Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02686058 2009-11-17
1903
INSULATED COOL CELL COVER FOR ANIMAL HOUSES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an insulated cover system for providing air seals to
reduce
heat loss through cool cells of animal houses, such as barns, poultry and pig
houses and the
like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Environmental conditions of serious concern in the operation of an animal
house,
particularly for chickens and piglets include, for example, background
heating, ventilation,
humidity, ammonia, dirt and dust. For example, houses for poultry chickens and
piglets need
to have a warm, dry environment wherein one day-old chicks and young piglets
are reared.
The targeted temperature provided at floor level is initially about 32 C, but
is reduced,
gradually, as the animals grow. A computerized controller in the case of
modern poultry
houses monitors environmental conditions as the birds grow and implements
changes to that
environment, accordingly, through activating vents, fans, heaters, feeders and
watering
systems. While the environment must be warm, the air also must be fresh.
Poultry houses vary in size and are, typically, approximately 15m wide by 150
m
length with a ceiling height in the center of about 3m. Side wall
constructions of these
houses are either curtained or solid wall.
Cool cells is the term used to describe a framed insert located in apertures
in the
wall(s) of an animal house, such as a poultry or pig house, barn and the like.
It comprises an
insert of a plurality of, typically, lacquered corrugated cardboard
longitudinal pieces in
parallel array set in a metal, plastics material or wooden frame in the
aperture. The length
and width of a cool cell depends on the size of the animal house and have a
life expendency
of about 2 to 5 years. Below the length of the cool cell is a water pipe which
provides a mist
which is drawn through the cool cell into the house by negative pressure
caused by fans in the
house. The purpose of the mist is to cool the interior of the house during the
warm and hot
months of the year.
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Insulation covers must be made of durable components to withstand the rigors
of the
barn environment while being easy to install and remove. In consequence of
their nature and
location, current covers are difficult and time consuming to remove and
install. Farmers are
looking for products and technologies that will reduce their energy
consumption and reduce
their workload.
Historically, cool cells, if covered, have been covered with thin woven
plastic sheets
to stop the wind and cold air from entering the poultry house. This type of
covering was
"homemade", did little to stop the air flow from the exterior and was not
energy efficient. The
plastic sheet material was, generally, adapted from side wall curtain
material, which is not
insulated and is difficult to install and is usually good only for a one time
or one season use.
Recently, a foam board covered with a hard plastics material and made in
sections
that connect together has been introduced as an insulated cool cell cover.
However, there are
many problems with this cover. For example, the sections are difficult to
handle due to the
weight of each panel. Further, because of the weight of the panels they do not
seal
effectively when pulled in place to the closed position by a pulley system
and, yet further, the
construction of the panel causes condensation which forms water puddles in the
chicken
house, which, in turn, promotes disease in the birds. Several bugs,
particularly, darkling
beetles that are prevalent within many chicken houses destroy the foam of the
cool cells.
Reflective metallic laminated and metalized polymeric insulation materials are
described in, for example, Canadian Patent No. 2,554,754, granted December 4,
2007 and
Canadian Patent No. 2,591,589, granted April 29, 2008 for use as insulation in
walls, under
roofs, around pipes and the like as stationary objects.
There is, therefore, a need for insulated covers that address the problem of
high
energy loss due to inadequate air seals in key areas for use with cool cells
and doors presently
having no air seal cover to address high energy loss due to inadequate air
seals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention, in one aspect, provides an insulated cool cell cover apparatus
in a side
wall of an animal house for use adjacent said cool cell in the side wall,
comprising
an insulated cover adapted to cover said cool cell comprising an insulating
member
comprising a metallic laminated or metalized polymeric reflective insulation
material,
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sandwiched between a pair of thermoplastic layers at distances therefrom to
provide a pair of
insulating air gaps.
Preferably, each of the air gaps has a width selected from 0.5 cm to 2cm.
The reflective insulation material is, preferably, selected from the group
consisting of
polymeric foam material, multi-film thermoplastic layers assemblies and bubble-
pack
arranged thermoplastic material; and, more preferably, a bubble-pack arranged
thermoplastic
material comprising outer metalized thermoplastic layers having an outer
coating of an anti-
corrosion effective, clear lacquer coating.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a cool cell cover assembly
comprising a
plurality of covers as hereinabove defined in an array wherein each cover is
vertically
connected to one or two adjacent covers.
Preferably, the cool cell cover assembly further comprises a pulley system
fixed to the
panel array and mounted to the animal house to operably effect opening and
closing of the
cover assembly adjacent the cool cell.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be better understood, preferred embodiments
will now
be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings,
wherein
Fig. I is a diagrammatic perspective view, in part, of a cool cell in a
poultry house,
according to the prior art;
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic horizontal cross-section of a cool cell cover
according to the
invention;
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a poultry house cover assembly
(in part)
in a closed position adjacent a cool cell according to the invention;
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a poultry house cover assembly
(in part)
in an open position distant from a cool cell according to the invention;
Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view from inside of a poultry house of a cover
assembly
(in part) in a closed position adjacent a cool cell with an associated pulley
arrangement
according to the invention; and wherein the same numerals denote like parts.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Fig. 1 shows generally as 10 a poultry house 12 having a cool cell 14 with
side wall
16 below roof 18. Below cool cell 14 runs a water pipe 20 which operably
sprays water as a
fine mist through cool cell 14 to effect cooling of the air within the
interior of poultry house
12.
Fig. 2 shows generally as 200 an assembly having a cover 21 of a metalized
polyethylene bubble-pack insulation 22 separated by foam rubber standoff 24
from adjacent
polyethylene films 26 to provide 1cm wide air gaps 28 on each face 30 of
bubble pack 22.
Assembly 100 is held by support bars (not shown) between channel frames 34. A
typical
cover 21 size is 48 inches high by 60 inches wide.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show generally as 300 and 400 respectively, a cool cell 40
partly
insulated by a panel cover 21, vertically connected by hinges 42 to adjacent
cover 21 and
pivotally mounted by lower hinges 44 to the interior surface 46 of side wall
16. Pulley
system 48 allows for the operable opening and closing of cover 21 adjacent
(Fig. 3) and
distant (Fig. 4) cool cell 14 when required to control the air temperature
within house 12 for
chickens 50.
Fig. 5 shows the same parts and arrangement of a cool cell cover assembly as
shown
in Figs. 3 and 4 within the poultry house interior adjacent side wall
comprising an array of
covers 56.
To provide enhanced heat loss protection provided by the assembly 52 when
desired,
inner peripheral faces 54 of cover panels 21 abut the corresponding faces of
foam rubber seal
56.
Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred
embodiments
of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted
to those particular
embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are
functional or
mechanical equivalence of the specific embodiments and features that have been
described
and illustrated.
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