GB2136109A

GB2136109A - Weather protective grating

Info

Publication number: GB2136109A
Application number: GB08405104A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Franc Sodec; Martin Benzel
Original assignee: H Krantz GmbH and Co
Current assignee: H Krantz GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1983-03-07
Filing date: 1984-02-28
Publication date: 1984-09-12
Also published as: GB8405104D0; DE8306447U1; CH662462A5; GB2136109B

Abstract

Each lamella, comprising web 1 with respective edge stops 2 and 3, of a weather protective grating has omega- shaped cross-section grooves 5 and 9 adjacent the edge strips 2 and 3 respectively, their being disposed in said grooves 2 and 3 respective heating leads or strips 6 and 10 for the conduction of electrical current applied to the ends thereof. The grooves 5 and 9 ensure the secure retention of the heating leads 6 and 10 and the almost complete transmission of their heating power to the lamella. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Weather protective grating This invention relates to a weather protective grating comprising lamellae which are Z-shaped in cross-section and which are provided with a heating lead.

With weather protective gratings of outside-air ducts, at outside temperatures below OOC the danger exists of the lamellae which form the weather protective grating icing-up.

In order to counter this risk, it is generally known to heat the lamellae.

In accordance with one known embodiment of weather protective grating, its heating is effected with the air of warm air which is conducted through lamellae which are for this purpose hollow. The conveyance of the air is effected by an auxiliary blower with by-pass regulation and a controllable electric air heater. This type of heating is therefore comparatively expensive and complex.

It has also already been proposed to heat sheet-metal e.g. aluminium, lamellae of the weather protective grating by passing electrical current directly through the lamellae. In practice it has, however, become apparent that this electrical resistance heating of the lamellae is not adequate to thaw ice which has already formed thereon since the flow of current is at the same time effected through the ice, whereby the thawing effect is reduced.

Finally, it has also already been proposed to heat the individual aluminium lamellae of the weather protective grating by means of a heating lead disposed on the underside of the lamella. This embodiment has the disadvantage that it is difficult to fasten the heating lead durably to the underside of the lamella. Apart from the susceptibility of the fastening to trouble, it is therewith not possible to transmit the heating power of the heating lead to a sufficient degree to the lamella. A large proportion of the heating power is, in this respect, lost.

The problem underlying the invention is to provide a weather protective grating of the kind described at the beginning hereof, in which respect the heating lead is not only durably connected to the lamella, but also the connection ensures that the heating power is transmitted almost completely to the lamella.

This problem is solved in that the present invention provides a weather protective grating comprising lamellae which are Z-shaped in crosssection and which are provided with a heating lead, characterised in that each lamella has along its two longitudinal edge regions a respective channel which receives the heating lead.

As a result of providing for the accommodation of the heating lead in a channel which is provided along the two longitudinal edge regions of the lamella, no additional means is needed for fastening the heating lead to the lamella. The accommodation of the heating lead in the channel leads to the fact that the entire heating power given off by the heating lead is transmitted to the lamellae.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the channels preferably consist of grooves which are Omega-shaped in cross-section and the aperture width of each of which is slightly less than the diameter of the elastic heating lead which is circular in cross-section.

As a result of the fashioning of the channels into grooves which are Omega-shaped in crosssection, advantageously the circular elastic heatirig lead can be pressed in a largely formlocking manner into the grooves, whereby the reduced aparture width of the grooves prevents the heating lead, pressed into the grooves, from coming loose from the grooves with the use of force. Furthermore, the largely form-locking encompassing of the heating lead ensures a good transmission of the heating power given off by the heating lead.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the free internal cross-section of one or both grooves may be formed by the lamella and a web co-formed on the lamella or by two webs coformed on the lamella.

For lamellae which are produced in the drawing process, the co-forming of the webs in accordance with the invention is extremely simple, so that the formation of the channels or of the grooves respectively is not bound up with any particularly high production expenditure.

Finally, as a further aspect, the present invention also additionally provides for the fact that the channels may be formed from elbowed longitudinal edge strips of the lamella.

This latter embodiment would seem especially to recommend itself when the lamellae are pressed from comparatively thin-walled material and the longitudinal edge strips can be effortlessly beaded over.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is crosssectional elevation through one of the lamella which form part of a preferred embodiment of the weather protective grating of the present invention.

The illustrated lamella or plate of the preferred weather protective.grating comprises a profile web 1 having edge strips 2 and 3 which are elbowed to the web 1 so that the lamella is Zshaped in cross-section.

Co-formed on the lamella, in the transitional region between the web 1 and the edge strip 2, is a web 4 which is bent in a C-shaped manner and which, together with the edge of the web 1 , forms a groove 5 which is Omega-shaped in crosssection. The free cross-section of the groove 5 corresponds to the circular cross-section of a heating lead or strip 6. The aperture width of the groove 5 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the heating lead 6.

Co-formed on the lamella, in the transitional region between the web 1 and the edge strip 3, are two webs 7 and 8 which likewise form between them a groove 9 which is Omega-shaped in cross-section. A heating lead or strip 10 is pressed into the groove 9 in a form-locking manner, the aperture width of said groove 9 being slightly smaller than the diameter of the heating lead 10.

The heating leads 6 and 10 are conducted in a meander-shaped manner from lamella to lamella of the weather protective grating and are connected at their respective ends to a source of electrical current (not shown).

Claims

1. A weather protective grating comprising lamellae which are Z-shaped in cross-section and which are provided with a heating lead, characterised in that each lamella has along its two longitudinal edge regions a respective channel which receives the heating lead.

2. A weather protective grating as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the channels consist of grooves which are Omega-shaped in crosssection and the aperture width of each of which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the elastic heating lead which is circular in cross-section.

3. A weather protective grating as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the free inside cross-section of one or both grooves is formed by a profile web of the lamella and a web co-formed thereon or by two webs co-formed on the profile web of the lamella.

4. A weather protective grating as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the channels are formed from elbowed longitudinal edge strips of the lamella.

5. A weatherprotective grating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.