Underfloor heating system and method for heating the same

Claim 1

An underflooring heating system structure, comprising: bottom support means defining a bottom support surface, an upstanding wall means, a concrete panel spaced a finite distance above said bottom support surface and being supported on at least one of said bottom support means and said wall means to define a sealed airtight cavity between said concrete panel and said bottom support surface, said concrete panel forming a top wall of said cavity, said also forming an underfloor of a room, interior surfaces of aid wall means having an insulating layer thereon, said concrete panel having an opening therethrough with a cover member fixed therein; a noncombustible heat source for generating hot air in said cavity being arranged on said support surface in said cavity and having a heat diffusion means mounted thereon for diffusing the hot air generated by said heat source to uniformly heat said concrete panel, said heat source being located in said cavity such that said heat diffusion means is under said opening in said concrete panel and covered by said cover, said heat source being connected to an electric energy source, whereby said concrete panel is heated by convection and radiant heat by said heat source within said cavity under said underfloor.

Claim 3

A method for heating the underflooring of a room by an underfloor heating system comprising the steps of: uniformly heating a concrete floor panel, which panel forms part of the underflooring, utilizing regenerated heat and radiated heat with higher heat produced by a noncombustible heat source disposed in a sealingly airtight cavity defined below and covered by said concrete panel, said heat source being adapted to produce infrared radiation and utilize air as a heat transfer medium with said cavity under the underflooring; heating and storing heat in said concrete panel by said heat source with radiated heat, and using air within said cavity as a heat transfer medium, and then warming said room for a long time period, nearly without any heat loss, by radiating heat in all of the surface of said panel slowly, even through said heat source is inoperative during said time period.

Claim 4

A method for heating the underflooring of a room by an underfloor heating system comprising the steps of: uniformly heating a concrete floor panel, which panel forms part of the underflooring, utilizing regenerated heat and radiated heat with higher heat produced by a noncombustible heat source disposed in a sealingly airtight cavity defined below and covered by said concrete panel, said heat source being adapted to produce infrared radiation and utilize air as a heat transfer medium with said cavity under the underflooring; heating and storing heat in said concrete panel by said heat source with radiated heat, and using air within said cavity as a heat transfer medium, and then warming said room for a long time period, nearly without any heat loss, by radiating heat in all of the surface of said panel slowly, even through said heat source is inoperative during said time period.