Patent Publication Number: US-2022228806-A1

Title: Apparatus for drying a water damaged floor structure

Description:
TECHNICAL AREA 
     this invention relates to an apparatus for drying a water damaged floor structure having an intermediate layer between a surface layer and a subfloor, the drying apparatus comprising a suction blower for drawing, from an outlet opening in the floor structure, moist process air from the intermediate layer and heating the moist air, a sorption dehumidifier having a fan and a sorption block of a rotating type and arranged to divide the process air into a dry air flow and a wet air flow, the sorption dehumidifier fan having an inlet for process air from the environment and being arranged between the suction blower and the sorption block, a PTC element arranged in a regeneration chamber in the sorption dehumidifier for the sorption block in the sorption dehumidifier, and a common housing for the suction blower and the sorption dehumidifier. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An arrangement for drying such a floor structure is known from SE 1630308 A and shows the suction blower and dehumidifier connected in series with a pipeline. The blower, which can be a side channel blower, needs to have high suction capacity to create the vacuum which can draw the moisture-laden air from the intermediate layer which forms narrow passages on both sides of a damp proofing layer. The blower thus generates noise and high sound levels which can make it difficult for persons to stay for example in a dwelling for the time required to dry the floor structure. The fan also emits thermal energy that is lost to the surroundings. In addition, at each drying occasion, the different parts of the arrangement need to be handled, transported, mounted and dismantled. Therefore, there is a desire to develop an improved drying device of the specified kind. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a drying device which obviates the problems of the known arrangement. 
     According to the invention, the sorption dehumidifier is arranged to receive the heated moisture-laden process air from the suction fan mixed with the process air from the environment and divide the thus mixed process air into the dry air flow and the wet air flow, and the dry air flow is arranged to be pushed down to the intermediate layer through an inlet opening separate from the outlet opening in the floor structure where it accumulates moisture from the floor structure and is converted to new process air which is again drawn and heated by the suction fan and the heat in a closed process, and there is a sound and heat insulation in the housing. 
     In this way, an optimally integrated drying machine which is easy to handle, transport and install, as well as has low noise and is energy efficient, can be provided in a surprisingly simple manner. 
     The presence of the PTC element enables continuous dehumidification at high temperatures without activating an over-heat protection device, which is not the case with traditional pipe dehumidifiers. As a result, the drying device also becomes more or less self-regulating, so that it can work safer without supervision. Thus, the PTC element is crucial for the operation of the apparatus. 
     The energy efficiency is achieved by the fact that a large part of the heat which is otherwise emitted to the environment from the suction fan including its motor and suction and pressure lines can be suitably delivered to the dehumidifier inside the heat insulated housing where it is reused by the dehumidifier. The suction blower provides the greater part of the process air flow through the intermediate layer and therefore needs high power which generates high heat. This is advantageous and of great importance for this type of drying operation, where the dry air emitted from the dehumidifier needs to be as hot as possible for best drying results. 
     The sound and heat insulation may be a laminate comprising a thicker insulating and damping layer and a thinner reflective layer. Thereby the dryer can easily be heat and sound insulated. 
     In one embodiment, the suction blower may be located at the underside of the dehumidifier in the housing. Then the dehumidifier can be heated by convection from rising air heated by the suction fan in the housing. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the claims and the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified side view, partly in section and with parts broken away, showing a drying apparatus according to the invention during a drying operation of a floor structure; 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified perspective view with broken away parts of a dryer according to the invention during a drying operation of a floor structure according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified side view, partly in section and with parts broken away, showing a drying apparatus of  FIG. 1  during a drying operation of another floor structure; and 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic plan view showing a drying apparatus of  FIG. 1  during an alternative drying operation where the floor structure has two outlet openings. 
     
    
    
     In the drawings, wherever possible, same reference numerals are throughout used for components with the same or similar function. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the drying apparatus  100  according to the invention is intended to dry a water damaged floor structure  10  of the type having a damp proofing layer  30  in an intermediate layer  32  having an air gap between a flooring  20  and a subfloor  40 . 
     Typically, in such a floor structure  10 , the flooring  20  may consist of a surface layer  22 , a chipboard layer  24  and a heat-insulating layer  26  of cellular plastic, while the subfloor  40  may consist of a base/baseplate  42  of concrete and a soundproofing cellular plastic layer  44 . The damp proofing layer  30  may be a membrane known under the trademark Platon® which is formed with a pattern of projections projecting at least from a bottom side  34  of the membrane to define the air gap  32  between the subfloor  40  and the flooring  20 . 
     In the flooring  20 , e.g. with a cutter not shown, a space  80  is opened-up down to the damp proofing layer  30 . The space  80  provides access to the damp proofing layer  30  to form a dry air inlet  38  therewith. The dry air inlet  38  can be made with any suitable means, e.g. manually with a knife (not shown), which cuts an opening in the layer, after which the material thus cut away is removed. 
     At the top of the flooring  20 , the space  80  is sealed closed by a plate  70  during the drying operation described below. The plate  70  may have a pair of through-tubes  72  and  74  for sealingly receiving a respective dry air conduit  56  and a process air conduit  66 , in turn, extending to a respective dry air outlet  52  and a process air inlet  64  of the drying apparatus  100 . The dry air conduit  56  extends through the space  80  and into the dry air inlet  38  where it is sealed by a suitable sealing agent, such as bitumen. The process air conduit  66 , in turn, extends only into the space  80  which can be regarded as an outlet orifice chamber for humid process air. The plate  70  may be attached and sealed to the flooring  20  by suitable means not shown, e.g. glue or screws and sealing strips. 
     The drying operation is carried out such that the drying device  100  creates a strong underpressure and draws process air  68  from the process air line  66  while pressing heated dry air  58  into the dry air line  56 . The heated dry air  58  is spread in all directions while accumulating moisture from the subfloor  40 . When the process air  68  reaches the end edges of the layer  30 , it is forced by the strong underpressure to change direction and flow radially toward the space  80  and accumulate more moisture in the portion of the gap  32  at the the top of layer  30 . The process air  68  then enters the space  80 , from which it is sucked into the process air line  66  and further to the drying apparatus  100 . 
     The drying apparatus  100  has a housing  102  with an internal sound and heat insulation. The sound and heat insulation comprises a laminate having a thicker sound attenuating and heat insulating layer  104  and a thinner sound and heat reflecting layer or film  106 . The laminate may be adhered to the interior of the housing  102 . 
     Within the sound and heat insulation  104 ,  106 , in the housing  102 , a dehumidifier  50  is mounted parallel to a suction blower  60 . Thereby the dehumidifier can be heated by rising heated air from the suction fan  60  inside the housing  102 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , there is also shown a slightly modified dryer device  100  mounted on a hand trolley  108  to be easily moved over shorter distances. 
     As can be seen most clearly in  FIG. 1 , the suction blower  60  is a side channel blower including an electric motor  122  and a centrifugal blower housing  124 , which has a suction duct  126  arranged to be connected to the above-mentioned process air line  66 , and an outlet duct  128  connected to an inlet  152  of the dehumidifier  50 . 
     Dehumidifier  50  is a sorption dehumidifier having an inlet  170  for process air  172  from the environment. At the inlet  170  there is a fan or blower, such as a duct fan  154 , to increase the flow rate of the process air flow  172  from the environment mixed with the process air flow  68  heated by the suction blower further into the dehumidifier  50 . After the fan  154 , the process air is conducted into a sorption block  156  which can be of a rotating type. The sorption block  156  has an absorbent for accumulating moisture in the process air and is capable of dividing the outgoing flow into the above-mentioned dry-air flow  58  and a wet-air flow  78  which is discharged from the drying apparatus  100  through an outlet duct  162 , from which it can be discharged through a wet-air conduit  76 . Dehumidifier  50  also has a regeneration chamber  158  in which there is a self-regulating so-called PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element  160  to further heat the resulting dry air when needed. Without such a PTC element, dehumidification would deteriorate by activating an overheat-protective device and thereby degrading operation. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the drying apparatus  100  according to the invention is intended to dry a moisture-damaged floor structure  10  of the kind which, below a flooring  20  with a surface layer  22 , has an intermediate layer  32  in the form of a porous heat-insulating layer between an upper concrete layer  42 ′ and a lower concrete layer/subfloor  40  such as a frame/base plate in a building wall. In this example, therefore, there is no moisture-protecting layer or air gap as in the example already described. The air transported here and collecting moisture in the intermediate layer  32  can now flow more uniformly in the porous layer between the inlet opening  38  and the outlet opening  80 , which in this case are arranged at greater distances from each other in the floor structure. 
       FIG. 4  shows the possibility of sucking process air  68  from two outlet openings  80  in the floor structure  10  with the drying apparatus  100 . In a manner not shown more than two outlet openings  80  are likewise possible. Even more than one inlet port  38  can be used. 
     The above detailed description is primarily intended to facilitate understanding and no unnecessary limitations of the invention are to be construed therefrom. The modifications which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the specification may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.