FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an insulation apparatus and method. In particular, in accordance with one embodiment, the invention relates, to an insulation apparatus including a first unit of flame and moisture resistant material, a second unit of flame and sound retarding material, a third unit of flame retarding material and a fourth unit of heat reflective material. These units are connected together to form a layered composition with a front and a back such that the fourth unit of heat reflective material is sandwiched in between the second unit and the third unit and such that the first unit forms the front and the back of the composition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Insulating and sound deadening composites are well known in the art and in particular to the recreational vehicle, boating, automobile and aviation industries, for example only. In general, when you have machinery, you have sound and heat which is often useful and necessary to deaden as much as possible. Typically, these insulating and sound deadening composites are generally composed of combinations of textile fabrics, insulating battings, and, sometimes, impervious vapor barrier films. These films come in various forms including metalized films made by vapor deposition of a metal, such as Aluminum, to provide a reflective surface. Again, such insulating and sound deadening composites are found in use with aircraft, luxury RV's, yachts, automobiles and/or racing vehicles of all types. Properly installed, these prior art composites address some of the problems but often not all of them in one system and usually not for the life of the vehicle. One problem with prior art insulation products is that they are required to pass minimal FAA burn test requirements but the one's that pass this test provide only minimal protection. Additionally, normal insulation in use today requires four to ten inches of space behind interior panels. The insulation normally used consists of Mylar bags filled with fiberglass batt insulation material. This material is subject to breaking down and failing. In aircraft, for example, over time the accumulation of multiple ascents and descents causes the fiberglass batt material to break down. When this occurs, if the bag is ruptured, by a workman accidently penetrating the bag with a tool, the fiberglass is released into the air system of the aircraft, subjecting the crew and occupants to exposure to carcinogenic particles and the aircraft owners to potential lawsuits.

A further drawback to the composites known in the art relates to their relatively ineffective and space using systems for sound deadening. These systems are not yet required to pass any FAA certifications, automobile or boat/yachting regulations or standards. The existing ones, however, in order to accomplish any significant sound reduction are large, heavy and expensive.

Thus, there is a need in the art for an insulation device that provides effective flame retardation that exceeds existing government standards, that also provides moisture prevention and sound attenuation but that is light weight, that does not take up significant space, that does not degrade during normal use and that is relatively inexpensive to construct. It, therefore, is an object of this invention to provide a flame and moisture resistant system that also provides superior sound insulation that meets or greatly exceeds existing government safety standards. It is a further object to provide a flame and moisture resistant system that reflects heat. It is a further object to provide a flame and moisture resistant material composition that is relatively inexpensive, light weight and compact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the insulation apparatus of the present invention, according to one embodiment includes a first unit of flame and moisture resistant material, a second unit of flame and sound retarding material, a third unit of flame retarding material and a fourth unit of heat reflective material. These units are connected together to form a layered composition with a front and a back such that fourth unit heat reflective material is sandwiched in between the second unit and the third unit and the first unit forms the front and the back of the composition.

As used herein, terms are given their common meaning. In this regard, the term "unit" is used to describe a separate, discrete set of material. Collectively, the connected "units" form the invention as a whole. Further the term "resistant" is used to describe a material that resists but may not totally be impervious to some force. "Flame" resistant material, for example, resists consumption by flame but is not completely impervious to consumption by fire. In the same manner, the term "reflective" is used to describe a material that reflects something, such as light or heat, as that term is commonly understood. Likewise, the term "composition" is used to describe a comparatively thin, flat, material which, in this case, is composed of several separate units of different material to form a sheet of material. According to a further aspect of the invention, the units are connected together in the following order: first unit, second unit, third unit, fourth unit, fourth unit, third unit, second unit and first unit and the second and third unit are porous materials such that heat reflects through them from the fourth unit heat reflective material.

In other aspects, the first unit material is wool, the second unit material is cotton, the third unit material is plastic netting, and the fourth unit is metal. In further aspects, the first unit material is flame and moisture resistant approximately one hundred percent wool, the second unit material is approximately one hundred percent cotton, the third unit material is flame treated nylon netting, and the fourth unit material is highly polished industrial grade aluminum.

According to another embodiment of this invention, an insulation apparatus includes a first unit of flame and moisture resistant material, a second unit of flame and sound retarding material, a third unit of flame retarding material and a fourth unit of heat reflective material. The units are connected together to form a layered composition with a front and a back such that the fourth unit heat reflective material is sandwiched in between the second unit and the third unit and such that the first unit forms the front and the back of the composition and the units are connected together in the following order: first unit, second unit, third unit, fourth unit, fourth unit, third unit, second unit and first unit and repeating this order at least one additional time and the second and third unit are porous materials such that heat reflects through them from the fourth unit heat reflective material.

In other aspects, the first unit material is flame and moisture resistant approximately one hundred percent wool, the second unit material is approximately one hundred percent cotton, the third unit material is flame treated nylon netting, and the fourth unit material is highly polished industrial grade aluminum. In one aspect, the composition is formed from units of material connected with each other in the following order: first unit, first unit, second unit, third unit, fourth unit, fourth unit, third unit, second unit, first unit, first unit, second unit, third unit, fourth unit, fourth unit, third unit, second unit, first unit, and first unit.

According to another embodiment of the invention, an insulation method includes the steps of:

a. providing a first unit of flame and moisture resistant material; a second unit of flame and sound retarding material; a third unit of flame retarding material; and a fourth unit of heat reflective material where the units are connected together to form a layered composition with a front and a back such that the fourth unit heat reflective material is sandwiched in between the second unit and the third unit and such that the first unit forms the front and the back of the composition; and

b. connecting the composition with a structure.

In one aspect of the invention, the units are connected together in the following order: first unit, second unit, third unit, fourth unit, fourth unit, third unit, second unit and first unit and repeating this order at least one additional time and where the second and third units are porous materials such that heat reflects through them from the fourth unit heat reflective material.

In another aspect, the composition is formed from units of material connected with each other in the following order: first unit, first unit, second unit, third unit, fourth unit, fourth unit, third unit, second unit, first unit, first unit, second unit, third unit, fourth unit, fourth unit, third unit, second unit, first unit, and first unit. In other aspects, the first unit is wool, the second unit is cotton, the third unit is flame treated nylon netting and the fourth unit is aluminum. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic diagram of the insulation apparatus according to a preferred embodiment; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the invention of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by way of example in Figures 1-2. With specific reference to Figure 1, insulation apparatus 10 includes a first unit 12 of flame and moisture resistant material, a second unit 14 of flame and sound retarding material, a third unit 16 of flame retarding material and a fourth unit 18 of heat reflective material.

First unit 12 in a preferred embodiment is flame and moisture treated one hundred percent compressed wool. Applicant has determined the specific preferred embodiments of the invention as will be discussed more fully hereafter through extensive testing and laboratory investigation. Flame retardants are well known in the art and any flame retardant now known or hereafter developed is suitable for the purposes of the invention. Likewise, moisture retardants are well known and any that are now known or hereafter developed are suitable. In use the Applicant has found that flame and moisture treated one hundred per cent wool performs best in not absorbing water and not burning even under the most extreme conditions. Tests of the flame and moisture treated wool showed that the invention passed the FAA FAR 23.853 (a) (d) tests and the FAA FAR 25,856 Part (6) burn test certifications and has been found to contain no detectable VOC or SVOC contaminates.

Second unit 14 in a preferred embodiment is one hundred per cent cotton. It was determined that second unit 14 would accept upwards of 1000F heat without significant degradation and because it is porous it allows heat to be reflected away from fourth unit 18 as will be described more fully hereafter. Importantly, second unit 14 greatly enhances sound reduction of the insulation apparatus 10 as will be discussed more fully hereafter with regard to Figure 2. In this regard, the invention as described herein was tested in accordance with the ASTM C-1224 Guarded HotBox Test (120 minutes), the ASTM E-1354 Cone Calorimeter Thermal Response Test (90 minutes) and the ASTM E-162 Modified Bunker Gear Test (30 minutes). The results show that the composition, as for example the layering order of 14-16-18- 28-18-16-14, reflected radiant heat from a 1200F/648.88C heat source placed two inches from the outside, front 22, of the composition 20 during the required test methods left the back 24 a constant ambient (room) temperature. This is an extraordinary and unexpected result and is a vast improvement over any known prior art systems.

Third unit 16 in a preferred embodiment is flame treated one hundred percent polyester such as Nylon netting. Applicant has determined that third unit 16 is critical in providing an air space, along with second unit 14, to enable complete radiant/convective reflectance from the fourth unit 18. Applicant has found that a one-hundred percent polyester fish netting with a one- quarter inch weave opening is a preferred embodiment.

Fourth unit 18 is preferably a reflective metal and Applicant has found that the preferred reflective metal is highly polished ninety-nine point six percent pure industrial grade aluminum. Aluminum in this form is rated to reflect upwards of ninety-five percent of

radian/convective/conductive heat. Further, it is USTM Tested under Test Methods E-84-81 A ASTM E-408-7, is UBC Class 1/NFPA Class A, has a flame spread of 10 and Smoke

Development of 10. Certainly, any metal sufficient for the purposes of the invention may be used. Nonetheless, Applicant has found that this form of aluminum performs best in the assembled insulation apparatus 10 through repeated testing and examination.

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in which first unit 12, second unit 14, third unit 16 and fourth unit 18 are connected with each other in a particular and required order to form a composition 20. Figure 2 shows composition 20 with a front 22 and a back 24. In all embodiments of the invention, first unit 12 forms the front 22 and the back 24 of composition 20. Further, in all embodiments, the units are connected together to form a layered composition 20 such that the fourth unit 18 of heat reflective material is sandwiched between the second and third units, 16 and 18.

Referring to Figure 1, it is illustrated what Applicant has determined to be a surprisingly and unexpectedly functional combination that results in an insulation apparatus 10 that is compact but extraordinarily and unexpectedly effective heat, water and sound insulating apparatus. In the preferred embodiment, Applicant has found that the following ordering of the component units is the most effective: first unit 12, first unit 12, second unit 14, third unit 16, fourth unit 18, fourth unit 18, third unit 16, second unit 14, first unit 12, first unit 12, second unit 14, third unit 16, fourth unit 18, fourth unit 18, third unit 16, second unit 14, first unit 12, and first unit 12.

Applicant has determined that repeating first unit 12 greatly decreases and slows down the penetration of moisture and flammable liquids found in extreme conditions such as, for example only, aircraft fires and vehicle accidents of all types.

It should be understood that combining the units together may be accomplished in any suitable manner. Nonetheless, Applicant has determined that high temperature glue 26, such as a Weld Wood brand glue by DAP company, is best for combining first unit 12 with the adjoining first unit 12. Likewise, high temperature glue 26 is used to join the second first unit 12 with second unit 14. Second unit 14, third unit 16 and fourth unit 18 are added next. In a preferred embodiment, another fourth unit 18 is connected to the first fourth unit 18 by a high temperature adhesive 28 Polyolefin Scrim, a miniature highly adhesive net which, when heated to 468 F and cooled for it to expand, forms an adhesive to secure two sides of any surface to the other. Once assembled, composition 20 may hold together on its own or may, if needed, be held together by high temperature flame resistant coated polyester thread (not shown) for example or any other suitable means.

As illustrated, the units of the invention repeat at least once and may repeat multiple times. The preferred embodiment, however, is as set forth in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 2, again, a unique element of the invention is that the thickness, as identified by the letter "T" in the Figure, is less than one inch thick. This is a revolutionary development in that the test results for flame, moisture and sound retardation would suggest the need for a much, much thicker and heavier composition 20. Instead, the combination of the units results in a composition that is extraordinarily thin and thus extremely useful in providing a means for insulating machines and vehicles and structures, such as houses, for example only and not by way of limitation, without taking up valuable space. Further, Applicant has determined that the combination once formed does not degrade upon use as does prior art devices as discussed above.

By way of further description, the multi-layered insulation apparatus 10 is flexible and thin. It provides an unexpectedly improved insulation that resists burning longer, deadens sound better, and resists moisture and fluid penetration better than any known systems and devices. Further, applicant's insulation apparatus 10 contains no carcinogenic materials, such as fiberglass, gives off no hazardous gases or contaminating odors when burned. In fact, Applicant has determined that the present invention withstands extreme temperatures and longer burn though times than any other products of which Applicant is aware.

The description of the present embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. As such, while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with an embodiment thereof, it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.