comes in many forms, the most common of which are flexible mats, normally sold in rolls and comprising fibrous insulation material such as glass fibres or rock wool fibres; and formed or molded material, for example in the form of slabs or cylindrical or semi-cylindrical profiles.

The latter may be formed from insulating foam or light weight cementitious materials, e.g. fibre-reinforced portland cement or calcium silicate.

Such insulating products are simple to apply when the articles or area to be insulated, e.g. a hot water pipe or a roof space, are easily accessible. Difficulties are encountered, however, when, for example, pipes situated close to obstructions such as walls need to be enveloped in insulating material. With such items it is impossible to wrap flexible insulation mats around them, since it is not possible to pass the insulating material between the pipe and the obstruction. It may be possible to insulate such pipes with pre-formed cylindrical profiled sections, but such sections have to be trimmed on site in order that they should fit properly around the pipe and between the pipe and the obstruction. That is inconvenient, and there is a need in the industry for an insulating material which can be readily and simply applied to pipes situated close to obstructions which are otherwise difficult to insulate.

Such an insulation product is provided by the present invention, according to which insulation comprises a flexible mat of thermal insulating material within a wrapper, the wrapper having a longitudinal flange along one side.

Thus, the insulating material is enveloped within the wrapper, and the longitudinal flange forms the leading edge of the insulation as it is applied to the pipe. In use, the leading edge of the flange is inserted between the pipe and the obstruction, and is gripped and pulled so that the remainder of the insulating product may be squeezed between the pipe and the obstruction and wrapped around it.

The flexible mat of thermal insulating material may comprise any suitable insulating material, for example glass fibre or rock wool fibre. The wrapper is suitably made of a heatweldable material, suitably a thermoplastics material such as polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. In this respect PVC is preferred as it has a superior fire performance. The wrapper is preferably provided with a series of vent holes.

The insulation product of the invention is suitably provided in strip form, preferably in rolled-up strip form for delivery to the customer. The strips may be of any suitable length and width, and preferably the flange occupies between 10 and 30% of the width of the product, for example 25%.

Thus, a typical product may be a strip 2.5 metres long and 400 mm wide. A strip of fibrous insulating material of width 200 mm is inserted in a plastics envelope 2.5 metres long and 400 mm wide, and a flange of width 100 metres is formed along one of the long sides of the envelope. The flange is suitably made by seam welding and is, to all intents and purposes, flat. The seam welding envelopes the insulating mat within the plastics tube and forms the flange. The welded seams are formed by means of a standard heat sealer.

The invention is illustrated by means of the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of insulation product according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a section along the line A-A of Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 are sketches showing how the insulation product is wrapped around a cylindrical pipe close to a wall; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the insulation product of the invention, in roll form.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the product comprises a tube 1 of plastics material such as PVC, of dimensions, for example, 2500 mm length and 400 mm width. Inserted (by hand or by machine) into the tube 1 is a flexible mat 2 of fibrous insulation material such as glass fibre or rock wool fibre. The mat 2 suitably has a width of 200 mm. Following the insertion of the mat 2 into the tube 1 a heat sealer is employed to form welds 3 and 4, thus capturing the mat 2 within the tube 1, and a longitudinal flange 5, of width 100 mm, along one side of the tube 1. Air vents 6 are provided along the tube 1, and air vents 7 are provided along the flange 5, suitably at 130 mm intervals. Tie wraps may be provided along the length of the product, suitably at 250 500 mm intervals.

Figures 3 and 4 show how the insulation product is applied to a pipe 10 close to an obstructing wall 11. Thus, the flat flange 5 is offered into the gap between the pipe 10 and the wall 11, and is pulled in the direction of the arrow (Figure 3). The remainder of the strip 1 is then pulled around the pipe 10 and, as shown in Figure 4, flange 5 is in fact passed a second time between the pipe 10 and the wall 11. It is held in place by a standard tie wrap 12.

As sold, the insulation product is preferably in the form of a roll 13, as shown in Figure 5.

Claims

1. Insulation comprising a flexible mat of thermal insulating material within a wrapper, the wrapper having a longitudinal flange along one side.

2. Insulation as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wrapper is formed of a heat-weldable material.

3. Insulation as claimed in claim 2 wherein the wrapper is of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene.

4. Insulation as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the flexible mat of thermal insulating material is of glass or rock wool.

5. Insulation as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the longitudinal flange has a width between 10 and 30% of the width of the insulation.

6. Insulation as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, in roll form.