GB2310701A

GB2310701A - Pipe protection from bursting by freezing

Info

Publication number: GB2310701A
Application number: GB9604392A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pali Rao
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-03-01
Filing date: 1996-03-01
Publication date: 1997-09-03
Also published as: GB9604392D0

Abstract

Pipes, e.g. water pipes (10A, 10B), are protected from the risk of bursting in freezing conditions by incorporating in their length one or more lengths of protective pipe (11) comprising an expandable outer sheath (12) e.g. of rubber or plastics. Preferably a perforated inner tube (13) is contained within sheath (12) to provide constructional strength; alternatively a series of longitudinal bars provide axial support. The sheath (12) may have a folded form and may have a protective and/or cosmetic cover.

Description

PIPE PROTECTION The present invention relates to a means of protecting pipes in freezing temperatures and in particular is concemed to prevent water pipes from bursting when the water they carry freezes.

Water pipes in both domestic and commercial arrangements are at risk of bursting in cold weather conditions, particularly when they are in exposed positions, e.g. lofts or passing through external walls. While the risk can be reduced by suitable lagging, this is not a complete solution to the problem and many homes and other properties suffer the damage and inconvenience caused by a burst pipe whenever freezing weather conditions are encountered.

It is an object of the invention to alleviate this problem.

Accordingly, the invention provides a length of protective pipe or tube to be coupled into a pipeline, the length of protective pipe comprising an expandable outer sheath that can expand to accommodate expansion of the medium within the pipeline.

The medium will normally be water and the invention will be more specifically described below with reference to water pipes, although it may have wider applicability with other fluids that expand on freezing.

Thus the length of protective pipe can expand transversely to its length under intemal pressure and thereby accommodate the expansion of water as it changes to ice within the pipe.

The length of protective pipe may be connected into, e.g., a domestic water supply pipeline to replace a corresponding length of the conventional pipeline and may be connected at each end to the conventional pipeline by suitable well-known connection means, the expandable outer sheath being clamped at its ends by the coupling to render a watertight connection between the different lengths of pipe.

Thus, for example, a length of domestic water supply piping in an exposed position may be completely replaced by a length of pipe of the present invention.

Altematively, a number of shorter lengths of the pipe of the invention may be inserted at intervals along a length of conventional piping, with particularly exposed locations being protected by the individual lengths of the invention.

The expandable outer sheath of the pipe of the invention may be made of any suitable material, e.g. flexible rubber or plastic material. It may expand when required, merely due to its elasticity or, alternatively or additionally, it may be of a construction, e.g. a folded construction, which can expand under pressure.

The flexible outer sheath preferably contains an inner tube to provide the desired structural strength and rigidity to the length of pipe. The inner tube must contain perforations to allow the water and ice as it forms to pass outwardly into contact with the outer sheath to cause expansion of the latter. Thus the inner tube may be of perforated metal or relatively rigid plastic material.

Altematively, the desired structural integrity may be provided by , for example, a longitudinally extending series of spaced bars, joined adjacent their respective ends by, e.g. a collar, to form in effect, the perforated inner tube.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation in part section of a pipeline including a length of protective pipe, according to the invention, in non-freezing conditions, and Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, showing the pipe when expansion has occurred owing to water freezing within the pipe.

In Figure 1, a conventional water pipe 10A, 10B has had a central section cut out and removed and replaced by a length of pipe 11 of the invention. Pipe 11 comprises an outer watertight sheath 12 surrounding an inner tube 13. Tube 13 has perforations 14 extending around its circumference and along its length.

Pipe 11 is sealingly connected at its ends via couplings 15A and 15B to pipe lengths 1 OA and lOB respectively.

As shown in Figure 1, water passes through the pipe in its normal configuration as shown by the arrows and flow is unhindered by the pipe of the invention.

In Figure 2, the water has frozen. The increase in volume caused by the formation of ice has forced the sheath 12 to expand outwardly to ovoid shape, the movement of water and ice now including travel outwardly through the apertures 14 as indicated by the arrows. Thus the pipe caters for the expansion without bursting.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown.

As indicated above, the expandable sheath may have a folded construction which expands on unfolding under internal pressure.

The inner tube in the unfrozen configuration may not be so closely confined within the outer sheath.

An outer protective and/or cosmetic cover may be provided over the outer sheath.

A visual and/or audible signal may be connected to the pipe to give a waming that it has been operated and expanded under freezing conditions.

The device of the invention is easy to install, requires little or no maintenance and can be readily replaced if necessary.

Claims

1. A length of protective pipe or tube to be coupled into a pipeline, the length of protective pipe comprising an expandable outer sheath that can expand to accommodate expansion of the medium within the pipeline.

2. A length of protective pipe according to Claim 1, which has connection means at each end to provide a leakproof connection to the pipeline.

3. A length of protective pipe according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the expandable outer sheath is of rubber or plastics material.

4. A length of protective pipe according to Claim 1,2 or 3, in which the expandable outer sheath has a folded construction which can expand under pressure.

5. A length of protective pipe according to any preceding Claim, in which the expandable outer sheath contains a perforated inner tube to provide structural strength to the length of pipe.

6. A length of protective pipe according to Claim 5, in which the inner tube is metal or rigid plastics material.

7. A length of protective pipe according to any preceding Claim, in which the perforated inner tube comprises a longitudinally-extending series of spaced bars joined at their respective ends.

8. A length of protective pipe according to any preceding Claim which is provided with an outer protective and/or cosmetic cover.

9. A length of protective pipe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. A water pipeline comprising one or more lengths of protective pipe according to any preceding Claim coupled into the pipeline.