SELF-ADHESIVE INSULATION BLANKET

Abstract: The invention relates to a flexible insulation blanket (1) manufactured from mineral wool, wherein the blanket is provided on one side with an adhesive layer (4) which is at least tacky at room temperature. As a result of these measures such a flexible insulation blanket (1) can easily be arranged around an air duct, wherein a good adhesion is obtained. Arranging requires few operations, while applying such an adhesive layer on the flexible insulation blanket entails little additionnal cost. It is pointed out here that such an insulation blanket (1) can not only be used on ducts of rectangular cross-section but also on ducts with a round or otherwise shaped cross-section. According to a preferred embodiment the adhesive layer is applied in a mesh-like structure. The properties of the substance in question are hereby well utilized; a good adhesion of the adhesive to the rockwool fibres is obtained while on the other hand a good adhesive force is maintained and not a great deal of such an adhesive is otherwise required.

Description: SELF-ADHESIVE INSULATION BLANKET The present invention relates to a flexible insulation blanket manufactured from mineral wool . Such blankets are generally known. For fixing of such blankets use is made of mechanical attaching means such as plates with a hole arranged therein, wherein a screw is screwed through the hole and the blanket to fasten the blanket to a supporting element, while use is further made of adhesive tape to adhere such insulation blankets to for instance air ducts . It is pointed out that this is an important market in view of the importance of the thermal insulation of such ducts and the great number of kilometres of such air ducts which have been or are applied. The present invention has been developed in the first instance for such an application; however, other applications are not in any way precluded. The object of the present invention is to provide such an insulation blanket which can be adhered easily to carrying bodies such as air ducts and which can be manufactured without significant additional cost and which requires few operations during manufacture. This objective is achieved in that the blanket is provided on one side with an adhesive layer which is at least tacky at room temperature. Room temperature is here understood to be in the range of +5°C to +30°C. As a result of these measures such a flexible insulation blanket can easily be arranged around an air duct, wherein a good adhesion is obtained. Arranging requires few operations, while applying such an adhesive layer onto the flexible insulation blanket entails little additional cost. It is pointed out here that such an insulation blanket can not only be used on ducts of rectangular cross-section but also on ducts with a round or otherwise shaped cross-section. It will be apparent that the adhesion must be sufficiently strong and durable. The invention therefore provides the measure that the adhesive force of the adhesive layer is at least as great at room temperature as the cohesion within the mineral wool. The adhesive layer otherwise has properties such that it melts at higher temperatures . This provides the option of applying the adhesive layer in melted form; the adhesive layer will then adhere to the rockwool fibres and then partially cure during cooling, wherein a significant degree of adhesive force must however be maintained to enable arrangement on for instance the air ducts. According to a preferred embodiment the adhesive layer is applied in a mesh-like structure. The properties of the substance in question are hereby well utilized; a good adhesion of the adhesive to the rockwool fibres is obtained while on the other hand a good adhesive force is maintained and not a great deal of such an adhesive is otherwise required. It is noted here that use can be made for this purpose of a self-adhesive "hot melt" known under the name Jowatherm 245.00, which also displays a great adhesive force at room temperature. According to a preferred embodiment the adhesive layer extends to a determined depth into the blanket of mineral wool and this layer is also connected mechanically to the mineral wool . In order to enhance the insulating properties thereof, such an insulation blanket is provided on its back side with an airflow-inhibiting foil. This as it were encloses the air in the insulation blanket, thus preventing air movements which greatly limit the insulating value. So as to facilitate bending of the blanket the main direction of the fibres of the mineral wool extends transversely of the plane of the blanket. This results in the mutual adhesion between the fibres in the direction parallel to the main direction of the blanket being less strong than in other directions, so that the blanket can be bent more easily round for instance a rectangular duct . In order to facilitate transport and storage of the insulation blanket the blanket is connected on its side provided with adhesive to a detachable carrier film. This carrier film is arranged on the adhesive layer after application of the adhesive. The carrier film has properties such that it can be easily removed from the adhesive layer, for instance because it is provided with a layer of silicone material. So as to facilitate arranging operations the carrier film is divided into part-carrier films for individual removal . Separate part-films can be used for this purpose, although according to a first preferred embodiment the carrier film is provided with weakening lines extending transversely of the length direction of the blanket and located at substantially equal distances, for instance perforations forming the separation between the part-films. According to a second embodiment use is made of the easy tearing of the carrier films; only small cuts are made in the carrier material which can be torn off during arranging to form complete separations between the carrier films. Use can be made in both cases of a laser to arrange the weakenings or of perforations or cuts obtained by mechanical means . The use of laser provides the option of processing the carrier only after arrangement on the insulation blanket. The invention likewise relates to a method of manufacturing an insulation blanket made from mineral wool, comprising of atomizing onto a side of a blanket of mineral wool a material which adheres at high temperatures and which is sticky at room temperatures. Atomizing produces a structure such that an adhesive layer is created which adheres well. It is pointed out herein that no misting occurs during atomizing; instead there occurs at a spray nozzle a jet of the adhesive which makes a rotating movement as a consequence of the forces acting thereon. This process is also referred to as "swirl". Owing to the combination of the rotating movement of the "swirl" and the linear movement of the insulation blanket there results a meshlike structure of the threads of the adhesive material which penetrate partially into the mineral wool and which are anchored in the mineral wool in mechanical manner as well as in chemical manner. Other attractive embodiments of the invention are stated in the remaining sub-claims. The present invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a cross -sectional view of an insulation blanket according to the invention; figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the manufacture of an insulation blanket according to the present invention; and figures 3a-3d show various stages of the arrangement of a piece of insulation blanket according to the present invention onto an air duct. Figure 1 shows an insulation blanket 1 formed by an actual blanket 2 of mineral wool . On its underside the blanket is provided with a back sheet 3 manufactured from for instance foil or paper and serving to prevent air circulation through the blanke . The back sheet further has moisture-proof properties. The back sheet is connected by means of an adhesive layer 4 to the actual blanket 2 of mineral wool . On its top side the blanket 2 of mineral wool is provided with a sticky adhesive layer 5. This adhesive layer is used to fix the arranged insulation blanket onto the objects for insulating. So as to facilitate storage and transport a removable cover sheet 6 provided with a layer of silicone material is arranged on adhesive layer 5. It is noted here that the adhesive layer extends only a short distance from the edge of the insulation blanket in order to facilitate detaching of the cover sheet. Production of such an insulation blanket proceeds as follows. Starting from a blanket of mineral wool 2 supplied via a conveyor belt formed by rollers 7, a quantity of adhesive is initially supplied by means of an atomizing device 8 provided with nozzles 11 and sprayed in the form of a hot melt. The material is supplied in heated state so that it is fluid and it is applied in such a thin quantity by spraying thereof that a cobweblike or mesh-like structure is created. During the cooling process it herein adheres to the fibres of the blanket of mineral wool 2. This adhesion has both a chemical and mechanical character. It is essential that the material is fluid in heated state and can adhere to the fibres but that in cooled state it has sufficient adhesive force. A layer of cover sheet 6 in the form of silicone PE foil is subsequently arranged by means of a roller 9. As a consequence of the presence of this foil the material can easily be rolled up or stacked. A back sheet 3 which can take the form of a layer of paper, aluminium foil, plastic or a combination thereof is further arranged on the underside by means of a heated roller 10. Here also a suitable adhesive material is used; it is however essential herein that the adhesive material, as soon as it has cooled or, if it is provided with a solvent, as soon as the solvent has evaporated, forms a good adhesion between the back sheet and the mineral wool. The adhesive is already present on the foil and it is heated on roller 10 so that the foil can be separated from the roller. Such a blanket can be used in the ways shown in figures 3a-3d. In order to facilitate the process of arranging such an insulation blanket, cover sheet 6 is provided with perforations 12. It is hereby possible to remove only a part-cover sheet from a piece of insulation blanket, whereafter the associated piece of insulation blanket can be arranged. The other part -cover sheets can then be successively removed and the associated parts of the insulation blanket fixedly adhered. It is possible instead to perforate the cover sheet only after it is arranged on the insulation blanket; use will then have to be made for this purpose of for instance a laser. It is moreover possible to separate the cover sheets by tearing; the material lends itself thereto and in order to start the tear use can be made of a weakening in the form of a small cut which can be arranged for instance by laser means. This offers the option of arranging the small cuts after placing of the cover sheet. During the arrangement of such an insulation blanket, which process is shown in figure 3, a part-cover sheet enclosed between two perforations 12 is first removed in the middle. The part of the insulation blanket then left clear can be adhered to the object for insulating, in the present case an air duct with a rectangular cross-section 13. A following part-cover sheet can then be removed and the top side of air duct 13 can be provided with insulation material . The above situation is shown in figure 3b. The cover sheet can then be removed from the remaining part of the insulation blanket on the top side and the relevant part of the insulation blanket can be folded and adhered to the right-hand side of the air duct . Such a situation is shown in figure 3c. Finally, a similar procedure can be carried out on the underside of the air duct until the air duct is covered with the insulation blanket over its whole cross- section. Although the embodiment described here relates to a duct with a rectangular cross-section, it will be apparent that the invention can also be applied on ducts with a differently shaped, for instance round, cross- section. The insulation blanket must of course be cut to size herein. It is assumed here that prior to arrangement the insulation blanket is cut to an overmeasure. It will be apparent that diverse modifications can be made in said description without departing from the invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Flexible insulation blanket manufactured from mineral wool, characterized in that the blanket is provided on one side with an adhesive layer which is at least tacky at room temperature. 2. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive force of the adhesive layer is at least as great at room temperature as the cohesion of the insulation blanket. 3. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adhesive layer extends over the insulation blanket in a mesh-like structure. 4. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the adhesive layer extends to a determined depth into the insulation blanket and is anchored mechanically to the mineral wool . 5. Insulation blanket as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the adhesive layer is formed by Jowatherm 245.00. 6. Insulation blanket as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the insulation blanket is provided on its back side with a foil. 7. Insulation blanket as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the main direction of the fibres of the mineral wool extends transversely of the plane of the blanket . 8. Insulation blanket as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that a protective carrier film is arranged on the adhesive layer. 9. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the carrier film is divided into part-carrier films for individual removal. 10. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the carrier films are separated by a weakening . 11. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that at the position of a division between part-carrier films a weakening is arranged which extends a short distance from the side edge. 12. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that such weakenings are arranged on either side of the blanket. 13. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that on at least one side of the insulation blanket the adhesive is applied up to a limited distance from the edge. 14. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 10, 11, 12 or 13, characterized in that the weakening is formed by a cut. 15. Insulation blanket as claimed in claim 10, 11, 12 or 13, characterized in that the weakening is formed by a perforation. 16. Insulation blanket as claimed in any of the claims 10-15, characterized in that the weakening is formed by laser. 17. Method of manufacturing an insulation blanket made from mineral wool, comprising of atomizing onto a side of a blanket of mineral wool a material which adheres at high temperatures and which is sticky at room temperatures. 18. Method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the atomizing of the adhesive layer takes place in a rotating pattern. 19. Method as claimed in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that a carrier film is arranged on the adhesive layer after the adhesive layer has been applied. 20. Method as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the weakenings are arranged in the carrier film after the carrier film has been arranged on the insulation blanket. 21. Method of arranging an insulation blanket as claimed in any of the claims 8-16 on a body for insulating, characterized in that a part of the carrier film located between two weakening lines is initially removed and the part of the insulation blanket left clear is then arranged on the body for insulating, whereafter the measure according to the characterizing part is repeated until the whole blanket is arranged.

Inventors: ETTEMA ANTONIUS MARIA, KABO PASCAL ANNE FREDERIC, ETTEMA, ANTONIUS, MARIA, KABO, PASCAL, ANNE, FREDERIC
Applicants: ETTEMA ANTONIUS MARIA, KABO PASCAL ANNE FREDERIC, ROCKWOOL LAPINUS BV, ETTEMA, ANTONIUS, MARIA, KABO, PASCAL, ANNE, FREDERIC, ROCKWOOL LAPINUS B.V.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: F16L59
IPC codes: E04B1, F16L59, F24F13