LOAD CARRYING BUILDING ELEMENT FOR A BUILDING OF WOOD AND PREPARED FOR DISTRIBUTION OF VENTING AIR AND A METHOD TO IN CONNECTION TO SAID ELEMENT ARRANGE FOR A HEAT TRANSFER

Abstract: The present invention relates to a load carrying building element for a wooden building and prepared for distribution of heat and venting air, and in connection to said element to a method to arrange for a heat radiation. The invention is characterised in that the building element is manufactured of a pressed or moulded fibrous material in the form of an open or closed beam, at least with partly weatherproof surfaces, wherein a channel space (3) for the distribution of air for heating and/or ventilation is housed in said beam.

Description: LOAD CARRYING BUILDING ELEMENT FOR A BUILDING OF WOOD AND PREPARED FOR DISTRIBUΗON OF VENTING AIR AND A METHOD TO IN CONNECTION TO SAID ELEMENT ARRANGE FOR A HEAT TRANSFER The present invention relates to a load carrying building element for a wooden building and prepared for distribution of venting air, and in connection to said element, to a method to arrange for a heat radiation, e.g. in the form of several in the building element arranged openings through which heated air can flow into a closed floor heating system, or as not heated air into a heater of a flowing through type. In a long-term living it is important to avoid a dead end building by using inefficient and in the future maybe doubtful techniques, which means that a flexibility regarding future possibilities to rapidly and easily make use of new techniques with new energy sources and recovery systems gives advantages by independence and freedom of choice. Flexibility in the living from the needs of a family with children to a safe living for retired people in an ingrained environment means that different kinds of assistance may be needed to have a full functioning of the house. More exactly the invention relates to such building elements which together and included in the erected building will form a net work channel system where said utilities are already integrated or easily can be integrated later, e.g. in connection to an alteration of the disposition of the rooms and/or when changing technique for the heating of the building. A change to a low temperature heating technique may call for an increase in the heat emitting capacity; i.e. a supplementing of the heat emitting means may become necessary. It shall be noted that the invention also can be used to distribute coolness with the purpose of decreasing a too high indoor temperature down to a pleasant level. Thus a main object of the present invention is to obtain a prefabricated load carrying and simple building element of a cheap and durable material which element is simultaneously used to distribute channel using utilities, e.g. heat and ventilation. Another object of the present invention is to suggest a building element being manufactured in a rational way, e.g. of pressed or moulded fibres, preferably with a mix of recovered plastic material. With the invention it is also possible to achieve a simple assembling of the building elements, wherein the utilities may be connected later when convenient, e.g. using equipment or devices and simple manipulations and instructions being understood easily by untrained workers too. Thus there is a need for fewer man- hours to finish and to later complete or change the building with regard to a wanted use and wanted utilities. The objects mentioned above are obtained by the invention having the characterising clauses mentioned in the claims. By having the building element manufactured of a pressed or moulded fibrous material in the form of an open or closed beam having weatherproof surfaces and including an air-tight channel space for the distribution of air for heating and/or ventilation, said element will also act as a supporting element (ground sill or crosstie) at a wall. Through air distributing channels, forming inlet and outlet means, respectively for air at a floor heating system it is indeed possible to get an inlet and outlet of heat carrying air to the floor heating system in a simple way. In the case the heat radiation is performed by heat radiating batteries instead of using a floor heating system and said radiating batteries being fed by a fluid heat carrier, the inflowing air through said channels can be transferred to specific convector batteries using ejecting outlets. These outlets will at the same time carry the air in the room for an efficient and comfortable re-heating of the same. The airflow over the convector batteries will in this way be increased. Obviously the flow velocities and surfaces together with the detailed design of the convector batteries is done in such a way that disturbing noise are omitted as far as possible. Thus the invention is useful especially in connection to e.g. ventilation, and/or air borne air conditioning, and/or floor heating, i.e. where great airflow is used. By integrating or hiding the air channel means in an existing wall and/or floor structure it is possible to arrange for proportionately big areas of the air flow channels, i.e. the flow resistance and the flow speeds of the air can be kept low. The location of a fan/convector unit in a prefabricated floor module having parallel fluid channels as well for heated air will provide a simple floor heating system where just hot water from an available heat source (oil, wood, electricity, heat pump, or by a combination of these) has to be connected. Preferably this connection is performed through prepared channels/conduits in said building element. The invention will now be described in connection to some preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein; Fig. 1 shows a side view in connection to an outer and an inner wall element, respectively, with arranged upper and lower building elements according to the invention and wherein an opening for ventilation is shown in connection to said outer wall element; Fig. 2 is a section according to the direction of the arrow P and of the embodiment according to fig. 1 ; Fig. 3a is a perspective view of a wall opening for ventilation being co-ordinated with socket means for other channel connected utilities; Fig. 3b is a perspective view of yet another variant of the invention for obtaining a heating in connection to an incoming venting flow where an ejector effect over a heating battery is used for bringing existing air in the room through said battery, and wherein the connection between the building element and the heat battery is very simple; Fig. 4 is a part section of the lower part of a building element forming part of a wall at a room and showing the recessed openings in the building element for distribution of an air flow at a system for air borne floor heating; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a floor showing diagrammatically how the air distribution from two distributing channels takes place from opposite walls of the room and in a parallel flow in several channels towards the middle of the floor where the flow is collected in a third wall channel for reheating and recirculation in a parallel flow in said channels; and wherein Fig. 6 is a part section through the lower portion of a wall using a building element according to the invention and showing a method for securing the building element at a foundation (at a system of joists of a floor). Fig. 1 shows a section through a wall where the building element 1 according to the invention is shown with lower channel means 3, and where an opening 5, 5 ' for ventilation and/or heating is arranged at the lower and at the upper channel means 3, 3 ', respectively in connection to an outer wall element 2. The building element will have a ventilation channel with a section being large enough to allow a big airflow with a proportionately low flow velocity. Fig. 2 shows the embodiment according to fig. 1 seen in the direction of the arrow P in fig. 2 and wherein means 4, 5 for inflowing air may be arranged in direct connection to the building element 1. Fig. 1 and 2 also show a variant of the invention where an upper building element 1 co-operates with a masonite beam 6, the inner space of which forms a channel for outgoing or incoming air. In this embodiment a relatively big surface of the beam 6 will also be able to act as a heat radiating surface and thus will contribute to the creating of a comfortable climate in the room with regard to temperature, radiation and air movements. Fig. 3a shows a perspective view of an ventilation unit located in a wall opening and which co-operates with socket means 9 for other channel connected utilities, e.g. electric sockets, switches and antennas for radio and TV, respectively. In fig. 3b a perspective view of yet a variant of the invention is shown the purpose of which is to achieve heating in connection to an incoming air flow for ventilation and wherein an ejection over a heating battery is used to bring the existing air in the room together with the ejecting incoming air to pass over the heat battery VK. Thus, the air is guided through the channel means 3 in the building element 1 to a set of ejecting nozzles EM and is fed out beneath a flange battery VK. A low pressure is created beneath said battery VK, which means that air from the room will be sucked into and through the battery VK passing a lattice opening. Fig. 4 is a part section through the lower part of a wall in a room where the building element has been provided with all through openings 10 to allow an air flow 11 being guided further to channels 13 (grooves) in connection to a floor surface for an air borne floor heating. The distribution channel arranged in the building element 1 may be divided into several sections (12a, 12b) guiding the venting air and/or air for heating to different room units. For some of the rooms existing radiators of the prior art may be enough for heating, which means that incoming air for ventilation only is guided by channel portions 12a in the building element 1. The wall 2 may be provided with a board plate 14 and plasterboard 15. The floor or the system of joists may be made of concrete 20 with an isolation 19 on top and with a further concrete layer 18 provided that this will have a good heat transferring capacity and a fair heat accumulating property. This insulation will contribute to a floor heating system having a low energy accumulating property the purpose of which is to rapidly respond when activated to give a heated floor surface within a short period of time. Thus the energy in the air shall not be used to heat the components and material of the floor heating structure. In connection to a floor plate 17 there are several parallel grooves 13 passing along the bottom side of the floor plate 17. At big floor surfaces it can be of an advantage to have a collecting channel in the middle of the room, i.e. parallel air flows will come from two opposite sides of the room to be collected in a common channel for a continuos flow to a heat source bringing heat to the circulating air - see also fig. 5. This heat source may be connected to a fan/convector unit located centrally and integrated in a floor module. When the energy content of the air is proportionately low it is necessary to circulate large amounts of air to transfer a higher energy output, especially if the temperature difference between the room and the heat emitting media is low, i.e. if a heat source having a low temperature in is used. By the present invention a necessary circulation of big air volumes is facilitated together with a transfer of relatively high-energy outputs. This is due to the arrangement of big airflow channels. This also has the advantage of a favourable low propelling power to obtain the necessary air circulation. Thus fig. 5 shows a plan view of a floor where the air distribution is carried out by two distributing channels 12 from opposite walls of the room and in a parallel flow in several channels towards the middle of the floor, where the flow is collected in a third wall channel or floor channel for reheating and maybe for recirculation in parallel flows in said channels. For this purpose the section 12b in the building element in connection to said room unit could be used only for the air borne floor-heating system. The air flow distribution over a floor surface of about 50 - 65 m2 with several integrated parallel channels (grooves) will, with an incoming air flow of 1700 m^/h and having a temperature of 32°C give a temperature of the floor surface of 28°C. This is sufficient to heat a modern single family house (about 1 10 m^) in a north European climate and this also if just 50 % of the floor surface is heated. Fig. 6 is a part section through the lower part of a wall at a room illustrating a method to secure the building element 1 according to the invention at a support (system of joists) 20, wherein angle bars 20a are secured first onto the system of joists at both sides of the building element 1 , here shown as a downwards open channel profile being located onto an insulating plate 21 being tightened against the support. After that completing profile element 20b are placed outwards of and engaging said channel means 12, said profile elements being locked to said angle bars 20a by screws 22. The invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown above, but modifications can be done within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A load carrying building element (1) prepared for distribution of heat and venting air, characterised i n that it is manufactured of a pressed or moulded fibrous material in the form of an open or closed beam having at least partly weatherproof surfaces, wherein a channel space (3) for the distribution of air for heating and/or ventilation is arranged in said beam. 2. An element according to claim 1 , characterised i n that said channel space (3) is horizontally divided and has a first lower (upper) part with a downwards (upwards) open recess in connection to a wall element, wherein said part of the channel means together with another co-operating part, e.g. in form of upwards (downwards) open wall sill mean (crosstie) in a assembled position of said parts will constitute said channel mean in the form of a closed channel . 3. An element according to the preceding claims, characterised i n that air distributing channels for intake and outlet of air in a floor heating system are prepared or arranged in said element. 4. Method to arrange, in connection to a load carrying building element for wooden houses and prepared for distribution of heat and ventilation according to any of the claims 1 to 3, for heat radiation, characterised i n that openings are made in the building element to said channel space, through which openings heated air is brought to flow into a floor heating system. 5. Method to arrange, in connection to a load carrying building element for wooden houses and prepared for distribution of heat and ventilation according to any of the claims 1 to 3, for heat radiation, characterised i n that openings are taken up in the building element to said channel space, through which openings air is brought to flow as incoming air to a heat battery (VK) to be heated, and that in this later case an ejecting effect is obtained and used for bringing existing air in the room over said heat battery (VK).

Inventors: BERNHARDSSON GOERAN, BERNHARDSSON, GOERAN
Applicants: BERNHARDSSON GOERAN, PLUGGIT INTERNATIONAL N V, BERNHARDSSON, GOERAN, PLUGGIT INTERNATIONAL N.V.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E04C3
IPC codes: E04B5, E04C3, F24F5