Patent Publication Number: US-2022221165-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, comprising a suction blower for drawing process air from the floor structure, a sorption dehumidifier for receiving the process air from the suction blower mixed with process air from the environment through an inlet and converting the thus mixed process air to dry air, a common housing for the suction blower and the sorption dehumidifier, and a PTC element arranged in a regeneration chamber in the sorption dehumidifier for a rotating type sorption block in the sorption dehumidifier. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A general drying apparatus of this kind is known from SE 1450924. However, this drying device is not stated to be particularly intended for drawing wet process air from a floor structure. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above identified kind that is particularly adapted to effectively dry a floor structure by providing a high vacuum and energy efficiently converting the humid process air into hot dry air which in various applications can be returned to the floor structure, either directly through dry air flow or indirectly through heat transfer, depending on application. 
     Another object is to provide an optimized integrated drying machine which is easy to handle, transport and install, has a low noise and is energy efficient. 
     According to the invention, the suction blower is a side channel blower capable of heating the process air, an additional fan being arranged between the suction blower and the sorption dehumidifier to increase the flow of the mixed process air from the suction blower and the surrounding environment, and the housing has a sound and heat insulation. The side channel blower has an inherently high ability to generate high suction power and to heat the humid process air. The additional blower is capable of increasing the flow of the pressurized heated humid process air entering the dehumidifier. The presence of the PTC element in the dehumidifier enables continuous dehumidification at high temperatures without activating a protective device against overheating, 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 proper operation of the device. 
     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 blower 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. 
     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 blower in the housing. 
     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. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention may be indicated by 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 . More specifically, the dehumidifier  50 , in a manner not shown per se, is suitably installed on one side of the housing  102 , and the suction blower  60  is mounted in close heat conductive contact directly to a bottom side of the dehumidifier  50 . 
     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 over-heat protective device and thereby degrading operation. 
     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. 
     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. 
     As initially indicated, the drying apparatus according to the invention can also be used in applications where the dry air is not returned to the floor structure. The heated dry air can then for example be used to transfer heat to the floor structure (not shown). 
     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.