NL2007471C2

NL2007471C2 - Expansion vessel.

Info

Publication number: NL2007471C2
Application number: NL2007471A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Cornelis Johannes Koevorden; Jan Hendrik Timmerman
Original assignee: Flamco Bv
Priority date: 2011-09-26
Filing date: 2011-09-26
Publication date: 2013-03-28
Also published as: DE102012217492A1

Abstract

The tank (10) has a housing providing a volume and a minimum bounding rectangle (80). A membrane divides the volume into two regions. A connecting ring (36) connects an outer diameter of the membrane with housing via the connecting ring. The housing and the connecting ring are designed and arranged such that the connecting ring lies within the minimum bounding rectangle in front, side and top views of the tank. The housing includes a rebound region (75), which is pulled back relative to a non-rebound region (76) of the housing in the front, side and top views.

Description

-1 - P30903NL00/WHA Title: Expansion vessel

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an improved expansion vessel. Expansion vessels are known in the field of the art. Expansion vessels are widely used in heating systems for buildings, often in combination with a boiler. Expansion vessels are also known for other 5 purposes, such as for suspension systems for vehicles.

Discussion of the prior art

Various embodiments of expansion vessels are known. EP1876395A1 discloses an embodiment of an expansion vessel. The expansion vessel is made up of two metal halves 10 and is divided into a gas chamber and a water chamber by a membrane.

Summary of the invention

In the invention, it was recognised that expansion vessels of the prior art are not very efficient when it comes to the use of space. It was recognized that improvements in terms of 15 space efficiency are possible.

The invention provides an expansion vessel, comprising: a housing which defines a volume, wherein the housing defines a minimum bounding rectangle, a membrane which divides the volume in two parts, 20 - a connection ring, wherein an outer perimeter of the membrane is connected to the housing via the connection ring, wherein the housing and the connection ring are constructed and arranged such that in at least a front view, a side view or a top view of the expansion vessel the connection ring lies within the minimum bounding rectangle which is defined by the housing.

25 The Minimum Bounding Rectangle (MBR) is a known concept in geometry. The

Minimum Bounding Rectangle is the smallest rectangle that can be drawn around an arbitrary form.

It was recognized that in expansion vessels of the prior art, the connection ring forms an inconvenient protrusion which hinders installation in small spaces. The invention results 30 in an expansion vessel which can be fitted better in small compartments. In at least a front view, side view or top view of the expansion vessel, the connection ring does not protrude from the minimum bounding rectangle which is defined by the housing itself.

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In an embodiment, the housing comprises a part which in at least a front view, side view or top view is receded with respect to an adjacent part of the housing, and wherein a part of the connection ring extends along said receding part of the housing.

The receding part may be formed in several ways. The receding parts recede far 5 enough to accommodate the connection ring and to prevent the connection ring from protruding beyond the minimum bounding rectangle defined by the housing. The receding part may extend along opposing side walls, along opposing front and rear walls or along both side walls and both the front and rear wall. If the receding part extends entirely around the housing and the connection ring falls within said receding part entirely, the connection 10 ring falls within the minimum bounding box of the housing, i.e. the connection ring falls within the minimum bounding rectangle when the expansion vessel is viewed from any side.

In an embodiment, the housing substantially has a form of an oblique prism, the prism having a short diagonal section and a long diagonal section wherein a plane defined by the connection ring extends parallel to the short diagonal section or at an acute angle to 15 the short diagonal section, in particular at an acute angle of less than 4 degrees.

In an embodiment, said plane extends at an acute angle with at least one of three main axes of the housing.

In an embodiment, the plane extends at an acute angle with a longitudinal axis or a lateral axis of the housing.

20 In an embodiment, in side view or in front view the housing has a substantially parallelogram shape having a short diagonal and a long diagonal, and wherein the plane defined by the connection ring extends substantially parallel to the short diagonal or at an acute angle of less than 4 degrees to the short diagonal.

In an embodiment, - when the expansion vessel is in its use orientation - the plane 25 extends at an acute angle with the horizontal plane or extends substantially horizontal.

In an embodiment, the plane divides the volume in two substantially wedge shaped parts. The wedge shaped parts may have a square base, a rectangular base or a circular base, depending on the shape of the expansion vessel when seen in top view.

In an embodiment, the connection ring extends substantially diagonally over two 30 opposing sides of the housing.

In an embodiment, the expansion vessel is flat, i.e. has a relatively small height in comparison with a length and a width of the expansion vessel, and wherein the membrane extends at an acute angle with respect to an upper side and lower side of the expansion vessel.

35 In an embodiment, the upper and lower sides of the housing are convex.

In an embodiment, the membrane extends at an angle of between 10 and 20 degrees to an average orientation of the upper and/or lower side of the expansion vessel.

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In an embodiment, the housing has a substantially parallelepiped shape. With a substantially parallelepiped shape, the connection ring may fall within the minimum boundary box defined by the housing when viewed from all sides.

In an embodiment, the housing comprises a recess which extends around at least a 5 part of the circumference of the housing, and wherein the connection ring is located at least partially in said recess.

In an embodiment, the receding part extends around the entire circumference of the housing, such that the connection ring lies within the minimum boundary box when viewed from all sides.

10

Brief description of the figures

In the following, the aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be elucidated further by reference to the annexed figures illustrating exemplary embodiments. In the figures, the same parts or parts having the same function have been 15 identified with the same reference numeral.

Figure 1 shows a top view of an expansion vessel according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a side view of an expansion vessel according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows a rear view of an expansion vessel according to the invention.

Figure 4 shows a front view of an expansion vessel according to the invention.

20 Figure 5 shows an orthogonal view of an expansion vessel according to the invention.

Figure 6 shows a front view of another embodiment of the expansion vessel according to the invention.

Figure 7 shows a front sectional view of another embodiment of the expansion 25 vessel according to the invention.

Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic orthogonal view of another embodiment of the expansion vessel according to the invention.

Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic orthogonal view of yet another embodiment of the expansion vessel according to the invention.

30 Figure 10 shows a diagrammatic front view of the embodiment of figure 9.

Figure 11 shows a diagrammatic orthogonal view of another embodiment according to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention 35 Turning to figures 1-5, an expansion vessel 10 according to the invention is shown.

The expansion vessel comprises a housing 12 which is made of metal. The housing 12 has a front side 18 which supports a water inlet/outlet 26 and a gas inlet/outlet 27. The housing -4- 12 has an upper side 14, a lower side 16, rear side 20, a left side 22 and a right side 24. The housing has six sides. The front side 18, rear side 20, left side 22 and right side 24 form the side walls of the housing, and may also be indicated as front wall 18, rear wall 20, left wall 22 and right wall 24 of the housing.

5 The housing 12 has ridges 28 which form the boundary between the upper side 14 and the side walls. The ridges 28 are rounded, but may also be sharp or truncated. The housing also has ridges 29 which form the boundary between the lower side 16 and the side walls, which ridges 29 are also rounded.

The housing 12 has a length 32, a width 33 and a height 34. The height 34 is 10 substantially smaller than the width 33 and the height 34, i.e. the housing 12 is flat.

The housing 12 has a “vertical” axis 54, a longitudinal axis 55 and a lateral axis 56. As is discussed further below, the height 34 and the vertical axis 54 can also be taken differently.

The upper side 14 and lower side 16 are convex in one direction and straight in 15 another direction, i.e. convex in the lateral direction 56 and straight in the longitudinal direction 55. The upper and lower sides 14, 16 may also be convex in both directions, or may be flat.

The housing 12 has a shape of an oblique prism having a rectangular upper side and rounded edges 28, 29. The front side 18 and the rear side 20 have a shape of a 20 parallelogram, with rounded corners. The left side 22 and the right side 24 are substantially rectangular, with rounded corners.

The oblique prism has a section 90 which extends substantially between corners 91 and 92, indicated in figure 4. The section 90 forms the short section and extends parallel to the short diagonal of the parallelogram shape. The oblique prism has a section 94 which 25 extends substantially between corners 95 and 96, indicated in figure 4. The section 94 forms the long section and extends parallel to the long diagonal.

A connection ring 36 extends around the circumference of the housing 12. The housing 12 comprises two halves 12A, 12B which are connected to one another at the connection ring 36. A membrane 38 is provided inside the housing 12. The membrane 38 30 has an outer perimeter which is connected to the connection ring 36. Therefore, the connection ring 36 connects the two halves 12A, 12B and the membrane 38. The connection ring 38 will generally be a clenching ring, which clenches the two halve 12A, 12B and the membrane 38 together.

The connection ring 36 extends substantially along a short diagonal of said 35 parallelogram shape, when seen in front view. In figure 5, it is visible that along the left side 22 and the right side 24 of the housing 12, the connection ring 36 extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis 55.

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In the front view of figure 4, the connection ring 36 stays within a minimum bounding rectangle 80 (MBR) of the housing 12 excluding the connection ring 36. The protruding parts 66 of the connection ring do not protrude beyond the minimum bounding rectangle 80 of the expansion vessel. The minimum bounding rectangle 80 is the smallest 5 rectangle which can be drawn around the housing 12 in a given view of the housing 12.

The connection ring does 36 not lie within the minimum bounding rectangle 80 when the expansion vessel 10 is seen in side view, as can be seen in figure 2.

It can also be seen in figure 4 that a plane 50 which is defined by the connection ring 36 divides the housing 12 in two substantially wedge shaped parts, an upper wedge 10 part 60 and a lower wedge part 62. The wedge parts have a varying height 35. The height 35 of the wedge parts 60, 62 varies over the width 33 of the expansion vessel 10.

The left side 22 and right side 24 extend at a non-right angle a with respect to the upper side 14 and lower side 16, or at least with respect to the average orientation of the upper side 14 and lower side 16.

15 The plane 50 extends at an acute angle 8. with the lateral axis 56 and also with the average orientation of the upper side 14 and lower side 16.

The plane extends at an angle 5 of less than 4 degrees to the section 90.

The angle R> lies between 10 and 20 degrees, preferably around 15 degrees

The angle a is chosen such that a minimum bounding rectangle 80 of the housing 20 12 including the connection ring 36 is substantially equal to a minimum bounding rectangle 80 of the housing excluding the connection ring 36. In practice, the connection ring 36 may fall just within the minimum bounding rectangle 80 of the housing 12 excluding the connection ring 36. However, if the connection ring 36 protrudes over a smaller distance 82 from the housing 12, then the angle a may also be chosen smaller. The angle a will lie 25 between 70 and 80 degrees, preferably 75 degrees.

The connection ring 36 extends along a receding part 75 of the left side 22 and the right side 24. The receding parts 75 are considered to be the parts of the side walls 22, 24 that are located furthest from the minimum bounding rectangle 80.

The receding parts adjoin non-receding parts 76 which define the minimum 30 bounding rectangle 80.

In use, the expansion vessel 10 may be oriented such that the vertical space that it requires is minimal. Therefore, the expansion vessel 10 may be oriented with the axis 54 shown in figure 4 vertically. The plane 50 will be oriented at an acute angle R> with the horizontal which corresponds to the lateral axis 56. The average orientation of the convex 35 upper side 14 and convex lower side will be horizontal. The left and right walls 22, 24 will be not be vertical but will be oriented inclined.

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This also means that in use, the height 34 of the expansion vessel 10 does not correspond to the height 34 which is indicated in figure 2, but will be a smaller height 34’, as is indicated in figure 4.

The embodiment shown in figure 4 has a further feature in that both halves 12A, 5 12B of the expansion vessel kan easily release from a mold in which they are formed. This is due to the fact that the halves 12A, 12B have a slightly widening form.

Turning to figures 6 and 7, another embodiment of the expansion vessel 10 is shown. In this embodiment, the upper and lower sides 14, 16 are not convex but flat. The left and right side 22, 24 are slightly convex. The connection ring 36 extends diagonally over 10 the front side 18 and rear side 20. The connection ring 36 protrudes over a distance 82 from the housing 12. The connection ring 36 falls within a minimum bounding rectangle 80 defined by the housing 12, when seen in front view. In another embodiment, the front side 18 and rear side 20 may comprise diagonal receding parts 75 for accommodating the connection ring so that the connection ring also falls within the minimum bounding rectangle 15 80 when seen in side view and in top view.

In figure 7 it is shown that the membrane 38 divides the interior volume of the housing in a water filled part 42 and a gas filled part 43. The water filled part 42 is provided below the gas filled part 43, but this may also be the other way around. In use, the membrane is flexible and allows the water filled part 42 to decrease or increase in size, 20 thereby compressing the gas filled part 43 to a greater or lesser extent. The edges 28, 29 are rounded.

The connection ring 38 defines the plane 50. The plane 50 extends at an acute angle with respect to the upper side 14 and the lower side 16 of the expansion vessel 10.

The left side 22 and the right side 24 are curved and are partially oblique, i.e.

25 extend at an acute angle y with respect to a vertical axis 54. In particular the receding part 75 is oblique. The connection ring 36 does not completely reach the ridges 88 of the housing 12 which define the short diagonal of the parallelogram. A distance 89 is present between the protruding connection ring and the corners 88. This distance is chosen in order to allow a simple construction of the ridge 88.

30 Turning to figure 8, another embodiment of the expansion vessel 10 is shown. The upper side 14 and lower side16 have a substantially round shape. The upper and lower sides 14, 16 are shown flat, but may be convex. The expansion vessel 10 is flat, i.e. the height 34 is relatively small.

The connection ring 36 extends at an angle I3> relative to the upper and lower sides 35 14, 16. This is shown with the help of dashed lines. In front view, i.e. looking straight at the water inlet/outlet 26, the expansion vessel has a shape of a parallelogram. The expansion ring 36 extends substantially along the short diagonal of said parallelogram. For -7- constructional reasons, the connection ring 36 is not completely parallel to the short diagonal.

The angle a of the side wall 22 relative to the upper side14and lower side 16 varies along the circumference of the housing 12 between 80 degrees and 100 degrees.

5 The angle a should be sufficient to ensure that in front view, the protruding section 66 of the connection ring falls within the minimum bounding rectangle defined by the housing 12. This minimum bounding rectangle is schematically indicated with dashed lines 68 in figure 8, although figure 8 is an orthogonal projection and not a front view. The distance 70 between the outermost part 66 of the connection ring 36 and the outermost part 90 of the housing 12 10 should preferably be small or zero in order to achieve an efficient use of space.

The wedge parts 60, 62 have a varying height and a circular base.

Turning to figures 9 and 10, an expansion vessel 10 is shown which is oblique in two directions, as is visualized with dashed lines 84. The expansion vessel 10 has a substantially parallelepiped shape, i.e. all sides 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 are parallelograms.

15 The ridges 28, 29 are rounded, but for simplicity reasons this is not shown. The connection ring 50 extends at an inclination with respect to the upper side 14 and lower side 16 of the expansion vessel. The connection ring 50 falls within a minimum bounding box of the housing 12 in all three dimensions. In other words, both in front view and in side view, the connection ring 50 falls within a minimum bounding rectangle of the housing 12.

20 Turning to figure 11, another embodiment is shown. In top view, the expansion vessel has a circular form with dome-shaped ends. The connection ring 36 which connects the two halves 12A, 12B is provided in a recess 75. The recess 75 is formed in the side wall of the housing 12, partially in a top halve 12A and partially in a bottom half 12B.

Turning to figure 12, another embodiment is shown. The expansion vessel 25 comprises receding part 75 which extends along a left upper ridge and an opposing right bottom ridge. The ridges may be rounded or truncated. The connection ring 36 extends along said receding part and falls within the minimum bounding rectangle 80 defined by the housing 12. This is true for all views of the expansion vessel 10, i.e. the connection ring 36 falls within the minimum bounding box 81 defined by the housing 12.

30 It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the details and the arrangement of the parts may be varied over considerable range without departing from the scope of the claims.

35

Claims

An expansion vessel (10), comprising: - a housing (12) defining a volume, the housing defining a smallest enveloping rectangle (80), - a membrane (38) that divides the volume into two parts, 5. a connecting ring (36), wherein an outer circumference of a membrane is connected to the housing via the connecting ring, the housing and the connecting ring being constructed and arranged such that at least in front view, side view or top view of the expansion vessel the connecting ring within the smallest enveloping rectangle (80) defined by the housing 10 (12).

Expansion vessel according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a part (75) that reclines at least in front view, side view or top view with respect to an adjacent part (67) of the housing, wherein a part (66) of the connecting ring (36) Extends along said recessed portion of the housing.

3. Expansion vessel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing is substantially in the form of an oblique prism, wherein the oblique prism has a short diagonal cross-section and a long diagonal cross-section, wherein a plane (50) defined by the connecting ring (36) extends parallel to the short diagonal cross-section or extends at an acute angle to the short diagonal cross-section, in particular at an acute angle in less than 4 degrees.

4. Expansion vessel according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the surface (50) extends at an acute angle with a longitudinal axis (55) or a lateral axis (56) of the housing.

5. An expansion vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in side view or in front view the housing (12) has substantially a parallelogram shape, with a short diagonal and a long diagonal, and wherein the plane (50) defined by the connecting ring extends substantially parallel or extends at an acute angle of less than 4 degrees with respect to the short diagonal. -9-

Expansion vessel according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - when the expansion vessel is in its usage orientation - the surface extends at an acute angle to the horizontal or extends substantially horizontally.

An expansion vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface (50) divides the volume into two substantially wedge-shaped parts (60, 62).

8. An expansion vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting ring (36) extends substantially diagonally across opposite sides (18, 20) of the housing (12).

9. Expansion vessel according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the expansion vessel is flat, ie has a relatively small height compared to a length and a width of the expansion vessel, and wherein a diaphragm relates at an acute angle to an upper side (14). ) and an underside (16) of the expansion vessel extends.

An expansion vessel according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the top and bottom (14, 16) of the housing are convex.

The expansion vessel of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the membrane (36) extends at an angle of between 10 and 20 degrees with respect to an average orientation of the top and / or bottom of the expansion vessel.

12. Expansion vessel as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the housing has a substantially parallelepiped shape.

An expansion vessel according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises an inlet (75) which extends around at least a part of the circumference of the housing, and wherein the connecting ring (36) extends at least partially into the inlet (75). ) 30.

An expansion vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises an inlet (75) which extends around the entire circumference of the housing, and wherein the connecting ring (36) is entirely in said inlet (75), with the result that the connecting ring is within a minimal enclosing box defined by the housing.