EP0777093A1 - Method for the manufacture of fittings for radiators - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (10) to connect a radiator and its control valve, all contained within a casing, to an externally supplied heat transfer medium, via a flow (14) and a return connection (12). a) Between the external flow connection (14) and the special fitting at the beginning of the radiator (20a), a pipe (18) extends over nearly half the radiator length. b) The special fitting (20a) has at least one opening (24) for the medium to flow into the radiator (100a, 100b), controlled by the valve (104). Further details of the device, its method of manufacture and the preferred flat radiator are claimed.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing at least sections of line inserts and / or line linings, such as connection fittings, valves or the like according to claim 1.

In known connection devices, and in particular in connection devices for a central connection of a radiator, valves, blind plugs and the like have to be inserted into valve seats, the valve seats having to be inserted into the connecting piece of the connection device. This is usually either soldered or a press fit or the like is used. The associated measures are also very complex and costly. The sealing surfaces, connecting threads, etc., which come into operative connection with the respective sections of a valve to be inserted into the valve seat, must be manufactured to be extremely clean and manufactured and arranged within small manufacturing tolerances. This is also a major disadvantage of known connection devices and in particular also the connection device for a central heating element discussed above.

A radiator, in particular a radiator, is known from G 89 01 051.5, which is connected centrally to the piping system of a central heating system. The inlet and the return of this radiator essentially begin in the middle and each end at the upper or lower lateral end of the known radiator. The radiator is connected via a pre-assembly box, which serves as an intermediate piece between the connecting lines of the central heating system and the connecting lines of the known radiator with its generic connection.

A welding fitting for radiators in heating systems with a two-pipe system is known from G 88 10 080.4, which has a valve, a connecting line and a connecting body. In the return connection of the connecting body of this known welding fitting, a valve is arranged, which is provided perpendicular to a return connection of the return connection. The latter valve consists of a cylindrical body which is axially adjustable via a thread and which cooperates with a corresponding transverse booking of the return port. However, this device is designed only for the vertical, one-sided connection of a radiator and cannot be used for the central connection of a radiator.

It is the object of the present invention to propose a method which makes it easier to manufacture line inserts, in particular sealing surfaces or valve seats, preferably connecting devices for radiators.

These objects are achieved by a method with the steps listed in claim 1.

Advantageous method variants of the method according to the invention emerge from the subclaims.

For example, in the housings of connection fittings, a valve seat or a seat for a blind closure or the like is to be provided. Such a seat is to be used because the housing inner surfaces often cannot be manufactured with the required precision in order to provide sealing surfaces and the like which can enter into the desired connection with a valve or the like. In addition, a given valve type can be adapted to different housings via different valve seats. The valve seat must have sealing surfaces or grooves for sealing devices such as O-rings or the like.

Particular advantages can be achieved here by the method according to the invention if the valve seat is produced at least in regions by injection molded sections made of plastic materials. In particular, the sealing surfaces are predestined for this procedure to be used according to the invention.

The valve seat can, for example, also consist exclusively or almost exclusively of molded plastic materials. A mandrel or a tool for spraying is inserted into the housing and cavities are sprayed out. Using appropriate tools, complicated shapes can also be produced, for example undercuts and the like. Spreadable tools are used for such purposes, which are inserted and spread into a corresponding housing of a device according to the present invention. Plastic is injected and after the plastic is at least pre-hardened, the spread tool can be changed in its diameter or in its dimensions so that it can be pulled out of the molded shape or the molded valve seat or the like.

Particular advantages also result if the molded surfaces, in particular sealing surfaces and the like, are produced from two, in particular several, layers of plastic, the different plastic layers having different properties. For example, at least in sections, a layer of hard plastic or hard PVC or the like could first be injected into a housing of a device according to the present invention, whereupon a soft plastic, a rubber coating or the like could then be applied at least in the areas of the sealing surfaces. An adhesion promoter or an adhesion-promoting intermediate or transition layer could also be provided between the hard plastic and the soft plastic or the rubber-like material in order to improve the adhesion of the two layers to one another. This can also be produced by practically changing from one type of plastic to the other type of plastic, by continuously adding soft plastic to the hard plastic after the completion of a hard plastic layer until finally, almost exclusively or exclusively, only soft plastic is injected on.

With special strength requirements, metal parts can also be injected into the plastic. For example, pre-positioned threaded sleeves or the like, which may be arranged on the injection mold, which can preferably be expandable, can be provided, which can be injected directly or via anchoring members into a plastic skin.

Comparable methods are known from EP 0 196 407 A1, EP 0 315 749 A1 and EP 0 235 396, the disclosure content of which is hereby also made the disclosure content of the present patent application.

It goes without saying that the technology for spraying or spraying out certain sections within connection or heating fittings, water pipes and the like more, especially in the field of heating technology, has very considerable advantages, since it is no longer necessary to manufacture complicated and expensive valve seats and the like from brass in one-off production and to fasten them in a housing by means of complicated and susceptible process steps.

Of course, the outside areas of any fittings can be injected in plastic, in order to form a handsome exterior that is resistant to corrosion and the like for the fittings or the device for connection in this way without complicated processing steps. With conventional connection devices and the like, on the other hand, it is necessary to chromium-plate the outer surfaces and possibly also the inner surfaces in order to be able to ensure an at least somewhat appealing exterior. The chrome plating processes or chrome plating techniques used are, however, so incompatible with the environment and with regard to the health of the staff that in the foreseeable future it will no longer be possible to chrome-plate fittings, connection fittings and the like, or such work by particularly poorly protected people in developing countries must be carried out.

In addition, the energy consumption during chrome plating is so disadvantageous that the costs for the manufacture of fittings are often made up to an excessive extent by the aesthetic finishing.

Fig. 1

eine Anschlußvorrichtung, bei der das erfindungsgemäße Verfahren einsetzbar ist, teilweise im Längsschnitt und teilweise in einer seitlichen Ansicht;

Fig. 2

die Ausgestaltungsform gemäß Fig. 1 in einer Draufsicht;

Fig. 3

einen Heizkörper, insbesondere einen Plattenheizkörper, der mit einer wenigstens zum Teil erfindungsgemäß herstellbaren Vorrichtung versehen ist;

Fig. 4

einen Heizkörper mit einer erfindungsgemäß hergestellten Vorrichtung, die am unteren Ende des Heizkörpers vorgesehen ist;

Fig. 5

eine Seitenansicht eines Heizkörpers, bei dem das Verfahren gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung ebenfalls am unteren Abschnitt des Heizkörpers eingesetzt worden ist;

Fig. 6a

einen Ventilsitz der gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung herstellbar ist, in einem Längsschnitt;

Fig. 6b

einen Ventilsitz mit herkömmlichen Dichteinrichtungen gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 7a

ein Gehäuse, in welches ein Ventilsitz bzw. ein Ventil einsetzbar ist mit Anschlußstutzen, teilweise im Längsschnitt und teilweise in einer Draufsicht; und

Fig. 7b

einen Querschnitt durch ein Gehäuse gemäß Fig. 7a, wobei der Querschnitt die Öffnungen schneidet, durch die ein Ventilsitz, insbesondere der Ventilsitz gemäß den Fig. 6a, 6b hindurchgreifen kann.

The present invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of the subsequent description of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures. Further advantages and features according to the present invention are disclosed. Show it:

Fig. 1

a connection device in which the inventive method can be used, partly in longitudinal section and partly in a side view;

Fig. 2

the embodiment of Figure 1 in a plan view.

Fig. 3

a radiator, in particular a panel radiator, which is provided with a device which can be produced at least in part according to the invention;

Fig. 4

a radiator with a device according to the invention, which is provided at the lower end of the radiator;

Fig. 5

a side view of a radiator, in which the method according to the present invention has also been used on the lower portion of the radiator;

Fig. 6a

a valve seat which can be produced according to the present invention, in a longitudinal section;

Fig. 6b

a valve seat with conventional sealing devices according to the present invention;

Fig. 7a

a housing in which a valve seat or a valve can be inserted with connecting pieces, partly in longitudinal section and partly in a top view; and

Fig. 7b

a cross section through a housing according to FIG. 7a, the cross section intersecting the openings through which a valve seat, in particular the valve seat according to FIGS. 6a, 6b can pass.

In Fig. 1, the connection device which can be produced according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, in particular for the central connection of a radiator. The device 10 has an inlet 12 and a return 14, both of which are mounted or held in a mounting plate 24. Line sections 16, 18 are provided between the forward and return connections 12, 14 and the housings 20a, 20b connected thereto, which connect the respective housings to the respective forward and return connections 12, 14.

The line sections 16, 18 together have approximately the length that the radiator has, which is connected to the device 10 shown. Only the mounting distance, which is provided between the flow and return connection on the plate 24, can lead to the fact that the total length of the two line sections 16, 18 is shorter than the radiator to be connected, with the housing dimensions of the housings 20a, 20b and Any connecting pieces 22 for fitting a valve seat or a valve (see the following figures) with their dimensions can be significant.

In the present case, the housings 20a, 20b each have four openings. One of the first or second line sections is connected to an opening, for example by means of hard soldering, welding or by pressing. Two connecting pieces 24 are each provided on the housing 20a or on the housing 20b, via which the radiator is connected to the piping system, for example a central heating system or the like.

An assembly opening 22 is provided on the respective housings 20a, 20b opposite the respective outlet openings of the forward or return flow, which can directly accommodate a valve or a blind plug or the like, or can be designed to accommodate a valve seat or the like. A funnel-like device 21 can be provided within the housing 20a, 20b, such as a reducer in which a valve seat can be soldered, welded or pressed in, or at least adjusted, in particular.

A valve seat will therefore be necessary since sealing surfaces and particularly dimensionally stable line cross sections in the housings 20a, 20b can hardly be produced or can only be produced with increased effort. A valve seat to be used later can be manufactured far more cost-effectively, even if the assembly of the valve seat within the housing is still relatively complex.

2 shows the device according to FIG. 1 from a different perspective. Identical or functionally identical parts are represented by means of the same reference numbers. This also applies throughout to the following FIGS. 3 to 7b.

2, the shape of the mounting plate 24 can be seen from a different perspective, the mounting holes or mounting openings 24a in particular being recognizable. The housings 20a, 20b have connecting pieces 24, the free ends of which can be seen to have a particularly tapered section. Such a section is particularly suitable for an arc welding process, in which very high temperatures are briefly applied under high to very high contact pressure, which lead to welding, in particular without a visible weld seam occurring. It can also be seen that the cylinder-symmetrical axes of the line sections 16, 18, the mounting piece 22 and the connecting piece 24 lie in a plane spanned by their cylinder axes.

3 shows a heater 100a according to the invention with a device 10 according to the invention (see FIGS. 1 and 2). 3 can be shown in a plan view as well as in a view from below. In the present case, the heating element 100a has three heating plates 102 on. However, it is also possible to produce a corresponding heating element with only one heating plate, with two or with four or more heating plates 102. Any other type of radiator can also be equipped in a corresponding manner with a connection device 10 and thereby become the subject of the present invention.

The inlet connection 14 is connected to the housing 20a via the line section 18. A valve 104 is inserted or screwed tightly into the housing 20a directly or via a connecting piece (not shown). The housing 20a is connected to the heating plates 102 via the connecting piece 24.

On the other connection side, that is to say on the return side, the heating plates 102 in question are in turn fastened to the housing 20b via connecting pieces 24, a blind plug 108 being provided or screwed into the housing 20b. The housing 20b is connected to the return connection 12 via the line section 16.

A heat transfer medium which is introduced into the radiator via the inlet connection 14 flows along the line section 18 into the housing 20a and is inhibited in its flow in accordance with the closed or open position of the valve 104. The desired flow rate runs through the connecting pieces 24 into the heating plates at one end into the heating element, flows through the heating plates and is led out of the heating element 100a again via the connecting pieces 24 on the opposite side. The used or cooled heat transfer medium flows via the connecting piece 24 and the housing 20b and the line section 16 to the return connection 12 and back into the piping system adjacent to the connections 12, 14, for example a central heating piping system.

The third heating plate 102 is connected to the connecting device according to the invention via connecting pieces 25.

In the present case, the mounting plate 24 has a size which is matched to the radiator in such a way that the mounting plate can be fitted exactly between the welding edges of the heating plates. In this way, the mounting plate 24 is particularly suitable for cases in which the radiator should stand on the mounting plate 24.

However, as an alternative or in addition, the radiator can also be fastened to wall brackets or tripods or the like on the wall or on the floor of a room or building via stamped metal sheets (without reference numerals). Of course, a heater 100a can also be hung on the mounting plate 24 via its mounting holes.

The connection device shown has in particular the advantage that no inlets or outlets can be seen laterally on the heating element 100a. In addition, the inlets and outlets of a pipeline system of a central heating system or the like can be provided centrally or centrally in a radiator recess, and radiators which are arranged in the radiator recess are also, regardless of their size, always centrally in the recess, so that there is gives an aesthetically convincing impression. In addition, the housings 20a, 20b can be configured identically, so that a valve 104 or a blind plug 108 can be interchanged with one another in their mounting position without any problems, in order in this way to possibly mix up the installation of the heating piping system of a building, for example if and return have been exchanged to be able to compensate.

4 and 5, a heater 100b is shown, which with an inventive producible center connection is provided. The center connection device in the heating element 100b can be seen at the bottom. Otherwise, the components shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 correspond to the components according to FIGS. 1 to 3.

6a shows a valve seat as it can be arranged in a housing 20a, 20b, wherein the respective valve seat 50a or 50b (see FIG. 6b) can be inserted into the housing via the opening 22.

In principle, the valve seat 50a according to FIG. 6a has the inner and outer contours as are required to insert the valve seat into a housing 20a, 20b in the sealing position. In addition, the valve seat also has sealing surfaces which seal against a valve to be used.

In the case of the valve seat 50a, molded sealing surfaces 52 are provided which can be brought into sealing engagement, in particular with the free edges of the connection section 21 of a housing 20a (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, the valve seat 50a, in the opening 56 of which a corresponding valve can be inserted or screwed in, can come into sealing engagement with parts of the housing or the connecting section 21 or else the line section 18 or 16 via further injection-molded sealing surfaces 54a.

It is particularly advantageous if more complicated sections of a connecting piece are provided in the housing by injecting the connecting piece into the respective housing 20a, 20b. If the connection piece is at least partially injected into its associated housing, any tightness problems cannot arise from the outset. In addition, there is no complicated manufacture of a valve seat, the sealing surfaces and the flow openings of which allow only very small tolerances, on the one hand to ensure adequate tightness and on the other hand to allow a predetermined metering of the heat transfer medium through the valve seat, controlled by the valve seated in the valve seat 50a.

6b shows a valve seat 50b which corresponds in function to the valve seat 50a, but instead of the molded sealing surfaces 52a, 54a according to FIG. 6a, O-ring seals are provided in the O-ring grooves 52b, 54b. In this case, quite substantial parts of the valve seat 50b can nevertheless have been produced by means of plastic injection molding techniques.

If the seals 52a, 54a (see FIG. 6a) have been produced by plastic injection molding, mechanically stressed parts which have no sealing function can be produced by hard plastic, such as PVC or the like, while the sections 52a, 54a, should have a sealing function, can be made of a soft plastic, and any adhesion-promoting or transition layers can consist of a mixture of the hard and the soft plastic, optionally with additives. Furthermore, sealing surfaces can also be provided by rubber coating, vulcanization or the like.

In the case of an inexpensive production of such a connection piece or also with any other inner linings of pipeline or heating fittings or the like, spraying tools are preferably used which consist of movable elements and in this way also permit complicated structures, such as undercuts or the like. Such tools are known in principle to the person skilled in the art, but are not used in the heating sector due to various difficulties.

Of course, these techniques can be used to produce plastic in general in an advantageous manner instead of internal coatings or extrusions or additionally external contours of connection fittings or fittings. energy-intensive and environmentally harmful or toxic manufacturing steps can be eliminated.

7a, 7b show housings 20a, 20b with connecting pieces 24 and openings 22, 28 for a valve seat or for a respective line section 16, 18. A valve seat is fitted into the openings 22, 28, which because of the required control accuracy must have a very precise geometry which corresponds as closely as possible to the geometry of the valve to be fitted.

The features described lead in the combination shown, but in particular also in further expedient combinations, in particular to manufacturing advantages and thus also to cost advantages. In addition, enormous progress can be made with regard to the environmental compatibility of manufacturing technology. The aesthetic impression of a radiator connected in the center according to the invention can satisfy even higher aesthetic demands far better than the known connecting devices.

The advantages to be achieved according to the invention are based on a method for producing at least sections of line inserts and / or line claddings, preferably of radiator connection devices. In this case, a molding tool which has the desired contours can be positioned in a part to be sprayed out or around a part, in order to subsequently inject at least one plastic layer into the cavity or cavities between the mold and the part to be clad. After the plastic has at least partially hardened, the mold is removed, the injection mold or the injection mandrel having movable segments which are moved radially inward before the injection in order to insert the injection mandrel into the section and radially outwards after the insertion to be moved to form the injection mold, and then to fill the cavity.

In this case, a plurality of plastic layers are advantageously molded on.

Sections of a metallic material can also be injected.

At least two layers of a plastic material are preferred. injected. The plastic layers can be made of plastic of different hardness and optionally have an intermediate layer, in particular a transition layer between the two plastic layers.

At least one layer made of a soft plastic can be molded on in sealing areas.

Claims (6)

Process for the production of at least sections of line inserts and / or line cladding, preferably of radiator connection devices, wherein a molding tool, which has the desired contours, is positioned in a part to be sprayed or to be overmolded, and then in the cavity or cavities between the mold and inject at least one plastic layer into the part to be clad and remove the mold after the at least partial hardening of the plastic, the injection mold or the injection mandrel having movable segments which are moved radially inward before the injection in order to introduce the injection mandrel into the section, and, after insertion, be moved radially outward to form the injection mold to then fill the cavity. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that several plastic layers are injection molded. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that sections of a metallic material are also injected. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least two layers of a plastic material are injection molded, the plastic layers being of different hardness. Method according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that an intermediate layer, in particular a transition layer, is provided between the two or more plastic layers. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one layer of a soft plastic is injected, particularly in sealing areas.

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