HEAT INSULATING PANEL AND HEAT INSULATING STRUCTURE

Info

Publication number: 20100281806
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 27, 2008
Publication Date: Nov 11, 2010
Inventors: Sayaka Takei (Tokyo), Yoji Nunoi (Tokyo)
Application Number: 12/743,235

Abstract

A heat insulation panel includes a plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation material embedded in a board-shaped resin foam. When the heat insulation panel is brought into abutment with another heat insulation panel of same dimensions and structure at proximal edges thereof, the vacuum heat-insulation materials in the respective heat insulation panels are in a relationship that the vacuum heat-insulation materials overlap with each other at their proximal end portions as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels. The heat insulation panel is economical and is excellent in heat insulating properties, handling, installation and the like. A heat insulation structure making use of a plurality of such heat insulation panels is also provided.

Description

Description

This application is a U.S. national phase filing under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2008/071498, filed Nov. 27, 2008, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-306419 filed on Nov. 27, 2007, the entire disclosures of which being incorporated herein, and to which all priority rights are hereby claimed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a heat insulation panel and a heat insulation structure, and specifically to a heat insulation panel, which is economical and is excellent in heat insulating properties, handling, installation and the like, and also to a heat insulation structure making use of a plurality of such heat insulation panels.

BACKGROUND ART

Diversified heat insulation materials have been used to date in various walls, ceilings, floors and roofs of a wide range of buildings to heighten air-conditioning effects. As these heat insulation materials, resin foams such as polyethylene foams and polyurethane foams are widely used from the standpoints of moldability and cost. A variety of heat insulation materials are also used in various cool boxes, insulated trucks or vans, refrigerators, vehicles and the like to improve thermal insulation effects or air-conditioning effects. As it is essential for these heat insulation materials to have a small thickness, so-called vacuum heat-insulation materials are used. To further improve heat insulating effects, composite heat insulation materials with vacuum heat-insulation materials encapsulated therein are also used (Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-278632 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the heat insulation panel disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of a resin foam 1 and a vacuum heat-insulation material 2 embedded therein. When many of such heat insulation panels are installed in abutment with each other for heat insulation purposes, heat insulating properties are not considered to be sufficient in that the vacuum heat-insulation material 2 does not exist at a part indicated by arrows in FIG. 6 and thermal radiation cannot be satisfactorily shielded there, although a synergism of the effects of the vacuum heat-insulation materials 2 and the effects of the resin foams 1 can be expected.

It may also be contemplated to lap-joint vacuum heat-insulation materials together. It is, however, not easy to manufacture lap-joint vacuum heat-insulation materials. A panel may be assembled by jointing vacuum heat-insulation materials together. However, such a panel may itself be unable to retain sufficient rigidity unless adhesion is sufficient at the joints.

Aspects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide a heat insulation panel, which is economical and is excellent in heat insulating properties, handling, installation and the like, and also a heat insulation structure making use of a plurality of such heat insulation panels.

Means for Solving the Problem

The above-described aspects can be achieved by the present invention to be described hereinafter. Described specifically, the present invention provides a heat insulation panel with a plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation material embedded in a board-shaped resin foam, wherein, when the heat insulation panel is brought into abutment with another heat insulation panel of same dimensions and structure at proximal edges thereof, the vacuum heat-insulation materials in the respective heat insulation panels are in a relationship that the vacuum heat-insulation materials overlap with each other at proximal end portions thereof as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels.

In the present invention, it is preferred that an overlap width of the vacuum heat-insulation materials themselves, which are in the mutually-overlapping relationship, is from 5 to 80 mm as viewed in a width direction of the heat insulation panels; that the board-shaped resin foam is composed of two rectangular resin foams of same dimensions overlapping one over the other and changed in position relative to each other in a length direction and/or width direction thereof, and the two rectangular resin foams are provided with plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation materials encapsulated therein, respectively; or that the board-shaped resin foam is composed of two rectangular resin foams of different lengths and/or widths overlapping one over the other with centerlines thereof coincided with each other, and larger one of the two rectangular resin foams is provided with the plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation material encapsulated therein.

The present invention also provides a heat insulation structure comprising a plurality of heat insulation panels according to the present invention, wherein the heat insulation panels are arranged in abutment with each other at proximal edges thereof such that plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation materials thereof overlap with each other at proximal end portions thereof as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat insulation panel, which is economical and is excellent in heat insulating properties, handling, installation and the like, and also a heat insulation structure making use of a plurality of such heat insulation panels.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Based on preferred embodiments shown in drawings, the present invention will next be described in further detail.

As shown in FIG. 1, a heat insulation panel 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a board-shaped resin foam A, which is composed of two rectangular resin foams 1,1 of same dimensions overlapping one over the other and changed in position relative to each other in a width direction (or a length direction) thereof, and the two rectangular resin foams are provided with vacuum heat-insulation materials 2,2 encapsulated therein, respectively. The resin foams 1,1 and the vacuum heat-insulation materials 2,2 are in a relationship that, when two of such heat insulation panels (one of which is indicated by dotted lines) are brought into abutment with each other at proximal edges thereof, the lower vacuum heat-insulation material 2 in one of the heat insulation panels and an upper vacuum heat-insulation material 2′ in the adjacent heat-insulation panel (which is indicated by the dotted lines) overlap one over the other at proximal end portions α,α′ thereof as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels.

In the heat insulation panel 10 shown in FIG. 1, the panel-shaped resin foam A is composed of the two rectangular resin foams 1,1 of the same dimensions overlapping one over the other and changed in position relative to each other in the width direction thereof. As an alternative, the two resin foams 1,1 may be changed in position relative to each other in the length direction thereof (not illustrated). As depicted in FIG. 2, a panel-shaped resin foam A may also be composed of two rectangular resin foams 1,1 of same dimensions overlapping one over the other and changed in position relative to each other in a width direction and length direction thereof. There are depicted a side view of the heat insulation panel according to this modification in FIG. 2a, its top plan view in FIG. 2b, its cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 2a in FIG. 2c, and its cross-sectional view taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 2b in FIG. 2d. The remaining construction of the heat insulation panel according to this modification is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a heat insulation panel 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a panel-shaped resin foam A, which is composed of two rectangular resin foams 1,1 of different widths overlapping one over the other with centerlines thereof coincided with each other, and larger one of the two rectangular resin foams 1,1 is provided with a vacuum heat-insulation material 2 encapsulated therein. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the resin foams 1,1 and the vacuum heat-insulation material 2 are in a relationship that, when two of such heat insulation panels 1,1 (one of which is indicated by dotted lines) are brought into abutment with each other at proximal edges thereof, the vacuum heat-insulation materials 2,2 in the respective heat insulation panels overlap one over the other at proximal end portions α,α′ thereof as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels.

In the heat insulation panel 10 illustrated in FIG. 3, the panel-shaped resin foam A is composed of the two rectangular resin foams 1,1 of different widths overlapping one over the other with the centerlines thereof coincided with each other. As shown in FIG. 4, however, the resin foam 1 located on the lower side as viewed in the drawing may be smaller in both width and length than the resin foam located on the upper side. There are shown a side view of the heat insulation panel 10 according to this modification in FIG. 4a, its top plan view in FIG. 4b, its cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 4a in FIG. 4c, and its cross-sectional view taken along line B-B′ of FIG. 4b in FIG. 4d. The remaining construction of the heat insulation panel according to this modification is the same as that of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3.

When a plurality of such heat insulation panels 10 according to the present invention are installed in abutment with each other on a wall surface or the like for heat insulation purposes as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3, the vacuum heat-insulation materials in the adjacent heat insulation panels overlap one over the other at proximal end portions thereof as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels. Therefore, the heat insulation panels can reflect thermal radiation from everywhere the interior or exterior of a room or the like, and are provided with pronouncedly-improved heat insulating properties.

The above-described resin foams may each be a foam of any resin, with a polyurethane-based foam being preferred from the standpoint of moldability. A polyurethane foam can be obtained in a desired shape by mixing a polyol component, a polyisocyanate component and a foaming agent, pouring the mixture into a mold cavity of the desired shape, and then subjecting the mixture to expansion molding. From the standpoint of a balance between heat insulating properties and strength, the expansion ratio of the foam may preferably be from 5 to 50 times or so.

Each vacuum heat-insulation material for use in the present invention is a heat insulation material that a core material formed of laminated glass fibers is encapsulated in a barrier envelope and the barrier envelope is depressurized. Such a vacuum heat-insulation material itself is known, and any known vacuum heat-insulation material can be used in the present invention. A preferred vacuum heat insulation material may include, as an envelope, at least one metallized layer as in an aluminum-metallized polyethylene film. The inclusion of such a metallized layer can provide improved heat insulating properties (heat shielding properties) especially in summer. The vacuum heat-insulation material may generally be from 3 to 20 mm or so in thickness and from 190 to 1,300 mm×190 to 1,300 mm or so in size.

No particular limitation is imposed on a process for the formation of the above-described heat insulation panels according to the present invention, each of which is composed of the resin foams and the vacuum heat-insulation material or materials. As a preferred example, however, the following process can be mentioned. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a heat insulation panel member 20 of a construction depicted in FIG. 5 (which corresponds to an upper half above a thick dashed line in FIG. 1) is molded by pouring a polyurethane formulation into a mold cavity of a predetermined shape with a vacuum heat-insulation material 2 held at a predetermined position in the mold cavity, and then subjecting the polyurethane formulation to expansion molding. Two of such heat insulation panels molded as described above are then integrated together with their positions shifted relative to each other in a width direction (and/or a length direction) to obtain the heat insulation panel 10 shown in FIG. 1.

On the other hand, the heat insulation panel 10 illustrated in FIG. 3 can be obtained by molding an unillustrated resin foam (which corresponds to a lower half below a thick dashed line in FIG. 3), which is similar to the heat insulation panel member 20 depicted in FIG. 5 but does not include the encapsulated vacuum heat-insulation material 2 and is smaller in width (and/or length) than the heat insulation panel member 20, and integrating the resin foam with the heat insulation panel member 20 with their centerlines coincided with each other.

A description will next be made about the sizes of the heat insulation panels 10 according to the present invention. In the heat insulation panel 10 shown in FIG. 1, its length (L) may be from 200 to 2,000 mm or so, with from 900 to 1,800 mm being more preferred. A length (L) smaller than 200 mm results in inferior thermal performance, while a length (L) greater than 2,000 mm leads to deteriorations in shipping ease and installation. Lengths (L) outside the above-described range are therefore not preferred. For the same reasons as mentioned above with respect to the length (L), its width (W) may be preferably from 200 mm or greater, more preferably from 400 to 1,500 mm or so.

Its thickness (H) may be from 30 to 100 mm or so, and its indentation (a) may be from 10 to 110 mm or so, with from 40 to 90 mm being preferred. The width (b) of the upper or lower half in the whole heat insulation panel may be from 350 to 1,450 mm or so, and the thickness (c) of the upper or lower half may be from 15 to 50 mm or so. Each vacuum heat-insulation material 2 has a length similar to the above-described length (L) of the foam, and its thickness and size are similar to those described above. The distance (d) between an end edge of each vacuum heat-insulation material 2 and a proximal end edge of its corresponding resin foam 1 may be from 3 to 20 mm or so.

In the heat insulation panel illustrated in FIG. 3, on the other hand, the dimensions of the upper half above the thick dashed line in the figure may be similar to those of the above-described heat insulation panel member 20, the thickness of the lower half below the thick dashed line may be similar to the above-described thickness (c), and the indentation (a) may be similar to the above-described indentation (a).

The overlap widths α′,α of the upper and lower, vacuum heat-insulation materials 2 may each be 5 mm or greater, preferably from 30 to 80 mm. An overlap width smaller than 5 mm leads not only to difficulty in holding panels in abutment with each other but also to inferior thermal performance. An overlap width greater than 80 mm, on the other hand, results in a reduction in the strength of the edge portion of each panel. The inter-layer spacing (e) between the vacuum heat-insulation materials may preferably be 6 mm or greater for excellent heat insulating properties, with from 20 to 50 mm being more preferred.

Such heat insulation panels according to the present invention as described above are useful as heat insulation materials for various walls, ceilings, floors and roofs in a wide range of buildings and also as heat insulation materials for various cool boxes, insulated trucks or vans, refrigerators, vehicles and the like, and have excellent heat insulating properties and installation convenience.

EXAMPLES

Based on examples and comparative examples, the present invention will next be described specifically.

Examples 1-6

Heat insulation panels, each of which had the construction of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and included two vacuum heat-insulation materials encapsulated in board-shaped resin foams, respectively, were formed as Examples 1-6 with the overlap width α of each vacuum heat-insulation material varied to 2.5 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm and 90 mm, respectively. Detailed conditions and measurement results of thermal performance (heat transmission coefficient) are presented in Table 1-1.

Examples 7-12

Heat insulation panels, each of which had the construction of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and included one vacuum heat-insulation material encapsulated in a board-shaped resin foam, were formed as Examples 7-12 with the overlap width α of the vacuum heat-insulation material varied to 2.5 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 30 mm, 50 mm and 90 mm, respectively. Detailed conditions and measurement results of thermal performance (heat transmission coefficient) are presented in Table 1-2.

Comparative Examples 1 & 2

As examples of abutment of heat insulation panels, which are similar to that shown in FIG. 5, without overlapping of vacuum heat-insulation materials, a board-shaped foam with two vacuum heat-insulation materials encapsulated therein was provided as Comparative Example 1, and a board-shaped foam with one vacuum heat-insulation material encapsulated therein was provided as Comparative Example 2. Detailed conditions and measurement results of thermal performance (heat transmission coefficient) are presented in Table 1-3.

Measurement Method

In each of the above-described examples and comparative examples, two of the heat insulation panels were brought into abutment with each other, the temperature was controlled at a high temperature (20° C.) on one side and at a low temperature (0° C.) on the other side. The heat flow rate was evaluated by heat flowmeters on the low-temperature surfaces of an abutting portion (50×50 mm) and a central portion (50×50 mm) of one of the heat insulation panels to determine the heat transmission coefficients. The evaluation results are presented in Tables 1-1 to 1-3.

TABLE 1-1 Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Ex. 6 Panel width W (mm) 450 450 450 450 450 450 Panel thickness H (mm) 32 32 32 32 32 32 Thickness of urethane surface layer (skin 5 5 5 5 5 5 layer) (mm) Urethane thickness d at opposite edge 5 5 5 5 5 5 portions (mm) Number of vacuum heat-insulation materials 2 2 2 2 2 2 Thickness of vacuum heat-insulation 7 7 7 7 7 7 materials (mm) Inter-layer spacing e of vacuum 8 8 8 8 8 8 heat-insulation materials (mm) Overlap width a of panels (mm) 12.5 15 20 40 60 100 Overlap width α of vacuum heat-insulation 2.5 5 10 30 50 90 materials (mm) Heat transmission coefficient at panel edge 0.72 0.48 0.48 0.31 0.26 0.25 portion (W/m²K) Heat transmission coefficient at panel 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 central portion (W/m²K)

TABLE 1-2 Ex. 7 Ex. 8 Ex. 9 Ex. 10 Ex. 11 Ex. 12 Panel width W (mm) 450 450 450 450 450 450 Panel thickness H (mm) 32 32 32 32 32 32 Thickness of urethane surface layer (skin 5 5 5 5 5 5 layer) (mm) Urethane thickness d at opposite edge 5 5 5 5 5 5 portions (mm) Number of vacuum heat-insulation materials 1 1 1 1 1 1 Thickness of vacuum heat-insulation 7 7 7 7 7 7 materials (mm) Inter-layer spacing e of vacuum 8* 8* 8* 8* 8* 8* heat-insulation materials (mm) Overlap width a of panels (mm) 12.5 15 20 40 60 100 Overlap width α of vacuum heat-insulation 2.5 5 10 30 50 90 materials (mm) Heat transmission coefficient at panel edge 0.72 0.48 0.48 0.31 0.26 0.25 portion (W/m²K) Heat transmission coefficient at panel 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.21 central portion (W/m²K) *Inter-layer spacing of vacuum heat-insulation materials encapsulated in two heat insulation panels, respectively.

TABLE 1-3 Comp. Comp. Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Panel width W (mm) 450 450 Panel thickness H (mm) 32 32 Thickness of urethane surface layer (skin 5 5 layer) (mm) Urethane thickness d at opposite edge 5 5 portions (mm) Number of vacuum heat-insulation materials 2 1 Thickness of vacuum heat-insulation 7 7 materials (mm) Inter-layer spacing e of vacuum 8 0 heat-insulation materials (mm) Overlap width a of panels (mm) 0 0 Overlap width α of vacuum heat-insulation 0 0 materials (mm) Heat transmission coefficient at panel edge 4.17 4.17 portion (W/m²K) Heat transmission coefficient at panel 0.13 0.21 central portion (W/m²K)

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to provide a heat insulation panel, which is economical and is excellent in heat insulating properties, handling, installation and the like, and also a heat insulation structure making use of a plurality of such heat insulation panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a heat insulation panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a modification of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating another heat insulation panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a modification of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a conventional heat insulation panel.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating conventional heat insulation panels.

LEGEND

A(1,1′) Resin foam
2,2′ Vacuum heat-insulation material
10 Heat insulation panel
20 Heat insulation panel member

Claims

1. A heat insulation panel with a plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation material embedded in a board-shaped resin foam, wherein, when the heat insulation panel is brought into abutment with another heat insulation panel of same dimensions and structure at proximal edges thereof, the vacuum heat-insulation materials in the respective heat insulation panels are in a relationship that the vacuum heat-insulation materials overlap with each other at proximal end portions thereof as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels.

2. The heat insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein an overlap width of the vacuum heat-insulation materials themselves, which are in the mutually-overlapping relationship, is from 5 to 80 mm as viewed in a width direction of the heat insulation panels.

3. The heat insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the board-shaped resin foam is composed of two rectangular resin foams of same dimensions overlapping one over the other and changed in position relative to each other in a length direction and/or width direction thereof, and the two rectangular resin foams are provided with plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation materials encapsulated therein, respectively.

4. The heat insulation panel according to claim 1, wherein the board-shaped resin foam is composed of two rectangular resin foams of different lengths and/or widths overlapping one over the other with centerlines thereof coincided with each other, and larger one of the two rectangular resin foams is provided with the plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation material encapsulated therein.

5. A heat insulation structure comprising a plurality of heat insulation panels as defined in claim 1, wherein the heat insulation panels are arranged in abutment with each other at proximal edges thereof such that plate-shaped vacuum heat-insulation materials thereof overlap with each other at proximal end portions thereof as viewed in a thickness direction of the heat insulation panels.