Radiant heating or cooling panel

Abstract

A panel for use with systems for heating and/or cooling an enclosed space by circulating a fluid through a closed tubing arrangement, is provided. The inventive radiant heating or cooling panel, which is made up of a radiant heat transfer or cooling plate having a length, and an elongated C-shaped or side opening receptacle that extends along the length of the plate for receiving tubing, facilitates tubing installation, while minimizing the danger of tubing popping out or disengaging from the panel after installation. In a preferred embodiment, the inventive panel demonstrates greater radiant heat dissipation and cooling capacity and efficiency.

1 . A radiant heating or cooling panel that comprises: a radiant heat transfer or cooling plate having a length; and an elongated, C-shaped receptacle for receiving tubing, wherein the elongated, C-shaped receptacle extends along the length of the radiant heat transfer or cooling plate and is formed from upper and lower arcuate or angled sections, with at least the upper section terminating in an edge, wherein the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle is fixably attached to the plate along the length of the plate.  
   
   
       2 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 1 , which is constructed from a thermally conductive material.  
   
   
       3 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 2 , which is constructed from aluminum.  
   
   
       4 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 3 , which is an extruded, one-piece aluminum panel.  
   
   
       5 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of depressions extend along a length of an inner surface of the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle.  
   
   
       6 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of depressions comprise two or more discontinuous depressions.  
   
   
       7 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of depressions comprise two or more continuous depressions that each extend along the entire length of the inner surface of the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle, wherein each continuous depression is contiguous to at least one other continuous depression.  
   
   
       8 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 7 , wherein each depression is a U-shaped depression.  
   
   
       9 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 8 , wherein each U-shaped depression has a width ranging from about 0.13 to about 0.38 millimeters, and a depth ranging from about 0.25 to about 0.76 millimeters.  
   
   
       10 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 1 , wherein both the upper and lower sections of the elongated, C-shaped receptacle terminate in an outwardly flaring edge.  
   
   
       11 . A radiant heating or cooling panel that comprises: a radiant heat transfer or cooling plate having a length; and an elongated, C-shaped receptacle for receiving tubing, wherein the elongated, C-shaped receptacle extends along the length of the radiant heat transfer or cooling plate and is formed from upper and lower arcuate or angled sections, wherein the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle is fixably attached to the plate along the length of the plate, wherein a plurality of depressions extend along an inner surface of the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle, wherein the depressions are selected from the group consisting of: 
 (i) two or more discontinuous depressions; and    (ii) two or more continuous depressions that each extend along the entire length of the inner surface of the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle, wherein each continuous depression is contiguous to at least one other continuous depression.    
   
   
       12 . A radiant heating or cooling panel that comprises: a radiant heat transfer or cooling plate having a length; and an elongated C-shaped receptacle for receiving tubing, wherein the elongated C-shaped receptacle extends along the length of the radiant heat transfer or cooling plate and is formed from upper and lower arcuate or angled sections, wherein the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle is fixably attached to the plate along the length of the plate, wherein a plurality of depressions extend along that portion of an inner surface of the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle that interfaces with the radiant heat transfer or cooling plate.  
   
   
       13 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of depressions comprise two or more discontinuous depressions.  
   
   
       14 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of depressions comprise two or more continuous depressions that each extend along the entire length of the inner surface of the lower section of the C-shaped receptacle, wherein each continuous depression is contiguous to at least one other continuous depression.  
   
   
       15 . The radiant heating or cooling panel of  claim 14 , wherein each depression is a U-shaped depression.