Heat exchange – Structural installation – Related to wall – floor or ceiling structure of a chamber
Patent
1995-07-21
1998-04-28
Leo, Leonard R.
Heat exchange
Structural installation
Related to wall, floor or ceiling structure of a chamber
165 76, 165178, 285351, 285370, F24D 1902
Patent
active
057433275
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to pipe joints, and particularly, although not exclusively, to a pipe joint for use in a heating system of the kind in which a heat exchange fluid is passed through a network of pipes and/or heat exchange units.
Our pending International Patent Publication No. WO92/01847 describes, inter alia, a space heating system in which an extruded metal panel section incorporating water pipes is adapted to be fitted around the base of the walls of a room so as to form a skirting-type heating system. One of the problems of known heating systems of this type is that long metal sections may expand appreciably, when heated, and thus, in conventional systems, it is common to incorporate special joining units at the corners and indeed, in some cases, there may be a fairly low limit to the possible length of the sections. Alternatively, expansion bellows are sometimes incorporated.
Our above-mentioned patent application provides a system which is considerably improved in this respect because it incorporates special flexible mounting units for the elongate panel sections, which allow for a certain amount of movement towards and away from the wall. As a result, for example, when a number of long lengths extending around the periphery of a room are connected together at the corners, the expansion of the entire assembly is allowed for by flexing of the mounting unit.
Even with such a system, however, the interconnection of the sections at the corners is quite critical using conventional methods and requires considerably greater skills on the part of the installer than the remainder of the system which is specifically designed for very easy installation. In particular, if conventional pipe jointing methods are used, it is necessary for the components to be cut quite accurately and for the installer to be sufficiently competent to make soldered joints (for example).
In systems which employ simpler mounting arrangements, which are cheaper to fabricate, the problems of installation are considerably worse because the mountings may not be sufficiently flexible, or may be too rigidly fixed, to absorb expansion of the entire assembly. Consequently it is necessary to provide some other means to absorb such expansion.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a connector for interconnecting the conduits of a heating panel system, the connector comprising a length of tube having at least one end portion which is adapted to fit into the end of an adjacent conduit and carries at least one circumferentially extending sealing element adapted to form a fluid-tight coupling with the conduit whilst allowing some telescoping movement of the joint.
The other end portion may carry a similar sealing arrangement, or may be screw-threaded (for example) to allow it to be fixed to another part of the assembly.
Preferably, each end or leg of the connector carries of pair of sealing elements which are spaced apart along the length of the tube so as to provide a "self-aligning" effect when the end is inserted in the pipe and, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sealing elements comprise `O` rings. Additional "scraper rings" may also be provided.
Preferably, the end of the tube is made to be a fairly close fit in the pipe and the or each sealing element is retained in an annular recess around the circumference of the tube. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are, therefore, two such annular recesses on each leg of the connector and there may also be a third recess positioned between the two sealing elements, which holds a silicon-based lubricant/sealant gel used in assembly.
Preferably, each leg end of the connector is chamfered to ease its insertion in the end of the corresponding tube.
In addition, further circlips or collar devices may be located in grooves on the outside of the connector, at suitable positions to engage the ends of the pipes so as to limit the telescopic movement, relative to the connector, where there is a possibility of "creep" along the floor. Alternatively suitable stop means may
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patent: 5378023 (1995-01-01), Olbrich
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