U.S. patent number 3,834,096 [Application Number 05/231,815] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-10 for insulating wall unit.
Invention is credited to Otto Alfred Becker.
United States Patent |
3,834,096 |
Becker |
September 10, 1974 |
INSULATING WALL UNIT
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. The cavity
between said panels may be evacuated or it may be filled with dry
air or a dry gas.
Inventors: |
Becker; Otto Alfred (66
Saarbruecken, DT) |
Family
ID: |
27582912 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/231,815 |
Filed: |
March 6, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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826958 |
May 22, 1969 |
3646721 |
|
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37068 |
May 13, 1970 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/172;
52/793.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F
5/00 (20130101); E04B 1/7092 (20130101); E04B
1/80 (20130101); E04B 2/88 (20130101); E04C
2/34 (20130101); F24F 7/04 (20130101); E04B
1/90 (20130101); E04B 9/001 (20130101); E04C
2/52 (20130101); E04B 1/76 (20130101); E04C
2/365 (20130101); E04B 1/803 (20130101); Y02B
80/10 (20130101); E04B 2001/8452 (20130101); Y02A
30/242 (20180101); E04B 2001/8423 (20130101); E04B
2001/748 (20130101); E04B 2001/8447 (20130101); E04B
2001/747 (20130101); Y02B 80/12 (20130101); E04B
2001/8428 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
1/74 (20060101); F24F 7/04 (20060101); F24F
5/00 (20060101); E04B 2/88 (20060101); E04B
1/90 (20060101); E04C 2/34 (20060101); E04C
2/52 (20060101); E04C 2/36 (20060101); E04B
1/80 (20060101); E04B 1/70 (20060101); E04B
1/76 (20060101); E04B 1/84 (20060101); E04b
001/74 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/173,172,171,304,303,302,404,406,407,405,425,615,618,269,309 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Faw, Jr.; Price C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Radde; Erich M. H.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation-in-part of application
Ser. No. 826,958, filed May 22, 1969 and entitled "WALL UNITS WITH
INSULATION," now U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,721 and of application Ser.
No. 37,068, filed May 13, 1970 and entitled "THERMALLY INSULATING
WALL UNITS."
Claims
I claim:
1. In a wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of said
unit, a seal arranged between the margins of said panels to
air-tightly seal the wall unit, and an insulation occupying the
cavity between said panels, the improvement which consists in
additionally providing the wall unit at its one side with an
additional panel, spaced from the wall unit and forming therewith
an associated cavity, said additional panel being permeable to
condensed moisture, air, and vapors and allowing the condensed
moisture deposited thereon to pass therethrough into said
associated cavity, said associated cavity serving to eliminate
moisture condensed on said additional panel.
2. The wall unit of claim 1, in which the additional panel is a
gypsum panel.
3. The wall unit of claim 1, in which spacing means are provided in
the associated cavity.
4. The wall unit of claim 1, in which the associated cavity is
air-tightly sealed toward the wall unit.
5. The wall unit of claim 4, in which means are provided to reduce
the vapor pressure in the associated cavity sufficiently to prevent
condensation of water vapor therein.
6. The wall unit of claim 4, in which said means is means to
evacuate the associated cavity.
7. The wall unit of claim 4, in which said means comprises a dry
gas atmosphere in said associated cavity.
8. The wall unit of claim 4, in which said means comprises dry air
in said associated cavity.
9. The wall unit of claim 1, in which the walls of the associated
cavity are provided with foils capable of reflecting thermal
radiation, the reflecting foil adjacent the additional panel being
permeable to condensed moisture.
10. The wall unit of claim 9, in which at least the surface of the
additional panel opposite the one panel of the wall unit is
provided with a perforated reflecting foil.
11. In a wall unit comprising panels lying at opposite faces of
said unit, a seal arranged between the margins of said panels to
air-tightly seal the wall unit, and an insulation occupying the
cavity between said panels, said panels, seal, and insulation
forming the primary wall element, the improvement which consists in
additionally providing the wall unit at its one side with an
additional panel, said panel being directly attached to the one
panel of the wall unit, said additional panel being permeable to
moisture and thus permitting transfer of the water condensed on
said additional panel to pass through said additional panel and
said panel of the wall unit into the adjacent cavity of the primary
wall unit, said cavity being provided with means to eliminate the
moisture condensed on the additional panel and introduced thereinto
through the additional panel and the one panel of the wall unit,
said additional panel being permeable to condensed moisture, air,
and vapors.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wall unit with thermal and
acoustic insulation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known wall unit with thermal and acoustic insulation 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.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a wall unit
with improved thermal and acoustic insulation, whereby corrosion
thereof is prevented.
Other objects of the present invention and advantageous features
thereof will become apparent as the description proceeds.
In a wall unit according to the present invention comprising
opposite sheet metal panels, seals arranged between the margins of
said panels and insulation accomodated 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 said chambers consisting 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 other the effect is considerably increased,
whereby even the strictest requirements can be fulfilled. Between
any such groups an insulating plate may be inserted, which reduces
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 layer or 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.
Further improvement of the insulation is 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
hereinabove apply substantially likewise to acoustic
insulation.
When the air is not evacuated, it is preferably displaced by dry
air. For this purpose the air-tight wall units are connected by
pipe lines to an air drying plant. Corresponding to the atmospheric
fluctuations of air pressure, dry air is additionally received by
the wall units from such an air drying plant when the atmospheric
pressure rises, and is 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 substantial equilibrium with the atmospheric
pressure, without humidity being able to enter into the wall
unit.
It is, of course, also possible to provide the cavity itself with
air drying material so that the air in the cavity is kept dry.
After evacuating the cavity and placing the air drying material
therein, the wall unit may be air-tightly sealed. Thus on changes
in temperature and pressure the evacuated cavity or the cavity
filled with air or a gas is always kept dry so that no moisture can
precipitate on the reflecting foils of the insulating wall unit of
this invention.
Thus the present invention consists in principle in providing means
in the cavity of the insulating wall unit which prevents that the
degree of saturation with moisture of the air or gas in the wall
element is exceeded and that water of condensation is deposited on
the walls of the cavity of the insulating wall unit and on the
reflecting foils. Such deposition of water of condensation,
especially on the reflecting foils, which otherwise will take place
due to the changes in temperature and air pressure of the
surrounding atmosphere, will result in a very considerable
reduction in the reflection of the heat radiation by said
reflecting foils. The means provided according to the present
invention for preventing deposition of water of condensation within
the cavity of the wall unit and on the reflecting foils or the like
are adapted to permanently maintain the moisture content of the air
or gas in the cavity below a predetermined maximum value, i.e.
sufficiently above the dew point of the relative degree of
moisture, so that the reflecting surfaces do not become covered
with moisture. Such means are, for instance,
a. complete or partial evacuation of the cavity of the wall unit
which can then be air-tightly sealed or which can be connected with
a pump;
b. providing a substantially dry air or gas atmosphere within the
wall unit, for instance, by placing therein an air- or gas-drying
material and air-tightly sealing the cavity;
c. circulating a substantially dry gas or dry air through the wall
unit whereby the gas or air is passed through a drying system to
remove any moisture present, or accumulating, in said circulating
gas or air; or
d. venting the dry air introduced into the wall unit to the
atmosphere thereby passing it through a dryer so that the dry air,
if its volume increases due to an increase in temperature, passes
out to the atmosphere and if the volume of the air decreases due to
a drop in temperature, air is drawn in from the atmosphere through
the air drying device.
All these and other means prevent formation of condensate and
reduction of the reflectivity of the reflecting foils due to the
deposition of water of condensation thereon. In addition thereto
corrosion of the reflecting foils is prevented or at least very
considerably retarded. When evacuating the cavity, any heat
transfer by convection is excluded.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
example in the accompanying drawings without, however, limiting the
invention thereto. In said drawings
FIG. 1 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 of 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.
FIG. 8 is a vertical section of parts of two mutually abutting wall
units with an external sheet metal panel and an inner gypsum panel
and with insulating reflecting foils and spacing members formed by
perforated hard plastic foam plates.
FIG. 9 is a partial elevation of a perforated hard plastic foam
plate covered on both sides by reflecting foils.
FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of a wall unit having
insulating reflecting foils tensioned by means of springs.
FIG. 11 is a partial elevation of a wall unit having reflecting
foils and spacing members consisting of perforated hard plastic
foam strips, the panels and a number of other parts being broken
away.
FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic sectional view through a plurality of
wall units of a building, arranged one above the other showing an
air dryer and a dust filter and venting to the atmosphere.
FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic sectional view through a plurality of
wall units arranged one above the other, connected to a circulation
pump, an air conditioning installation, and a volume compensating
device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1 sections 1 of Z-shaped profile are attached by means of
screws 1a 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 11 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 steel metal panels is provided outside with a coating 4 of
lacquer or synthetic material, and inside with a foil 5 of a
sound-deadening 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%) reflected by the high-gloss
surface of the latter and is absorbed only to a small proportion
(7%), so that the opposite foil is warmed up but little and can
discharge little heat (1.25%) 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 % 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
air flow 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 100.degree. C. and
kept at that temperature, while the inner sheet metal panel was
exposed to a room temperature of 20.degree. C. After 4 hours a
steady condition was attained in which the temperature of the inner
sheet metal panel had increased from 20.degree. C. to 30.degree. C.
At an external temperature of 70.degree. C. the temperature of the
inner sheet metal panel rose by 7.degree. C. and at an external
temperature of 45.degree. C. by 3.degree. 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 fire-proof by impregnation or
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 7 and
spacer strips 15. On the latter a plate 16 of plaster of Paris and
covered on both surfaces with reflecting foils 7 is placed, which
is attached to the buildings by angle sections 17 and forms the
inner wall surface thereof.
The cavity between the sheet metal panels 6 with foils 7 may be
evacuated through perforated pipe 75 which is connected to a vacuum
pump (not shown), and then sealed. Or the air in said cavity may be
replaced by dry air or a dry gas such as nitrogen through said pipe
75 and then also sealed. Or perforated containers with a drying
agent such as calcium chloride, silica gel, or the like (not shown)
may be placed into the cavity which is then sealed, so as to dry
the air therein. Or dry air or a dry gas may be circulated through
the cavities of superposed wall units in the manner shown in FIG.
13. Or the cavity filled with dry air may be vented to the
atmosphere as shown in FIG. 12. Any means to provide dry air or a
dry gas atmosphere in the cavity of the wall units according to the
present invention may be employed provided they maintain a dry air
or gas atmosphere under subatmospheric, atmospheric, or
superatmospheric pressure in the cavity and thus prevent deposition
of moisture on the walls of the wall unit and especially on the
reflecting foils thereon.
A second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
FIGS. 2 to 5. The wall unit 3 comprise 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 8a 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 5
mm. wide on both faces and form strip-shaped cells 8. In FIG. 3 an
insulating plate is illustrated in elevation having horizontal ribs
51a, 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
7 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 7 seals these cells 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 9 themselves are highly reflective, the
foils may be dispensed with.
These wall units may also be provided with dry air or a dry gas
atmosphere or may be evacuated as described hereinabove.
In a third embodiment of the present invention, 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 cells 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 of the present invention according to FIG. 7
two insulating groups comprising honeycomb plates 8a and associated
reflector foils 7 contact each of the sheet metal panels 3a, 3b
from inside, which panels have coating 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. As in the preceding wall units, these wall units may
also be provided with dry air or a dry gas atmosphere or may be
evacuated as described hereinabove.
In FIG. 8, an example of a suitable wall unit is illustrated in
longitudinal section. Seven insulating groups with insulating foam
plates 71 lie against the outer sheet metal panel 3a, which has an
outer layer 4. As shown in FIG. 9, the insulating foam plates have
cylindrical perforations 71a. The perforations are tightly closed
on both sides by reflecting foils 7, which form narrow insulating
chambers or cells containing stationary dry air or gas. In order to
reduce the contact and accordingly reduce the heat conduction, it
is advantageous for the surfaces of the insulating plates to be
roughened. Towards the inner side of the cavity, the wall unit is
closed by a plaster plate 16 which is clad, towards the last
insulating group, with a reflecting foil 7. The marginal sealing of
the wall unit is effected by insulating strips 51, for instance of
solid foam. The outer wall panel 3a and the plaster plate 16 are
connected through the insulating strips, by means of plastics
screws 72. For this purpose, on the inner side of the wall panel
3a, a nut 72a is welded by the stud welding method. For connecting
an upper and a lower wall unit, the sheet metal panel margins are
provided with angled portions, the lower panel having the U-shaped
angle formation 3e and the upper panel having the L-shaped angle
formation 3d. The mutually engaging angle formations are connected
by rivets 73. After fixing, an insulating margin filling strip 52
is pushed into the open gap between the upper and lower wall units.
In this example, the sheet metal panels are mutually supported and
can withstand pressure.
The insulation can be increased by evacuation of the cavity between
the sheet metal panels. For this purpose, the individual wall units
may be provided with valves and/or all wall units may be connected
through a pipe with a common evacuating installation (not shown).
The evacuation excludes heat transmission by convection. Moreover,
formation of condensed water is prevented, which would reduce the
reflecting capability of the highly polished reflecting foils.
For avoiding pressure differences, hoses or pipes 75 may extend
through the plaster plate 16 into the interior of the wall unit,
which connect the cavity of the airtight wall unit with the
atmosphere, through an air drying installation, or connect it with
a volume compensating device as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
Pipe 75 may also be used for evacuating the cavity between the
sheet metal panels. For this purpose said pipe 75 is connected with
a vacuum pump (not shown) and a valve (also not shown) is
interposed between vacuum pump and wall unit. After evacuating the
cavity of the wall unit, the valve is closed and the pipe leading
to the pump as well as the pump are removed. They can be attached
again for subsequent evacuation if the need arises.
The example of FIG. 10 enables a still smaller use of insulating
material. The outer panel 3a and the inner panel 3b are covered on
the outside with a coating 4 and are internally clad with a
reflecting foil 7. In the cavity further reflecting foils, for
instance, highly polished aluminum foils are mounted under tension,
for instance, at spacings of only a few millimeters, preferably 5
to 10 millimeters. For this purpose, the upper margins of the foils
are fixed onto fixing strips 76, preferably of hard foam, for
instance, by an adhesive coating 76a, and the fixing strips
together with the foils are inserted into the panels and
substantially air-tightly connected between themselves and with the
panels. The lower margins of the foils are rolled around metal
strips 76 and are simultaneously bonded. The metal strips have
poles for the provision of links 78a which can be suspended on
springs 78. In a mirror symmetrical arrangement, the other ends of
the springs are secured through metal strips onto foils, the other
ends of which are held by fixing strips between the panels. The
foils may be provided with spacing strips 77 above the metal
strips, which are held on only one side by an adhesive coating 76a,
the other side simply lying in free contact and allowing the
passage of air. The panels are provided at the upper margin with
L-shaped angled portions 3a and at the lower margin with U-shaped
angled portions 3e, so that abutting wall units can be pushed one
into the other in a tongue and groove-like manner. The cavity
between the angled portions 3e is closed off by marginal strips 54
of hard plastics foam. For reinforcing, the marginal strips may be
surrounded by a rectangular tube 55 of plastics material and the
tube can be air-tightly incorporated, with the aid of rubber strips
56. For complete air closure, the rectangular tube 55 and the
strips 54 may be horizontally subdivided and stuck together again
with the interposition of a metal foil 57 as a vapor barrier. Into
the intermediate space between the lower fixing strips 76 and the
spacing strips 77, a pipe 75, for instance, of plastics material
extends, the pipe being connected through a pipe network to the
atmosphere through an air drying installation, or being connected
to a compensating device or with a vacuum pump to evacuate the
cavity.
Instead of the cavities in the wall units, and the circulatory
system being filled with air, other dry gases, for instance,
nitrogen may be used. This has the advantage that the surfaces of
the aluminum foils are not oxidized.
In accordance with the front elevation shown in FIG. 11, reflecting
foils 7 may be held on all margins by fixing strips 76. The cavity
between the foils is subdivided into chambers or cells by
perforated insulating strips 81. By showing in FIG. 11 individual
foils cut away, the chambers or cells between the foils 7a and 7b,
formed by horizontal insulating strips 81a, and the cavity between
the foils 7b and 7c, formed by the vertical insulating strips 81b
and so on, can be seen.
In place of using insulating strips 81a and 81b between the foils
7a, 7b, and 7c of FIG. 11, there may be glued small disks, blocks,
or the like of insulating material upon the reflecting foils, thus
creating the small chambers or cells of the wall units. Of course,
as stated hereinabove, perforated plates, for instance, of hardened
plastics foam can be arranged between the reflecting foils or other
suitable insulating means can be provided therebetween. The
reflecting chambers or cells can also be formed by providing
recesses, crevices, or the like openings in said plates. It is also
possible to use insulating strings, cords or the like in place of
the insulating strips shown in FIG. 11 in order to form the
reflecting chambers or cells.
FIG. 12 shows in which manner a plurality of wall units arranged
one above the other can be filled with air. The plurality of wall
units are illustrated by their outer panels 3a and their inner
panels 3b. In front of each wall unit, a horizontal pipe 75 is
shown which is in the vicinity of the upper end of each wall unit
and which leads to a collecting line 141 which in turn leads to an
air drying device T and a dust filter S which has an opening 144 to
the atmosphere. If the temperature of the dry air in the wall units
drops, and the air consequently decreases in volume, then air is
drawn in from the atmosphere through the dust filter and the air
drying device. If the volume of the dry air increases, then dry air
passes out through the opening 144 to the atmosphere.
Even more reliable results are obtained by preventing deposition of
moisture which occurs in cooling down the wall unit, by causing dry
air or gas to circulate throughout the wall units. In FIG. 13, the
individual wall units are illustrated by their outer panels 3a and
their panels 3b. The cavities of the wall units are connected at
their lower regions by transverse pipes 137a with openings 137b, to
a common supply line 137, and at the upper regions by transverse
pipes 133a with openings 133b, to a common take-off line 133. The
take-off line leads to a circulating pump P, a dust filter S, a
dryer T, a volume compensating device V and back to the common
supply line 137, so that the path of circulation is closed.
Preferably, this circulation can also be used for performing a
temperature conditioning of the wall units, that is to say heating
or cooling them according to requirements. For this purpose, a
cooling device K and a heating device H with thermostat control are
additionally provided in the circulation path of the dry air.
Furthermore, the dust filter has an opening 144 leading to the
atmosphere, in order to be able to make up for losses of dry air.
Said opening 144 may also lead to a gasometer (not shown) partly
filled with a suitable gas such as nitrogen, also in order to make
up for losses of dry gas if the wall units are filled therewith.
Conditioning of the wall units in this manner will prevent
deposition of moisture and will facilitate conditioning of the
interior of a building constructed of the wall units of the present
invention.
It is, of course, understood that evacuating the wall units of this
invention or providing them with an atmosphere of dry air or a dry
gas may be effected by other means and methods as those described
herein.
For simplifying the guiding of the dry air or gas, the collecting
lines may be disposed in the wall units. The cavities of the wall
units may themselves be constructed as air or gas channels.
Advantageously, directly in front of the separating wall, an air or
gas channel extending from the bottom to the top may be provided as
a supply line, and in the uppermost wall unit a bypass channel may
be provided, as well as a channel extending from the top to the
bottom behind the outer wall, serving as a take-off line. For
forming the air or gas channels, the outer walls may comprise
vertically directed ribs, the spacing members may be vertically
arranged and corrugated reflecting foils may be used with their
vertical corrugations superimposed.
The outer panels may be air-tightly built together to form a wall
suspended from the building; and an inner wall unit with insulation
may be arranged at a spacing therefrom forming an outer air
channel, and the inner wall may again be arranged at a spacing,
forming an inner air channel.
For air conditioning the rooms from the outer walls, water
containers, i.e. in the form of square tubular pipes may be
arranged on the inner wall of the wall unit, for the supply or
removal of large amounts of heat through the inner wall. The water
containers simultaneously serve for strengthening and holding the
inner wall so that the reflecting foil insulation may be mounted
directly between the floor and the ceiling and the intermediate
chambers formed by bores in the cover and base may be constructed
as air or gas channels. For partition walls in the interior of the
building, an inner wall unit may be provided between two walls,
with the formation in each case of an air channel, which is filled
with dry air and provided with a volume compensating device. The
air channels may be connected by an air circulation system to an
air conditioning installation, preferably using dry air, and may
serve for air conditioning the walls and the rooms lying
therebeyond.
The insulation may consist of reflecting foils arranged at a
spacing, the spacing being maintained by perforated foam plastics
plates. The reflecting foils may alternately be fixed only at their
margins to hard plastics foam rails, and held by means of tension
springs. The cavity between the reflecting foils may be sub-divided
into chambers or cells by a number of narrow perforated strips of
hard foam plastics, the strips on one side of the reflecting foil
being horizontal and those on the other side vertical. The
reflecting foils may be strengthened by the provision of
corrugations and inserted into the chambers with the interposition
of spacing members. Foils with large corrugations may be held
between tensioned bands or cords which are arranged in a zigzag
manner.
The volume in the wall elements which has to be kept filled with
dry air or another dry gas, for instance, nitrogen, can be
essentially reduced by the insertion of insulating elements which
themselves are air-tightly closed. This can consist of an air and
vapor-tight flexible envelope of plastics which is stiffened by two
plates lying parallel to the panels, filling the cavity of the wall
unit parallel to the walls and being filled with dry air. The
volume compensation can be obtained by changing the spacing of the
plates and by a bellows-like construction of the envelope.
Insulation, for instance, frames with reflecting foils mounted on
them, may be provided in the interior.
For enabling the use of very thin reflecting foils of aluminum,
which are particularly suitable, marginal strengthening members,
for instance strips, may be provided for them. While the foil is
being unrolled, its longitudinal marginal edges are bonded to
self-adhesive strips and during cutting of the foil to size, its
transverse marginal edges are bonded to such strips, the strips
being drawn from rolls. The adhesive strips may be folded over the
margins of the foil and may be provided with perforations for
facilitating mounting of the foil.
The disclosure of copending application Ser. No. 37,068 which
describes other ways and means of providing the wall units with dry
air or another dry gas is included by reference in the present
application.
The wall panels of the wall units according to the present
invention may not only be made of sheet metal but may also be
composed of wooden plates, gypsum plates, plates of asbestos cement
as known, for instance, under the trademark "ETERNIT," hard rubber
plates, and others. The insulating systems within the cavity of the
wall units may consist of pressure resistant honeycomb structures
made of kraft paper, resin-impregnated paper, hardened plastic foam
plates, and the like insulating materials. Non-metallic wall panels
are preferably coated with plastic coatings which can be
electroplated, and are then electroplated. Thereby, the wall panels
are made substantially completely impermeable to vapors.
The wall units according to the present invention can be used not
only as structural parts, separating walls, ceilings, and floorings
in the interior of buildings but also as external structural parts,
since their durability and service life is considerably increased
and prolonged.
As stated hereinabove, surface condensation and deposition of
condensed water due to changes in temperature and pressure can be
prevented not only by introducing dry air or gas into the cavity of
the wall units according to the present invention, but also be
partial or complete evacuation of the air from said cavities,
chambers, or cells.
In order to dry the air in the wall units, especially when the air
is not completely evacuated, there can be inserted, as explained
hereinabove, perforated containers, capsules, or the like which are
filled with a hygroscopic agent capable of absorbing the moisture
present in the air, preferably in the lower part of the cavity of
the air-tightly sealed wall unit. Preferably a subatmospheric
pressure in the wall unit which is slightly below the lowest
barometric pressure to be expected in utilizing the wall units, is
maintained therein. Since the marginal parts of the wall units
cannot be composed of metal but, in order to avoid formation of
heat transfer bridges, are preferably made of highly insulating
materials such as expanded plastic or hardened plastic foam, a
vapor barrier layer or vapor blocking layer must be provided if the
air in the wall unit is under subatmospheric pressure or if it is
substantially completely evacuated therefrom. For this purpose the
marginal strips, borders, bars, or the like of hardened plastic
foam are coated with a thin plastic layer which is capable of being
electroplated and which is subsequently provided with a metallic
skin-like layer by electroplating. Said layer must, of course, be
thin enough so that substantially not heat transfer bridge is
formed.
It is, of course, also possible to use marginal strips 54, for
instance, of FIG. 10 which are subdivided into two parts and have
interposed therebetween, for instance, an aluminum foil 57 as a
vapor barrier. Likewise, the rectangular plastic tube 55
surrounding said marginal strips 54 may be electroplated on its
inner and outer surfaces. Likewise the plastic foam strips, plates,
and the like insulating inserts can be electroplated to provide a
thin metal coating after coating them with a plastic layer capable
of being electroplated.
An especially useful wall unit according to the present invention
is obtained by modifying the wall unit as illustrated in FIG. 1 as
will be described hereinafter.
As is evident from FIG. 1, the wall unit actually consists of two
insulating wall units, the one wall unit which may be called
hereinafter the primary wall unit being formed by the panels 3a and
3b and the other wall unit which may be called hereinafter the
associated wall unit being formed by the inner panel 3b and the
gypsum or Plaster of Paris plate 16. Panel 3b and plate 16 with
spacer strips 15 form the space or chamber 15a. This hollow space
15a thus forms an all around closed associated smaller wall
unit.
Like the chambers or cells 8 of the primary wall unit, space 15a
can also partly or completely be evacuated by means of valves and a
pipe connection to a vacuum pump. Or a dry air or dry gas
atmosphere can be provided therein, for instance, by inserting
drying agents in said space or by allowing the air in the space to
communicate with the atmosphere with the interposition of an air
drying plant or by causing dry air or a dry gas to circulate
through said space 15a by means of a circulating pump, a dryer, and
a volume compensating device as shown in FIG. 13.
The primary wall element serves the purpose to achieve an extremely
high thermal and acoustic insulation effect. This is primarily
achieved by keeping its cavity free of moisture or by keeping its
moisture content at least below the dew point so that formation of
condensed water is prevented. In addition thereto, the associated
secondary wall element with space 15a has the important function
that any condensed water which precipitates on the surface of the
gypsum or the like plate 16 due to changes in the temperature of
the interior of the respective building, is absorbed by plate 16
and is transferred to space 15a from where it is eliminated by
means of the air drying plant.
In order to achieve this result, foils 7a which are provided at the
outer surface of interior plate 16 and foils 7b which are provided
at the inner surface of plate 16 and on panel 3b with its lacquer
coating 4 can either be perforated high-gloss aluminum foils so
that condensed water can be transferred through plate 16 into space
15a. It is, of course, also possible to completely omit said foils
7a and 7b so that the condensed water can readily enter space 15a
through plate 16. Thus the primary and most important function of
the associated secondary wall unit 3b, 16 forming space 15a is the
dehumidification of the interior plate 16. If space 15a were not
provided, satisfactory dehumidification of plate 16 would not be
possible.
It is, of course, also possible to attach the plate 16 directly to
the panel 3b provided said panel 3b is also permeable to moisture
and thus permits transfer of the water condensed on plate 16
through said panel 3b into the cavity of the primary wall unit
where it is eliminated by evacuation, by the drying agent inserted
into said cavity, or by the air or gas drying plants interposed in
the circulating air or gas or the air or gas flow communicating
with the atmosphere or a gasometer.
Of course, many changes and variations in the wall units according
to the present invention may be made by those skilled in the art in
order to effect reduction of the vapor pressure of the gas present
in the wall unit to such an extent that condensation of water vapor
does not take place.
Thus, for instance, the insulating means, strips, spacers, ribs,
plates, or the like may be polystyrene foam plates, insulating
mats, glasswool, rock wool, felted plates, asbestos plates, or the
like. Acoustic insulation can be achieved, for instance, by
providing, preferably at the inner surfaces of the wall panels, as
sound deadening or absorbing means highly viscous or highly
polymerized plastic sound damping or absorbing materials such as
vinyl acetate copolymerization products and/or sound damping or
absorbing plastic foils, such as made of vinylchloride
copolymerization products. Such sound damping or absorbing means
are advantageously sandwiched between the wall panels and opposed
sheet metal or the like panels preferably of the same thickness.
Acoustic insulation and sound absorption are very considerably
improved by such means.
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