Panel for external air-conditioning ducts and similar products

Abstract

A panel for self-supporting ducts, in particular air-conditioning ducts, made up of a core of mineral wool or the like, covered on its external face and on its internal face with an exterior covering and an interior covering, respectively. The interior covering includes or preferably is made up of an aluminum sheet, a layer of a glass fabric or a layer of a glass web. The exterior covering includes the succession of a first layer of plastics material, an aluminum sheet, and a second layer of plastics material. The layers of plastics material are bonded to the aluminum sheet directly or via an adhesive. The exterior covering is bonded to the external surface of the core by glue.

Claims

1. A panel for self-supporting ducts, comprising: a core of mineral wool, an external face of the core being covered with an exterior covering and an internal face of the core being covered with an interior covering, respectively, wherein said interior covering includes an aluminium sheet, a layer of a glass fabric, or a layer of a glass web, wherein the exterior covering includes a succession of a first layer of plastics material, the aluminium sheet, and a second layer of plastics material, said first and second layers of plastics material being bonded to the aluminium sheet directly or via an adhesive, said first layer of plastics material being bonded to the external face of the core by a glue, and wherein the second layer of plastics material is an outer layer including anti-UV particles or a UV-protective film, or a surface of the second layer of plastics material is covered with a UV-protective plastic film.

2. The panel according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the exterior covering is between 0.05 mm and 0.50 mm.

3. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the first layer of plastics material and the second layer of plastics material are made of polyester.

4. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the exterior covering further includes an external layer bonded to the second layer of plastics material, the external layer being UV-protective film.

5. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the exterior covering is glued to the core by a polyurethane PU glue, a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) glue, hotmelt glues, or water-based glues.

6. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the external face of the core further includes a web of glass fibres or synthetic fibres, said web being bonded to the core by a binder crosslinking mineral fibres of said core.

7. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the exterior covering further includes at least two aluminium sheets, each aluminium sheet being bonded directly or via the adhesive, to one of the first and second layers of plastics material.

8. The panel according to claim 5, starting from the external face of the core, further comprising: a web of glass fibres integrated with mineral fibres of the core; a layer of adhesive; the external covering; and an external layer includes the UV-protective film.

9. The panel according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the panel end is configured to be interlocked.

10. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the internal covering and the external covering are extended by a flap partially overlapping the internal covering and the external covering and being sealed by a strip of a same material, when the panel is joined to another module.

11. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the interior covering is extended beyond an edge of the panel and fixed to a surface which defines a connecting profile, the interior covering being an interior face of the duct.

12. The self-supporting duct comprising: the panel according to claim 1.

13. The self-supporting duct according to claim 12, wherein the self-supporting duct is installed outside a building, an exterior layer of the self-supporting duct being exposed to weather.

14. A method of using the panels according to claim comprising: manufacturing the self-supporting ducts.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the self-supporting ducts is mounted outside a building, an exterior layer of the self-supporting duct being exposed to weather.

16. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the self-supporting ducts are air-conditioning ducts.

17. The panel according to claim 4, wherein the UV-protective film includes highly ultraviolet-resistant epoxy resins, urethanes, or polyvinyl fluorides.

18. The panel according to claim 5, wherein the exterior covering is glued to the core by the polyurethane PU glue or the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) glue.

19. The panel according to claim 7, wherein the first and second layers of plastics material are made of polyester.

20. A panel for self-supporting ducts, comprising: a core of mineral wool, an external face of the core being covered with an exterior covering and an internal face of the core being covered with an interior covering, respectively, wherein said interior covering includes an aluminium sheet, the exterior covering includes a succession of a layer of web of glass fibres, a first layer of plastics material, the aluminium sheet, and a second layer of plastics material, said first and second layers of plastics material being bonded to the aluminium sheet directly or via an adhesive, said layer of web of glass fibres being bonded to the core by a binder crosslinking mineral fibres of said core, and the second layer of plastics material is an outer layer including anti-LTV particles or a UV-protective film, or a surface of the second layer of plastics material is covered with a UV-protective plastic film.

Description

(1) To complete the above description of the present invention and aid with better comprehension of the features thereof, a preferred (but non-limiting) practical exemplary embodiment thereof is described in the following text, with regard to the appended set of drawings, as an integral part of said description, in which, by way of non-limiting illustration:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective depiction of a panel from which a module for forming external air-conditioning ducts is obtained, all realized in accordance with the subject of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the connection of two contiguous modules within the self-supporting duct according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail view of a first variant embodiment of the connection shown in FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 schematically shows an enlarged detail view of a second variant embodiment of the connection shown in FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the set of elements that make up the panel and the duct, according to a first embodiment of the invention.

(7) As can be seen in the abovementioned figures, the panel (1-1) according to the invention is made up of a core (2-2) of mineral wool or the like, which is covered on its face considered to be the external face with an exterior covering (3-3) that makes it resistant to bad weather. This exterior covering comprises a layer of plastics material covered with an aluminium sheet, which, in turn, is preferably protected against ultraviolet radiation, while, on what will be the internal face of the duct, it is covered with a layer of aluminium, glass fabric or glass web (4-4) that is fixed to said core by means of an adhesive (not shown in the figures) that is able to withstand the extreme conditions that can arise in the open air, as described above.

(8) Proceeding from this structure, and with appropriate cutting and bending tools, it is possible according to the invention to form, with a single type of panel, a multitude of ducts of different types, configurations and geometries, quickly and easily, as described in particular in publication EP 1 532 391 A1.

(9) As far as the manner in which modules are connected together within self-supporting ducts is concerned, provision is made for the panels to end at their extremities with edges to be interlocked, such as the ones shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, such that preferably the exterior multilayer covering (3) is extended somewhat by a flap (9) which partially overlaps the covering (3) of the contiguous module, thereby preventing the ingress of water/moisture. A strip of the same material as the covering will be used.

(10) This interlock may be straight, as shown in FIG. 3, or oblique, as shown in FIG. 4, without this affecting the essence of the invention.

(11) In a similar manner, optionally, the aluminium layer or covering which determines the interior face of the duct can be extended beyond the edge of the panel, being fixed to the surface which defines the connecting profile.

(12) FIG. 5 shows a panel for an exterior duct, depicting a configuration according to the invention. A panel or a duct according to the invention can thus comprise further, additional elements, in particular additional layers and/or sheets that are used to make up the exterior covering 3.

(13) In FIG. 5, the central core 2 made of mineral wool is bordered on its interior face by a fabric 4 of glass fibres, in particular a Neto fabric from the applicant company.

(14) The surface away from the central core 2 is reinforced by means of a web of glass fibres 10. In a preferred embodiment, the glass web 10 is deposited on the external face of the core during the manufacture of the dense mat of mineral fibres, before it passes into the oven for curing the binder. In this way, a reinforcing web integrated into the surface of the core made of mineral wool is obtained, that is to say one that is bonded thereto by the same binder that unites the mineral fibres of the core, the reinforcing action of which is thereby improved.

(15) On the external face of the central core 2, that is to say on the face that is turned towards the outside once the self-supporting duct manufactured from the panel, the exterior multilayer covering 3 is positioned and bonded to the surface of the core, above the reinforcement web 10, via a layer of glue 11. This layer of glue is preferably a polyurethane glue but may also be chosen from low-density polyethylene glues, hotmelt glues or water-based glues. A fungicide is advantageously mixed with the layer of glue 11. Experiments carried out by the applicant company have shown that the use of a polyurethane layer in combination with the covering according to the invention is particularly advantageous since it makes it possible to substantially increase the service life of the duct when the latter or a part thereof is fitted outside. More particularly, the formation of the covering 3, in combination with the use of a glue as described above, has proven to be particularly significant for obtaining a duct that is resistant to outside conditions long-term.

(16) In particular, as indicated in FIG. 5, experiments carried out by the applicant company have shown that improved durability of the ducts can be obtained by the use of a covering comprising a succession of aluminium film and layers of plastics material, preferably made of polyester.

(17) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a succession of a first layer 12 of plastics material, in particular polyester, of an aluminium film 13 and of a second layer 14 of plastics material is shown. This second layer of plastics material, which is the outermost layer, is made of polyester for example and can advantageously comprise a component such as anti-UV particles for protecting the underlying layers from strong sunlight.

(18) Alternatively, the top layer 14 made of plastics material can be a layer made up of a UV protective film, in particular chosen from highly ultraviolet-resistant epoxy resins, urethanes or polyvinyl fluorides.

(19) According to another alternative embodiment, a layer of plastics material such as polyester is first of all disposed above the aluminium layer 13, and then the UV protective film, in particular of the type described above.

(20) According to another configuration that is not described in FIG. 5 but included within the scope of the present invention, the protective covering can comprise several aluminium films, for example two aluminium films, that are separated from one another by layers of plastics material of the type indicated above.

(21) According to the invention, the layers of plastics material are bonded directly to the aluminium film or films or alternatively are bonded thereto by way of any adhesive known in the art that allows such a metal/plastic bond (not shown in FIG. 5).

(22) Preferably, according to the invention, the overall thickness of the covering 3 is between 50 micrometers and 500 micrometers, and is very preferably between 30 and 150 micrometers.

(23) The thickness of the aluminium films that are used according to the invention is preferably between 3 and 30 micrometers, and generally between 6 and 20 micrometers.

(24) The thickness of the layers of plastics material that are used according to the invention is preferably between 10 and 50 micrometers, for example between 6 and 30 micrometers.