# US 2012/0073693 A1 · Insulation and methods of insulating > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0073693 A1 - Document ID: US20120073693A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/274,660 - Filed: 2011-10-17 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-22 - Assignees: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC - Inventors: Robert P. Collier; Brian Patrick O'Riordan; George A. Bowne - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073693A1 ## CPC - F16L 59/143: {Pre-insulated pipes} - B32B 3/06: for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support {, or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking} - B32B 5/26: another layer {next to it} also being fibrous or filamentary {(relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12)} - F16L 59/022: {with a single slit} - F16L 59/22: adapted for bends - B32B 2250/04: 4 layers - B32B 2250/20: All layers being fibrous or filamentary - B32B 2262/101: Glass fibres - Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining - Y10T 428/237: Noninterengaged fibered material encased [e.g., mat, batt, etc.] - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An insulation panel and a method of insulating a pipeline are disclosed by the present application. In one exemplary embodiment, the insulation panel includes one or more pieces of compressible fiberglass insulation material and a coated fabric cover encasing the one or more pieces of insulation material. The coated fabric cover includes a first fastening portion disposed along a first end of the insulation panel and a second fastening portion disposed between the first end and a second end of the insulation panel. The first end of the insulation panel overlaps the second end of the insulation panel when the insulation panel is installed on a pipeline or other structure. Further, attachment of the first fastening portion to the second fastening portion secures the coated fabric cover around the pipeline or other structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An insulation panel for insulating a pipeline comprising: one or more pieces of compressible fiberglass insulation material having an R value per inch of thickness from about 2 to about 10 hr-sq ft-deg F./Btu measured at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, wherein the insulation material is configured to return substantially back to its original thickness and density after being compressed; and a coated fabric cover encasing the one or more pieces of insulation material, wherein the coated fabric cover has a weight from about 5 to about 40 oz/sq yd, and wherein the coated fabric cover comprises a first fastening portion disposed along a first end of the insulation panel and a second fastening portion disposed between the first end and a second end of the insulation panel; and wherein the insulation panel is configured such that, when the insulation panel is installed around a pipeline having a diameter from about 24 to about 78 inches, the first end of the insulation panel overlaps the second end of the insulation panel and attachment of the first fastening portion to the second fastening portion secures the coated fabric cover around the pipeline. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the overlapping portion of the insulation panel includes a first portion of the compressible fiberglass insulation material overlapping a second portion of the compressible fiberglass insulation material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the second fastening portion is substantially parallel to the first fastening portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the insulation panel contacts an outer surface of the pipeline and a top surface of the insulation panel is exposed to the environment, and wherein the second fastening portion is disposed on the top surface of the insulation panel at a distance from about 6 to about 24 inches from the second end of the insulation panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the first fastening portion comprises a first row of spaced apart openings and the second fastening portion comprises a second row of spaced apart openings, and wherein the first and second rows of spaced apart openings are configured such that attachment of openings of the first row of openings to openings of the second row of openings secures the coated fabric cover around the pipeline. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the first fastening portion is attached to the second fastening portion by a connector, and wherein tightening the connector pulls the first fastening portion toward the second fastening portion to tighten the insulation panel against an outer surface of the pipeline. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The insulation panel of claim 6, wherein the connector is one or more elongated flexible members routed through one or more first openings in the first fastening portion and one or more second openings in the second fastening portion to attach the fastening portions together. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the first fastening portion is configured as a flap extending outward from the first end of the insulation panel and the second fastening portion is configured as a flap attached to the coated fabric cover and extending outward from a top surface of the insulation panel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The insulation panel of claim 8, wherein the first fastening portion and the second fastening portion extend the entire width of the insulation panel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the pipeline comprises an existing insulation system having insulation disposed around a pipe of the pipeline and a hard shell that encases the insulation disposed around the pipe. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the insulation panel presses against a bottom surface of the insulation panel to form a seal when the insulation panel is installed around the pipeline. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1 further comprising at least one vent in the coated fabric cover that permits air to escape from inside the cover when the insulation panel is compressed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The insulation panel of claim 12, wherein the at least one vent is a hole in the coated fabric cover. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The insulation panel of claim 12, wherein the at least one vent comprises a valve configured to control the airflow into and out of the coated fabric cover. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the coated fabric cover comprises a geo-membrane material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The insulation panel of claim 15, wherein the geo-membrane material is a polyester fabric having a PVC coating. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The insulation panel of claim 16, wherein the geo-membrane material has a nominal weight of about 12 oz/sq yd. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein a four inch thick piece of the one or more pieces of compressible fiberglass insulation material has an R value from about 16.7 to about 18.2 hr-sq ft-deg F./Btu measured at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the insulation material comprises two or more stacked layers of compressible fiberglass insulation material, and wherein at least two of the stacked layers have different lengths to facilitate installing the insulation panel around the pipeline. ### Claim 20 A method of insulating a pipeline comprising: delivering an insulation panel to the pipeline, the insulation panel comprising: one or more pieces of compressible fiberglass insulation material having an R value per inch of thickness from about 2 to about 10 hr-sq ft-deg F./Btu measured at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, wherein the insulation material is configured to return substantially back to its original thickness and density after being compressed; and a coated fabric cover encasing the one or more pieces of insulation material, wherein the coated fabric cover has a weight from about 5 to about 40 oz/sq yd, and wherein the coated fabric cover comprises a first fastening portion disposed along a first end of the insulation panel and a second fastening portion disposed between the first end and a second end of the insulation panel; attaching one or more elongated flexible members to the first fastening portion; tossing the one or more elongated flexible members over the top of the pipeline; using the one or more elongated flexible members to pull the insulation panel over the top of the pipeline such that the insulation panel is draped over the top of the pipeline; overlapping the first end of the insulation panel with the second end of the insulation panel, and attaching the first fastening portion to the second fastening portion to secure the coated fabric cover of the insulation panel around the pipeline. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the overlapping portion of the insulation panel includes a first portion of the compressible fiberglass insulation material overlapping a second portion of the compressible fiberglass insulation material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the pipeline has a diameter from about 24 to about 78 inches. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the pipeline comprises an existing insulation system having insulation disposed around a pipe of the pipeline and a hard shell that encases the insulation disposed around the pipe. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the first fastening portion is attached to the second fastening portion by a connector, and the method further comprises tightening the connector to pull the first fastening portion toward the second fastening portion to tighten the insulation panel against an outer surface of the pipeline. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the connector is one or more second elongated flexible members routed through one or more first openings in the first fastening portion and one or more second openings in the second fastening portion to attach the fastening portions together. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the coated fabric cover of the insulation panel has at least one vent that permits air to escape from inside the cover when the insulation panel is compressed, and the method further comprises compressing the insulation panel and securing the insulation panel in a compressed configuration prior to delivering the insulation panel to the pipeline. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the air within the cover of the insulation panel is substantially evacuated when the panel is compressed, and wherein the insulation panel is secured in the compressed configuration using a closure device configured to block air from entering the at least one vent. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further comprising removing the closure device to open the at least one vent and decompress the insulation panel such that the insulation material returns substantially back to its original thickness and density. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the insulation panel is secured in the compressed configuration with one or more second elongated flexible members. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29 further comprising removing the one or more second elongated flexible members to decompress the insulation panel such that the insulation material returns substantially back to its original thickness and density. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 further comprising decompressing the insulation panel prior to attaching the first fastening portion to the second fastening portion to secure the coated fabric cover of the insulation panel around the pipeline. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 further comprising decompressing the insulation panel after attaching the first fastening portion to the second fastening portion to secure the coated fabric cover of the insulation panel around the pipeline. ### Claim 33 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 further comprising installing a second insulation panel on the pipeline adjacent to the insulation panel. ### Claim 34 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 further comprising installing an overwrap over the insulation panel and fastening the overwrap to the pipeline. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, wherein the overwrap comprises a geo-membrane material having a nominal weight of about 24 oz/sq yd. ### Claim 36 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the coated fabric cover of the insulation panel comprises a geo-membrane material having a polyester fabric and a PVC coating. ### Claim 37 A pipeline, comprising: a pipe; insulation disposed around the pipe; a hard outer shell that encases the insulation disposed around the pipe; and a plurality of insulation panels secured around the hard outer shell that encases the insulation disposed around the pipe, wherein at least one of the plurality of insulation panels comprises: one or more pieces of compressible fiberglass insulation material having an R value per inch of thickness from about 2 to about 10 hr-sq ft-deg F./Btu measured at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, wherein the insulation material is configured to return substantially back to its original thickness and density after being compressed; and a coated fabric cover encasing the one or more pieces of insulation material, wherein the coated fabric cover has a weight from about 5 to about 40 oz/sq yd, and wherein the coated fabric cover comprises a first fastening portion disposed along a first end of the insulation panel and a second fastening portion disposed between the first end and a second end of the insulation panel; and wherein attachment of the first fastening portion to the second fastening portion secures the coated fabric cover around the hard outer shell. ### Claim 38 An insulation panel for adding insulation to a pipeline having an existing insulation system that comprises insulation disposed around a pipe of the pipeline and a hard shell that encases the insulation disposed around the pipe, the insulation panel comprising: one or more pieces of compressible fiberglass insulation material having an R value per inch of thickness from about 2 to about 10 hr-sq ft-deg F./Btu measured at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, wherein the insulation material is configured to return substantially back to its original thickness and density after being compressed; and a coated fabric cover encasing the one or more pieces of insulation material, wherein the coated fabric cover has a weight from about 5 to about 40 oz/sq yd, and wherein the coated fabric cover comprises a first fastening portion disposed along a first end of the insulation panel and a second fastening portion disposed between the first end and a second end of the insulation panel; and wherein the insulation panel is configured such that, when the insulation panel is installed around the hard outer shell of the existing insulation system having a diameter from about 24 to about 78 inches, the first end of the insulation panel overlaps the second end of the insulation panel and attachment of the first fastening portion to the second fastening portion secures the coated fabric cover around the hard outer shell.