Modular Heat Installation for Premises With Water as a Heat Transmitting Medium

The present invention relates to a heat installation for premises, water being used as a heat transmitting medium.

Such conventional heat installations comprise loosely layed visible piping or piping accommodated in walls and floors respectively. Said installations are designed throughout either as one- or as two-pipe-systems. In all of the cases the installation has been performed by artisans with a manual individual pipe laying and assembly operation, which is very expensive and time-consuming. In case such a system is to be installed in already finished houses, usually it is required that the floors and walls be torn open for an invisible pipe laying, or if the pipe laying is to be visible, said pipes will constitute a strongly disturbing factor and also usually will emit heat in places where heat is not required, which to some extent is true as regards pipe laying in walls and floors, in which the heat insulation is unsatisfactory. Invisible pipe laying may involve risk of leakage, which is hard to discover, with severe damages as a result, when leakage has been discovered after usually an extended period of time, and the development of mould, rot and rust. Irrespective of whether an installation is done in connection with the erection of a building or in an already finished building painters, carpenters, floor-layers etc. have so far been required to be able to complete their work or else they were required to perform additional work, when the installation contractors have completed their work. The problem whether to select an one-pipe- or a two-pipe-system has also often been difficult to solve. One of the two systems may have been suitable for e.g. one specific module or building element, while the other one had been suitable for other modules. However, for practical reasons it has been necessary to consistently select one single system and thus, one has been unable to combine the two systems in a way which is advantageous for a partial area. To let laymen install the heat system has been inconceivable and in certain countries not allowed, partly due to the above-mentioned drawbacks and risks.

The object of the present invention is to suggest an improved heat installation, in which water is used as a heat transmission medium and which avoids the drawbacks mentioned above and promotes the state of the art in this field in various respects.

This object is attained by mainly designing an installation of the type set forth above. Thanks to such a design it is very easy to use such a system as a so called do-it-yourself installation, i.e. an installation done by laymen, e.g. home and apartment owners. This system can easily be delivered as a module system suitable for all conceivable sizes, designs and applications. Those buildings, in which the system is to be installed, advantageously can be completed, i.e. finish-painted and upholstered, provided with floor covering etc. before the system according to the invention is to be installed. This means that the system according to the invention advantageously can be installed in new as well as in old buildings. When so called prefabricated houses are erected, it is not necessary to pay attention to the pipe laying and wall and floor elements can be provided even more finished than what has been possible in certain cases so far. All kinds of pre-layout in this respect can be avoided and the house or apartment owner can himself to a great extent select the design of the system or change the same subsequently without any appreciable problems. Consequently, e.g. houses having electrical heat elements, which act directly, can in a quick, simple and inexpensive way be provided with a heat installation ;according to the present invention with water as a heat transmitting medium. Also, an installation according to the present invention does not require any closed so called loops. Thus, parts of the system advantageously can be installed as branches, which are terminated in optional areas. In this way it is e.g. possible, in the way shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, to lay one branch along one portion of a building, while another branch provides another portion of the building with heat. Then said one branch can be designed as an one-pipe-system and the other branch as a two-pipe-system, and in this way different heating requirements can be met in an optimal manner. The production of the various components, which the system includes, can be done in simple, fast and inexpensive ways due to a large scale production, e.g. through casting or injecting molding of metallic and plastic materials respectively, starting with uniform modules for radiator connection elements, which subsequently can be easily and specifically adapted for e.g. one- or two-pipe-operation and having varying choking/heat emission capacities respectively. In this way it is easy to install radiators having an arbitrary size/heat emission capacity in arbitrarily selected areas and, if that is required, at the same time select an adequate circulation of the heat medium through the radiator. This installation can easily be designed to smoothly and in principle without problems be passed by a door opening in a way that is set forth in the following description and the accompanying drawings, such an installation section preferably being designed as a threshold. It is then possible, in case this is required in a particular case, to without problems obtain a reversal of the pipes, i.e. to let the forward and return pipes change places, the upper pipe on one side of the door opening becoming the bottom pipe on the other side. All the components in the installation can be designed to emit heat in an adequate manner, i.e. exactly with the heat emission and heat insulation which is required. This means e.g., that normally one tries to avoid a heat emission/heat losses, but that one, in order to avoid or counteract e.g. cold waves (kallras) below windows and along exterior walls, designs said components to emit more heat by using less or no heat insulating material or by using additional heat emitting elements, which are known per se, e.g. ribs, circulation openings etc. It is true that the building itself, in which the system is to be installed, can be completed and finished, when the system is to be installed, but the system itself and all the components included in it can of course be completed and finished, e.g. painted, anodized etc. Any other tools than e.g. an adjustable wrench and a screw driver will not be required. It is sufficient that the so called mains have been extended to a certain point, from which the system then can be installed, without requiring any expert work.

Additional characterizing features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following description, reference being made to the drawings, in which preferred although not limiting embodiments are shown and which include in more detail and partly schematically:

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a heat installation according to the present invention using water to transmit heat; FIG. 2 a main connection element (1) according to FIG. 1, shown in a) a sectional view, b) from the left and c) from the right in FIG. 1 FIG. 3 a connection element (2) according to FIG. 1, shown a) in a lateral or gable view and b) in a view from the

FIG. 2a is partial cross-sectional view of a main connection element according to FIG. 1, FIG. 2b is a front elevational view of the main connection element, and FIG. 2c is a rear elevational view of the main connection element;

FIG. 3a is a cross-section view of a connection element and FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the connection element;

FIG. 4a is a partial cross-sectional view of an innercorner element, FIG. 4b is an end view of an outer corner element, and FIG. 4c and FIG. 4d show cross-sectional views of FIG. 4a and 4b, respectively;

FIGS. 4a and 5b show similar end views of a threshold transition element, FIG. 5c is a sectional view along line 5c --5c of FIG. 5a, FIG. 5d is a sectional view along line 5d--5d of FIG. 5b FIG. 5e is a sectional along 5e--5e of FIG. 5a and FIG. 5f is a perspective view of the threshold transition element;

FIG. 6a is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a radiator connection element, FIG. 6b is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a radiator connection element, FIG. 6c is a cross-sectional view along section line 6c-6c of FIG. 6a showing the connection of a radiator connection element, FIG. 6d is a cross-sectional view along section line 6d--6d of FIG. 6a showing the connection of a radiator connection element, and FIG. 6e is a front elevational view of the radiator connection element;

FIG. 7a is a front elevational view of a joint element showing its use, FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view of the joint element, FIG. 7c is a front elevational view of a distant element, FIG. 7d, is a left end elevational view of the distant element of FIG. 7c, FIG. 7e is an end view of a cover element to spand the joints and FIG. 7f is a cross-sectional view of the cover element along section line 7f--7f of FIG. 7e;

FIG. 8a is a cross-sectional view of a terminal part for a one pipe system and FIG. 8b is a cross-sectional view of a terminal part for a two pipe system.

In FIG. 1 a main connection element 1 is shown, which in a way known per se is designed to be connected to main pipings (not shown) to and from e.g. a central heater (not shown) and which is shown in more detail in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3 connection elements 2 are shown in more detail and in FIG. 4 inner corner elements 3 and outer corner elements 4 respectively are shown. Threshold transition elements 5 and 7 are mirror-symmetrically alike. Element 5 is shown in detail in FIG. 5. A threshold 6 is disposed between such threshold transition elements. A radiator connection element 8 is shown in detail in FIG. 6. Terminal parts 9 for blind loop ends are shown and in FIG. 7 a joint element 10 is shown in detail, while in FIG. 1 radiators 11 are shown, which can be conventional hot water radiators having conventional radiator valves 12.

The heat installation shown in FIG. 1 is provided with two blind branches, it being easy to design each branch, thanks to the characterizing features of the present invention, according to individual needs at any time for an one-pipe-operation or a two-pipe-operation. It is easy to design e.g. one of the branches for one-pipe-operation and the other for two-pipe-operation, there being no need to make any exterior alterations. It is also possible, at any time, to add to the branches, i.e. extend them and/or mutually connect their ends. Also, it is easy to later on connect additional radiators and to remove existing radiators respectively from the system.

FIG. 1 shows clearly, that a heat installation according to the invention advantageously can be designed as a basic module system or building element system, selling the various components advantageously being done in self-service outlets and an installation subsequently being done by the buyer himself, e.g. a home or an apartment owner. It is true that the majority of the components can be delivered in one single standard design as to dimensions, but it is easy to provide connection elements 2 and thresholds 6 in various lengths, it thereby being easy and simple to accommodate signs, particularly because the exact location of the various components per se easily can be adjusted within certain limits thanks to the insertion principle and the relative displaceability together with maintained functions for the rest which result from it.

Main connection element 1 shown in FIG. 2 comprises an arbitrarily designed strip- or block-shaped shell 13(which can be solid or hollow and be made of a plastic and/or metallic material having a front or room side 14 and a rear or connection side 15, from which connection pieces 16,17 project, which are placed on different levels and which are connected at right angles to one return pipe and one forward (supply) pipe respectively namely pipe 18 and pipe 19 respectively, which extend through the main connection element in its longitudinal direction. Pipes 18,19 are usually open in both directions, but in case just one branch is to issue from said main connection element, one of the end openings of pipes 18,19 can be closed, e.g. plugged up. Front side 14 and upper side 20 of the main connection element can be decoratively designed in an arbitrary way, suitably in the same way and with the same profile dimensions as the following components, which are included in the installation. Pipe 18 is of course the feed pipe for hot water and pipe 19 the return pipe for colder water. The upper pipe is e.g. the feed pipe. Main connection pieces 16,17 advantageously can comprise essentially tubular through elements (see FIG. 2a), which extend through transverse cuts (bores) in shell 13 and engage with closed ends having flanges 21 in a somewhat broader recess 22 on the room-side of the shell, nipples 23 and 24 respectively being secured on ends, which project from the rear side of said pieces and e.g. are provided with external threads and which allow pieces 16,17 to be sealed against the shell, intermediate seals or the like being used. To this end those parts of the nipples which are placed adjacent the shell can e.g. have a hexagonal shape (see FIG. 2c). Within the area of pipes 18,19 said pieces have transverse openings 82 and 83 respectively which correspond to the pipes, and location notches 84 of some type, which prevent a rotation, can of course also be provided in an optional place. The terminal areas of pipes 18,19 are, in a way which is shown in FIG. 4 and so forth, provided with circumferential internal grooves (not shown) and 0-rings or the like introduced into said grooves.

Connection element 2, shown in FIG. 3, comprises a shell 25 comprising e.g. a closed external housing 26, which accommodates ducts 27,28, one disposed above the other, which are designed to function as a return pipe and a forward pipe respectively and which project beyond the two ends of the shell in its longitudinal direction, e.g. different distances at the two sides, as shown in FIG. 3b, at least as regards elements adjacent a joint element to be described subsequently. Ducts 27,28 can be integral with shell 25 by means of bridge portions 29 according to FIG. 3a. Also, said shell can be provided with central transverse control elements 30 designed as holes and/or casings for screws or the like, by means of which said elements can be fastened to e.g. a wall 81. Possibly with the exception of said control elements 30 such a connection element can be made all of a piece, of a plastic and/or metallic material, e.g. aluminum, and remaining cavities can advantageously be filled with an insulating material 31 in a way known per se as regards the method. Also, ducts 27,28 according to FIG. 3a can be designed solely as control elements, which possibly are not through elements in their longitudinal direction and/or their circumferential direction, for separately introduced ducts, which possibly subsequently can be fastened to the shells, if that is desirable. In this way it is easier to cut the connection elements to suitable lengths, without introduced ducts, on the installation site, and ducts having the correct lengths can be introduced into said shells and in this way a not desirable cutting of the ducts can be avoided. The duct ends are provided with circumferential external bevellings 82.

In FIGS. 4a and 4c an inner corner element 32 is shown, legs 33,34 of which suitably having the same external profile as said connection elements and said main connection element. An outer corner element 35 according to FIGS. 4b and 4d is designed in a similar fashion having legs 36 and 37 and the only difference between the two elements is that the room side, i.e. the possibly decorated side, in one of the cases is an inner corner and in the other case an outer corner. In the two cases pipes 18,19 are disposed one above the other and their ends are provided with circumferential grooves 38, in which O-rings or the like 39 are introduced. Such corner elements are connected in a simple way to adjacent connection elements, the projecting duct ends of the latter being inserted in legs at least such a distance, that O-rings or the like 39 are passed and in this way are expanded and consequently seal. Said corner elements can also be made in one piece of a plastic and/or a metallic material. They can be made hollow according to FIG. 3a or possibly solid.

Threshold transition element 5, shown in FIG. 5, corresponds mirror-symmetrically to threshold transition element 7, and thus the latter will not be shown or described in more detail. It is shown that element 5 has an upended (first) portion 40, similar to the components described above and which changes into a horizontal (second) portion 41. The latter portion suitably is, as regards the external profile, similar to threshold 6, and in this way an adaptation to various threshold profiles can easily be done. It is shown in the various views in FIG. 5 that upper pipe 19 changes via an obliquely downwardly directed passage 42 into a lower extension of the same pipe, while lower pipe 18 via a passage 43, in an obliquely lateral direction, changes into a laterally shifted extension of the same pipe. FIG. 5e shows that the two pipes 18,19 are disposed within the horizontal threshold transition portion 41 adjacent each other in the same horizontal plane. The same pipe orientation is used within threshold 6, not shown in detail, which then is connected to the mirror-symmetrically designed threshold transition element 7, in which pipe 19 again being disposed on top within portion 40 or possibly, if it is desirable in a special case, at the bottom, which is easily done e.g. if passage 42 does not extend in a vertical plane obliquely downwardly but obliquely downwardly in a lateral direction in either element 5 or 7, while lower pipe 18 continues straight ahead, in which way a reversal can be attained, which however normally probably is not required. The end openings of pipes 18,19 are, in the same way as is shown in FIG. 4, provided with internal grooves 44 and O-rings or the like 45 introduced in said grooves. Also, in required places possibly screwed plugs 46,47 can be used in order to render possible a chip removal machining operation or the like.

Radiator connection element 8, shown in FIG. 6, is mainly similar in its design to the above-described elements and comprises a shell 48, which accommodates pipes 18,19, the end areas of which, in a way which corresponds to the above-described elements, are provided with internal grooves 49 and O-rings or the like 50 introduced in said grooves. In this way connection elements 2 can be sealingly connected in the two directions, and a longitudinal adjustment can thus be obtained. Starting from below two similar vertical cylindrical cuts 51 are disposed in shell 48, at a distance in a horizontal direction from each other and e.g. having a step-shaped expansion 52 at their lower ends and a similar constriction 53 at their upper ends, from which said cut with its smallest diameter extends outwardly through the upper side of shell 48. In each cut 51 an insert (member) 54 or 55 is introduced. Said inserts have a common principal design, namely a cylindrical body, which essentially fills the respective cuts and has a lower flange 56 and 57 respectively and an upper step-shaped end 58 and 59 respectively as well as insert connection pieces 60 and 61 respectively, which project through the upper cut opening. On said pieces, preferably provided with external threads, suitably nipples 62 can be screwed, which allow, via seals or the like 63, a sealing against said shell and said insert as well as a sealed engagement of said flanges 56,57 against the adjacent portion of said cut, preferably with intermediate seals or the like (not shown). Connection pipes 64 to a radiator 11 can then be connected to nipples 62 by means of nuts 65 in a way known per se.

Inserts 54,55 are provided with transverse openings, which correspond to pipes 18 and 19 respectively. As regards first bore insert 54 suitably there is a full equivalence, while as regards second bore insert 55 a direct connection between the radiator and pipe 18 via a closer casing-shaped passage 66 is intended as regards one of said radiator connections 64. Thus, this is the case with the radiator connection element according to FIG. 6a, which is designed for two-pipe (parallel) systems, in which one of said radiator connections 64 is entirely connected to pipe 19, while the other radiator connection 64 is entirely connected to pipe 18, pipe 19 being extended round the closer casing-shaped portion 66, which is shown in FIG. 6a and d. In order to avoid that casing-shaped portion 66 detrimentally influences the flow through pipe 19 laterally disposed recesses 67 are designed in insert 55, which are shown in FIG. 6a and d. The material in shell 8 possibly can also be reduced around casing-shaped portion 66, i.e. within the area of upper pipe 19 around each cut 51, if that is required. Said inserts are around their waist suitably provided with circumferential grooves 87 and O-rings or the like 88 introduced into said grooves.

The design according to FIG. 6b is used for one-pipe (series) system, two similarly designed inserts 54 suitably being introduced into cuts 51, while the section of pipe 19 and/or possibly pipe 18 between said inserts is provided with a choke element 68, which it is easy to introduce in the respective pipes from either end, which choke element is shaped like a casing, suitably provided with recessed ends and external circumferential O-ring 69, introduced into a groove 70, and suitably in this way simultaneously an advantageous friction locking can be obtained. This choke element has a passage with a reduced diameter and thus the first radiator connection, seen in the flow direction of the heat medium, is subjected to a higher pressure and consequently can function as an inlet, while the second radiator connection, subjected to a lower pressure, functions as an outlet. Of course, it is easily possible to calibrate said choke elements differently, in which way as regards a series of radiator connection elements a choking according to e.g. a falling or rising scale can be obtained. Cuts 51 and/or inserts 54,55 can be provided with rotation--preventing location notches, in order to position the various pipe sections exactly on one line. To prevent a rotation in this way is a method already known per se and thus such notches are not shown in detail.

In FIG. 7 a joint element is shown, generally designated 10, which possibly is needed between two adjacent connection elements. This element is provided with a shell 71 having pipes, grooves and O-ring or the like according to the design illustrated above, and in order to accommodate e.g. longer projecting pipes a distance element 72 having a central recessed bore or the like 73, designed to introduce a mounting screw, not shown, can be used. The material around bore 73 can be extended inwardly in order to form a location notch 74 designed to hold said pipes. The latter may in said joint elements, also as regards joint elements between other module elements 1-10, be surrounded by cover elements 75 having a wall 76, which surrounds said pipes, and an external joint lip 77, which covers said joint elements outwardly.

Finally in FIG. 8 terminal parts 9 are shown, namely one terminal part for an one-pipe-system in FIG. 8a and one terminal part for a two-pipe-system in FIG. 8b. The difference is that within the terminal part for an one-pipe-system the two pipes 18,19 are connected to each other through an and passage 78, while instead of such a passage a (partition) 79 is used in the terminal part for a two-pipe-system. In the two cases there are provided at the pipe inlets circumferential recessed grooves and O-rings or the like introduced in said grooves. It is apparent, that the two terminal parts and the two designs allow blind terminal branches. The only difference is that in a two-pipe-system already in the first fed radiator the return water enters into the return piping, while a true return piping not starts until in the terminal part as regards a one-pipe-system.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings but can be modified and supplemented in an arbitrary manner within the scope of protection of the present inventive idea and of the following patent claims. All of the components can of course be provided with e.g. a covering shell of some kind of fine wood or of any other arbitrarily selected material and configuration, and possibly quick-locking means designed in a way known per se can be used. Also, it is possible, according to the need, to make the various modules more or less heat-insulating, which has been stated above. The modules advantageously can be provided with at least one extra through cavity in their longitudinal direction, e.g. in the form of a third and a fourth pipe or piping respectively, through which cavities e.g. cooled or heated air can be transported or which can be used for wiring of e.g. electrical, tele- and/or communication wires etc. Such additional cavities only result in a very small additional cost and no extra work whatsoever during the installation work, since the same construction and assembly principle can be used as for the water pipes. Also, in particular cases it is feasible to use an extra cavity for a tap water pipe, the cavity itself being used as a tap water pipe, or a hose, preferably made of a plastic material and inserted into the cavity.