WO2000005538A1

WO2000005538A1 - Method for the laying of a heat emitting floor

Info

Publication number: WO2000005538A1
Application number: PCT/NO1998/000210
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ole Gunnar Selvaag
Original assignee: SELVAAG HOMES AS
Current assignee: SELVAAG HOMES AS
Priority date: 1997-01-14
Filing date: 1998-07-10
Publication date: 2000-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 2001-01-10
Also published as: NO970154L; NO304629B1; NO970154D0

Abstract

Method for laying heating cables (4) in floors with cellular plastic insulation layers (1), said heating cable (4) being laid on a carrying, possibly heat conducting layer (3) on top of the cellular plastic (1), wherein said heating cable (4) melts itself a slit in the cellular plastic (1) upon heating of said heating cable (4).

Description

Method for the laying of a heat emitting floor

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a method for laying heat- ing cables in floors with cellular plastic insulation, the heating cable being laid on a carrying, possibly heat conducting layer on top of the cellular plastic.

Background of the invention Experience has shown that room heating by means of heated floors has many advantages, such as an even distribution of heat in the room, the actual floor having a more comfortable temperature, especially if the floor is not carpeted, and savings with respect to power consumption. However, it is relatively expensive to install a floor heating system, and until now the installation often has resulted in a thicker floor, also resulting in increased cost with respect to materials and space.

When installing heat emitting floors, it is important to insulate the layer below the heating cables to avoid heat loss. However, it is advantageous to dispose the heating cables in a heat conducting area in order to distribute the heat as much as possible in the horizontal direction of the floor plane.

The Swedish Patent No. 503 693 discloses a heat emitting floor of the aforementioned kind. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 of this patent, heat pipes are laid on top of aluminum heat conducting plates comprising a U-shaped bead.

The bead forms a groove for the heat pipes. The relatively rigid heat conducting plate has to be provided with the U- shaped bead in a foregoing production step, most likely in a factory. The installment of this kind of floor in addi- tion requires considerable work with regard to accommodating the plates to the floor where they are to be laid. Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a method without the aforementioned disadvantages .

Short description of the invention

According to the present invention the object is reached by means of a method of the aforementioned kind, characterized in that the heating cable melts itself a slit in the cellular plastic upon heating of said heating cable.

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the embodiment shown in the enclosed drawing.

Detailed description The drawing shows four layers that together comprise the heat emitting floor according to the present invention. An insulating layer 1 of cellular plastic or a corresponding suitable material is laid on a suitable base 2 of broken stones, concrete, soil, or the like. 1 A layer 3, compris- ing for example a thin metal foil, wire net or band of small thickness, is laid on top of the cellular plastic layer. This layer carries a heating cable 4, and is preferably heat conducting in order to distribute the heat from the heating cable horizontally. A heat conducting layer 5 of metal foil or the like is laid on top of the heating cable 4 and carrying layer 3. This layer may possibly be omitted if the surface temperature of the heating cable 4 is lower than the ignition temperature of the floor layer 6 above said heating cable, e.g. a wooden floor or the like, and the carrying layer 3 acts as a heat distributor.

After the insulating layer 1, the carrying layer 3, the heating cable 4 and possibly the heat conducting layer 5 is disposed correctly, a voltage is applied to the heating ca- ble 4, this voltage being higher than the highest nominal voltage used during normal operation. This heats the heating cable 4 to a temperature that is higher than the melting temperature of the insulating layer 1, said heating ca- ble 4 thereby melting itself a slit in the insulating layer 1. By applying pressure from above onto said cable 4 at the same time as it melts into the insulating layer 1, horizontal evenness is rapidly obtained. Said evenness is important to prevent the overlying floor layer 6 from coming into contact with the cable 4 at any point.

Alternatively, the overlying floor layer 6 may be laid before the high voltage is applied to said cable 4. Thereby, the overlying floor layer 6 itself applies pressure onto the cable 4 as said cable 4 melts into the insulating layer 1 when imposing the high voltage to said cable .

After completing the heat emitting floor, the cable 4 sags down into the insulating layer 1 while it is carried by the carrying layer 3 , said layer 3 securing said cable 4 from coming into direct contact with the insulating layer 1. The heating cable 4 is thereby suspended in a self melted open slit pattern in the insulating layer 1. The carrying layer 3 and/or possibly the layer 5 spreads the heat throughout the floor.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. Method for laying heating cables (4) in floors with cellular plastic insulation layers (1) , said heating cable (4) being laid on a carrying, possibly heat conducting layer (3) on top of the cellular plastic (1) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said heating cable (4) melts itself a slit in the cellular plastic (1) upon heating of said heating cable (4) .

2. Method according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said heating cable (4) is heated up to a higher-than-normal temperature during said melting by applying a voltage to said heating cable (4) , this voltage being higher than the nominal voltage during normal operation.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the carrying layer (3) comprises a thin metal foil or wire net.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a pressure is applied from above onto said heating cable (4) during said melting.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a heat conducting metal foil (5) or the like is disposed on top of said heating cable (4) and its carrying layer (3) .