DE2258157C2 - Device for creating or maintaining ice surfaces - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for generating and maintaining ice surfaces according to the Preamble of claim 1.

Such a device is known from US Pat. No. 3,379,031. The individual elements of the known device are, as can be seen from the overall contents of the citation, of rigid construction. They have a size of 1.2 m - \ 2 m to 6.1 m * 6.1 m. In the known device, the plastic cooling pipes are arranged in a meandering shape in the elements, the pipes of all the elements forming a single circuit through which the cooling liquid flows one after the other. The diameter of the

in the longitudinal direction of the mats (M, Ai-1, M-2... M-7) 20 cooling pipes extends in the range from 1.2 to approximately, an inside diameter between 7.5 cm. Due to this design, the individual elements can have 3.18 mm to 9.53 mm, and the fact that the length elements can not be a multiple of a certain length over the mats (M, Af-I ₁ M-2 ... M-7) step without bringing transport problems with it, their width is therefore the object of the invention, the

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized to improve 25 known device to the effect that mhnot HaR h; m; «» ii; ";-" a ^ n "": ui "" v .. "> _mre elements are executed much longer

can without causing transport problems.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features characterizing patent claim 1. The inventive solution is a device for generating or maintaining Ice surfaces created, the individual prefabricated elements of which can be produced in practically any length and can be rolled up for transport. The together

shows that the center lines of the flexible plastic pipes (T) are spaced from one another on average 12.7 mm to 38.1 mm.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of the cooling liquid supply and return head lines (15, 16; 21, 25; 90, 93, 98, 100) approximately equal to the width of the mats (M, Af-I, Af -2 ... M-7) , and that the KO; -lines in turn are connected to the main supply and main return head lines (11, 13, 23, 27, 87, 88) near the ice surface.

4. Device according to one of claims i to 3, characterized in that the plastic pipes (T) consist of ethylene vinyl acetate.

rollability is due to the small diameter of the flexible plastic pipes and the special Arrangement of the headers, between which the cooling pipes are arranged, guaranteed. the Production of the rollable according to the invention

5. Device according to one of claims 2 or 40 Ren mats in the factory, each with kuhliquidszu-3, characterized in that the holding devices lead and return head lines allow the gene (S) along the length of the mat to the initial cost of the device to drastically lower the devices that are known across the mats (M, Af-I, Af-2 ... Af-7). As for bek ^en · voted rink size due to the length of the inventions

6. Device according to one of claims 2 or 45 elements according to the invention fewer such elements 3, characterized in that the holding devices are required, is also the initial assembly or the

Replacing individual elements is much easier and cheaper. It also enables the inventive Device that much smaller headers

gene (77) hold the plastic tubing (T) in an X-shaped grid arrangement. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5,

characterized in that a cooling medium is used in the plastic pipe 50, since a much smaller liquid line contains a cooling medium which is required by volume, which is an additional saving

of means that all valves and spacers are only about '/ ίο the size that according to the state of the art

ner cooling device to a temperature - 12.2 ° C or less is cooled 8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the temperature difference between the low temperature of the cooling medium in the supply and return head lines is at least 8.3 ° C and preferably more and that the direction of flow of the cooling medium is opposite in adjacent cooling pipes

9. Device according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the plastic pipelines are required in pairs (T, T) in the same direction genik. This advantage is related to another very important advantage of the invention, which is that, due to the small diameter of the cooling pipelines, there is a significantly higher temperature difference of the order of magnitude between the supply and return temperatures of the cooling medium

Can consist of 7 to ITC, making a substantial better utilization of the cold content of the cooling medium is possible. This makes it possible with an essential get by with a smaller amount of cooling medium than the known devices. This can also

extend and that the cooling medium in the two 65 the energy to be applied for the circulation of the cooling

Significantly reduce the cooling pipes of a pair of opposite media.

flows, whereby the large temperature difference The elements according to the invention have a

between the infeed and the return, length is many times greater than width. For example is a

flexible element that extends the length of an ice rink full size, generally 61 m long and 1.20 m wide In the event that the flexible Extending element transverse to such a web, the mat is generally 26 meters long and 1.20 meters wide The pipelines are arranged so that both the supply and return headers are on the same At the end of a 26 m element, for everyone in the Element containing pipelines.

In the case of elements that extend in the longitudinal direction of an ice rink, the flexible plastic pipes small diameter arranged so that they are closely spaced along the length of the element and run parallel to each other, the ends of the pipes being connected so that supply and return headers are at opposite ends of the element. The direction of the liquid flow takes place in the opposite direction in closely spaced pipelines to a to produce a uniform cooling effect in the ice, despite the temperature difference of 7 to 11 ° C, whereby the surface temperature of the ice is kept as uniform as possible. Confessional facilities in the transverse direction to the axis of the small plastic pipelines are arranged so that the Plastic tubes are arranged in a grid shape.

Service headers each about the width of the element in length are so arranged that all pipelines are supplied with cold cooling medium, and are in a similar manner Return headers arranged to receive the cooling medium after it has passed through the tubes is

The flexible elements according to the invention can be manufactured and assembled in a factory, a mass production technique can be applied. With preferred execution forms the elements are made with plastic tubes made of ethylene vinyl acetate. Fasteners that are perpendicular run to the direction of the axes of the pipelines, bring the pipelines into a grid-like shape. After assembly with their headers, the pipe elements can be easily transported rolled up and brought to the point where the ice rink is to be set up. The ice surface will formed at a height above the ground in an approximately rectangular area, preferably one Isolation layer separates the flexible element from the floor. Numerous elements, each consisting of a multitude of plastic pipes, which are arranged in a grid-like shape, are placed on a rectangular Area that will form the ice surface.

Embodiments of the invention and its configurations are shown in the drawing and in the following described in more detail. It shows

Fig. 1 is an overall view of an ice surface, in which a plurality of flexible tube mats, the flexible Have plastic pipes of small diameter, extend in the longitudinal direction of the ice surface and in a grid that covers the entire surface, the tubes being a liquid contain low temperature,

F i g. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the flexible ones Mats of the system shown in Fig. I, this particular flexible tube mat in the longitudinal direction to the ice surface of FIG. 1 can be placed,

F i g. 3 and 4 holding devices for fastening the pipelines in close proximity and parallel to one another, to hold the tubes in a reticulated arrangement; wherein the F i g. 3 is an enlarged partial section along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2 and F i g. 4 a partial section along line 5-5 in FIG. 3 is

Fig. 5 is a plan view on the same scale as F i g. 2 on part of a flexible mat that uses a different type of attachment to secure the To keep tubes of the mat in the mesh arrangement,

F i g. 6 is a plan view similar to FIG. 2, in which the flexible mat has four headers and a pair of small-diameter pipes are disposed adjacent to each other with the cooling medium flowing therein in opposite directions
F i g. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional and top plan views of retaining means for securing the pairs of adjacent tubes to one another and for securing those tubes in a lattice arrangement as shown in FIG. 4 is shown where F i g. Figure 7 is a partial section along line 8-8 in Figure 6 and Figure 7. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, which shows another embodiment of the holding devices,

F i g. 9 is an overall top view of an ice surface, with a plurality of flexible mats running in the transverse direction of the ice rink and connected to one another in a grid that covers the entire surface;

Fig. 1, 11, 12 and 13 are detailed plan views of embodiments of the flexible mats, essentially similar to Fig. 9, with two head lines being provided as shown in Fig to achieve the uniform cooling effect in the ice above the mats; and
F i g. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the ice surface.

Like numbers mean like parts.

F i g. 1 shows a device for creating or maintaining ice surfaces. Ethylene Glyco! or another cooling medium, such as. B. methyl alcohol (or ethylene glycol or some water-diluted methyl alcohol), cooled to a temperature of no more than -12 ° C and preferably -15 ° C or lower, is fed through pipes 11 and 13 in headers on opposite ends of the ice surface pumped. The individual head lines 15 are arranged to supply each of the individual flexible mats M. Such mats M can, as shown, be about 60 m long and 1.20 m wide in order to extend in the longitudinal direction below the ice rink. Typically there are about 21 such mats, side on

so side are laid down, like strips of carpeting, around the entire area below the ice skating surface to cover an ice rink.

As in Fig. 2, the coolant flows from the coupling 15 through the individual flexible plastic pipes T with a small diameter to a return head line 21, in which the coolant is whirled through to flow via the line 23 (FIG. 1) to be returned to before: there to the Kühlsiation 30. At the same time, coolant flows down from the head line 16 through individual tubes 7 * to a return head line 25, in which it is collected and then returned to the cooling station 30 by means of a line 27. The temperature of the cooling medium ii: the return lines 23 and 27 is about -4 ⁰ C at typical operating conditions. As the cooling medium is guided through the closely spaced tubes Tder M in opposite directions through successive tubes, the coldest medium lies in

near the inlet end of each tube T near the least cold medium near the outlet end of the adjacent tubes T. The intermediate temperature medium in each tube T is close to the medium at intermediate temperatures in the adjacent tubes T. The result is substantially uniform Temperature along the ice surface.

The flow of liquid in the other flexible mats 17, 18, 19, and in the others shown in FIG Mats works in essentially the same way.

In the case of the cooling station 30 shown in FIG. 1, the return line 23 combines with the other return line 27 in order to form a single return pipe 31 which leads to a tank 33. The cooling medium runs from the tank 33 through a cooler 35 in order to bring the temperature to a value which is not greater than −12 ° C., and preferably to approximately −15 ° C. or lower, and is again 7llriirlf in Hip 7llfllhrlfMtlinCTi »n 11 linH 11 apniimnt

F i g. Fig. 2 shows in greater detail the headers and the tubes 7 of a mat M as they are in fig The system of Fig. 1 is used. In this embodiment, in which the flexible mats in the longitudinal direction Extending across the ice rink, the mat is approximately four feet wide and approximately sixty feet long, and each of the headers 15, 16, 21 and 25 are approximately four feet long. The short connecting lines 12, 14, 20 and 26 are with Centers of respective headers 15, 16, 21 and 25 via T-shaped connectors 61 connected. The connecting lines 12 and 26 lead to the main headers 11 and 27 shown in FIG. 1 and connecting lines 14 and 20 lead to main headers 13 and 23, respectively.

While most of the tubes T, as shown in FIG. 2, extending over the entire surface of the flexible mat M at a narrow distance and parallel to one another, a few of the tubes in the connection areas 68 and 69 are shifted a small distance from their center line at their ends to allow space for corresponding connection pieces 61 to create the midpoints of the headers. A preferred center-to-center spacing is about 1.9 cm for tubes that have an inside diameter of about 4.8 mm.

As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the various tubes Tin are kept closely spaced and parallel to one another by using support means S including strip-shaped spacers 70 arranged transversely of the axis of the tubes T. F i g. 3 and 4 show in greater detail the construction of the fastening device 5. The holding device S comprises a reinforcement wire 72 which runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the parallel tubes. The reinforcement wire 72 and the individual tubes T are held by means of spacers 70 which, of course, are not held by water may be influenced. The spacers 70 consist of an upper woven glass fiber fabric strip 74 which is arranged to bend up and down to surround and encircle the tubes and a lower woven glass fiber fabric strip 75 which lies underneath and which contains the reinforcement wire 72 upper and lower strips 74 and 75 are placed together with wire 72, they form a grid fuse structure as in FIG. 3 shown

The flexible mats M can easily be prefabricated in a factory, rolled onto a roll and taken to the construction site, where they are connected together to form the grid system. As shown in Fig .: the first pipe 51 on the left side is connected to the supply header 15 and the return header 21. The second pipe 52 is connected to the supply header 16 and the return header 25 to the verbun. The subsequent pipes, which are shown in FIG. 2 are similarly connected so that the direction of the coolant in each tube is opposite to the direction of the coolant in each immediate;

ίο adjacent pipe. Then the spacers are 70, which run transversely to the pipe axis, are installed at predetermined intervals in order to accommodate the pipes for a grid like network. When this is finished, the headers and their pipes can easily be inserted into a ( Roll up and transported to the construction site.

In Fig. 5 is another embodiment of the flexi

blen mat MI shown. In this case the tubes j are bent slightly towards each other and away from each other in order to form a! 2 "™! Ic.hes X Ne!? ~ £ v, 'cbc of the tubes Di; the arrangement of the tubes Γ with respect to the head lines is essentially the same as that described in connection with Figure 2, therefore only the headers 15, 25 are shown at one end of the mat MI, clips 77 of non-corrosive metal or plastic are spaced at regular intervals along the length of tubes Γ, which encircle two adjacent parts of the tubes to hold the tubes together up. I to form an elongated X-lattice structure The coolant flows in opposite directions through the successive tubes T.

6 shows a further embodiment M-2 of the flexible mats. As indicated above, coolant flows from supply headers 15 and 16 through tubes T and to the respective return headers 21 and 25. Because of the configuration of the headers, coolant flows through tubes 78 and 79. B. in an opposite direction to the direction of the liquid in the respective adjacent tubes 80 and 81. Accordingly, coolant flows over the entire mat M-2 in respective immediately adjacent pairs of tubes in the opposite direction.

The F i g. 7 and 8 illustrate more clearly the configuration of the holding devices 5. In FIG. 7 it can be seen that glass fiber fabric strips 82 have been used as spacer strips, and a plurality of fastening elements 83 penetrate the spacer strip. The two legs 84 of each fastener are inserted between the pair of tubes and bent around them so as to hold the tubes in place and together to form pairs. A top view of the retainer S is shown in FIG. 8, in which one can see the strip 82 penetrated by the bronze or brass fasteners and holding the pair of tubes T in place. FIG. 8 shows another embodiment MZ of the mat with a different holding device 5 for fastening the tubes in an arrangement which is similar to that in FIG. In Fig . 8, the upper strip 74 and the lower strip 75 comprise the pair of tubes T arranged adjacent to each other. To further strengthen the lattice structure, reinforcement wire 72 was wrapped between the strips that extend transversely of the tubes. This wire 72 serves to provide transverse rigidity to the lattice-like construction of mat M-3 to keep the pairs of tubes spaced from one another as shown while allowing them to

make to roll up the mat lengthwise without this being obstructed by the stiff wires.

Fig. ') Shows a system including a transverse grid pattern which differs from those discussed above. While the ice rink in FIG. 9 has essentially the same dimensions, the flexible mats MA now run transversely over the shorter width of the ice rink instead of in the longitudinal direction of the track. This particular construction allows the coolant to travel the width of the ice rink twice (once across and once across), making it possible to use only two headers, one for supply and one for return.

As in Fig. 9, the apparatus includes a supply line 85 and a return line 86 which contain the Receives refrigerant after it has passed through the system and takes it to the freezer station 30 for one Brings back recirculation. The line 85 is with eiiici nuupikupiieiiuiig 57 connected and delivers fluid to the various feed header lines in the mats Λ - / - 4, while the return line 86 with a Main return head 88 is connected.

10.11, 12 and 13 show more clearly the particular constructions of the transversely arranged mats which can be used in the system shown in FIG. 9 is shown. In FIG. 10, the supply header 90 is connected to the main header 87 via a connector 61 and a connector 91. The liquid runs through the feed head line 30 90 into the tubes T. and because of the U-bend 92 in the MiU .: the cooling medium flows in each tube! (in the tubes) across the full width of the rink and returns as shown by the arrows. This flow path enables liquid in the system to flow in opposite directions in adjacent pipe sections in order to ensure uniformity of the cooling effect in fjpni E's vii ΛΓ ^ ιισρη w! ** ^{c /} * h * "* r! ^Ä i *! * * utert wiifiis The 00 verbund ** ™ is return head line 93 is connected to the main 40 head line 88 via the connector 61 and the short connecting line 94.

The holding devices 5, F i g. 10, for the tubes Tin of the mat MA are the same as the holding devices shown in FIGS. 2,3 and 4 was shown. It has been found that the mats can be conveniently and easily handled if the holding means comprise 5 strips of glass fiber fabric which are approximately 13 cm wide and 15 to 46 cm apart in the longitudinal direction of the mat.

F i g. 11 shows another embodiment of a transverse mat M-5. This mat M-5 is arranged in a grid pattern similar to that of the mat M-I, which comes with Referring to Fig. 5, but the mat M-5 also uses the same principles as shown in FIG Fig. 10 were shown, wherein a U-bend 92 in the center of each tube Tes enables the Liquid traverses the full width of the ice surface once and returns before it is removed from the reflux overhead line 93 to be returned to the cooling station.

In FIG. 12 there is shown another embodiment of a transverse mat M-6, similar to the mat M-2 shown in FIG. 6 is shown. This mat M-6 can, with reference to the one shown in FIG. 9 can be used.

The first and second halves of each tube T are held together with a retainer seng, shown as spacer strips 82 with fasteners 83 similar to those described with reference to FIGS. 7 were described.

Fig. 13 shows a mat embodiment M-7 with a coolant flow configuration which is particularly suitable for use within a very small ice rink. Jed ^ · the in F i g. 13 pipelines T shown crosses below the ice, turns back, crosses in the other direction below the ice, turns back and crosses again and turns again, etc.

The uniform cooling effect is increased by the fact that the pipes are arranged in such a way that that each pair is arranged as a set 96. The two pipes of each set overlap and alternate with the other piping in the set and the coolant flows in opposite directions in the two pipes of each set. The passage of the liquid in the pipelines in opposite directions in turn allow for a compensation of the cooling effect, as uniform as possible above the surface of the ice.

The details of the mats M-7 are shown in Fig. 13, in which the coolant through a short line 91 and a connector 61 and through a head line 98 is fed. At the first flow through the pipe 99 at the bottom of FIG. 13 the coolant flows to point 101, from where it is returned via a U-shaped line section in a direction which is opposite to the first direction, and returns to point 102 where it is again salvaged becomes to point 103, and from this point 103 it is again led back to a fourth crossing to point 104. It is then, as shown in Fi g. 13 is returned for a further four times by adding it to the U-shaped pipe sections 105, 106, 107 runs to point 108, after which it connects to the return head pipe

the coolant in the conduit 99 in a direction opposite to that of the coolant in one Pipeline 109 immediately adjacent to and alternating with pipeline 99.

The flexible pipes, as shown in Fig. 1 or F i g. 9, have main headers 11, 13, 23, 27 or 87 or 88 with an inner diameter of approximately 5 cm, while the other headers in the mats M, MI, M-2, M-3, M-4 , M-5, M-6 and M-7, which supply and receive the coolant directly to and from the tubes T in the mats, themselves have an internal diameter of approximately 1.9 cm. The plastic tubes of the mat have an average inner diameter of 4.8 mm. When the tubing is installed, the end of the tubing is expanded from a normal internal diameter of 4.8mm to an internal diameter of 6.4mm to fit the fittings. The pipe is then attached to the head pieces by means of small spring clips 122 which enclose the end part of the pipe surrounding the connecting piece 120.

The flexible plastic pipes Γ have an inner Diameter, which is between 3.2 and 9.5 mm Of course, tubes with an oval inner cross-section can also be used. Hence relates The term "inner diameter" also applies generally to oval tubes that have an average have an inner diameter between 3.2 and 9.5 mm.

It is not necessary that a protective layer 53 be made

Sand or other protective material is used provided that the rink operator is careful and maintains an unbroken surface of ice above the otherwise bare tube assembly.

The best results have been found when ethylene vinyl acetate is the preferred material from which the tubes T for the flexible mats are made. It has been noted that ethylene vinyl acetate is inert to Cooling liquids, such as B. ethylene glycol or methyl alcohol, and that it has good temperature properties and that it remains elastic at low temperatures (up to - 15 ° C to - 18 ° C). Continue to do this Elasticity allows the tubes to be pulled over the connectors 120. Furthermore it was found that ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is preferable to polyethylene because EVA has better temperature properties has, d. H. it does not become brittle and it has a higher degree of ductility compared to Polyethylene. Therefore, the diameter of the pipe advantageously reduces the expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. For example, the mat can be put down in the fall when the temperature is around 16 ° C, and then the pipe assembly goes to -15 ° C or cooled below by means of the coolant.

In general, it has been found that optimal results are obtained from the invention when the spacing of the tubes is such that the distance between the tubes T is less than the thickness of the ice.

Fig. 14 shows the cooling effect when the tubes are arranged in adjacent pairs as in the mats M-2 in Fig. 6 and Λ / -6 in FIG. 12 is shown. The pipe pairs are spaced apart by a suitable distance 2D and therefore the mean distance per pipe is approximately D. It can be seen that the distances 127 from points N to the corresponding pairs of pipes is not much greater than the distance! 28 from points O. Therefore, a substantially uniform cooling effect is achieved on the surface of the ice.

It has been found that while the present invention is only one-tenth the volume of a conventional system for an ice rink of the same size, better cooling and ice quality is achieved by placing a much larger number of very small diameter tubes very closely together be used with a very cold coolant. The inlet and outlet temperatures of the coolant are approximately -15 ° C and -3.9 ° C, respectively. However, inlet and outlet temperatures of -20.5 ⁰ C and advantageously be used -3.9 ° C can.

In addition 8 sheets of drawings
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60

65

Claims (1)

Patent claims: 1. Device for generating or maintaining ice surfaces, with a cooling device for cooling a cooling liquid, with cooling liquid supply and return lines made of plastic, to which plastic cooling pipes are connected in the area of the ice surface, the plastic cooling pipes as prefabricated transportable, laterally are or endwise to each other formed connectable elements and held by means of holding devices, characterized in that for the formation of flexible, roll-up tube mats (M, Af-I, AF-2 ... M-7) of the elements of the plastic cooling pipes (T ) are flexible, between a cooling liquid feed head line (15, 16, 90, 98) and a cooling liquid return head line (21, 25, 93,100), cooling medium in the two cooling pipes of each pair is balanced in a grid-like manner.