Reefer trailer with roof and subpan heat reflective film and method

Abstract

A thermal radiation shield for the floors and roofs of trailer reefer units. The shield includes a low-emissivity, heat reflecting film that includes a metal coating layer, preferably vapor deposited, further protected by a layer of durable PET film.

Claims

1. A reefer trailer subpan having the following layers: (a) a polyurethane foam into scrim or laminate; (b) a PET fiber scrim; (c) a fiberglass in polypropylene layer; (d) a vapor deposited, metal coating for heat reflection; and (e) a layer of durable PET film applied over the metal coating.

2. The trailer subpan of claim 1, which further includes: (f) a clear high-strength, PET outer surface layer.

3. The trailer subpan of claim 1 wherein the fiberglass in polypropylene layer, element (c) above, has a 0/90 fiber orientation.

4. The trailer subpan of claim 1 wherein the vapor deposited, metal coating consists of aluminum, or an aluminum-based alloy.

5. The trailer subpan of claim 4 wherein the vapor deposited, metal coating layer is about 100 angstroms thick.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further features, objectives and advantages of this invention will be made clearer with the following Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments made with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1A is a right side view of a typical reefer trailer RT with its roof R, sidewall S and trailer floor F;

(3) FIG. 1B is a perspective close up view of the circled area IB in FIG. 1A showing an inside corner IC where the sidewall S for typical reefer trailer RT meets the floor F;

(4) FIG. 1C is an underside perspective view of the floor F to the typical reefer trailer RT of FIGS. 1A and B with its plurality of cross support beams SB;

(5) FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing an exploded segment of typical trailer floor F (i.e., a prior art reefer subpan) with its loading surface LS beneath which is located an insulation layer of polyurethane foam PU, a glass reinforced base GB and a lowermost polypropylene film surface PP;

(6) FIG. 2B is a side schematic view of the typical prior art reefer floor from FIG. 2A with arrows depicting how thermal radiation from the roadway and/or parking surface beneath floor F penetrates that floor and enters the trailer interior through loading surface LS;

(7) FIG. 3 is a side schematic view showing one embodiment of this invention with a new composite GRP subpan CS consisting of a thermal heat reflection coating layer 100 under a durable PET film 110. Note how the arrows beneath this invention reflect the heat back down and away from the trailer interior;

(8) FIG. 4 is a close up, segmented view of the circled area IV in the lower right corner of FIG. 3 in which the various sub-layers to one embodiment are separately identified, namely: an uppermost polyurethane foam layer PU (into scrim on laminate) beneath which this invention adds a composite subpan CS consisting of a PET fiber scrim 200 atop a layer of fiberglass in polypropylene 210, preferably in a 0/90 orientation. Beneath that would be a PET scrim fiber tie layer 220 having fibers embedded in the polypropylene of a composite for better bonding. Beneath PET scrim tie layer 220 would be a durable PET film layer 230 having a low emissivity coating/reflection layer 240 followed up by an underside of high strength, preferably clear PET serving as the bottom most protective outer layer 250;

(9) FIG. 5A is a diagrammatic representation of a simulated laboratory set up for showing an insulated box IB without a radiant roof barrier layer as would be heated from above by the sun;

(10) FIG. 5B is a graph depicting the expected heat saving improvements possible with the present invention when comparing temperatures for that lab test setup box IB over time for: just a standard white surface film (upper curve 500 of FIG. 5B); versus one with a radiant heat reflector incorporated therein (lower curve 510);

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) This invention will replace standard sub-flooring AND roofing materials with a vapor deposited, aluminum coating onto a composite non-woven under a PET surface to give the opacity and heat reflecting capability. The coating is only a few angstroms thick, so the weight of it can't even be measured. The metallization behind PET backing that will reduce the amount of reflective heat from the highway passing through that floor and into the reefer unit proper from below; as well as reducing the amount of heat radiating downward from the sun, into and through the roofs of existing reefer trailer units.

(12) Further advantages of this invention include measurably reducing thermal radiation from below for a PET film incorporated into the trailer's flooring layers and from above when adding pinhole-free PET films into the roofs of such trailers.

(13) Particular preferred product details include: Providing a coated film product that is not significantly electrically conductive, so it would not be a potential source for galvanic corrosion. The coating itself product would be fully insulated from exposure to surface air and contact parts by a film layer. If that film rubs off, the reflective coating would still be non-conductive. One representative embodiment of this invention would be an aluminum coating about 50-200 Angstroms thick, more preferably about 100 Angstroms (or 0.00000001 m) thick. If the film fully or partially wears off for any reason, the coating will go with it. A plastic film applied over this thermal reflective layer would be about 10,000 times thicker than the coating alone. The backing fibers would include a fiber diameter of 3010.sup.6 One single fiber would be about 3000 times larger than the coating alone 0.0000027 grams/square meter (gsm) of reflective coating on 50 gsm composite film

(14) Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is seen one embodiment of improved trailer floor construction or system per this invention. Generally speaking, it consists of a new composite GRP subpan CS with a thermal heat reflection coating layer 100 under a durable PET film 110.

(15) FIG. 4 shows the sublayers making up this improvement in more detail. They consist essentially of: an uppermost polyurethane foam layer PU (into scrim on laminate) beneath which this invention adds a composite subpan CS consisting of a PET fiber scrim 200 atop a layer of fiberglass in polypropylene 210, preferably in a 0/90 orientation. Beneath that would be a PET scrim fiber tie layer 220 having fibers embedded in the polypropylene of a composite for better bonding. Beneath PET scrim tie layer 220 would be a durable PET film layer 230 having a low emissivity coating/reflection layer 240 followed up by an underside of high strength, preferably clear PET serving as the bottom most protective outer layer 250.

(16) For the new polyester (preferably PET) Surface Film that replaces a PP Film, it should be noted that: PET is higher temperature film. It will not melt in lamination. PET is 100% closed film, i.e, it will have NO pinholes. PET is a harder surface for better resisting scratches. The thin, metallized heat-reflecting layer will be purposefully trapped beneath the aforementioned PET surface layer; and The system includes a surface film bonded with composite fiber backing.

(17) Having described the presently preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this invention may otherwise be covered by the scope of the provisionally filed claims that follow.