Channeled under floor heating element

• US 7,193,179 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2006
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Davis, Shawn, Child, Andrew D., Blackwell, Keith M., Green, Karen M., Horvath, Joshua D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans; Robin
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, VINOD D
• Application Number:
  US11/328,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20060151475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 219212-213, 219505-529, 219543-545, 219/549, 219/211, 219/516, 392435-437
• US Class Current: 219/212
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 13/02 solely using resistance heating, e.g. underfloor heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 13/022 resistances incorporated in construction elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/026 Heaters specially adapted for floor heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/342 heaters used in textiles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/36 heating conductor embedded in insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/56 Heating cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]

Abstract

A channeled under floor heating element incorporating channeled areas for accepting heat and sensor wires. The inventive channeled under floor heating element includes an arrangement of seam structures defining channels housing substantially discrete elongate heating and sensing elements arranged in a substantially similar pattern.

Claims

1. A channeled under floor heating element comprising:

a first textile panel and a second textile panel operatively joined together by a plurality of seam structures defining an arrangement of channels extending in a pattern between the first textile panel and the second textile panel;

an elongate heating element extending through at least a portion of the channels; and

an elongate sensing element discrete from the elongate heating element extending through at least a portion of the channels, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in substantially common pattern arrangements such that the portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element within the channels are disposed in substantially parallel orientation to one another.

2. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein at least one of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a metallic wire disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wire and fiber core.

3. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein each of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a metallic wire disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wire and fiber core.

4. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein at least one of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a pair of metallic wires disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wires and fiber core.

5. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein each of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element comprises a pair of metallic wires disposed in wrapped relation to a textile fiber core with an insulating sleeve disposed in surrounding relation to the wrapped wires and fiber core.

6. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element extend through common channels.

7. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 6, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in a common sinusoidal pattern.

8. The under floor heating element of claim 6, wherein the heating element is attached to a carpet substrate.

9. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein at least portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element extend through different channels such that seam structures separate said portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element from one another.

10. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 9, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in common sinusoidal patterns shifted out of phase relative to one another.

11. The under floor heating element of claim 9, wherein the heating element is attached to a carpet substrate.

12. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein the plurality of seam structures run at least partially along the length of the heating element.

13. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein the control element is electrically connected to the each elongate conductive wire structure and at least partially regulates the temperature of the under floor heating element.

14. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1 further comprising at least one insulating layer.

15. A channeled under floor heating element system comprising at least 2 channeled under floor heating elements of claim 1 electrically connected in a continuous circuit.

16. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, further comprising a non-skid layer.

17. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein the channeled under floor heating element is encased in foam.

18. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein the channeled under floor heating element is attached to a carpet pad.

19. The channeled under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element are arranged in substantially common wave pattern arrangements such that the portions of the elongate heating element and the elongate sensing element within the channels are disposed in substantially parallel orientation to one another.

20. The under floor heating element of claim 1, wherein the heating element is attached to a carpet substrate.