ITVI20090086A1 - RADIANT MODULE PERFECTED ACCORDING TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF RADIATORS FOR HEATING SYSTEMS AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE ABOVE RADIANT MODULE - Google Patents

Description

IMPROVED RADIANT MODULE SUITABLE FOR THE REALIZATION OF RADIATORS FOR HEATING SYSTEMS AND METHOD OF REALIZATION OF THE ABOVE RADIANT MODULE.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an improved radiant module particularly suitable for making multi-column tubular radiators.

Furthermore, the invention relates to the aforementioned radiator made up of several radiant modules of the invention and the heating system which comprises one or more of the aforementioned radiators.

Finally, the invention relates to the method of manufacturing the aforementioned radiant modules.

It is known that most heating systems built in private homes and / or public buildings involve the use of radiators arranged inside the various closed rooms in order to heat the air and bring it to the desired temperature levels.

On the market, there are many types of radiators, which differ from each other on the basis of technical characteristics and / or aesthetic appearance.

Among the various types of radiators, the most widespread and used are the so-called “multicolored tubular radiators” which are able to incorporate and ensure a pleasant aesthetic appearance together with a good thermal output.

From the structural point of view, the aforementioned multicolumn tubular radiators consist of a plurality of radiant modules, each of which comprises a series of pipes connected at their ends respectively to an upper head and a lower head.

In particular, these heads represent the coupling points between the various radiant modules which, placed side by side and fixed to each other, constitute the aforementioned radiator.

In addition, the heads of the radiant modules arranged at the ends of a generic radiator represent the manifolds to which the flow and return pipes of the heat transfer fluid circulating in the heating system are connected.

In particular, as mentioned, being the plurality of radiant modules communicating with each other at the aforementioned heads, the incoming heat transfer fluid spreads along the pipes of the various modules in which the heat exchange with the external environment takes place.

Once the heat transfer fluid has exhausted its thermal energy, it flows back into the heating circuit through the aforementioned return pipe.

In most cases, the aforementioned heat transfer fluid consists of heated water and brought to an adequate pressure by particular devices, generally a boiler, inserted inside the heating system itself.

It is also known that the aforementioned multicolumn tubular radiators are the best known and most used due to their high versatility.

In fact, by increasing the length of the pipes of the various radiant modules, radiators with a higher "thermal power" are obtained, while maintaining the structural characteristics of the union heads unchanged.

However, it is known that this type of radiator has a structural configuration that is not sufficiently resistant to the pressures of the heat-carrying fluid above a certain limit threshold, as specified in detail below.

In fact, in most Western European countries the individual public and / or private buildings include in their heating system, among other things, a boiler that increases the pressure and temperature of the heat transfer fluid circulating inside it, in order to send it the plurality of radiators arranged in the various closed environments. In particular, to allow the heat transfer fluid to reach all the points where the various radiators are located, its pressure must be raised to about 10 bar, with a maximum acceptable peak of 15 bar.

It is also known that in these certain circumstances tubular radiators are widely used whose heads are composed of two specular portions welded together in order to create an internal cavity from which the heat transfer fluid flows to reach the aforementioned heat diffusion pipes.

This type of radiator is somewhat used in the aforementioned heating systems both for its simplicity of construction and therefore for its low cost, and for its aesthetic aspect which is highly appreciated by the market and above all for its ability to withstand the previously mentioned pressure values.

However, in the countries of Eastern Europe and Asian countries, centralized heating systems are built in which the heat transfer fluid is not heated and pressurized by a boiler placed in the single building, but is processed in special distribution centers which subsequently send it. to various buildings and homes.

To adequately fulfill this task, the distribution plants must necessarily raise the pressure of the heat transfer fluid compared to the typical values of Western European plants, seen above.

In particular, in the case of buildings with a large number of floors, the heat transfer fluid must be brought to a pressure that is around 35 bar, so that it can be equally distributed over all the radiators.

Furthermore, the testing of the same radiators, as is known, must be carried out with the fluid at a pressure higher than that of normal use, therefore not below 40 bar.

Therefore, with this type of systems, if the radiators of the previously described embodiment were used, the high pressure of the heat-carrying fluid, which pushes against the internal walls of the heads, could cause the breakage of the welds that hold them together, causing consequence of the "opening" of the same. To overcome this drawback, different types of radiators have been designed that can withstand the high pressures required in systems in Eastern European countries.

In particular, a type of radiator of the known art capable of withstanding the high pressures of the heat-carrying fluid circulated inside the heating system comprises a plurality of radiant modules, each of which provides an upper and a lower sleeve, usually made of ferrous material, to which the aforementioned suitably bent pipes are connected and welded directly.

This structure is subsequently covered with a layer of paint to provide it with a light external protection and to make it aesthetically less coarse.

Ultimately, with this embodiment, the single radiant module does not have any breaking points, as for the radiators described above, and therefore proves to be adequate to work even in the presence of the heat-carrying fluid at high pressure.

However, this embodiment of the known art has some important disadvantages which are described below.

A first significant drawback of the execution just described consists in the fact that, as previously mentioned, the aforementioned pipes belonging to a single radiant module, must be previously bent in order to be coupled and subsequently fixed by welding to the respective sleeves.

In particular, in order to make a radiator of the type just described with a specific height, it is necessary to cut pieces of pipe of suitable length to then bend the ends and couple them to the sleeves.

Therefore, it is evident that in order to produce radiant modules of the aforesaid embodiment with certain characteristics, it is necessary to create ad hoc constituent parts, without the opportunity to use elements produced in advance and made available in stock.

A further disadvantage of this type of radiators and related radiant modules concerns their aesthetic shape.

In fact, in general, the aforesaid radiators are not highly appreciated commercially due to their aesthetic appearance, especially with a number of pipes greater than three.

Another factor that could worsen the aesthetic appearance of the aforementioned radiant modules of the known art, consists in the possible realization of the external welds, which allow to fix the pipes on the respective sleeves.

In order to solve this aesthetic drawback it would be advisable to carry out finishing operations after making the welds in order to make them less visible.

A second alternative and effectively used way to avoid both of the aforementioned aesthetic problems consists in making the welds at the internal surface of the individual sleeves.

However, this choice introduces two further drawbacks which are described below.

The first disadvantage, in fact, is due to the difficulty of carrying out the welding operations inside the sleeves with automated techniques due to their small size.

It is therefore evident the need to perform the aforementioned welding operations using manual techniques, significantly increasing the timing of implementation and, moreover, limiting the standardization of radiator production.

A further drawback is due to the fact that the welding inside the sleeves could determine the presence and circulation of metal residues along the heating system with the possibility of damage to the devices that compose it. The present invention intends to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

In particular, the invention aims to create a radiant module for radiators consisting of standard elements previously produced and made available for subsequent and specific assembly through a series of simple operations. A second purpose of the invention is the realization of a radiant module that has a high resistance to the high pressures of the heat transfer fluid circulating inside them.

A further purpose of the invention is the creation of a radiant module that does not require internal welding for the connection of the various elements that compose it and therefore avoids the presence of any metal residues circulating along the system, unlike the radiators of the known art.

Another purpose is the creation of a radiant module for radiators that has an aesthetic appearance suitable for market demands. Not the least purpose of the invention is the creation of a radiant module that is highly customizable externally, regardless of its internal structure.

The said purposes are achieved by a radiant module having the characteristics according to the main claim.

Further characteristics of the radiant module are described in the dependent claims.

Also part of the invention is the radiator composed of a plurality of radiant modules of the invention fixed side by side, a heating system including the radiators of the invention and finally the method of making the radiant module of the invention.

Advantageously, with the method of manufacturing the radiant module of the invention it is possible to obtain a considerable saving of time compared to the techniques of the known art.

Furthermore, still advantageously, with the realization of the invention a high variety of radiant modules is obtained through the use of a limited number of "pre-manufactured" elements. In fact, it is not necessary to create specific parts for a particular radiant module, but it is sufficient to choose suitable elements from a limited range to be able to modulate and customize the radiator.

Consequently, another advantage that is obtained is a considerable economic saving for the realization of the aforementioned radiant modules compared to those of the known art.

The aforementioned purposes and advantages will be better highlighted during the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given below for indicative and non-limiting purposes with reference to the attached drawing tables where:

- fig. 1 represents the radiant module of the invention in an axonometric view;

- fig. 2 represents the front view and the side view of the radiant module of the invention;

- fig. 3 shows an axonometric view of the radiator made from a plurality of radiant modules of the invention;

- fig. 4 represents the side view of the radiator of the invention connected to the flow and return pipes of the heat transfer fluid; - fig. 5 represents the front view according to a vertical section of the radiant module of the invention before the application of the coating on the heads;

- fig. 6 represents the exploded front view according to a vertical section of the radiant module of the invention before the application of the coating on the heads;

- fig. 7 represents the front view according to a vertical section of the radiant module of the invention after the application of the coating on the heads;

- fig. 8 represents the front view of a second embodiment of the radiant module of the invention;

- fig. 9 represents in schematic form the heating system of the invention;

- fig. 10 represents the block diagram of the method of manufacturing the radiant modules of the invention.

The radiant module of the invention is represented as a whole in figs. 1 and 2, where it is indicated with 1.

As can be seen in figs. 3 and 4 a plurality of radiant modules 1 of the invention are arranged and fixed side by side for the realization of a radiator 100 of the multicolumn tubular type, also protected by the following patent.

As regards the radiant module 1 of the invention, as can be seen in fig. 5 it includes an upper sleeve 2 and a lower sleeve 3 connected to each other through a plurality of pipes 4, so as to allow the circulation of the heat-carrying fluid capable of performing the heat exchange with the external environment.

In the embodiment described here, the plurality of the aforementioned pipes 4 comprises three pipes arranged parallel to each other, as can also be seen in fig. 2.

In different embodiments, the pipes 4 can be two in number, or in further executions the number of pipes 4 can be greater than three, as can be seen in fig. 8 where six are represented.

In the embodiment described here, the heat transfer fluid is substantially composed of water which is heated and brought to a certain pressure value for proper operation of the entire heating circuit.

In particular, in the case of centralized systems, the sufficient pressure value is approximately 35 bar.

It cannot be excluded that in other circuits, the pressure value necessary for correct operation is less than 35 bar.

Further, in alternative embodiments not described here, the aforementioned heat transfer fluid could be of another nature other than water.

According to the invention, each of the aforementioned pipes 4 belonging to the radiant module 1 of the invention comprises a central body 5 to which end connecting pipes 6 are connected by means of junction means 7, as can be seen in fig. 5 and in the exploded view of fig. 6.

Furthermore, again as can be seen in fig. 5, each connecting pipe 6 is connected to a respective sleeve 2 and 3.

In particular, each sleeve 2 and 3 has on the respective side surface 21 and 31 a plurality of holes 8 for coupling with the related end connection pipes 6, as shown in fig. 6.

The aforementioned coupling of the connecting pipes 6 with the respective sleeves 2 and 3 is possible through the application of connection means 9, between the perimeter of the holes 81 and the external surface 61 of the same connecting pipes 6.

In the preferred embodiment described here, the connecting means 9 are a welding seam 91.

However, it is not excluded that, in other embodiments not described here, the connection between the connecting pipes 6 and the sleeves 2 and 3 is made through different techniques, provided they belong to the known art.

The aforementioned sleeves 2 and 3, moreover, have flat ends 22 and 32 suitable for defining flanging surfaces 10, which, as previously mentioned, allow several radiant modules 1 to be placed side by side and fixed together so as to form the radiator 100 of the 'invention.

In particular, preferably but not necessarily, the sleeves 2 and 3 of the radiant modules 1 which are located at the ends of the radiator 100 comprise an internal thread 11, as indicated in figs. 2 and 4.

This thread 11 allows the connection with any closing caps 12 or reducers 13, for the connection of the flow and return pipes 14 and 15 of the heat-carrying fluid coming from the heating system.

As regards the connecting pipes 6, as can be seen in fig. 6 and as described in the preferred embodiment, they have a section with a diameter d substantially smaller than the diameter D of the relative central bodies 5 to which they are to be coupled.

This characteristic is necessary in order to be able to distribute and connect a plurality of the aforementioned connecting pipes 6 on the lateral surface 21 and 31 of the relative sleeve 2 and 3.

In fact, if these connecting pipes 6 were to have a section of the same size as the central body 5, it would not be possible to connect them to the aforementioned lateral surface 21 and 31 of the sleeve 2 and 3.

As already described above, the same connecting pipes 6 have junction means 7 at the free end to ensure a stable and airtight connection with the relative central body 5.

In the embodiment described here and shown in fig. 6, these joining means 7 are sealed union joints 16, each of which has a diverging conical flare that is coupled internally to the end 51 of the relative central body 5 through a welding bead 17, indicated in fig. 5.

In different embodiments, the joints 16 could have a different configuration as long as they allow a stable and airtight connection between the connecting pipes 6 and the same central bodies 5.

Still, in further embodiments, the fixing between the joint 16 and the relative central body 5 could be carried out with different techniques from that of welding, provided that they have the same tightening functionality and provided that these techniques belong to the known technique.

As can always be seen in fig. 6, the connecting pipes 6 have a suitably curved profile so as to be able to couple with the relative sleeve 2 and 3 in a stable manner and at the same time arranging the plurality of central bodies 5, belonging to the same radiant module 1, in a position parallel to each other .

In this case, to realize the radiant module 1 of the invention it is not necessary to cut and bend the entire pipe interposed between the two heads as happens for the radiant modules of the prior art.

It is sufficient to have a limited number of connection pipes 6 made with different inclinations available in order to suitably compose and couple the pipes 4 to the relative sleeves 2 and 3. For this reason, the aforementioned central bodies 5, in the embodiment of the invention described here are nothing more than lengths cut to size of straight pipes readily available on the market.

This embodiment makes it possible to compose a radiant module 1 with certain characteristics by appropriately choosing and assembling standard elements made available in the warehouse.

In the preferred embodiment described here, the joints 16 are obtained and made at the ends 61 of the same connecting pipes 6.

In an alternative embodiment not described and not represented here, the joints 16 could be made separately from the connecting pipes 6 and subsequently connected to the latter by means of a welding seam at their outer edges.

Also in this case, as for the central bodies 5, only one type of joints 16 could be made, which, subsequently, would be suitably connected to the connecting pipes 6 suitably chosen for the required realization.

As regards the construction materials of the various elements that make up the radiant module 1 of the invention and therefore the upper and lower sleeves 2 and 3, the pipes 4 comprising the central body 5 and the relative connecting pipes 6 and finally the joining means 7, in the embodiment described here, they are of the ferrous type.

In different embodiments, the aforementioned materials could be of a different type than the one just mentioned, as long as they allow the entire radiant module 1 to withstand the high pressures of the heat transfer fluid circulating inside it.

Finally, the embodiment described here and represented in fig. 7, provides for placing a light alloy coating 19 above the external surfaces of the sleeves 2 and 3 and of the relative connecting pipes 6 by means of a die-casting technique, as will be better highlighted during the description of the manufacturing method of the aforementioned radiant modules 1 of the invention.

In the embodiment described here, the light alloy material with which the coating 19 is made is aluminum, but it cannot be excluded that in other embodiments the coating 19 is composed of a material of a different type.

Furthermore, in alternative embodiments the manufacturing technique of the aforementioned coating 19 could be different from that of die casting.

This coating 19 allows the radiant module 1 and therefore the radiator 100 made up of several radiant modules placed side by side, first of all, to present an aesthetic appearance suitable for market needs and, moreover, to increase the compactness of the coupling of the various elements which make it up.

In particular, the coating 19 of the upper sleeve 2 and of the relative connecting pipes 6 allows to define an upper head 40.

Similarly, a lower head 41 is made by covering the lower sleeve 3 and the relative connecting pipes 6.

As already mentioned above, the various radiant modules placed side by side and fixed to each other allow the realization of radiators 100 which, externally, have an appearance equivalent to the most widespread and most used radiators of the known art on the market, but internally they are made with a structure able to withstand the high pressures of the heat transfer fluid, especially in centralized heating systems.

The present patent also protects the heating system 200, schematically represented in fig. 9 and comprising one or more of the aforementioned radiators 100 and the method 300 for making the radiant modules 1 of the invention.

As for the heating system 200, as can be seen in fig. 9, in the particular embodiment, it comprises a distribution unit 201 in which the heating and pressurization of the heat-carrying fluid is carried out, which is sent through suitable pipes 202 to users U.

In the embodiment shown here by way of example, the users U are two multi-level buildings in which there are several radiators 100 of the invention.

However, in different embodiments not described here, each building could provide its own plant 200 comprising a device suitable for heating and pressurizing the heat-carrying fluid.

As already mentioned previously, as regards the method 300 of the invention, schematized in fig. 10, it substantially provides for three stages of execution.

To carry out the first phase a it is sufficient to have an upper sleeve 2 and a lower sleeve 3 to which a number of connecting pipes 6 equal to the number of pipes 4 with which the same module 1 is to be fitted are welded.

Subsequently, as a second step b it is necessary to connect and fix by means of the aforementioned joining means 7, and again by welding, the connecting pipes 6 of the upper sleeve 2 and of the lower one 3 with the central bodies 5 previously prepared to the required size.

Finally, the method 300 of the invention provides for step c which consists in the molding of the aforementioned coating 19 in light alloy both in correspondence with the so-called upper head 40 and on the lower head 41.

In the embodiment described here, this step c is carried out by means of die casting techniques.

In the specific case, due to the fact that the coating is deposited only in correspondence with the two heads 40 and 41, the molds necessary for the execution of the printing of the coating 19 are made regardless of the height of the radiant module.

This means that the same molds can be used to make radiant modules that have different characteristics, such as different heights.

It is therefore evident that even in this case, greater flexibility of the entire process is obtained.

In different embodiments, however, it is not excluded that alternative techniques are used to produce the coating 19 of the heads 40 and 41.

Furthermore, possibly, during this phase c of molding, a personalization of the external appearance of the radiator 100 can be envisaged according to the customer's requests.

Based on the foregoing, it is therefore understood that the radiant module of the invention achieves all the intended purposes.

In particular, the invention achieves the purpose of creating a radiant module for radiators consisting of standard elements previously produced and made available for subsequent and specific assembly through a series of simple operations. A second aim of the invention achieved is the realization of a radiant module which has a high resistance to the high pressures of the heat transfer fluid circulating inside them.

A further aim achieved is the realization of a radiant module that does not require internal welding for the connection of the various elements that compose it and therefore avoids the presence of any metal residues circulating along the system, unlike the radiators of the known art.

The aim of creating a radiant module for radiators has also been achieved that presents an aesthetic appearance that is appropriate to the demands of the market

Finally, the aim is also achieved of creating a radiant module that is highly customizable externally, regardless of its structure that it presents internally.

In the executive phase, executive variants may be made to the radiant module of the invention, the radiator, the heating system and the method of manufacturing the radiant module which, although not represented and not described here, should they fall within the content of the The following claims will all be considered protected by this patent.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS 1) Radiant module (1) for radiators comprising an upper sleeve (2) and a lower sleeve (3) connected to each other through a plurality of pipes (4) for the passage of the heat transfer fluid characterized by the fact that each of said pipes (4 ) comprises a central body (5) and end connection pipes (6), each of which is connected to a respective sleeve (2, 3) and coupled to said central body (5) by means of joining means (7). 2) Radiant module (1) according to claim 1) characterized by the fact that each of said sleeves (2, 3) has on its respective lateral surface (21, 31) a plurality of holes (8) for coupling with the relative pipes end connection means (6), connection means (9) being applied between the perimeter (81) of said holes (8) and the outer surface (61) of said connection pipes (6). 3) Radiant module (1) according to claim 2) characterized in that said connecting means (9) are a welding bead (91). 4) Radiant module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said end connecting pipes (6) have a cross section with a diameter (d) that is essentially smaller than the diameter (D) of said central bodies (5). 5) Radiant module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that said joining means (7) are sealed joining joints (16) each of which has a diverging conical flare which is coupled internally to the end (51) ) of the relative central body (5) by means of a welding bead (17). 6) Radiant module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that each of said sleeves (2, 3) has flat ends (22, 32) suitable for defining flanging surfaces (10) with corresponding sleeves adjacent to it . 7) Radiant module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact of providing a coating (19) in light alloy arranged on the external surfaces of said upper and lower sleeves (2, 3) with the relative end connection pipes ( 6) so as to respectively form an upper head (40) and a lower head (41) of said radiant module (1) 8) Radiant module (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized by the fact that each of said end connection pipes (6) is fixed to the relative union joint (16) by means of a welding bead (18) in correspondence with their outer edges (61, 161). 9) Radiator (100) characterized in that it comprises a plurality of radiant modules (1) according to claim 1) side by side and fixed to each other at the respective upper (2) and lower (3) sleeves. 10) Heating system (200) characterized in that it comprises a plurality of radiators (100) according to claim 12) each of which is arranged inside a closed environment to be heated.