IL316565B1 - Underfloor heating system, tiles and connectors for it - Google Patents

Description

Underfloor heating system, tiles and connectors therefor TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD The present disclosure concerns floor heating systems, more particularly a modular underfloor heating system, tiles and connector elements therefor.

BACKGROUND ARTReferences considered to be relevant as background to the presently disclosed subject matter are listed below: - European patent application publication no. 38056- Japanese utility model application publication no. 30505- Korean patent application publication no. 1021026- Korean patent application publication no. 202101322- United States patent application publication no. 201000655 Acknowledgement of the above references herein is not to be inferred as meaning that these are in any way relevant to the patentability of the presently disclosed subject matter.

BACKGROUNDUnderfloor heating systems typically belong to one of two distinct categories: "wet" underfloor heating based on water pipes, or "dry" underfloor heating based on electric elements. In both cases, the grid is embedded into flooring layer(s) beneath a top layer of the flooring. A "wet" underfloor heating system utilizes a grid of water pipes, installed between an insulating layer and the flooring layer (e.g. under wood boards, tiles, cast concrete, vinyl cover, laminated flooring, etc.). The water is heated by a heating pump, and then made to flow through the pipes when heating is required, thereby heating the floor. Such systems are often expensive and complex to install and are prone to risks of water leakage. Further, as such systems require complicated infrastructure, such systems are often not suitable for retrofitting, and are typically installed during building of a new home or during extensive renovations. A "dry" underfloor heating system involves electrical heating. In such systems, a base structural mesh is laid over an insulating layer, and a continuous grid of electrical heating elements, electrically connected in series, is placed over the base structural mesh and fixed thereto. The flooring is then laid, and heating can be obtained by turning on the electrical system. While installing an electrical heating system is cheaper than a water-based heating system, improper installation, movements of the flooring, or any other type of malfunction can cause electrical shortage in the serail electrical grid, thus disabling the entire system.

GENERAL DESCRIPTIONThe present disclosure concerns a modular electrical underfloor heating system, that is based on integral tiles that integrally contain an electrical heating element and a thermally insulating layer, electrically and mechanically connected to one another by dedicated connector elements. The system of this disclosure permits easy instalment of the heating system, as well as ensures electrical continuity even in case of one or more electrical failures in the system, as will be described herein. Further provided by this disclosure is a tile for such a modular electrical underfloor heating system, the tile being predominantly made of recycled materials, more particularly recycled vulcanized rubber and thermoplastic polymers, that is foamed to provide high thermal insulation. The electrical heating element is an integral part of the tile, such that deployment of the electrical floor heating system does not require separate stages of first laying insulating materials and then laying an electrical grid. In addition, this disclosure provides an integral connector element for connecting the tiles to one another, that permits simultaneous mechanical and electrical coupling of one tile to another, thereby ensuring electrical continuity and mechanical integrity of the electrical floor heating system. The connector is designed for easy installation, such that deployment of the system is easy and relatively fast, as compared to the standard methods currently used for underfloor heating. In the system of this disclosure, each tile has multiple connection points to adjacent tiles. Hence, even in case one or two of the electrical connections in the tile fail, the tile can still function as part of the electrical grid through its remaining connection points. Thus, the systems of this disclosure not only provides improved installation, but also provide substantially fail-safe operation. According to one of its aspects, the present disclosure provides an electrical underfloor heating system, the system comprises: a plurality of tiles, each tile comprising a thermally insulative base layer, a plurality of electric cables embedded in said thermally insulative base layer, one or more electrical heating elements embedded in said thermally insulative base layer and electrically connected to at least one terminus of at least one of the electric cables, and a thermally conductive top layer, a plurality of recesses defined in said thermally insulative layer and a plurality of socket units defined in said recesses, each socket unit being configured for receiving at least a portion of a connector element, an electrical pathway defined by said electrical cables between a first of said socket units and a last of said socket units, the last socket unit being connected to said electrical heating elements, intermediate socket units being defined between said first and last socket units along the electrical pathway; and a plurality of connector elements, each connector element being configured to be received within a pair of recesses of adjacent tiles and to engage terminal ends of electrical cables of adjacent tiles. In other words, the system comprises a plurality of tiles and a plurality of connector elements, each connector element is configured to mechanically and electrically connect two adjacent tiles. Heating elements and electric cables are an integral part of each tile, such that once the tiles are placed in location and the connector elements inserted into the recesses formed in the tiles, a continuous electrical grid is formed between the tiles, permitting operating each of the electrical heating elements. Further, the base layer of each tile is thermally insulative, such that no insulation needs to be laid on the floor prior to installation of the system. According to some embodiments, the thermally insulative base layer is made of a foamed polymeric material, typically a closed-cell foamed polymeric material. The term closed cell refers to a foam structure, in which the polymeric material forms a three- dimensional scaffold, in which closed voids (i.e. cells) are formed. This closed cell structure provides the base layer with its thermal insulation properties. According to some embodiments, the base layer has a density of between about 0.5 g/cm to about 0.9 g/cm. By some embodiments, the foamed polymeric material comprises an extruded blend of vulcanized rubber and at least one thermoplastic polymer. Vulcanized rubber is a sulfur cross-linked polymer, typically (albeit not exclusively) polyisoprene or styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). Vulcanized rubber is often used to form industrial objects of manufacture, such as tires, shock absorbers, conveyor belts, vibration dampers, etc. By some embodiments, wherein said vulcanized rubber is from reclaimed rubber tires. According to some embodiments, the extruded blend comprises between about and about 50 wt% of said vulcanized rubber. Thermoplastic polymers are polymers that are pliable or moldable at elevated temperature, typically polymers that have a melting point, and can solidify by cooling. When blended and extruded with the vulcanized rubber, due to its pliability, the thermoplastic polymer form a substantially continuous matrix in which the rubber particles are held, to form a homogenous extruded blend of polymers. Non-limiting examples of such thermoplastic polymers include polyolefins, polar thermoplastics, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), styrene copolymers, polyacrylonitrile, polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, vinyl acetate polymers, vinyl alcohol polymers, cellulose plastics, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyester-based thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyesters, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, compatibilized thermoplastic blends, polyacetal, polyethers, polyarylates, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyimides, polybenzimidazoles, aromatic polyhydrazides and polyoxadiazoles, polyphenyl-quinoxalines, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene vinylene, conducting thermoplastics, conducting thermoplastics composites, poly(aryl ether sulfone)s, poly(aryl ether ketone)s, poly(aryl ether ketones-co-sulfones), poly(aryl ether ketone amide)s, polytetrafluoroethylene, and copolymers and mixtures thereof. By some embodiments, the thermoplastic polymer is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, and copolymers and mixtures thereof.

According to some embodiments, the thermoplastic polymer is selected to have high melt flow index (MFI), e.g. MFI value of at least about 20 g/10min. Unless specifically noted otherwise, the MFI values provided in this disclosure were measured according to ASTM D1238. By some embodiments, the thermoplastic polymer is one or more polyolefins. The term polyolefin means to denote a polymer that is structured out of alkyl groups (i.e. alkane monomers), having the general formula (CH2CHR)n. In some embodiments, the polyolefin is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, and copolymers and mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the extruded blend comprises between about 50 wt% and about 70 wt% of thermoplastic polymers. By some embodiments, the at least one thermoplastic polymer is one or more reclaimed polyolefins. By some embodiments, the extruded blend comprises one or more functional additives, e.g. inorganic particulate fillers (such as silica, glass microspheres, talc, calcium carbonate, etc.), organic fillers (such as cellulose, natural organic fibers, synthetic organic fibers, etc.), flame retardants, colorants, stabilizers, antioxidants, radical scavengers, etc. In order to provide sufficient thermal conductivity, the tile comprises a thermally conductive top layer. In some embodiments, the thermally conductive top layer is made of metal, such as steel or aluminum. According to other embodiments, the thermally conductive top layer is made of a composite material of metal particles or fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, e.g. about 10-25 %vol of metal particles of fibers. According to yet another embodiment, the thermally conductive top layer comprises a metallic mesh (e.g. steel mesh, aluminum mesh, etc.) embedded in a polymer matrix. As noted, an electrical pathway is defined in the tile by the electric cables, extending between a first socket unit and a last socket unit. Each of the first and last socket units in the pathway are configured to hold termini of the electric cables. The last socket is connected to the one or more electrical heating elements that are embedded in the thermally insulative base layer. Once a continuous electrical grid is formed by inserting the connector elements into their respective recesses, as will now be described, power can be transferred from a power source to the electric heating elements via the electric cables along the electric pathway.

For this purpose, each tile comprises a plurality of recesses that are defined in the thermally insulative layer and a plurality of socket units defined in said recesses – namely each recess contains a socket unit. Each socket unit is configured for receiving at least a portion of a connector element, such that inserting the connector element to the recesses of a pair of adjacent tiles, forms electrical continuity between the cables of the two adjacent tiles via the connector element. As noted, the electrical pathway is defined by the electrical cables between a first of said socket units and a last of said socket units, the last socket unit being connected to said electrical heating element(s). Further, intermediate socket units are defined between said first and last socket units along the electrical pathway, and define additional electrical connection points to connect adjacent tiles to the electrical pathway. According to some embodiments, the electric cables comprise a live wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire. Each of the first, last and intermediate socket units comprises a first socket holding a connection point to the live wire, a second socket holding a connection point to the neutral wire, and a third socket holding a connection point to the ground wire. By some embodiments, each of said first socket unit and said last socket unit configured to receive a set of terminal ends of said electric cables – namely each of the first and last socket units includes a set of termini of the live wire, the neutral wire and the ground wire. The intermediate socket unit(s) is(are) configured to form additional connection points to the electrical pathway along the electric cables. When the connector element is inserted into the socket unit, connection is established between the live wire and the first socket, the neutral wire and the second socket, and the ground wire and the third socket. In some preferred embodiments, this connection is established simultaneously. According to other embodiments, the connection is carried out step-wise, each of the first, second and third socks, receiving its corresponding plug at a time difference. According to some embodiments, each of the connector elements has a pair of sets of connector plugs, each set of connector plugs comprises a live wire plug configured to be received in said first socket, a neutral wire plug configured to be received in said second socket, and a ground wire plug configured to be received in said third socket. By some embodiments, the pair of sets of connector plugs are mirror-symmetric.

According to some embodiments, in each connector element, the live wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, the neutral wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, and the ground wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another. By some embodiments, each of said first, second and third sockets comprises a sealing element, providing water-tight sealing about the plugs, once inserted into the sockets. Such sealing elements can be, for example, O-rings, that provide water-tight connection between the connector element and the socket unit. As it may be appreciated, rooms can be rectangular in shape, or have polygonal or irregular shapes, or even rotund or curved shapes. While the tiles in systems of this disclosure can assume various geometrical shapes, e.g. square, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc., it may be that arrangement of the tiles may not fully cover the floor surface of a given room. Thus, according to some embodiments, the system further comprises one or more complementary tiles, configured for completing full coverage of a floor. Such complementary tiles are typically devoid of electrical components. By some embodiments, the system further comprises a power connector, for connecting the electrical grid formed by the tiles to a power source. Another aspect of this disclosure provides a tile for a system as disclosed herein. The tile comprises: a thermally insulative base layer, a plurality of electric cables embedded in said thermally insulative base layer, one or more electrical heating elements embedded in said thermally insulative base layer and electrically connected to at least one terminus of at least one of the electric cables, and a thermally conductive top layer, a plurality of recesses defined in said thermally insulative layer and a plurality of socket units defined in said recesses, each socket unit being configured for receiving at least a portion of a connector element, an electrical pathway defined by said electrical cables between a first of said socket units and a last of said socket units, the last socket unit being connected to said electrical heating elements, and intermediate socket units being defined between said first and last socket units along the electrical pathway.

By another aspect, the disclosure provides a connector element for a system as disclosed herein. The connector element has a pair of sets of connector plugs, each set of connector plugs comprises a live wire plug, a neutral wire plug, and a ground wire plug, each of the plugs being configured to respectfully engage a terminal end of a live wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire of an electrical cable, and the live wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, the neutral wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, and the ground wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another. In another aspect, the disclosure provides a kit for constructing an electrical underfloor heating system, the kit comprises: a plurality of tiles as disclosed herein, and a plurality of connector elements as disclosed herein. By some embodiments, the kit further comprises one or more complementary tiles, configured for completing full coverage of a floor. In some embodiments, the kit further comprises a power connector, for connecting the electrical grid formed by the tiles and the connector elements to a power source. By yet another aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a method of deploying an electrical underfloor heating system in a space to be heated, the method comprising: (a) placing a plurality of tiles adjacent one another, to provide coverage of a floor of said space, each tile in said plurality of tiles comprising a thermally insulative base layer, a plurality of electric cables embedded in said thermally insulative base layer, one or more electrical heating elements embedded in said thermally insulative base layer and electrically connected to at least one terminus of at least one of the electric cables, and a thermally conductive top layer, a plurality of recesses defined in said thermally insulative layer and a plurality of socket units defined in said recesses, each socket unit being configured for receiving at least a portion of a connector element, an electrical pathway defined by said electrical cables between a first of said socket units and a last of said socket units, the last socket unit being connected to said electrical heating elements, intermediate socket units being defined between said first and last socket units along the electrical pathway; (b) connecting adjacent tiles to one another by a plurality of connector elements, each connector element being configured to be received in a pair of recesses of adjacent tiles and to engage said electrical cables; and (c) connecting a power connector fitted within one of the tiles to a power source to connect the electrical grid formed by the tiles to said power source. In some embodiments, the method further comprises a step (b1) between steps (b) and (c), step (b1) comprising laying one or more complementary tiles for completing full coverage of a floor. By some embodiments, each socket unit comprises a first socket holding a connection point to said live wire, a second socket holding a connection point to said neutral wire, and a third socket holding connection point to said ground wire, and each of the connector elements has a pair of sets of connector plugs, each set of connector plugs comprises a live wire plug, a neutral wire plug, and a ground wire plug, and step (b) comprises connecting said live wire plug into said first socket, the neutral wire plug configured into said second socket, and the ground wire plug into said third socket. In some embodiments, connection of the live wire plug into said first socket, the neutral wire plug configured into said second socket, and the ground wire plug into said third socket occurs simultaneously. In some other embodiments, connection of the live wire plug into said first socket, the neutral wire plug configured into said second socket, and the ground wire plug into said third socket occurs gradually. As used herein, the singular forms a, an and the include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "a connector element" or "at least one connector element" may independently include a plurality of connector elements.

As used herein, the term about is meant to encompass deviation of ±10% from the specifically mentioned value of a parameter, such as concentration, time, temperature, etc. Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is meant to include any cited numeral (fractional or integral) within the indicated range. The phrases ranging/ranges between a first indicate number and a second indicate number and ranging/ranges from a first indicate number to a second indicate number are used herein interchangeably and are meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all the fractional and integral numerals therebetween. Unless the context requires otherwise, the word comprise, and variations such as comprises and comprising, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any integer or step or group of integers and steps. Generally it is noted that the term at least one as applied to any component of a composition of the invention should be read to encompass one, two, three, four, five, six, or more different occurrences of said component in a system, tile, or connector element of the disclosure. It is appreciated that certain features of the disclosure, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the disclosure, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the disclosure. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSIn order to better understand the subject matter that is disclosed herein and to exemplify how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1Ashows a system according to an embodiment of this disclosure, installed in a room. Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view along line I-I in Fig. 1A. Fig. 2A shows an exploded view of the system components of Fig. 1A. Fig. 2B is a close-up, partial exploded view of the system of Fig. 2A. Fig. 3A is a perspective top view of an exemplary tile according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Fig. 3B is an exploded view of the tile of Fig. 3A. Fig. 3C shows the tile of Fig. 3A, with the thermally conductive top layer removed. Fig. 3D shows a close-up view of the first socket unit marked as detail D in Fig. 3C. Fig. 3E shows the socket unit of Fig. 3D, with the casing removed. Fig. 3F shows a close-up view of the last socket unit marked as detail F in Fig. 3C, with the socket casing removed. Fig. 3G shows a close-up view of an intermediate socket unit marked as detail G in Fig. 3C, with the socket casing removed. Fig. 4A shows a connector element according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view along line IV-IV in Fig. 4A. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line V-V in Fig. 3A of the connection area between the socket unit and the connector element according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSShown in the annexed drawings, is an exemplary floor heating system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The electrical floor heating system is modular, and is based on integral tiles that contain an electrical heating element and a thermally insulating layer. The tiles, as will be demonstrated, are electrically and mechanically connected to one another by dedicated connector elements, such that mechanical and electrical continuity can be obtained. The system permits easy installment of the heating system, as well as ensures electrical continuity even in case of one or more electrical failures in the system, as will be described herein.

Turning first to Figs. 1A-2B, shown in Fig. 1A is a room, generally designated 10 , having a floor surface 20 , onto which a system 100 according to this disclosure is installed, as will be further detailed below. As seen in Fig. 1B, the system is connected to a power source 40 fitted in wall 30 of the room, by electrical cable 60 . Control over the operation of system 100 can be obtained by control module 50 , also fixed to wall 30 . As can best be seen in Figs. 2A-2B, system 100 includes a plurality of tiles 102 , connected to each other mechanically and electrically by connector elements 104 . As can be seen, the system is applied directly to the floor surface, without requiring underlayment of insulative layers, due to the construction of the tiles 102 , as will be further elaborated below. After placement of the tiles 102 and connectors 104 is completed to obtain full coverage of the floor surface, flooring 70 (such as wood panels, ceramic tiles, vinyl tiles, etc.) can be laid. As can be appreciated, the floor surface 20 of the room can be of any shape and size. As the tiles 102 are typically uniform in their size and shape in order to facilitate ease of installation and fabrication, it is appreciated that full coverage of the floor cannot always be obtained. In such cases, complementary tiles 106 can be used, which typically do not contain electrical elements, in order to obtain full coverage of the floor surface before laying of flooring 70 . Shown in isolation in Figs. 3A-3C is an exemplary tile 102 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Tile 102 has a thermally insulative base layer 110 and a thermally conductive top layer 112 . A plurality of electric cables 114 and an electrical heating element 116 are embedded in the thermally insulative base layer 110 . In the present example, the base layer 110 has an intermittent peripheral rim 118 , that defines borders of the tile, against which the top layer 112 is held in position over the electrical components. Further, bulges 120 extending from the surface of the base layer 110 are in register with receiving orifices 122 in the top layer 112 , thereby holding the top layer 112 in position once placed over the electrical components. Defined in the base layer 110 are several identical recesses 124 , each recess is configured to hold a socket unit. The electrical cables 114 create an electrical pathway, defined between a first socket unit 126 and a last socket unit 128 . As can be seen in Fig. 3C, the electrical heating element 116 is connected to the last socket unit 128 , such that termini of the electrical cable 114 can deliver power to the electrical heating element 116 when the system is connected to a power source. A close-up view of the first socket unit 126 can be seen in Figs. 3D-3E. As can be seen, the first socket unit 126 has three sockets – first socket 130 holding a terminus 136L of live wire 114L , a second socket 132 holding a terminus 136G of ground wire 114G , and a third socket 134 holding a terminus 136N of neutral wire 114N . The last socket unit 128 has a similar construction to the first socket 126 , as seen in Fig. 3F, in which live wire terminus 138L is connected to live terminus 116L of the electrical heating element 116 , ground wire terminus 138G is connected to ground terminus 116G and neutral wire terminus 138N is connected to neutral wire terminus 116N . Each of the first and last socket units 126 , 128 creates an electrical and mechanical continuity with its respective adjacent tile once the connector 104 is inserted into the socket, as will be described further below, thereby connecting the tile to adjacent tiles in two points. In order to provide electrical continuity between additional adjacent tiles, one or more (in this specific example two) intermediate socket units 140 are provided. Intermediate socket units 140 , as can be best seen in Fig. 3G, provide additional electrical contact points 142L , 142G and 142N , to the electrical wires of the tile. Thus, as long as the final socket unit and at least one of the first socket unit and the intermediate socket units are functional, any combination of two socket units will ensure power delivery to the electrical heating element and the continuity of electrical grid between adjacent tiles. In order to provide such electrical continuity, each pair of adjacent tiles is connected, mechanically and electrically, by a connector element 104 . Connector element 104 is seen in isolation in Figs. 4A-4B. Each connector is configured to be received in a pair of socket units of two adjacent tiles, when the socket units are in-line with one another when the tiles are laid over the floor. Typically, once inserted into the sockets, the top surface 150 of the connector element 104 is flush with a top surface 144 of the tile. Thus, once the system is installed in location, an even surface is formed for laying the flooring thereonto. Connector element 104 includes a connector body 152 , extending normally therefrom are two sets of identical plugs – live wire plug 152L , ground wire plug 152G and neutral wire plug 152N , that are configured to be received, respectively, in the first sockets 130 , the second sockets 132 , and the third sockets 134 of socket units of adjacent tiles. The plugs are arranged in a mirror symmetry about a mirror symmetry plane M . As can be seen in Fig. 4B, the plugs in each corresponding pair of plugs is connected electrically by a conductive connecting beam 154 , such that electrical continuity can be obtained between the plugs. In other words, the two live wire plugs 152L are connected to one another in a connector element, the two ground wire plugs 152G are connected to one another and the two neutral plugs 152N are connected to one another. Once inserted into the sockets of two adjacent tiles, the conductive connecting beams 154 form the electrical continuity between the tiles. As the plugs are symmetrical, the tiles can be laid such that any socket (first, last or additional) in one tile can be linked to any socket (first, last or additional) in an adjacent tile by the connector in order to form the mechanical and electrical continuity. Thus, the system of the present disclosure is significantly less sensitive to the directionality of tile placement with respect to one another. While in the exemplified embodiment all of the plugs have the same length, such that connection of all three wires 114L , 114G and 114N is carried out simultaneously, it is also contemplated that the live wire plugs, the ground wire plugs and the neutral wire plugs will have different lengths, such that connection to the wires will be step-wise. In order to ensure water-tight connection between the socket units and the connector elements, the sockets include a sealing element, in this specific example O-rings 160 . As seen in Fig. 5, each socket 130 , 132 , 134 contains an O-ring 160 , located within O-ring receiving space 162 . When the plugs are inserted into the sockets, the O-rings forms a water-tight seal with circumferential wall 156 that extends from the connector body 152 , and circumferences the plug. In such a manner, water-tightness of the system is ensured. As noted, the system 100 enables construction of an electrical floor heating system that does not require underlayment of thermal insulation materials. This is obtained by the thermally insulative base layer 110 that is made of a foamed polymeric material, typically a closed-cell foamed polymeric material. The foamed polymeric material has a density of between about 0.5 g/cm to about 0.9 g/cm, and is typically made of a foamed extruded blend of vulcanized rubber and at least one thermoplastic polymer. The Vulcanized rubber is a sulfur cross-linked polymer, typically (albeit not exclusively) polyisoprene or styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). Vulcanized rubber is often used to form industrial objects of manufacture, such as tires, shock absorbers, conveyor belts, vibration dampers, etc. In the tiles of this disclosure, the vulcanized rubber can be from reclaimed rubber tires. The foamed extruded blend can contain between about and about 50 wt% of vulcanized rubber. The Thermoplastic polymers are polymers that are pliable or moldable at elevated temperature, typically polymers that have a melting point, and can solidify by cooling. When blended and extruded with the vulcanized rubber, due to its pliability, the thermoplastic polymer forms a substantially continuous matrix in which the rubber particles are held, to form a homogenous extruded blend of polymers. The thermoplastic polymer can be selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers thereof, or any other suitable thermoplastic polymer. The thermoplastic polymer used in the foamed extruded blend to produce the tiles is typically selected to have high melt flow index (MFI), e.g. MFI value of at least about 20 g/10min. The foamed extruded blend can contain between about 50 wt% and about 70 wt% of thermoplastic polymers. By some embodiments, the at least one thermoplastic polymer is one or more reclaimed polyolefins.

Claims (43)

16 316565/ CLAIMS:

1. An electrical underfloor heating system, the system comprising: a plurality of tiles, each tile comprising a thermally insulative base layer, a plurality of electric cables embedded in said thermally insulative base layer, one or more electrical heating elements embedded in said thermally insulative base layer and electrically connected to at least one terminus of at least one of the electric cables, and a thermally conductive top layer, a plurality of recesses defined in said thermally insulative layer and a plurality of socket units defined in said recesses, each socket unit being configured for receiving at least a portion of a connector element, an electrical pathway defined by said electrical cables between a first of said socket units and a last of said socket units, the last socket unit being connected to said electrical heating elements, intermediate socket units being defined between said first and last socket units along the electrical pathway; and a plurality of connector elements, each connector element being configured to be received within a pair of recesses of adjacent tiles to mechanically connect the tiles and to electrically connect between electrical cables of adjacent tiles through said sockets units.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said thermally insulative base layer is made of a foamed polymeric material.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said foamed polymeric material comprises an extruded blend of vulcanized rubber and at least thermoplastic polymer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said extruded blend comprises between about and about 50 wt% of said vulcanized rubber.

5. The system of claim 3 or 4, wherein said extruded blend comprises between about and about 70 wt% of thermoplastic polymers.

6. The system of any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said at least one thermoplastic polymer is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, and copolymers and mixtures thereof. 17 316565/

7. The system of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein said at least one polyolefin is reclaimed polyolefin.

8. The system of any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein said vulcanized rubber is from reclaimed rubber tires.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said thermally conductive top layer is made of metal.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said thermally conductive top layer is made of a composite material of metal particles or fibers embedded in a polymer matrix.

11. The system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein each of said first socket unit and said last socket unit configured to receive a set of terminal ends of said electric cables.

12. The system of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the electric cables comprise a live wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the socket units comprises a first socket holding a connection point to said live wire, a second socket holding a connection point to said neutral wire, and a third socket holding a connection point to said ground wire.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the connection points in said first and last socket units are termini of said live wire, said neutral wire, and said ground wire.

15. The system of claim 13 or 14, wherein each of the connector elements has a pair of sets of connector plugs, each set of connector plugs comprises a live wire plug configured to be received in said first socket, a neutral wire plug configured to be received in said second socket, and a ground wire plug configured to be received in said third socket.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the live wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, the neutral wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, and the ground wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another.

17. The system of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein each of said first, second and third sockets, comprises a sealing element, providing water-tight sealing about the plugs, once inserted into the sockets. 18. The system of any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising one or more complementary tiles, configured for completing full coverage of a floor.

18. 18 316565/

19. The system of any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising a power connector, for connecting the electrical grid formed by the tiles to a power source.

20. A tile for a system of any one of claims 1 to 19, the tile comprising: a thermally insulative base layer, a plurality of electric cables embedded in said thermally insulative base layer, one or more electrical heating elements embedded in said thermally insulative base layer and electrically connected to at least one terminus of at least one of the electric cables, and a thermally conductive top layer, a plurality of recesses defined in said thermally insulative layer and a plurality of socket units defined in said recesses, each socket unit being configured for receiving at least a portion of a connector element, an electrical pathway defined by said electrical cables between a first of said socket units and a last of said socket units, the last socket unit being connected to said electrical heating elements, and intermediate socket units being defined between said first and last socket units along the electrical pathway.

21. The tile of claim 20, wherein said thermally insulative base layer is made of a foamed polymeric material.

22. The tile of claim 21, wherein said foamed polymeric material comprises an extruded blend of vulcanized rubber and at least one thermoplastic polymer.

23. The tile of claim 22, wherein said extruded blend comprises between about 30 and about 50 wt% of said vulcanized rubber.

24. The tile of claim 22 or 23, wherein said extruded blend comprises between about and about 70 wt% of thermoplastic polymers.

25. The tile of any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein said at least one thermoplastic polymer is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, and copolymers and mixtures thereof.

26. The tile of any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein said at least one thermoplastic polymer is reclaimed polyolefin.

27. The tile of any one of claims 22 to 26, wherein said vulcanized rubber is from reclaimed rubber tires.

28. The tile of any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein said thermally conductive top layer is made of metal. 19 316565/

29. The tile of any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein said thermally conductive top layer is made of a composite material of metal particles or fibers embedded in a polymer matrix.

30. The tile of any one of claims 20 to 29, wherein each of said first socket unit and said last socket unit configured to receive a set of terminal ends of said electric cables.

31. The tile of any one of claims 20 to 30, wherein the electric cables comprise a live wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire, one terminus of each of the live wire, neutral wire and ground wire being located at one of said first, last or intermediate socket units.

32. The tile of claim 30 or 31, wherein each of intermediate socket units being configured to receive two sets of terminal ends of said electric cables.

33. The tile of any one of claims 21 to 32, wherein the electric cables comprise a live wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire.

34. The tile of claim 33, wherein each of the socket units comprises a first socket holding a connection point to said live wire, a second socket holding a connection point to said neutral wire, and a third socket holding a connection point to said ground wire.

35. The tile of claim 34, wherein the connection points in said first and last socket units are termini of said live wire, said neutral wire, and said ground wire.

36. A connector element for a system of any one of claims 1 to 19, having a pair of sets of connector plugs, each set of connector plugs comprises a live wire plug, a neutral wire plug, and a ground wire plug, each of the plugs being configured to respectfully engage a terminal end of a live wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire of an electrical cable, and the live wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, the neutral wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another, and the ground wire plugs in said pair of sets of connector plugs are linked to one another.

37. A kit for constructing an electrical floor heating system, the kit comprises: a plurality of tiles according to any one of claims 20 to 35, and a plurality of connector elements according to claim 36.

38. The kit of claim 37, further comprising one or more complementary tiles, configured for completing full coverage of a floor.

39. The kit of claim 37 or 38, further comprising a power connector, for connecting the electrical grid formed by the tiles and the connector elements to a power source.

40. A method of deploying an electrical underfloor heating system in a space to be heated, the method comprising: 20 316565/ (a) placing a plurality of tiles adjacent one another, to provide coverage of a floor of said space, each tile in said plurality of tiles comprising a thermally insulative base layer, a plurality of electric cables embedded in said thermally insulative base layer, one or more electrical heating elements embedded in said thermally insulative base layer and electrically connected to at least one terminus of at least one of the electric cables, and a thermally conductive top layer, a plurality of recesses defined in said thermally insulative layer and a plurality of socket units defined in said recesses, each socket unit being configured for receiving at least a portion of a connector element, an electrical pathway defined by said electrical cables between a first of said socket units and a last of said socket units, the last socket unit being connected to said electrical heating elements, intermediate socket units being defined between said first and last socket units along the electrical pathway; (b) connecting adjacent tiles to one another by a plurality of connector elements, each connector element being configured to be received in a pair of recesses of adjacent tiles and to engage said electrical cables, such that mechanical and electrical connection of the tiles is obtained by the connector elements through said sockets units; and (c) connecting a power connector fitted within one of the tiles to a power source to a power source to connect the electrical grid formed by the tiles to said power source.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising a step (b1) between steps (b) and (c), step (b1) comprising laying one or more complementary tiles for completing full coverage of a floor.

42. The method of claim 40 or 41, wherein the electric cables comprise a live wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire, each socket unit comprises a first socket holding a connection point to said live wire, a second socket holding a connection point to said neutral wire, and a third socket holding connection point to said ground wire, and each of the connector elements has a pair of sets of connector plugs, each set of connector plugs comprises a live wire plug, a neutral wire plug, and a ground wire plug, and 21 316565/ step (b) comprises connecting said live wire plug into said first socket, the neutral wire plug configured into said second socket, and the ground wire plug into said third socket.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein connection of the live wire plug into said first socket, the neutral wire plug configured into said second socket, and the ground wire plug into said third socket occurs simultaneously.