Modular insulation system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular insulation system for establishing a thermal barrier connection between a first environment and a second environment, said first environment and said second environment being separated from each other by an intermediate environment, in particular the outside air, the modular insulation system being configured to allow a thermally insulated transport of a product from the first environment to the second environment, in particular via the intermediate environment. The present invention further relates to an enclosure section for use in the modular insulation system according to the invention.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular insulation system for establishing a thermal barrier connection.The present invention further relates to an enclosure section for use in a modular insulation system according to the invention. [Background technology]

[0002] In the transportation of products, there is often a stage where the product or parts of said product must be transported from one environment to another. During the transportation from one environment to the other, the product may be subjected to significant temperature fluctuations. Said temperature fluctuations occur especially when the two environments are two buildings separated from each other, and the product must pass through exterior or intermediate areas that may have a significantly different temperature with respect to the temperature inside the building.

[0003] It is known to use insulation systems to insulate products during their transportation from one environment to another. Such systems are most often custom-made systems tailored to a specific application. In such cases, it is known that an existing conveyor system that transports products from one environment to another is insulated. However, such systems are prone to leakage of insulation material since the insulation is built around the conveyor system. Such leakage may have adverse effects on the products being transported. Furthermore, such conveyor systems are most often custom-built for a specific purpose, making it difficult to provide a simple system suitable for multiple conveyor systems. This is due to the fact that the insulation systems are most often purpose-built. That is, large sheets of insulation material are cut to size to form an insulation system suitable for the conveyor system. Cutting the insulation sheets to the correct size is a tedious task and due to manufacturing tolerances, adjacent parts are not perfectly aligned, making the insulation system easily leaky. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT It is a first object of the present invention to provide a more easily adjustable insulation system.

[0005] A second object of the present invention is to provide an insulation system that achieves better insulation properties.

[0006] A third object of the present invention is to provide a modular insulation system that is easier to install. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To these ends, the invention proposes a modular insulation system for establishing a thermal barrier connection between a first environment and a second environment, said first environment and said second environment being separated from one another by an intermediate environment, in particular the outside air, the modular insulation system being configured to enable a thermally insulated transport of a product from the first environment to the second environment, in particular via the intermediate environment, the system comprising at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section, said upper housing section and said lower housing section being connected or connectable to one another, said at least one upper housing section and / or said at least one lower housing section being at least partially made of a polymer material, preferably a foam, said upper housing section and said lower housing section forming, in the connected state, a housing part, said housing part defining an insulating channel having a first opening and a second opening, said first opening of the insulating channel being configured to lead to the first environment and said second opening of the insulating channel being configured to lead to the second environment, whereby said insulating channel defines an insulating transport bridge between the first environment and the second environment.

[0008] The modular insulation system according to the invention achieves good insulation performance while being relatively easily adjustable. The invention thereby allows for a more easily adjustable system, since the upper and lower housing sections are interconnected or can be interconnected. Thus, the housing sections can be more easily provided for defining said insulation channel. At least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section preferably consist at least partially of an expanded polymer material. The expanded polymer material can increase the insulation properties of at least one upper housing section and / or lower housing section. The housing section defined by the joined or connected upper and lower housing sections defines an insulation channel. The insulation channel is in particular defined by an inner surface of said housing section.

[0009] The modular insulation system according to the present invention can also be installed more easily compared to the prior art, because the upper and lower housing sections can be easily joined together to form the housing section, and therefore an easy way to form the insulation channel can be established.

[0010] The housing part is preferably at least partially received and / or connected to the first and second environments, preferably at both ends of the housing part, in order to establish a better thermal insulation between the first and second environments. If the first and second environments are formed by two separate buildings, it is conceivable that the housing part is at least connected to, and preferably at least partially protruding from, at least one of the buildings, preferably both buildings, at each end of the housing part. Thus, in this way, the first opening of the insulating channel leads to the first environment and the second opening of the insulating channel leads to the second environment, in order to form an insulating transport bridge. That is, when said housing part is connected to the first and / or second environment, the product can be transported through the insulating channel. In this regard, when referring to a connection, it is to be understood that the connection between the housing part and the first and / or second environment may also be formed in an alternative manner, for example by means of a housing connector mounted on one of the environments. It is also conceivable that the first and second environments are part of a single building, and the insulating channel is configured to establish an insulating connection between said different parts of the building, the first and second environments. The invention should therefore not be limited to the examples discussed.

[0011] The housing part preferably prevents air outside the insulation channel, in particular outside the housing part, from penetrating or entering the insulation channel. That is to say, the interconnected upper and lower housing sections are preferably connected in such a way that the flow of air from outside the housing part is substantially completely blocked. The housing part is thus substantially hole-free, except for the first and second openings, which allows for better insulation properties. The absence of holes means that the invention is robust by itself, e.g. self-carrying, so that there is no need to build an insulation system around an existing transport system. Furthermore, the absence of holes can be understood as preferably no holes, except for mounting points such as holes for screws and / or bolts, and except for drainage holes. The absence of holes therefore means that the insulation system is substantially free of holes ... 2Larger, preferably 3cm 2 Larger, preferably 8cm 2 It can be seen that there are no holes with a larger surface area.

[0012] The expressions upper and lower housing sections are used for identification purposes and should not be understood as limiting the present invention. When referring to the upper housing section and / or when referring to the lower housing section, for example, reference can also be made to the left and / or right housing section, or alternatives thereof. The expressions upper and lower housing sections and / or left and right housing sections do not exclude the presence of another housing section. When there are three or more housing sections mutually defining the housing part, the housing sections may be referred to as the first housing section, the second housing section, and the third housing section. The present invention is not limited thereto.

[0013] Preferably, the upper and / or lower housing section consists essentially entirely of expanded polymer material. The housing parts, in such an example, can form a complete polymer foam enclosure in a joined state. Thus, essentially the entire perimeter formed by the housing parts is formed by the expanded polymer material. This is particularly advantageous, since where housing sections are joined, it is usually necessary to use different materials, which impairs the thermal insulation properties. The invention makes it possible to provide a complete polymer foam enclosure. Thus, again, the location of the joining profile forms a thermal bridge between the inside and the outside of the thermal insulation channel. Preferably, at least one upper and / or lower housing part is rigid.

[0014] At least one of the upper and / or lower housing sections is preferably configured to equip at least a part of the transport conveyor, in particular such that said housing section is formed around said conveyor. The housing section preferably extends substantially completely around the transport conveyor, in particular the foamed polymer material extends substantially completely around said transport conveyor. The transport conveyor can therefore preferably be located at least partially inside the insulating channel. The upper and lower housing sections preferably form a substantially rigid housing section in the combined state. This may allow the product to be easily transported from a first environment to a second environment through an intermediate environment, in particular the outside air. At least one upper and / or at least one lower housing section can be provided for this with a support surface, which at least partially supports a part of the transport system, such as a conveyor. The transport system can indeed be substantially completely or at least partially housed inside the insulating channel. Furthermore, mounting brackets for the transport system can be provided inside the housing section. This can have a significant impact on the overall insulating properties of the system, since a typical insulating system is often built around the transport system, which is attached to the ground. Thus, holes for receiving the support structure of the transport system according to the prior art are not necessary according to the present invention, since the housing part is configured to equip a part of the transport system inside. It is also conceivable that said housing part consists of a single part, i.e. the upper housing section and the lower housing section are formed in one piece. An opening can be provided for accessing the insulation channel, the modular insulation system comprising a closure element for closing the opening of the housing part. It is preferred that said closure element is a movable closure element, which is in particular movable between a closed position, in which the closure element substantially completely closes the opening of the housing part, and an open position, in which the opening of the housing part is at least partially uncovered by the closure element.

[0015] The upper and lower housing sections are preferably provided with a first cooperating coupling profile and a second cooperating coupling profile for interconnecting the upper and lower housing sections. At least one of the first cooperating coupling profiles is configured to cooperate with at least one of the second cooperating coupling profiles. At least one of the second cooperating coupling profiles is configured to cooperate with at least one of the first cooperating coupling profiles. In this regard, the first and second cooperating coupling profiles may also be referred to as coupling structures or coupling edges, or alternatively as coupling structures or coupling edges. It is believed that the first and second cooperating coupling profiles may at least partially bring the upper and lower housing sections into a coupled state. The first and second cooperating coupling profiles are preferably configured such that any upper housing section may be connected or can be connected to any bottom housing section, which can contribute to easy assembly of the insulation system according to the invention. This is particularly beneficial when multiple upper and bottom housing sections are provided. When alternative expressions for the first and second cooperating coupling profiles are described, it is also possible to use the expression that at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section is provided with a complementary coupling profile configured to interconnect the upper and lower housing sections. The same benefits as described in this paragraph apply to the complementary coupling profiles.

[0016] At least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section preferably comprise two spaced apart edges, with a first and a second coupling profile being provided at the first and second edges of the upper and lower housing sections, respectively. The at least one first coupling profile and / or the at least one second coupling profile may further be referred to as a first cooperating coupling profile and / or a second cooperating coupling profile. The first and the second cooperating coupling profiles are preferably particularly elongated and extend over at least a portion of the length of the upper and / or lower housing sections. At least the first and / or the second coupling profile preferably extend along substantially the entire length of one of the spaced apart edges. The first and the second edges of the upper and lower housing sections preferably face each other in the coupled state. The first and second edges of the upper and / or lower housing sections can therefore be separated from each other by a portion of the insulating channel, in particular a portion of the width of said insulating channel can separate the first and second edges from each other. When the upper and lower housing sections are connected to each other, they therefore enclose said width of the insulating channel. When referring to the first and second edges in this application, the expressions first and second walls or first and second walls can also be used. It is preferred that at least a portion of the first and / or at least a portion of the second bonding profile at least partially extends in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the insulating channel. For example, when referring to complementary bonding profiles, at least a portion of the complementary bonding profiles extends in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the insulating channel. However, the same advantages apply in this respect. It has been found that this direction makes it easier to establish an interconnection, since the bonding profiles extend in the same direction as the insulating channel.It is preferred that the first cooperating bonding profile and the second cooperating bonding profile extend at least partially parallel to the insulating channel, although this does not exclude the first cooperating bonding profile and the second cooperating bonding profile extending in a direction perpendicular to the insulating channel, for example in the end region of the housing section.

[0017] In an embodiment according to the invention, at least one of the first cooperating binding profile and / or the second cooperating binding profile is formed with a tongue and a groove. For example, when referring to complementary binding profiles, at least one of the complementary binding profiles comprises a tongue and / or a groove, the groove of the first binding profile being configured to at least partially receive the tongue of the second binding profile of the other housing section to be connected. However, the same advantages apply in this respect. The groove of the first binding profile is preferably configured to at least partially receive the tongue of the second binding profile of the other housing section to be connected. It is also conceivable that at least one of the first and second cooperating binding profiles is formed with two tongues and / or grooves. At least one of the first cooperating binding profiles preferably has at least two grooves configured to at least partially receive the at least two tongues of the second binding profile of the other housing section to be connected. However, an alternative to this is conceivable, where at least one of the first cooperating coupling profiles comprises two tongues, which are configured to be at least partially received by two grooves of a second coupling profile of another housing section to be connected. Another alternative may be that at least one first cooperating coupling profile can comprise both a tongue and a groove, which are configured to cooperate with a groove and a tongue of at least one second cooperating coupling profile. Coupling tongues and grooves allows for easy coupling of the upper and lower housing sections. The tongues and grooves may furthermore be beneficial for heat shielding properties, as they can form a thermal bridge between the interior and the exterior of the housing section.

[0018] It is conceivable that at least one of the upper housing section and / or the lower housing section comprises at least one locking element. The locking element is preferably configured to lock the at least one upper housing section and the at least one lower housing section to one another, preferably at least in a direction away from one another and towards one another. The at least one locking element preferably allows the housing parts formed by the upper housing section and the lower housing section to be structurally connected to one another. The at least one locking element may for example be formed by a movable hook attached to or integrally formed by a hingeable part of at least one upper housing section and / or a part of at least one lower housing section, the hook being configured to cooperate in particular with a recess or a slot in / of at least one other housing section, in particular to establish the interlocking. It is also conceivable that at least one of the upper housing section and / or the lower housing section is provided with a plurality of locking elements. The at least one locking element is preferably provided on both sides of the housing element. That is, the upper and lower housing sections are preferably provided on both sides forming the housing part. At least one locking element is preferably formed of or comprises a locking portion and a receiving portion and establishes a releasable locking connection with one another. In this respect, the locking element may also be referred to as a locking structure. It is advantageous if the locking element or the locking structure is releasable so that the housing part can be easily disassembled for maintenance. At least one of the locking portion and / or the receiving portion may be provided on or integrally formed with one of the upper and / or lower housing sections. Such an integrally formed receiving portion may for example be a recessed portion of one of the upper or lower housing sections. The upper and lower housing sections may further be provided with cooperating locking elements that mutually lock the upper and lower housing sections at least in the direction away from and towards one another. The cooperating locking element may for example be formed of a locking portion and a receiving portion.The cooperating locking elements are formed of cooperating latch portions having a locking portion and a receiving portion to establish a releasable locking connection with one another, such as, for example, a cam latch, a twist latch, a hook latch, a pull down latch, a toggle latch, a slam latch, a push to close latch, and / or a slide latch.

[0019] Preferably, the at least one upper and / or at least one lower housing section are substantially identical housing sections, in particular completely identical housing sections. This allows the insulation system to be manufactured significantly easier compared to existing solutions. The identical housing sections may be formed, for example, using a mould. The at least one upper housing section and / or the at least one lower housing section are preferably made by casting. The identical housing sections preferably mutually define substantially straight housing parts that define a substantially straight insulation channel. However, the first and second environments do not necessarily have to be connected only in a straight line. Thus, if multiple housing parts are installed, the identical housing sections can be easily adjusted to define bends.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment according to the invention, one end of at least one housing section can be cut at an angle, for example at an angle of 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 45°, 50°. This allows the modular insulation system to form bends in the insulation channel, in particular when further housing parts are to be connected. By said angle with respect to a horizontal plane, an upward and / or downward bend can be provided. By said angle with respect to a vertical plane, a leftward and / or rightward bend can be provided. By means of multiple angles, the insulation channel can thus be formed with multiple bends with adjacent housing parts, allowing further freedom for the areas to be interconnected by the insulation channel. Furthermore, it is also conceivable that angles can be made with respect to both the vertical and horizontal planes in order to provide diagonal bends.

[0021] The expanded polymer material is, in one embodiment of the present invention, a polyurethane expanded material, or polyurethane foam. Due to its insulating properties, the expanded polyurethane material is very suitable as an insulating material. The expanded material may have a closed cell and / or an open cell structure, and preferably the material itself may be sufficiently rigid. Furthermore, the expanded material offers the advantage that the manufacture of the upper and / or lower housing sections is relatively simple, especially when the housing sections are formed in a mold.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment, at least one of the upper and / or lower housing sections is preferably provided with at least one skin layer, in particular a substantially rigid skin layer. Said skin layer may in particular be substantially rigid, such that said skin layer allows for outdoor use. The skin layer may therefore protect the interior of the housing section and / or at least one housing section from rain, sun, hail, etc. It is advantageous to provide a skin layer, in particular since the foamed material may tend to be more exposed to the outdoor environment. The skin layer is preferably for this purpose substantially cavity-free and / or has a substantially solid structure. The skin layer is even more advantageous if the entire upper or lower housing section consists of a foamed polymer material substantially surrounded by the skin layer. The skin layer may in this case define a sandwich panel thanks to the more rigid properties of the skin layer. The skin layer preferably defines a substantial part, preferably the entire, of the outer surface of at least one of the upper and / or lower housing sections. Said skin layer may therefore be rigid, so that a rigid sandwich panel is provided. At least one skin layer preferably has a higher density and / or a higher stiffness with respect to the expanded polymer material. The expanded polymer material and / or the skin layer, preferably a combination thereof, may be strong by itself, preferably without additives. That is, the material does not have to be reinforced, but instead reinforcing additives and / or reinforcing particles may be added within the (expanded) polymer material. Such particles may be, for example, fibers, such as, for example, natural fibers, glass fibers, etc. The skin layer may in particular have a compressive strength in the range of 0.5 MPa to 5 MPa. The compressive strength of said skin layer is preferably between 2 MPa and 5 MPa, preferably between 2.5 MPa and 3.5 MPa, in a direction parallel to the skin. The compressive strength may be between 0.5 MPa and 2.5 MPa, in particular 1.5 MPa, in a direction substantially parallel to said skin. The compressive strength value may be subject to an error of plus or minus 0.25 MPa.

[0023] At least a part of the rigid skin layer, if applied, preferably forms an integral part, in particular of the (foamed) polymer material, of at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section. Said skin layer is therefore preferably formed at least in part of the same polymer material. Said skin layer is preferably formed integrally with the foamed polymer material. Said skin layer and said foamed polymer material are formed in particular in a single production step. The formation of at least one skin layer may be provided during the moulding of the upper housing part and / or the lower housing part. At least a part of the skin layer preferably has a density higher than the density of the foamed polymer material. The skin layer may for example have a density at least two times, preferably at least three times, more preferably at least four times higher compared to the foamed polymer material. The density of the skin layer, in particular the average density of the skin layer, is preferably 350 kg / m 3 from 550kg / m 3 between 400 kg / m and 500 kg / m 3 from 500kg / m 3 and more preferably between 450 kg / m 3 Preferably, the foamed polymer material has a viscosity of 50 kg / m 3 from 115kg / m 3 between 75 kg / m and 80 kg / m 3 from 105 kg / m 3 and more preferably between 95 kg / m 3 It is preferred that the densities are about 50 kg / m 3 , preferably about 25 kg / m 3 , especially about 10 kg / m 3 Please understand that this includes an error of .

[0024] Preferably, at least one of the upper or lower housing sections consists essentially entirely of a polymeric material, preferably polyurethane, with a skin layer at least partially, preferably completely, enclosing the polymeric material. At the transition from the foamed polymeric material to the skin layer, there is a density transition gradient. The density gradient at the transition zone from the foamed polymeric material to the skin layer is greater than 35 kg / m per mm. 3From 160kg / m per mm 3 between 35 kg / m per mm and preferably 35 kg / m per mm 3 From 140kg / m per mm 3 The maximum density gradient in the transition zone from the foamed polymer material to the skin layer is preferably between about 100 kg / m per mm. 3 , preferably about 140 kg / m per mm 3 , more preferably about 160 kg / m per mm 3 where the gradient is measured from the outer surface of the skin layer. The skin layer preferably has a thickness of at least 1 mm, preferably between 1 mm and 10 mm, more preferably between 2 mm and 5 mm, especially 4 mm. The average density of the skin layer is preferably at least twice, more preferably at least three times, especially at least four times the density of the expanded polymeric material.

[0025] The modular insulation system in one embodiment comprises a plurality of adjacent housing parts, at least one housing part, each housing part preferably comprising an upper housing section and a lower housing section, the adjacent housing parts together defining an insulation channel with a first and a second opening. By means of adjacent housing parts it is possible to define a larger insulation channel. The modular insulation system can comprise, for example, at least two adjacent housing parts, preferably at least four adjacent housing parts, more preferably at least six adjacent housing parts. The total number of adjacent housing parts can be chosen as desired such that the desired distance to be covered between the first environment and the second environment is covered. The modular insulation system can bridge a distance of at least 1 m, preferably at least 4 m, more preferably at least 6 m. For this, at least one housing part preferably has a length of about 1 m. This allows the modular insulation system to bridge various distances by selecting the required number of housing parts. It is conceivable that the adjacent housing parts have different lengths. The insulation channel can thus extend over the entire intermediate environment. This allows a great deal of freedom in the scope of application of the invention. This is mainly due to the fact that the total number of enclosure parts can be chosen so that any distance can be covered while maintaining adequate thermal insulation properties. The invention allows for an insulated transport from one environment, which may be a building with a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, through an intermediate environment with a substantially different temperature, to another environment, which may be another building with a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius as well. Even if the intermediate environment may be an external environment with a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Celsius and the insulated channel has a length of 40 m, the external temperature of the product passing through the insulated channel will not change by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Thus, at a temperature difference between the inside of the insulated channel and the intermediate environment of 40 degrees Celsius, the external temperature of the object to be transported will only increase at a rate of 0.0375 degrees Celsius per meter of travel. In this example, the temperature of the environment may vary by plus or minus 5 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the product may vary by plus or minus 0.5 degrees Celsius.However, the present invention does not require that the first environment and the second environment be at the same temperature.

[0026] In one embodiment according to the invention, at least one of the adjacent housing parts at least partially overlaps one another in a joint configuration. This can prevent air from the intermediate environment from entering the insulating channel formed by the adjacent housing parts. At least one of the upper or lower housing sections is preferably provided with a shielding section, whereby the seams and / or openings between the adjacent housing parts are at least partially shielded by the shielding section. In particular the shielding section can provide an overlap between the adjacent housing parts at least partially. The shielding section itself can also protect the overlapping housing parts from the weather. The shielding section can thus prevent water, such as rain, from penetrating into the insulating channel.

[0027] At least one housing part preferably comprises at least one coupling element or structure, which preferably releasably couples at least one housing part with at least one adjacent housing part. Attaching the housing parts to each other can contribute to the overall integrity of the insulation system. The coupling element or coupling structure may for example be formed with holes in at least two housing parts, preferably at both ends of each housing part. The two housing parts can be connected to each other by using bolts or pins and by using said holes in the housing parts. The holes are preferably aligned when the housing parts have a predefined amount of overlap between them. Thus, the holes in the first end of the first housing part can be preferably concentrically aligned with the holes in the second end of the second housing part. The housing parts can be attached to each other by using bolts or pins, preferably through the concentrically aligned holes. It is preferred that one of the holes is large compared to the bolt or pin, thereby enabling at least one housing part to move relative to the other housing part, particularly in a direction perpendicular to the bolt or pin, to accommodate expansion and / or compression of the housing sections due to temperature differences in the intermediate environment.

[0028] At least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section preferably comprise a shielding section, which shields at least a part of the adjacent housing section. More preferably, both the upper housing section and the lower housing section are provided with a shielding section, which shields at least a part of the adjacent housing section. Said shielding section can in particular cover a gap that may exist between two adjacent housing sections or housing parts. The shielding section of the upper housing section is preferably identical to the shielding section of the lower housing section. The shielding section is preferably formed of an enlargement, preferably of one piece, of the upper housing section and / or the lower housing section. Said shielding section is larger compared to the main body of the upper and / or lower housing section, i.e. in order to adequately shield a part of the adjacent housing section. At least the upper housing section preferably comprises a shielding section, such that when the upper and lower housing sections form housing parts with each other, i.e. are connected, said shielding section can cover the gap between the adjacent upper housing sections of the adjacent housing parts. This can prevent rain from entering the insulation channel and further contribute to the insulation properties. If both housing sections of a housing part comprise a shielding section, it may also be referred to as said housing part comprising a shielding section.

[0029] In one embodiment, at least one shielding section is configured to at least partially receive at least a portion of at least one adjacent upper housing section and / or at least partially receive at least a portion of at least one adjacent lower housing section, whereby the adjacent housing sections at least partially overlap with the shielding section. If a housing part comprises a shielding section, said shielding section is configured to at least partially receive at least a portion of an adjacent housing part, whereby the adjacent housing parts at least partially overlap. At least one housing part, preferably at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section, is preferably provided with or comprises at least one sealing element. The sealing element is preferably configured to establish a sealing connection between the adjacent housing parts. The sealing element may for example be a rubber seal or a flexible or elastic polymer material configured to close a gap between adjacent housing parts and / or adjacent housing sections. The rubber seal may for example be provided in a sealing recess. The sealing recess may be provided in an outer end portion of the housing part and / or housing section. The rubber seal or said sealing element can thus be provided in a sealing recess. The sealing element can protrude with respect to the outer surface of the housing part and / or housing section such that when said end of the housing part and / or housing section is received by the shielding section of the adjacent housing part and / or housing section, the sealing element seals the adjacent housing parts and / or housing sections from each other. Preferably, at least a part of the outer surface and / or at least a part of the inner surface of at least one upper housing section and / or at least a part of the outer surface and / or at least a part of the inner surface of at least one lower housing section is provided with a sealing element. The connection between the housing part and the first environment and / or the second environment is preferably a sealed connection. In particular in the case of a first building and a second building, the housing part can for example protrude from a hole in one of the buildings, the space between the outer surface of the housing part and the inside of the hole in one of the buildings being sealed. This makes it possible to prevent leakage in the connection between the housing part and the first environment and / or the second environment.When referring to housing parts, this advantage can also be realised by at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section. However, it is also conceivable to arrange the sealing element on the inner surface of a shielding section. The sealing element can contact the outer surface of the housing part in the outer part of the outer surface of the adjacent housing part, in particular on the side facing away from the shielding section.

[0030] In the coupled state, an expansion space, preferably a shielded expansion space, is provided or is present between at least two adjacent housing sections. The expansion space is configured to allow thermal expansion and / or compression of the adjacent housing sections. Said expansion space is configured in particular to allow expansion or compression of the adjacent housing sections due to temperature variations of the intermediate environment. This is particularly advantageous if the coupling element is also configured to allow said thermal expansion or compression of the housing sections. In particular, when multiple housing sections are provided to provide longer insulating channels, the expansion of said housing sections becomes more important. Said expansion space is designed such that at least between intermediate environmental temperatures between -30 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius, the expansion and compression of the housing sections does not cause gaps between any adjacent housing sections.

[0031] The modular insulation system preferably comprises a support structure. The support structure is preferably mounted or mountable on the outside of at least one of the upper or lower housing sections in order to support one or more housing parts. The support structure is in particular mounted completely or only substantially on the outside of at least one of the upper or lower housing sections. When referring to an embodiment comprising a support structure, it is noted that this aspect can be applied without the presence of an upper or lower housing section. It is known that the support structure defines an insulation channel, which also supports a conveying system installed in the insulation channel. However, this requires that the support structure extends through the insulation channel, in particular through the lower housing section. This is not beneficial, as it has a negative effect on the insulation properties. For this reason, the lower or upper housing section according to the invention does not have through-holes, in particular in the region of the support structure. The insulation properties are therefore significantly better than in the prior art. The transport conveyor installed inside the housing part is preferably physically separated from the support structure and / or is not connected to it. The components of the support structure therefore remain outside the housing part. If a relatively large thermal insulation channel has to be formed between the first and second environments, it may be beneficial to locally support the housing part, or the housing section forming said housing part, in order to prevent the thermal insulation system from collapsing under the weight of the thermal insulation system. For this purpose, at least one support structure may be attached. The support structure preferably supports at least one of the bottom housing sections. It is also conceivable that each of the bottom housing sections is supported by at least one support structure. In particular, if a transport system is provided inside the thermal insulation channel, and in particular rests on an inner surface of the bottom housing section, it may be beneficial to adequately support the system. The support structure preferably comprises at least one support bracket with at least one mounting surface, the support bracket being attached to at least one lower housing section. At least one lower housing section is preferably provided with at least one recessed channel, the recessed channel being configured to receive at least one mounting surface of the support bracket.The recessed channels allow the support bracket to be easily placed on the upper or lower housing section, which may further contribute to easier installation of the insulation system according to the invention.

[0032] The inner surface of at least one lower housing section is preferably configured to support a transport system, such as a conveyor belt. Said conveyor belt may allow products to be transported from one place to another. By placing a transport system, such as a conveyor belt, inside an insulating channel, the insulating system according to the invention can achieve better insulating properties. This is due to the fact that in prior art insulating systems, the insulation is conventionally built around the existing transport system. In this case, therefore, a gap always remains where the insulating material encloses the conveying structure of the transport system. The invention makes it possible to provide the entire transport system on the inner surface of the upper or lower housing section. For this purpose, the inner surface of at least one lower housing section may be provided with mounting locations for mounting the transport system on the inner surface.

[0033] At least one housing section is preferably provided with drainage holes for draining moisture and / or liquid from the insulating channel. The drainage holes can further drain small solid particles such as parts of egg shells and / or feathers. If moisture can enter the insulating channel, it must be removed to prevent it from damaging parts of the inside or possibly contaminating the product transported through the insulating channel. This can be achieved by means of drainage holes in at least one housing section. Preferably, the at least one drainage hole can be a (re)closable drainage hole. This can be particularly advantageous if all housing sections are substantially identical and thus the upper housing section is also provided with drainage holes. Said drainage holes can be closed, for example, by means of a rubber plug, which prevents some of the drainage holes, in particular the drainage holes in the upper housing section, from functioning. The use of at least one drainage hole is advantageous, for example, for cleaning purposes.

[0034] The present invention further relates to a housing section, in particular an upper housing section and / or a lower housing section, for use in a modular insulation system according to the invention. The same advantages as detailed for the insulation system also apply for the upper housing section and / or the lower housing section. The advantages for the insulation system are therefore incorporated herein by reference for the upper housing section and / or the lower housing section.

[0035] The invention also relates to the assembly of a modular insulation system according to the invention with at least one conveyor device.

[0036] The present invention is further described with the aid of the non-limiting set of clauses set forth below. 1. A modular insulation system for establishing a thermal barrier connection between a first environment and a second environment, the first environment and the second environment being separated from each other by an intermediate environment, in particular the outside air, the modular insulation system being configured to allow a thermally insulated transport of a product from the first environment to the second environment, in particular via the intermediate environment; This system, - at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section wherein the upper and lower housing sections are connected or connectable to each other, and at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section are at least partially made of a foamed polymer material; the upper housing section and the lower housing section, in a coupled state, form a housing section, the housing section defining an insulating channel having a first opening and a second opening; a modular insulation system, wherein a first opening of the insulation channel is configured to communicate with a first environment and a second opening of the insulation channel is configured to communicate with a second environment, whereby the insulation channel defines an insulation transport bridge between the first environment and the second environment; or A modular insulation system for establishing a thermal barrier connection between a first environment and a second environment, the first environment and the second environment being separated from each other by an intermediate environment, in particular the outside air, the modular insulation system being configured to allow a thermally insulated transport of a product from the first environment to the second environment, in particular via the intermediate environment, This system, - at least one housing part the housing portion defines an insulating channel having a first opening and a second opening; A modular insulation system, wherein a first opening of the insulating channel is configured to communicate with a first environment and a second opening of the insulating channel is configured to communicate with a second environment, whereby the insulating channel defines an insulating transport bridge between the first environment and the second environment.

[0037] 2. A modular insulation system according to clause 1, wherein at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section are provided with complementary coupling profiles configured to interconnect said upper housing section and said lower housing section.

[0038] 3. A modular insulation system according to clause 2, wherein at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section has two spaced apart edges, and a first bonding profile and a second bonding profile are provided on the first edge and the second edge of the at least one upper housing section and / or the at least one lower housing section, respectively.

[0039] 4. A modular insulation system according to clause 2 or 3, wherein at least a portion of the complementary mating profiles extend in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the insulation channel.

[0040] 5. A modular insulation system according to any of clauses 2 to 4, wherein at least one of the complementary joining profiles comprises a tongue and / or a groove, and the groove of a first joining profile is configured to at least partially receive the tongue of a second joining profile of another housing section to be connected.

[0041] 6. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section comprises at least one locking element configured to lock the upper housing section and the lower housing section to each other.

[0042] 7. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least one upper enclosure section and the at least one lower enclosure section are substantially identical.

[0043] 8. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the foamed polymer material is polyurethane foam.

[0044] 9. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one upper enclosure section comprises a rigid skin layer and / or at least one lower enclosure section comprises a rigid skin layer.

[0045] 10. A modular insulation system according to clause 9, wherein the rigid skin layer forms an integral part of at least a portion of the upper housing section and / or at least a portion of the lower housing section.

[0046] 11. A modular insulation system according to either clause 9 or 10, wherein at least one upper enclosure section and / or at least one lower enclosure section consist substantially entirely of a single polymeric material, preferably polyurethane, and a rigid skin layer at least partially, preferably completely, encloses the foamed polymeric material, preferably foamed polyurethane.

[0047] 12. Modular insulation systems according to any of clauses 9 to 11, in which the density of the skin layer, in particular the average density of the skin layer, is less than 350 kg / m 3 from 550kg / m 3 between 400 kg / m and 500 kg / m 3 from 500kg / m 3 and more preferably between 450 kg / m 3 It is preferable that:

[0048] 13. In a modular insulation system according to any of clauses 9 to 12, it is preferred that at least a part of the skin layer has a density higher than the density of the foamed polymer material, the skin layer having a density at least two times, preferably at least three times, more preferably at least four times higher than the foamed polymer material.

[0049] 14. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, the modular insulation system comprising at least two, and preferably a plurality of, adjacent housing sections that are interconnected or connectable to each other, each housing section comprising at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section, the adjacent interconnected housing sections collectively defining an insulation channel having a first opening and a second opening.

[0050] 15. A modular insulation system according to clause 14, wherein at least some of the adjacent enclosure sections at least partially overlap one another.

[0051] 16. A modular insulation system according to clause 14 or 15, wherein at least one upper enclosure section and / or at least one lower enclosure section is provided with a shielding section for shielding at least a portion of an adjacent enclosure section.

[0052] 17. A modular insulation system according to any of clauses 14 to 16, wherein the shielding section is formed of an extension, preferably of one piece, of the upper housing section and / or the lower housing section.

[0053] 18. A modular insulation system according to any of clauses 14 to 17, wherein the shielding section is configured to at least partially receive at least a portion of an adjacent upper housing section and / or to at least partially receive at least a portion of an adjacent lower housing section, such that the adjacent housing sections at least partially overlap with the shielding section.

[0054] 19. A modular insulation system according to any of clauses 14 to 18, wherein at least one housing part, or at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section, is provided with at least one connecting element, which preferably releasably connects the housing part to at least one adjacent housing part.

[0055] 20. A modular insulation system according to any of clauses 14 to 19, wherein in the joined state, between at least two adjacent housing parts, an expansion space, preferably a shielded expansion space, is provided to allow thermal expansion and / or compression of the adjacent housing parts.

[0056] 21. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one housing part, preferably at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section, comprises at least one sealing element configured to establish a sealed connection between adjacent housing parts.

[0057] 22. A modular insulation system according to clause 21, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface and / or at least a portion of the inner surface of at least one upper housing section and / or at least a portion of the outer surface and / or at least a portion of the inner surface of at least one lower housing section are provided with sealing elements.

[0058] 23. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, the modular insulation system comprising at least one support structure, the support structure being mounted or mountable to the exterior of at least one housing section of the upper housing section or the lower housing section for supporting the one or more housing sections.

[0059] 24. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one lower housing section comprises at least one support surface for supporting at least a portion of a transport device, such as a conveyor belt.

[0060] 25. A modular insulation system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein at least one housing section, in particular at least one lower housing section, has at least one drainage hole for draining moisture and / or liquid from the insulation channel.

[0061] 26. Enclosure sections for use in modular insulation systems as defined in any of clauses 1 to 25.

[0062] Hereinafter, the invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the following non-limiting figures. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0063] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view that shows a schematic representation of a first possible embodiment of a modular insulation system according to the invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an enclosure for use in a modular insulation system. [Diagram 3] 3 is a side view of the housing unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the housing unit shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 shows a housing section according to a possible embodiment of the invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the housing section in the width direction. [Figure 7]FIG. 1 illustrates a support structure for use in a modular insulation system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0064] In the figures, like reference numbers correspond to similar or equivalent elements or features.

[0065] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a modular insulation system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The modular insulation system 1 shown in the figure is connected to an intermediate environment, a first environment 2 and a second environment 3, separated from each other by, for example, outdoor air. The first environment 2 and the second environment 3 may in this non-limiting illustration in particular be a chicken house 2 and a hall 3, such as a processing hall 3 for processing chicken eggs inside the chicken house 2. The intermediate environment may for example be an outdoor environment. The chicken house 2 and the hall 3 are mutually separated from each other. However, when sensitive consumer goods such as eggs have to be transported from said chicken house 2 to the hall 3, they are usually exposed to temperature fluctuations. That is, the chicken house 2 and the hall 3 may have a constant temperature, for example 18 degrees Celsius, whereas the outdoor temperature of the outdoor environment may typically vary between -15 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius. In particular, the chicken house 2 and hall 3 may be located more than 20 meters away from each other, so that the temperature fluctuations of the product may be considerable when transporting the product through an outdoor environment with a temperature of -15 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Celsius. Although the figure shows a chicken house 2 and hall 3, the invention is not limited thereto. It is also conceivable that the first environment 2 is a first production location 2 and the second environment is a second production location 3. Thus, the product to be transported is also not limited to this example, but may be any product that is adversely affected when exposed to large temperature fluctuations.

[0066] The modular insulation system 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a number of interconnected housing parts 40, 40'. The interconnected housing parts 40, 40' define an insulating channel between a first environment 2 and a second environment 3. The insulating channel defines a first opening 5 and a second opening 6, where the first opening 5 in this figure leads to the first environment 2. The second opening 6 leads in this embodiment to the second environment 3. The modular insulation system according to the invention thus creates an insulating transport bridge between the first environment 2 and the second environment 3. The insulating transport bridge allows the transport of the product while insulating it from the intermediate environment. This allows the product to be protected from possible temperature differences between the first environment 2 and the intermediate environment, as well as between the second environment 3 and the intermediate environment. The invention is arranged to be equipped internally with a transport system 4, such as a conveyor 4, in order to further increase the insulating properties compared to known solutions.

[0067] The conveyor 4 can be mounted in, and in particular within, the housing part 40, 40'. This makes it unnecessary to use insulating material around the mounting structure of the conveyor 4, and thus reduces air leakage from the intermediate environment into the insulating channel. The housing part 40, 40', and in particular the housing section forming the housing part 40, 40', consists at least partially of a foamed polymer material. In particular, foamed polyurethane with a skin layer has been found to be a good thermal insulator, but also provides the necessary structural properties for equipping the conveyor 4 inside.

[0068] The modular insulation system 1 in this particular figure comprises a total of six sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Said sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 extend in various directions to form any connection between the first environment 2 and the second environment 3. At least one section 9 is elevated relative to the other sections as shown. This may be beneficial, for example, if the modular insulation system 1 needs to pass an obstacle, such as a road, between the first environment 2 and the second environment 3. To achieve this, some housing sections 40' are cut at an angle so that the insulation channel forms a bend.

[0069] The bends may be upwardly directed bends, such as between sections 7 and 8 and between sections 10 and 11, as shown in the figures. The bends may also be downward bends, such as between sections 8 and 9 and between sections 9 and 10. But the bends may also be left or right bends, as shown between sections 11 and 12. The modular insulation system 1 is therefore not only modular with respect to the length of the insulation channel, but also with respect to the shape of said insulation channel. The length of the channel can be adjusted at will by adding or removing housing sections 40, 40'. The shape of the channel can be adjusted by cutting the housing sections so that adjacent housing sections 40, 40' are connected to each other at an angle.

[0070] To further insulate the insulating channel from the intermediate environment, the housing parts 40, 40', in particular the housing sections, can be provided with a shielding section 41. Said shielding section 41 allows adjacent housing parts 40, 40' to partially overlap one another. In particular, one end of a first housing part 40, 40' can be at least partially received in the shielding section 41 of the adjacent housing part. A further benefit of the shielding section 41 can be to at least partially accommodate expansions and / or contractions of the modular insulation system 1, i.e. adjacent housing parts 40, 40' can expand and / or contract without gaps forming between said adjacent housing parts 40, 40', thereby maintaining adequate insulating properties. The modular insulation system 1 is thereby particularly suitable for large temperature fluctuations.

[0071] FIG. 2 shows a housing part 40 according to an embodiment of the invention. The illustrated housing part 40 comprises an upper housing section 30 and a lower housing section 20. The upper housing section 30 and the lower housing section 20 are interconnected in the illustrated configuration. The housing part 40 further comprises a locking element 13 configured to interlock the upper housing section 30 with the lower housing section 20. The locking element 13 is configured in this example to establish a releasable locking connection. The locking element 13 is formed in the illustrated embodiment by a latch system 13. A part of the latch system 13, such as a locking portion, is connected to the upper housing section 30 and can be releasably engaged with a receiving portion that may be provided on the bottom housing section 20, such as a hook that receives a part of the latch 13. However, the invention is not limited to this example of a locking element. It is contemplated that a kinematically inverse solution, another type of latch system 13, or another locking element 13 can also be used.

[0072] The figure further shows that one end of the housing part 40 comprises a shielding section 41, which is in particular an enlarged portion with respect to the remainder of the housing part 40. Said shielding section is in this embodiment integrally formed with the remainder of the housing part 40. This is in particular beneficial for the thermal insulation properties of the system. The embodiment of the housing part 40 shown has a number of drainage holes 43. In the embodiment shown, the drainage holes 43 in the upper housing section 30 are closed by means of plugs. The inside of the bottom housing section 20, in particular the area near the drainage holes 43, can be slightly recessed or formed in a bowl-like shape, such that the drainage holes 43 are located at the lowest point of the lower housing section 20. Said slightly recessed or bowl-like shape can further contribute to the drainage of liquids inside the housing part 40.

[0073] A sealing element 42 can be arranged on the side of the housing part 40 facing away from the shielding section 41. Said sealing element 42 can be, for example, a rubber element 42. Said sealing element 42 can be in contact with an inner part of the shielding section 41 of an adjacent housing part 40. The sealing element 42 can therefore contribute to thermal insulation properties when several housing parts 40 are used, since it seals the overlap between two adjacent housing parts 40 against the intermediate environment. However, it is also conceivable to locate said sealing element 42 on the inner surface of the shielding section 41. The sealing element 42 can be in contact with the outer part of the outer surface of the adjacent housing part 40, in particular with the outer surface of the housing part 40 on the side facing away from said shielding section 41. The housing part 40 can further comprise coupling elements 45, 46 for preferably releasably coupling the housing part 40 with at least one adjacent housing part.

[0074] The coupling elements 45, 46 are formed in the illustrated embodiment by holes 45, 46 in the upper housing section 30 and the lower housing section 20, with at least one hole 46 being provided in a portion of the shielding section 41. The holes 45, 46 are provided such that when adjacent housing parts overlap, the holes 45, 46 also overlap at least partially. This allows cooperating (complementary) coupling elements, such as bolts or nuts, to connect the housing parts 40 to each other. To allow for expansion and / or contraction of the housing parts, one of the coupling elements 46 is configured as an elongated or slotted hole 46. The adjacent housing parts 40 can be fixed together with bolts, but the slot allows the adjacent housing parts 40 to move longitudinally relative to each other. The figure further shows a part of the support structure 14 attached to the outside of the lower housing section 20. The support structure 14 is provided in particular in a recessed channel 44 in the lower housing section.

[0075] The housing part 40 shown in this figure is also shown in a side view in FIG. 3. The shielding section 41 is clearly enlarged in this figure with respect to the entire housing part 40. Furthermore, the sealing element 42, as can be seen, projects slightly with respect to the upper housing section 30 and the lower housing section 20. A support structure 14 supports the housing part 40. Said support structure 14 preferably does not project through the housing part 40. Parts of the support structure 14, in particular the mounting bracket 16 of the support structure, are configured to fit into a recessed channel 44 in the lower housing section 20. The support structure 14 thus remains only on the outside of the lower housing section 20. The heat-shielding properties are thus maintained. That is to say, no holes need to be drilled into the lower housing section 20 to enable the support structure 14 to support a transport conveyor arranged inside the housing section 20. This is due to the fact that the mounting bracket 16 is only attached to the outer surface of the lower housing section 20.

[0076] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the housing part 40 shown in Figures 2 and 3. This view makes it possible to show the function of the shielding section 41. Said shielding section 41 is formed by a locally enlarged end part of the housing part 40, as previously discussed. The shielding section 41 thus protrudes relative to the housing part 40. The inner diameter Do in the region of the shielding section 41 is therefore larger than the inner diameter Di in the region remote from the shielding section 41. The inner diameter difference delta D is preferably substantially equal to twice the thickness t of the housing. This therefore makes it possible to receive the end of the housing part 40 securely in the shielding section 41 of the adjacent housing part 40.

[0077] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an upper housing section 30 that can be used in a system according to the invention. Although an upper housing section 30 is shown, the housing sections 20, 30 according to the invention may be substantially identical, and therefore any description relating to the upper housing section 30 may be equally applicable to the corresponding lower housing section 20. The substantially arched upper housing section 30 shows a first edge 37 and a second edge 38, which may be provided with a coupling profile, e.g. a first coupling profile and a second coupling profile, respectively, which may be configured to cooperate with a complementary coupling profile of the lower housing section 20. The figure shows coupling elements 45, 46 formed of holes in the upper housing section 30. One of said coupling elements 46 is formed of an elongated channel to allow for thermal expansion and / or thermal contraction of the housing part 40. At least one side, and preferably both sides, of the upper housing section 30 are provided with attachment locations 15 for attaching a locking element 13, such as a latch. One outer surface includes a recess 44 , which may be configured to receive at least a portion of the support structure 14 .

[0078] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the upper housing part 30, for example as shown in FIG. 5. The upper housing section 30 shows a first edge 37 and a second edge 38, on which a first coupling profile 35 and a second cooperating coupling profile 36, respectively, are provided. The first coupling profile 35 is configured to cooperate with a second coupling profile 36 of the lower housing section 20. The first coupling profile 35 and the second cooperating coupling profile 36, respectively, on the first edge 37 and the second edge 38, are shown in more detail in circles A and B, respectively. In these circles A, B, it can be seen that the first coupling profile 35 is formed in this embodiment by two grooves 33, said two grooves 33 extending substantially parallel to each other. It can also be seen that in this embodiment the second coupling profile 36 is formed by two tongues 34, said grooves 33 being in particular configured to at least partially receive the tongues 34 of the lower housing section 20.

[0079] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a support structure 14 that can be used in the system according to the invention. The support structure 14 shown in this figure is relatively low, but the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will recognize that said support structure 14 can be used at various heights depending on the specifications of the housing part 40 of the modular insulation system 1. The support structure 14 comprises a base structure 17 for rigidly attaching the support structure 14 to the ground surface. The support structure 14 can also be placed on the ground without any mounting elements, but it is preferred to attach the support structure to the ground, for which purpose a mounting plate 17A is provided. The mounting plate 17A has at least one hole, preferably at least two holes, for attaching the support structure 17 to the ground surface. The support structure 14 further comprises two support brackets 16 attached to the base structure 17 via uprights. The support brackets 16 are provided with two mounting holes 18 for attaching the support brackets and the support structure 14 comprising the support brackets to the housing part 40, in particular to the bottom housing section 20. Since some of the housing parts 40 may be positioned slightly tilted, the support structure 14 is preferably able to take this into account. For this purpose, the support structure 14 is provided with adjustment elements 19 for adjusting the angle of the support brackets 16 relative to the base structure 17. The angle is preferably freely adjustable. This makes it possible to make the support structure 14 modular, so that only one type of support structure 14 may be used for several housing parts 40.

[0080] The inventive concepts described above are illustrated by a number of exemplary embodiments. It is believed that individual inventive concepts, including inventive details, may also be used in illustrating without using other details of the described examples. It is not necessary to recite in detail all possible combination examples of the inventive concepts described above, since a person skilled in the art will understand that many inventive concepts can be (re)combined to arrive at specific applications and / or alternative embodiments.

[0081] Ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," and "third" as used in this document are used for identification purposes only. Thus, the use of a phrase such as a "second" component does not necessarily require that the "first" component be present together. "Complementary" components mean that such components are configured to cooperate with one another. However, this does not necessarily require that such components have a complementary form. The verb "comprise" and its conjugations as used in this patent publication should be understood to mean "comprise," but also to mean the phrases "comprise," "consist essentially of," and "formed of," and their conjugations.

[0082] When this application refers to a product, this should be understood in a broad sense. The expression product should in particular be understood to encompass both consumer and non-consumer goods. Non-consumer goods may, for example, be metal products that may expand or contract when exposed to temperature fluctuations. Consumer goods, on the other hand, may, for example, be eggs that must be transported from a chicken coop to another building that is far from the chicken coop. Any product that may be exposed to temperature differences during the transportation of the product should therefore be within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A modular insulation system for establishing a thermal barrier connection between a first environment and a second environment, the first environment and the second environment being separated from each other by an intermediate environment, in particular the outside air, the modular insulation system being configured to allow a thermally insulated transport of a product from the first environment to the second environment, in particular via the intermediate environment, The system further comprises: at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section wherein the upper and lower housing sections are interconnected or connectable to one another, and at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section are at least partially made of an expanded polymer material; the upper housing section and the lower housing section, in a coupled state, form a housing portion, the housing portion defining an insulating channel having a first opening and a second opening; A modular insulation system, wherein the first opening of the insulation channel is configured to communicate with the first environment and the second opening of the insulation channel is configured to communicate with the second environment, whereby the insulation channel defines an insulation transport bridge between the first environment and the second environment.

2. 2. The modular insulation system of claim 1, wherein at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section are provided with complementary mating profiles configured to interconnect the upper housing section and the lower housing section.

3. 3. The modular insulation system of claim 2, wherein at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section comprises two spaced apart edges, and a first bonding profile and a second bonding profile are provided on the respective first and second edges of the at least one upper housing section and / or the at least one lower housing section.

4. 4. The modular insulation system of claim 2 or 3, wherein at least a portion of the complementary mating profiles extend in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the insulation channel.

5. 5. The modular insulation system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the complementary joining profiles comprises a tongue and / or a groove, the groove of a first joining profile being configured to at least partially receive a tongue of a second joining profile of another housing section to be coupled.

6. 6. The modular insulation system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section comprises at least one locking element configured to lock the upper and lower housing sections to each other.

7. 7. The modular insulation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one upper enclosure section and the at least one lower enclosure section are substantially identical.

8. 8. The modular insulation system of claim 1, wherein the foamed polymeric material is a polyurethane foam.

9. 9. The modular insulation system of claim 1, wherein at least one upper enclosure section is provided with a rigid skin layer and / or at least one lower enclosure section is provided with a rigid skin layer.

10. The modular insulation system of claim 9 , wherein the rigid skin layer forms an integral portion of at least a portion of the upper enclosure section and / or at least a portion of the lower enclosure section.

11. 11. The modular insulation system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section consists substantially entirely of a single polymer material, preferably polyurethane, and wherein said rigid skin layer at least partially, preferably completely, encloses said expanded polymer material, preferably said expanded polyurethane.

12. The density of the skin layer, in particular the average density of the skin layer, is 350 kg / m ３ From 550 kg / m ３ between 400 kg / m and 500 kg / m ３ From 500 kg / m ３ and more preferably between 450 kg / m ３ 12. The modular insulation system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, preferably wherein:

13. 13. The modular insulation system according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein at least a portion of the skin layer has a density higher than a density of the foamed polymer material, preferably the skin layer having a density at least two times, preferably at least three times, more preferably at least four times higher than the foamed polymer material.

14. 14. The modular insulation system of claim 1, wherein the modular insulation system comprises at least two, preferably a plurality of adjacent housing sections that are interconnected or connectable to each other, each housing section comprising at least one upper housing section and at least one lower housing section, the adjacent interconnected housing sections together defining an insulation channel having a first opening and a second opening.

15. The modular insulation system of claim 14 , wherein at least some of the adjacent enclosure sections at least partially overlap one another.

16. 16. The modular insulation system of claim 14 or 15, wherein at least one upper enclosure section and / or at least one lower enclosure section comprises a shielding section that shields at least a portion of an adjacent enclosure section.

17. 17. A modular insulation system according to any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the shielding section is formed of an extension, preferably of one piece, of the upper housing section and / or the lower housing section.

18. 18. The modular insulation system of claim 14, wherein the shielding section is configured to at least partially receive at least a portion of an adjacent upper housing section and / or to at least partially receive at least a portion of an adjacent lower housing section, such that the adjacent housing sections at least partially overlap with the shielding section.

19. 19. A modular insulation system according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein at least one housing part, or at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section, is provided with at least one connecting element, which preferably releasably connects said housing part with at least one adjacent housing part.

20. 20. A modular insulation system according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein in the combined state, between at least two adjacent housing parts, an expansion space, preferably a shielded expansion space, is provided which allows thermal expansion and / or compression of the adjacent housing parts.

21. 21. The modular insulation system according to any of claims 1 to 20, wherein at least one housing part, preferably at least one upper housing section and / or at least one lower housing section, comprises at least one sealing element configured to establish a sealed connection between adjacent housing parts.

22. 22. The modular insulation system of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of an exterior surface and / or at least a portion of an interior surface of at least one upper housing section and / or at least a portion of an exterior surface and / or at least a portion of an interior surface of at least one lower housing section is provided with a sealing element.

23. 23. The modular insulation system of claim 1, comprising at least one support structure, the support structure being mounted or mountable to the outside of at least one housing section of the upper housing section or the lower housing section for supporting one or more housing sections.

24. 24. The modular insulation system of any of claims 1 to 23, wherein at least one lower housing section comprises at least one support surface that supports at least a portion of a transport device, such as a conveyor belt.

25. 25. The modular insulation system according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein at least one housing section, in particular at least one lower housing section, has at least one drain hole for draining moisture and / or liquid from the insulation channel.

26. 26. An enclosure section for use in a modular insulation system as defined in any one of claims 1 to 25.

Images