Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a concrete floor having a
pipe embedded therein for circulation of heating or cooling fluid, as
well as a method of construction thereof.
Previously, conducting heat or cold to concrete floors in
order to heat or chill such floors has been accomplished by in situ
alignment of steel, copper or plastic piping on a sub-floor surface,
or on deck forms, prior to the pouring of concrete. Such a method
poses many instal1ation problems. For example, handling of piping
material on the building site is awkward. It is hard to maintain
proper alignment or positioning of piping, this problem being
aggravated on grade installations. Moreover the piping may have a
tendency to float during the pouring of concrete. Handling of the
piping for layout in installation also requires a significant amount
of labour, thus adding to the construction costs.
In some instances, the piping is secured directly to the
sub-floor surface to at least maintain proper alignment of piping
during the pouring of the concrete. On-site layout and measuring for
the fastening points for piping, and then the fastening of the piping
in position again is awkward and time consuming~ i
A solution for some of these problems has been proposed in
Musgrave et al Canadian Patent No. 261,219 issued June 1, 1926 in
which pipes to be embedded in concrete walls are temporarily secured
to moulds used in the pouring of the concrete for the walls, and
then, when the concrete has set, releasing the moulds from the
pipes.
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Crittall et al Canadian Patent No. 261,221 also issued June
1, 1926, describes and illustrates a concrete building structure "
having heating/cooling pipes therein, the pipes being secured to
metal lathing or netting stretched between reinforced concrete
uprights and crossbars, and this whole sub-structure then being
covered with concrete. In Musgrave Canadian Patent No. 150,026
issued August 19, 1913, a method of heating and cooling a building is
described in which coils of pipes are fitted against a non-conductor
of heat, and a heat conducting material in plastic or semi-plastic
material (presumably unset plaster or concrete) is then laid on the
pipes, thereby embedding the pipes in that heat conducting material.
A more recent proposal is described in U.S. Patent No.
4,212,348 of Kobayashi issued July 15, 1980, in which a radiating
floor board for a building has a metal surface plate behind which are
situated metallic tubes for circulation of hot water beneath the
plate, the metallic tubes being completely surrounded by a heat
insulating material such as foam.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate
piping alignment and handling problems on sites where concrete floors
having heating or cooling pipes embedded therein are being
constructed. It is a further object of the invention to reduce or
eliminate the tendency of such piping to float during the pouring of
concrete and to reduce the incidence of material fatigue brought
about by the expansion and contraction of such pipes when the
concrete has set. Yet a further object of the present invention is
to provide a uniform method of securing piping for such
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constructions, and to significantly reduce the man hours roquired to
perform the task of installing piping for concrete floors.
SU~I~ARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a
novel type of a concrete floor having a heat transfer pipe embedded
therein for circulation of heating or cooling fluid, as well as a
method of construction thereof. The method comprises the steps of
laying a transportable base section with a pipe secured in the
desired configuration to the surface thereof, in the area where the
concrete floor is to be constructed. The base section and pipe are
covered with a layer of heat conductive granular material such as
sand, and cement is then poured over the granular material to the
desired floor level. The base section with the pipe secured thereto
may be preassembled at a location away from the building site.
Since the base to which the pipe is secured need not be
prepared in situ, but may be made up to a uniform layout at a
factory, and then delivered to the building site, the invention frees
the construction tradesmen from the tasks of layout for piping runs,
layout and setting of piping clips and the like, thereby reducing the
on-site 1abour significantly. Embedding the base section with pipes
secured thereto in sand provides for freer movement of the pipe
during expansion and contraction, and reduces significantly the
occurence of material fatigue as compared to prior art constructions.
Moreover, the base section, since it may be secured to the floor or
sub-surface, additionally lessens heat loss over prior art
installations where the heat transfer pipes were secured directly to
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the flooring or sub-surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Uther objects and advantages of the invention will become
apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon
referring to the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a base section to which
pipe has been secured in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion
of the base section and pipe of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an elevation section view taken along line
III`-III of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a grouping of base
sections according to Figure 1 in position for the construction of a
concrete floor thereabove; and,
Figure 5 is a section view of a part of a concrete floor
made in accordance with the present invention. While the invention
will be described in connection with an example embodiment, it will
be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to such
embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all
alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Turning to Figure 1 there is shown a base section 2 to
which a pipe 4 is secured in serpentine fashion. Base section 2 may
be of hardboard or any other appropriate rigid flat material.
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Hardboard is suitable because of its low heat conductivity
characteristics. Pipe 4 is for example copper, polybutylene or the
like. As can be seen best in Figures 2 and 3, pipe 4 is secured to
base 2 by means of ties 6 spaced at appropriate locations along the
length of pipe 4. Ties 6 may be of any appropriate construction.
Bundling straps, of a construction somewhat similar to those
illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 3,186,047 of Schwester et al issued
June 1, 1965, have been found appropriate. Such ties comprise a
self-clinching strap 8, at one end of which is secured an eyelet 10
which securely receives the other end of strap 8, locking that end
against releasing movement.
As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, appropriate holes 12 are
drilled in either side of the pipe location on base 2, through which
holes the straps 8 pass to circumscribe the corresponding portion of
pipe 4 and base section 2 and hold them in secure abutting
relationship.
It is preferred for construction of concrete floors
according to the present invention that pipe 4 be arranged for
uniform heating or cooling on base section 2 as shown in Figures 1
and 4. Pipe ends 18, for each base section 2, are preferably
situated near an edge of that base section so that, as shown in
Figure 4, a plurality of base sections may be juxtaposed and the ends
of pipes 18 joined to permit continuous passage of fluid through the
entire length of pipe as illustrated, or to facilitate connection of
one end of the pipe on one base section 2 or a group thereof to a
fluid inlet 20, and the other end to a fluid outlet 22~
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Turning to Figure 5 there is shown a cross^sectional view
of a section of a concrete floor made according to the present
invention. To a sub-floor 30, base section 2, to which pipe 4 has
been previously secured in the manner hereinbefore described, is
secured with nails 32 or staples (not shown). The base section 2 and
pipe 4 are covered with a layer of sand 34 over which vapor barrier
36 (polyethelene or the like) is laid. Concrete layer 38 is then
poured to the desired level of the concrete flooring, and allowed to
set.
Thus, according to the present invention, base section 2
with a pipe appropriately positioned thereon may be made up under
factory conditions, away from the building site, and then delivered
to the building site to be incorporated in the construction of the
concrete floor. The use of such a base enables a very regular and
unit`orm pipe orientation on the base to be achieved, since
appropriate holes for ties may be accurately located and drilled on
the base sections, ties inserted in the holes, but not closed, and
pipe 4 then rolled out in the appropriate orientation on the surface
of base section 2 after which the ties 6 are closed to secure pipe 4
to the base section. In accordance with the present method, the base
section 2 becomes a permanent part of the installation. It serves
the additional function of lessening heat loss to sub-floor 30.
It will be understood that when the method of the present
invention is carried out, construction of heating systems of the type
in question is improved by avoiding the need to lay out and measure
the fastening points for piping at the site (this having already been
done in the factory where base section 2 with pipe 4 secured thereto
has been previously made up) avoiding the need to secure the pipe in
proper orientation in site (again this having already been
accomplished at the factory). Moreover, the present invention, by
enabling the pipes to be embedded in a sand layer, greatly reduces
the occurrence of material tatigue of the pipes and surrounding
flooring material over prior art devices. Applicant's invention
reduces significantly the on-site labour costs required for
installation of such flooring, it being estimated that approximately
ten man hours are required for installation of one thousand square
feet according to the present invention, whereas prior art systems
require approximately thirty-one man hours for a similar instailation
d rea.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided in
accordance with the invention a novel type of concrete floor having a
heating or cooling pipe embedded therein, as well as a method of
construction thereof that fully satisfies the objects, aims and
advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in
conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that
many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to
those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.
Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives,
modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad
scope of the appended claims.
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