SE2130089A1

SE2130089A1 - A leak detector

Info

Publication number: SE2130089A1
Application number: SE2130089A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Tom Lindborg
Original assignee: Lbs Castling Invest Oue
Priority date: 2020-04-14
Filing date: 2021-04-01
Publication date: 2021-10-15
Also published as: FI129081B; SE544572C2; FI20207063A1; EE01547U1; NO20210437A1

Abstract

A leak detectorA leak detector is intended for the detection of possible leaks of the pipe (1) to be inspected and comprises a collection vessel (2), a connector (3) at its lower part, to which connector an outlet pipe (4) is connected. The collection vessel (2) is attached with a bracket (7) immovably to the element (8). In order for the pipe (1) to be inspected to move in the longitudinal direction (for example when connecting the piping), a watertightly flexible connection element (6) has been attached to the lower part of the collection vessel (2), the lower part of which connection element is attached watertight^ to the pipe (1) to be inspected. If need be, the flexible element (6) extends or retracts when the pipe (1) moves and the water-tightness of the connections is preserved.

Description

A LEAK DETECTOR Technical field The present disclosure relates to the field of construction, said invention being a deviceintended for detecting possible leaks in water and heating pipes and wires installed inbuildings.

State of the Art Many types of leak detectors are used for detecting possible Ieaks in water and heatingpipings and their joints, installed in buildings. They can be electrical (detectors reactingto the rise of the moisture level) or mechanical, wherein a leak is detected visually. Leakdetectors are especially important in places where the leak detection by means of avisual inspection (straight from the pipe) is difficult or impossible.

At present, when constructing buildings, prefabricated room elements (such as abathroom element) are used, wherein the necessary pipings are pre-installed at thefactory to a building services engineered lightweight duct element and they are installedto the places reserved for them in the room element. The level of completeness of suchroom elements is usually high, the pipings of the lightweight duct elements in them areusually ready for connecting to each other. Room elements are often finished withsurface materials and fixtures, thus the pipings can no longer be observed at thebuilding site after connecting the lightweight duct elements to each other withoutbreaking the materials. ln many countries, there is a requirement for such closedpipings that a mechanical leak detector enabling quick detection of a possible leaklocation without breaking any materials has to be installed to each floor.

Common mechanical leak detectors comprise a collection vessel and a connector in itslower part, to which connector a thin flexible outlet pipe is connected. The detector islocated to such a place in a pipe where it is desired or where it is mandatory to inspectthe presence of a possible leak. Collection vessels normally have the shape of a pipe ora funnel. The lower part of a pipe or a funnel is attached water-tightly to the pipe to be inspected, and at its lower part, there is a connector to which the flexible outlet pipe isconnected. The other end of the outlet pipe is drawn to a place where it is easy toobserve. Pipes and wires are usually coated with thermal insulation. lf there is a leak inthe piping section above the collection vessel or in the pipe connector, the leaked liquidgathers to the lower part of the funnel and it flows through the outlet pipe to a chosenvisible place where it can be detected. Use of a leak detector prevents formation ofleaks that remain hidden in the pipe and at the same time enables to determine the location of the leak rather exactly without dismantling the structures.

Such a leak detector is depicted for example in the Finnish Utility Model Fl12232 (LVl-Pörssi Oy, Samuli Kuusio, Hannu Makkonen, 2018), where a funnel-shaped collectionvessel is water-tightly joined to the pipe to be inspected at the narrower end of thefunnel. The attachment is water-tight but immobile, and it doesn't allow the pipe to moveup or down in relation to the collection vessel. The collection vessel, for its part, cannotmove because the thermal insulation prevents the movement. This kind of a leakdetector thus has to be, both at the time of installation and during the later use of thepiping, constantly attached to the same position and the same place in the pipe. lf thelocation of the collection vessel in the pipe for some reason changed, the water-tightness of the collection vessel around the pipe to be inspected might vanish and theleaked liquid would not flow through the outlet pipe to the inspection point, but insteaddown along the pipe to be inspected. Due to this kind of change in position, the water-tight connection between the outlet pipe and the collection vessel may vanish and the leak detector no longer is appropriate.

However, movement of pipes during their installation or their use later on is verycommon. Especially, lightweight duct element pipings often require moving of pipeswhen connecting them, and during their use the pipes may move due to thermalexpansion and vibration. A collection vessel attached immovably to the pipe is notusable in these circumstances.

Swedish patent application SE8603824 describes a leak detector that can be attachedto the pipe. The solution presented in the application does not allow to move the pipeupwards or downwards, thereby limiting the installation possibilities of the leak detector.

Publication WO 8805515 presents a leak detector. The leak detector of the publicationcannot be attached to the structure of a lightweight duct element and it therefore is notsuitable for example for prefabricated construction. lnvention lt is an aim of this invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawback. A leak detector according to the invention is presented in the appended claims ln order for the leak detector to work smoothly also during the movement required bythe connecting of the pipes or other possible movement, the attachment of the collectionvessel has to allow its certain movement in the longitudinal direction of the pipe to beinspected and still to remain water-tight.

Present disclosure discloses a leak detector. The leak detector comprises a collectionvessel, a bracket for attaching the collection vessel, a connector at the lower part of thecollection vessel, to which the connector an outlet pipe is connected. The collectionvessel is a funnel like structure which is arranged, when in use, to collect liquid whichmight be leaking in a pipe to which the leak detector is assembled. There is a connectorat the lower part of the collection vessel. The term lower part refers to a part of thecollection vessel to which liquid flows due to gravity when in use. The outlet pipe isconnected to the said connector. Collected liquid (a leak) flows via the outlet pipe andthus a leak can be detected.

The collection vessel is attached with the bracket immovable to a structure of alightweight duct element. The lightweight duct element refers to an element which canbe typically installed for example inside of a wall of a building. The lightweight ductelement can be also integrated as part of a wall element. The term immovable refers toa permanent connection which not in normal usage disconnected. Typically the connection is done during manufacturing phase or at the assembly phase. Bracket canbe made from a metal, the metal might bend slightly and allow a slight movementbetween the lightweight duct and the collection vessel. A water-tightly flexibleconnection element is further attached to the lower part of the collection vessel. A lowerpart of the water-tightly flexible connection element is attached water-tightly to a pipe,when in use. A lower part refers part of the water-tightly flexible connection elementwhich is at opposite end from the point of attachment to the collection vessel. Theconnection is water-tight to prevent a liquid to flow downwards due to gravity when inuse. lndeed the water-tight connection element enables the collection vessel to collectleaked liquid such as water. The connection element is flexible to enable upwards anddownwards movement of the inside of the water-tightly ﬂexible connection element.

According to embodiment the water-tightly flexible connection element is a hollowstructure having a first end, a second end opposite to the first end and a middle sectionbetween the first end and the second end, wherein the middle section is made from aflexible material selected from group of: corrugated pipe, a foldable pipe, a water tightelement of tubular shape which is flexible in a longitudinal direction. The first end isconnected to the lower part of the collection vessel as described above. The secondend (referred also as the lower part of the water-tightly flexible connection element) isattached water tightly to the pipe to be inspected. The middle section is made fromflexible material to allow thus the pipe to be moved upwards and downwards. Thesecond end moves with the pipe, if the pipe is moved, and since, the middle section is flexible the collection vessel will remain stationary during the movement.

The pipe can be coated with an insulation. ln one embodiment the second end and part of the middle section is also covered with the insulator.

As to this solution, such result has been obtained by installing a flexible additionalconnection element and by attaching the collection vessel to the body structure. Such aconnection element can for example be a corrugated pipe, a foldable pipe or someother water-tight element of tubular shape and flexible in the longitudinal direction. Theupper end of the flexible connection element is water-tightly attached to the lower part of the collection vessel, whereby the collection vessel still can move in the longitudinaldirection along the pipe to be inspected. The lower part of the connection element isattached water-tightly and fixedly to the pipe to be inspected. Thus, a desired result hasbeen obtained with a simple structural solution.

Detailed description with reference to the appended drawingsList of Figures The following Figures present the technical essence of the invention: Fig 1: A leak detector before connecting a pipe to be inspected to anothercorresponding pipe; Fig 2: A leak detector after connecting the pipe to be inspected.

An embodiment example of the leak detector and a technical solution have been shownin Fig 1 and Fig 2.

A leak detector comprises a collection vessel (2) installed to a pipe (1) to be inspectedand a connector (3) at its lower part, to which connector an outlet pipe (4) is connected.The other end of this pipe is drawn to the inspection point (5). A water-tightly flexibleconnection element (6) is attached to the lower part of the collection vessel (2). Theattachment of the upper part of the connection element enables additionally alongitudinal movement of the collection vessel in relation to the pipe (1) to be inspected.The lower part of the connection element (6) is attached water-tightly and immovablyaround the pipe (1) to be inspected. The collection vessel (2) is attached immovablywith a bracket (7) to the structure of the lightweight duct element (8). The pipe (1) iscoated with thermal insulation (9) if needed.

As to the use example of the invention, we require that for connecting a pipe (1) to beinspected that is equipped with a leak detector, the pipe needs to be moved to someextent upwards or downwards. The collection vessel (2) is prepared for installation andan outlet pipe (4) is attached to it, as well as a flexible connection element (6) in acompressed position, whereby the upper end of the connection element is attached water-tightly to the lower part of the collection vessel. The collection vessel (2) togetherwith the outlet pipe (4) and a ﬂexible connection element (6) is installed thereafter to thepipe (1) to be inspected and is attached with a bracket (7) immovably to the structure ofthe lightweight duct element (8). The lower part of the connection element (6) is thenattached water-tightly and immovably around the pipe (1) to be inspected. lf needed,thermal insulation (9) is installed to the pipe (1). When the pipe (1) is moved upwardsand downwards during their installation, the connection element (6) extends or retracts,but the collection vessel (2) and the outlet pipe (4) remain in their place in relation to theelement (8). The water-tightness of the connections is preserved and the leak detector is still in working order and functional.

Figure 3A and 3B are illustrations of a leak detector 300. A pipe 301 is inserted in theleak detector 300. The pipe 301 goes thru the collection vessel 302. The collectionvessel is funnel like structure with open top (as compared to the figure) and open endthru which the pipe can go. The collection vessel is attached with bracket 307 to ahousing of a lightweight duct element 308. A water-tightly flexible connection element306 is connected from its first end 360 to a lower part of the collection vessel 302 andfrom its second end 364 (second end i.e. a lower part of the water-tightly flexibleconnection element) to outer surface of the pipe 301. ln figure 3A is illustrated asituation in which the pipe is moved in its upwards position. Since the second end 364 isattached to outer surface of the pipe 301 a middle section 364 of the water-tightlyflexible connection element is wrapped in its shortes form. ln Figure 3A is illustrated asituation in which the pipe 301 is in lower position thus extracting the middle section 362as illustrated. Since the middle section is flexible it allows movement of the pipe 301 anmakes installation of pipe possible as the collection vessel does not move with the pipe301.

Claims

1. A leak detector, comprising a collection vessel (2), a bracket (7) for attaching thecollection vessel (2), a connector (3) at the lower part of the collection vessel (2), towhich the connector an outlet pipe (4) is connected, characterized in that thecollection vessel (2) is attached with the bracket (7) immovably to a structure of alightweight duct element (8), a water-tightly flexible connection element (6) isattached to the lower part of the collection vessel (2), a lower part of the water-tightly flexible connection element is attached water-tightly to a pipe (1) to beinspected and which the pipe is coated with insulation (9), allowing the pipe (1) to move upwards and downwards.

2. A leak detector according to claim 1, wherein the water-tightly flexible connectionelement is a hollow structure having a first end, a second end opposite to the firstend and a middle section between the first end and the second end, wherein themiddle section is made from a flexible material selected from group of: corrugatedpipe, a foldable pipe, a water tight element of tubular shape which is flexible in alongitudinal direction.