US3646721A

US3646721A - Wall units with insulation

Info

Publication number: US3646721A
Application number: US826958A
Authority: US
Inventors: Otto Alfred Becker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-05-22
Filing date: 1969-05-22
Publication date: 1972-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1989-03-07
Also published as: SE7414206L; SE7414205L; SE7414207L; SE7414203L; SE7414204L; GB1218332A

Abstract

A wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of said unit, a seal arranged between the margins of said panels, and an insulation occupying the cavity between said panels, wherein the improvement comprises at least one insulating group extending parallel to said panels and comprising two foils capable of reflecting thermal radiation and chambers lying between said foils, the walls of which consist of insulating material.

Description

United States Patent [is] 3,646,721 Becker 5] Mar. 7, 1972 [54] WALL UNITS WITH INSULATION I 2,406,815 9/1946 Elfving ..52/618 X 72] Inventor: Otto Alfred Becker, 59 Robert Koch g'g g'g g gir Stmse D6600 saa'bmke Gummy 3,432,859 3/1969 Jordan et a1. ....52/618 x [22] Filed: May 22, 1969 3,501,367 3/1970 Parker ..52/615 X [21] Appl' 826958 Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr.

Attorney-Erich M. H. Radde 301 Foreign Applicafion Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT May 22, 1968 Germany ..P 17 59 635.9 Sept. 21, 1968 Germany 17 84 816.7 A wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of said Mar. 29, 1969 Germany ..P 19 16 384.9 unit. a seal us d between the margins of said p s. and an insulation occupying the cavity between said panels, [52] U.S.Cl ..52/6l8,52/309, 161/68 wherein the improvement comprises at least one insulating 041) 1/74 group extending parallel to said panels and comprising two [58] Fieldoi Search ..52/615,6l8, 404, 406, 407, foils capable of reflecting thermal radiation and chambers 52/405, 269, 173, 309, 425; 161/68 lying between said foils, the walls of which consist of insulating material. 56 References C'ted 1 -m "w' 9s fis9! UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,238,022 4/1941 Johnson ..s 2/4o4 PATENTEDMAR 7 I972 SHEET 1 [IF 3 PATENTEBMAR 7 1972 SHEET 2 [IF 3 Fig.2

Fig 5 Fig.4

Fig.3

il. GEES PAIENTEDMAR 7 m2 SHEET 3 [IF 3 85:1 7 51a 51b 8b WALL UNITS WITH INSULATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wall unit with thermal and acoustic insulation.

A known wall unit of this kind comprises two sheet metal panels of equal size, sealing strips of resilient material arranged between the margins of said panels, and insulating plates filling the cavity between said panels. When used as components of an external wall, the individual wall units are suspended on wall supports by means of angle brackets. Similar wall units serve as partition walls extending from floor to ceiling for internal rooms. The thermal and acoustic insulation of such wall units is, however, poor. The present invention has the objects of improving the thermal and acoustic insulation of wall units and of preventing the corrosion thereof.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a wall unit according to the present invention comprising opposite sheet metal panels, seals arranged between the margins of said panels and insulation accommodated in the cavity between said panels, there is provided at least one insulating group extending parallel to said panels which is composed of two high-gloss foils capable of reflecting thermal radiation, and of chambers arranged between said foils, the walls of which chambers consists of insulating material. Thus a highly effective insulation is attained. Heat absorbed e.g., by the outer panel is imparted to the foil on the inside thereof. From this high-gloss foil few thermal rays only are radiated, which penetrate through said chambers, impinge the opposite foil and are almost completely reflected by the latter, so that this second foil is heated to a very low extent only. The walls of said chambers are made of insulating material, e.g., in the form of honeycombs, the webs of which are thin, so that heat conduction through these webs is low. The chambers are small and tightly sealed, so that likewise hardly any heat transfer takes place by convection through the air.

By arranging several such insulating groups consisting of foils and chambers one behind the others the effect is considerably increased, whereby, even the strictest requirements can be fulfilled. Between any such groups an insulating plate may be inserted, which reduced the thermal conduction from one foil to the other.

Between the foils also insulating plates e.g., of hardened synthetic foam may be arranged which have on both faces ribs for the formation of chambers. In order to reduce the contact areas, through which heat transfer takes place, an insulating plate having horizontal ribs is followed by an insulating plate having vertical ribs.

Instead of complete plates, strips only may be placed alternately in horizontal and vertical positions against a reflecting foil interposed between them. The recesses between the ribs may be coated with reflecting adhesive tapes or the ribbed plates may be completely coated with a reflecting adhesive foil.

The insulating chambers may be formed by narrow insulating plates e.g., of 5 mm. width e.g., of solidified synthetic foam perforated from face to face and tightly sealed on both faces by highly reflective foils, the remaining structure of hardened synthetic foam constituting the geometrical shape of the chamber walls.

Moreover the cavity between the panels may be evacuated. Any heat transfer by convection is then excluded. This entails the further advantage that formation of condensate and consequent corrosion are prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. I is a vertical section of parts of two mutually abutting wall units constituting an external wall fixed to the ceiling of a building.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a wall unit with insulation by plates and by honeycombs.

FIG. 3 shows part of an insulating plate having horizontal ribs,

FIG. 4 of a plate having vertical ribs,

FIG. 5 of a plate having interrupted ribs.

FIG. 6 is a section a wall unit with insulation by strips and plates, and

FIG. 7 is a section of a wall unit with insulation by honeycombs and by plates covered with foils.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1 sections 1 of Z-shaped profile are attached by means of screws In to an end face of the ceiling 2 of a building. The upper section 1 carries on an outwardly directed flange an upper wall unit 3 and the lower section 1 carries the upper edge of a lower wall unit 3. Each wall unit comprises an outer sheet metal panel 3a and an inner sheet metal panel 3b. Between the

margins

3c, 3d of said panels an insulating and sealing strip 10, preferably of ebonite, is inserted. Screws ll penetrate the margins, the sealing strips 10 and the sections 1. They press the sheet metal panels in an airtight manner against each other, and at the same time support the wall units on the building. In the cavity between the sheet metal panels an insulation is accommodated which comprises at least one highly effective insulating group extending parallel to said panels. This insulating group comprises a thin high-gloss foil e.g., of aluminum capable of reflecting thermal radiation, small cells 8 of about 8 mm. width, the walls of which consist of insulating material, and a second reflecting foil, these foils sealing off said chambers.

In a first embodiment these chambers are formed by honeycomb plates 8a, the webs 8b, of which extend between the two opposite foils. Between the foils of the three insulating groups illustrated there are moreover inserted insulating plates 9 e.g., of feltboard or solidified synthetic foam, for reduction of thermal conduction and for stiffening.

For improved appearance and for protection from corrosion each of the sheet metal panels is provided outside with a coating 4 of lacquer or synthetic material, and inside with a foil 5 of a sounddeadening material and a stiffening sheet metal panel 6.

Upon solar radiation of the outer sheet metal panel also the adjoining first foil is warmed. However, the high-gloss foil radiates but little heat inwards, namely about one-fifth of the radiation emitted by a black body. The heat radiation emanating from the foil penetrates the chambers, impinges the opposite foil and is almost completely (say 93 percent) reflected by the high-gloss surface of the latter and is absorbed only to a small proportion (7 percent), so that the opposite foil is warmed up but little and can discharge little heat (1.25 percent) only. Heat transfer by radiation is accordingly very small. Moreover heat conduction takes place through the edges of the webs of the honeycomb contacting the foils. However, since the cross sectional area of the webs contacting the foils amounts to about 4 percent only of the whole area of a foil, and the webs consist of insulating material, also the heat conduction is very low. Finally heat could be transferred by convection through the enclosed air. However, since a great many and consequently small cells are formed by the honeycomb plates, an airflow and consequent heat transfer can hardly take place. When several insulating groups are arranged in series, their effect is greatly increased. In a test with five insulating groups, the outer sheet metal panel was raised to a temperature of C. and kept at that temperature, while the inner sheet metal panel was exposed to a room temperature of 20 C. After four hours a steady condition was attained in which the temperature of the inner sheet metal panel had increased from 20 C. to 30 C. At an external temperature of 70 C. the temperature of the inner sheet metal panel rose by 7 C. and at an external temperature of 45 C. by 3 C. only.

The walls of the honeycomb cells may be provided with highly reflective very thin metal surface layers (e.g., by deposition of aluminum from the vapor phase in vacuo). For reasons of fire protection the honeycombs may be made fireproof by impregnation of the like. Likewise mats of glass fibers may be arranged as an insulation on the internal surfaces of the wall panels as well as e.g., between two aluminum foils whereby the wall units, in conjunction with the reflecting metal foils and sheet metal panels (thermal reflection) and the impregnated and hardened honeycombs, are made extraordinarily fireproof.

The gaps between any two adjacent wall units may be outwardly closed by angle sections 13 held by screws 11 and by screens 14, which engage behind resilient tongues in said angle sections. For further thermal and acoustic insulation from the interior space the inner sheet metal panels may each carry a reflecting foil and spacer strips 15. On the latter a plate 16 of plaster of Paris and covered on both surfaces with reflecting foils is placed, which is attached to the buildings by angle sections 17 and forms the inner wall surface thereof.

A second embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 2-5. The wall units 3 comprises an outer sheet metal panel 3a and an inner sheet metal panel 3b. Each of them has a coating 4. The inserted insulation comprises six insulating groups. The two middle groups are made of honeycomb plates 80 as in the first embodiment. The outer groups are formed by insulating plates 51, e.g., of hardened synthetic foam, which have narrow ribs 51a about mm. wide on both faces and form strip-shaped chambers 8. In FIG. 3 an insulating plate is illustrated in elevation having horizontal ribs 5 la, in FIG. 4 a plate with vertical ribs 51b and in FIG. 5 one with rows of projections 51c.

The first insulating plate is followed by a second reflecting foil and by a second insulating plate, the ribs of which run at right angles to those of the first insulating plate; thus thermal conduction can occur at the crossing points only of the ribs. A third reflecting foil seals these chambers off. Between the insulating groups sheet metal panels 9 may be arranged which prevent any buckling of the thin reflecting foil under major pressures e.g., upon evacuation, which may be caused by the webs of the honeycomb plates or ribs of the insulating plates being juxtapositioned to each other on points only.

When the sheet metal panels themselves are highly reflective, the foils may be dispensed with.

In a third embodiment, instead of insulating plates, insulating strips only are used, the contact surfaces of which have ribs. In FIG. 6 the

sheet metal panels

3a, 3b are provided externally with coatings 4. The first insulating group is formed by horizontal insulating strips 52 with ribs 52a, which may be attached by glueing to the contacting reflector foils 7. The second group has vertical insulating strips 53 with ribs 53a. Then follows a third group with horizontal strips and a fourth group with vertical strips. In the chambers between these insulating strips heat transfer by convection hardly occurs. In the middle of the unit two groups are arranged each with insulating plates 51 having horizontal ribs and corresponding reflector foils. Moreover reflector foil strips 7a are inserted into the recesses, whereby thermal radiation into the insulating plate is strongly reduced.

In a fourth embodiment according to FIG. 7 two insulating groups comprising honeycomb plates 8a and associated reflector foils 7 contact each of the

sheet metal panels

30, 3b from inside, which panels having coatings 4 outside. In the middle an insulating group is arranged comprising an insulator plate 51 having ribs 51a on both faces. These ribs may be produced by pressing or rolling. At the same time reflector foils may be attached by glueing, so that the surfaces of the insulating plate are completely covered by reflector foils.

Instead of being made of sheet metal, the external panels of the wall unit may be made of the other materials, e.g., of synthetic substances.

Further improvement of the insulation may be attained by evacuating the air from the cavity between the sheet metal panels. For this purpose the individual wall elements may be provided with valves, or all the wall elements may be connected to a vacuum pump by a pipe line. Evacuation prevents any heat transfer by convection. Moreover, the formation of condensate is prevented which condensate might reduce the reflectivity of the high-gloss reflector foils.

The thermal insulation properties of the wall units described herein above apply substantially likewise to acoustic insulation.

When the air is not evacuated, it has to be displaced by dried air. The airtight wall units are to be connected by pipe lines to an air-drying plant. Corresponding to the atmospheric fluctuations of air pressure, dried air is additionally received by the wall units from this air drying plant when the atmospheric pressure rises, and discharged by the wall unit into said plant when the atmospheric pressure drops. The pressure in the wall unit thus is at any time in equilibrium with the atmospheric pressure, without humidity being able' to enter into the wall unit.

I claim:

1. A wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of said unit, a seal arranged between the margins of said panels, an insulation occupying the cavity between said panels, said insulation comprising an insulating group extending parallel to said panels and comprising at least two foils capable of reflecting thermal radiation, and chambers lying between said foils, the walls of said chambers consisting of insulating plates of hardened synthetic foam material being arranged between said foils, said plates having ribs on both surfaces for the formation of strip-shaped chambers between them, the ribs of said insulating plates crossing those of the insulating plates of adjacent insulating groups.

2. A wall element according to claim 1, wherein an insulator plate (9) is arranged between said two insulator groups when each said group comprises two reflector foils and a free chamber therebetween.

3. A wall element according to claim 1, wherein there is a middle reflector foil (7) supported by ribs (51a, 51b), and subdividing means on the chambers for dividing the radiation into each of the two radiation chambers.

4. A wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of said unit, a seal arranged between the margins of said panels, an insulation occupying the cavity between said panels, said insulation comprising an insulating group extending parallel to said panels and comprising at least two foils capable of reflecting thennal radiation, and chambers lying between said foils, the walls of said chambers consisting of insulating plates of hardened synthetic foam material being arranged between said foils, said plates having ribs on both surfaces for the formation of strip-shaped chambers between them, and strips of reflecting foils coating said insulating plates between said ribs.

5. A wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of said unit, a seal arranged between the margins of said panels, an insulation occupying the cavity between said panels, said insulation comprising an insulating group extending parallel to said panels and comprising at least two foils capable of reflecting thermal radiation, and chambers lying between said foils, the walls of said chambers consisting of insulating plates of hardened synthetic foam material being arranged between said foils, said plates having ribs on both surfaces for the formation of strip-shaped chambers between them, and reflecting foils coating said insulating plates over their entire surfaces.

nun-u

Claims

4. A wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of said unit, a seal arranged between the margins of said panels, an insulation occupying the cavity between said panels, said insulation comprising an insulating group extending parallel to said panels and comprising at least two foils capable of reflecting thermal radiation, and chambers lying between said foils, tHe walls of said chambers consisting of insulating plates of hardened synthetic foam material being arranged between said foils, said plates having ribs on both surfaces for the formation of strip-shaped chambers between them, and strips of reflecting foils coating said insulating plates between said ribs.