EP0047633A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Area heating or cooling device
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1981-09-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A heating device, particularly for the area heating of greenhouses, but which may be used for cooling, or as a solar panel, comprises a substrate (10) of expanded polystyrene, preferably made up of abutting modules (11, 11', 12) and on which is arranged a flexible tube (17) through which a heating or cooling fluid is passed from a fluid inlet (18) to a fluid outlet (19) located at the same edge of the substrate but at opposite ends thereof, the tube following a double serpentine path such that the incoming (hotter or cooler) part of the tube is adjacent to and at a substantially constant distance from the return (cooler or hotter) part of the tube. This leads to an increased uniformity of heat production or absorption over the surface of the substrate. The tube (17) is preferably located in grooves (16) in the substrate surface defining the serpentine path.
Inventors
- 👤 James Frederick Hinds
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 01:28
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28F; F28F21/00; F28F21/06; F28F21/062; F28F21/063; F24; F24D; F24D3/00; F24D3/12; F24D3/14; F24D3/141; F24D3/142; F24S; F24S10/00; F24S10/70; F24S10/75; F24S10/755; F24S80/00; F24S80/60; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B30/00; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
An area heating or cooling device comprising a heat-insulating substrate having arranged thereon a flexible tube for the passage of a fluid heating or cooling medium from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet characterised in that said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet are arranged at the same edge of the substrate, but adjacent opposite ends thereof, and said tube is arranged to follow a continuous double serpentine path from said inlet to said outlet at the substrate surface such that, throughout at least the greater part of the length of the path, the incoming part of the tube carrying hotter (or respectively cooler) fluid in use lies adjacent to and at a substantially constant distance from the return part of the tube carrying cooler (or respectively hotter) fluid in use, thereby producing a substantially uniform output or absorption of heat respectively over substantially the whole surface area of the substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
An area heating or cooling device comprising a heat-insulating substrate having arranged thereon a flexible tube for the passage of a fluid heating or cooling medium from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet characterised in that said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet are arranged at the same edge of the substrate, but adjacent opposite ends thereof, and said tube is arranged to follow a continuous double serpentine path from said inlet to said outlet at the substrate surface such that, throughout at least the greater part of the length of the path, the incoming part of the tube carrying hotter (or respectively cooler) fluid in use lies adjacent to and at a substantially constant distance from the return part of the tube carrying cooler (or respectively hotter) fluid in use, thereby producing a substantially uniform output or absorption of heat respectively over substantially the whole surface area of the substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said tube is a ridged highly flexible plastics tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said tube has a diameter of about 2.5 cm.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
25 words
A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said substrate is made of a foamed plastics material, preferably foamed polystyrene.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
27 words
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said substrate is rectangular in shape and has a thickness of 6 - 7 cm.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
41 words
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein said tube is arranged in a groove cut into the surface of said substrate of sufficient width and depth to accommodate the tube and following the required serpentine path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said substrate is made up of a plurality of modules, each of said modules including grooves forming a part of said serpentine path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein only a limited number of different types of module, each having a different pattern of grooves, are used, various numbers of modules of the different types in different orientations being used to form said path.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
127 words
A device as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein said modules are rectangular in plan, said modules including a module having grooves cut into the surface thereof such that when one said module is brought into abutting relationship with an identical module in the inverted position, the grooves in the two modules together form a section of said serpentine path, further sections of said path in the longitudinal direction of said substrate being formed by further pairs of modules in abutting relationship, the grooves of each of said pairs of modules co-operating with the grooves of laterally abutting pairs of modules to form said path, said inlet and outlet being respectively provided on the two modules forming a pair at one end of the substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A device as claimed in Claim 9 as dependent on Claim 8, wherein the modules of each of said pairs of modules do not abut directly against one another but are separated by a central module of different design having parallel grooves therein which co-operate with the grooves of the two end modules to form a part of said path.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
A device as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the end loop of said substrate remote from the fluid inlet and outlet, is formed by special end modules each having a single groove therein, the grooves of said end modules together with those of the end pair or group of modules to define said end loop.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
A device as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the end loop of said double serpentine path at the end of said substrate remote from the fluid inlet and outlet, is formed by the provision of by-pass grooves in the modules of each of said pairs.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
82 words
A device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein a plurality of tubes is used, each following a respective double serpentine path from a respective inlet to a respective outlet, the serpentine path followed by at least one of said tubes being such that, throughout at least the greater part of the length of the path, the incoming part of the tube lies adjacent to and at a substantially constant distance from the return part of the tube.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as claimed in any one of Claims 6 to 12 or in Claim 13 as appendant to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein the surface of said substrate is covered with a metal foil.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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