IES980147A2 - Improvements in or relating to a radiator - Google Patents

Abstract

A radiator panel (10) has a first pot (11) and a second port (12). Third (13) and fourth (14) ports may also be provided. A first conduit or pipe (21) provides direct communication between the first port (11) and the second port (12). <Fig. 1>

Description

This invention relates to a radiator. In particular, it relates to a radiator of the kind in which there are at least two ports located on the same side of the radiator, one being located at the top and the other being located at the bottom.

In the knowri^s^diator, the bottom port is usually connected by a Suitable valve to the return pipe of a central heating system; the top port, therefore, is connected to the flow pipe of the heating system. tvt OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION A difficulty associated with this known type of radiator is that it is unsuitable for use with a so-called dual entry valve. A dual entry valve is a well-known valve capable of having the flow pipe and the return pipe of the central heating system connected to it. The valve has well-known means for ensuring that the two streams of fluid, flow and return, are prevented from intermixing in the valve. Because such a valve requires a radiator in which there is but a single connector, usually located centrally on the lower side of the radiator, it is not possible, heretofore, to provide interchangeability of radiator types. Thus, where a central heating system is designed for the dual entry valve, the single connector embracing the flow and return ports is located centrally of the radiator and the flow and return pipes of the central heating system are located closely adjacent each other; whereas, in a radiator of the two port type, although the flow and return pipes may be - 2 080147 located closely adjacent each other, the radiator is unsuitable for use with a dual entry valve.

In addition, it is necessary for manufacturers to manufacture both types of radiator and stockists to stock them thus leading to high costs which is undesirable.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems .

The inventioit^therefore, provides a radiator panel having at least a Xirst port and a second port located on the same side or edge of the panel; the first port being located at or near the bottom of the radiator; the second port being located at or near the top of the radiator; and wherein there is provided a first conduit or pipe which provides for direct fluid communication between the first port and the second port.

Preferably, the radiator panel also has a third port and a fourth port in respective corresponding location to the first port and the second port but on the opposite side of the panel and wherein a second conduit or pipe provides for direct fluid communication between the third port and the fourth port.

Preferably, the first port is an inlet port and is connectable to the flow pipe of a central heating system the mouth of which port is sideways facing relative to the panel so that in use, at least that part of the flow pipe which defines the mouth of the pipe may be offered horizontally to the inlet port. - 3 980147 Preferably, the first port is an inlet port and connectable to the flow pipe of a central heating system the mouth of which port is downwards facing relative to the panel radiator so that in use, at least that part of the flow pipe which defines the mouth of the pipe may be offered transversely to the inlet port.

Preferably, the first port is an inlet port having two mouths, one of which is sideways facing, the other of which is downwards facing.

Preferably, third port is an inlet port and is connectable to the fSQw pipe of a central heating system the mouth of which port is sideways facing relative to the panel radiator so that in use, at least that part of the flow pipe which defines the mouth of the pipe may be offered horizontally to the inlet port.

Preferably, the third port is an inlet port and connectable to the flow pipe of a central heating system the mouth of which port is downwards facing relative to the panel so that in use, at least that part of the flow pipe which defines the mouth of the pipe may be offered transversely to the inlet port.

Preferably, the third port is an inlet port having two mouths, one of which is sideways facing, the other of which is downwards facing.

The invention will be understood in greater detail from the description of a preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a panel radiator according to the invention connected via a downwards facing port thereof to a dual entry valve; 980147 Figure 2 is a rear elevation of a panel radiator according to the invention connected via a horizontally facing port thereof to a dual entry valve; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a known dual entry valve and a known injector device for use with the panel radiator according to the invention; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the radiator panel and dual entry valve of Figure 1 of the drawings; Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of a panel radiator according to the invention coupled to a dual entry valve; Figure 6 is a si<5^ elevation of a radiator panel according to the invention; Figure 7 is an enlarged view of part of a radiator panel having both side and downward entryports and coupled to a dual entry valve; Figure 8 is a perspective view of an alternative injector device for use with the panel radiator according to the invention; and Figure 9 is a plan view of the device of Figure 8 taken along the line IX thereof and viewed in the direction of the associated arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1, there is shown a panel radiator 10 according to the invention which comprise four ports 11, 12, 13 and 14. The ports 11 and 12 are in direct fluid communication by virtue of a first conduit or pipe 21. Similarly, the ports 13 and 14 are in direct fluid communication by virtue of a second conduit or pipe 22. The pipes 21,22 are located at the rear of the panel radiator 10. - 5 A central heating system will provided two pipes, a flow pipe and a return pipe.

In Figure 3 of the drawings, there is shown a conventional and known dual entry valve 50. The valve has a flow inlet port 51, a flow outlet port 52; a return inlet port 53 and a return outlet port 54. The valve mechanism 55 controls the flow of water between the flow inlet port 51 and the flow outlet port 52. A conduit 56 enables water to flow directly from the flow inlet port 51 to the return outlet port 54 in the event that the valve mecbraQ^sm 55 has closed the flow of water between the flow Xilet port 51 and the flow outlet port 52.

As will be observed the flow outlet port 52 and the return inlet port 53 are embraced in a single connection 57. The use of the known valve 50 with a known panel radiator specifically designed for connection to such a valve 50 presents no problems. It is when it is desired to use the valve 50 on a 2- or 4-port radiator panel 10 is the present invention particularly useful. Thus, the single connection 57 is connected to the port 11 (or port 14) via a known injector device 60 interposed between the ports 52, 53 and the port 11. The device 60 has a chamber 63 divided by a wall 64 to provide two sub-chambers 65,66. One of the chambers 65 is in fluid communication with a first inlet port 61 and a first outlet port 71; the other chamber 66 is in fluid communication with a second inlet port 62 and a second outlet port 72. - 6 8801*7 As will be observed in Figure 3, the chamber 65 of the device 60 is somewhat larger than the chamber 66 in that the former embraces a conduit part 67 which terminates in the first outlet port 71.

In order to use the radiator 10 with the valve 50 and injection device 60, reference should be made in particular to Figure 1 of the drawings.

First, the injector device 60 is inserted into the port 11 so that the conduit part 67 is inserted into the pipe 21. -faa^t, the valve 50 is mated with the injector device 60 so tffcit the following pertains : (a) the flow outlet port 52 and the first inlet port 61 are in fluid communication; (b) the return inlet port 53 and the second outlet port 72 are in fluid communication; (c) the first outlet port 71 is in fluid communication with the pipe 21; and the internal cavity of the radiator panel radiator 10 is in fluid communication with the second inlet port 62.

When the flow inlet port 51 is connected to the flow pipe (not shown) of a central heating system and the return outlet port 54 is connected to the return pipe (not shown) of a central heating system, the flow stream of the central heating system enters the internal cavity of the panel radiator 10 at the port 12 via the following route viz. flow inlet port 51; flow outlet port 52; first inlet port 61; chamber 65; conduit port 67; first outlet port 71; first pipe 21; and port 12. To ensure that the first inlet port 61 is only in fluid communication with the flow outlet port 52, the device 60 may be provided with a downwardly 980 U7 directly projection which engages with the internal wall 58 of the valve 50 which wall 58 provides a barrier between the flow outlet port 52 and the return inlet port 53.

When the return outlet port 54 is connected to the return pipe of the central heating system, the return stream from the internal cavity of the radiator panel 10 enters the chamber 66 via the second inlet port 62. Subsequently, the return flow exits the chamber 66 via the second outlet port 72, into the valve 50 via the retnx^i inlet port 53 and then to exit the valve 50 via the ret^irn outlet port 54 and into the flow return pipe.

Should the ports 13,14 rather than the ports 11,12 be required for connection, the same connection details as described above are employed except one should substitute the port 14,13 for the ports 11,12 respectively in the description and the pipe 22 is used in place of the pipe 21.

In the event that the radiator panel 10 has only a side entry facility for the ports 11,14 as distinct from a bottom entry only facility as described above, then the pipe 21a (or 22a) has a slightly different geometry. Whereas in the case described above and shown in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings, the pipe 21 (or 22) is a straight conduit without bends so as to accommodate the conduit port of the device 60, the pipe 21a (or 22a) of Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings has a right angle bend at each end so as to accommodate the horizontally disposed conduit port 67. In addition, a different construction is given to the device 60 as will be observed from Figure 8 of the drawings and which will be described here. - 8 980147 In Figure 8 of the drawings and in place of the device 60, there is provided a device 60a. Using equivalent numbering with respect to the device 60a as was used with respect to the device 60 except for the suffix 'a' in each case, the device 60a has a chamber 63a which is divided into sub-chambers 65a,66a. One of the chambers 65a is in fluid communication with a first inlet port 61a and the first outlet port 71a; the other chamber 66a is in fluid communication with the second inlet port 62a and the second outlet port 72a. The chamber 65a is in fluid communication with the conduit part 67a which terntiQ^tes in the first outlet port 71a. As will be observed, thS^conduit part 67a is, in the main, housed within the sub-chamber 66a and projects a distance therefrom to allow for positive engagement and insertion into the pipe 21a (or 22a). Otherwise, the device 60a performs exactly the same function as the device 60 except that due to the right angle bend in the device 60a, it may be used for horizontally disposed ports 11 or 14.

Of course, the device 60 could be used in horizontally disposed ports 11 and 14 as shown in Figure 2 but in that event, the disposition of the valve 50 would be somewhat different and additional pipe work in the from of right-angled connections might be required in order to connect the port 51,54 to the central heating system.

With particular reference to Figure 7 of the drawings, it will be observed that, for example, the port 11 may have a downwardly disposed mouth 71 or a horizontally disposed mouth 91 thereby enabling either mouth to be used with the valve 50. In Figure 7, it is - 9 9 80 1 47 the downwardly disposed mouth which is employed and the horizontally disposed mouth is closed by a standard closure device 80.

Clearly, if the horizontally disposed mouth is used, the closure device 60a is employed and the downwardly disposed mouth 71 is closed by the closure device 80.

It will be appreciated that by connecting the ports 11,12 and the ports 13,14 by respective pipes 21,22, the panel rd&i^tor 10 may be used in central heating systems which hStye their flow and return pipes located a distance apart thus requiring the flow pipe to be connected to the port 11 and the return pipe to be connected to the port 14 (or vice versa} using suitable closure devices such as the device 80 for closing ports not required; or may be used as described above with the valve 50. This provides for considerable reduction in manufacturing costs and storage costs as it is only necessary to manufacture one type of radiator panel 10 for both systems.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS :

1. A radiator panel having at least a first port and a second port located on the same side or edge of the panel; the first port being located at or near the bottom of the radiator; the second port being located at or near the top of the radiator; and wherein there is provided a first conduit or pipe which provides for direct fluid communication between the first port and the second port; and preferably, wherein the ractiator panel also has a third port and a fourth port in respective corresponding location to the first port and the second port but on the opposite side of the panel and wherein a second conduit or pipe provides for direct fluid communication between the third port and the fourth port.

2. A radiator panel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the first port is an inlet port and is connectable to the flow pipe of a central heating system the mouth of which port is sideways or downwards facing relative to the panel po that in use, at least that part of the flow pipe which defines the mouth Of the pipe may be offered horizontally or transversely to the inlet port.

3. A radiator panel as claimed in Claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first port is an inlet port having two mouths, one of which is sideways facing, the other of which is downwards facing. pi28586/opc 9801*7

4. A radiator panel as claimed in any of claims 13 wherein the third port is an inlet port and is connectable to the flow pipe of a central heating system the mouth of which port is sideways facing or downwards facing relative to the panel radiator so that in use, at least that part of the flow pipe which defines the mouth of the pipe may be offered horizontally or transversely to the inlet port or the third port has two mouths, one of which is sideways facing, the other of which is downwards facing.

5. A radiator panel substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings .