Thermal bank

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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THERMAL BANK chloride into a granular particulate form to increase the BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION interstices or air spaces between individual particles. The heat insulating properties of the polyvinyl chloride

It is a general object of this invention to provide a resides in its granular condition. novel thermal bank, of simple and inexpensive con The dry commercial polyvinyl chloride is therefore struction, which when heated stores heat energy and treated with a suitable commercial stabilizer such as permits controlled dissipation of the heat over a sub ADBASTAB manufactured by Advanced Chemical stantial period of time. The thermal bank includes a Company, or Mark WK-6 or Mark 649-A manufac granular mass of polyvinyl chloride which surrounds a tured by Argus Company. Other commercial stabilizers heating mechanism which generates heat for the mass. 10 which are the chemical equivalent of the previously The mass of granular polyvinyl chloride not only func mentioned stabilizers may also be used. Typically, ap tions as a very good heat sink, which permits slow con proximately eight quarts of the stabilizer is added to a trolled dissipation of heat over a relatively long period 55 gallon drum of polyvinyl chloride in a mixer or of time, but also functions as a high temperature insula blender and the polyvinyl chloride is thoroughly mixed. tor which permits heating of the thermal bank to ap 15 When treated with the stabilizer, the dry flake polyvinyl proximately 300 F. chloride assumes a granular characteristic similar to The thermal bank is provided with a metallic foil Sugar.

cover which prevents radiation heat losses from the The mass of granular polyvinyl chloride is encased in mass, and a plastic outer cover which is fluid impervi an inner foil cover 16 which has a reflective inner sur ous and which prevents air thermals conduction heat 20 face. An outer fluid impervious cover is also provided losses from the mass. The thermal bank is not only es and is preferably made of a suitable fluid impervious pecially adapted for use as a heating pad or for use as flexible material such as polyethylene film or the like. a small heat dispensing appliance but it may also be The inner foil cover 16 has one or more openings 18 used as a primary heat dispensing system for a home or therein which are disposed in registering relation with the like. These and other objects etc. 25 corresponding openings 19 in the outer cover 17. A fabric shield 20 formed of a suitable cloth material

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS covers the entire unit. The openings in the cloth is the FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the thermal bank con path or passage through which heat is dissipated when structed as a heating pad. used as a heating pad. A suitable thermocouple 21 is FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken approximately 30 also provided and is preferably adapted to sense the along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction temperature adjacent the primary heat sink member of the arrows. 13. The thermocouple may be connected to a suitable FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the thermal bank used control unit such as a thermostat to control the level of as the primary heat dispensing means for a building 35 temperature which the heating pad may attain. The such as a house, and electrical resistance heater 11 is provided with a suit FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the thermal bank able conventional bayonet type electric plug 22 which illustrated in FIG. 3. may be readily insertable into a conventional electric outlet socket.

DETALED DESCRIPTION In use, a user will plug the heating pad into a conven Referring now to the drawings and more specifically 40 tional outlet which energizes the electrical resistance to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that one embodiment heating mechanism 11. The heating mechanism will of the novel thermal bank has been constructed as a heat the insulator member 12 and the primary heat sink heating pad which is designated generally by the refer 13 while simultaneously heating the mass of polyvinyl ence numeral 10. The heating pad 10 includes a heat 45 chloride. The thermal bank may be heated to a temper ing mechanism which is comprised of an electrical re ature of 300' F. but care should be taken to assure that sistance heater 1. The electrical resistance heater 11 the temperature does not exceed 300 F., since the is connected by conductors to a suitable source of elec polyvinyl chloride will harden into a relatively solid trical current and when energized heats to a predeter mass at temperatures in excess of 300 F. It will be ap mined temperature. It is pointed out that the heating 50 preciated that if the polyvinyl chloride hardens into a mechanism 11 may be of flexible construction to per solid mass, its high temperature heat insulating charac mit flexing of the thermal bank when it is in the form teristics will be considerably reduced. of a heating pad. A non-metallic electrical insulator After the thermal bank or heating pad has been member 12 is positioned adjacent the electrical resis heated to a predetermined temperature, the heating tance heater 11 and insulates the resistance heater 55 mechanism may be disconnected from its source of en from a primary heat sink member 13 which is formed ergy and heat will be dissipated in a controlled manner of a suitable metallic material such as steel or the like. through the windows in the foil and plastic covers. Op The insulator member 12 has a high specific heat coef erational experience has shown that when the heating ficient and is preferably formed of hard wood so that pad is heated to a temperature of approximately 300 the insulator not only serves as an electrical insulator 60 F., the internal temperature of the device dropped from which insulates the primary heat sink member from the 300 to approximately 72 F. after approximately 7 electrical resistance heater but also functions as a sec hours. It was also found that the external temperature ondary heat sink. being dissipated from the device dropped from approx The heating mechanism, insulator and primary heat imately 200 to approximately 100 F. after approxi sink are surrounded by or encased in a mass 14 of gran 65 mately 2 hours. This high heat retention property of the ular polyvinyl chloride. Commercial polyvinyl chloride thermal bank is primarily attributable to the thermal is generally available in a dry, usually flake condition. characteristics of the polyvinyl chloride when in a gran It is desirable to change the flake condition of polyvinyl ular condition. Not only does the polyvinyl chloride

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have the heat resistance characteristics, but the granu high specific heat coefficients, the ability to retain heat lar polyvinyl chloride also serves as an excellent high in a relatively small volume has been substantially in temperature insulator permitting reasonable high tem creased. It will further be noted that one of the unique peratures to be achieved with primary and secondary features of the present thermal bank is the dual func heat sinks. In this respect, it should be pointed out that 5 tion of the granular polyvinyl chloride which serves not the insulator member 2 is formed of a hard wood and only as an excellent high temperature heat insulator but has a relatively high specific heat coefficient quite simi also has a extraordinary heat retention characteristics. lar to the specific heat coefficient of the primary metal Thus it will be seen that I have provided a novel ther heat sink. mal bank, which is not only of simple and inexpensive The inner foil cover 16 has a reflective inner surface 10 construction, but one which functions in a more effi and serves as a radiation shield since it prevents a loss cient manner than any heretofore known comparable of heat radiated from the interstices of the mass of device.

polyvinyl chloride. The fluid impervious outer cover I claim:

serves as a convection shield since it prevents the circu 1. A thermal bank for controlled dissipation of stored lation of air through the mass of polyvinyl chloride. 5 heat energy, comprising

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that a heating mechanism, a entirely different embodiment of the thermal bank, a primary heat sink member disposed in close proxi designated generally by the reference numeral 30 is mal relation with said heating mechanism to re thereshown. The thermal bank also includes a heating ceive heat therefrom and to store heat therein, mechanism which, as shown, is in the form of a conduit 20 a mass of particulate granular polyvinyl chloride sur or pipe through which is circulated a heated fluid such rounding said heating mechanism and said primary as hot water. The hot water may be heated by a solar heat sink member, the granular mass of polyvinyl heating system 32 and the water heated by solar energy chloride material being comprised of granular par is directed to the heat pump 29 which extracts the heat ticles having interstitial spaces therebetween, said from the water and directs high temperature water into 25 polyvinyl chloride mass serving as a high tempera the heating pipe 31. The pipe or conduit 31 may be ture heat insulator insulating the heating mecha coiled and disposed in contact with a primary heat sink nism and primary heat sink from the exterior, and member 31 a formed of a suitable metal. It is also also serving as a secondary heat sink for storing and pointed out that the heating conduit or pipe may be dissipating heat energy, shaped into a heat sink member which is provided with 30 an inner cover formed of a metallic foil material hav a passage through which the heated water flows, the ing a reflective inner surface covering said polyvi heatsink member having any desirable shape or config nyl chloride mass and restricting radiation heat uration and being formed of a suitable metallic mate losses therefrom, rial. a flexible plastic gas impervious outer cover covering The heating conduit and primary heat sink member 35 said foil cover and forming a fluid seal with respect are surrounded by a granular mass 33 of polyvinyl to said polyvinyl chloride mass to prevent convec chloride in which the invividual particles of polyvinyl tion losses therefrom, chloride have interstices 34 therebetween. The thermal and means intercommunicating the polyvinyl chlor bank is provided with an inner foil cover 35 which cov ide mass with the exterior of said outer corner for ers the mass of polyvinyl chloride and which serves as 40 permitting controlled transmission of heat from a radiation shield. The radiation shield or cover 35 is said polyvinyl chloride mass to the exterior. preferably formed of aluminum having a reflective 2. The thermal bank as defined in claim 1 wherein inner surface and is in turn covered by a fluid impervi said heating mechanism comprises an electrical resis ous outer cover 36 preferably formed of polythylene or tance heating mechanism means.

the like. The polythylene cover serves as a convection 45 3. The thermal bank as defined in claim 1 wherein shield in the manner of the previously described em said means intercommunicating said polyvinyl chloride bodiment. mass with the exterior comprises registered openings in A coiled heat transmission conduit 37 is positioned said inner and outer covers.

4. The thermal bank as defined in claim 2 and an in within the mass of polyvinyl chloride and is connected to any heat dispensing means such as radiators 38, so 50 sulator member interposed between said heating mech that the water heated by the polyvinyl chloride mass anism and said primary heat sink member, said insula will be circulated between the radiators and the ther tor member being formed of a non-metallic material mal bank. having a high specific heat coefficient and serving as a With this arrangement, the thermal bank is heated by secondary heat sink.

heat from a solar heating system and the heat is very ef 55 5. The thermal bank as defined in claim 1 wherein fectively stored for use as desired. It will be appreciated said heating mechanism comprises a conduit connected that the quantum of heat will be dependant upon the in communicating relation to a source of heated fluid size of the polyvinyl chloride mass. It will be appreci whereby the heated fluid provides heat for heating the ated while the thermal bank has been illustrated for use primary heat sink member and the polyvinyl chloride as a heating pad and also as use as a heat storage means 60 mass, said intercommunicating transmission means for heating a building, the thermal bank will obviously comprising a second fluid circulating conduit extending have other applications. through said inner and outer covers into said polyvinyl From the foregoing description, it will be noted that chloride mass. ck sk xic sk ck the heat bank by using only material with relatively

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION

Patent No. 3,780,262 Dated December l8, 1973 Inventor(s) Robert L. Rudd

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: Column 4, line 44, the word "mechanism" should be deleted.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April 971.

(SEAL)

Attest :

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. C. MARSHALL DANN .. .. Atte Sting Officer Commissioner of Patents ForM PO-1050 (10-69) UScoMMad C 60376 pe.9

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION

Patent No. 3,780,262 Dated December l8, 1973 Inventor(s). Robert L. Rudd

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: Column 4, line 44, the word "mechanism" should be deleted. - Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April 1971.

(SEAL)

At test :

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. C. MARSHALL, DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents ForM Po-1050 (10-69) ; USCOMMad c. 60376ape.9 * U.S. Gover NMENT. PRINTing office : 1969 o-366-334