GB2209388A

GB2209388A - Central heating radiators

Info

Publication number: GB2209388A
Application number: GB8720853A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive Ward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-04
Filing date: 1987-09-04
Publication date: 1989-05-10
Also published as: GB8720853D0

Abstract

There is provided a corrugated sheet 10 of aluminium or aluminium alloy to the peaks of which are secured strip-form magnets 11. The magnets 11 hold the sheet 10 to a conventional central heating radiator 14 to improve its heat output for a given temperature of the circulating fluid. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO CENTRAL HEATING RADIATORS This invention concerns central heating radiators and more particularly concerns a device for increasing the heat output of a panel radiator for a given temperature of the heat exchange liquid in the radiator.

According to this invention, there is provided for a panel radiator a device comprising a metal sheet to which are secured a plurality of magnets whereby the sheet can be magnetically secured to a panel radiator.

According to a preferred feature of the invention said metal sheet is of corrugated form. The sheet is preferably made from aluminium or aluminium alloy.

According to another preferred feature of the invention the magnets are of strip form and extend lengthwise of the peaks of the corrugations. In preferred constructions a strip-form magnet extends along substantially the full length of each corrugation.

Preferably the magnets are secured to the inner faces of the peaks of the corrugations.

Strip-form magnets extending along substantially the full length of the respective corrugations are preferably secured to the sheet, by placing each magnet in a complementary groove in the sheet and compressing the peak of the corrugation laterally or otherwise deforming the metal about the groove to lock the magnet in the groove.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference by way of example to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an edgewise plan view of a device according to the invention, Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the device.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation on an enlarged scale of another form of device according to the invention, and Figure 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a device according to the invention attached to a conventional domestic central heating radiator 14 to improve its heat output for a given temperature of the circulating water.

The device comprises a corrugated sheet 10 of aluminium or aluminium alloy and magnetic strips 11 bonded by an adhesive 12 to the external surfaces of the corrugation peaks on one face of the sheet. The magnetic strips extend 11 along substantially the full length of the corrugations. The pitch of the corrugations is matched to the pitch of the surface corrugations of the radiator 14 to which the sheet is to be attached, and the height of the corrugations is preferably much greater than that of the surface corrugations in the radiator.

In use, the device is secured by the magnetic strips 11 to the rear surface of a conventional panel radiator 14, each corrugation extending vertically and the magnets engaging the bottoms of the corrugations of the radiator. heat is conducted from tne radiator 14 to the corrugated sheet 10 through the magnetic strips, and air passing upward by convection along both faces of the corrugated sheet is heated and passes into the ambient atmosphere, thus increasing the heat output of the radiator.

In a modified construction illustrated in Figure 2, the magnetic strips 11 are instead secured to the inner face of the peaks of the corrugated sheet, so that the aluminium is in direct contact with the radiator improving the heat flow into the corrugated sheet and ensuring that any deterioration of the adhesive 12 does not affect either the heat flow into the sheet or the security of the attachment of the sheet to the radiator.

The corrugated sheet may conveniently be made of thin metal enabling the sheet to be stretched or compressed to some extent to permit the pitch of the corrugations to be matched to the pitch of corrugations on the panel radiator to which the sheet is to be secured.

In a preferred form of construction illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, an elongate wide groove 18 is cut in the inner face of each peak of the corrugations in the aluminium sheet 10, a strip magnet 19 marginally less wide than the groove is placed in the groove and the sides of the groove are then compressed inward against the magnet, e.g. by a vice or other clamping device, to lock the magnet mechanically in the groove. Where the strip magnet comprises magnetic particles in a body of resinous material the security of the strip in the groove may be improved by heating the strip to soften it slightly prior to placing it in the groove and deforming the sides of the groove into intimate engagement with the edges of the strip.

In cases where the magnetic strength of the strip is adequate, and using strIps very slightly less wide than the internal faces of the peaks of the corrugations, each strip may be placed against the internal face of the associated peak and the peak of the corrugation then compressed laterally to grip the edges of the magnetic strip, thus avoiding the need to form the grooves.

Claims

1. A device for a panel radiator comprising a metal sheet to which are secured a plurality of magnets whereby the sheet can be magnetically secured to a panel radiator.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal sheet is of corrugated form.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said magnets are of strip-form and extend lengthwise of the peaks of the corrugations.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the magnets are secured to the inner faces of said peaks of the corrugations.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein at least some of the strip-form magnets extend along substantially the full length of the corrugations.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein each magnet is disposed in a complementary groove in the peak of the corrugation which is deformed about the magnet to retain the magnet in said groove.

7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sheet is made from aluminium or aluminium alloy.

8. A device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.