Fins For An Electric Cable In An Electric Radiant Heating System

Abstract

A heat-transferring fin is attached to an electric cable or to a packaged double cable of an electric radiant heating system. The fins can be attached using twist clips. Each twist clip includes an upper gripping member, a lower gripping member connected to the upper member by an upright support member, and a handle portion looping downwardly from the lower gripping member to enable a user to hold the clip and to manually twist the clip to cause the upper and lower gripping members to rotate relative to the fin and cable such that the fin and cable are clipped together. This twist clip enables quick and easy attachment of fins to cables, which greatly reduces the time and effort required to install an electric radiant heating system. This technology can be used in electric radiant floor heating or electric radiant wall heating.

1 . An electric radiant heating system comprising:
 an electric cable spaced apart from a surface to be warmed; and   a heat-transferring fin connected to the electric cable to transfer heat from the electric cable to the surface to be warmed.   
   
   
       2 . The electric radiant heating system as claimed in  claim 1  comprising a pair of side-by-side detachably mounted fins that are attached to the electric cable by twist clips that are inserted through slots in the fins and then twisted to clip the fins to the electric cable. 
   
   
       3 . The electric radiant heating system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein each fin has an elongated cylindrical trough for fitting over or under a curved outer surface of the electric cable to thereby conduct heat from the electric cable to the heat-transferring fins. 
   
   
       4 . The electric radiant heating system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein one of the pair of side-by-side fins is attached over the cable while the other of the pair of side-by-side fins is attached under the cable to thereby encircle the cable for maximal heat conduction from the cable to the fins. 
   
   
       5 . The electric radiant heating system as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the twist clip comprises:
 an upper gripping member;   a lower gripping member connected to the upper member by an upright support member; and   a handle portion looping downwardly from the lower gripping member to enable a user to hold the clip and to manually twist the clip to cause the upper and lower gripping members to rotate relative to the fin and cable such that the fin and cable are clipped together.   
   
   
       6 . The electric radiant heating system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein each fin has an elongated trough with curved ends and a substantially flat middle portion for fitting over or under an oblong outer surface of a packaged double cable to thereby conduct heat from the double cable to the heat-transferring fins. 
   
   
       7 . The electric radiant heating system as claimed in  claim 6  wherein one of the pair of side-by-side fins is attached over the packaged double cable while the other of the pair of side-by-side fins is attached under the double cable to thereby encircle the double cable for maximal heat conduction from the double cable to the fins. 
   
   
       8 . The electric radiant heating system as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the twist clip comprises:
 an upper gripping member;   a lower gripping member connected to the upper member by an upright support member; and   a handle portion looping downwardly from the lower gripping member to enable a user to hold the clip and to manually twist the clip to cause the upper and lower gripping members to rotate relative to the fin and packaged double cable such that the fin and packaged double cable are clipped together.   
   
   
       9 . A method of installing an electric radiant heating system, the method comprising steps of:
 selecting a length of electric cable suitable for heating a surface;   disposing the electric cable a distance apart from the surface to be warmed; and   attaching at least one heat-transferring fin to the electric cable.   
   
   
       10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the step of attaching at least one heat-transferring fin to the cable comprises steps of:
 aligning an upper gripping member of a twist clip with a slot in a fin, wherein the slot is substantially parallel to the electric cable;   inserting the upper gripping member of the twist clip upwardly through the slot in the fin until a lower gripping member connected to the upper gripping member by an upright support member is approximately level with a bottom of the cable; and   twisting the clip until the upper and lower gripping members are perpendicular to the cable to thereby urge the upper gripping member over a top of the cable and the lower gripping member under a bottom of the cable such that the fin and cable are clipped together.   
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the step of twisting the clip comprises rotating the clip until the upright support member engages a semicircular notch in the slot, the notch having a diameter equal to a diameter of the upright support member. 
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  further comprising a prior step of manufacturing the twist clip by bending a single length of metal wire. 
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  further comprising the steps of:
 placing a curved trough of a first fin on a top of the cable so that the first fin extends outwardly from a first side of the cable;   placing a curved trough of a second fin on a bottom of the cable so that the second fin extends outwardly from a second side of the cable;   aligning and inserting a first twist clip with a slot in the first fin and then twisting the first clip to fix the first fin to the cable; and   aligning and inserting a second twist clip with a slot in the second fin and then twisting the second clip to fix the second fin to the cable.   
   
   
       14 . A radiant heating system comprising:
 a length of electric cable for generating heat; and   first and second heat-transferring fins attached side by side to the cable by first and second twist clips, each clip having:   an upper gripping member;   a lower gripping member connected to the upper member by an upright support member; and   a handle portion looping downwardly from the lower gripping member to enable a user to hold the clip and to manually twist the clip to cause the upper and lower gripping members to rotate relative to the fin and cable such that the fin and cable are clipped together.   
   
   
       15 . The heating system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the upper gripping member, lower gripping member, upright support member and handle portion are integrally formed from a single length of metal wire. 
   
   
       16 . The heating system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the upper gripping member and the lower gripping member converge in a direction away from the upright support member, the upper gripping member having an outwardly flared end to facilitate placement of the clip onto the cable. 
   
   
       17 . The heating system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein a gap between the upper gripping member and the lower gripping member is less than an outer diameter of the cable. 
   
   
       18 . The heating system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the handle portion loops from the lower gripping member back to into close proximity with a point where the lower gripping member connects to the upright support member. 
   
   
       19 . The heating system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the first and second fins include curved troughs for engaging, respectively, a top and a bottom of the cable, such that:
 the upper gripping member fixes the curved trough of the first fin to the top of the cable; and   the lower gripping member fixes the curved trough of the second fin to the bottom of the cable.   
   
   
       20 . The heating system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein each of the fins comprises a generally rectangular body having a plurality of parallel apertures, a curved trough disposed longitudinally along one side of the fin, the trough being sized and shaped to fit an outside surface of the cable, each fin further comprising at least one slot disposed between the trough and the parallel apertures for receiving a clip, the slot having a notch for restraining the clip when the clip is twisted into an operative position perpendicular to the cable. 
   
   
       21 . A heat-transferring fin for attachment to an electric cable, the fin comprising:
 an elongated trough for fitting over or under the outer surface of the cable;   a substantially flat surface extending outwardly from the trough, the surface comprising a plurality of parallel elongated apertures; and   at least one elongated slot through which a twist clip can be inserted, the at least one slot being formed in the flat surface between the parallel elongated apertures and the trough, the at least one slot being parallel to the trough and orthogonal to the parallel elongated apertures.   
   
   
       22 . The fin as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the elongated trough is substantially cylindrical for fitting over or under a circular outer surface of a single cable. 
   
   
       23 . The fin as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the elongated trough comprises curved ends and a substantially flat middle portion for fitting over or under an oblong outer surface of a packaged double cable to thereby conduct heat from the double cable to the heat-transferring fins.