WO2000003951A1

WO2000003951A1 - A magnet arrangement for a pipe

Info

Publication number: WO2000003951A1
Application number: PCT/DK1999/000372
Authority: WO
Inventors: Søren Brix DOEST
Original assignee: Sd Consult I/S
Priority date: 1998-07-14
Filing date: 1999-06-30
Publication date: 2000-01-27
Also published as: AU4603999A

Abstract

A magnet arrangement for preventing lime scale formation in a pipe system and its installation by magnetically treating the water flowing through a pipe (16) in the pipe system. The magnet arrangement comprises a number of bar-shaped magnets placed in a circle around the pipe and a chain with a number of hinges (14) for in two pivotally connecting a number of links each formed as a house (7) containing at least one magnet. The hinges are releasably connected to the houses so that a chain with the number of houses suited for a given pipe can easily be made. The chain can easily and quickly be mounted on the pipe without the operator during this having trouble overcoming external forces from the mutual attraction and repulsion of the magnets.

Description

A MAGNET ARRANGEMENT FOR A PIPE

The invention relates to a magnet arrangement for magnetically treating of a fluid, such as water, flowing through a pipe and which comprises a number of bar-shaped magnets placed in a circle around the pipe.

Water supplied to a place of use, for example a house, an institution, or an industrial company, normally has a large or small content of dissolved lime which by nature is in a phase in which it is easily deposited as scale on the surfaces that the water comes into contact with.

These scales represent a considerable nuisance to the user. Thus, the flow of the water through the pipes, the valves and the taps of the piping system is eventually hampered to such a degree that drawing off of a quantity of water will take an unreasonably long time. In machines such as washing machines, dishwashers, and coffeemakers, the lime is furthermore deposited in form of particularly heavy scales on the heating surfaces of the machines, thereby reducing the performance of these surfaces and increasing the power consumption.

When the water flows through a magnetic field, the lime however changes phase, and in this phase, the lime is no longer likely to be deposited as scale on the surfaces that the water passes.

This particular characteristic of the lime in the water is in practice utilised for preventing that lime is deposited in a piping system and its installations and furthermore for breaking down already formed scale formations.

The effect is typically obtained by means of powerful permanent magnets that are placed at a suitable place in the piping system, usually at the beginning. This technique is discussed in detail in the patent literature .- Thus, the Danish utility model no. 92/00214 U3 describes how water flowing through a pipe is treated in a magnetic field created by means of a number of bar-shaped magnets placed in a circle around the pipe with the longitudinal direction extending in the same direction as the pipe axis.

The bar-shaped magnets are joined in twos on the pipe by means of U-shaped shackles with a straight body and legs that slide into pre-made holes in the magnet ends. As the division between the magnets in practice is not precisely a multiple of the pitch circle formed by the circle of magnets on the pipe, one or several large spaces are left between adjacent magnets which are joined with shackles strapped together by springs.

The thus known arrangement of bar-shaped magnets for magnetic treatment of water flowing through a pipe can immediately be used for pipes having any diameter. Only a number of magnets that suit the respective pipe are required. That means a few magnets for a small pipe of the kind used in domestic households, and relatively many magnets for treating water in larger circumstances which is common within manufacturing industries and institutions, such as hospitals.

An additional considerable advantage of the known magnet arrangement is that the magnets can be mounted on the exterior of a pipe in an existing piping system without it being necessary to interfere in any way with the integrity of this system.

Between two adjacent magnets, considerable forces are working that as repelling or attractive forces are transmitted from one leg of a bracket to the other via the body of the shackle. As both leg and body during this at the same time are affected to bend, the shackle will be inclined to open and slide out of the engagement with the holes in the end of the bar-shaped magnets. This tendency is especially serious when the body at the same time is affected to both repelling and bending.

A number of powerful magnets situated close next to each other are very difficult to control. They attract or repel each other with considerable forces that the shackles are not able to absorb. For the legs of the shackles are pivotally journaled in the corresponding holes in the magnet ends, and the magnets will therefore revolve uncontrollably in relation to the shackles which therefore are of no use at all when the magnets are to be mounted on a pipe.

It is therefore difficult and hard to mount the known magnet arrangement on a pipe, and the finished assembly is furthermore extremely unstable.

A further development of the magnet arrangement that is disclosed in the Danish utility model no. 92/00214 U3 is disclosed in the Danish utility model no. 93/00232 U3.

In this case, a circle of magnets is used in which each magnet is made up of two bar-shaped magnets connected to a superjacent pole plate in form of an iron core. By means of magnet structures of this kind, especially efficient magnetic fields can be created in pipes.

The shackles known from the Danish utility model no. 92/00214 U3 for joining adjacent magnets in a circle around a pipe cannot be used for the more advanced magnet structures that are known from the Danish utility model no. 93/00232 U3. Instead, these magnet structures are strapped to the pipe by means of straps made of e.g. steel and extending along the periphery of the magnet circle. However, it is extremely difficult to mount such magnet structures in this way on a pipe. The object of the invention is to provide a magnet arrangement of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph, which can be mounted easier, quicker and in a more stable manner than known so far on a pipe.

The novel and unique features according to the invention, whereby this is achieved, is the fact that the magnet arrangement furthermore comprises a chain with a number of hinges for two by two pivotally connect a number of links each shaped as a house containing at least one magnet.

The chain of hinged houses in a desired number can thereby safely and easily be put around a pipe after which the ends of the chain are strapped together by e.g. straps. Thanks to the presence of the hinges along the sides of the magnets, the assembly is completely stable. In each house can be a single bar-shaped magnet but according to the design of the house, also two or several successive bar-shaped magnets possibly together with a superjacent pole plate.

In order to avoid loss of flux and an unwanted deflection of the magnetic field, the houses can be made of a nonmagnetic or nonmagnetisable material, which e.g. can be plastic.

The hinges can also be of plastic with a suitable flexibility and with halves which are integrated in each their adjacent house and are releasably joinable with snap fasteners. Alternatively, the plastic hinges can be formed as a short band which at each end is integrated with a house.

In a second embodiment, the hinges can be formed as double hooks detachably hooked in hooks on the house or in eyes in outwardly projecting webs extending along the sides of the houses. Thereby, a great stability of the mounted magnet arrangement is obtained. The bar-shaped magnets known from the Danish utility models no-. 92/00214 U3 and 93/00232 U3 have plane undersides that abut against the curved surface of the respective pipe with an unstable line contact. The houses according to the invention stand safely and stably on the curved surface when they each at each longitudinal side have a foot in form of e.g. a longitudinal rib for supporting against the pipe.

The invention will be explained in greater detail below, describing only exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing, in which

Fig. 1 shows a conventional magnet arrangement with an advanced magnet structure,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational and sectional view of a house containing the advanced magnet structure of fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is on a larger scale a bottom view of the houses in fig. 2 hinged together and partly in section,

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a chain of houses hinged together,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the chain in fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the chain in fig. 4 and 5 mounted on a pipe .

In the following, it is assumed that the magnet used in the magnet arrangement according to the invention is the advanced magnet structure in fig. 1, which generally is designated with the reference numeral 1.

However, it must in this connection be noted that any other kind of magnet or magnet structure can be used within the scope of the invention. The magnet structure 1 consists of two bar-shaped magnets 2a, b and a superjacent pole plate 3 of soft iron.

Fig. 1 shows two magnet structures 1 mounted on a pipe 4 in which calcareous water (not shown) is flowing in the direction of the arrow. This water is to be treated by the magnetic field created by the magnets in order to avoid thereby that lime is deposited in the not shown subsequent piping system and its installations .

The magnet arrangement actually comprises a circle of magnet structures 1 strapped on to the pipe 4 by means of two straps 5 run all the way around the entire magnet circle.

By means of the advanced magnet structure 1 in fig. 1 placed in a circle around the pipe 4, an especially efficient magnetic field 6 is obtained that has an alternating field intensity in the direction of flow and therefore functions as a pulsating magnetic field in relation to the flowing water.

As mentioned earlier, each magnet or magnet structure 1 consists of three parts 2a, 2b, 3, and the total number of parts in the entire magnet circle is therefore in total three times the number of magnets, that is, generally a considerable number of parts to control and which must be placed on the right spot on the pipe and then be strapped together with straps run around all the magnets at the same time.

Even to a person skilled in the art, this operation is extremely difficult to perform as the many parts attract or repel each other with considerable forces during the performance of the task and are therefore impossible to keep control of.

In order to remedy this considerable disadvantage, the three parts 2a, 2b, 3 of the magnet structure 1 according to the invention is assembled in advance in the house 7 shown in fig. 2 and 3, which consists of a top 8 and a bottom 9 tightly interconnected by means of a joint 10, e.g. a welded or bonded seam. The houses can advantageously be made of plastic.

On the bottom 9, two longitudinal ribs 11 are furthermore formed with a mutual distance for stably and safely supporting the house against the curved surface of the pipe.

On each side of the bottom 9, two outwardly projecting webs 12 with eyes 13 are furthermore made.

Fig. 3 shows how two houses 7 are pivotally hinged together with double hooks 14 which are detachably introduced into the eyes 13 on the opposite webs 12 of the two houses 7.

Fig. 4 and 5 show a total of seven houses 7 that are hinged together in this way to a continuous chain 15. In the shown case, the outwardly projecting webs 12 of the houses each have two eyes 13, and the houses are hinged together two by two with two double hooks.

The magnet structures 1 are locked together in each their house without being able to move in relation to each other. The hinges formed by the engagement of the double hooks 14 with the eyes 13 furthermore keep the position of the houses safely locked in the longitudinal direction of the chain. The great attractive and repulsive forces acting between the individual parts of the magnet structures and between the magnet structures themselves are thus only absorbed as internal forces in the chain. There are no external forces which the operator has to overcome when the chain is to be mounted on a pipe.

At the same time, the hinges allow the chain 15 to bend easily and without difficulty. This characteristic is used in fig. 6 in which the chain by being bent about the hinges has been mounted on a pipe 16 with the ends strapped together by means of straps 17.

The above description and the drawing show how the houses of the chain are hinged together with double hooks which pivotally engage with eyes formed in longitudinal webs along the sides of the houses .

However, this is only to be taken as an example as hinges with any design can be used for pivotally hinging the houses of the chain together within the scope of the invention.

Thus, the hinges can be detachable or fixed, and they can engage with hooks on the houses or merely be bands of e.g. plastic with a suitable thickness.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A magnet arrangement (1) for magnetically treating a fluid, such as water, flowing through a pipe (16) , and comprising a number of bar-shaped magnets (2a, b) placed in a circle around the pipe, characterised in that the magnet arrangement furthermore comprises a chain with a number of hinges (14) for in twos pivotally connecting a number of links each formed as a house (7) containing at least one magnet.

2. A magnet arrangement (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the hinges (14) are releasably connected to the houses (7) .

3. A magnet arrangement (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the hinges (14) are formed as double hooks detachably hooked in hooks on the house .

4. A magnet arrangement (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the hinges (14) are formed as double hooks detachably hooked in eyes (13) in outwardly projecting webs (12) extending along the sides of the houses (7) .

5. A magnet arrangement (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the hinges (14) are made of a flexible material, such as plastic.

6. A magnet arrangement (1) according to any of the claims 1

- 5, characterised in that each house (7) on each side has a foot in form of e.g. a longitudinal rib (11) for supporting against the pipe (16).

7. A magnet arrangement (1) according to any of the claims 1

- 6, characterised in that it comprises at least one strap (17) for strapping the ends of the chain together at mounting on the pipe (16) .

8. A magnet arrangement (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 7, characterised in that each house (7) is made of a nonmagnetic or nonmagnetisable material, such as plastic.

9. A magnet arrangement (1) according to any of the claims 1

- 8, characterised in that each house (7) is tightly shut around the magnet.

10. A magnet arrangement (1) according to any of the claims 1

- 9, characterised in that at least one of the houses (7) of the chain contains two bar-shaped magnets (2a,b) arranged end to end, and a pole plate (3) of e.g. soft iron is, seen in relation to the pipe, placed above these magnets .