UNDER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEMS

Abstract: A heating box (1) incorporating insulating material (2) and an electrical heating matrix (5) and a connecting cable (5) which can be attached to the underside of a raised floor panel and can be relocated or added to. The heating box is designed to fit under raised floor panels (4) without affecting the floor panels' pedestal supports.

Description: UNDER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEMS The present invention relates to under floor heating systems and particularly to an under floor heating system for used with a raised floor constituted by a multiplicity of individual flooi panels Raised floor panels are a well known means of providing a floor which enables convenient access to a space between the floor constituted by the panels and a supporting base, whereby to facilitate the installation, maintenance or repair of mechanical and electrical services, such as mains electricity supplies, communication networks and the like Owing to the substantial space under the floor and the provision of services or equipment in it, it is not normally feasible to incorporate under floor heating, primarily because such heating would merely heat the under floor space Accordingly, heating of rooms or areas where raised floor panels constitute the flooring is normally provided by way of fan coil perimeter heating or by way of an air conditioning system Both types of heating are comparatively expensive and normally consume valuable space and energy resources There is accordingly a need for a system of under floor heating which facilitates the efficient supply of heat to the floor and which permits relocation of the floor panels and the components of the heating system, providing a designer with greater freedom to make alterations to the floor layout The present invention is based on an under floor heating system comprising an electric heating box adapted to be secured beneath an individual floor panel Such a box preferably has an electrical connection to electrical trunking in the under floor space, whereby a heated panel may be electrically connected or disconnected or exchanged for another, unheated panel A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figuie 1 is a pei spectix e di aw ing of a heating box. Figure 2 shows in plan form part of a floor aiea constituted by floor panels of which some cany respective heating boxes, and Figuie 3 is a schematic sectional view through part of a raised floor including a heating box according to the invention Figure 1 illustrates a preferred though exemplary embodiment of a heating box according to the invention The box 1, which may be made of a suitable sheet metal, is in a square form having side walls 1 1 each provided with a flange 12, each flange enabling the securing of the box to a floor panel above it In this example each flange includes a multiplicity of apertures 13 enabling a screw fixing of the box to a panel above it The box 1 includes a suitable insulation material 2 and an electrical heating element 3 which may be connected to an electrical terminal connecter 14 to which electrical cable may be connected as further described with reference to Figure 3 Figure 2 shows a floor area constituted by a multiplicity of individual floor panels, in this example square panels which are disposed in close or abutting relationships in a rectangular array The invention is not limited to any particular shape of floor panels, though it is obviously preferable to employ square or rectangular panels or other shape of panels which enable a substantially complete covering of a given area to be made. Figure 2 illustrates in chain lines a multiplicity of heating boxes such as the heating box 1, each heating box being secured below a respective individual panel 4 Figure 3 illustrates a few adjacent floor panels 4 which are raised relative to a foundation or base 9, and supported by, a multiplicity of support columns 6 each of which has a lower foot 15 and an upper support bracket 16, a bracket 16 preferably being arranged and disposed to support the underside of each of two adjacent panels 4 The particular construction of such columns is not directly relevant to the piesent invention Figure 3 furthermore shows a heatino; box 1 including its insulation 2 and a heating element 3 secured under a respective panel 4 The cable 5 leads to a terminal plug 7 which may releasabh engage a socket connecter in electrical mains trunking 8 disposed on the base 9 It may readily be observed that the heating box 1 may easily be connected or disconnected from the electrical supply Moreover, the panel 4 carrying the heating box may be repositioned or swapped for another panel not having a heating box according to preference The panels may have ribs or other guide features enabling the location of a heating box correctly with respect to the panel above it

Claims: CLAIMS 1 A floor assembly comprising a multiplicity of floor panels (4) disposed in substantially a common plane and supported above a base (9) so that a substantial space is provided between the base and an underside of the floor constituted by the panels, electrical supply trunking (8) disposed in the aforesaid space, and including a multiplicity of connection points, and a multiplicity of heating boxes ( 1 ), each of which includes an electrical heating element (3) connected to a respective cable (5) which has a terminal connector (7) adapted for connection at any of the aforesaid connection points of the trunking, each of said boxes (1) being secured to the underside of a respective one of the panels (4) 2 A floor assembly according to claim 1 wherein said panels (4) are square or rectangular 3 A floor assembly according to claim 2 wherein each box (1) has side walls each with a apertured flange secured by screw fixing to the underside of the respective panel (4)

Inventors: PALMER MICHAEL BRIAN, SMITH STEVEN, PALMER, MICHAEL, BRIAN, SMITH, STEVEN
Applicants: PALMER MICHAEL BRIAN, SMITH STEVEN, PALMER, MICHAEL, BRIAN, SMITH, STEVEN
Application year: 2000
Main classification: F24D13
IPC codes: F24D13