Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WO91/075~7 ` . PCT/SE90/00726
FLOW DISTRIBUTION CONDUIT l~EANS.
~he invention relates to a flow distribu~ing conduit
means, comprising a first and a second sheet being
S substantially impervious to a flow medium and being
arranged in parallel.
Presently a plurality of constructions are used as
intermediate floor structures. In smaller houses the most
common intermediate floor structure comprises joist frames
provided with building sheets preferably on the underside
of the ~oists as well as on the upper side thereof.
In connection with smaller house also a plurality of
other constructional methods exists, for instance cast
intermediate floors and different types of pre-fabricated
intermediate floors provided with constructional elements
made of light concrete or ordinary concrete.
In larger buildings normally intermediate floors made
of concrete cast in situ or pre-fabricated concrete
elements, for instance elements made of light concrete are
utilized. ~ight wooden constructions are used only in
exeptional ca~es in larger buildings.
Lately a comparatively new type of pre-fabricated die
elements have been introduced on the market. This is a type
of large elements having a die ready for casting and having
al80 an integrated framework made of reinforcement bars.
After mounting said elements and after all installations
made on the upperside of said elements the casting of
concrete prepared. Such a system has several advantages,
for instance a fast mounting, a low constructional height, ~
a possibility for simple installations within said element ~ -
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before the concrete casting, a small amount of extra
reinforcement etc. ~
~~ A problem in most of the pre-fi~bricated element
systems on t~e market today, with few exceptions, is that
the weight thereof is very large, they are small sized
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WO91/07S57 ~ 0 7 3 0 3 9 PCT/SE90/00726
(width and length), the required mounting is expensive and
time consuming and the costs for ~ransporting are very
high. As a consequence the building time is substantially
extended which increases the building interest cos~s. In
the types of constructions mentioned above for intermediate
floor structures said floor structure has no other
function than dividing the building into floor plans.
Howeever, construc~ions of intermediate floors exist which
comprise some kind of heating device. Said heating device
normally comprises electric heating coils, but also coils
of piping for hot water, which are arranged in other parts
of said intermediate floor, exist. There are also heating
devices for intermediate floors in which water is
circulated and which are arranged on top of the
intermediate floor.
Common to all the heating devices mentioned above is
that they provide local heating and thereby any desired
comfort in certain areas, such as bathrooms and toilets. To
achieve an efficient heating high temperatures are required
in the heating device. Normal temperatures are from 30 -
40. However, common to them are also drawbacks, such as
being expensive and requiring large demands for labour
during installation, but most importan~, they are not
reliable during longer time intervals. For instance may
electrically heating coils be short circuited when driving
a nail into the floor. Similar problems are present also in
water carried heating devices in which water tubes can be
punctured by a nail. Additionally there is a risk which is
not negligable for water leakage as a result of settings in
the house and as a result of fatigue by aging.
In larger building, mainly in multiple-unit dwelling
houses, problems with a very poor sound reduction between
floor plans are noticed, especially if l~sLmple" cons~ruc-
tions are used.
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A floor element using air for heating is disclosed in
NO-B-150 736. The intermediate floor structure according to
said document comprises a plurality of elements arranged in
contact with each other, each element comprising an upper
ceiling sheet, a lower ceiling sheet and a plurality of
spreaders arranged therebetween. Between said spreaders
channels are formed through which heated air is fed.
~ccording to said document the floor element is arranged on
a floor structure so as to form together therewith a self-
supporting intermediate floor structure. The floor accor-
ding to said pa~ent should have a low temperature coeffi-
cient, so as to make possible a fast change in temperature
locally in different areas in said building.
An object of the present invention is to substan-~
tially overcome the problems mentioned above and also to
make possible a fast and comparatively simple assembly of a
very rigid and sound-reducing intermediate floor structure.
The intermediate floor structure according to the invention
is also cheap and has outer dimensions corresponding to
intermediate floor structures common at present. According
to the invention there is accomplished also a control of
the conditions in dwelling areas by a ~soft~ heat emission
to said areas. Furthermore, the time required for the
drying-out of concrete in a floor structure is substantial-
ly reduced. :i
Another ob~ect of the present invention is to ~ub-
stantially eliminate the drawbacks of heavy element systems
which are also difficult to mount. At the same time all
positive properties of pre-fabricated die elements
described above remain with the invention. Furthermore, --
there are other completing advantages when using the
inventio~
The intermediate floor structure according to the
invention makes possible also a dividing of dwelling areas
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WO91/07557 2 0 7 3 0 3 9 PCT/SE90/00726
into a plurality of zones, normally consisting of rooms, in
which the heating is individually controlled.
The objects mentioned above are accomp:Lished by the
invention having the features of claim 1 and 2.
The invention will be described in more detail by
means of an em~odiment with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which :~
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate
floor structure according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate
floor structure according to the invention, said view being
in right angle ~o the section of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to
FIG. 2,
FIG. 4a-c is a cross-~ectional view and two front
views of a heating device,
FIG. S is a cross-~ectional view according to FIG. 2,
said view showing the connection of said intermediate floor
structure on a wall,
FIG. 6 is a top view of a floor divided into zones,
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conduit means
according to the invention,
FIG. 8 shows schematically the flow to and from a
conduit means accordong to the invention,
FIG. 9 shows an application with a conduit means
according to the invention,
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a part shown in
FIG. 9, and
FIG. ll is across-sectional view of the-part of FIG.
10, said view being in right angle to the section of FIG.
The intermediate floor structure shown in FIG. l. -
comprises as a supporting part-a-corrugated:sheet 10, for
instance shaped as a "TRP-profile~ made of steel or alumi-
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W~91/07557 2 0 7 ~ ~ 3 9 PCT/SE90/0072~
num. The profile is dLmensioned for each building. On top
o~ said first profile 10 a second corrugated sheet 13 is
arranged in right angle to said first profile/ said second
sheet 13 functioning as a distributing profile for incom-
ming heated air and for outgoing cooled air. In a groove ofsaid profile 10 a conduit 11 is arranged for the supply of
air. The conduit 11 is connected through a restriction
sheet 12 to grooves extending in the trans~erse direction
of the conduit 11 and being defined by said sheet 13 in the
upper side. The function of said restriction sheet 12 is
described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6. Said '
sheet 13 is suitably fixedly connected to said shee$ 10, '
for instance by a screw joint. On top of said sheet 13'a '
heat accumulating layer 14 is arranged, said layer
consisting in the shown embodiment of concrete and
conventionally arranged reinforcement bars 20. Said layer
14 can also consist of gypsum or other materials having
heat accumulating properties, such as different types of
' building sheets. Said layer 14 has only in exceptional
cases a minor supporting function making the choice of
material free. On top of said heat accumulating layer 14 is
provided a coating 16 made of some kind of conventional
floor ~aterial having a suitable specific heat transfer. A
sheet 23 ~ade of sound reducing material, such as rubber,
is arranged in contact with the underside of said profile
10. Below said shoet 23 is in the shown embodiment arranged ''
a conventional insulating layer 15 and below said insula- '
ting layer a sheet 2~ made of gypsum. In applications where
a heat transfer downwardly is desired said insulating layer
15 is excluded and some kind of false ceiling sheet i8
arranged in contact with said sheet 23 or directly in-
contact with said sheet 10. Instead o~ said restriction '-
sheet 12 a tube having apertures in the upper side'thereof
can be arranged in the groove formed in said profile 10.
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WO91/075~7 PCT/SE90/00726
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From FIG. 2 it is more clear how said profile 13 is
formed and how said restriction sheet 12 separates the
space in the grooves of said profile 10 from the space in
the grooves below said profile 13. In said restriction
sheet 12 apertures 25 and 26 are formed, said apertures
having an increasing diameter from a connection piece 27
through which heated air is supplied from a conduit 17a.
The intermediate floor structure comprises also a number of
joist frames 18, on which said sound reducing sheet 23 are
attached by gluing or in another suitable way.
With reference to PIG. 3 it is clear that the
intermediate floor structure according to the invention
comprises three ducts 17a, 17b, 17c, through which heated
air is supplied to the intermediate floor structure in a
method further disclosed below with reference to FIG. 6.
For the heating o air to be fed into the inter-
mediate ~loor structure a heating means 19 is arranged on
the other side of said intermediate floor struc~ure.
Preferably said heating means 19 is arranged centrally in
the house, so as to minimize heat and flow losses in said
ducts 17a-c. In other not shown embodiments said heating
means is replaced by several smaller units disposed so as
to facilitate an individual control of parts of the floor
structure. Said heating means 19 comprises in the shown
embodiment an electric battery l9a, but it is possible to
provide in said heating means a water heater having the
desired power and also to provide said heating means with a
heat exchanger which is connected to a heat pump, so as to
achieve a further decrease in heat losses in the building.
Said heating means comprises-also a fan l9b and is provided
with a plurality of outputs l9c for blowing out heated air,
and a number of inlets l9d through which air is-drawn. Said
outputs l9c of said heating means are connected to said
ducts 17a-17c, from which heated air is fed into the
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intermediate floor structure according to a method
described below. The inputs l9d of said heating means is in
the shown embodiment connected to the space within the
grooves below said sheet 13 for return suction of air which
has emitted heat to said heat accumulating l,ayer 14.
FIG. 5 shows a part of a intermediate floor structure
in a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and from said
figuxe it is clear how the intermediate floor structure is
connected to an outer wall. On top of a lower wall 28/
shown as a basement outer wall in the embodiment, is
arranged a horizontal edge beam 22 made of plywood.
Vertically on said edge beam 22 is arranged a similar edge
beam 21, in which said profile 10 is attached. On top of
the intermediate floor structure i8 arranged an upper outer
wall 29 covered by a facade layer 30. Such a construction
is very well ~uited when assembling said intermediate floor
structure on site. When assembling, the underlaying outer
wall 28 is constructed firstly and said horizontal edge
beam 22 is attached thereto. Secondly sections of said
sheet 10 available in lengths corresponding to the width of
said building, are put out. Several sections of said sheets
10 are arranged side by side with some conventional over-
lapping. Outside of said shee~s 10 are provided vertical
edge beams 21 to which said shets 10 are attached. The
building has now very rapidly been provided with a floor
structure withstanding walking on and lowering to a high
extent the risks for the installer of said intermediate
floor structure when continuing the installation efforts.
Sheets 13 are arranged on top of said sheets 10, the
grooves of said sheets 10 crossing--grooves of said sheets
13. Said-sheets-13 constitute together:with-said ver~ical
edge beams 21 a casting mould when casting said heat -
accumulating concrete layer 14. Said sheets 13 also form;a
bsttom reinforcement for said concre~e layer decreasing
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WO91/07~57 , PCT/SE90/00726 ~. :
substantially the reinforcement of said layer as compared
to conventional concrete floor structures. In some loading
circumstances it is even possible to exclude reinforcement
of said concrete layer 14.
With reference to FIG. 6 the heating up and control-
ling of conditions in dwelling spaces above said inter-
mediate floor structure will be described in more detail.
Air is heated in said heating device 19 and is fed through
not shown pipings to said ducts 17a, 17b, 17c, through
which air is fed into said intermedia~e floor structure. In
appropriate positions along the length of said ducts 17a-
17c said connection pieces 27 are arranged for discharging
air into said conduits 11, which are covered by said
restriction sheets 12. Air fed through said duct 17c is
discharged in a first connection piece 27c from which it is
fed through conduits 11 and through said restrict.ion sheet
further to spaces below said sheet 13. Some of the heat of
the air is transferred to said heat accumulating layer 14
during the flow of air through grooves of said sheet 13.
The air flow is then collected in conduits 11 through a
restriction sheet 12d. The area below which said air has
flown belongs to a first zone C, D, the heatsupply thereto
thus being determed by the air supplied through said
conduit 27c.and said restriction sheet 12c. In the same way
air is supplied a.connection piece 27a through said duct
17a from which air is supplied to a second zone A of said
intermediate floor structure through a conduit 11 and a
restriction sheet 12a. By such a zone distribution of the
heated are there is accomplished an individual control of
temperature in separate parts of dwelling areas. For
instance a-restriction of flow of heated air to~a zone
below.a bedroom can be accomplished by control means ~
arranged in a connection piece 27 or in said restriction-
sheet 12.
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~ WO91/07557 2 ~ 7 3 0 3 9 PCT/SE90/00726
Said restriction sheet 12 f~nctions also as a distri-
butor for the heated air along one side of each zone so as
to provide the desired distribution of air below the sheet
13 accomplishing also a control of emission and reception,
respectively, of heat. In an alternative embodiment said
restriction sheet 12 comprises one fixed section, which is
provided with apertures for letting out air, and one
movable section which is slidable by a control in each end.
By means of said movable section supplied air is
distributed either linearly along the complete restriction
sheet or is the distribution of air made along a
distributing conduit. Control of air supply is possible
before, during and after the process of building.
In the embodiment shown in the figures air is cirku-
lated in a closed system. However, according to the inven-
tion it is possible also to arrange an inlet of pre-heated
fresh air which is supplied to dwelling spaces as ventila-
tion air after being fed through said intermediate floor
structure.
In an alternative embodLment according to the inven-
tion no connection pieces 27 are arranged but instead
apertures are made in the bottommost section of said
profile 10 just in front of said dict 17. By supplying a
covering layer below said profile 10 i-t is also possible to
u~e the groove of said profile 10, which is open at the
bottom, as a conduit 11, apertures corresponding to-
apertures in said restriction sheet 12 being made in the
upper closed section of the profile 10, and apertures also
being made in $he underlaying layer in front of said duct
17 for the supply of heated air. - ; -
- The invention is applicable also during such-s
temperature co~ditions when-cooling is desired.~In~such~-~
applications said heating device is replaced by or combined
with a cooling device.
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WO91/075~7 2 ~ 7 3 ~ ~ 9 PCT/SE90/00726 !:,
In the embodLment shown in FIG. 7 the flow
distributing conduit means according to the present
invention comprises two sheets 113 and 110 arranged in `
parallel. Each of said sheets are made of a material
substantially impervious to a flow medium. In the shown
embodiment the sheets are made of corrugated sheet metal
which is a very suitable material. The sheets have grooves
extending in the longitudinal direction and the sheets are
arranged on top of each other in such a way that said
grooves form a right angle. Each groove of one of the
sheets thereby provides a connection between the grooves of
the second sheet, and a flow medium fed through said
conduit means can moove freely and be distributed in said
conduit means. Two sheets are put to overlap each other so
as to achieve the required continuity when mounting the
elements. By fixedly connecting said sheets a rigid unit is
provided which is self-supporting and which can be used in
different applications. The sheets 113 and 110 can be
connected by using for instance self-driving screws,
rivets, spot welding, gluing etc.
In the ambodiment described above the conduit means
is applicable in a variaty of application areas, such as
heat exchangers, heating elements and the like. Common to
different applications is that high distributing ability
and large area towards the environment of the conduit means
is used. If the conduit means is intended for use in an
intermediate floor structure it is suitably provided with
insulating and/or a complete false ceiling.
From FIG. 8 it is clear how a flow medium, for
instance air, is supplied to and circulates in a rectangu- -
lar conduit means according to the invention. Along side
edges-of said condllit means walls connecting said sheets
have been arranged to prevent-the medium-from leeving the
conduit means. Two inlet ducts 117a and 117b convey said
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W O 91/07557 PC~r/SE90/00726
medium from a pump and heating means 119 to conduits llla
and lllb which are provided along to adjacen1 side edges o~
the conduit means. Said conduits llla and ll:Lb are connec-
ted with one of the grooves of said first sheet 113 (see
also FIG. 11) by apertures distributed along the longitu-
dinal direction. A flow medium is introduced in said
conduit llla and lllb through inlet ducts 117a and 117b
under pressure. From said ducts said medium enters a first
groove of said first sheet and therefrom it is distributed
through the conduit means emitting heat to or receiving
heat from said conduit means. Through outle~ openings of
the lower pressure side of said pump means said medium
leaves the conduit means and is drawn into said pump means,
thereby closing a circulating process.
In the application according ~o the invention shown
in FIG. 9 a conduit means according to the invention is
used in an intermediate ~loor structure. From a centrally
disposed pump means 119 air is driven into conduits llla
and lllb through inlet ducts 117a and 117b and further into
said conduit means. The air then returns to the low
pressure side of said pump means through the conduit means
during heat emission to other parts of the intermediate
floor structure.
FIG. 10 and 11 show in more detail the construction
of an intermediate floor structure in a building when
utilizing the conduit means according to the invention. Two
pre-assembled sheets 113 and 110 are put on walls thereby
forming a floor layer which can be stepped upon during the
building process. On top of the upper sheet 113 inlet
ductsll7a and--117b are arranged, said ducts being connected
-to conduits llla and-lllb arranged along the outer wallsiof
said building. Set inlet ducts 117a andi117b are insulated
so-as to decreas heat losses during the conveyance towar~s
said conduits llla and lllb. The upper corrugation, i.e.
.
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WO91/07557 PCT/SE90/00726
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the sheet 113, is designed to constitute a bottom rein-
forcement for a concrete layer 114 which is cast on top of
said sheet 113 when an edge element 121 is disposed outside
said conduit means along the outer walls of said building.
Said edge elements 121 and said conduit means thereby con-
stitute the mould when casting. Thus, in this embodLment
the inlet ducts 117a, 117b are arranged in the concrete
layer 114. Said conduits llla and lllb are connected
directly to the grooves of said upper sheet 113 to which
the air is transferred and thsn distributed in the entire
conduit means. To prevent leakage of ~he flow medium from
the conduit means walls shaped as beams 135 and 136 are
arranged in the end parts of said grooves so as to close
said grooves. A conventional false ceiling 124 is arranged
below said lower sheet 113. Also other structures of false
ceilings made especially for the conduit means are used in
certain applications. Reinforcement bars 120 are embedded
in said concrete layer 114. I~owever, less reinforcement
than in a conventional concrete slab is required thanks to
the bottom reinforcement.
It is appropriate to use the conduit means according
to the invention as a rigid and very compressed element for
an intermediate floor structure, the thickness thereof
being as low as 75 mm. It is possible to pro~uce large
elements, dimensions thereof being at least 2250x12000 mm.
The dead weight is as low as 15 kg per m2. As a result of
large elements the mounting of the elements on side is very
~ast. Elements compressed with regard to heights combined
with low weight make transporting more effective wi~h
regard to volume-as well as to casts. In practice this ~ -
means, that up to 1200 m2 of elements can be conveyed on a
truck with a trailer. The normal quantity in transport for
other types of intermediate floor structure elements is
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; WO91/07557 2`0 7~ o 3 9 PCT/SE90/00726
13
from 1130 to 150 m2 on a corresponding truck and trailer.
The difference depends both on the weight and the volume.
In a structural sence the construction gives a
combined effect in that the upper corrugated ishet function
both as a remaining mould and as a bottom reinforcement.
Furthermore, it is possible to make installations of tubes
and other types of technical installations in a conven-
tional way either on the upper side of the system of -
elements before casting or on the underside of the system
of elements after casting. Besides the advan~ages with the
system of elements described above two unique advantageous
characterize the invention.
It is favourable to transport airtgas in all direc-
tions in the sheets because the element system comprises
corrugated sheets which are layed crosswise. A practical
benefit and use of this fact can for instance be to convey
heated or cooled air between said sheets and obtain control
of conditions in the dwelling space above the intermediate
floor structure. Another essential advantage is that it is
very easy to ins~all electrical installation tubes and
fresh water pipelines in conduits extending in the longitu-
dinal direction and the transverse direction, respectively,
which are formed between the two corrugated sheets. In
practice this means that technical installations can be
made above, under and within the intermediate floor
structure element.
If the choice is not to use any kind of insulation or
other type of false ceiling the conduit means by itself can
function as a complete false ceiling by being painted/sur-
face conditioned at delivery.
The invention is not lLmited in utilizing a certaintype of corrugated sheets 113 and 110. The reason for ~his
is that a plurality of corrugated sheets 113 are available
at the market and have a combined ef~ect in accordance with
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WO91/07557 ~ ~ 9 PCT/SE90/00726
the description. There is also a large number of variants
of corrugated sheet 110.
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