Heat panel, a heating system and a method for installing such a heating system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional underfloor heating systems are inefficient as they lose a significant amount of heat due to the need to transport heat through the floor materials, leading to high energy consumption and potential safety hazards from worn-out electrical connections in flooring boards with embedded heating foils.
Innovation Solution
A panel design with a heat providing layer integrated into the construction, featuring resilient electrical end connectors that maintain a secure and reliable power supply, minimizing energy loss and avoiding the need for separate heat creating mats, allowing for efficient and durable heating with low voltage installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional underfloor heating with pipes or sheets is arranged underneath the floor boards, then the heating system can be installed, but heat efficiency is poor due to heat loss through the floor structure
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is divided into modular panels that can be independently manufactured and installed. Each panel contains integrated heating elements, allowing the heating function to be segmented and distributed across multiple replaceable units rather than requiring a continuous installation underneath the entire floor structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the heating elements underneath the floor boards as in traditional systems, the heating elements are inverted and placed within the floor panels themselves, closer to the heated space. This inversion positions the heat source optimally to reduce heat loss through the floor structure while maintaining installation feasibility through modular construction.
2Reliability
If electrical connecting means are arranged on the grooves and tongues of quick coupling joints, then electrical power can be supplied to flooring boards, but the electrical connections become worn out due to movements when pressure is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connecting means are extracted from the mechanical joint structures (grooves and tongues) and placed in separate, dedicated electrical connection elements. This separation allows the mechanical joint to handle movement and pressure without transmitting stress to the electrical connections, thereby extending the service life of both components.
Solution Approach 2:
Dedicated electrical connection elements act as intermediaries between the power supply and the heating elements within the panels. These intermediaries are positioned to remain stationary relative to the mechanical joints, absorbing or isolating the effects of movement and pressure to maintain reliable electrical contact throughout the service life of the flooring system.
3Loss of energy
If heat is created underneath the wooden floor or stone and ceramic tiles, then the heating system can be installed, but heat efficiency is poor as heat must be transported through the entire floor structure
Solution Approach 1:
The heat source position is inverted from underneath the floor structure to within the floor panels themselves. This inversion dramatically shortens the heat transport path by placing the heating elements immediately adjacent to the space requiring heating, eliminating the need for heat to traverse the entire thickness of floor boards, tiles, or underlying structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system transitions from a horizontal installation underneath the floor to a vertical integration within the floor panels. By embedding heating elements within the panel thickness rather than placing them below, the system changes the dimensional arrangement of heat transport, reducing the distance heat must travel in the vertical dimension while maintaining horizontal coverage through modular panel assembly.
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 panel design ensures efficient heat distribution directly to the space, reducing energy consumption and extending the lifespan of the heating system by preventing wear-related malfunctions and safety risks, while allowing for cost-effective installation by non-professionals.
Implementation Method 1
a heat providing layer (102) attached to the base layer (101), the heat being created by electric energy
Implementation Method 2
The at least one first and at least one second electrical end connectors (151, 152) are at least partly resilient, thereby providing a connecting force Fcon
Data Source
AI summary
A panel comprising a heat providing layer is presented. The panel includes panel coupling means arranged for coupling the panel to adjacent panels. In order to provide heat, longitudinal grooves are arranged in the panel along the whole length of the panel. Electrical end connectors are arranged in the longitudinal grooves to protrude from at least one end side of the panel. The electrical end connectors are arranged for being electrically connected to the heat providing layer, and for being electrically connectable to at least one corresponding end connector of at least one adjacent panel, and for being at least partly resilient, thereby providing a connecting force Fcon being essentially perpendicular to the at least one of the first and the second end sides when the panel is coupled to at least one adjacent panel, and being directed towards at least one corresponding end connector of the at least one adjacent panel.