Ceiling element for a heating and cooling ceiling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ceiling elements for heating and cooling are inefficient in heat transfer to room air, aesthetically unsuitable for smaller rooms, and require excessive material and complex installation processes.
Innovation Solution
A ceiling element featuring a thin, perforated metal or aluminum ceiling panel with a meandering copper tube system, where straight pipe sections are connected via snap-fit attachments with elongated sleeves and inclined longitudinal ribs for enhanced convective heat exchange and snap-on installation, preventing sagging and allowing easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plate with edge strips is used to attach the pipe section, then the attachment is secure, but the material consumption increases and thermal coupling to room air is weak
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment is divided into a plate portion and separate web elements. The webs are detached from the plate and positioned to extend towards the room air, creating multiple independent thermal exchange surfaces while reducing overall material usage compared to a solid plate design.
Solution Approach 2:
The web elements extend in a third dimension away from the ceiling panel surface, creating vertical heat exchange surfaces that increase thermal coupling with room air without increasing the horizontal footprint or material consumption significantly.
2Reliability
If a plate with edge strips is used to attach the pipe section, then the attachment is secure, but the thermal coupling to room air is weak
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment is divided into a plate portion and separate web elements. The webs are detached from the plate and positioned to extend towards the room air, creating multiple independent thermal exchange surfaces while reducing overall material usage compared to a solid plate design.
Solution Approach 2:
The web elements extend in a third dimension away from the ceiling panel surface, creating vertical heat exchange surfaces that increase thermal coupling with room air without increasing the horizontal footprint or material consumption significantly.
3Temperature
If ceiling elements with bulges are used, then heat exchange is enhanced, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates for smaller rooms and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating bulges that protrude into the room space (which affect aesthetics), the invention uses a flat ceiling panel with attachments that extend upwards. The heat exchange surfaces are inverted to face the room air while maintaining a clean, flat appearance from the room side.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange surfaces are positioned in the vertical dimension through upward-extending webs, rather than creating horizontal bulges. This maintains the flat aesthetic appearance while achieving enhanced thermal coupling through vertical surface area.
4Reliability
If complex attachment methods like gluing are used, then the connection is secure, but the installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment features a snap-fit mechanism where the web elements are designed to elastically deform during installation and automatically lock into position on the pipe section. The attachment serves itself by using the pipe insertion force to activate the locking mechanism, eliminating the need for separate gluing or fastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The chemical bonding process (gluing) is replaced with a mechanical snap-fit system. The elastic deformation of the web elements provides the locking force, substituting a simple mechanical action for a multi-step chemical bonding process, thereby reducing installation time and complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides effective heat transfer through convective and radiative means, meets aesthetic requirements for smaller rooms, and simplifies installation while maintaining structural integrity and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling effect is primarily achieved primarily through thermally conductive contact of a heating or cooling medium, usually a cooling liquid, carrying pipeline with the ceiling panel, which exchanges heat with the underlying space mainly by radiation
Implementation Method 2
the cooling effect is primarily achieved primarily through thermally conductive contact of a heating or cooling medium, usually a cooling liquid, carrying pipeline with the ceiling panel, which exchanges heat with the underlying space mainly by radiation
Implementation Method 3
The heat exchange is enhanced by a high convective heat exchange between the attachment and thus the cooling liquid on the one hand and the room air on the other
Implementation Method 4
the cooling effect is primarily achieved primarily through thermally conductive contact of a heating or cooling medium, usually a cooling liquid, carrying pipeline with the ceiling panel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a ceiling element for a heating and cooling ceiling. A pipe with parallel straight pipe sections (2a, b, c) is mounted on a rectangular ceiling panel (1) and connected to the top of the ceiling panel (1), e.g., by gluing or welding. Each of the pipe sections (2a, b, c) carries a metal attachment (4) extending approximately along its length, with a tubular sleeve (5) that forms a groove (6) open towards the ceiling panel (1). This groove snugly receives the respective pipe section (2a, b, c), creating a secure snap-fit connection between the attachment (4) and the pipe section (2a, b, c) along its entire length. The sleeve (5) has parallel longitudinal ribs (7a,b) projecting upwards at the edges and inclined slightly outwards, which serve to enhance the heat exchange of the pipeline with the ambient air by convection and with the ceiling by convection and radiation, as well as to stiffen the attachment (4).Together with the attachments (4), the pipe sections (2a,b,c) form stiffening strips that prevent a visible sagging of the ceiling slab (1) in the longitudinal direction.