GB2373042A - Under floor heating assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An under floor heating assembly comprises preformed plastic plates 1, backed by insulation 13. A plurality of protrusions 3 with undercuts 3a locate heating pipes 5 and 6 while a matrix of ridges 5, between the protrusions support the pipes 5 and 6. The plates 1 interconnect with each other by clipping protrusions 3 over protrusions 3 of an adjacent plate. The protrusions 3 may be circular or square in shape and may be cut away at the edge of the plate 1 to facilitate clipping over protrusions 3 of an adjacent plate. Floor topping such as a screed is to be laid over the complete assembly.

Description

HEATING SYSTEM The invention concerns a floor heating system comprising prefabricated components, such as system plates, made of thermoformed plastic plates having elevations which are arranged in a certain grid pattern over the entire upper surface, are provided with undercuts and between which the pipes serving for heat exchange are arranged, the prefabricated, plate-shaped components are fixed onto an insulating material and after being laid are embedded in the screed of the floor.

Floor temperature-control systems composed of prefabricated components are known per se. For example, DE-A 1 929 529 depicts a floor temperature-control system of this type, in which the pipes for heating and cooling the floor, which are used between a top plate of heat-conducting material and the base plate, which is formed with upwardly protruding studs, are additionally also provided with a heat-conducting intermediate layer. Also, building plates for holding a pipe conducting a temperature-control medium and which are made of plastic or high-resistance plastic foam have been disclosed, for example in DE-U-l 986 165.

It is furthermore known to laminate the building plates, which preferably consist of plastic, onto an insulating material and to fasten the pipes, which consist of metal or plastic, for the temperaturecontrol medium on these plates using latches, for example clips, or to guide them in special holders.

In this arrangement, the individual building plates either butt loosely against one another or are connected to one another by means of connecting ties, as described in DE-B 1 784 235.

DE-A-2 840 149 describes a composite plate for floor heating systems, in which the pipe guides are designed as retaining and deflecting studs and the channel which is formed by the retaining studs and is intended for holding a heating pipe has an undercut.

Finally, DE-A-2 911 982 depicts a heatinsulating plate for the lateral fixing of flexible heating pipes using fixing humps and so-called supporting elevations, which are lower than the fixing humps and are used as a support for the heating pipe to enable the heating pipes to be enveloped by a screed compound. These ridge-like elevations are of flat design and their width is substantially larger than their height. They include holding-down devices which are placed onto adjacent humps in order to fix the heating pipes in place. In this arrangement, a barbshaped edge hooks into the material of the system plate.

The proposed floor heating systems have certain disadvantages, specifically whenever the entire plate and piping system is cast into the screed of the floor, which is currently a widely used technique. In this case, the pipe is incorporated flat and this prevents the necessary, continuous embedding of the pipe in the screed. Therefore, an accumulation of screed on one side arises at each holder in the upper region, while at the sides there is a transition from the elastic, pliant plastic to the subsequently rigid screed. This gives rise to zones of stress in the plastic pipe conducting the temperature-control medium, the said zones having a damaging effect on the pipe itself and on its embedding in the screed. A further disadvantage arises due to the laying of the plates in so far as these plates either loosely butt against one another and can be displaced by the laying of the pipes, and this may again cause zones of stress within the pipes or within the entire system, or else additional expenditure has to be made during the laying, if these plates are to be connected to one another, for example using connecting ties.

Even the introduction of fixing humps, supporting elevations, retaining and deflecting studs or the like could not solve the problem of the heating pipes bearing flat against the composite plates, etc.

Also, the composite plates or the like which are proposed are in no way connected to one another with a force fit. A further disadvantage of the floor heating systems which have hitherto been disclosed can be seen in the fact that the distance between the studs, fixing humps etc. is of such large dimensions that the heating pipes can readily be trodden upon as they are being laid, which has the consequence of damaging them.

The invention is therefore based on the object of firstly reliably avoiding the disadvantages of the known floor heating systems of this type and of having a building plate for floor heating systems which makes it possible to securely and completely embed the pipes conducting the temperature-control medium in the screed without additional aids, and also ensures that the individual plates are connected together simply and firmly, and permits the system to be walked upon even while it is being laid.

According to the invention, this is achieved in that the upper part of the system plate consists of a plastic plate having elevations which are connected to one another by webs, the said webs together form a netshaped web grid pattern having junction points, the undercuts of the elevations and the webs serve as a punctiform or linear holder or support for the pipes, and at the areas of contact between the individual plates the respective elevations of the plates are only formed on half the side at the two side edges and are placed over the elevations of the first plates in a manner such that they latch into the undercuts thereof, while the borders of the adjoining plates overlap in a known manner and therefore form a bonded plate arrangement which is self-contained with a force fit.

The upper part of the plate is advantageously produced from plastic by thermoforming.

The elevations of the plate are advantageously of approximately cylindrical design. One design variant provides an approximately square outline, while a further design variant has a plurality of projections for holding the pipe conducting the temperature-control medium.

The floor heating system proposed by the invention has the advantage that the pipes conducting the temperature-control medium have only minimal lines or points of contact with the elevations and strutting means, i. e. the webs, and can therefore be completely embedded in the screed. The individual plates can be connected to one another without any tools and in an entirely form-fitting manner on account of the gridlike design of the elevations and the resultant multiplicity of overlapping elevations. The spacing between the pipes is always the same. It is not possible for zones of stress to occur in the pipe.

Nevertheless, every type of laying, either in a straight line or else in serpentine, spiral or meandering form etc. is possible. Even when the plates have a low wall thickness, the arrangement of the strutting webs and elevations enable them to be firm enough to step on and also to be walked upon during installation without damage being able to occur. A further advantage can be seen in the fact that the protection of the heat and footfall-sound insulation from moisture from the screed which is to be applied is ensured.

The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of the floor heating system Figure 2 shows a section in the direction YY from Figure 1 Figure 3 shows a design variant Figure 4 shows a plan view of Figure 2 Figure 5 shows a plan view of Figure 3 Figure 6 shows a section in the direction XX from Figure 1 Figure 7 shows a plan view of Figure 6 as a design variant.

The floor heating system illustrated in Figure 1 essentially comprises a plurality of plates 1 and 2 which are thermoformed from plastic, for example, and have disc-like elevations 3 which are connected to one another by webs 4. A plurality of pipes 5, 6,7, 8, 9 conducting temperature-control medium are laid over the plates 1,2 etc. in such a manner that they only touch the elevations 3 linearly and only touch the webs 4 in a punctiform manner. The elevations of the border zones of the plates 1, 2 etc. 11 and 12 are used at the same time for the firm connection of the individual plates to one another by the elevations 12 only being formed over half the side and, during connection, being placed over the border elevations 11 of the plate 1, in which case they firmly latch together and overlap the borders of the plates 2 and 1. Of course, it is possible only to partially form the elevations 11 instead of completely. This actually produces greater elasticity when placing the border-side elevation 12 on.

Figure 2 shows a section in the direction YY from Figure 1, the design of the floor heating system becoming clearer. The system plate comprises an upper side 1 together with the elevations'3 which are of approximately cylindrical design and have an undercut 3a enabling the pipe 5 or 6 to be laid and retained satisfactorily. The contact between the elevation 3 and the pipe 5 or 6 is only linear, while it is virtually punctiform with respect to the webs 4. The upper side of the system plate 1 is fixed, for example bonded or connected in some other suitable manner, onto a footfall-and heat-insulating plate 13. Figure 4 shows a plan view of Figure 2 from which the design can be seen more clearly than in Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 5 show a design variant of the elevations 3, which are denoted by 14 and their undercuts by 14a.

Figure 6 shows the connecting point between the plates 1 and 2. From the design it can be seen that the border-side elevation 12 is only formed over half the side and is fitted over the border-side elevation 11 of the plate 1, which elevation is likewise cut off at the plate border. The borders of the two plates 1 and 2 overlap to a sufficient extent to ensure protection of the heat insulation against moisture from the screed to be applied later.

Figure 7 shows a further design variant of the elevation which is of approximately square design with rounded corners, the rounded corners likewise serving as an undercut for holding the pipe 6 or 7.

Claims (3)

1. CLAIMS 1. A floor heating system comprising prefabricated elements, such as system plates consisting of deep-drawn plastic plates, which are formed throughout their top surface with elevations having undercuts and arranged in a predetermined grid pattern, and heat exchange pipes extending between said elevations, wherein the prefabricated platelike elements have been applied to heat insulating material and are embedded in the floor topping when said elements have been placed, characterised in that the top portion of the system plate consists of a plastic plate provided with elevations, which are interconnected by ribs, which constitute a grid having nodes, wherein the undercuts of the elevations and the ribs serve to retain and support the pipes, respectively, by point or line contact therewith, the elevations of the plates are only half-sided at two side edges at the contacting surfaces of the plates and are fitted over the elevations of the first plates to snap into their undercuts whereas the edges of the adjoining plates overlap in known manner to form a selfcontaining system of plates which are interconnected by forcetransmitting joints.
2. 2. A floor heating system according to claim 1, characterised in that the elevations of the plate are approximately cylindrical.
3. 3. A floor heating system according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the elevations of the plate are approximately cubic.