WO1985000557A1

WO1985000557A1 - Improved insulating structure

Info

Publication number: WO1985000557A1
Application number: PCT/GB1984/000261
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lewis Russell Jackson
Original assignee: Lewis Russell Jackson
Priority date: 1983-07-28
Filing date: 1984-07-26
Publication date: 1985-02-14
Also published as: GB8320422D0; FI853257A0; GB8419069D0; FI853257L; AU3211684A; GB2144078A; EP0181334A1; GB2144078B

Abstract

An insulated damp-proof course comprises a flexible plastics membrane (12), for example of polythene, and a thermal insulating sheet (14) bonded to one side of the membrane (12) by a suitable adhesive. The sheet (14) is formed of an expanded or extruded polystyrene foam and is bonded under pressure to the membrane (12) so as to enable the bonded structure (10) to be rolled upon itself without damage to the material. Such an insulated damp-proof course is extremely advantageous not only for its inherent properties but also the ease with which it can be handled and laid due to the fact that it can be made available in a roll.

Description

Improved Insulating Structure

This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to prefabricated structures particularly for use as damp-proof courses, and is especially concerned with providing a thermally insulated damp-proof course.

According to the present invention there is provided a prefabricated structure comprising at least two layers which are secured together, one of the layers being formed of a flexible, pressure resistant material, and the other of the layers being formed of a foamed plastics continuous sheet having thermal insulating properties which is so bonded to said one layer as to enable the structure to be rolled upon itself.

Preferably said one layer is a water impermeable flexible material.

Preferably also said other layer is formed of expanded or extruded polystyrene foam, and has a thickness of between 2 mm and 50 mm.

The layers are desirably bonded together under pressure higher than that required to achieve bonding. Further the layers may be bonded together by a cobweb adhesive.

The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing a structure, comprising the steps of securing a foamed plastics continuous sheet having thermal insulating properties to a flexible, pressure resistant material by so pressure bonding that the formed structure can be rolled upon itself.

The invention further provides a method of installing, in a building, a damp-proof course which is formed of a prefabricated structure comprising at least two layers which are secured together, one of the layers being formed of flexible, pressure resistant, and water impermeable material, and the other of the layers being formed of a foamed plastics continuous sheet having thermal insulating properties which is so bonded to said one layer as to enable the structure to be rolled upon itself, unrolling the damp-proof course and locating the latter against a first building component with the plastics sheet ad jacent thereto, and forming or locating a second building component on or ad jacent to the flexible material, whereby to provide an insulated darap-proof course. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a prefabricated structure; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the structure of Fig. 1 used as a damp-proof course in a floor construction;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the structure of Fig. 1 used as a damp-proof course at a window or door opening in a wall;

Fig. A is a diagrammatic view of the structure of Fig. 1 used as a damp-proof course at the junction of adjacent preformed panels having a supporting column ; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of on apparatus for use in fabricating the structure of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a structure in the form of a damp-proof course (dpc) 10 (Fig. 1 ) comprises a membrane 12 made of a flexible plastics material conforming to the relevant British Standard, for example polythene, and a thermal insulating sheet 14 bonded to one side of the membrane 12.

Fig. 5 shows an apparatus for fabricating the dpc 10. At one end of a floor mounted support frame 40 there is connected, by any suitable means, a rod 42 on which can be freely rotatably supported a supply roll 44 of the flexible plastics membrane 12. The latter can be withdrawn from the roll 44 over a roller 46 located substantially above the supply roll 44 at said one end of the frame 40, and from the pulley 46 the membrane 12 is drawn across the length of the support frame 40 as hereinafter des cribed. Towards said one end of the support frame 40 there is provided an upwardly and outwardly extending mounting 48 for retaining a supply roll 50 of the foam sheet 14 in a freely rotatable manner. The sheet 14 is withdrawn from the lower part of the roll 50 over a roller 52 on the mounting 48 and therefrom the sheet 14 is drawn across the support frame 40 into engagement with the membrane 12 as hereinafter described. Before the membrane 12 and the sheet 14 are bonded together, each is passed through a stage 54 where the material is subjected to a curing technique by means of electron beam processing. Each of a pair of processors (not shown) utilises a cathode longitudinally arranged within a stainless steel vacuum tube, the cathods being raised to a potential between 150 to 300 kilovolts and being heated so as to thermionically emit electrons. The vacuum tube is formed with an elongate aperture corresponding to the width of the membrane 12 and sheet 14, the aperture being covered with a metallic foil arranged to be at ground potential and the foil being thin enough to allow electrons to pass through while thick enough to maintain vacuum integrity. The processor directs electrons to the foil where they are accelerated through the foil to atmosphere so as to impinge on the respective one of the membrane 12 and the sheet 14 for curing. The curing is a result of a non-thermal chemical reaction.

The sheet 14 continues to be drawn downwardly towards the membrane 12 as the materials pass through a further stage where a suitable adhesive, for example a cobweb adhesive, is applied to opposed faces of the membrane 12 and the sheet 14 by spraying in either direction from spray devices 56. The membrane 12 and the sheet 14 are then passed through an adhesive drying stage including an extractor 58 located in the spacing between the membrane 12 and the sheet 14, and associated with a fan 60.

At the end of the adhesive applying and drying stages the membrane 12 and the sheet 14 are drawn together and pass between pressure rollers 62,64 where a higher pressure is applied than that necessary to adhere the materials together. The roller 62 can be arranged to be capable of providing a variable pressure on the bonded materials. After bonding under the high pressure required for providing the polystyrene with the desired characteristics, the dpc 10 is capable of being rolled upon itself into a roll 66, without damage to the membrane 12 or the polystyrene sheet 14.

The sheet 14 is preferably formed of an expanded or extruded polystyrene foam and has a thickness between a minimum of 2mm ensuring adequate heat insulation, and a maximum of 50 mm to ensure that the bonded structure can be rolled upon itself. The ability of the dpc to be formed into a roll is extremely advantageous for handling and laying, and manufacture is simplified by the use of a continuous polystyrene sheet 14 which can roll without cracking and therefore without reducing its insulating properties.

In a first example of a use of the dpc, Fig. 2 shows the dpc 10 in position in a floor structure. The dpc 10 is laid on top of a hard core base 16 with the insulation sheet 14 adjacent thereto and extends up the side of a wall 18 to the intended level of a concrete floor 20. The dpc 10 has the membrane 12 longer than the sheet 14, so that the membrane 12 itself can then be laid over the course of bricks of the wall 18 at the floor level. Once the dpc 10 is in position, the concrete floor 20 is then laid on top. The use of such an insulated dpc 10 provides for a warmer floor and also reduces the possibilities of condensation on the dpc, and associated problems of solid floor finishes . The use of a dpc comprising only a polythene membrane does also present problems in that the membrane can be relatively easily damaged, for example it can be perforated, and the membrane also is prone to tear and wrinkle. The dpc foimed herein is easier to handle with less risk of damage. The insulated dpc can be laid faster with less risk of displacement and with better jointing facilities. The insulated dpc is lightweight and is more easily cut and shaped.

When used in a cavity wall 22 (Fig. 3), the dpc 10 is positioned between an outer skin 24 and an inner skin 26, with the foamed sheet 14 ad jacent the inner skin 26. The dpc 10 extends from the cavity 28 into the window opening with the extension being compressed against the wall by a window 20, the foamed sheet 14 being innermost. Such use of an insulated dpc reduces the effect of the cold bridge between the outer and inner skins 24, 26 of the wall 22, assisting elimination of the dew point from the inner skin 26, thereby helping to prevent the growth of mould on the inner face of the wall 22.

The insulated dpc 10 is also advantageously used at a junction (Fig. 4) between preformed panels or slabs 32 with a supporting column 34, the foamed sheet 14 being laid ad jacent the column 34 and the membrane 12 across the joint of the panels or slabs 32. The advantages of the insulated dpc described in relation to the Fig. 2 use, do of course apply to the other uses as described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. The insulated dpc can advantageously be used in other applications, particularly in rooms where the insulating and waterproofing qualities are especially desirable, and also as an expansion joint, as there is no fear of the materials rotting. Both the membrane and the foamed sheet are impervious to water and the structure of the dpc is such that it is resiliently deformable and can regain its original shape after compression. Further the insulated dpc can be laid as a vapour barrier and insulating material across the rafters of a pitched or flat roof construction. It will be appreciated that the insulated dpc is inexpensive and will not deteriorate on site under adverse weather conditions. Also the unitary structure reduces conventional site handling of separate dpc and insulation materials, as well as reducing deliveries of separate materials and also reducing storage difficulties where separate materials are involved.

It is also envisaged that the structure may be used as other than a dpc, for example as an interior insulating lining for hulls of ships and for motor cars. Application may also be found in packaging and as a lining for swimming pools. In such uses the foamed plastics sheet 14 would be located adjacent to the component to be lined, and the membrane 12 need not in certain applications require to be water impermeable.

Claims

Claims :

1. A prefabricated structure comprising at least two layers which are secured together, characterised in that one (12) of the layers is formed of a flexible, pressure resistant material, and the other (14) of the layers is formed of a foamed plastics continuous sheet having thermal insulating properties which is so bonded to said one layer (12) as to enable the structure (10) to be rolled upon itself.

2. A structure according to claim 1, characterised in that said one layer (12) is a water impermeable flexible material.

3. A structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said one layer (12) is formed of polythene or polyurethane.

4. A structure according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said other layer (14) is formed of expanded or extruded polystyrene foam.

5. A structure according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said other layer (14) has a thickness of between 2 mm and 50 mm.

6. A structure according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the layers (12,14) are bonded together under pressure higher than that required to achieve bonding.

7. A structure according to claim 6, characterised in that the layers (12,14) are bonded together by means of a cobweb adhesive.

8. A method of manufacturing a structure, characterised by the steps of securing a foamed plastics continuous sheet (14) having thermal insulating properties to a flexible, pressure resistant material (12) by so pressure bonding that the formed structure (10) can be rolled upon itself.

9. A method according to claim 8, characterised in that the bonding is effected by the use of a cobweb aahesive.

10. A method of installing, in a building, a damp-proof course characterised by a prefabricated structure (10) comprising at least two layers (12,14) which are secured together, one of the layers (12) being formed of flexible, pressure resistant, and water impermeable material, and the other of the layers (14) being formed of a foamed plastics continuous sheet having thermal insulating properties which is so bonded to said one layer (12) as to enable the structure (10) to be rolled upon itself, unrolling the damp-proof course (10) and locating the latter against a first building component (16,26,34) with the plastics sheet (14) adjacent thereto, and forming or locating a second building component (20,24,34) on or adjacent to the flexible material (12), whereby to provide an insulated damp-proof course (10).