WO2013143948A1

WO2013143948A1 - Tubular insulating covering for pipes

Info

Publication number: WO2013143948A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/055843
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Tognon
Original assignee: Everlux S.R.L.
Priority date: 2012-03-26
Filing date: 2013-03-20
Publication date: 2013-10-03
Also published as: ITPD20120092A1

Abstract

A tubular insulating covering for pipes (10), comprising an elastically deformable external containment sheath (11), which surrounds a flexible insulating flat body (12), based on aerogel, folded so as to define a sleeve (13) designed to be crossed longitudinally by a pipe (T) to be thermally insulated, in adaptation to the diameter of the latter, the longitudinal flaps (14, 15) of the flexible flat body (12), in a configuration for minimal space occupation and storage, being folded so as to define at least one longitudinal portion (16, 17) for the size adaptation of the sleeve (13), designed to stretch or widen transversely to the direction of longitudinal extension of the sleeve upon the insertion of the pipe (T) to be thermally insulated.

Description

TUBULAR INSULATING COVERING FOR PIPES

The present invention relates to a tubular insulating covering for pipes.

Nowadays, for the covering for thermal insulation of pipes in which particularly hot or cold fluids flow, adapted tubular coverings are generally adopted which comprise one or more insulating layers, and the pipes to be thermally insulated are inserted into such coverings.

Although widespread, such tubular coverings suffer some drawbacks.

The first of such drawbacks lies in the fact that conventional tubular coverings are not particularly deformable in a diametric direction.

This means that for every different outer diameter of piping to be insulated, there must be a different tubular covering with an exact corresponding inner diameter.

Moreover, such tubular coverings, precisely because of their lack of deformability in a radial direction, although they can be curved in order to be adapted to any curved trajectories of a conduit to be covered, cannot be folded through 180° without compression with breakage in the folding region, and they must be stored in their full length, in sections of up to ten meters.

Moreover, as mentioned above, the non-deformability in a radial direction does not allow any compression of such tubular coverings, which thus, besides having a non-variable diameter, cannot even be compressed in order to be capable of being easily wrapped around an adapted support, not least because of the radial thickness of the insulating layer, which is often very large with respect to the diameter of the pipes to be covered.

This results in a not insignificant volume of pieces in storage, which is unavoidable in that as many series of tubular coverings must be stored as there are outer diameters of pipes to be covered.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a tubular insulating covering for pipes which is capable of overcoming the above mentioned drawbacks of conventional coverings.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a covering that adapts to different diameters of pipes, thus limiting the problems of storage, transport volumes and space occupation in general.

Another object of the invention is to provide a covering that is easy to handle at the time of installation, and thus is easy to tailor to measure and to be applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tubular insulating covering for pipes which can be produced using known systems and technologies.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better evident hereinafter are achieved by a tubular insulating covering for pipes, characterized in that it comprises an elastically deformable external containment sheath, which surrounds a flexible insulating flat body, based on aerogel, folded so as to define a sleeve designed to be crossed longitudinally by a pipe to be thermally insulated, in adaptation to the diameter of the latter, the longitudinal flaps of said flexible flat body being folded, in a configuration for minimal space occupation and storage, so as to define at least one longitudinal portion for the size adaptation of said sleeve, designed to stretch or widen transversely to the direction of longitudinal extension of said sleeve upon the insertion of said pipe to be thermally insulated.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of three preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the covering according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse cross-section of a covering according to the invention in the configuration of minimal space occupation and storage, in a first embodiment;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section of the covering in Figure 1 , in use;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section of a covering according to the invention in the configuration of minimal space occupation and storage, in a second embodiment;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-section of the covering in Figure 3, in use;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-section of a covering according to the invention in the configuration of minimal space occupation and storage, in a third embodiment;

Figure 6 is a transverse cross-section of the covering in Figure 5, in use.

With reference to the figures, a tubular insulating covering for pipes according to the invention is generally designated in the first embodiment thereof with the reference numeral 10.

The covering 10 comprises an elastically deformable external containment sheath 11 , which surrounds a flexible insulating flat body 12, based on aerogel.

Such flexible flat body 12 is folded so as to define a sleeve 13 that is designed to be crossed longitudinally by a pipe T to be thermally insulated, in adaptation to the diameter of the latter, as shown for the purposes of example in Figure 2.

The longitudinal flaps 14 and 15 of the flexible flat body 12 are folded, in a configuration for minimal space occupation and storage, so as to each define a longitudinal portion, 16 and 17 respectively, for the size adaptation of the sleeve 13 to the transverse dimensions, i.e. the diameter, of the pipe T.

Each longitudinal portion for the size adaptation 16 and 17 is designed to stretch, unfolding, in a direction which is transverse to the direction of longitudinal extension of the sleeve 13, upon the insertion of the pipe T to be thermally insulated. In such first embodiment of the invention, the two opposite longitudinal flaps 14 and 15 are sewn by their facing edges along a seam 18.

The folding regions 19 and 20 of each longitudinal flap 14 and 15 are moved so as to face each other end to end, as in Figure 1, or mutually overlap, in a variation not shown but to be understood as part of the invention, by way of a second folding operation which defines second folding regions 21 and 22; such configuration of the flexible insulating flat body 12 is of minimal space occupation and thus particularly adapted to wind the covering 10 around a reel, not shown for the sake of simplicity.

The flexible insulating flat body 12 is made, for example, of

Pyrogel® by the Aspen company, but it is understood that it can also be made of other fabrics or different and equivalent non-woven fabrics containing Aerogel.

The external sheath 11 is constituted for example by a sheet of polypropylene, or other equivalent plastic material.

The flexible insulating flat body 12, after having been folded, is enveloped in the external sheath 11 ; the covering 10 thus provided can thus easily be rolled on a reel, and thus can be transported or stored with much less occupation of space with respect to conventional semirigid coverings.

The use of the tubular insulating covering 10 according to the invention as above described is clearly evident.

The pipe T is inserted in the sleeve 13, the second folding regions 21 and 22 whereof unfold as much as the diameter of the pipe T is larger, with the first folding regions 19 and 20 consequently moving apart, as in Figure 2.

The covering 10 is thus adaptable without modifications to a variety of diameters of pipes to be insulated, comprised within a maximum diameter which is constituted by the diameter of the circumference the measurement of which corresponds to the width of the flexible insulating flat body 12 completely unfolded. In a second embodiment of the covering according to the invention, designated in Figure 3 with the reference numeral 110, the two opposite longitudinal flaps 114 and 115 are not sewn by their facing edges and are instead overlapped for a corresponding portion 124 and 125 respectively.

The folding regions 119 and 120 of each longitudinal flap 114 and

115 determine such overlapping, as in Figure 3.

Such configuration of the flexible insulating flat body 112 is of minimal space occupation and thus particularly adapted to wind the covering 110 around a reel.

In such second embodiment of the covering 110, the insertion of a pipe T in the sleeve 113 determines the sliding of the two overlapping flaps 114 and 115, with reduction in the length of the overlapping portions 124 and 125, in adaptation to the diameter of the pipe T.

Figures 5 and 6 show a third embodiment of the covering according to the invention, designated therein with the reference numeral 210.

In such third embodiment of the invention, the two opposite longitudinal flaps 214 and 215 are sewn by their facing edges along a seam 218.

The folding regions 219 and 220 of each longitudinal flap 214 and 215 are arranged side by side on one side of the sleeve 213, as in Figure 5, by way of a second folding operation that defines a folding region 221 on the opposite side of the sleeve 213; such configuration of the flexible insulating flat body 212 is also of minimal space occupation and thus particularly adapted to wind the covering 210 around a reel.

The covering 210 thus has a first portion 226 of the sleeve 213 available to accommodate the pipe T to be covered, and has a second portion 227 designed to unfold and stretch in proportion to the transverse dimensions of the pipe T.

In practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects. In particular, with the invention a covering is devised that adapts to different diameters of pipes, thus limiting the problems of storage, transport volumes and space occupation in general.

In fact, the overall flexibility of the tubular covering according to the invention enables it to be wound around a reel or spool, a solution that reduces its encumbrances considerably with respect to conventional rigid tubular coverings.

Moreover, with the invention a tubular insulating covering for pipes is devised which can be made using conventional systems and technologies.

The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice the materials employed, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2012A000092 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, such reference signs have been inserted for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A tubular insulating covering for pipes (10), characterized in that it comprises an elastically deformable external containment sheath (11), which surrounds a flexible insulating flat body (12), based on aerogel, folded so as to define a sleeve (13) designed to be crossed longitudinally by a pipe (T) to be thermally insulated, in adaptation to the diameter of the latter, the longitudinal flaps (14, 15) of said flexible flat body (12) being folded, in a configuration for minimal space occupation and storage, so as to define at least one longitudinal portion (16, 17) for the size adaptation of said sleeve (13), designed to stretch or widen transversely to the direction of longitudinal extension of said sleeve upon the insertion of said pipe (T) to be thermally insulated.

2. The covering according to claim 1, characterized in that said two opposite longitudinal flaps (14, 15) are sewn by their facing edges along a seam (18), the folding regions (19, 20) of each longitudinal flap (14, 15) being moved so as to face each other end to end or mutually overlap by way of a second folding operation which defines second folding regions (21 , 22), said configuration of the flexible insulating flat body (12) having a minimal space occupation and being therefore particularly adapted to wind the covering (10) around a reel.

3. The covering according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flexible insulating flat body (12) is made for example of Pyrogel® by the Aspen company, it being understood that it can also be made of other fabrics or different and equivalent non-woven fabrics containing Aerogel.

4. The covering according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said external sheath (11) is provided by an extensible sheet of plastic material, made for example of polypropylene or other equivalent plastic material.

5. The covering according to claims 1, 3, and 4, characterized in that the two opposite longitudinal flaps (114, 115) are not sewn by their facing edges and are instead overlapped for a corresponding portion (124, 125), folding regions (119, 120) being provided for each longitudinal flap (114, 115) and determining said overlapping.

6. The covering according to claims 1, 3 and 4, characterized in that the two opposite longitudinal flaps (214, 215) are sewn by their facing edges along a seam (218), said folding regions (219, 220) of each longitudinal flap (214, 215) being arranged side by side on one side of the sleeve (213) by way of a folding operation which defines a folding region (221) on the opposite side of said sleeve (213), said covering (210) having a first portion (226) of the sleeve (213) available to accommodate a pipe (T) to be covered, and having a second portion (227) designed to unfold and stretch in proportion to the transverse dimensions of the pipe (T).