KR20190123620A - Apparatus for preventing frozen pipes - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to improve airtightness and insulation, and to perform assembly work more easily, provided is an apparatus for preventing freeze of a pipe, and comprises: a housing with an inner space; a cover installed in the housing to seal the inside; a heater provided in the housing; an outlet port formed in the housing and connected to the heater and drawn out; and an O-ring installed between the housing and the cover to seal the inner space of the housing.

Description

Pipe freeze protection device {APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING FROZEN PIPES}

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus installed outside the pipe to prevent freezing of the pipe.

For example, the water inside the pipes such as fire pipes, water pipes, sewer pipes may freeze as the temperature drops below freezing in winter. If the water freezes, the flow can be blocked or a freezing accident can occur that causes the pipe to burst due to volume expansion due to the freezing.

In order to prevent freezing accidents in pipes, devices are being developed to heat the pipes or heat them to increase the temperature. Such devices are generally structured to heat pipes with a heater that converts electrical energy into thermal energy.

Conventional devices use electrical energy, so when moisture or water penetrates into the heater contact region, a failure or explosion may occur due to a short circuit.

Thus, in the conventional pipe freeze protection apparatus, the electrical contact portion of the heater may be more closely sealed to prevent water or moisture from infiltrating, which may provide many advantages to the user.

The present invention is to provide a pipe freeze protection device capable of improving airtightness.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe freeze protection device capable of increasing insulation between electrical contacts of a heater.

The present invention is to provide a pipe freeze protection device that enables an assembly operation to be performed more easily.

The pipe freeze protection apparatus of the present embodiment, a housing having a space therein, a cover installed in the housing to seal the inside, a heater provided in the housing, the outlet port which is formed in the housing and connected to the heater is drawn out And an O-ring installed between the housing and the cover to seal an inner space of the housing.

The housing or the cover may further include a seating groove in which the O-ring is placed along the circumference of the contact surface.

It may further include a sealing unit installed in the outlet port to seal between the outlet and the wire.

The sealing part may include a male thread nipple inserted into the wire and screwed to the outlet having a female thread, and a sealing ring fitted between the male thread nipple and the outlet, the thread being inserted into the wire.

The heater may include a heating element connected to a power line of a wire and converting electrical energy into thermal energy, and an insulation film surrounding the outside of the heating element.

The insulating film may extend through the heating element to a power line.

The housing may include a heater accommodating part formed at one side in an inner space and placed in surface contact with the heater.

The housing may further include side step portions protruding from both side surfaces of the heater housing to support both side ends of the heater.

The housing may have a fitting portion protruding outwardly from the fold surface along the inner space, and the cover may have a groove portion into which the fitting portion is inserted at a position corresponding to the fitting portion.

The wire further includes a grounding wire, and the housing may further include a grounding portion formed in the inner space to which the grounding wire is mounted.

The cover may further include a pressurizing part which is formed at a position corresponding to the heater housing part and protrudes outward so as to form a step at a contact surface to press the heater.

It may further include a fixing member inserted into the inner space of the housing and the groove is inserted into the power line and the ground line of the wire to prevent the flow of the power line and the ground line.

The inner fixing member may be inserted into the inner space of the housing and positioned opposite to the fixing member with the power line and the ground line of the wire interposed therebetween, and may be in close contact with the fixing member to fix the power line and the ground line.

The housing or the cover may be further formed with an arc-shaped pipe contact groove that is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe on the outer surface.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the airtightness to the inside of the apparatus is improved to increase the waterproof and dustproof effect, and the airtightness can be sufficiently maintained even at a pressure of 10 bar or more.

In addition, it is possible to improve the assembly of the wiring and the heater inside the device, and to separately insulate the silicon filling operation, it is possible to easily perform the assembly work.

In addition, it is possible to minimize the risk of electric shock by increasing the insulation between the electrical contacts of the heater.

1 is a perspective view of a pipe freeze protection apparatus according to the present embodiment.
2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the pipe freeze protection apparatus according to the present embodiment.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a pipe freeze protection apparatus according to the present embodiment.
4 is a plan view showing the interior of the pipe freeze protection apparatus according to the present embodiment.
5 is a schematic diagram showing a heater insulation structure of a pipe freeze protection apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, this is presented as an example, by which the present invention is not limited, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims to be described later. Embodiments described below may be modified in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Where possible, the same or similar parts are represented using the same reference numerals in the drawings.

The terminology used below is merely to refer to specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural forms as well, unless the phrases clearly indicate the opposite. As used herein, the meaning of "comprising" embodies a particular property, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, and other specific properties, region, integer, step, operation, element, component, and / or group. It does not exclude the presence or addition of.

Hereinafter, preferred examples and comparative examples of the present invention are described. However, the following examples are only preferred examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

FIG. 1 shows the assembled external appearance of the pipe freeze protection device according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the configuration of the pipe freeze protection device according to the present embodiment.

The pipe freeze protection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is installed outside the pipe P to heat the pipe, thereby preventing freeze of the pipe.

To this end, the pipe freeze protection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the housing 10 having a space 12 therein, the cover 20 installed in the housing 10 to seal the inside, the inside of the housing 10 The heater 30 is provided in the housing 10, the outlet 40 is drawn out to draw the wire 60 connected to the heater 30, and is installed between the housing 10 and the cover 20, the housing 10 It may include an O-ring 50 for sealing the inner space 12 of the).

The housing 10 may be formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The shape of the housing 10 can be variously modified and is not particularly limited. The housing 10 is recessed inward from a contact surface in close contact with the cover 20 to form an inner space 12 in which the heater 30 and the like are accommodated. The inner space 12 of the housing 10 is closed and sealed by a cover 20 installed on the contact surface of the housing 10. Here, the contact surface may mean an opposing surface between the housing 10 and the cover 20.

A seating groove 52 in which the O-ring 50 is placed along the circumference of the inner space 12 may be further formed at a contact surface of the housing 10. O-ring 50 is for sealing between the housing 10 and the cover 20, for example, may be formed of a silicon or rubber material. O-ring 50 forms a closed curve, is formed in a form corresponding to the overall shape of the seating groove 52 is fitted into the seating groove 52 is fixed. Therefore, the O-ring 50 is pressed between the housing 10 and the cover 20 to seal between the contact surfaces of the two members. Therefore, the sealing between the housing 10 and the cover 20 is more tightly sealed by the O-ring 50, thereby increasing the waterproofing effect on the inner space 12 of the housing 10 in which the heater 30 is accommodated.

An outer surface of the housing 10 may be formed, for example, an arcuate curved pipe tight groove (see 14 in FIG. 3) so as to be in close contact with a sufficient contact area with a pipe P having a cylindrical pipe shape.

The housing 10 transmits heat generated by the heater 30 to the pipe P to prevent freezing of the pipe. The housing 10 is formed of a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity, so that heat can be transferred to the pipe P more quickly. For example, the housing 10 may be formed of copper or aluminum having excellent thermal conductivity and workability. Alternatively, the housing 10 may be formed of a stainless steel material having excellent durability and corrosion resistance.

The cover 20 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the housing 10. The shape of the cover 20 is variously deformable and is not particularly limited.

Like the housing 10, a pipe close groove 22 may be formed on the outer surface of the cover 20 to be in close contact with a sufficient contact area with the pipe P. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 20 may have, for example, a pipe-adhering groove 22 curved in an arc shape in a long axis direction and / or a short axis direction.

The cover 20 may be formed of the same material as the housing 10. For example, the cover 20 may be formed of copper or aluminum having excellent thermal conductivity and workability. Alternatively, the cover 20 may be formed of a stainless steel material having excellent silver durability and corrosion resistance.

In the present embodiment, the housing 10 and the cover 20 may be coupled via the bolt 24.

The outer surface of the cover 20 is formed with a plurality of holes 25 through which the bolt 24 penetrates along the periphery, and the housing 10 has a screw hole 16 for fastening the bolt at a position corresponding to the hole 25. Is formed. Accordingly, when the cover 20 is mounted in the housing 10 and the bolts 24 are inserted into the holes 25 and fastened to the screw holes 16, the housing 10 and the cover 20 are firmly fixed.

In the contact surface between the housing 10 and the cover 20, the fitting portion 18 and the groove portion 26 may be further formed to regulate the fastening position to each other and to increase the fastening force. The fitting portion 18 protrudes to a predetermined height from the contact surface along the circumference of the inner space 12 of the housing 10. The cover 20 is formed with a groove portion 26 into which the fitting portion 18 is inserted. The groove portion 26 is formed in the same manner as the shape of the fitting portion 18 at a position corresponding to the fitting portion 18.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, when the cover 20 is brought into close contact with the housing 10, the fitting portion 18 of the housing 10 is inserted into the groove portion 26 of the cover 20, and thus the housing 10 may be accurately inserted into the housing 10. ) And the cover 20 is fitted. Accordingly, the housing 10 and the cover 20 can be assembled more easily. In addition, as the fitting portion 18 of the housing 10 is fitted into the groove portion 26 of the cover 20, the housing 10 and the cover 20 may be firmly fastened without shifting or twisting each other. In the present embodiment, the mounting groove 52 is formed outside the fitting portion 18 of the housing 10. Thus, the O-ring 50 is fitted along the outside of the protruding fitting portion 18 to be stably seated in the seating groove. By accurately assembling the housing 10 and the cover 20 without being twisted through the fitting portion 18 and the groove portion 26, it is possible to prevent the O-ring 50 from being pushed in place or an assembly failure during the assembly process. It becomes possible. Therefore, the O-ring 50 is in close contact between the housing 10 and the cover 20 in place, it is possible to realize a more complete waterproof.

The heater 30 may include a heating element 32 that receives power and converts electrical energy into thermal energy. For example, the heater may include a pair of electrode plates connected to the power lines of the wires and a PTC ceramic chip installed between the electrode plates. In addition, the heater 30 may further include an insulating film 34 surrounding the heating element 32.

In the present embodiment, the heating element 32 may be formed in a plate shape having a thin thickness and a relatively large area. The power line 62 of the wire 60 is connected to one side of the heating element 32. The heating element 32 may be formed in various structures, and any surface that generates heat by applying power is applicable.

The outlet 40 is integrally formed at one end of the housing 10. The outlet 40 communicates with the interior space 12 of the housing 10. Thus, the wire 60 connected to the heater 30 in the interior space 12 of the housing 10 may be drawn out of the housing 10 through the outlet 40 to be connected to an external power source.

The present exemplary embodiment may further include a sealing unit installed at the outlet 40 to seal the gap between the outlet 40 and the wire 60. The sealing part is inserted into the wire 60 and screwed to the outlet 40 formed with the female thread, the male thread 70, and the sealing ring 72 is inserted between the male thread 70 and the outlet 40 is fitted to the wire 60 ) May be included. The outlet 40 has a female screw formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof. Male thread nipple (70) is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the male thread is engaged with the female thread of the outlet (40). The sealing ring 72 is in close contact with the wire 60 to seal between the wire 60 and the outlet 40, and may be formed of silicon or rubber, for example.

As shown in FIG. 3, a ring seat 74 in which the sealing ring 72 is seated is formed at an inner end of the outlet 40. Thus, the sealing ring 72 is pressed between the tip of the male screw 70 is fastened to the outlet 40 and the ring seat 74 of the outlet 40 to seal between the wire 60 and the inner surface of the outlet 40. Done. Therefore, the outlet 40 communicated with the internal cavity for drawing the wire 60 is sealed by the sealing ring 72 so that moisture or the like penetrates into the interior space 12 of the housing 10 through the outlet 40. It can be prevented. In addition, when the cover 20 is installed on the contact surface of the housing 10, the O-ring 50 fitted into the seating recess 52 of the contact surface is pressed and tightly sealed to seal between the housing 10 and the contact surface of the cover 20.

As such, the interior space 12 of the housing 10 in which the heater 30 is accommodated is sealed by the O-ring 50 and the sealing ring 72 to be completely blocked from the outside. Thus, the device 100 of the present embodiment is able to maintain a sufficient airtight even at a water pressure of 10 bar or more by increasing the waterproof and dustproof effect.

This structure of the present application can obtain a higher waterproof effect compared to the structure injecting the insulating silicon for waterproofing, it is possible to increase the workability. In the case of filling the insulating silicon into the internal space it is difficult to inject the appropriate amount and there is a serious work deviation. Thus, when the amount of the insulating silicon injection is excessive, the silicon is deteriorated due to the high temperature of the heater and the insulation or waterproof effect is reduced. In addition, the silicon is chemically decomposed by the high temperature to shorten the life of the heater. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since there is no filling operation of the insulating silicon, it is possible to prevent problems or defects caused by the filling of the insulating silicon, and to shorten the assembly process, thereby improving productivity.

The ground portion 80 may be formed in the internal space 12 of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the ground portion 80 is formed at one side of the inner space 12. For grounding of the wire 60, the wire 60 may further include a ground wire 64 in addition to the power line 62. The grounding portion 80 is formed with a bolt fastening hole 82 so that the grounding wire 64 can be fixed. The ground wire 64 is fixed to the bolt fastening hole 82 of the ground portion 80 via a bolt 84 to be grounded with the housing 10. In this way, by providing the grounding portion 80, it is possible to prevent an electric shock accident that may occur in the working process.

In the inner space 12 of the housing 10, a heater accommodating part 86 in which the heater 30 is placed may be further formed. The heater accommodating part 86 is stepped upward from one side of the inner space 12 in accordance with the thin thickness of the heater 30. The heater accommodating part 86 has a flat surface, and the heater 30 is seated on the heater accommodating part 86 so as to be in surface contact.

The heater 30 is placed in the heater housing 86 of the housing 10 and is in close contact with the heater housing 86 and the lid 20. To this end, the contact surface of the cover 20 to increase the degree of close contact with the heater 30, at a position corresponding to the heater housing 86, the pressure projecting outward to form a step with the contact surface pressing the heater 30 A portion 88 may be further formed. The pressurizing part 88 is formed flat so as to be in surface contact with the heater 30. The protruding degree of the pressurizing portion 88 at the lid 20 contact surface is in close contact with the heater 30 when the pressurizing portion 88 and the heater storing portion 86 are assembled when the cover 20 is assembled to the housing 10. As much as possible, it is enough, and is not specifically limited.

As described above, both surfaces of the heater 30 are closely adhered to the housing 10 and the lid 20 by the heater storing portion 86 and the pressurizing portion 88, so that the heat generated by the heater 30 is more. It can be quickly and effectively delivered to the housing 10 and cover 20.

In addition, the heater housing 86 may further include side step portions 89 protruding from both sides to support both side ends of the heater 30.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, both side ends of the heater 30 seated in the heater storage unit 86 are supported by the side step portion 89, so that the heater 30 is in the heater storage unit 86. It can be positioned. Accordingly, the housing 10 and the cover 20 may be assembled in a state in which the heater 30 is prevented from being separated and the heater 30 is easily positioned in the heater housing 86.

In the present embodiment, the side step portion 89 may be formed by bending a portion of the fitting portion 18 formed along the circumference of the inner space 12 of the housing 10 to the inside of the heater housing 86. Thus, the gap between the fitting portions 18 on both sides is narrowed in the heater storing portion 86 region, so that the fitting portion 18 acts as a side step portion 89 supporting both side ends of the heater 30. .

In the present embodiment, the inner space 12 of the housing 10 may be continuously formed with a step from the outlet 40 to the ground portion 80 and the heater housing portion 86. Accordingly, the ground wire 64 of the wire 60 extending from the outlet 40 to the internal space 12 extends through the internal space 12 adjacent to the outlet 40 to the ground portion 80 to the ground portion 80. ) Is fixed to the bolt 84, and the power line 62 of the wire 60 extends through the ground portion 80 to the heater storing portion 86 and is connected to the heater 30.

The inner space 12 adjacent to the outlet 40 passes through the power line 62 and the ground line 64 of the wire 60, and the power line 62 and the ground line 64 are separated in the inner space 12. It is fixed by the fixing member 90 of.

As shown in Figure 5, the fixing member 90 of the present embodiment is inserted into the inner space of the housing and positioned on the opposite side with the power supply line 62 and the grounding line 64 of the wire therebetween, and closely attached to the fixing member and the power line It may further include an inner fixing member 92 for fixing the ground line. Thus, the fixing member 90 and the inner fixing member 92 are in close contact with the power supply line 62 and the grounding line 64 of the electric wire in the inner space of the housing so that the power supply line and the grounding wire can be more firmly fixed at both sides. do.

In the present embodiment, the inner fixing member 92 is made of the same structure as the fixing member 90 and only the arrangement position of the power supply line and the ground line is opposite, so that the structure of the fixing member will be described as an example, and the inner fixing member ( 92) The structure is replaced by this.

The fixing member 90 is inserted into the internal space 12 of the housing 10 and has a structure in which a groove 94 into which the power line 62 and the ground line 64 of the wire 60 are fitted. The groove 94 may be formed in a substantially semicircular shape. The fixing member 90 may be formed of, for example, an insulating material such as silicon. The fixing member 90 is formed to have a size that can be inserted into the inner space 12 of the housing 10, and three grooves 94 may be formed at a lower end thereof at intervals. Two power lines 62 and one ground line 64 passing through the inner space 12 are fitted into and fixed to the respective grooves 94 of the fixing member 90. The fixing member 90 is inserted into and fixed to the internal space 12 in a state where the power supply line 62 and the grounding line 64 are fitted into each groove 94.

The inner fixing member 92 is also provided with a groove 94 so that the power supply line and the grounding line are disposed to face each other on the opposite side of the fixing member 90 to be inserted into the housing inner space 12.

Thus, the power line 62 and the ground line 64 in the housing 10 internal space 12 can be minimized to be fixed and flow by the fixing member 90 and the inner fixing member 92. Therefore, the assemblability can be improved, and the contact between the power lines 62 can be prevented and the insulation can be increased.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the insulation film 34 surrounding the heater 30 may have a structure extending through the heating element 32 to the power supply line 62 so as to increase insulation. have.

The extended length of the insulation film 34 past the heating element 32 may be sufficient to cover the power line 62, including the contact point of the heating element 32 and the power line 62, and may be formed in various lengths. have.

As described above, the fixing member 90 separates the power line 62 so as not to flow, and the insulating film 34 extends to cover the contact point of the heating element 32 and the power line 62, thereby extending the internal space ( 12) can increase insulation without charging additional silicon.

While the exemplary embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described as described above, various modifications and other embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications and other embodiments will be considered and included in the appended claims without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

10 housing 12 space
16: screw hole 18: fitting portion
20: cover 24,84: bolt
26: groove 30: heater
32: heating element 34: insulating film
40: outlet 50: O-ring
52: seating groove 60: wire
62: power line 64: ground wire
70: male thread nipple 72: sealing ring
74: ring seat 80: ground portion
86: heater storing unit 88: pressurizing unit
89: side step portion 90: fixing member
92: inner fixing member 94: groove

Claims (10)

A housing having a space therein, a cover installed in the housing to seal the inside, a heater provided in the housing, a outlet formed in the housing and connected to the heater to draw out the lead, and between the housing and the cover Piping freeze protection device installed to include an O-ring sealing the inner space of the housing. The method of claim 1,
The housing or the cover is a pipe freeze protection device further formed a seating groove in which the O-ring is placed along the circumference of the contact surface. The method of claim 1,
The heater includes a heating element connected to the power line of the wire to convert the electrical energy into thermal energy, and an insulating film surrounding the outside of the heating element,
The insulation film is a pipe freeze protection device extended to the power line through the heating element. The method of claim 1,
The cover further comprises a pressurizing portion which is formed at a position corresponding to the heater housing portion and protrudes outward to form a step at a contact surface to press the heater. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
And a sealing unit installed at the outlet and sealing the outlet and the wire. The method of claim 5,
The sealing part includes a male thread nipple inserted into the wire and screwed into the outlet formed with a female thread, and a sealing ring fitted between the male thread nipple and the outlet, which is inserted into the wire. The method of claim 5,
The housing includes a heater receiving unit formed at one side in the inner space and the heater is placed in surface contact, and protruding from both sides of the heater storing unit, and having side step portions supporting both side ends of the heater. The method of claim 5,
The housing has a fitting portion protruding outward from the contact surface along the inner circumference, the cover is formed with a groove portion is inserted into the insertion portion corresponding to the fitting portion. The method of claim 5,
The wire further includes a grounding wire, and the housing further comprises a grounding portion formed in the interior space to which the grounding wire is mounted. The method of claim 5,
And a fixing member inserted into the inner space of the housing and having a groove into which the power line and the ground line of the electric wire are inserted to prevent a flow of the power line and the ground line.

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