U.S. patent application number 12/356708 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-06 for removable window insulator.
Invention is credited to Rishi Kant, David F. Normen.
Application Number | 20090193756 12/356708 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40930294 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090193756 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kant; Rishi ; et
al. |
August 6, 2009 |
REMOVABLE WINDOW INSULATOR
Abstract
A window insulator is provided. The window insulator may
comprise a plurality of layers, with each layer performing a
desired function. A thermal insulation layer may be provided. A
reflective layer may be provided and coupled to the thermal
insulation layer. The window insulator may also include a surface
coupling layer. The surface coupling layer may be coupled to at
least one of the reflective layer or the thermal insulation
layer.
Inventors: |
Kant; Rishi; (Boulder,
CO) ; Normen; David F.; (Louisville, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE OLLILA LAW GROUP LLC
2060 BROADWAY, SUITE 300
BOULDER
CO
80302
US
|
Family ID: |
40930294 |
Appl. No.: |
12/356708 |
Filed: |
January 21, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61063202 |
Feb 4, 2008 |
|
|
|
61126967 |
May 9, 2008 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/786.11 ;
52/741.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B 17/10174 20130101;
E06B 3/6715 20130101; E06B 3/28 20130101; B32B 17/10018
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/786.11 ;
52/741.4 |
International
Class: |
E04C 2/34 20060101
E04C002/34; E04B 1/78 20060101 E04B001/78 |
Claims
1. A window insulator, comprising: a thermal insulation layer; a
reflective layer coupled to the thermal insulation layer; and a
surface coupling layer coupled to at least one of the reflective
layer or the thermal insulation layer.
2. The window insulator of claim 1, further comprising one or more
adhesive layers coupling the insulation layer to the reflective
layer.
3. The window insulator of claim 1, further comprising one or more
adhesive layers coupling the reflective layer to the surface
coupling layer.
4. The window insulator of claim 1, further comprising a laminate
coupling one or more of the layers together.
5. The window insulator of claim 1, further comprising one or more
bleed holes formed in the surface coupling layer.
6. The window insulator of claim 1, further comprising a decorative
layer coupled to the insulation layer.
7. A method for insulating an opening using a window insulator,
comprising the steps of: reducing a thermal conductivity through
the opening using a first layer of the window insulator; reducing a
thermal radiation through the opening using a second layer of the
window insulator coupled to the first layer of material; and
coupling the first and second layers of the window insulator to the
opening.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of coupling the first
and second layers of the window insulator to the opening comprises
using a third layer coupled to at least one of the first or the
second layers.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of reducing the thermal
radiation through the opening using the second layer comprises
reflecting the thermal radiation away from the first layer.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first layer comprises a
thermal insulation layer.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of reducing
an air flow through the first layer by coupling a fourth layer to
the first layer.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
application No. 61/063,202 filed on Feb. 4, 2008 entitled
"Removable Window Insulator Panel" and U.S. provisional application
No. 61/126,967 filed on May 9, 2008 entitled "Adhesive-less
attachment device for a removable window insulator panel" which are
both hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to an insulator panel, and
more particularly, to a removable window insulator panel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] With the increasing cost associated with energy as well as
the increased environmental concerns associated with fuel, there is
an increasing demand to develop solutions that can decrease energy
demands. Within buildings, one of the greatest losses of energy
occurs through windows. The heat lost and gained through a
building's windows can typically approach 30% of the total
building's heat lost or gained due to the window's high thermal
conductivity and poor ability to reflect the sun's radiant heat.
During the summer, east, west, and southerly facing windows can
provide substantial solar heat gain during the day. The solar gain
heats the inside of the building to the point where it is
uncomfortable and often requires the use of energy for cooling.
Conversely, during the colder periods, a window's high thermal
conductivity allows heat within the building to easily escape,
thereby requiring increased energy to retain the inside temperature
at a comfortable level.
[0004] During the winter months, the outside temperature,
T.sub.out, is typically cooler than the desired comfortable
temperature inside the building, i.e., T.sub.desired>T.sub.out.
In order to maintain the comfortable temperature inside the
building some sort of heating device is used which raises the
temperature in the interior of the building to T.sub.inside and
maintains it at this level by replacing the heat lost through the
windows or similar openings. The heat loss is governed by the laws
of physics and thermodynamics that dictate that the heat flows from
higher temperature, T.sub.inside to lower temperature, T.sub.out.
If this lost heat is not replaced, the temperature inside will
start to fall and will eventually become equal to the colder
temperature, T.sub.out. Thus in order to maintain a comfortable
temperature, T.sub.inside>T.sub.out, the continuous use of a
heating device is necessary (see FIG. 1).
[0005] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a window 104
installed in a building. The window 104 separates the outside 101
from the interior 100 of the building. The window 104 held in place
by a window frame 103 that is installed in a wall 102 as is known
in the art. A furnace or other heating device 105 attempts to
maintain the interior temperature of the building at a desired
interior temperature T.sub.inside.
[0006] For a given size window 103, the amount of heat loss per
unit area of the window generally depends on two parameters; a
U-factor and the difference between the inside and outside
temperatures, T.sub.inside-T.sub.out. Generally, heat loss can be
characterized as:
{dot over (q)}=-k(T.sub.inside-T.sub.out) (1)
[0007] where:
[0008] {dot over (q)} is the heat loss per unit time; and
[0009] k=the thermal conductance.
[0010] The temperature difference (T.sub.inside-T.sub.out) is the
driving force behind the heat loss (transfer). If k=0, then the
material is called a perfect insulator and {dot over (q)}=0.
However, the conductance, k can be very small but not equal to
zero. As equation (1) shows, for a given temperature difference,
the smaller k is, the smaller the heat loss. To understand the
function of an insulator, consider FIG. 2.
[0011] In FIG. 2, L represents the thickness of the insulator 200
and A represents the area covered by the insulator (for example it
can be the area of a window). The temperature T.sub.1 is the warmer
side and k is the conductance of the insulating material.
[0012] For this case equation (1) is rewritten as,
k = q . - ( T 1 - T 2 ) ( 2 ) ##EQU00001##
[0013] From equation (2) it is seen that as long as there is a
temperature difference, when k=0, {dot over (q)}=0. Furthermore
when k is small, {dot over (q)} is also small. Equation (2) can
also be expressed as:
.kappa. = q . - ( T 1 - T 2 ) A / L ( 3 ) ##EQU00002##
[0014] The constant, .kappa. is called the thermal conductivity and
1/.kappa. is called the thermal resistivity, and is defined as:
1 .kappa. = ( T 2 - T 1 ) A q . L ( 4 ) ##EQU00003##
[0015] The quantity .kappa./L is called the U-factor of the
insulator, the inverse of which is called the R-value. The R-value
is a measure of a building material's thermal resistance typically
used in industry. Insulators with a small U-factor (high R-value)
reduce the heat transfer. As the definition of the U-factor
suggests that in order to have a small U-factor, the insulator must
have greater thickness, L, or smaller conductance (poor conductor
of heat), K or both. Equation (4) suggests that the smaller the
U-factor (larger R-value) the smaller the heat flow across A. Thus,
use of insulators having a high R-value reduces the heat transfer
resulting in less heat lost to the outside when the interior of the
building is heated and less heat gained from outside when the same
is cooled.
[0016] Most contemporary buildings in the United States have double
pane, or so-called insulated windows and often these windows are
tinted to control the amount of radiant heat transmitted through
the window. Two pane tinted windows have the so-called R-value of
approximately 2. This low R-value causes substantial heat transfer
across the window panes. If somehow the heat transfer across the
windows can be mitigated, the net result would be a substantial
reduction in energy usage either when the building is cooled during
the summer months or when the building is heated during the winter
months. It should be appreciated that "window" is used for all
possible openings including doors, such as the patio glass doors
and the like.
[0017] When an insulator is not present, as it is shown in FIG. 1,
the heat loss, {dot over (q)}.sub.loss to the outside in the winter
months will be greater compared to the case when the insulator is
present as it is shown in FIG. 3. Addition of a prior art window
insulator 300 to a window 104 reduces the U-factor of the opening
thus reducing the heat transfer (loss) to the outside in winter
months. Thus, when the window insulator 300 is present, more heat
is retained in the interior. The burning time of the furnace will
be less. Hence the use of a window insulator results in cost
savings and less green-house gases will be released into the
atmosphere.
[0018] In the summer months, when T.sub.out is greater than
T.sub.inside, the heat transfer takes place from outside into the
interior of the living space. The influx of heat raises the
temperature of the living space. The heat flow continues until
T.sub.out=T.sub.inside. To cool the interior of the building, heat
should be removed from the interior. This is customarily
accomplished by an air-conditioning unit 106 See FIG. 4. The prior
art window insulator 300 in summer months reduces the heat entering
from the outside to inside due to conduction. However, the prior
art window insulator 300 fails to prevent heat gain due to thermal
radiation. Radiative heat transfer is more prevalent during the
summer when the temperature outside, T.sub.out is greater than the
temperature inside, T.sub.inside. Prior art window insulators do
not address this problem. Therefore, the temperature inside the
building can still be significantly increased due to radiative heat
gain from the sun even when a prior art insulator is in place. The
present invention reduces the radiative heat transfer using a novel
window insulator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] A window insulator is provided according to an embodiment of
the invention. The window insulator comprises a plurality of layers
coupled together. The window insulator may comprise a thermal
insulation layer for reducing a thermal conductivity through the
panel. A reflective layer can be provided to reflect thermal
radiation entering through the window. The reflective layer can be
coupled to the insulation layer. A surface coupling layer may be
provided for coupling the window insulator to the window or other
nearby surface.
[0020] A method for insulating an opening is provided that utilizes
a window insulator according to an embodiment of the invention. The
method comprises reducing a thermal conductivity through the
opening using a first layer of the window insulator. The method
also comprises reducing a thermal radiation through the opening
using a second layer of the window insulator. The second layer of
material can be coupled to the first layer of the window insulator.
The first and second layers can then be coupled to the opening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of a window without an
insulator.
[0022] FIG. 2 the general principles of an insulator.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows the general heat transfer through a window with
a window insulator in place when the inside temperature is greater
than the outside temperature.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows the heat transfer through a window with the
window insulator when the outside temperature is greater than the
inside temperature.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a window insulator
according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the window insulator
coupled to a window according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0027] FIG. 7 shows the window insulator according to another
embodiment of the invention.
[0028] FIG. 8 shows the window insulator according to yet another
embodiment of the invention.
[0029] FIG. 9A shows an attachment device for coupling the window
insulator to a window according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0030] FIG. 9B shows the attachment device coupled to the window
insulator according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0031] FIG. 9C shows the window insulator coupled to a window
according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0032] FIG. 9D shows the window insulator including a plurality of
attachment devices according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0033] FIG. 10 shows a graph depicting an amount of money saved
using the window insulator according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0034] FIG. 11 shows another graph depicting an amount of money
saved using the window insulator according to an embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] FIGS. 5-11 and the following description depict specific
examples to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the
best mode of the invention. For the purpose of teaching inventive
principles, some conventional aspects have been simplified or
omitted. Those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from
these examples that fall within the scope of the invention. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described
below can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations
of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the
specific examples described below, but only by the claims and their
equivalents.
[0036] FIG. 5 shows a removable window insulator 500 according to
an embodiment of the invention. The window insulator 500 comprises
multiple layers that are coupled together to form a single
insulator 500. According to an embodiment of the invention, the
window insulator 500 comprises a first layer 501, a second layer
502, and at least a third layer 503. The layers may be coupled
together using any known means including adhesives, bonding,
lamination, etc. According to an embodiment of the invention, the
layers of the window insulator 500 may be permanently laminated
together. The lamination may be accomplished by using an adhesive
film, such as pressure sensitive or spray-on adhesives, or the
lamination can be made by heat bonding methods. In another
embodiment, the layers may also be quilted together by stitching.
There also may be a gap between the layers to further improve the
window insulator's thermal resistance.
[0037] In FIG. 5, an adhesive layer 504 is provided between the
first layer 501 and the second layer 502 as well as between the
second layer 502 and the third layer 503. Although the layer 504 is
referred to as the "adhesive" layer, it should be appreciated that
the layer 504 may not comprise an adhesive. Rather, the layer 504
may comprise any material suitable for coupling the various layers
of the window insulator 500 together. Additionally, it should be
appreciated that if the window insulator 500 is laminated, the
adhesive layer 504 may be omitted.
[0038] It should be appreciated that the layers are not shown to
scale, but rather the second, third, and adhesive layers 502, 503,
504 are shown as comprising approximately the same thickness. This
is merely to aid in an understanding in the various layers of the
window insulator 500. In practice, the layers will generally be
much thinner than shown and the adhesive layers 504 may not be
visible to the naked eye.
[0039] According to an embodiment of the invention, the first layer
501 comprises a thermal conduction insulating material to reduce
the conduction of heat through a window. Therefore, the first layer
501 may comprise an insulation layer 501. This layer may comprise
any number of insulating materials generally known in the art.
Closed cell foam, such as polyethylene foam, open cell foams, such
as polyester, or fibrous insulations such as glass or cotton fibers
may be used. There are numerous other materials that may be used
for the insulating layer 501 and the specific examples provided
should not limit the scope of the present invention. The insulating
materials that are suitable for the insulator panel as called for
in this invention are commercially available. The choice of the
insulating material for the first insulating layer 501 may be
governed by the climate of the area where it is to be used. In
colder climate a thicker insulating material may be more desirable
whereas in moderate climates, thinner insulating materials may be
sufficient. Ideally these insulating materials have a small thermal
conductivity (.kappa.).
[0040] According to an embodiment of the invention, the second
layer 502 of the window insulator 500 comprises a reflecting
material. Therefore, the second layer 502 may comprise a light
reflecting layer 502. The second reflective layer 502 may comprise
a reflective film, for example. The function of the reflective
layer 502 is to reflect radiant heat back to the outside. This
reduces the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of the window
insulator 500. The SHGC measures how well a product blocks heat
caused by sunlight. The reflective film 502 may comprise aluminum
foil, or aluminum deposited on a substrate, for example. Other
reflective materials are generally known and may be used and the
specific materials mentioned should not limit the scope of the
present invention. The reflective film may also be deposited
directly on the first insulating layer 501 or the third layer 503,
for example.
[0041] In addition to the second reflective layer 502 reflecting
heat away from the interior of the building, the second reflective
layer 502 can reflect thermal radiation away from the first layer
501. This can prevent the first insulating layer 501 from absorbing
heat.
[0042] According to an embodiment of the invention, the third layer
503 is adapted to couple the window insulator 500 to the glass
surface of the window 104, the window frame 103, or the wall 102,
for example. Therefore, the third layer 503 may be referred to as a
coupling layer or a surface coupling layer, for example. The
coupling layer 503 may be adapted to couple to any desired surface
and the particular examples listed above should not limit the scope
of the present invention. Furthermore, according to an embodiment
of the invention, the third coupling layer 503 allows the window
insulator 500 to temporarily and repeatedly be coupled to the
desired surface. According to an embodiment of the invention, the
coupling layer 503 allows the window insulator 500 to adhere to the
glass surface of the window 104 as closely as possible. The
coupling layer 503 may allow the window insulator 500 to stay
coupled to the glass surface 104 until a user physically removes
it. The coupling layer 503 may be coupled to the second layer 502,
the first layer 501, or both.
[0043] The coupling layer 503 may comprise any number of different
forms. According to one embodiment of the invention, the third
layer 503 comprises a thin film of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low
density polyethylene (LDPE) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC). This
film couples to glass and other smooth surfaces through mechanisms
such as electro-static attraction, vacuum, adhesion or cohesion.
These films attach themselves to smooth non-conducting surfaces
such as a glass window pane because they generate a Coulomb
electrostatic charge upon mechanical handling. The window insulator
500 can be attached or removed from the glazing an infinite number
of times using such a thin film layer. According to an embodiment
of the invention, the coupling layer 503 may comprise a
substantially transparent material. This allows the coupling layer
503 to comprise substantially the same size as the first and second
layers 501, 502 without inhibiting the reflective characteristics
of the second reflective layer 502.
[0044] FIG. 6 shows the window insulator 500 coupled to a window
104 according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the
coupling layer 503 is coupled to the window 104. According to the
embodiment shown, the second reflective layer 502 is exposed to the
window 104. Therefore, thermal radiation can be reflected back
through the window 104 and away from the first insulation layer 501
rather than being absorbed by the first insulation layer 501.
Therefore, it is especially useful if the third coupling layer 503
and the adhesive layer 504 comprise substantially transparent
materials such that at least a portion of the second reflective
layer 502 is exposed to the window 104 when the window insulator
500 is in place.
[0045] It should be appreciated that the coupling layer 503 may not
occupy the entire shape of the insulator 500. For example, in some
embodiments, the coupling layer 503 can comprise one or more
patches of arbitrary shape attached to the second reflective layer
502 intermittently at the periphery of the patch by a temperature
resistant adhesive 720, for example (see FIG. 7). In some
embodiments, the temperature resistant adhesive 720 attaches the
third layer 503 to the second layer 502 and may not play any role
in attaching the window insulator 500 to the glass pane. The
intermittent deployment of adhesive 720 is to allow the pocket of
air in between the third layer 503 and the second layer 502 to
escape. This may allow greater coupling capability to the window,
for example.
[0046] FIG. 8 shows the window insulator 500 according to another
embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the
third layer 503 includes bleed holes 821 provided in the third
layer 503 itself to allow the air to escape. In the embodiment
shown in FIG. 8, the third layer 503 may be continuously bonded to
the second layer 502. On a window insulator 500, several third
layers 503 of arbitrary shape can be provided.
[0047] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the
third layer 503 may be continuously adhesively bonded to the entire
second layer 502 except for certain patches where adherence to the
glass surface is required. This implementation gives rise to the
possibility that the third layer 503 may be screen printed for the
desired pleasing appearance.
[0048] FIGS. 9A-9D show the third layer 503 according to another
embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment shown, the third
layer 503 comprises a plurality of suction cups 930. As shown in
FIG. 9A, the suction cup 930 may include a clip 931 or other
attachment member to secure the suction cup 930 to the window
insulator 500. In FIG. 9B, the suction cup 930 is coupled to the
window insulator 500 using the clip 931 as well as an adhesive 932.
Once the window insulator 500 is in place as shown in FIG. 9C, the
suction cup 930 secures the window insulator 500 against the window
104 until a user desires to remove it. If additional securing is
required, additional suction cups 930 may be coupled to the window
insulator 500 such as shown in FIG. 9D where interior suction cups
933 are held in place using an adhesive 932, for example.
[0049] It should be appreciated that the suction cups 930, 933 may
be held using other methods. For example, suction cups 930, 933 as
well as other embodiments of the third layer 503 may be formed into
the first layer 501 and/or the second layer 502. A portion of the
first and second layers 501, 502 can be removed to make room for
the third layer 503.
[0050] According to another embodiment of the invention, the third
coupling layer 503 may comprise an adhesive, such as double sided
tape, for example. According to this embodiment, one side of the
adhesive could be coupled to the second layer 502, while the other
side of the adhesive is coupled to the window 104. The adhesive may
comprise patches as described above. Therefore, the adhesive does
not need to occupy the entire second layer 502. In many
embodiments, less adhesive may be desired because the adhesive may
block a portion of the second layer 502, thereby inhibiting the
reflective properties of the second layer 502. According to another
embodiment of the invention, the third layer 503 comprises one or
more magnets. A first portion of the magnet may be coupled to the
second layer 502 while a second portion of the magnet can be
coupled to the window or other surrounding surface. It should be
appreciated that the third layer 503 may comprise other materials
and the specific examples provided should not limit the scope of
the invention.
[0051] According to another embodiment of the invention, the third
layer 503 may be omitted and the window insulator 500 can be held
in place by friction. The first layer 501 may be formed from a
flexible material. The window insulator 500 can be sized slightly
larger than the intended window opening so that when put in place,
it is held in compression against the window frame. If sized
properly, this could also create a substantially air-tight seal.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the edges of the
window insulator 500 may be contoured making the window insulator
500 more flexible without having to add a different material to the
edges. Once the window insulator 500 is in place, the contoured
edges can partially deform thereby holding the window insulator 500
in place.
[0052] According to an embodiment of the invention, the window
insulator 500 may include a fourth layer 510 (shown only in FIG.
5). This layer can provide a decorative cover for the window
insulator 500. Depending on the particular material chosen for the
fourth layer, it may also function as a convection barrier to
minimize air motion in the conductive insulating layer 501.
[0053] Although the window insulator 500 has been shown as
comprising a substantially rigid material, in some embodiments, the
window insulator 500 may comprise a relatively flexible component,
thereby allowing the window insulator 500 to be rolled up or folded
for storage purposes. In some embodiments, the window insulator 500
may be secured along one of the edges of a window, for example and
unrolled into place. This may allow for easier use of the window
insulator 500 while also providing a method for storing the window
insulator 500 when not in use.
[0054] The window insulator 500 may significantly reduce energy
requirements of a building. The insulation rating of a typical wood
framed/fiberglass insulated wall is approximately R=15, whereas the
insulation rating of a typical double pane window is approximately
R=1.9. A window insulator 500 can have an R-rating of anywhere from
1 to 8 or more depending on the type of insulation used and
thickness for the first layer 501. Calculations show that a window
insulator 500 with insulation rating of approximately R=4 used on
typical double pane windows can reduce heating cost by
approximately 25%.
[0055] FIG. 10 shows the cost savings with the use of the window
insulator 500 for a home with single or double pane windows. FIG.
10 is from a passive solar house in Boulder, Colo. area built in
1987 with 268 ft.sup.2 of double pane windows. There are
approximately 5730 heating degree days per year (HDD) in Boulder.
The curves in this chart assume the house is heated with a 75%
efficient oil furnace and heating oil is at $2.67 per gallon. Using
the window insulator 500 on all windows after sunset, and on north
facing windows during the day, the energy efficiency can be
improved by reducing the heat loss through the windows. As can be
shown in FIG. 10, the window insulator 500 with insulation of
approximately R=2.0, would save approximately
0.86($/ft.sup.2)*268(ft.sup.2).apprxeq.$230 per year.
[0056] FIG. 11 is the same plot as FIG. 10 with the savings per
square foot normalized per heating degree day, per $/gallon for
oil. This allows you to calculate the savings for any part of the
country and any cost of heating oil. The same house in Boulder with
268 ft.sup.2 of window area, 5730 HHD/year, and oil at $2.67/gallon
would save approximately $230
(0.000056($/ft.sup.2/HDD/$/gal)*268(ft.sup.2)*5730(HDD)*2.67($/gal).apprx-
eq.$230).
[0057] Another way to look at these savings is to consider the
total energy (for heating only) used in a typical building. In the
example of this house, 476 thm (therms) per year are used for
heating purposes. With the use of window insulator 500 savings, of
89.2 thm per year would be realized. A 95% efficient natural gas
furnace, with natural gas at $0.95/thm would save approximately
$85/year. For buildings with single pane windows, the savings are
more than doubled. The window insulator 500 can be applied to any
window at very low cost, and could have a return on investment of
two years or less. Replacing the existing windows to triple pane
windows, with R=3, is an expensive alternative, which would require
many years to realize the return on investment. In contrast, using
a window insulator 500 according to the present invention can
result in savings that are realized much sooner.
[0058] The detailed descriptions of the above embodiments are not
exhaustive descriptions of all embodiments contemplated by the
inventors to be within the scope of the invention. Indeed, persons
skilled in the art will recognize that certain elements of the
above-described embodiments may variously be combined or eliminated
to create further embodiments, and such further embodiments fall
within the scope and teachings of the invention. It will also be
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the
above-described embodiments may be combined in whole or in part to
create additional embodiments within the scope and teachings of the
invention.
[0059] Thus, although specific embodiments of, and examples for,
the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes,
various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of
the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.
The teachings provided herein can be applied to other window
insulators, and not just to the embodiments described above and
shown in the accompanying figures. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention should be determined from the following claims.
* * * * *