ADAPTIVE WALL INSULATING SYSTEM
A building wall or a system for insulating a building wall, comprising: an insulating layer of translucent insulation disposed upon an exterior wall of a building so as to be exposed to solar radiation; an absorbing layer disposed toward the interior of said building from said insulating layer in a position to receive at least of portion of said solar radiation, said absorbing layer being capable of absorbing a portion of said solar radiation and converting said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy; an adaptive shading mechanism disposed exterior of said transparent insulation, said adaptive shading mechanism comprising: a support structure secured to said building and adapted to support plant matter at a distance therefrom; plant matter disposed upon said support structure in a position to at least partially shade said exterior of said building from said solar radiation, said plant matter being selected so that said plant matter changes during a certain portion of the calendar year so as to increase the amount of solar radiation reaching said exterior of said building, said portion of the calendar year being a portion in which relatively greater solar heating of said building is desired. A method for insulating a building wall comprises the employment of such a system.
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/895,468, filed Mar. 18, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to building walls and to systems and methods for insulating building walls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONSome embodiments of the applicant's invention provide one or more of the following advantages: conversion of solar radiation to thermal energy for heating a building; trapping heat energy thus generated through the use of insulation that is transparent to solar radiation; providing evaporative cooling for a building during the warmer portion of the year; deciduous vegetation providing shading of the building surface from solar radiation during the warmer portion of the year; a shaded and relatively cool volume of air contained between an adaptive shading mechanism and a building wall; an adaptive reduction in shading and corresponding increase in solar radiation reaching the exterior walls of a building and ultimately reaching the interior of the building through the natural activity of increasing and decreasing foliage of a deciduous plant.
This general description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed.
Applicant now describes in detail embodiments of the claimed invention. The described embodiments are examples. This detailed description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed.
Preferably the plant matter may comprise deciduous vines. Preferably the absorbing layer comprises a hard material having a dark surface facing said exterior of said building. Alternatively or in conjunction with the use of a hard material, the absorbing layer may comprise a dark fabric.
Preferably the support structure comprises a frame attached to said building by a plurality of anchor members. The support structure may form a grid matching the shape of the building wall upon which it is installed; the support structure may preferably be attached to the building wall at a plurality or regularly spaced locations. Preferably the support structure is suspended at a distance between about 5 inches (13 cm) and about 24 inches (31 cm) from said exterior of the building wall.
In
Mechanisms for supporting plant growth on exterior walls of buildings are well known. For example, see the appendix to this application for a catalog for the Jackob® Inox line of mechanisms for supporting plant growth on the exterior of buildings.
Applicant hereby incorporates the appendix herein by reference. In addition, applicant incorporates the following U.S. patents by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 194,102 to Muller; U.S. Pat. No. 1,933,218 to Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,840 to Davidson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,013 to Robins; U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,151 to Simko, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,412 to Grochal; U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,537 to Hively; U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,566 to Grochal; U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,079 to Schwarz. Applicant's system may anchored to the wall by any sufficiently sturdy method, including adhesives, threaded fasteners, and other methods
Applicant's method for controlling the flow of heat into a building comprises: providing an insulating layer of transparent insulation; disposing said transparent insulation upon an exterior wall of a building so as to be exposed to solar radiation; providing an absorbing layer disposed toward the interior of said building from said insulating layer, said absorbing layer being capable of absorbing a portion of said solar radiation and converting said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy; providing an adaptive shading mechanism disposed exterior of said transparent insulation, said adaptive shading mechanism comprising: a support structure secured to said building and adapted to support plant matter at a distance therefrom; plant matter disposed upon said support structure in a position to at least partially shade said exterior of said building from said solar radiation, said plant matter being selected so that said plant matter changes during a certain portion of the calendar year so as to increase the amount of solar radiation reaching said exterior of said building, said portion of the calendar year being a portion in which relatively greater solar heating of said building is desired; disposing said adaptive shading mechanism upon the exterior of said building. Optionally a method according to the invention comprises: providing an absorbing layer capable of absorbing a portion of said solar radiation and converting said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy; disposing said absorbing layer toward the interior of said building from said insulating layer in a position to receive said portion of said solar radiation and convert said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy.
Claims
1. A building wall, comprising:
- an insulating layer of translucent insulation disposed upon an exterior wall of a building so as to be exposed to solar radiation;
- an absorbing layer disposed toward the interior of said building from said insulating layer in a position to receive at least of portion of said solar radiation, said absorbing layer being capable of absorbing a portion of said solar radiation and converting said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy;
- an adaptive shading mechanism disposed exterior of said transparent insulation, said adaptive shading mechanism comprising: a support structure secured to said building and adapted to support plant matter at a distance therefrom; plant matter disposed upon said support structure in a position to at least partially shade said exterior of said building from said solar radiation, said plant matter being selected so that said plant matter changes during a certain portion of the calendar year so as to increase the amount of solar radiation reaching said exterior of said building, said portion of the calendar year being a portion in which relatively greater solar heating of said building is desired.
2. A building wall according to claim 1, wherein said plant matter comprises deciduous vines.
3. A building wall according to claim 1, wherein said absorbing layer comprises a hard material having a dark surface facing said exterior of said building.
4. A building wall according to claim 1, wherein said support structure comprises a frame attached to said building by a plurality of anchor members.
5. A building wall according to claim 1, wherein said support structure is suspended at a distance between about 5 inches (13 cm) and about 24 inches (31 cm) from said exterior of said building.
6. A system for insulating a building wall, comprising:
- an insulating layer of translucent insulation disposed upon an exterior wall of a building so as to be exposed to solar radiation;
- an absorbing layer disposed toward the interior of said building from said insulating layer in a position to receive at least of portion of said solar radiation, said absorbing layer being capable of absorbing a portion of said solar radiation and converting said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy;
- an adaptive shading mechanism disposed exterior of said transparent insulation, said adaptive shading mechanism comprising: a support structure secured to said building and adapted to support plant matter at a distance therefrom; plant matter disposed upon said support structure in a position to at least partially shade said exterior of said building from said solar radiation, said plant matter being selected so that said plant matter changes during a certain portion of the calendar year so as to increase the amount of solar radiation reaching said exterior of said building, said portion of the calendar year being a portion in which relatively greater solar heating of said building is desired.
7. A system for insulating a building wall according to claim 6, wherein said plant matter comprises deciduous vines.
8. A system for insulating a building wall according to claim 6, wherein said absorbing layer comprises a hard material having a dark surface facing said exterior of said building.
9. A system for insulating a building wall according to claim 6, wherein said support structure comprises a frame attached to said building by a plurality of anchor members.
10. A system for insulating a building wall according to claim 6, wherein said support structure is suspended at a distance between about 5 inches (13 cm) and about 24 inches (31 cm) from said exterior of said building.
11. A method for controlling the flow of heat into a building, comprising:
- providing an insulating layer of transparent insulation;
- disposing said transparent insulation upon an exterior wall of a building so as to be exposed to solar radiation;
- providing an absorbing layer disposed toward the interior of said building from said insulating layer, said absorbing layer being capable of absorbing a portion of said solar radiation and converting said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy;
- providing an adaptive shading mechanism disposed exterior of said transparent insulation, said adaptive shading mechanism comprising: a support structure secured to said building and adapted to support plant matter at a distance therefrom; plant matter disposed upon said support structure in a position to at least partially shade said exterior of said building from said solar radiation, said plant matter being selected so that said plant matter changes during a certain portion of the calendar year so as to increase the amount of solar radiation reaching said exterior of said building, said portion of the calendar year being a portion in which relatively greater solar heating of said building is desired; disposing said adaptive shading mechanism upon the exterior of said building.
12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:
- providing an absorbing layer capable of absorbing a portion of said solar radiation and converting said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy;
- disposing said absorbing layer toward the interior of said building from said insulating layer in a position to receive said portion of said solar radiation and convert said portion of said solar radiation to thermal energy.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 18, 2008
Publication Date: Nov 13, 2008
Inventor: Marco SCHMIDT (Berlin)
Application Number: 12/050,867
International Classification: E04B 1/74 (20060101); E04B 1/00 (20060101);