Method and apparatus for positioning heating elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777931-B2
Application number	US-201615260848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An underlayment system is provided that includes a plurality of protrusions that extend from a common base member. The protrusions and base member can include an opening therethrough that allows for subsequent layers of material, such as adhesive, to interact and bond to each other. The protrusions are arranged in such a way to contain a wire, string, or heating element, within a receiving area. The arrangement of the protrusions allow for routing of the wire, string, or heating element in a variety of angles, bends, and other routing layouts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An underlayment adapted to receive and secure at least one heating element of a radiant heating assembly, comprising:
a base material defining an area and having a first side and a second side disposed opposite the first side;
a plurality of routing hubs disposed on said first side of said base material, each routing hub comprising a top surface, at least one exterior wall, and a series of equally spaced interior walls, each of the series of equally spaced interior walls defining a portion of an interior cavity of the routing hub and comprising a cutout portion that extends from a surface of the interior wall away from the interior cavity and toward the base material, wherein at least a portion of the exterior wall is curved around a vertical axis; and
a heating element receiving cavity formed between the at least one exterior wall of adjacent ones of said plurality of routing hubs,
wherein a horizontal distance between the at least one exterior wall of adjacent ones of said plurality of routing hubs is equal to or less than a height of the top surface of one of the adjacent ones of said plurality of routing hubs above the first side of the base material.

2. The underlayment of claim 1 , wherein each routing hub comprises a plurality of protrusions.

3. The underlayment of claim 1 , wherein said cutout portion is adapted to receive at least one of adhesive, epoxy, grout, cement, glue, and plastic.

4. The underlayment of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of routing hubs is formed from the base material.

5. The underlayment of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of routing hubs is arranged in a matrix configuration.

6. The underlayment of claim 1 , wherein said heating element receiving cavity further comprises a receiving surface adapted to retain a heating element.

7. The underlayment of claim 6 , wherein the base material forms a substantially continuous bottom surface of the heating element receiving cavity.

8. The underlayment of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pad layer, wherein a first side of said pad layer is attached to the second side of said base material and a second side of said pad layer, opposite the first side of the pad layer, comprises adhesive for affixing the underlayment to a surface.

9. The underlayment of claim 8 , wherein the pad layer is attached to the second side by at least one of adhesive, thermal bonding, welding, and mechanical attachment.

10. The underlayment of claim 8 , further comprising a heating element positioned within the heating element receiving cavity.

11. A heating element routing device, comprising:
a base material defining an area and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
a pad layer attached to the second side;
a plurality of protrusions extending from the first side, each protrusion having an upper surface connecting a curved outer wall to a curved inner wall, a cutout extending from a surface of the curved inner wall at least partially into the protrusion, the curved outer wall of each protrusion curved around a vertical axis and positioned at a first distance from and facing the curved outer wall of another protrusion to form a receiving cavity therebetween, the receiving cavity having a first width at a first height above the first side, and a second width at a second height above the first side, the second height being greater than the first height and the first width being greater than the second width,
wherein the first distance is less than or equal to a height of the upper surface above the first side of the base material.

12. The heating element routing device of claim 11 , further comprising a heating element positioned in the receiving cavity.

13. The heating element routing device of claim 11 , wherein the pad layer comprises an anti-fracture membrane.

14. The heating element routing device of claim 11 , wherein the pad layer is attached to the second side by at least one of adhesive, thermal bonding, welding, or mechanical attachment.

15. The heating element routing device of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of pad layers, each formed separately from the base material.

16. The heating element routing device of claim 11 , wherein the upper surface of each protrusion is the same height above the first side of the base material.

17. A flooring underlayment comprising:
a base material defining an area and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
a pad layer attached to the second side;
a plurality of routing hubs arranged in a matrix on the first side, each routing hub having an upper surface connecting a curved outer wall to a curved inner wall, the curved outer wall curved around a vertical axis, a cutout extending toward the base material from a surface of the curved inner wall, the curved outer walls of adjacent routing hubs forming a receiving cavity therebetween having an open top, a closed bottom, and a minimum width that is less than a height of the upper surface above the first side of the base material, the receiving cavity further having a first width at a height between the open top and the closed bottom that is greater than a second width at the open top.

18. The flooring underlayment of claim 17 , further comprising a heating element positioned in the receiving cavity.

19. The flooring underlayment of claim 17 , wherein the pad layer comprises an anti-fracture membrane.

20. The flooring underlayment of claim 17 , wherein the pad layer is attached to the second side by at least one of adhesive, thermal bonding, welding, or mechanical attachment.

Assignees

• Progress Profiles Spa

Inventors

• Larson David D

Classifications

• E04B5/48

  Special adaptations of floors for incorporating ducts, e.g. for heating or ventilating (in block-shaped elements E04C1/39; in slab- or sheet-shaped elements E04C2/52) · CPC title

• E04F15/02

  Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements (of webs E04F15/16) · CPC title

• E04F15/182

  Underlayers coated with adhesive or mortar to receive the flooring · CPC title

• E04F15/185

  Underlayers in the form of studded or ribbed plates · CPC title

• E04F2290/023

  for heating · CPC title