GB2099103A

GB2099103A - Improvements in or relating to ducting for water pipes

Info

Publication number: GB2099103A
Application number: GB8211735A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: EGA HOLDINGS Ltd
Current assignee: EGA HOLDINGS Ltd
Priority date: 1981-05-06
Filing date: 1982-04-22
Publication date: 1982-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 2002-04-22
Also published as: GB2099103B

Abstract

A ducting for one or more water pipes comprises an elongate housing of substantially U-shaped cross- section and a closure for the housing. First and second resiliently deformable supports are provided to receive and support the water pipe or pipes therebetween and to be in a state of compression with such a pipe therebetween and the housing is closed by the closure. The resiliently deformable supports may be of a foamed plastics material and may be in the form of spaced pads or strips which are retained in place by the inherent resilience of the material or by being attached to the base of the housing and the interior face of the closure. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to ducting for water pipes This invention relates to improvements in ducting for water pipes and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with trunking for domestic hot water pipes and central heating pipes.

Hot water pipes used, for example, in dwellings and offices for supplying hot water and for central heating are not easy to mount in an unsightly way and attract dirt and dust which is difficult to remove. Such pipes are normally of relatively small diameter of 1/2 to 1 inch and are usually secured to the skirting board or the wall by spaced clips or brackets which embrace the pipes. Such pipes are not easy to insulate and also they move due to thermal expansion and contraction resulting in consequential stresses and noises.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ducting for water pipes, particularly pipes intended to convey hot water which shall be economic to manufacture, relatively easy to install and in which the disadvantages referred to above shall be materially reduced.

According to the present invention there is provided a ducting for one or more water pipes comprising an elongate housing having a substantially U-shaped cross-section capable of being secured to a wall or like support, a closure for the housing and first and second resiliently deformable supports disposed within the housing at least when the housing is closed by the closure and adapted to receive and support therebetween said one or more pipes extending in the direction of length of the housing when the housing is closed by the closure and to be in a state of compression when the one or more pipes are disposed therebetween and the housing is closed, The first and second resiliently deformable supports may each be a series of spaced pads of foamed plastics material and they may be freely insertable into and removable from the housing or be dimensioned to be retained therein under the inherent resilience of the material from which they are made or they may be attached, one to the base of the housing, and the other to the interior face of the closure, e.g., by an adhesive.

The ducting may be of any desired length and it is preferred that the resiliently deformable supports are of a corresponding length (although they may each be made up of several predetermined unit lengths or cut from a longer length) to provide continuous support for the pipe or pipes and thermal insulation therefor.

With advantage, the first and second resiliently deformable supports have a width substantially equal to that of the housing and a thickness such that in the absence of a pipe therebetween they occupy together not less than 80% of the depth of the housing.

The closure may be attached to the housing by a clipping action, either one or both of the housing or the closure being made of a resiliently deformable material, or by a sliding action, the housing being formed with beads at the extremity of the limits of the U-section and the closure having complementary re-entrant slo:s or grooves engageable therewith, The ducting of the present invention is particularly suitable for mounting pipes for central heating installations requiring two pipes, one for outward flow and one for return flow and it is accordingly a feature of the present invention to provide a ducting for a central heating installation comprising a substantially U-section housing capable of being secured to a wall or like support, first and second pads of resilient deformable foamed plastics material extending along the ducting with two pipes therebetween and a cover or closure engageable with the housing to close the housing and compress the first and second pads to support and thermally insulate the pipes.

The invention further extends to a method of mounting one or more pipes which comprises securing to a wall or like support a length of ducting of substantially U-shaped cross-section with a first length of resiliently deformable material therein, disposing the one or more pipes in the housing against the first length of material to extend lengthwise of the ducting, placing a second length of resiliently deformable material over the pipes and closing the housing with a cover or closure engageable therewith and operable to compress the first and second lengths of material when closing the housing.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a ducting according to the present invention incorporating two water pipes, Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line Il-I I of Fig.

1, and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig.2 without the water pipes.

The ducting of this embodiment of the invention is intended for mounting the pipes of a central heating installation in a clean, neat and efficient manner and can readily be used to install such an installation in existing premises. It comprises a U-shaped housing indicated generally at 1 which is conveniently of extruded plastics material which can readily be cut to a desired length. The housing is mounted on a skirting board, wall or like supporting surface by screws (not shown) passing through its base 2 and can, in fact, replace existing skirting boards. The side walls 3 of the housing 1 are inclined inwardly towards their free ends as at 3a and are formed at their extremities with longitudinally extending beads 4. Within the housing 1 are disposed two similar pads or strips or lengths 5 of resilient material which conveniently is a foamed plastics material. These lengths 5 are preferably of identical rectangular cross-section, and are strips of a length corresponding to that of the housing. The strips have a width corresponding to that of the housing 1 and a depth such that when disposed they occupy not less than 80",, of the depth of the housing 1. In the present example their depth or thickness is such that when superimposed one upon the other they fit just below the inclined part 3a of the side walls 3 so as to be retained thereby in the housing 1 (Fig. 3). The width of the strips 5 may, however, be greater than the interior width of the housing 1 so as to be retained therein by the inherent resilience of the material from which they are made.

A cover or closure 6 is provided for the housing, which is conveniently extruded and of the same material as the housing and which is formed at each of its longitudinal edges with a pair of longitudinally extending downwardly depending ribs 7 and 8 defining between each pair a reentrant slot dimensioned to receive one of the beads 4. Each outer rib 7 sits outside the corresponding inwardly inclined part 3a of the associated housing side wall 3 to give a substantially continuous and neat appearance thereto.

In use a length of housing is cut suitable for the purpose in view and is mounted on a skirting board or like supporting surface as by screws passing through the base 2. A corresponding length or strip of the foamed material 5 is cut and inserted in the housing against the base 2. Pipes 10 are then inserted in the housing against the inserted strip 5 to extend longitudinally in spaced relationship. The second strip 5 is then placed over the pipes 10 and the housing is closed by the cover 6 which may be slid along from one end with the beads 4 in the slots defined by the pairs of ribs 7 or 8. Alternatively, the resilience of the material of the cover 6 and the ribs 7 and 8 may be such that the cover can be pushed directly into place, the pairs of ribs 7 and 8 springing apart sufficiently to allow the corresponding bead 4 to be received in the associated re-entrant slot.

The presence of the pipes 10 in the housing causes the strips 5 to be compressed when the cover 6 is placed in position thereby affording a support for the pipes 10 and also providing thermal insulation. The limited expansion and contraction of the pipes 10 in use is readily accommodated by the resilience of the strips 5 of foamed material.

Although it is preferred that the strips 5 should extend for the length of the ducting, it will be appreciated that they could be replaced by pairs of pads of similar material at spaced intervals along the length of the ducting in which case one pad could be adhesively carried on the base 2 and the other on the inner face of the cover 6.

Claims

1. A ducting for one or more water pipes comprising an elongate housing having a substantially U-shaped cross-section capable of being secured to a wall or like support, a closure for the housing and first and second resiliently deformable supports disposed within the housing at least when the housing is closed by the closure and adapted to receive and support therebetween said one or more pipes extending in the direction of length of the housing when the housing is closed by the closure and to be in a state of compression when the one or more pipes are disposed therebetween and the housing is closed.

2. A ducting according to claim 1 in which the first and second resiliently deformable supports are in the form of a series of spaced pads of foamed plastics material.

3. A ducting according to claim 1 in which the first and second resiliently deformable supports are of a length corresponding to that of the housing.

4. A ducting according to claim 1 , 2 or 3 in which the first and second resiliently deformable supports are freely insertable into and removable from the housing.

5. A ducting according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the first and second resiliently deformable supports are dimensioned to be retained in the housing under the inherent resilience of the material from which they are made.

6. A ducting according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the first resilient support is attached to the base of the housing.

7. A ducting according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 6 in which the second resilient support is attached to the interior face of the closure.

8. A ducting according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and second resiliently deformable supports have a width substantially equal to that of the housing and a thickness such that in the absence of a pipe therebetween they occupy together not less than 80% of the depth of the housing.

9. A ducting according to any one of the preceding claims in which the housing is formed with beads at the extremity of the limits of the Usection and the closure is formed with complementary re-entry slots or grooves engageable with the beads by a clipping or sliding action.

10. A ducting according to claim 9 in which the side walls of the housing are inclined inwards towards their free ends on which the beads are formed and the depth of the first and second resiliently deformable members is such, in the absence of a pipe therebetween, that they extend in super-position from the floor of the channel to below the inwardly inclined parts of the side walls and are retained thereby in the housing.

11. A ducting according to any one of the preceding claims incorporating at least one water pipe extending longitudinally within the housing between the first and second resiliently deformable supports.

12. A ducting for one or more water pipes constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A central heating installation comprising a substantially U-section housing capable of being secured to a wall or like support, first and second pads of resilient deformable foamed plastics material extending along the ducting with two pipes therebetween and a cover or closure engageable with the housing to close the housing and compress the first and second pads to support and thermally insulate the pipes.

14. A method of mounting one or more pipes which comprises securing to a wall or like support a length of ducting of substantially U-shaped cross-section with a first length of resiliently deformable material therein, disposing the one or more pipes in the housing against the first length of material to extend lengthwise of the ducting, placing a second length of resiliently deformable material over the pipes and closing the housing with a cover or closure engageable therewith and operable to compress the first and second lengths of material when closing the housing.