THERMAL INSULATION SYSTEM FOR POOL
A thermal insulation structure for liquid enclosures (4) is provided. The thermal insulation structure improves the liquid enclosure's thermal insulation thereby requiring less work by external components to maintain the temperature within the liquid enclosure (4). The thermal insulation structure includes a cover (10) and/or a plug (3). Both the cover (10) and the plug (3) each include a plurality of layers, which contribute to their insulating properties.
This application claims priority to the following Chinese patent application, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety:
The present disclosure relates to a thermal insulation structure for a liquid enclosure, and more particularly, to a thermal insulation structure for a pool or spa including a cover and/or a plug.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSUREWhen a pool or spa is unused, the temperature of the liquid in the pool or spa can change based on the temperature of the ambient environment. For example, in the case of an outdoor pool or spa, the temperature of the liquid may increase during daytime hours due to the presence of heat from the sun and decrease during nighttime hours due to the lack of heat from the sun. Additionally, in pools or spas with heating capabilities, additional energy may be required by the heating system to maintain the temperature of the liquid when the liquid temperature decreases due to heat dissipation.
Current thermal insulation methods involve applying a thermal insulation structure at a side wall of the pool or spa. However, this kind of thermal insulation structure does not mitigate the heat loss via the opening or water cavity of the pool or spa. Improvements in the foregoing are desired.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure provides a thermal insulation structure for liquid enclosures where the thermal insulation structure improves the liquid enclosure's thermal insulation thereby requiring less work by external components to maintain the temperature within the liquid enclosure. The thermal insulation structure includes a cover and a plug. Both the cover and the plug each include a plurality of layers, which contribute to their insulating properties. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an insulation structure configured for use with a liquid enclosure is provided. The insulation structure includes: a cover including an inner coating that faces the liquid enclosure and an outer coating that faces the ambient environment; the inner coating including a thermal insulation layer comprising at least one insulating material; and the outer coating including a reflective layer adjacent to the inner coating. In one particular embodiment, the thermal insulation layer defines an inflatable air chamber. In another particular embodiment, the inflatable air chamber is filled with at least one insulating material. In yet another particular embodiment, the at least one insulating material includes a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece. In another particular embodiment, the reflective layer has a high refractive index to reflect incoming solar radiation. In another embodiment, the reflective layer includes a polymer base layer coated with a metal coating layer.
In another particular embodiment, the polymer base layer is selected from the group consisting of: oriented polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon and cast polypropylene; and the metal coating layer is selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, nickel, and chromium. In yet another particular embodiment, the inner coating further including an external film that coats the thermal insulation layer. In another embodiment, the liquid enclosure includes a side wall coupled to a bottom wall to define a cavity that receives a liquid, the cover being sized to cover the cavity and hang at least partially over the side wall. In another particular embodiment, the outer coating further includes a flexible layer adjacent to the reflective layer, wherein the reflective layer is closer to the liquid enclosure.
According to another particular embodiment of the present disclosure, an insulation structure configured for use with a liquid enclosure having a side wall coupled to a bottom wall to define a cavity that receives a liquid is provided. The insulation structure includes: a first insulation layer; a second insulation layer; a third insulation layer positioned between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer, wherein the third insulation layer is an inflatable air chamber. In one particular embodiment, the first insulation layer includes at least one insulating material including: a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece. In another particular embodiment, the inflatable air chamber of the third insulation layer is filled with at least one insulating material including: a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece. In another particular embodiment, the second insulation layer faces the liquid enclosure and the first insulation layer faces the ambient environment. In another particular embodiment, the plug is configured to float on the liquid in the cavity of the liquid enclosure.
According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, an insulation system configured for use with a liquid enclosure having a sidewall coupled to a bottom panel to define a cavity configured to contain a liquid is provided. The insulation system includes: a cover including an inner coating that faces the liquid enclosure and an outer coating that faces the ambient environment; the inner coating including a thermal insulation layer comprising at least one insulating material; and the outer coating including a reflective layer adjacent to the inner coating; a plug coupled to the liquid enclosure and positioned intermediate the cover and the cavity, the plug further including: a first insulation layer; a second insulation layer; a third insulation layer positioned between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer. In one particular embodiment, the cover is integrally formed with the plug. In another embodiment, the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer of the plug each includes at least one insulating material including a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece; and the third insulation layer of the plug is an inflatable air chamber. In yet another particular embodiment, the third insulation layer of the plug is filled with at least one insulating material including: a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece. In another particular embodiment, the second insulation layer of the plug faces the liquid enclosure and the outer coating of the cover faces the ambient environment.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONFor the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, which are described below. The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise form disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings. It will be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. The invention includes any alterations and further modifications in the illustrative devices and described methods and further applications of the principles of the invention which would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
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A cover 10 is coupled to the liquid enclosure 4 and covers internal cavity 40 of liquid enclosure 4 and liquid 41 contained therein. Cover 10 also hangs over the side walls 42 toward bottom wall 44 of liquid enclosure 4 in
Cover 10 insulates liquid enclosure 4 from external or ambient environmental conditions. As shown in
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While this invention has been described as having exemplary designs, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
Claims
1. An insulation structure configured for use with a liquid enclosure, the insulation structure comprising:
- a cover including an inner coating that faces the liquid enclosure and an outer coating that faces the ambient environment; the inner coating including a thermal insulation layer comprising at least one insulating material; and the outer coating including a reflective layer adjacent to the inner coating.
2. The insulation structure of claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation layer defines an inflatable air chamber.
3. The insulation structure of claim 2, wherein the inflatable air chamber is filled with at least one insulating material.
4. The insulation structure of claim 3, wherein the at least one insulating material includes a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece.
5. The insulation structure of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer has a high refractive index to reflect incoming solar radiation.
6. The insulation structure of claim 5, wherein the reflective layer includes a polymer base layer coated with a metal coating layer.
7. The insulation system of claim 6, wherein:
- the polymer base layer is selected from the group consisting of: oriented polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon and cast polypropylene; and
- the metal coating layer is selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, nickel, and chromium.
8. The insulation system of claim 1, wherein the inner coating further including an external film that coats the thermal insulation layer.
9. The insulation system of claim 1, wherein the liquid enclosure includes a side wall coupled to a bottom wall to define a cavity that receives a liquid, the cover being sized to cover the cavity and hang at least partially over the side wall.
10. The insulation system of claim 1, wherein the outer coating further includes a flexible layer adjacent to the reflective layer, wherein the reflective layer is closer to the liquid enclosure.
11. An insulation structure configured for use with a liquid enclosure having a side wall coupled to a bottom wall to define a cavity that receives a liquid, the insulation structure comprising:
- a plug sized for receipt in the cavity of the liquid enclosure, the plug including: a first insulation layer; a second insulation layer; a third insulation layer positioned between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer, wherein the third insulation layer is an inflatable air chamber.
12. The insulation structure of claim 11, wherein the first insulation layer includes at least one insulating material including: a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece.
13. The insulation structure of claim 11, wherein the inflatable air chamber of the third insulation layer is filled with at least one insulating material including: a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece.
14. The insulation structure of claim 11, wherein the second insulation layer faces the liquid enclosure and the first insulation layer faces the ambient environment.
15. The insulation structure of claim 11, wherein the plug is configured to float on the liquid in the cavity of the liquid enclosure.
16. An insulation system configured for use with a liquid enclosure having a sidewall coupled to a bottom panel to define a cavity configured to contain a liquid, the insulation system comprising:
- a cover including an inner coating that faces the liquid enclosure and an outer coating that faces the ambient environment; the inner coating including a thermal insulation layer comprising at least one insulating material; and the outer coating including a reflective layer adjacent to the inner coating;
- a plug coupled to the liquid enclosure and positioned intermediate the cover and the cavity, the plug further including: a first insulation layer; a second insulation layer; a third insulation layer positioned between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer.
17. The insulation system of claim 16, wherein the cover is integrally formed with the plug.
18. The insulation system of claim 16, wherein:
- the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer of the plug each includes at least one insulating material including a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece; and
- the third insulation layer of the plug is an inflatable air chamber.
19. The insulation system of claim 18, wherein the third insulation layer of the plug is filled with at least one insulating material including: a polymer sponge or foam, mineral wool, cellulose insulation, fiber insulation, or fleece.
20. The insulation system of claim 15, wherein the second insulation layer of the plug faces the liquid enclosure and the outer coating of the cover faces the ambient environment.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 31, 2017
Publication Date: Jun 27, 2019
Inventors: Yaw Yuan Hsu (Fujian), Hua Hsiang Lin (Fujian)
Application Number: 16/329,598