Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
L tDC~
The present invention relates to a building structure,
more specifically to a canopy system to ~orm a roof for a build-
ing structure. The canopy system has one or more panels each
having an impervious top layer and a bottom layer and a con-
trolled pressure within the panel.
Structures having flexible roo~ canopies have been
made in the past. The majority of these have a canopy supported
by pressure within the building or structure. Other canopy
systems include awnings and tents which stretch across a frame
or building structure. Transparent roof canopies have been
considered for structures such as greenhouses and the like, how-
ever, these are usually temporary buildings or in the case of
greenhouses, smaller buildings and are designed to allow light
and the ultraviolet radiation from the sun inside the building.
The present invention provides a novel concept with
two layers or sheets, a top exterior sheet and a bottom interior
sheet stretched between two elements of a building structure and
then controlling the atmosphere within these two layers. This
is achieved by forming the two layers into a hollow sleeve,
sealed at the sides, supported at each side by the building
structure. A manifold system is provided at each end of the
sleeve which forms part of a closed air circuit, including fans,
precipitators, and heat exchangers which controls the pressure,
temperature and humidity of the air circulating in the sleeve.
To assist in the control of the environment within the sleeve,
water and other liquids may be sprayed into the sleeve, to
evaporate and provide cooling within the panel The control of
the environment within the panel may be incorporated with a
climate control system within the building. Such a system can
conserve energy and have ecological benefits by utilization of
waste heat from industrial processes. The canopy system of the
present invention can be used integrally with a system of con-
~.
S~6
trolling environment within a building for SIJmmer and winter
operation
Canopy systems are light-weight and economical
especially when made of coated fabrics, however, they have
certain limitations. They do not have the same strength as rigid
materials and they must be stabilized against wind loads and
other factors such as snow loads. Large area canopies are
difficult to fabricate because they must be piece made requiring
accurate cutting, sewing, and sealing of seams. When the
canopies are completed, a large bulk of material results.
Typical tent and dome-like canopy applications require the canopy
to have a double curvature which does not lie flat when the
canopy is folded or rolled for shipping. ~urthermore, a system
comprising a number of smaller area panels poses problems of
forming weather tight connections at the site.
In the canopy system of the present invention, tubular
panels are made in the form of a continuous sleeve which may be
cut to length in the field and installed to the structure. There
is no need to sew and seal seams, and the sleeve is delivered to
the site in a roll. The material used for the sleeve of the
present invention is either a flexible impervious film or fabric.
The film may be extruded in a sleeve or -tube and the fabric may
be woven in a sleeve or tube
The present invention provides a canopy system for a
building structure comprising at least one tubular panel formed
of flexible impermeable sheet material, the panel including an
open ended hollow sleeve with two side walls, a top exterior sheet
and a bottom interior sheet being joined, sealed and having
support means at the joins between the side walls and the top
and bottom sheets, the top and bottom sheets extending across
and supported by the support means at each side of the panel by
the building structure, one supported side of the panel being at
5~36
a higher elevation than the other supported side of the panel,
each end of the open ended hollow sleeve joined to a manifold
system adapted to control pressure within the panel, and liquid
feed means within the panel at the supported side of the panel
having the higher elevation.
In other embodiments of the invention the manifold
system at each end of the hollow sleeve may form part of a closed
air circuit and include a fan or other air-moving means, heat
exchanger means and a precipitator within the air circuit. The
top exterior sheet of the hollow sleeve may be formed from
material which allows the transmission of solar energy to the
panel and in another embodiment the bottom interior sheet may
also be formed from material which allows transmission of the
solar energy through -the panel and inside the building structure.
In yet a further embodiment the bottom interior sheet has a
selected light transmission to suit the light requirements inside
the building structure~ -
In a still further embodiment the hollow sleeve of the
canopy system may be formed from a tubular film of thermoplastic
material such as polyethylene or polyester. Alternatively the
sheet material may be formed from a synthetic fabric having an
impermeable coating thereon such as a loose plain woven polyester
fabric with a flexible silicone coating. In one embodiment, a
hose having a plurality of holes along its length is connected
to the fabric material of the tubular sleeve at the side of the
panel being at the higher elevation, The support means wherein
the side walls are supported by the structure may comprise a
cord at each of the joins woven into the fabric forming the
tubular sleeve, each cord in turn is supported in a fluted slot
which is part of the building structure.
A liquid drain pipe is located within the panel at
its lowest elevation in an embodiment where a drain is required.
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S136
Either a positive pressure or a negative pressure may be main-
tained within the panel and in required situations an additional
sheet may be located between the top exterior sheet and the
bottom interior sheet to provide two hollow sleeves and therefore
two pressurized spaces within the same panel,
The canopy system may be formed by a plurality of
tubular panels supported side by side by the building structure.
The sides at the higher elevation of adjacent panels may in one
embodiment be contingent with each other and the sides at the
lower elevation of adjacent panels may also be contingent with
each other. The building structure has elements which support
the sides at the higher elevation of adjacent panels and other
elements which support the sides at the lower elevation of
adjacent panels to form a roof with peaks and troughs~ In
another embodiment the side at the higher elevation of one panel
is contingent with the side at the lower elevation of an ad-
jacent panel. The building structure has elements each of which
supports the side at the higher elevation of one panel and the
side at the lower elevation of an adjacent panel to form a roof
of constant slope in which the panels transverse the slope.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention,
Fig. 1 is a schematic elevational view of one embodi-
ment of the canopy system according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a schema-tic elevational view of another em-
bodiment of a canopy system on a bui]ding s-tructure according to
the present invention,
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a building panel having
a positive pressure therein.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a building panel having
a negative pressure therein,
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a building panel having
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an additional sheet to provide two hollow sleeves both of which
have a positive pressure therein,
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a building panel having
an additional sheet to provide two hollow sleeves one of which
has a positive pressure and the other a negative pressure therein,
~ig. 7 is a partial sectional view of the building
structure shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the peak of the roof
supporting the sides at the higher elevation of two panels.
- Fig, 8 is a partial sectional view of the building
structure shown in Fig, 1 illustrating the trough of the roof
supporting the sides at the lower elevation of two panels,
Fig, 9 is an isometric view partly in cross section of
a tubular panel according to one embodiment of the present in-
vention,
Fig, 10 is a schematic elevational view of a closed
air circuit for the manifold system at the ends of the tubular
panels of a roof,
One embodiment of a building structure is shown in
Fig, 1 wherein columns 10 having foundations 11 support special
beam sections 12 which have connections 13, described in more
detail hereinafter, for supporting tubular panels 14 between
each beam section 12 as may be seen, The columns 10 are arranged
so that every other supporting beam section 12 is at a higher
elevation than the intermediate beam section, thus a roof is
formed with peaks and troughs, At the peaks inside each panel
14 is a hose 15 which has a plurality of holes along its length
to provide liquid into the interior of each panel. The liquid,
preferably water, entering the panel either evaporates in the
panel or alternatively flows to the lower side of each panel and
consequently drains either into the manifold at the end of the
tubular panel or alternative].y a drain pipe may be provided at
the lowest point inside -the panel 14.
.,.
5~
Fig 2 shows another configuration o~ a building
structure with columns 10 of increasing height and the support-
ing beam sections 12 at increased elevations so that the roof has
a constant slope in which the panels transverse this slope.
The hose 15 for supplying liquid to the inside of the panels 14
is provided at the side of the panel having the highest eleva-
tion so that liquid will flow to the lowest point in each panel
14 The building structure as illustrated in both Figs. 1 and 2
is not complete, trusses, cross-braces and other members would
~e required The construction of the structure may be steel,
concrete, wood or the like. The building structure itself does
not form part of the present invention, however, the particular
beam section 12 having the connection 13 to support the panel 14
is an integral part of the present invention and is described in
more detail hereinafter.
The tubular panel may be formed ~rom an extruded
tubular film of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene or
polyester and may be transparent. If the building is to be used
as a greenhouse, then the top exterior sheet and the bottom
interior sheet of the panels may both be transparent to allow
light and ultraviolet rays to enter the building. In other
uses the top exterior sheet may be transparent, and the bottom
interior sheet of the panel may be coated to become translucent
and thus allowing ultraviolet rays and light to act on the en-
vironment within the panel, but not to enter the building.
Various degrees of transmission of light and ultraviolet rays
through the bottom interior sheet may be obtained depending upon
what is required inside the building The type and thickness of
coating on this bottom interior sheet may be varied depending on
the requirements
In another embodiment the tubular panel is made from
synthetic fabric) it may be woven in a continuous tube and then
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q~b 5~36
coated to become impervious to weather and ultra violet ray
degradation. The tube is made with two side walls, a top
exterior surface and a bottom interior sur~ace, the height of
the side walls may vary from 8 to 18 inches and the width of the
panel may be up to 10 feet or more. The tube may be made in
continuous lengths. The limitation only being the shipping as
the tube may be rolled up and weight may become the limiting
factor.
Other fabric materials suitable for manufacturing
hollow sleeves may be made from glass fibers, metal fibers,
fluorocarbon fibers, graphite fibers and saran fibers Other
suitable coating materials for fabrics include fluorocarbons
and saran.
Bright polyester yarns in a scrim or a loose plain
woven polyester fabric may be used with a clear coating resin
preferably a silicone coating resin to provide a high light
transmission value through the panel into the building. If a
lower level of natural illumination is desired then the lower
interior sheet is coated with a light absorbing material.
Natural lighting in a work or recreational environment requires
transmission of 8% to 16% of sunlight while food crop production
requires the maximum possible transmission up to 80~o.
The impermeable coating is a weatherable exterior
finish and an interior vapor barrier Fig. 3 shows one embodi-
ment of a building panel 14 with a top exterior sheet 20, two
side walls 21 and a bottom interior sheet 22. The panel 14 is
supported by the beam sections 12, in four locations, two to each
beam section at the joins between the side walls 21 and the top
sheet 20 and bottom sheet 22 In the case o~ a tubular film
thls so called "join" represents the four locations where the
panel 14 is supported by the beam sections 12. Such a "join"
is not apparent when the tubular film is made as generally no
5~36
seams are made in a tubular film, The "joins" are only defined
a~ter installation to define the sidewalls 21, top sheet 20 and
bottom sheet 22, Fig. 3 shows rectangular corner bars 23 which
extend within the top and bottom ~langes o~ a channel section
24 and are held rigidly in place at each end to support the
panel 14 at the four "joins" between the two beams 12, A hose
15 is shown at the side of the panel with the highest elevatiGn.
Jets or holes (not shown) are provided along the hose 15 so that
liquid can be sprayed into -the interior of the panel, Fig. 3
illustrates a panel having a positive pressure therein, that is,
a pressure above atmospheric pressure, so that the walls 15, top
sheet 20 and bottom sheet 22 bulge outwards, Fig, 4 on the
other hand illustrates a panel having a negative pressure, or a
pressure below atmospheric pressure, -therein with the walls 21
top sheet 20 and bottom sheet 22 collapsed inwards, but having
sufficient tension in the sheets so that they do not touch or
restrict flow in the panel.
The panels 14 illustrated in Fig. 5 and ~ig, 6 have an
intermediate sheet 30 which divides the panel into two sealed
compartments or hollow sleeves, a top sleeve 31 and a bottom
sleeve 32, Fig, 5 illustrates both sleeves having a positive
pressure therein, Fig, 6 illustrates the top sleeve 31 having a
positive pressure therein and the bottom sleeve 32 having a
negative pressure therein, Fig, 5 illustrates a liquid feed hose
15 in the bottom sleeve 32 only, Fig, 6 illustrates a liquid
feed hose 15 in both hollow sleeves,
The environment within the panel is controlled depend-
ing on the requirements inside the building, Pressure, tempera-
ture, and humidity are all factors which can be controlled, In
winter, heat may be supplied to the panel; in the summer heat can
be removed from the hollow sleeve, Liquid, preferably water,
can be evaporated within the hollow sleeve to remove heat, The
b.5~6
evaporation occurs either at a positive pressure or a negative
pressure depending on the temperature required, In one embodi-
ment foam is injected from one end of the panel or alternatively
may be produced by spraying a liquid under pressure through jets
or holes in the hose 15 inside the panel, The foam improves the
insulation within the panel. When two hollow sleeves are
provided in a panel, ~oam may be injected into one sleeve to
improve the insulation, and the other sleeve can have air cir-
culating therein to control heat wi-thin the building.
One example of a connection between a panel 14 and a
connecting beam section 12 of a building is illustrated in
Figs. 7 and 8, Fig. 7 shows a peak connection for the building
system shown in Fig, 1 wherein panels made of a woven fabric
coated with an impervious coating have cords 40 sewn into the
fabric or woven into the ~abric at the joins between the top
exterior sheet 20 and the side walls 21 and the bottom interior
sheet 22 and the side walls 21. These cords 40 slide into
fluted slots 41 which extend right along the connecting beam
section 12 and hold the panel 14 to the building structure, The
fluted slots 41 have a smooth interior to allow the cords 40 to
be slid in place, The material surrounding the slots 41 may be
plastic or metal but must have no sharp edges so that the panel
material moves freely therein without catching or tearing, A
cap 42 is provided on the peak of the building structure to drain
the water from rain and the like, Similarly, a groove 43 wi-th a
drain 44 is provided in the trough as illustrated in Fig. 8 and
the gutter 45 is provided beneath the trough to catch water from
the roof. A hose 15 for liquid such as water, to spray into the
panel is provided at the side having the higher elevation, The
hose 15 is joined to the side wall 21 and has a plurality of
jets or holes 46 along the length. Fig, 8 illustrates a drain
pipe 47 having drain holes 48 therein, The drain pipe is not an
essential leature of the canopy system, natural drainage to
each end of the panel may be used However, the drain pipe is
used in long panels wi-th a suction pump to pump out liquid along
the len~th of the panel Alternatively, a positive pressure
within the panel forces liquid out through the drain.
Fig. 9 illustrates one embo~iment of a panel such as
that shown in Figs. 7 and 8, with cords 40 woven into the fabric
of the sleeve at each join between the sidewalls 21, and the top
.~ sheet 20 and bottom sheet 22 The hose 15 has a fabric link
to the sidewall 21
Four panels 14 are illustrated in Fig. 10 similar to
the roof configuration shown in Fig. 1 and having inlet manifolds
50 for two panels 14 and outlet manifolds 51 for two panels 14.
A closed circuit air system is supplied where air to a first
inlet manifold 50 passes through two of the panels 14 into a
first outlet manifold 51 from whence the air passes in a closed
circuit system 52 including a fan, a heat exchanger and a
precipitator. The system ensures the required temperature,
pressure and humidity of the air which then feeds into a second
~0 inlet manifold 50 on the same side as -the first outlet manifold
50 and through the panels 14 to a second outlet manifold 51 and
again through another closed circui-t system 52 where the
temperature, pressure and humidity are controlled, before feeding
back into the first inlet manifold 50. Thus the closed air
system is able to control the pressure of the air entering the
panel, the moisture content of the air within the panel, and the
temperature of the air within the panel. Liquid may be sprayed
into the panel through the hose 15 to provide cooling, or alter-
natively foam may be generated to fill the panels of the canopy
system by entrainment of the air within the panel with the liquid
sprayed into the panel either through the hose 15 or in short
panels from the inlet manifold end~ Upon ceasing to be generated
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586
the foam can be destroyed either by blowing through the panel
from the inlet manifold, or spraying with a foam dissolving
liquid from the hose 15. The temperature control, humidity
control, foam insulation control and pressure control of the
system does not form part of the present invention.
Various changes may be made to the particular details
of the connection between the panel and the connection beam
sections of the building structure. The panel is supported at
four corners such that if there is a negative pressure within
the panel the top sheet and the bottom sheet do not touch each ¦
other or prevent the movement of air through the panel from end
to end. The pressure, either negative or positive, has to be
arranged so that it is feasible for operation of the panel. Too
high a pressure would result in the possibility of leaks
occurring as would too low a pressure. Other changes to the
canopy system may be made without departing from the scope of
the present invention which is limited only by the claims.
~ 1i
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