UPHOLSTERY DEVICE

Abstract

An upholstery device has a top face, a bottom face and, between top face and bottom face, sides walls extending around the outer circumference. A cover layer surrounds the top face, the side walls and/or the bottom face. A cushioning layer is arranged under the top cover layer. The cover layer is light-transmissive. The cushioning layer is also light-transmissive. A heat-absorbing flexible absorber layer is arranged underneath the cushioning layer. A solar thermal storage layer is operatively connected to the absorber layer and arranged underneath or above the absorber layer and has phase change material, or PCM. Alternatively, a functional layer with a solar thermal storage layer made of integrated, solar thermal phase change material, or PCM, is arranged underneath the cushioning layer at least in certain regions, in particular over the whole surface, wherein the functional layer has in particular an absorber layer.

Claims

1.-22. (canceled)

23. A padding device (10), comprising: a top side (30), a bottom side (32), and side walls (34) which encircle an outer periphery between the top side (30) and the bottom side (32); a covering layer (12) which surrounds the top side (30), the side walls (34) and the bottom side (32), a top side of the covering layer (12) being light-permeable; a padding layer (14) which is arranged under the top-side covering layer (12), a top side of the padding layer (14) being light-permeable; a heat-absorbing absorber layer (16) arranged below the padding layer (14); and a solar thermal storage layer (18), which is operatively connected to the absorber layer (16) and which comprises phase change material (PCM material), arranged below or above the absorber layer (16), or a functional layer (19) having a solar thermal storage layer (24, 28, 38, 42.1, 42.2) composed of integrated, solar thermal phase change material (PCM material) arranged below the padding layer (14), the functional layer (19) comprising an absorber layer (16).

24. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the padding layer (14) is formed firstly by the top side of a padding mantle (15) which additionally surrounds the functional layer (19), meaning that the functional layer (19) is arranged within the padding mantle (15).

25. The padding device of claim 24, wherein an insulation layer (20) or the bottom side of the padding mantle (15) is arranged below the solar thermal storage layer (18) or the functional layer (19).

26. The padding device of claim 24, wherein the padding layer (14)/padding mantle (15) has perforations.

27. The padding device of claim 25, wherein the padding layer (14) is configured as a 3D knitted spacer fabric or knitted spacer textile fabric or as a 3D laid fiber structure and/or wherein the insulation layer (20) is configured as a single-layer or multilayer nonwoven or as a 3D knitted spacer fabric or knitted spacer textile fabric or 3D laid fiber structure.

28. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the storage layer (18)/functional layer (19) is configured as a single-layer or multilayer PCM knit.

29. The padding device of claim 25, wherein the storage layer (18)/functional layer (19) has closed cavities into which pulverulent PCM material has been incorporated or filled.

30. The padding device of claim 29, wherein the cavities are configured as closed tube/channel structures which are present in grid-like form, which are arranged in particular between two layers delimiting the cavities, which are filled with PCM material.

31. The padding device of claim 30, wherein the cavities are configured as closed nub structures which are present in grid-like form, which are arranged between two layers delimiting the cavities, which are filled with PCM material.

32. The padding device of claim 31, wherein the bottom side of the padding layer (14) has downwardly open cutouts which receive the outer periphery contour of the tube/channel structure or of the nub structure of the storage layer (18) or functional layer (19), and/or wherein the top side of the insulation layer (20) has upwardly open cutouts which receive the outer periphery contour of the tube/channel structure or of the nub structure of the storage layer (18) or functional layer (19).

33. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the storage layer (18)/functional layer (19) has a flexible supporting layer, which is configured in an areal or lattice-like manner and on which the PCM material is applied/mounted.

34. The padding device of claim 33, wherein the supporting layer is composed of polyester.

35. The padding device of claim 33, wherein the areal supporting layer has webs arranged in a grid-like manner with recesses which are present between the webs and which have the peripheral contours determined and predefined by the webs, the recesses being filled areally with the PCM material.

36. The padding device of claim 33, wherein the lattice-like supporting layer is arranged within a PCM material layer.

37. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the absorber layer (16) is configured as a single-layer/or multilayer nonwoven or woven fabric unit.

38. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the absorber layer (16)/functional layer (19) has a black color.

39. The padding device of claim 25, wherein a spacer layer (22) is arranged below the insulation layer (20).

40. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the covering layer (12) is configured as a woven fabric layer or carrier layer composed of textile fibers or plastic fibers, and is coated on the top side with light-permeable silicone or polyurethane.

41. The padding device of claim 27, wherein the knitted spacer fabrics of the padding layer (14) and/or insulation layer (14, 20) have a top layer which is formed from monofilaments.

42. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the covering layer (12) is configured as a membrane layer which, on the one hand, is watertight, such that no water can penetrate into an interior of the padding device (10) and which, on the other hand, is vapor-permeable, such that vapor produced during heating can diffuse toward an outside, or under the covering layer (12) a membrane layer of this kind is arranged separately under the covering layer (12), such that no moisture whatsoever can penetrate into the padding device.

43. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the storage layer (18)/functional layer (19) is surrounded at least on the top side, or on the top and bottom sides, by a water-impermeable but vapor-permeable membrane layer.

44. The padding device of claim 23, wherein the absorber layer (16) is arranged both above and below the storage layer (18).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The invention and also advantageous embodiments and developments thereof are described in more detail and elucidated below with reference to the examples depicted in the drawing. The features apparent from the description and the drawing may be employed individually by themselves or as two or more thereof in any desired combination in accordance with the invention. In the drawing

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a high schematized representation of a first exemplary embodiment of a padding device in cross section, with a covering layer surrounding the padding device and having the following functional layers present within the padding device and surrounded by the covering layer: a padding layer, an absorber layer, a solar thermal storage layer, an insulation layer;

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a highly schematized representation of a second exemplary embodiment of a padding device in cross section, having an operational layer surrounding the padding device and having the following functional layers present within the padding device: a padding layer, a functional layer, which integrally has the properties of an absorber layer and of a solar thermal storage layer, and an insulation layer;

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a highly schematized representation of a third exemplary embodiment of a padding device in cross section, according to FIG. 1, with a spacer layer rather than the covering layer arranged on the bottom side of the padding device;

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a highly schematized perspective representation of a solar thermal storage layer of the padding device according to FIG. 1, with the storage layer being configured with the PCM material as a multilayer knitted fabric,

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a highly schematized perspective representation of a solar thermal storage layer of the padding device according to FIG. 1, with the storage layer having tube structures filled with the PCM material,

[0048] FIGS. 6a, b show a highly schematized perspective representation (FIG. 6a) and sectional representation (FIG. 6b) of a solar thermal storage layer of the padding device according to FIG. 1, with the storage layer having nubs filled with the PCM material,

[0049] FIGS. 7a, b show a highly schematized perspective representation (FIG. 7a) and sectional representation (FIG. 7b) of a solar thermal storage layer of the padding device according to FIG. 1, with the storage layer having a flexible areal supporting layer with webs extending in a grid-like manner and with recesses between the webs, the recesses being filled with the PCM material,

[0050] FIGS. 8a, b show a highly schematized perspective representation (FIG. 8b) and sectional representation (FIG. 8b) of a solar thermal storage layer of the padding device according to FIG. 1, with the storage layer having a flexible lattice-like supporting layer which is arranged within a PCM material layer, and

[0051] FIG. 9 shows a highly schematized cross section through a fourth exemplary embodiment of a padding device, in which the functional layer with the PCM material is surrounded by a padding mantle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In a first exemplary embodiment of a padding device 10.1, according to FIG. 1, a cross section is shown with the following construction of the padding device 10.1: The padding device 10.1, which is cuboidal in cross-sectional configuration in the exemplary embodiment, has a top side 30, a bottom side 32, and side walls 34 which encircle a periphery.

[0053] The top side 30, bottom side 32 and side walls 34 are surrounded over the entire periphery by a covering layer 12, which on the inside has a layered construction from top to bottom with the following functional layers:

[0054] Below the top-side covering layer 12 is a padding layer 14, below which an absorber layer 16 is arranged.

[0055] Not only the top side of the covering layer 12 but also the padding layer 14 is of light-permeable configuration. As a result it is possible for rays of light to strike the absorber layer 16, which absorbs their heat energy and delivers it to a solar thermal storage layer 18 situated beneath. The solar thermal storage layer 18 has so-called PCM material (phase change material) which, when subjected to heat energy, stores this energy and delivers it again as and when required. The heat energy is delivered, for example, by subjection of the material to pressure.

[0056] Arranged below the storage layer 18 is an insulation layer 20, which provides downward insulation of the heat-delivering storage layer 18.

[0057] Concluding the outer periphery of the padding device 10.1, below the insulation layer 20, is the covering layer 12.

[0058] A second exemplary embodiment of a padding device 10.2 is depicted in FIG. 2. This exemplary embodiment differs in its fundamental construction from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 in that the absorber layer 16 and the solar thermal storage layer 18 are integrated in a functional layer 19.

[0059] A third exemplary embodiment of a padding device 10.3 is depicted in FIG. 3. This exemplary embodiment differs in its fundamental construction from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 in that a spacer layer 22 is present on the bottom side 32 instead of the covering layer 12.

[0060] In constructional terms, the introduction/application/incorporation/filling of the PCM material into/onto/on the storage layer 18 may be implemented in a wide variety of different ways.

[0061] According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, the PCM material is introduced or woven integrally within a nonwoven or knitted fabric 24, and the nonwoven or knitted fabric 24 may also have a multilayer configuration.

[0062] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5, the storage layer 18 has an areal tube structure 28 with cavities 26 in which pulverulent PCM material powder has been introduced. The tube structure 28 possesses a plurality of tube units 36 or channel units, which are spaced apart in parallel in a predefined grid spacing and are sealingly surrounded by a top layer and bottom layer.

[0063] FIGS. 6a, b show a further exemplary embodiment of a form of the storage layer 18, which has a nub structure 28 with nubs 40 in a grid-like arrangement, these nubs being surrounded on the top and bottom sides with a top layer and bottom layer, the internal cavities of the nubs 40 being filled with PCM material.

[0064] FIGS. 7a, b show an advantageous constructional embodiment, particularly simple to implement, of a storage layer 18, which has a thin, flexible, areal supporting layer 42.1, made of polyester, for example, provided areally with PCM material on the top side. The PCM material may be applied in a screenprinting process, for example. The extremely thin supporting layer 42.1 has webs 44 extending in a grid-like manner, which form, for example, a polygonal or round recess pattern with polygonal or round recesses 46, which are filled up with PCM material. Alternatively, in accordance with FIGS. 8a, b, the supporting layer 42.1 may be arranged as a flexible, thin lattice structure 48 within a thin PCM material layer.

[0065] This embodiment is particularly energy-efficient, economically producible, flexible, possesses a thin construction, and can therefore be employed advantageously for the padding device.

[0066] FIG. 9 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a padding device 10.4 in cross section, which is likewise surrounded by a light-permeable covering layer 12. Below the top side of the top covering layer 12 is a closed padding mantle 15, which can nevertheless be opened and closed, and in which the functional layer 19 is housed as a storage layer with PCM material. The storage layer used may be, alternatively, the storage layers 24, 28, 38, 41.1 or 42.2 represented in FIGS. 4 to 8. As a result, the functional layer 19 is securely positioned within the padding device 10.4. The padding mantle 15 is likewise light-permeable, at least on its top side, this being implemented in the exemplary embodiment by a perforation pattern 17. Below the padding mantle 15, the insulation layer 20 is configured as a knitted plastic fabric layer. On one side wall, the covering layer 12 has an opening and closing mechanism, which in the exemplary embodiment is configured as a touch-and-close fastening 12.