Insulated Air Transfer Duct

Abstract

An air duct transporting air between an interior location within a building and an air management system exterior to the building where the duct includes a metal duct wall with a layer of rigid insulation material surrounding at least the exterior part of the metal duct wall and carrying an outer foil layer. A covering material surrounds the rigid insulation, the covering material comprising a self-adhesive polyester layer bonded to the exterior surface of the rigid insulation.

Claims

1. An air duct transporting air between an interior location within a building and an air management system exterior to the building, the duct comprising: a metal duct wall defining a hollow interior through which the air passes between the interior location and the air management system with at least part of the metal duct wall subject to an environment of extreme temperature difference and/or extreme humidity; a layer of rigid insulation material surrounding at least the exterior part of the metal duct wall; and a covering material surrounding the rigid insulation, the covering material comprising a self-adhesive plastics layer bonded to an exterior surface of the rigid insulation.

2. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein a thickness of the plastics layer is less than 1.5 mm or 0.060 inch.

3. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein a thickness of the plastics layer is of the order of 1.2 mm or 0.045 inch.

4. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein a thickness of the plastics layer is of the order of 0.9 mm or 0.035 inch.

5. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the plastics layer comprises a polyester.

6. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the plastics layer comprises PET.

7. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the plastics layer is laminate of polyester including an intermediate layer of fibers.

8. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the plastics layer is a reinforced continuous polyester fibre arranged in a grid or in a mat sandwiched between two sheets of flexible matrix.

9. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the plastics layer has a coating of adhesive having a thickness of the order of 0.3 mm or 0.011 inch.

10. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the rigid insulation material comprises a foil exterior layer onto which the plastics layer is bonded.

11. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein insulation material is fastened to the duct by pins passing through the insulation material to the exterior surface.

12. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the seams are heat bonded.

13. The air duct according to claim 1 wherein the seams are coated with a set liquid material extending to each side of an exposed edge of the material at the seam.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0040] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a duct according to the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the duct of FIG. 1.

[0042] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the cross-section of FIG. 2.

[0043] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-section through an overlap joint of the covering material of the duct of FIG. 1.

[0044] In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The air duct 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 acts for transporting air between an interior location 11 within a building and an air management system 12 such as a heating, cooling or air exchange system exterior to the building.

[0046] The duct includes a metal duct wall defining a hollow interior through which the air passes between the interior location and the air management system. IN the embodiment shown the duct is square but other rectangular shapes or other cross-sections are possible including circular.

[0047] At least part of the metal duct wall is subject to an environment of extreme temperature difference and/or extreme humidity or weather as provided by the exterior or by high humidity locations.

[0048] A layer 14 of rigid insulation material surrounds the exterior part of the metal duct wall and is typically fabricated from stiff panels 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D which are cut to size to fit together to cover the outside surface of the duct. The insulation material is typically fastened to the duct by pins 15 passing through the insulation material to the exterior surface of the duct. The rigid insulation material comprises the stiff fibrous layer 17 and a foil exterior layer 16.

[0049] The outside surface of the insulating material is in the present invention covered by a covering material 20 wrapped so as to surround the rigid insulation. The covering material comprises a self-adhesive plastics layer 20 bonded to an exterior surface of the rigid insulation.

[0050] The covering layer 20 comprises a plastics layer which is a laminate of polyester layers 21 and 22 including an intermediate layer of fibers 23. The plastics layer has a coating of adhesive 24 which is pressure sensitive and is covered before application by a release sheet.

[0051] The covering material is wrapped round the duct with overlapped seams 25. The seams can be heat bonded as indicated at 26 and coated with a set liquid material 27 extending to each side of an exposed edge 28 of the material at the seam.

[0052] Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.