GB2452489A

GB2452489A - Plumbing component

Info

Publication number: GB2452489A
Application number: GB0717153A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Glyn Hughes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-04
Filing date: 2007-09-04
Publication date: 2009-03-11
Also published as: GB0717153D0

Abstract

The component includes a watertight chamber 2 with several pairs 3 of openings for pipe connections on its upper 4 and lower sides 5. A further connection 8 may be made at the top. Two or more electrical switches 6, 7 are capable of latching on and off in response to the temperature of water in the chamber. The chamber and switches are enclosed in an outer casing 1 attached to the chamber. The component is suitable for connection to part of a wet central-heating circuit. A visual temperature indicator and a connector array 9 may also be provided.

Description

TITLE: Plumbing Component INVENTOR: Glyn hughes, 43 I larrison Rd, Adlington, Lancashire PR7 4HN, England, a citizen of the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND:

In wct' central-heating systems, where hot water is distributed from a heat SOUCC through pipes to a circuit of heat emitters such as radiators, a problem arises where it is required to have, in the same system, niore than OflC heat source, or more than OflC circuit of emitters, in in that it is difficult to arrange the system such that heated water is directed only to where it is required. For instance, if there arc two heat sources, say a primary gas boiler and also a solid fuel boiler for occasional use, it is difficult to arrange the system such that heated water from the boiler in use does not circulate wastefully through the unused boiler. In the same manner, where there are, for instance two circuits of emitters such as one for daytime and one for night time use, it is equally difficult to arrange the system such that heat does not leak' from one circuit to another. Again, problems arise where different circuits are required to operate at different pressures, such as the very low pressure of a thermo-syphon circuit, the higher pressure of a pumped central heating circuit and the very high pressure of an undcrfloor heating circuit.

To overcome this class of problem it is the usual practice of heating engineers to incorporate valves into the pipes such that parts of the circuit can be opened or closed as required.

However, such an arrangement is reliant on expensive and often unreliable electrical or thermal valves and has the dangerous disadvantage that, should a problem of overheating occur, there may not be a route available for safe expansion of water.

Over the years a number of devices have been invented to overcome these problems, generally consisting of an array of pipes and valves connected together into a single unit. The present invention demonstrates a method of interconnecting different types of heating circuit without recourse to valves.

PRiOR ART

W02007085257: Valve assembly for connecting a heat exchanger. (Danfoss AS) GB2I 13364: Hot water installation (Baker/Dunsley) EP 1264146: Central Heating (Cremin/Oxyvent) (iB2227300: Dual boiler heating and hot water installation (Coutchman) (iB2 161590: Improvements relating to boilers (Thorn EMI) G132 153504: Water heating apparatus (Gledhill) GB2 168796: Reverse flow proof indirectly heated hot water storage tank (Wesson Urban) (i132146106: Heating installation (Ulster Pipe Services) No Patent traced: "Laddomat" device manufactured by Jaroslav Cankar a syn Atmos, Velcnskeho 47, Bela pod l3ezdezern 294 21, Czech Republic No Patent traced: "Systemlink" device manufactured by Systemlink Ltd, Unit C2, South City Business Centre, Tallaght, I)uhlin 24, Ireland No Patent traced: "H2 Control Panel" manufactured by Heating Innovations Ltd., IA Mill Hill Lane, Knights End Road, March, Cambridgeshire PEI5 9QB, UK

DISCLOSURE:

The present invention consists of a watertight chamber provided with a number of openings to connectors suitable for attachment to the pipework used in hot-water central heating. Such openings and connectors are disposed on the surface of the chamber in pairs with one of each pair being towards the lower part of one of the chamber's surfaces, and the other being towards the upper part of the surface. Typically, hut not necessarily, there will he four or five pairs of connectors. A further single opening and pipework connector is provided at the uppermost part of the chamber. On the top surface of the chamber are attached two electrical switches capable of latching on' and off in response to the temperature of water in the watertight chamber. A scheme of electrical connectors suitable for wiring-up the electrical switches is provided.The whole assembly of watertight chamber and switches and connectors is fitted inside an outer cover which is attached to the watertight chamber and which cover is formed with apertures to permit the routing of pipes and cables.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The pairs of connectors on the watertight chamber part of the invention are connected to pairs of pipes associated with a heating circuit so that the flow pipe of a circuit is attached to an upper connector on the invention and the return pipe on the same circuit is connected to a lower connector Ofl the invention. In this way the watertight chamber fills and forms a type of'manifold' connector to, for instance a gravity-circulation hot water system, a pumped radiator circuit, a gravity-circulation boiler, a pumped-water boiler. The single opening and pipework connector on the uppermost part of the chamber is connected by a pipe to an open feed and expansion vessel. When in use the various pairs of pipes will either feed to or draw water from the watertight chamber, but the flow pipe of each pair will only ever displace exactly the same amount of water as is taken in by its associated return pipe. In this way, and because the watertight chamber is directly connected by its upper connector to the feed and expansion vessel, the chamber forms a neutral point' to which circuits operating at different pressures may be attached with little risk of one impinging on the action of another, for instance, two circuits, both of which arc pumped can be connected together with little risk that one will run over' into the other.

Should the pump on one circuit be disabled, circulation in that circuit will indeed cease even if adjacent circuits are operating at pressure. Within the watertight chamber the hottest water will naturally rise to the upper part and the coolest sink to the lowest, ensuring that the difference between flow' and return' parts of a heating circuit are maintained. The electrical switches in the invention will act in response to the temperature of water in the watertight chamber and can be connected to circulating pumps. For instance, one electrical switch may he set to make a circuit only above a certain temperature, to prevent unheated water being poinlessley circulated. The other electrical switch may be so set that should the temperature in the chamber approach boiling point a pump will operate SO as to dissipate heat.

ORIGINALITY

No originality is claimed in the concept of a system neutral' water chamber, but originality is claimed in the invention of such a chamber with a particular disposition of pipe connectors and with electrical switches all combined into a casing. -c 3

EXAMPLE:

One possible way of implementing the invention will now he shown through drawings where drawing number I is a schematic reprcscntattion, drawing number 2 represent an actual possible embodiment complete, and drawing number 3 shows the same actual possible embodiment, but with the outer casing removed to show the interior parts.

In all these drawings (I) is the outer casing and (2) is the watertight chamber with pairs (3) of connections in the (4) upper and (5) lower parts. The two electrical switches are shown at (6) and (7) with the upper connector for the feed and expansion pipe at (8). There is a connector array at (9) to facilitate the wiring to the switches. All are as described in the disclosure.

Claims

CLMMS: I. A Plumbing Component consisting of a watertight chamber suitable for filling with water when connected as part of a wet central-heating circuit and which watertight chamber has several pairs of openings for pipe connections at its upper and lower parts and one further connection at its top and to which chamber is attached two or more electrical switches capable of latching on' and off in response to the temperature of the water within the watertight chamber, which whole formation of chamber and switches is substantially enclosed in an outer casing attached to the watertight chamber and which casing is provided with orifices for access to the parts within.
2. A Plumbing Component consisting of a watertight chamber with switches and connectors within a casing as described in claim 1, provided with a visual temperature indicator.
3. A Plumbing Component consisting of a watertight chamber with switches and connectors within a casing as described in claim I, provided with a scheme of electrical connectors suitable for wiring-up the electrical switches.
4. A Plumbing Component consisting of a watertight chamber substantially as described in this document.

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