Air conditioning unit with prefabricated foundation

Abstract

Air conditioning unit, in particular heat pump or ventilation unit, with precast foundation (10, 31), wherein the precast foundation is formed with concrete (13), characterized in that the precast foundation has a rail system (11) to which the air conditioning unit is attached.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an air conditioning unit, in particular a heat pump or ventilation unit, with a precast foundation, wherein the precast foundation is made of concrete.

[0002] Air conditioning units typically have at least one component located outside a building. This applies particularly to air-to-air or air-to-water heat pumps, split air conditioning systems, and ventilation systems. The component located outside the building is often positioned in an otherwise unpaved area, especially to avoid obstructing pathways. Foundations are used to secure and stabilize the air conditioning units. These foundations are placed either directly on load-bearing soil, on a compacted base layer, or on a paved surface. The foundations can either be cast on-site from concrete or prefabricated as precast concrete elements. Prefabrication offers the advantage of quick and easy installation of the air conditioning unit on the construction site.This applies particularly to adverse weather conditions and low temperatures, under which pouring concrete is generally not possible. Furthermore, precast foundations can be produced more efficiently and in large quantities in a production unit. Once the foundations are set up and aligned on site, the air conditioning units are regularly and securely mounted onto them. For this purpose, holes can be drilled into the foundation, and the air conditioning unit then attached using screws and anchors.

[0003] Mounting an air conditioner using screws and anchors is a complex and time-consuming process on a construction site. Furthermore, it requires meticulous attention to detail, as the holes in the foundation must be drilled precisely in the correct locations to align with the mounting points on the unit. Consequently, such a foundation with an integrated air conditioner also has the disadvantage that the unit cannot be quickly and easily repositioned on the foundation without drilling new holes.

[0004] The present invention therefore aims to propose an air conditioning unit with a prefabricated foundation, wherein the air conditioning unit can be easily attached and adjusted on the prefabricated foundation.

[0005] This problem is solved by an air conditioning unit with a prefabricated foundation having the features of claim 1.

[0006] According to the invention, this is an air conditioning unit, in particular a heat pump or ventilation unit, with a precast foundation, wherein the precast foundation is made of concrete, and wherein the precast foundation has a rail system to which the air conditioning unit is attached.

[0007] The rail system is permanently attached to the precast foundation and can be prefabricated into the foundation at a production facility. The rail system is preferably designed so that the air conditioning unit can be attached to it in several positions. Ideally, the positioning can be continuous within a limited area. The rail system is preferably designed to accommodate air conditioning units from different manufacturers and with different mounting systems due to its dimensions. The rail system is at least partially embedded in the concrete of the precast foundation.

[0008] The rail system preferably includes an anchor rail. The anchor rail has an anchor element permanently attached to the rail, which can be embedded in the concrete, thus ensuring a particularly secure hold of the anchor rail in the precast foundation. Such anchor rails are widely available in ready-made form and can therefore be integrated into the precast foundation cost-effectively.

[0009] The anchor rail can have a C-profile and at least one anchor firmly connected to the C-profile, the anchor being located on a side opposite an opening in the C-profile and being essentially perpendicular and pointing away from the C-profile. The C-profile can be open or closed at its ends. The shape of the C-profile can be designed to accommodate special T-shaped screws, including hammerhead screws, serrated screws, or hook-head screws, which can be inserted into the C-profile and, if necessary, rotated, allowing the corresponding screw heads to engage behind an opening and be secured against being pulled out. The air conditioning unit can be attached to the precast foundation by means of these screws.The anchor, which may be designed, for example, as a V-shaped dovetail or a headed stud, preferably projects into the concrete and provides the anchor rail with a secure fit in the precast foundation. The anchor is preferably welded to the C-profile, but can also be riveted or bolted. The anchor can also be formed as a single, continuous component with the C-profile, e.g., cast from the same material.

[0010] The anchor preferably has a thickening that prevents it from being pulled out of a hole that snugly surrounds it. This thickening is preferably formed by a V-shaped anchor, with one tip of the V-shape firmly connected to the C-profile and two legs of the V-shape extending obliquely from a connection point with the C-profile. The anchor then has a dovetail-like connection in the concrete, and the anchor can, for example, be bent from a metal rod and welded to the C-profile at a bend. The ends of the anchor extending away from the bend can then have an additional bend to ensure a particularly stable anchorage. The thickening can also be disc-shaped, bead-shaped, hammerhead-shaped, or spherical and can be located either in the middle or at one end, in principle at any position on the anchor.The thickening can be formed as a continuous piece of material with the anchor, but it can also be welded, bolted, clamped, or otherwise attached to the anchor. The anchor may also have multiple thickenings to anchor the anchor rail particularly firmly in the concrete.

[0011] The rail system can run parallel to a surface of the precast foundation, preferably extending between two opposing surfaces. If the rail system runs parallel to a surface of the precast foundation, the air conditioning unit can be positioned along this surface. This preferably applies to the top surface, which faces upwards when the precast foundation is erected. If the rail system extends between two opposing surfaces, preferably side surfaces, of the precast foundation, the air conditioning unit can be positioned along this extension across the entire corresponding width of the precast foundation. Furthermore, manufacturing is then particularly simple, as the rail system can be attached to two sides of a formwork for casting the precast foundation, thus eliminating the need for a special positioning device during production.The rail system can also be recessed from a side surface by a small tolerance. Preferably, the rail system is recessed by 1 to 5 mm, particularly preferably by 3 mm. This recess can ensure that the rail system does not jam in the formwork during production. Alternatively, the rail system can be completely flush with the side surface. In one embodiment, a long precast foundation can be manufactured with a rail system extending over its entire length. The long precast foundation can then be cut into smaller precast foundations of sufficient length for a given application. If the rail system extends between two surfaces and also has an opening at its end, a fastening element such as a screw can be inserted into the opening of the rail system at the end of the precast foundation.

[0012] The rail system can be flush with the top surface of the precast foundation. When flush with the top surface, the rail system is particularly well protected against mechanical damage. Furthermore, the rail system is effectively stabilized by the concrete encasing it on three of its four sides. The precast foundation can also be manufactured upside down, with the rail system placed in formwork with the opening facing downwards, after which the formwork is filled with concrete. This ensures a particularly flat surface on the precast foundation and precise flushness of the rail system with the surface.

[0013] The rail system can have an opening on its upper side into which fastening elements can be inserted, allowing the air conditioning unit to be connected to the precast foundation by means of these fastening elements. The opening can be a continuous opening in the form of a groove, but individual openings such as holes or slots are also conceivable. The holes can then also have threads, and the holes or slots can have detents, allowing the air conditioning unit to be attached using suitable fastening elements. The fastening elements can be screws, in particular hammerhead screws, serrated screws, or hook-head screws, but also detent lugs, detent nails, or similar devices. Alternatively, the fastening elements can be screws and corresponding nuts or T-nuts, with the nuts or T-nuts being able to hold behind the opening in the rail system.The mounting elements can also include an adjustment mechanism that allows the distance between the air conditioner and the precast foundation to be set within a defined range. The adjustment can be made in discrete increments or continuously. This allows the air conditioner to be precisely aligned, even if the precast foundation cannot be installed perfectly level.

[0014] The mounting elements can incorporate sound and / or vibration damping. This reduces or prevents the transmission of vibrations to the foundation. This protects the rail system and the precast foundation, as they are exposed to less material-stressing vibrations. It also reduces noise emissions from the air conditioner. This is particularly advantageous if the air conditioner is installed in a living area, for example, near a building facade.

[0015] The precast foundation can have at least one reinforcing bar, which is encased in concrete. The reinforcing bar is preferably embedded longitudinally in the concrete, parallel to a longitudinal orientation of the precast foundation. The reinforcing bar, which can be in the form of a steel bar, steel cage, or similar, provides the concrete, and thus the precast foundation, with greater stability.

[0016] The reinforcing steel can be connected to the rail system. This allows the rail system to be anchored particularly firmly in the concrete, and also simplifies manufacturing, as the reinforcing steel and rail system can be placed in formwork as a single unit and then encased in concrete.

[0017] The air conditioning unit can be mounted on several, in particular two, precast concrete foundations. For example, the air conditioning unit can have a total of four mounting elements on its rectangular underside, located near each of the four corners. Two adjacent mounting elements can then be attached to a rail system of a first precast concrete foundation, and two more adjacent mounting elements can be attached to a rail system of a second precast concrete foundation. Alternatively, a separate precast concrete foundation can be used for each mounting element. The precast concrete foundations can also be connected to each other by connecting elements. For example, two precast concrete foundations can form a rectangular frame using two connecting elements made of concrete.The connecting elements can either be cast together with the precast foundations in a formwork and then preferably have continuous reinforcement, or they can be connected to each other by fasteners, for example threaded rods. The connecting elements can, for example, be formed by precisely cut kerbstones that cover and connect two open end faces of parallel precast foundations.

[0018] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a precast foundation with a rail system and a dovetail-shaped anchor and Fig. 2 a precast foundation with a rail system and a rod-shaped anchor.

[0019] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic, perspective view of a precast foundation 10 with a rail system 11. The rail system 11 is embedded flush with a top surface 14 of a concrete foundation body 12 13. The rail system 11 is designed as an anchor rail 15, comprising a C-profile 16 and two anchors 25. The C-profile 16 is open at its ends 18 and terminates with the end faces 19 of the foundation body 12. The anchors 25 are welded to the C-profile 16 at spot welds 26 and have a dovetail shape 27, which, through its inclined projections 28, forms a thickening 32 and secures the anchor 25, and thus the rail system 11, against being pulled out of the foundation body 12. The precast foundation 10 also has a reinforcing bar 23 that is completely enclosed by the concrete 13, thus giving the precast foundation 10 high stability.An air conditioning unit, not visible in the drawing, is fastened in an opening 24 of the C-profile by means of hammerhead screws, which are also not visible.

[0020] The Fig. Figure 2 shows a precast foundation 31, which, except for the anchors 25, corresponds to the precast foundation 10 in the Fig. 1 is the same. An anchor rail 29 has, in addition to a C-profile 30, an anchor 17 which is firmly welded to the C-profile 30 at a weld point 20 and which has a spherical thickening 22 at an end 21 opposite the C-profile 30, which secures the anchor 17 and thus the anchor rail 29 against being pulled out of the precast foundation 11.

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