Thermal barriers for buildings, appliances and textiles
AssigneeGateway Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEd Payne, Bernard T. Perry, Terry D. Walker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal barrier for controlling heat transfer across through buildings, appliances and textile products is disclosed. The thermal barrier includes opposing, spaced apart sheets which define at least one chamber therebetween. A temperature stabilizing material is disposed in the chamber. The temperature stabilizing material is preferably a phase change material such as a paraffinic hydrocarbon, hydrated salt, plastic crystal or glycol. In one embodiment, an interconnecting structure is disposed between opposing sheets to create a plurality of cells of the chamber into which the temperature stabilizing material is uniformly disposed. A method of manufacturing the thermal barrier is also disclosed.
Claims29
A flexible thermal barrier comprising:
- two spaced apart opposing sheets defining a chamber therebetween;
- a flexible, cell-defining structure positioned between and attached to said opposing sheets and defining a plurality of discrete cells of said chamber;
- and
- a temperature stabilizing material containing a heat storage material selected from the group consisting of phase change materials and plastic crystals, said heat storage material having a predetermined temperature at which heat is controllably absorbed or released therefrom, said temperature stabilizing material substantially filling each said cell such that a substantially uniform distribution of said temperature stabilizing material is maintained across said flexible thermal barrier by said flexible cell-defining structure.
A flexible thermal barrier comprising:
- a first sheet having a plurality of closely adjacent depressions formed therein;
- a temperature stabilizing material containing a heat storage material selected from the group consisting of phase change materials and plastic crystals, said heat storage material having a predetermined temperature at which heat is controllably absorbed or released therefrom, said temperature stabilizing material disposed in said depressions;
- and
- a second sheet overlying and attached to said first sheet and defining therewith a plurality of closely contiguous and discrete cells having no gaps between cells such that a substantially uniform distribution of said temperature stabilizing material is maintained across said flexible thermal barrier.
A flexible thermal barrier comprising:
- at least two adjoining and overlying layers, each said layer comprising:
- a first sheet having a plurality of closely adjacent depressions formed therein;
- a temperature stabilizing material containing a heat storage material selected from the group consisting of phase change materials and plastic crystals, said heat storage material having a predetermined temperature at which heat is controllably absorbed or released therefrom, said temperature stabilizing material disposed in said depressions;
- and
- a second sheet attached to said first sheet, overlying said depressions and said temperature stabilizing material and defining therewith a plurality of noncommunicating, discrete cells;
- said cells of adjoining layers being offset, such that a substantially uniform distribution of said temperature stabilizing material is maintained across said flexible thermal barrier.
A method of manufacturing a flexible thermal barrier comprising the steps of:
- depositing a temperature stabilizing material containing a heat storage material selected from the group consisting of phase change materials and plastic crystals, said heat storage material having a predetermined temperature at which heat is controllably absorbed or released therefrom, said temperature stabilizing material on a first sheet;
- covering said temperature stabilizing material with a second sheet;
- connecting said first sheet to said second sheet with a flexible, cell-defining structure at multiple intermediate locations on each of said first and second sheets to confine said temperature stabilizing material between said first and second sheets;
- and
- maintaining a substantially uniform thickness of said temperature stabilizing material between said first and second sheets.
A method of manufacturing a thermal barrier comprising the steps of:
- positioning a first sheet overlying and spaced apart from a second sheet;
- positioning a flexible, cell-defining structure between said first and second sheets to define a plurality of discrete cells therebetween;
- depositing a temperature stabilizing material containing a heat storage material selected from the group consisting of phase change materials and plastic crystals, said heat storage material having a predetermined temperature at which heat is controllably absorbed or released therefrom, said temperature stabilizing material in said cells;
- and
- maintaining a substantially uniform thickness of said temperature stabilizing material between said first and second sheets.
A method of manufacturing a flexible thermal barrier comprising the steps of:
- forming depressions in a first sheet;
- depositing a temperature stabilizing material containing a heat storage material selected from the group consisting of phase change materials and plastic crystals in said depressions, said heat storage material having a predetermined temperature at which heat is controllably absorbed or released therefrom;
- attaching a second sheet to said first sheet, encasing said temperature stabilizing material in cells formed therebetween;
- and
- maintaining a substantially uniform thickness of said temperature stabilizing material across said flexible thermal barrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.