U.S. patent number 3,875,996 [Application Number 05/479,090] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-08 for system for comfortable, year-long use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or the like.
Invention is credited to James A. B. Haughwout, Henry Von Kohorn.
United States Patent |
3,875,996 |
Von Kohorn , et al. |
April 8, 1975 |
System for comfortable, year-long use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or the like
Abstract
A system is provided for comfortable year-long use as an
athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall or the like. This system
may be adapted to remove snow and ice from and to subsequently dry
the surface during winter months. This system may also be adapted
to cool the surface during summer months, and includes a playing
surface mounted above a plenum chamber. A heating unit or furnace
is associated with the chamber to introduce hot gases in the
chamber under pressure sufficient to cause them to pass up through
the porous surface. These hot gases then serve to melt the snow and
dry the surface. The openings in the porous surface should be large
enough to permit up-flow of the gases and drainage of the melted
snow, but small enough so as to not adversely affect play on the
surface. The system also includes a cooling unit or air conditioner
associated with the chamber to introduce cool gases in the chamber
under pressure sufficient to cause them to pass up through the
porous surface. The surface of this system may also be divided into
a number of sections and provided with an arrangement for
selectively heating or cooling individual sections or zones of the
surface.
Inventors: |
Von Kohorn; Henry (Greenwich,
CT), Haughwout; James A. B. (Byram, CT) |
Family
ID: |
27016526 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/479,090 |
Filed: |
June 13, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
399171 |
Sep 20, 1973 |
3818892 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
165/48.1;
126/271.1; 237/1R; 34/237; 165/45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01C
13/02 (20130101); E01C 11/26 (20130101); F24F
3/044 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E01C
13/02 (20060101); F24F 3/044 (20060101); E01C
11/26 (20060101); E01C 13/00 (20060101); E01C
11/24 (20060101); F25b 029/00 (); F24j
003/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;34/104,105,225,230,231,232,233,237,243R
;126/271.1,271.1R,271.1C,343.5R ;237/1R ;165/45,47,48 ;219/213
;138/32.25 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Sprague; Kenneth W.
Assistant Examiner: Yeung; James C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Johnson; Haynes N.
Parent Case Text
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This application is a continutation-in-part of the copending
application Ser. No. 399,171 filed Sept. 20, 1973, now U.S. Pat.
No. 3,818,892.
Claims
We claim:
1. A system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled, comprising:
a foundation which defines a plenum chamber,
a supporting structure associated with said foundation, said
supporting structure being sufficiently porous to permit cool gases
to flow up therethrough,
platform means, mounted on and supported by said supporting
structure, sufficiently porous to permit cool gases to flow up
therethrough, said platform means having an upwardly-facing surface
which defines said floor, said platform means further enclosing
said plenum chamber, and
means associated with said plenum chamber for generating cool gases
under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby
cool gases are introduced into said plenum chamber and forced,
under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said
supporting structure and said platform means to cool the floor.
2. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 1 wherein said floor is divided into a
plurality of sections and wherein said system further
comprises:
means for selectively, variably controlling the quantity of cool
gases which pass up through each of said floor sections for
providing zonal cooling control to thus cool only selected areas of
said floor surface.
3. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 2 wherein said platform means
comprises:
a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members
mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting
structure, the spaces between said elongated members being
sufficiently large to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and
sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous
support for said floor surface, and wherein said means for
selectively variably controlling the quantity of cool gases which
pass up through each floor section comprises:
a plurality of spaced baffles slidably reciprocally mounted to
variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and
means for slidably reciprocally positioning said baffles.
4. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 2 wherein said platform means
comprises:
a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members
mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting
structure, the spaces between said elongated members being
sufficiently large to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and
sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous
support for said floor surface, and wherein said means for
selectively variably controlling the quantity of cool gases which
pass up through each floor section comprises
a plurality of spaced baffles vertically reciprocally mounted to
variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and
means for vertically reciprocally positioning said baffles.
5. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 1 wherein said platform means
comprises:
a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members
mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting
structure, the spaces between said elongated members being
sufficiently large to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and
sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous
support for said floor surface, and
a hydrophobic web, carried on top of said subsurface platform, and
being sufficiently porous to permit the flow of cool gases up
therethrough and forming a continuous, resilient floor surface.
6. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 1 wherein said platform means
comprises:
a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members
mounted side-by-side on said supporting structure, each of said
elongated members having a plurality of holes disposed therein to
provide fluid communication between said plenum chamber and said
playing surface, said holes being of sufficient number and size to
permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and providing
substantially uniform, continuous support for said floor surface,
and
a hydrophobic web, carried on top of said subsurface platform and
being sufficiently porous to permit the flow of cool gases up
therethrough and forming a continuous resilient floor surface.
7. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
means for distributing the cool gases generated by said generating
means uniformly throughout said plenum chamber to uniformly force
the cool gases up through said supporting structure and said
platform means.
8. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
automatic control means for monitoring the temperature of said
floor surface, for starting said cool gas generating means when
this temperature rises above a first predetermined temperature, and
for stopping said cool gas generating means when the temperature of
said floor surface falls below a second predetermined temperature,
lower than said first predetermined temperature.
9. A system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, computer room floor or any other floor
which may desirably be cooled, comprising:
a horizontal platform defining a floor surface comprising a porous
surface having openings therein large enough to permit cool gases
to flow upwardly therethrough but small enough not to prevent use
of said surface for use as a floor;
means for supporting said platform;
an enclosed, cool gas retaining chamber positioned below said
platform and substantially coextensive therewith said platform
defining the upper surface of said chamber; and
a source of cool gases associated with said chamber and capable of
supplying cool gases at greater than atmospheric pressure whereby
cool gases are generated in said chamber and are forced up through
said platform to cool said floor surface.
10. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, computer room floor or any other floor
which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 9 wherein said
system further includes:
an open duct network, mounted in said chamber, for distributing
cool gases originating from said cool gas source throughout said
chamber.
11. The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing
surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be
cooled as claimed in claim 9 wherein said system further
includes:
a closed duct network, mounted in said chamber, in which cool gases
are confined and circulated to radiantly cool the air confined
within said chamber, said cool air being forced up through said
platform.
12. A system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently
drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in
summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic
or work surface, and comprising:
a foundation which defines a plenum chamber;
a supporting structure associated with said foundation, said
supporting structure being sufficiently porous to permit hot gases
to flow up therethrough and water to flow down therethrough;
a water permeable platform means mounted on and supported by said
supporting structure, said platform means being sufficiently porous
to permit hot gases to flow up therethrough and to permit water to
flow down therethrough, said platform means having an
upwardly-facing surface which defines said surface, said platform
means further enclosing said plenum chamber;
means associated with said plenum chamber for generating hot gases
under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby hot gases
may be introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under
pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said
supporting structure and said platform means to melt snow and ice
on said surface, whereby said melted snow or ice is then drained
down through said platform means and said supporting structure into
said plenum chamber, and whereby said playing surface is then dried
by additional hot gases forced upward through said platform means;
and
means also associated with said plenum chamber for generating cool
gases under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby cool
gases may be introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under
pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said
platform means to cool said surface.
13. The system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently
drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in
summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic
or work surface as claimed in claim 12 wherein said floor is
divided into a plurality of sections and wherein said system
further comprises:
means for selectively, variably controlling the quantity of hot or
cool gases which pass up through each of said floor sections for
providing zonal heating or cooling control to thus heat or cool
only selected areas of said floor surface.
14. The system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently
drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in
summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic
or work surface as claimed in claim 13 wherein said platform means
comprises:
a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members
mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting
structure, the spaces between said elongated members being
sufficiently large to permit hot or cool gases to flow up
therethrough and sufficiently small to provide substantially
uniform continuous support for said floor surface, and wherein said
means for selectively variably controlling the quantity of hot or
cool gases which pass up through each floor section comprises
a plurality of spaced baffles slidably reciprocally mounted to
variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and
means for slidably reciprocally positioning said baffles.
15. The system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently
drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in
summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic
or work surface as claimed in claim 13 wherein said platform means
comprises:
a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members
mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting
structure, the spaces between said elongated members being
sufficiently large to permit hot and cool gases to flow up
therethrough and sufficiently small to provide substantially
uniform continuous support for said floor surface, and wherein said
means for selectively variably controlling the quantity of hot or
cool gases which pass up through each floor section comprises
a plurality of spaced baffles vertically reciprocally mounted to
variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and
means for vertically reciprocally positioning said baffles.
Description
This invention relates to a system for comfortable, year-long use
as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall and the like. It
may be adapted as a self snow and ice removing and drying surface
for winter use and as a self cooling surface for summer use. This
cooling feature may also have utility in surfaces used as floors in
computer rooms, indoor malls and the like.
Outdoor athletic playing surfaces are used by countless numbers of
people who seek to engage in vigorous physical activity in the open
air. They are used extensively in municipal parks, on school
playgrounds, and at athletic clubs. The increased public interest
in physical fitness in general, and in such sports as tennis in
particualr, has greatly increased use of outdoor athletic
facilities. Such outdoor athletic playing surfaces thus are of
central importance in the recreational scheme of present public
life. Other outdoor surfaces such as pedestrian malls are also
heavily used.
However, outdoor athletic playing surfaces, pedestrian malls and
the like are frequently unusable for a portion of the year because
they are often covered by snow. Additionally, they usually take a
relatively long period of time to dry after a heavy rain. Moreover,
during hot summer months, these surfaces, which are often dark
colored, absorb tremendous amounts of heat and are consequently
uncomfortable for walking or playing. The ever increasing demand to
extend the usuable time of such surfaces makes it desirable to
provide a means whereby the surfaces can be quickly freed of snow
and subsequently dried of melted snow or rain in winter, and
whereby the surfaces may be cooled in summer. Additionally, it is
desirable to cool many industrial or commercial surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of systems have been previously used for heating and
drying athletic playing surfaces and other outdoor surfaces having
other uses. Such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 795,772 --
Janney; 1,868,745 -- Greimann; 2,505,622 -- McKee; 2,634,659 --
Jordanoff; 2,918,052 -- Budenholzer et al.; 3,069,522 -- Jamison;
3,568,924 -- Chenault; 3,573,427 -- Minsk; and 3,683,152 -- Laing.
Typical systems designed for this purpose employ a network of air
ducts or the like embedded in the surface base composition below
the playing surface. Heat is transferred from hot air or other hot
gases pumped through the ducts to the surface in order to melt
fallen snow.
Other systems pass electric current through the surface composition
to warm it and thereby melt fallen snow.
Still other systems attempt to prevent accumulation of snow by, for
example, blowing it away before it can collect or by impregnating
the surface with a chemical compound to prevent freezing.
Prior art systems of the type generally discussed above are not
entirely satisfactory. Those which utilize extensive air duct
systems embedded in the playing surface base may be extremely
expensive. Additionally, those systems which employ heat exchange
units of some kind and thereby conduct heat through the surface
base to the playing surface may be inadequate to transfer
sufficient heat to the surface in order to quickly melt fallen
snow.
Draining and subsequently drying the playing surface may prove
difficult with certain systems presently known. Typically, an
outdoor athletic field is constructed so that its surface is not
level but rather is canted slightly to one side or is crowned being
higher at its center than at its periphery. Thus, when snow is
melted on such a surface, the snow must drain to the surface
periphery. This drainage process can thus be very time consuming
and inefficient.
Prior art systems for cooling surfaces generally have similar
drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention to be
described below in detail, the system for comfortable, year-long
use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall or the like
includes an air impervious foundation which forms the bottom and
side wall boundaries of a plenum chamber. A supporting structure is
mounted within or on the foundation and comprises an open frame
work of supporting beams. Hot or cool gases may flow up through the
structure and water may flow down through the structure. A
subsurface platform including a series of elongated members such as
boards or planks mounted side-by-side on the supporting structure
carries a water permeable web which defines the playing surface.
The boards which form the platform are mounted or constructed in
such a manner that hot gases can flow up and water can flow down
through the platform. For example, the boards may be mounted in
spaced relation so that hot or cool gases and water can flow
between them. Alternatively, a plurality of holes may be disposed
in the boards so that hot or cool gases and water can flow through
the platform.
The foundation is covered by the subsurface platform and a
resilient web to completely enclose the plenum chamber under the
surface. In the preferred embodiment, a burner or furnace is
associated with the plenum chamber to generate hot gases when
desired, namely, the products of combustion, under pressure greater
than atmospheric pressure in the chamber. These products of
combustion are forced up through the supporting structure, the
platform, and the resilient web to melt accumulated snow. As this
snow melts it may drain directly through the web, the platform, and
the supporting structure into the plenum chamber to finally be
disposed of through a suitable drain means. After the snow has
melted, the continued up-flow of hot gases dries the playing
surface.
This system for automatically removing snow and ice from and for
drying a surface efficiently and effectively melts snow which may
accumulate by directly heating the surface without employing
complex heat exchange units embedded in the subsurface base.
Further, melted snow and rain are drained directly through the
surface rather than flowing to drainage areas at the surface
periphery. Finally, the surface is quickly dried immediately after
snow is melted and has been drained. All three operations are
accomplished with the same system. This heating function can be
performed during the winter months when snow and ice inhibit
surface use or after rain to dry the surface.
This preferred embodiment further includes an air conditioning or
cooling unit, also associated with the plenum chamber, which may be
integrated with the furnace or burner. This air conditioning unit
is adapted to generate cool gases when desired under pressure
greater than atmospheric pressure in the chamber. These cool gases
are forced up through the supporting structure, the platform, and
the resilient web to cool the surface to a comfortable temperature.
This cooling function can be performed during the summer months
when the surface would otherwise be uncomfortably hot to use.
The surface of this preferred embodiment of the present invention
is divided into a number of sections, each provided with a baffle
arrangement for selectively controlling the quantity of hot or cool
gases reaching that section surface. This sectional baffle
arrangement permits zonal control of the relative heating or
cooling of various areas of the entire surface.
These and other advantages and aspects of this system for
comfortable, year-long use as an athletic playing surface,
pedestrian mall or the like will be described in greater detail
below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the system for comfortable,
year-long use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall or
the like shown used as a tennis court;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of this system taken through plane
2--2 in FIG. 1 showing diagrammatically the heating, draining, and
drying mechanism or alternatively the cooling mechanism;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the
subsurface platform, the water permeable web, and a melting layer
of snow also showing diagrammatically the heating, draining, and
drying mechanism or alternatively the cooling mechanism;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of another
subsurface platform construction, the resilient, water permeable
web, and a melting layer of snow again showing diagrammatically the
heating, draining, and drying mechanism or alternatively the
cooling mechanism;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of this system partially broken away to
show the supporting structure, the furnace-air conditioning unit,
and the means for distributing the hot or cool gases;
FIG. 6 is a side view of this system, taken through discontinuous
plane 6--6 in FIG. 5, illustrated in cross section also showing the
furnace-air conditioning unit, the supporting structure, and the
gas distribution system;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the platform and the web
illustrating one platform configuration which facilitates water
drainage and surface drying;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that shown in FIG. 2,
of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a partial top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG.
8;
FIG. 10 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view similar to that
shown in FIG. 2, illustrating one form of a section baffle
arrangement;
FIG. 11 is a partial, enlarged, cross-sectional view, similar to
that shown in FIG. 6, illustrating this baffle arrangement;
FIG. 12 is a partial top plan view broken away to show this baffle
arrangement;
FIG. 13 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view similar to that
shown in FIG. 10, illustrating an alternative baffle arrangement;
and
FIG. 14 is a partial, enlarged cross-sectional view similar to that
shown in FIG. 11 also illustrating this alternative baffle
arrangement.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding structural
elements and corresponding characteristic features in each of the
respective drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 of the drawings is presented to illustrate the system of the
present invention for comfortable, year-long use as a pedestrian
mall, athletic playing surface or the like as it might be used for
a tennis court. This surface system may be adapted with equal
advantage for use as a basketball court, a handball court, or as a
court or field for any other popular outdoor sport in which
participants want to engage. It may also be adapted for use as any
other floor surface where its functions may be utilized with
advantage.
FIG. 2 generally illustrates the mechanism by which the outdoor
playing surface system of the present invention is heated to melt
fallen snow, drained, and finally dried of excess moisture. The
cooling mechanism is also illustrated.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged illustrations of two different
embodiments of the present invention which show in detail the
mechanism for heating, draining and drying, or alternatively
cooling the outdoor playing surface.
Referring now to FIG. 1, two tennis players, 10 and 12 are shown
using outdoor tennis court 14 outlined on an athletic playing
surface 16 constructed in accordance with the present invention.
This playing surface 16 is built coincident with ground level and
may be surrounded by a fence (not shown) or other boundary to
confine balls. However, the surface may be built above ground level
or below ground level, as will be explained in detail below.
The athletic playing surface includes a water permeable platform
18, constructed above an air impervious foundation 20 which is
recessed into the ground in the same way as is a standard
foundation for a house or other structure. This foundation 20
defines a plenum chamber described in greater detail below.
Furthermore, the foundation may be constructed of concrete, cinder
blocks, or other sufficiently rigid materials. In areas where hard
clay or other suitable soil exists, the rigid foundation may be
omitted and a soil foundation substituted.
Adjacent the foundation 20 is a vault 22 which houses means for
generating hot gases and means for generating cool gases. This
generating means is shown in detail in FIG. 5 as a furnace 24
having a burner 26 and a combustion chamber 28. This furnace is
adapted to generate products of combustion and force them directly
into the plenum chamber. Means for generating hot gases such as hot
air, other than a furnace, may be employed. For example, electrical
or radiant heaters may be used. The generating means also includes
an air conditioning unit 31 having conventional components such as
a compressor, evaporator, and condenser. A control panel 29 may be
positioned near the court so players may operate the furnace and
the air conditioning unit.
A supporting structure 30 is mounted within the plenum chamber
defined by the foundation 20 for carrying the water permeable
platform 18 at ground level. This supporting structure 30 is
constructed so that hot or cool gases may pass up through it at
substantially all points underlying the platform 18. The supporting
structure 30 may be of any suitable design which permits this
upflow of hot or cool gases, but is illustrated here as an open
network of beams. This network includes a first series of beams 32,
each of which extends the length of the foundation 20 and a second
series of beams 34, each of which is mounted at a right angle to
the first series and extends the width of the foundation 20. The
first beam series is shown mounted on the foundation floor 36 but
may be mounted on driven piles or other appropriate supports in
installations where a rigid foundation floor is not provided. Hot
or cool gases can flow through the spaces between each beam 34 in
the second series, over the tops of each beam 32 in the first
series.
The water permeable platform 18 comprises a subsurface supporting
platform 38 constructed from a series of elongated members shown in
the form of planks 40. These planks 40, mounted side-by-side at
right angles to and carried on the second series of beams 34 in the
supporting structure 30, may be laterally spaced from one another,
as shown in FIG. 3, to permit hot or cool gases to flow up between
them and water to drain down between them. The upflow of gas is
indicated by arrows A, and the down-drain of water is indicated by
arrows B. The spaced feature of the plank mounting permits the
subsurface platform to be drained. The spaces between adjacent
planks 40 should be sufficiently large to permit free upflow and
down-drain of hot or cool gases and water respectively, but yet
should be sufficiently small to prevent inefficient heat loss
through the inefficient escape of hot gases and to provide
substantially uniform, continuous support for the surface.
The supporting structure of beams 32 and 34, and the planks 40 may
be made from any suitable outdoor construction material such as
aluminum, plastic, or creosote treated wood.
An alternative arrangement for making the subsurface platform 38
suitable for permitting upflow and down-drain of hot or cool gases
and water is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this arrangement the planks
40 are mounted in abutting side-by-side relation but are provided
with multiple holes 42 which provide the desired feature. Again
upflow of gases is indicated by arrows A and down-drain of water by
arrows B.
These holes 42 should also be sufficiently large to provide for
free upflow and down-drain of hot or cool gases and water but yet
should be sufficiently small to prevent inefficient heat loss
through inefficient escape of hot gases and to provide
substantially uniform, continuous support for the athletic playing
surface.
The water permeable platform 18 further comprises a water
permeable, resilient web 44 which overlays the planks 40 which form
the subsurface platform 38 to form the final surface upon which the
tennis court outline 14 is disposed. This web 44 may be made of any
suitable commercial material which permits the upflow of hot or
cool gases and the down-drain of water therethrough. The web 44
should not be moisture absorbent, that is, the material from which
it is made should be hydrophobic. Also, if the surface is to be
used for athletic play, this web 44 may desirably be made of a
resilient material to provide a playing surface which is
comfortable for participants using it. For example, the web may
comprise non-woven, needlepunched or other random polymeric fiber
web, a plastic or plastic foam sheet and should be sufficiently
resilient to permit participants to use the court without
developing "shin-splints", an affliction usually associated with
athletic play on hard surfaces.
As shown in FIG. 2, the resilient, water permeable hydrophobic web
44 and subsurface platform 38 enclose the open cavity defined by
the foundation 20 to form a plenum chamber 46. The furnace 24 and
air conditioning unit 31 are disposed in the vault 22 associated
with this plenum chamber 46 to generate hot and cool gases, namely,
the products of combustion, under pressure greater than atmospheric
pressure in the plenum chamber 46. As shown in FIG. 5, a blower 48
is provided to force these hot or cool gases under pressure into
the plenum chamber 46. A distribution system may with advantage be
provided to uniformly distribute hot or cool gases to all points in
the chamber 46. Such a system, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, includes a
duct network comprising a longitudinal main duct 50 and laterally
directed nozzles 52 positioned between each pair of laterally
disposed beams 34. These nozzles 52 direct hot or cool gases
between the beams 34 over the tops of the longitudinally directed
beams 32 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 by arrows A.
Any other system appropriate for distributing hot or cool gases to
all points in the plenum chamber may alternatively be used. For
example, the products of combustion produced by the furnace may be
confined and circulated in a sealed duct network mounted within the
plenum chamber as shown in FIG. 8. These closed ducts 70 are fed by
the blower 48 from an intake manifold 72 connected to the furnace
24. The ducts 70 exhaust into an outlet manifold 74 which then
returns the new cooled gases to the furnace for reheating. The
closed ducts, heated by these products of combustion, then
radiantly or conductively heat the air confined within the plenum
chamber. As the temperature and pressure of this confined air
rises, it is forced up through the porous playing surface to serve
the snow removing and surface drying function. The air confined in
the chamber can thus be heated and forced up through the playing
surface.
In similar fashion, this closed duct network may be used to
circulate cool gases produced by the air conditioning unit to cool
the air confined in the plenum chamber.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 6, the mechanism for self snow
removing and drying or for cooling the surface of the preferred
embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The mechanism
for self snow removing and drying operates as follows: Products of
combustion -- hot gases -- are generated by the furnace 24 under
pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. These hot gases are
pumped under pressure by the blower 48 through the main
distribution duct 50 and out each of the laterally directed nozzles
52. The hot gases are laterally forced through the plenum chamber
46 under the subsurface platform 38. The pressurized hot gases are
then forced up through the water permeable subsurface platform 38
and the resilient, water permeable, hydrophobic web 44 where they
warm accumulated snow and ice indicated at 54 in FIGS. 3 and 4.
These hot gases should, of course, be at temperatures higher than
the melting point of water, that is sufficiently high to quickly
melt accumulated snow and ice. Circulation and upflow of hot gases
are indicated by arrows A.
As the temperature of the snow 54 begins to rise above the melting
point of water, the snow 54 begins to melt. As it becomes liquid
water, it immediately begins to drain down through the web 44 and
subsurface platform 38, as indicated by arrows B, into the plenum
chamber 46. The foundation floor 36 may advantageously have an
inverted conical shape which thereby collects the water and funnels
it into the ground through a drain 56 and through similar liquid
seals at the periphery of the foundation 20. The drain should be
fitted with means such as a conventional trap 59, to prevent the
escape of air therethrough while permitting water drainage.
The upflow of hot gases through the resilient, water permeable
platform 38 and web 44 continues after all snow is melted from the
surface in order to dry the surface of excess moisture. The system
may be used equally well to dry the court after rain even though no
snow was present to be melted.
The mechanism for cooling the surface during summer months
operates, in like manner, as follows: Cool gases are generated by
the air conditioning unit 31 under pressure greater than
atmospheric pressure. These cool gases are pumped under pressure by
the blower 48 through the main distribution duct 50 and out each
laterally directed nozzle through the plenum chamber. Then, these
cool gases are forced up through the subsurface platform 38 and the
web 44 in order to cool the surface to a comfortable
temperature.
It is also often desirable to be able to selectively control the
amount of hot or cool gases which are forced up through the
subsurface platform and web. For example, if snow has drifted in
large amounts onto one area of the surface while leaving the
remaining areas relatively free, it is desirable to direct more
heat to the thickly snow covered area. Or it may be desirable to
cool specific areas of the surface. For example, players may wish
to concentrate the upflow of cool gases to those areas about the
baseline of the tennis court illustrated in FIG. 1. Accordingly,
provision is made in one preferred embodiment of the present
invention for such area control.
As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12, one such arrangement for
providing selective area control of the quantity of gases which
flow up through the platform and web divides the surface into a
number of individual sections. As seen in FIG. 12, each section
spans one half the width of the surface and is bounded laterally by
the beams 34. Each section is provided with a baffle configuration
which includes a series of baffles 100 which are mounted for
horizontal sliding reciprocal movement on a pair of rails 102 which
are fixed to the sides of the beams 34. Each baffle is mounted to
close the space between two adjacent planks 40, as shown in FIG.
10. An electric motor 104 is suitably mounted on one of the beams
32 and has a shaft 106 which projects from both ends of the motor.
Identical sprockets 108 are carried at both shaft ends to engage an
endless bicycle-type chain 110. The baffles 100 are each fixed to
the chain 110 at regular intervals as shown in FIG. 10. The chains
are reaved about the end sprockets 112 which are carried on shafts
114 as shown in FIG. 12. Thus when a motor is operated, it
simultaneously drives the chains 110 engaged by the sprockets 108
carried on the motor shaft 106. This in turn slides the baffles
into or out of alignment with the spaces between the planks 40 to
open or close them as shown by arrows C. By varying the openings
between the planks 40, the quantity of hot or cool gases flowing up
through the platform may be varied. Since the surface is divided in
individual sections each provided with an independent baffle
configuration, the cooling or heating effect in any given area or
zone may be selectively controlled.
An alternative baffle configuration is illustrated in FIGS. 13 and
14. This configuration includes baffles 116 which are aligned with
the spaces between the planks 40 and are carried on a support strip
118 which is mounted for vertical reciprocal movement on a series
of jacks 120. These jacks may be pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical
or any other suitable type of jack. Each jack 120 is mounted on a
pedestal 122 positioned on the top of a beam 32 and braced by
corner supports 124. The baffles 116 are opened and closed by being
raised or lowered by means of the jacks 120 as shown by arrows
D.
This second baffle configuration may also advantageously be used in
individual sections of the surface to provide zonal or area control
of the quality of hot or cool gases which pass up through the
platform.
The furnace air conditioning unit may be provided with an automatic
control device 57 associated with the control panel 29 which
monitors the surface, to turn the furnace on when a predetermined
amount of snow or rain has fallen on that surface, and to turn the
furnace off when the snow has been melted and the surface is dry.
The automatic control may also operate to turn the air conditioning
unit on when the surface temperature rises above a first
predetermined temperature and to turn the unit off when the surface
temperature falls below a second, lower predetermined
temperature.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the upwardly-facing support surface 58 of
the planks 40 forming the subsurface platform 38 may be provided
with a series of lateral grooves 60. These grooves reduce the area
of contact between the planks 40 and the resilient web 44 and thus
facilitate the distribution of hot gases directly to the web.
Additionally, the grooves function to collect down-draining water
and thereby facilitate the drainage process. The reduced
web-platform contact area also speeds surface drying.
Various modifications may be made in the illustrated design while
still employing the basic functional features of the illustrated
embodiments of the present invention. For example, the furnace and
air conditioning unit are shown mounted in a separate vault at the
side of the court. This permits the foundation and consequently the
plenum chamber to be of shallow construction as shown in FIGS. 2
and 6. Such shallow construction reduces the required excavation
and hence reduces the cost. Additionally, this design provides easy
access to the furnace and air conditioning unit without disturbing
the surface. However, the foundation may be made deeper and the
furnace and air conditioning unit may be mounted directly in the
plenum chamber thus formed.
The illustrated embodiment has its foundation recessed into the
ground. In such a case, soil fill may advantageously be built up
around the foundation's outer walls to provide added insulation to
contain heat radiated by the hot gases. Or this system may be
constructed at any location where it is desirable.
The system of the present invention for comfortable, year-long use
as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall or the like
provides several beneficial features. First it heats or cools the
surface constructed directly with hot or cool gases which are
introduced into a subsurface plenum chamber and then forced up
through the playing surface. Therefore, a minimum of heat is lost
to the surroundings when the system performs the heating function.
A minimum of heat is absorbed from the surroundings when the system
performs the cooling function. Heat need not be conducted or
absorbed through the mass of a subsurface base to the playing
surface. Second, the water permeable nature of the subsurface
platform and web eliminates the need to cant the athletic court
from a level attitude. Since the water drains straight downward,
drainage is hastened.
Additionally, the construction is relatively simple. Thus costs are
reduced.
Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been
disclosed in detail herein, it is to be understood that this is
only for purposes of illustration.
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