GB2546420A

GB2546420A - Thermal lining system for vehicle interior

Info

Publication number: GB2546420A
Application number: GB1700500.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gatty Rupert; Wilkinson Steve; Everett Andrew
Original assignee: Coolkit Ltd
Current assignee: Coolkit Ltd
Priority date: 2016-01-11
Filing date: 2017-01-11
Publication date: 2017-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2037-01-11
Also published as: GB201700500D0; GB201600459D0; GB2546420B

Abstract

A thermal lining panel 40 comprises a planar substrate material 50 adhered to a layer of thermally insulating material. A surface of the insulating material comprises one or more channels 42A, 44A, 46A of a depth less than the thickness of the panel. The panel is provided with one or more apertures 54, 56 though the planar substrate that open into the channel(s) and provide a means through which air flowing within the channel can escape. The panel can be used for lining a cargo carrying cavity (3, fig 1) of a vehicle and comprises a floor (10), sidewalls (6, 8), end or bulkhead and roof (4) panel. The channels may be connected to an air conditioning unit of the vehicle and channels of adjacent panels may be in fluid communication (fig 6). The channels may covered with a cover (70, fig 4A) and a fan and / or suction device (68, fig 5) in the roof panel may create a pressure drop thereby causing air recirculation with the cavity. The apertures may comprise louvres. The thermal lining provides improvements in air distribution and temperature control.

Description

Title: Thermal lining system for vehicle interior

Description:

The present invention relates to a thermal lining system for the cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle, and more specifically to a thermally insulating lining system comprising a plurality of separate panels being of complementary shape so as to fit together inside the cavity, for example on the base, roof, and side walls of the cavity, as well as on the doors or access hatches thereof so as to provide an essentially complete thermally insulated lining therefor.

Yet further specifically, the present invention relates to a thermally insulating lining system which is adapted to be connected to, interface with, or be otherwise supplied with a source of air typically (but not necessarily) emanating from an air conditioning system of the vehicle disposed within or, more usually, without the lining system and commonly powered by the vehicle engine, one or more of the separate panels of said lining system being provided with outlets, vents or other apertures so as to allow such air to pass through the panel from one side to the other and into the lined cavity so that the air temperature within the lined cavity is, as far as possible, uniform throughout the cavity and at least somewhat insulated from heating or cooling effects of the ambient air to the exterior of the cavity.

It should be mentioned here that although the following description is provided with almost exclusive reference to the use of air as the fluid, and to the use of air-conditioning apparatus to cool or heat that air before routing it to the interior of the lined cavity, those skilled in the art will immediately understand that the present invention need not necessarily be so restricted. Indeed, the lining system of the present invention may be employed within any apparatus having a usually closed but openable cargo-carrying cavity, and within which there is a desire to maintain a fluid temperature different to that of the ambient conditions to the exterior of the cavity.

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The skilled reader will be aware of the almost ubiquitous Transit® Van manufactured by the Ford Motor Company Inc. The version of that vehicle adapted for carrying cargo as opposed passengers is commonly provided with a cabin for a driver and one or two passengers at the front of the vehicle, and behind that cabin, a large, closed cargo-carrying cavity is provided substantially above and in front of the rear axle of the vehicle. The cavity is defined by the vehicle side walls in one of which is provided a sliding door and is provided with a base and a roof which form part of the vehicle body mounted on the vehicle chassis. The cavity is separated from the cabin by a dividing wall, and a pair of hinged doors is provided at the rear of the body to permit alternate access to the cavity from the rear (as opposed to the side) thereof.

It is known to thermally insulate the cargo-carrying cavities of Transit® (and other) vans by securing insulating lining panels to the interior surfaces of the sides, roof, base and doors and by doing so, thermally insulate the cavity interior from surrounding ambient conditions. It is also known to provide dedicated air conditioning apparatus within the cargo-carrying cavities of Transit® Vans, powered by the vehicle engine or at least using a source of electrical power generated thereby, for the purpose of providing some degree of climate or temperature control within the cargo-carrying cavity of the van and so prevent perishable cargo from deteriorating or decomposing. It is also known to provide an arrangement of plastic air-carrying ducts or conduits within the van cavity and to connect such ducting to the air conditioning apparatus, such ducting being provided with a number of exhaust vents or outlets along the length of and/or at the ends of the ducts so air of a uniform temperature is exhausted into the cavity interior at various different locations. In this manner, it is possible to provide a reasonably uniform a temperature distribution within the cavity. Vans provided with such comprehensive climate control systems are typically employed in the carriage of highly temperature-sensitive cargos, such as pharmaceuticals or other high value perishable items.

More recently, it is known to provide a temperature control system for the cargo-carrying interior cavities of vans which employs both thermally insulating lining panels and dedicated air conditioning apparatus and associated ducting. However, although the atmosphere within the cargo-

I carrying cavities may be well insulated from ambient conditions to some degree, in the UK at least, the Medical and Health Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is now mandating that pharmaceutical and other temperature sensitive medical products be transported within containers and/or vehicle cargocarrying cavities whose atmospheres can not only be precisely temperature-controlled, but which are also not prone to significant temperature distributions within the container or cavity. A thermal lining system of greater accuracy is thus required.

There is also a further disadvantage of known lining systems, particularly those adapted for maintaining larger temperature differentials between the insulated cavity and ambient conditions to the exterior thereof. Specifically, the primary and really only method of ensuring sufficient thermal insulation has been to increase the thickness (in some cases up to 100mm) of the insulating material provided on the lining panels. This solution is disadvantaged in that the overall effective usable volume of the cavity is inevitably reduced. In short, the more thermally insulated a fitted temperature control system is, the bulkier it is. A yet further disadvantage of providing dedicated plastic ducting arrangements is that they are typically provided in sections which are glued or screwed together and sealed, and as such are exposed within the lined cavity interior in common use, they are inevitably subject to the impacts of cargo as it is deposited in and extracted from the cavity. Such impacts inevitably weaken and ultimately damage the ducting so that it becomes almost immediately wholly ineffective, and temperature controlled air is no longer distributed evenly and as desired throughout the cavity interior.

To overcome these disadvantages, it has been proposed to excavate, for example by milling, one or more blind-ended channels in the cavity-facing surface of one or more floor lining panels and then to cover the excavated channels with perforated covers so as to define one or more air conduits somewhat integrally within the panels, air of course being permitted to escape into the lined cavity through the perforations. Floor panels of this type are then suitably arranged and positioned on the cavity floor so that the open end (as opposed to the closed blind end) of the channel is disposed

I adjacent to and interfaces with an outlet of the air conditioning unit which thus delivers air at a predetermined temperature, and at slight positive pressure, into the channel. This air progressively travels along the channel towards its blind end, escaping into the cavity through the various apertures provided in the channel covers as it does so. Although such integrated systems have proved moderately successful, they are expensive and time consuming to manufacture because the milling cutter is not only required to cut the insulating material, but also the load bearing substrate material of the panel to the underside of which the insulating material is adhered. This substrate material is naturally much more resilient and robust than the insulating material, typically a foam-type material, and cutting through it is therefore an unavoidable and much lengthier process. It is thought that the machining of all the lining panels of a lining system in this manner would uneconomical.

Thus, a preferred solution, particularly for climate control systems which are capable of maintaining the atmosphere within the cavity at temperatures both above and below exterior ambient conditions, is a hybrid system consisting of some relatively inexpensive plastic ducting sections concealed behind the lining panels and directly connected to the air conditioning system, together with two different types of lining panels: ones in which simple vent apertures are provided and through which the ducted air is exhausted, such being provided usually on the side walls of the cargocarrying interior, and floor lining panels in which channels as described above are machined, an open end of the channel(s) being also connected to an outlet of said air conditioning apparatus.

Despite these various advances in thermal lining of cargo-carrying vehicle cavities, there continues to exist the problem of quickly achieving a completely uniform temperature distribution within the lined cavity interior, particularly when bulky cargo is disposed within the cavity and in different locations thereof. Furthermore, in systems of the prior art, air is only permitted to exhaust into the cavity either through the perforations provided in the channel covers provided in the floor liner panels, or, after having been distributed by means of plastic ducting sections along either side wall of the cavity, through commonly louvered vents provided in the side wall panels.

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It is an object of the present invention therefore to both overcome the disadvantage of temperature distribution, and also to provide a much more comprehensive and flexible air distribution system within vehicle cavities.

Various aspects of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a thermal lining system for a cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle, the system comprising or consisting of a plurality of panels each being one of a cavity floor, a cavity sidewall, a cavity end or bulkhead wall and a cavity roof panel, each panel comprising or consisting of at least a substantially planar substrate material to which is adhered a layer of insulating material, characterised in that one or more elongate channels is provided in the surface of the insulating material of at least one panel, said one or more channels being of a depth less than the thickness of the panel, and further characterised in that the panel is provided with one or more apertures through the planar substrate material and which open into the channel so as to provide the means through which air flowing within the channel can escape into the cavity when lined with such a panel by affixing said panel to the cavity floor, sidewall or roof and cooperating therewith so that an air-carrying conduit is defined by the channel and the respective cavity surface to which said panel is affixed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a thermal lining system for a cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle, the system comprising or consisting of a plurality of panels each being one of: a cavity floor, a cavity sidewall, a cavity end or bulkhead wall and a cavity roof panel, each panel comprising or consisting of at least a substantially planar substrate material to which is adhered a layer of insulating material, characterised in that one or more elongate channels is provided in the surface of the insulating material of at least one panel, said one or more channels being of a depth less than the thickness of the panel, said channels being completely covered to form an air-carrying conduit within the panel by a web of covering material sealingly applied over or within the channel to the insulating material to integrally define an air-carrying conduit within said panel, and further characterised in that the panel is provided with one or more apertures through the planar

I substrate material and which open into the channel so as to provide the means through which air flowing within the air-carrying conduit can escape into the cavity when lined with such a panel.

Preferably, the channel extends away from a first edge of the panel, said edge being one which is adapted, in use, to be disposed one of vertically and horizontally within the cavity, said channel having at least one portion which, in use, extends in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to that edge. Thus, the channel, together with the web of covering material or the cavity floor, sidewall, or roof as the case may be, defines a conduit which is essentially integrally provided within the panel and preferably behind the substrate material thereof, and said conduit has at least one inlet that is defined in the edge of the panel.

Preferably, the channel is closed or blind-ended. For example, the channel may terminate short of any other edge of the panel and within the insulating material, at the end remote from the edge of the panel from which the channel extends and which partially defines the conduit entrance. Alternately (or additionally, if multiple channels are provided within the panel), the channel is open-ended in that the channel starts in one edge of the panel and extends within the panel to another or the same edge such that air flowing in the air-carrying conduit partially defined thereby is routed through the panel, said conduit thus having both an inlet (entrance or opening), and an outlet (exit).

Preferably the air-carrying conduit is substantially air-tight in that air entering the conduit through its entrance can escape only through the one or more apertures provided in the panel.

Preferably, the channel has portions which extend in directions which are both perpendicular to, and parallel with, the edge away from which the channel extends.

Preferably, the panel is a sidewall panel, and the one or more apertures are provided towards an edge of said panel, being one which in use is adapted to be disposed towards the roof of the cavity.

In a preferred embodiment, the channel is substantially linear and is provided adjacent an edge of the panel which, in use, is adapted to be disposed adjacent the roof of the cavity, said channel extending substantially only horizontally away from said towards, but terminating short of the opposite panel edge.

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In an alternative embodiment, the channel is of a shape comprising a first horizontal (in use) portion which meets a vertical portion, which in turn meets a second horizontal portion extending away from said vertical portion towards, but terminating short of, the opposite edge of the panel to that at which the channel originated. In short, the channel may be roughly S-shaped.

In embodiments employing a web of covering material or cover applied over or within the channel to complete the definition of the air-carrying conduit, it is most preferable that the web is of complementary shape to the channel, such as for example being itself channel-shaped so as to be snugly received within the channel provided in the insulating material of the panel. Most preferably, the length of flanges of a channel-shaped cover are approximately equal or marginally less than the depth of the panel channel, and the length of the web of the channel-shaped cover is approximately equal to or marginally less than the width of the panel channel.

The skilled reader will appreciate from the above that the panel channel may adopt a wide variety of shapes, but in general, where it is provided to distribute air from a supply of temperature-controlled air only within and along that panel, then the channel shape will be preferably predominantly linear and predominantly parallel with those edges of the panel which are adapted, in use to be disposed most proximate the base and roof of the cavity.

In one embodiment, the panel is floor panel, and the channel provided in the insulating material thereof is substantially L-shaped.

In a preferred embodiment the channel is L-shaped, but with one of the web or flange of that shape being bifurcated so that the channel effectively splits in two at the bifurcation, each limb of the bifurcation being blind-ended so that air flowing within channel does so from a single inlet (provided in or adjacent an edge of the panel which is adapted to be disposed, in use, adjacent one of the cavity sidewalls) from a unitary portion of the channel into two separate elongate portions, and out through the apertures provided in the panel through the substrate material thereof and substantially in registration with one or more of those channel portions as described.

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In a most preferred embodiment, an elongate removable tray is provided in one or both of the bifurcated portions of the substantially L-shaped channel, for the purposes of debris capture and subsequent removal, and ultimately to prevent the channel from becoming blocked in any way with such debris.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the thermal lining system comprises a first panel as hereinbefore described having an inlet and an outlet; and a second panel as hereinbefore described, whose inlet is connected to the outlet of the first panel.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a thermal lining system for a cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle, said system consisting of a plurality of panels each being one of a cavity floor, a cavity sidewall, a cavity end- or bulkhead wall and a cavity roof panel, each panel consisting of at least a substantially planar substrate material to which is adhered a layer of insulating material, characterised in that one or more elongate channels is provided in the surface of the insulating material of at least two panels, a first of which is adapted to be positioned against and fixingly secured to one of the floor, sidewall or roof of the vehicle cavity, with second and further panels being ones which are adapted to be positioned and fixingly secured to an alternate, but adjacent one of the floor, sidewall and roof of said cavity, said one or more channels being of a depth less than the thickness of the panel and being completely covered to form an air-carrying conduit within the panel by a web of covering material sealingly applied over or within the channel to the insulating material to define an air-carrying conduit integrally within the panel, and further characterised in that the disposition of the channels in the first, second and optionally further panels is such that at least partial registration of the air-carrying conduits of each panel is achieved when the panels are disposed within the cavity so that they are in fluid communication with one another, whereby air in the air-carrying conduit of the first panel can flow into the air-carrying conduit of the second, and yet further characterised in that the channel provided in one of the second and further panels is blind-ended, and in that said panel is provided with one or more apertures through the planar substrate material and which open into the channel to as to provide the means through which air

I flowing within the air-carrying conduit of that panel can escape into the cavity when lined with such a panel.

According to a yet further aspect of the invention there is provided a thermal lining system for a cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle, the system comprising or consisting of a plurality of panels each being one of a cavity floor, a cavity sidewall, a cavity end or bulkhead wall and a cavity roof panel, each panel comprising or consisting of at least a substantially planar substrate material to which is adhered a layer of insulating material, characterised in that one or more elongate channels is provided in the surface of the insulating material of at least two panels, a first of which is adapted to be adhered or otherwise sealingly affixed to one of the floor, sidewall or roof of the vehicle cavity and cooperating therewith so that an air-carrying conduit is defined by the channel and the respective cavity surface to which said panel is affixed, second and further panels being ones which are adapted to be affixed, adhered or otherwise sealingly affixed, to an alternate, but adjacent one of the floor, sidewall and roof of said cavity to cooperate therewith in like manner, said one or more channels being of a depth less than the thickness of the panel, the channel of the first panel extending from one edge to another edge of said panel, and the channel of the second panel extending from an edge of that panel but terminating within the insulating material, said second panel being provided with one or more apertures which open into the channel of that panel to as to provide the means through which air flowing within the channel can escape into the cavity, and further characterised in that the disposition of the channels in the first, second and optionally further panels is such that at least partial registration of the air-carrying conduits of each panel is achieved when the panels are disposed within the cavity so that they are in fluid communication with one another, whereby air in the air-carrying conduit of the first panel can flow into the air-carrying conduit of the second, and ultimately into the cavity through said apertures.

Preferably, the apertures are provided with louvre fittings so that air passing through the apertures is forcibly directed by the louvres within said fittings.

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Preferably, the substrate material of the panels is a multi-ply wood laminate, and the insulating material is a foam-type material such as Styrofoam (available from the Dow Chemical Corporation), extruded or expanded, closed-cell or open-cell, polystyrene, polyurethane or the like. Ideally, the insulating material is adhesively bonded under vacuum pressure to the substrate material to form the panels, which are thus of a laminar construction. Most preferably, the insulating material is one which is more compressible than the substrate material.

In certain embodiments, and particularly in the case of panels adapted for the roof and sidewalls of a cavity (such not being load bearing in use and being required to possess a certain degree of flexibility such that they are conformable to the wall or roof surfaces of the cavity), the substrate material may be of a woven or spun glass fibre material, or of a glass-fibre reinforced plastics material. In general, only the commonly load-bearing floor panels have a requirement for a particularly robust and wear resistant substrate material such as a multi-plywood laminate.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided A thermal lining panel comprising a substantially planar substrate material to which is adhered a layer of insulating material, characterised in that one or more elongate channels is provided in the surface of the insulating material of the panel, said one or more channels being of a depth less than the thickness of the panel, and further characterised in that the panel is provided with one or more apertures through the planar substrate material and which open into the channel so as to provide the means through which air flowing within the channel can escape.

In a most preferred embodiment, within said recirculation channel is provided pressure drop creation means, such as a fan, blower, or suction device so that the existing air within the cavity whose roof is lined with such a panel may be recirculated or otherwise caused to flow both within and around the cavity and through the recirculation channel repeatedly.

Preferably, panels having channels therein is adhered to the base, sidewall or roof of the cavity by means of an expanding adhesive such as expanding polyurethane or other polymer foam (such as those commonly used by builders and DIY enthusiasts) which both provides a secure and substantially

I airtight bond between the insulating material and the respective wall of the vehicle body which defines the cargo-carrying interior therein, and furthermore expands into the interstice betwixt the two so as to sealingly bind one to the other.

In other aspects of the invention there is provided a complete kit of panels adapted for lining an entire cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle as previously described, and a vehicle in which one or more panels of the type described above is fitting and is in fluid communication with an air conditioning unit also provided with that vehicle.

It is to be noted from the above that the provision of apertures, vents or outlets through which air distributed within the integrally provided air-carrying conduits of the panels in both the upper and lower reaches of the cavity interior, for example by providing apertures in one or both floor and roof panels, or alternately or additionally in the upper and lower reaches of one or more of the sidewall panels, provides particular flexibility when the air conditioning unit is operating in one or other of an air heating or air cooling mode. For example, when the A/C unit is operating in an air heating mode, it is preferably to exhaust hot air through apertures provided in the lower reaches of the cavity, such hot air rising naturally above any slightly cooler air extant within the cavity, whereas when the A/C unit operates in a cooling mode, then it is preferably to exhaust the cooled air through apertures in the upper reaches of the lined cavity, which subsequently falls naturally within the cavity below any slightly warmer air extant therein. This natural temperature-based flow of air within the cavity enhances the overall uniformity of temperature throughout the cavity.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specific description, provided by way of example only, and in which:

Figures 1, 1A & 2 show respectively schematic perspective (1, 1A) and exploded perspective (2) views of a thermal lining system according to the prior art for thermally lining the cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle;

Figure 2A shows a modified schematic perspective view of Figure 1A wherein the floor cover panels have been removed to reveal the channel provided in a floor panel of the lining system;

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Figures 3A, 3B show perspective views from above and beneath a floor cover panel of the lining system of Figures 1, 1A, 2;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an arrangement of sidewall panels according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4A shows an enlarged perspective view of the channel provided in one of the sidewall panels shown in Figure 4,

Figure 5 provides a schematic perspective view of a ceiling or roof panel according to one particular embodiment of the present invention, and

Figure 6 provides a perspective view of two ceiling or roof panels according to the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 there is shown a schematic perspective view of a thermal lining system 2 for the cargo-carrying cavity 3 of a vehicle, in this case a Ford® Transit® van. As can be seen from the Figure, the lining system consists of a plurality of panels of which a few of the more relevant are referenced at 4, 6, 6A, 8, 8A, 10, such being a roof panel 4, sidewall panels 6, 8, and a floor panel 10. The primary aim of any thermal lining system of this type is to completely line the interior of the cargo-carrying cavity of the vehicle so as to effectively thermally insulate the cavity from ambient conditions outside the vehicle, and therefore the lining system as a whole may comprise a number of panels of different shapes and sizes which are progressively adhered to the walls of the cavity, and to any doors and other access hatches by means of which operatives gain access to said cavity interior. In the case of the known Transit® van, a pair of hinged rear doors (not shown) are commonly provided, as is a sliding side door (also not shown). In the Figure, the hinged doors would be hingedly attached to door pillars 12,16 and provide closure for the rearmost aperture of the cavity 3, whereas the sliding door would be appropriately mounted to the vehicle body (also not shown) so to provide closure for cavity side access aperture 18.

It is to be particularly noted that panels 8, 8A include cut-out portions to accommodate the rear wheel arches (not shown) which form part of the vehicle body, and additionally that the cut-out portion of panel 8 is somewhat larger than that of panel 8A to accommodate an air-conditioning (A/C)

I unit (not shown) which outputs air at a desired temperature (either above or below ambient temperature). Also referenced are substantially open-sided box section 9, 9A, also constructed from thermally lined panels, which cooperate with the cut-out portions of panels 8, 8A so that the wheel arches, and in the case of panel 8 and box section 9, the A/C unit, are effectively also outwith the thermally lined cavity interior.

In the lining systems of the prior art, such as shown in Figures 1, 2, an arrangement of plastic ducting, usually in sections, is mounted to the innermost surfaces of the vehicle cavity and is connected to the outlet of the A/C unit so that air therefrom can be distributed around inside the vehicle but to the outside of the lined cavity, and ultimately delivered to a plurality of (usually louvered) apertures 7 and thus provide a cooling or warming function for cargo held within the lined cavity. In Figure 1, dotted line 20 demonstrates one possible path that a duct, usually installed one section after another with each being sealingly adhered to the previous section, might follow. Of course, any such duct would be provided with apertures in its side walls which registered with the apertures 6A through which warm or cool air could exhaust into the lined cavity, and would commonly be blind-ended at the end most remote from the A/C unit, and would also be sealingly connected to said A/C at the alternate end. In prior art, lining installation of this type, it is common to provide and connect multiple ducts to the A/C unit so that temperature controlled air can be delivered around the vehicle interior to where it is required to be exhausted into the interior of the lined cavity. For instance, referring briefly to Figure 2, it can be seen that sidewall panel 6A is also provided with apertures 7, so that temperature-controlled air can be delivered to the lined cavity interior in the upper reaches thereof and substantially symmetrically on either side thereof. This naturally aids the overall temperature distribution within the cavity.

Of particular note in Figures 1, 1A, 2 is the floor panel 10 in which a number of covers 30 are shown and which have a plurality of elongate rebates machined in their upper surfaces. Figures 3A, 3B show one of these covers in greater detail, and it can be seen from these figures that said rebates are only partial in that they do not extend completely through the thickness of the cover. Flowever,

I within the rebates, and one or more apertures is provided so that air flowing in a channel 25 (see Figures 2, 2A) provided in the floor panel 10 can exhaust upwardly through the apertures 34 provided in said covers 30. As can be seen from Figure 2A, the channel 25 in the floor panel is bifurcated and thus air flowing in said channel is delivered along the two separate bifurcations within the floor panel along the base of the lined cavity, before ultimately being forced upwardly (by virtue of each bifurcation have a blind remote end) through the apertures 34 in the covers 30 and into the cavity. It can also be understood from Figures 2, 2A that box section 9 substantially overlies the channel 25 which passes thereunder so that air from the A/C unit can be fed directly into the channel. Although this arrangement is beneficial, it is also problematic because machining the channel into the floor panels is a very time-consuming process because the cutting tool is required to machine through the uppermost load-bearing laminated hardwood substrate layer, as well as the insulating material beneath it.

Accordingly, by the present invention, and referring to Figure 4, there is shown an arrangement of sidewall panels 40 comprising panels 42, 44, 46. As will be noted, panel 42 is provided with a cut-out area 48 identical to that of panel 8 in Figs 1-2 and is thus adapted to be disposed within the cavity in identical an identical position to that panel, and panel 44 is akin to panel 6 in those Figures and again will be identically disposed within the cavity 3. The panels 42, 44, 46 comprise a substrate layer 50 on their cavity facing side and adhered to the sidewall facing side of said substrate layer is provided a thick (typically between 25mm and 100mm) layer of insulating foam (e.g. Styrofoam®).

In each of panels 42, 44, 46 there is provided a channel 42A, 44A, 46A which may be formed by milling or otherwise cutting through the insulating material. It is to be noted that the depth of the channel is substantially uniform (though it need not be), and also that the channel is shallower than the overall thickness of the panel. Most preferably the channel is shallower than the thickness of the insulating layer and provided wholly and only therein.

In panel 42, channel 42A extends vertically downwardly from an upper edge 42W of the panel and terminates at an inner edge 42X which defines the cut-out portion 48 within said panel and which,

I in use, will surround an A/C unit disposed within the vehicle cargo-carrying cavity as previously discussed. In panel 44 on the other hand, channel 44A extends vertically upward from a lower edge 44W of said panel towards an upper edge 44X before extending, adjacent to edge 44X, horizontally towards a side edge 44Y into which said channel opens. It is important to note the registration of channels 42A and 44A and it is by means of this registration the channels are, in use, in fluid communication with one another.

Also, provided in panel 44 are two apertures 51, 52 through which air flowing in said channels can pass through the panel and thus be exhausted into the cavity lined by said panels, in similar manner to the air flowing within suitably arranged ducting of the prior art arrangements, see for example apertures 7 in Figure 1. However, by the present invention, the need for dedicated sectioned ducting is completely eliminated, as an air-carrying conduit is defined in part by the channel 42A, 44A, 46A and in part either by a web of flexible covering material (not shown) which is sealingly adhered or otherwise affixed over or within at least the channelled portion of the panel, and in some embodiments, directly to the entire wall-facing surface of the insulating material of the panel, or the vehicle body sidewall itself, by virtue of sealing affixation of the insulating material of the said panel thereto, and most preferably in regions proximate to the channel provided therein, for example by providing a bead of expanding adhesive on either side of and adjacent said channel along its entire length.

The former of these possibilities is illustrated in Figure 4A in which suitably sized channelshaped cover 70 is shown separate from the channel 42A which it is adapted to cover. As can be understood, the cover may be received within channel 42A and the flanges 72 thereof may be easily adhered to the sidewalls 42A1 of channel 42A thus completing. If adhesion is continuous between the edges 42W, 42X, for example if a bead of adhesive is applied along the entire length of either or both of a respective channel sidewall 42A1 and cover flange 72, then the resulting and desired effect will be to create a substantially air-tight conduit integrally of the panel. Although not shown, similar

I covers, having channel-shaped cross-sections and being of a size and shape corresponding to the channels 44A and 46A may also be provided so as to create and define substantially air-tight (except for the apertures 50, 52, 54, 56) air-carrying conduits integrally in respective panels 44, 46.

Regardless of how the air-carrying conduit is formed in panel 42, it will be provided with an inlet along edge 42X, and it is this inlet which, in use, will be physically connected to the A/C unit so that a supply of temperature controlled air can, commonly under slight positive pressure, be delivered into the air-carrying conduit and subsequently flow therealong before exhausting through apertures 51, 52.

It can also be seen from figure 4 that further apertures 54, 56 are provided in panel 46, and channel 46A is provided within the insulating material of that panel behind said apertures. The channel 46A is provided in and extends away from a first vertical side edge 46Y substantially horizontally before terminating in a blind end 46B prior to reaching the opposite vertical edge 46X of said panel. Again, the registration of the channels 44A and 46A is to be noted, so all said channels are in fluid communication with one another, and together they form a L-shape with one limb extends vertically upwardly behind the panels in panels 42, 44, and the other limb extending substantially horizontally, from the rear of the cavity (where the rear hinged doors of the van would commonly be disposed) towards its forwardmost region (proximate the van cabin), and in the uppermost region of the cavity so that air exhausting through apertures 51, 52, 54,56 can permeate the cavity interior progressively as it subsequently flows downwardly from the roof to the base of said cavity.

Although only an arrangement of sidewall panels is shown in Figure 4, those skilled in the art will immediately understand that a great many variations are possible, both in terms of the numbers of panels employed within the system, and in the configuration, shapes, and paths which the channels provided in those panels may take. For instance, it is equally possible (and arguably slightly more effective) to provide exhaust apertures only in a roof panel, and to provide only substantially vertically orientated channels in each of panels 42, 44, the channel in panel 44 being, in use, in registration with a corresponding channel provided in said roof panel which extended initially in a lateral direction

I towards the mid-point of the cavity when viewed end-on), and then perpendicularly thereto and longitudinally (i.e. towards the vehicle cabin) within the cavity. The apertures provided in the ceiling panel would of course be required in said channel, preferably the longitudinal portion of it so as to be provided progressively along the length of the cavity from front to back, in generally similar manner to apertures 50, 52, 54, 56.

Referring finally and to Figure 5, there is shown a panel 60 adapted to be fixedly mounted to the roof of a cargo-carrying cavity within a vehicle. As can be seen in the figure, a channel 62, of a depth less than the total thickness of the panel, and ideally less than the thickness of the insulating material of which the panel is partially comprised, is provided substantially centrally of the panel, and a pair of air recirculation apertures 64, 66 are provided through the panel disposed towards either end of said channel. A pressure drop creation device 68, such as a fan, blower, or other suction device, and deriving source of power from the vehicle in which the panel is provided, is provided within the channel and is ideally of a depth approximately equal to the depth of the channel and extends substantially across its entire width. In this manner, when the panel is sealingly affixed to the ceiling of the vehicle as previously described, an air-carrying conduit is defined partially by the channel 62 and partially by the vehicle body roof such that, on powering the pressure drop device 68, air is effectively sucked in through one or other of the apertures 64, 66, and subsequently blown (usually gently) outwardly through the other aperture. By such means can air recirculation within the cavity lined with the roof panel 60 usefully achieved.

In certain embodiments or configurations, two or more panels can be interconnected with the outlet of one panel communicating with the inlet of an adjacent panel. Such a configuration usefully avoids the need to provide separate ducting from the A/C system to each panel: a single A/C connection can be used in certain cases, which simplifies installation and can reduce the amount of OEM vehicle modification required to fit the system.

Figure 6 of the drawings shows, schematically, how this can be accomplished.

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In Figure 6, a first panel 100 is affixed to, or abutting, a second panel 102. The first panel 100 comprises an inlet 116, through which air (F), either provided by an adjacent panel (not shown), or from an air conditioning unit (not shown), enters the first panel 100 and into an air-carrying conduit 104 of the panel 100. The air-carrying conduit 104 of the panel 100 comprises three branching channels 106, 108, 110, of which two channels 106, 108 have closed-ends and one channel 110 comprises an outlet 114 that communicates with an edge of the panel thus forming an outlet 114.

The outlet 114 is open and allows exhausted air from the first panel 100 to be fed into the inlet of the second panel 102 and hence into the air-carrying conduit 104 of the second panel 102

Although not clearly visible, it is will be appreciated that, in use, as air flows through each panel, a certain proportion of air will be exhausted into the cavity through apertures provided in respective panels as hereinbefore described.

The air-carrying conduit 104 of the second panel 102 also comprises three channels 118,120, 122, of which two channels 118, 120 have closed ends and one channel 122 is open-ended, thus defining an outlet 114. By way of the outlet 114, the second panel can be connected to the inlet of a third panel 124 - in the illustrated embodiment, arranged at right angles to the second panel 102 such that the inlet of the third panel 124 is connected to the outlet 114 of the second panel 102.

Although Figure 6 does not show a complete system, it will be appreciated that it is possible to interconnect a set of panels together forming a complete cooling/insulation system for a vehicle, and that the number, sizes, shapes of panels can be configured/modified to fit different applications and/or vehicles.

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Claims

Claims:

1. A thermal lining system for a cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle, the system comprising a plurality of panels each being one of: a cavity floor, a cavity sidewall, a cavity end- or bulkhead wall and a cavity roof panel, each panel comprising a substantially planar substrate material to which is adhered a layer of insulating material, characterised in that one or more elongate channels is provided in the surface of the insulating material of at least one panel, said one or more channels being of a depth less than the thickness of the panel, and further characterised in that the panel is provided with one or more apertures through the planar substrate material and which open into the channel so as to provide the means through which air flowing within the channel can escape into the cavity when lined with such a panel by affixing said panel to the cavity floor, sidewall or roof and cooperating therewith so that an air-carrying conduit is defined by the channel and the respective cavity surface to which said panel is affixed.

2. The thermal lining system of claim 1, wherein the one or more channels are completely covered to form an air-carrying conduit within the panel by a web of covering material sealingly applied over or within the channel to the insulating material to integrally define an air-carrying conduit within said panel, and further characterised in that the panel is provided with one or more apertures through the planar substrate material and which open into the channel so as to provide the means through which air flowing within the air-carrying conduit can escape into the cavity when lined with such a panel.

3. The thermal lining system of claim 2, wherein the air-carrying conduit is located behind the substrate material.

4. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the channels is substantially linear.

5. The thermal lining system of any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the channels is generally S-shaped.

6. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the channels comprises at least one inlet.

7. The thermal lining system of claim 6, wherein the Inlet is operatively connectable to, in use, to an air-conditioning unit of a vehicle

8. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the channels comprises a closed-end.

9. The thermal lining system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the channels is open-ended having both an inlet and an outlet.

10. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim comprising a first panel according to claim 9, which comprises at least one channel having an inlet and an outlet; and a second panel according to claim 8 or claim 9, which second panel comprises at least one channel whose inlet is connected to the outlet of the first panel.

11. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein at least one channel is configured to extend in directions which are either or both substantially perpendicular to, and parallel with, the edge away from which at least one of the channels extends.

12. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein the insulating material is manufactured from foam.

13. The thermal lining system of claim 12, wherein the insulating material is manufactured from any one or more of the group of materials comprising: extruded polystyrene; expanded polystyrene; closed-cell polystyrene; open-cell polystyrene; extruded polyurethane; expanded polyurethane; closed-cell polyurethane; open-cell polyurethane.

14. The thermal lining system of either claim 12 or 13, wherein the insulating material comprises a laminated construction.

15. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein the substrate material is manufactured from a multi-ply laminate.

16. The thermal lining system of any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the substrate material is manufactured from a glass-fibre material and/or glass-fibre reinforced plastics material.

17. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more apertures comprise louvre fittings.

18. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim, wherein the panel is a sidewall panel and wherein the one or more apertures are provided towards an edge of said panel.

19. The thermal lining system of claim 19, wherein the one or more apertures are provided on the edge of a panel adapted to be disposed adjacent the roof of the cavity, in use.

20. The thermal lining system of any preceding claim of claim, wherein at least one of the channels comprises a means for creating a pressure drop.

21. The thermal lining system of claim 20, wherein the means for creating a pressure drop comprises a fan and/or suction device.

22. A thermal lining panel comprising a substantially planar substrate material to which is adhered a layer of insulating material, characterised in that one or more elongate channels is provided in the surface of the insulating material of the panel, said one or more channels being of a depth less than the thickness of the panel, and further characterised in that the panel is provided with one or more apertures through the planar substrate material and which open into the channel so as to provide the means through which air flowing within the channel can escape.

23. A kit comprising a plurality of panels adapted for lining an entire cargo-carrying cavity of a vehicle as previously described, and a vehicle in which one or more panels of the type described above is fitting and is in fluid communication with an air conditioning unit also provided with that vehicle.