Patent Publication Number: US-2005118408-A1

Title: Multi-layer insulation

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/115,932, filed Apr. 5, 2002, which is based upon provisional application Ser. No. 60/282,473 filed Apr. 10, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention is directed to insulation and insulation arts. In particular, this invention is directed to insulation which is adapted for use in construction.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      In the construction and building industries, various types of insulation have been used to minimize heat transfer. For instance, it has been known to insulate concrete driveways, walkways, and foundations by placing a sheet of insulating material between the ground and slab of concrete. In addition, it has also been known to utilize insulating material in the construction of building freezers, coolers, and food processing facilities where the temperature control is significant. Moreover, it has also been known to utilize insulating materials to insulate floors, walls, and other surfaces of buildings to minimize heat transfer.  
      Various multi-layered insulating materials are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,725 to Pearson discloses an insulation and heat reflective barrier that includes a plurality of radiant heat barrier layers at the core, and a pair of foam insulating material which is adhered to the radiant heat barrier layers via an adhesive. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,835 to Groft et al. similarly discloses a low emissivity insulation wherein a polyethylene foam core is provided with an aluminum layer on each side.  
      Despite the known art, an effective insulation product which can economically be used to insulate below and/or above concrete, floors, or other surfaces such as wall surfaces, is not known in the art. For example, an economical insulation which provides adequate resistance against conductive heat transfer to/from construction slabs or to floor surface coverings such as carpets is not readily available in the marketplace. The available insulation for slabs or for floors also do not provide resistance to radiative heat transfer and may also allow moisture and caustic materials to seep through the insulation.  
      In view of the above, there exists an unfulfilled need for an insulation which can effectively be used to insulate slabs, floors, walls, or other surfaces in construction that is economical, and avoids the limitations of the presently available insulation products.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In view of the foregoing, one advantage of the present invention is that it provides multi-layer insulation that may be used for various applications in construction.  
      Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a multi-layer insulation that minimizes radiative heat transfer.  
      Still another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a multi-layer insulation having extending lips that facilitate installation and increases effectiveness of the insulation.  
      These and other advantages are attained by a multi-layer insulation in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention having an aluminum layer, a first foam layer positioned on one side of the aluminum layer, and a second foam layer positioned on another side of the aluminum layer. In one embodiment, the first and second foam layers are polyolefin foam layers such as polyethylene foam and polypropylene foam having a thickness of 0.25 to 0.5 inch.  
      In accordance with one embodiment, the aluminum layer of the multi-layer insulation includes an aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.00025 to 0.0005 inch. In this regard, the aluminum layer may be made of 1100-1145 wettable aluminum. In addition, a first strengthening layer may be positioned between the aluminum foil and the first foam layer, and a second strengthening layer may be positioned between the aluminum foil and the second foam layer. The strengthening layers may be extruded lineal low density polyethylene films having a thickness of approximately 0.001 inch. Preferably, the first and second foam layers, first and second strengthening layers, and the aluminum layer are laminated together by applying heat or by applying an adhesive.  
      In accordance with another embodiment, the aluminum layer of the multi-layer insulation includes a metallized film. In another embodiment, the metallized film is a polyolefin film or a polyester film with aluminum coating thereon. Preferably, the first and second foam layers, and the metallized film are laminated together.  
      In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a multi-layer insulation is provided with a first polyolefin foam layer that is offset relative to the second polyolefin foam layer to provide a first extending lip on the first polyolefin foam layer and a second extending lip on the second polyolefin foam layer. In another embodiment, the second polyolefin foam layer is larger in width than the first polyolefin foam layer to provide two extending lips on the second foam layer. Moreover, at least one extending lip may be provided with an adhesive to adhere to an extending lip of an adjacent multi-layer insulation.  
      These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a separated view of a multi-layered insulation in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a profile view of a multi-layered insulation in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention having an extending lip and with the aluminum layer and the strengthening layers being shown with exaggerated thickness.  
       FIG. 3  is a profile view of a multi-layered insulation in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention having an extending lip where a metallized film is used.  
       FIG. 4  is a profile view of two multi-layered insulation in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention having an extending lip that are interlocked with one another.  
       FIG. 5  is a profile view of a multi-layered insulation in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention having an extending lip. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the multi-layered insulation in accordance with the present invention may be used to effectively insulate surfaces in construction thereby providing a solution to an unfulfilled need in the construction industry. In this regard, the multi-layer insulation may be used underneath concrete slabs, above or below floor surfaces including below carpets, in walls, outside of walls such as the exterior of basement walls, ceilings, attics, and any other appropriate use. In various embodiments of the present invention discussed below, provisions are made to minimize radiative heat transfer through the multi-layer insulation. It will also be evident that in other embodiments of the present invention, provisions are made to facilitate installation of the insulation and to increase its effectiveness.  
       FIG. 1  shows a separated view of a multi-layered insulation  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention which may be effectively used to insulate construction slabs, floor surfaces, or other surfaces such as walls, ceilings, attics and the like. The multi-layer insulation  10  in the illustrated embodiment includes an aluminum layer  12 , a first foam layer  14  positioned on one side of the aluminum layer  12 , and a first strengthening layer  15  positioned between the aluminum layer  12  and the first foam layer  14 . In addition, as can be seen, the multi-layered insulation  10  also includes a second foam layer  18  that is positioned on the other side of the aluminum layer  12 , and a second strengthening layer  19  positioned between the aluminum layer  12  and the second foam layer  18 .  
      It should be noted that  FIG. 1  as well as the other figures showing various embodiments of the present invention are not to scale and the thicknesses of the aluminum layer  12  and the strengthening layers  15  and  19  have been greatly enlarged relative to the first and second foam layers  14  and  18  for clarity purposes. Moreover, as further explained in detail, these various layers are laminated together to provide a multi-layer insulation  10 . In addition, the widths of the multi-layer insulations shown and discussed below are merely for illustrative purposes only, and the multi-layer insulations may be implemented with any desired the width dimension, depending on the needs of the application. For example, the width of the multi-layer insulation may be implemented to be between 1 to 15 feet in width.  
      It should also be noted that the term “foam layer” as used herein should be understood broadly to mean any insulating layer with pockets of air or gas that insulates against conductive heat transfer through the multi-layer insulation  10  and any adjoining surface such as a ground surface, slab, floor surface, wall surface including concrete walls such as basement walls, etc. Such foam layers also provides a degree of compressibility to allow the multi-layer insulation to be flexible so that it resists damage which otherwise may be caused by surface inconsistencies of the surface. In this regard, one or both of the foam layers may be polyolefin foam layers such as polypropylene foam. For instance, one or more of the foam layers may be made of a low density microcell foam, be made of “bubble wrap” such as that used in the packaging and shipping industry, or any appropriate layer having pockets of air or gas.  
      This degree of compressibility and flexibility further allows the installation of the multi-layer insulation of the present invention to be facilitated since the multi-layer insulation can actually be walked on by the installer if needed. Many prior art insulations are made rigid, and thus, break under the weight of the installer thereby making the installation process difficult and diminishing the insulation&#39;s effectiveness. In addition, the flexibility and the compressibility of the multi-layer insulation of the present invention allows it to be utilized, for example, under floor coverings such as carpeting. In such an application, the compressibility of the multi-layer insulation allows it to act as a padding while also providing insulation. Moreover, in such an application, the multi-layer insulation has the added benefit of acting as a moisture or fluid barrier so that moisture or fluid does not seem from or to the carpeting.  
      In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the first foam layer  14 , and the second foam layer  18  are polyolefin foam layers such as polypropylene foam having a thickness of 0.25 to 0.5 inch. In this regard, the polypropylene foam may be a low density microcell foam. The first and second foam layers  14  and  18  reduce conductive heat transfer and as noted, because of the compressibility of the foam layers, the multi-layer insulation  10  is flexible. Of course, in other embodiments, polyethylene foam may be used instead. However, such foam layers made of low density microcell foam has been found to be very effective for insulating purposes in a variety of applications.  
      In addition, the aluminum layer  12  in the illustrated embodiment may be made of 1100-1145 wettable aluminum foil having a thickness of 0.00025 to 0.0005 inch. Because of the propensity for the aluminum foil used for the aluminum layer  12  to tear under any type of stress, first and second strengthening layers  15  and  19  are provided on the sides of the aluminum layer  12 . These strengthening layers  15  and  19  provide tear resistance to the aluminum layer  12 . In this regard, in the illustrated embodiment, the first and second strengthening layers  15  and  19  respectively, are extruded lineal low density polyethylene films having a thickness of approximately 0.001 inch, although other thicknesses may also be used.  
      As noted above, the embodiment where the first and second strengthening layers  15  and  19 , respectively, are made of polyethylene is especially advantageous in that they resist moisture and/or caustic liquids from penetrating through the multi-layer insulation  10 . Thus, for example, the multi-layer insulation  10  resists moisture from the ground from seeping into the slabs which may be made of concrete and further resists caustic liquids penetrating through or from the slab from seeping into the ground. In addition, the multi-layer insulation  10  may be utilized to insulate exteriors of walls such as concrete walls of a basement. In such an application, the multi-layer insulation  10  serves as a tear resistant barrier that resist moisture and/or caustic liquids from penetrating through the multi-layer insulation  10  and the walls. Of course, the aluminum layer  12  also provides insulation against radiative heat transfer through the walls.  
      Furthermore, as also noted, when the multi-layer insulation  10  is applied between the floor surface and carpeting, moisture from the floor surface is prevented from seeping into the carpet. This is especially advantageous if the floor surface is concrete implemented in a below ground, damp environment such as a basement. In addition, any fluid spillage on the carpet is prevented from seeping into the floor surface. This is especially advantageous if the floor surface is made of wood or other materials that actually absorb moisture or liquids, and can become damaged or even provide an environment for mold to grow. Of course, it should be also noted that the above described advantages and applications of the multi-layer insulation  10  in accordance with the present invention are provided as examples only, and other different advantages may be realized in applying the present invention to other applications.  
      As previously noted, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second foam layers  14  and  18 , first and second strengthening layers  15  and  19 , and the aluminum layer  12  are all laminated together. In this regard, lamination of the layers may be attained in any appropriate manner. For instance, lamination of the layers may be attained by applying heat such as by flame or hot rollers, etc. Alternatively, the various layers may be laminated together by applying an adhesive between the layers. Of course, combination of various methods may also be used as well.  
       FIG. 2  is a profile view of a multi-layered insulation  20  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention having the same layers as the multi-layered insulation  10  described above relative to  FIG. 1 . As can be seen, the multi-layer insulation  20  also includes an aluminum layer  22 , a first foam layer  24  positioned on one side of the aluminum layer  22 , and a first strengthening layer  25  positioned between the aluminum layer  22  and the first foam layer  24 . In addition, the multi-layered insulation  20  further includes a second foam layer  28  that is positioned on the other side of the aluminum layer  22 , and a second strengthening layer  29  positioned between the aluminum layer  22  and the second foam layer  28 . Again, the aluminum layer  22  and the first and second strengthening layers  25  and  29  are shown with exaggerated thickness for clarity.  
      As can also be seen, the first foam layer  24  of the multi-layer insulation  20  of  FIG. 2  is offset relative to the second foam layer  28 . This provides a first extending lip  30  on the first foam layer  24  and a second extending lip  32  on the second foam layer  32 . As will be explained in further detail below, the first and second extending lips  30  and  32  are sized to allow interlocking of the multi-layer insulation  20  with an adjacent multi-layer insulation (not shown). In addition, although not required, an adhesive  34  may be provided on the first extending lip  30  and/or the second extending lip  32  to allow securing of the interlocked extending lips of adjacent multi-layer insulation. The adhesive  34  may be covered with a removable covering (not shown) which is removed prior to installation of the multi-layer insulation  20  so that the first extending lip  30  may be adhered to a second extending lip of an adjacent multi-layer insulation (not shown). Of course, whereas the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 2  includes extending lips described, the present invention is not limited thereto as shown, for example, by  FIG. 1  which shows the multi-layer insulation without such extending lips.  
      In addition, whereas the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  discussed above utilized an aluminum foil for the aluminum layer, other types of aluminum layers may be used in other embodiments as well. In this regard,  FIG. 3  illustrates a multi-layered insulation  70  in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention. The multi-layered insulation  70  utilizes a metallized film  72  having an aluminum coating. In particular, the metallized film  72  may be made of a polyolefin film with aluminum coating thereon, for instance, polyethylene film. Of course, in other embodiments, different polyolefin film may be used such as polypropylene film. Furthermore, in still other embodiments, polyester film such as Mylar® may be used as the aluminum layer instead of the aluminum foil. The metallized film  72  is preferably laminated between the first foam layer  74  and the second foam layer  76  in any appropriate manner such as adhesive lamination or by heat lamination. Of course, in the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , first and second strengthening layers discussed previously with respect to  FIGS. 1 and 2  are not required since the aluminum layer is provided directly on the surface of the film which is resistant to tearing.  
      As also shown, the first foam layer  74  of the multi-layer insulation  70  of  FIG. 3  is offset relative to the second foam layer  76 . This provides a first extending lip  75  on the first foam layer  74  and a second extending lip  77  on the second foam layer  76  to allow interlocking of the multi-layer insulation  70  with an adjacent multi-layer insulation (not shown). In addition, the illustrated embodiment is also provided with an optional adhesive  78 , for instance, on the first extending lip  75  to allow securing of the of the interlocked extending lip of adjacent multi-layer insulation.  
       FIG. 4  is a profile view of two multi-layered insulation  40  and  50  in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention which are interlocked with one another. In particular, multi-layered insulation  40  and  50  shown are different from the embodiments discussed relative to  FIGS. 1 and 2  in that the first foam layer and the second foam layer are directly laminated together, without an aluminum layer. Of course, in other embodiments, the aluminum foil and the strengthening layers, or the metallized film may be provided as described relative to FIGS.  1  to  3  so that enhanced resistance to radiative heat transfer may be attained, and to prevent moisture and/or caustic elements from seeping through the insulation.  
      The multi-layered insulation  40  includes a first foam layer  44  which is offset from the second foam layer  48  to provide first extending lip  46  and the second extending lip (not enumerated), the first extending lip  46  including an adhesive  47 . Likewise, the multi-layered insulation  50  includes a first foam layer  54  which is offset from the second foam layer  58  to provide first extending lip (not enumerated) and the second extending lip  59 . The first and second foam layers of the multi-layered insulation  40  and  50  are laminated together in any appropriate manner such as by applying heat or an adhesive. Again, the width of the insulations may be sized in accordance with the desired application and  FIG. 4  is merely shown as an illustrative example.  
      As can be seen, the first extending lip of the multi-layered insulation  50  is provided with an adhesive and is interlocked and adhered to the second extending lip of the multi-layered insulation  40 . In the illustrated manner, the installation of multi-layered insulation can be readily facilitated. Moreover, because of the interlocking extending lips, gaps which would otherwise exist between two adjacent multi-layered insulation can be substantially eliminated thereby providing a continuously insulated surface so that penetration of moisture and/or caustic materials through the insulation that otherwise would occur can be minimized.  
       FIG. 5  is a profile view of a multi-layered insulation  60  in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen, in this embodiment, the second polyolefin foam layer  64  is larger in width than the first polyolefin foam layer  62 , so that two extending lips  66  and  68  are provided on the second foam layer  64 . By providing such a geometry, an adjacent multi-layer insulation (not shown) can be oriented in a complementary manner where it is rotated 180 degrees compared to the multi-layered insulation  60  shown so that the extending lips can interlock together. In addition, as previously noted, one or both of the extending lips may be provided with an adhesive to adhere to an extending lip of an adjacent multi-layer insulation (not shown). Moreover, in yet other embodiments, aluminum layer and/or strengthening layers may be provided as described relative to  FIGS. 1 and 3 .  
      In the above disclosed embodiments of FIGS.  1  to  5 , it has been found that foam layers made of polyolefin such as polypropylene or polyethylene provide a good balance between insulating properties and cost. In addition, by utilizing these materials, the multi-layer insulation may be provided as boards or in rolls which are cut to size by the user. Furthermore, due to the flexibility of polyolefin foam, the multi-layer insulation in accordance with the present invention does not break when heavy objects such as concrete slabs are placed thereon, or individuals walk on top thereon. In applications where the surface has curvatures, the flexibility of the multi-layer insulation allows it to conform to such curvatures.  
      Polyolefin foam having a thickness of 0.25 to 0.5 inch have been found to be very effective. In addition, with respect to the embodiment where the aluminum layer is made of an aluminum foil, 1100-1145 wettable aluminum having a thickness of 0.00025 to 0.0005 inch has been found to be very effective in minimizing radiative heat transfer. Moreover, in this regard, strengthening layers made of extruded lineal low density polyethylene films having a thickness of approximately 0.001 inch have been found to be very effective in providing tear resistance to the aluminum foil. Lastly, a metallized film such as a polyolefin film or polyester film with aluminum coating thereon, for example, may be alternatively used as discussed above.  
      While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto. The present invention may be changed, modified and further applied by those skilled in the art. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the detail shown and described previously, but also includes all such changes and modifications.