FR2800724A1 - Drainage unit for flexible tube has vertical drum with top and bottom fastenings and guide on which tube is wound in spiral - Google Patents

Abstract

The drainage unit consists of a drum (1) with a vertical axis and top and bottom fastenings (3) and guides (4) which enable a tube (2) to be wound round it in regular spirals so that any liquids will automatically drain out. The drum can be mounted on a support which allows it to be tipped into a horizontal position for winding, and the drum itself can be in the form of a container for the liquid and equipped with a system for circulating a liquid through the tube, which can be connected to it by end couplings.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for draining flexible pipes. The pipes used for transferring liquids, in particular food liquids such as wine, require careful draining after use to avoid creating conditions favorable to the development of microorganisms harmful to the proper development or preservation of the product.

The most commonly used means for draining flexible hoses consist in placing them on sloping supports or in hanging them vertically for a sufficiently long time to arrive at complete drainage. These systems have the disadvantage of requiring a large size, in particular when the pipes reach great lengths.

The device according to the invention solves this problem. According to a first characteristic, it in fact comprises a support whose axis is vertical on which the pipe will be wound up in a regular helical winding. The slope required for drainage results from the arrangement of the spiral pipe around its support arranged vertically.

According to particular embodiments, the support, the geometric shape of which allows its rotation about an axis such as cylindrical, conical, frustoconical or pyramidal shapes; is used as a drum, driven manually or mechanically to allow the hose to be wound in juxtaposed turns as it rotates.

The winding can start from the bottom or from the top or take place on the drum whose axis is in a horizontal position and which will be straightened vertically to allow drainage.

 The spacing between the towers, which determines the slope necessary for drainage, can be organized by a system of guides fixed to the drum or formed from its material.

It is possible to make several superimposed rows so as to multiply the number of layers thereby increasing the system's storage capacity, especially in very long pipes.

The drum can be made up of several distinct elements such as bars or grids assembled or preformed or of a single closed part making it possible to constitute a reservoir that can contain a liquid.

One end of the pipe must be fixed by device on the drum so as to allow it to be driven by the last rotation.

The ends can be opened or connected to the interior volume of the drum by means of fittings at the bottom or top to allow the liquid circulation between the drum tank and the pipe or the static maintenance of this liquid at the same level in the drum and in the hose recovery of liquid resulting from drainage.

The tank can be fitted with valve systems to facilitate its emptying. The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. Figure 1 shows an exterior view of the invention. Figure 2 shows a section illustrating certain details. Figures 3 and 4 show variants of the invention.

With reference to these drawings, the device comprises a support assimilated to a drum (1) around its vertical axis around which the pipe (2) is wound. The support has groove-shaped means (3) for fixing the pipe (2) at its ends.

Depending on the diameter of the pipe (2), the winding can be guided by projections (4) arranged along the drum (1). These projections (4) can be added formed in the material of the drum (1); They can be limited to the first first turn from the side where the winding begins, or constitute several turns (Figure 2).

The chassis of the assembly (5) allows the drum (1) to tilt in the horizontal position (figure 4), and its return to the vertical position (figure 3).

The drum (1) can be hollow to form a reservoir that can contain a liquid.

Devices such as fittings (6) (7) make it possible to connect the drum (1) to the pipe (2) by one or the other of its ends or both.

The connections (6) (7) allow the circulation of a liquid between the drum (1) and the coiled pipe.

The dimensions of the drum (1) are not defined, they adapt to the section of the pipe (2) to be wound and to its length.

The material used for construction can be based on a metal such as steel or stainless steel, or other rigid materials such as plastics or resins.

The device for the invention is particularly intended for flexible pipes used in cellars and the wine industry.

Claims (8)

1) Device for draining flexible pipes, characterized in that it has an element around a vertical axis, constituting a drum (1) around which the pipe (2) to be drained is spirally wound. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the element has in its lower and upper parts, means (3) for fixing the ends of the pipe. 3) Device according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by the presence of fixed or formed guides on the drum for directing the pipe during its winding so as to ensure its arrangement in regular turns. 4) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the drum can be installed on a support (5) allowing its tilting in a horizontal position to allow the implementation of the winding in this position. 5) Device according to any one of claims characterized in that the drum constitutes a container capable of containing a liquid. 6) Device according to claim 5 characterized in that the drum is equipped with means for maintaining or circulating a liquid in the coiled pipes. 7) Device according to claim 6 characterized in that the coiled pipe can be connected to the drum in its lower part by means of a connector (6). 8) Device according to claims 5 and 6 characterized in that the coiled pipe can be connected to the drum in its upper part by means of a connector (7).