Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Sl~-660~
~L~5~61~
STORAGE DEVICE FOR I~A~ WATER
AND M~T~OD OF M~NU~ACTURE
SP~CIFICATION
The present invention relates to a storage
device for hot water, especially adapted for use in the
modern home field and w'nich may also incorporate a water
heater, and to a method of manuacturing SUCil a device.
In particular, the invention relates to a hot water stor-
~ age device employing a water storage container formed of a
;;~ synthetic material WitlQ its three largest dimensions, in
tne three mutually orthogonal axes thereof, of different
` magnitude, and having an insulation covering thereon of a
plastic foam material.
; BACKGROUND
Water heating and storage devices such as so-
`~ called hot water heaters or tanks, which are used as such
either without pressure or under pressure, are mainly made
out of metallic materials. Since these hot watex heaters
or stora~e containers have to possess a sufficient corro-
`-~ sion protection, their production is relatively expensive
- and costly. Furthermore, they`require an extensive heat
.~ insulatiGn because the T,letallic ma~terials are good conduc-
tc,rs of heat. Other disactvantag2s of the known metallic
:~ hot water 'neaters or storage tanks,which are all built as
cylindrical containers, are to be seen in their relatively
high weight and their unfavorable dimensions. For the use
of these known cylindrical ;lOt water storage containers or
heaters in the modern home and industrial fields, as for
instance for heating systems and hot water provision, only
cylindrical containers with a maximum size of around 1,~00
liters ordinarily can be employed since otherwise the
installation of the container is impossible in the base-
ments or other rooms of the building due to their exces-
sive size. Because of present energy shortage conditions,
however, there presently exists a need for hot water heat-
ers and storage containers with larger storage capacities,
e.g., with a storage volume of at least several thousand
liters, for purposes such as long-term hot water storage
de~ices and heaters for solar systems, heat pumps, and
night-time storage of hot water electrically heated at
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night during the low electrical power peak loadings w'nich
normally occur at such time. The economical use of these
systems depends mostly on the cost of the hot water heater
or storage container.
Tnere are already known, also, hot water heaters
and storage devices having storage containers made out of
synthetic material, generally in tlle form of a square-
formed blow-molded storage container to which an outer
heat-insulating covering is applied at the place of instal-
lation of the water heater or storage device. This heat
insulation generally consists of a self-standing insula-
, tion body of which the six wall panels or sides are assem-
bled together into a box-like structure, using angle-
plates, frame parts, etc., the box-like st.ructure covering
or enveloping the free-standing synthetic material hot
water storage container. The wall panels oE the insula-
tion body generally consist of polyurethane hard-foamed
plates or panels which on their inside are provided with a
heat-reflecting aluminum foil and on their outside with a
stable, synthetic rnaterial-coated hard-fibre plate.
The use of synthetic material for hot water heat-
ers or storage containers has several advantages owing to
its chemical inertness, h~gh heat-insulation properties~
and also its limited specific weight. Thus, corrosion-
resistant hot water storage containers can be made of syn-
thetic material which has a lirllited transportation weight
despite the large storage volume capacity necessary for
heating purposes or for hot water preparation in the home
and industrial building fields. On the other hand, how-
ever, the synthetic materials have the disadvantage that
they have much less strength compared to the metallic
materials heretofore generally employed for hot water heat-
ers or storage containers, and they are especially sensi-
tive to bending stresses. Furthermore, the strength of
the syntnetic r.laterial is very m~lch temperature-dependent
so that permanent deformations can result at the operating
temperatures employed for the 'not water heater or storage
container.
~ : .
~5~166
The invention provides for an insulated storage
device for warm water comprising a blow-molded storage container
of a thermoplastic synthetic material and of ralatively high
self-shape stability, and the greatest dimensions of which in
the three mutually orthogonal axes thereo are different, and
further comprising a molded plastic foam outer insulation
covering enclosing the said container, characterized by: said
container having partially cylindrical and/or ball-shaped walls;
, . .
~- said foam insulation covering having an inner contour corres-
,. .
. . .
ponding to the outside shape o the container whereby said
~` foam insulation covering encloses said container in a form-
closed manner; said foam insulation covering, which is an inte-
grated and inseparable component of said container, having an
outside shape which is appro~timately of quadra-shaped form
having a substantially flat bottom stand surface.
The invention also provides for a method of producing
: ,
': . I
a storage device for warm water incorporating a blow-molded
~;; preformed storage container of a thermoplastic synthetic
~ material, comprising the steps of: inserting the said preformed
7 '~ 20 storage container in an enclosing mold in spaced relation to
~`
~: the walls thereof~ and foaming a plastic foam-producing material
; in said mold to form a plastic foam insulation covering on,
~:,
and form-closed around the said container.
The present invention provides an especially economi-
cal and low production cost hot water heater or storage device
having a storage container made out of a synthetic material and
, ; characterized by a high form stability and also good heat-
insulating properties, and further meeting all of the other
.,.
~ requirements such as limited or comparatively low transportation
:
weight along with the required high storage volume capacity, and
' simple and quick installation and assembly of the device at the
~;.
place of installation. The invention also provides an economical
3 -
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31.~L5;C~66
method for producing a hot water heater or storage device
having a storage container made out of a synthetic material.
The hot water heater or storage device according to
the invention is characterized by having its synthetic material
storage container provided with cylindrically formed and/or
ball-shaped container walls, and by being provided with a plas-
tic foam heat-insulation covering having an internal shape
which corresponds to or matches the outside coniguration of,
and surrounds and envelops the s~ynthetic material storage con-
tainer in its form.
: The hot water heater or storage device according to
th.e invention therefore comprises a synthetic material storage
:~ container which, instead of the unfavorable cylindrical shape
of the prior art devices is, in its basic form, of rectangular
~; or quadrate sh.ape, at least in its principal over-all outer
.
dimensions, so that along w;th the demanded high storage volume
capacities of at least 500 liters, preferably 1,000 to 2,000
liters and more, the devi.ce can be installed in basements or
other rooms of the building, and at the same time provided with
cylindrical and/or ball-shaped container walls, so that the
result is a container of high form stability and the bending
stresses to wh.ich it is. subjected, such as could cause damaging
permanent deformations of the container, will be suppressed.
I the synthetic material storage container is shaped in the
preferred fi.nal form in which it has practically in all horizon-
tal and vertical sections, circular ~all shapes the radii of .
which are smaller than the width o the container and preferably
correspond to around
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half of the container widtll, there will not appear practi-
cally any bending stress in and damaging permanent deforma-
tions to tlle container, even at higher temperatures. The
material expansions which occur at the operating tempera-
tures because of the tensions will disappear because of
the elasticity behavior of the synthetic materials at
lower temperatures.
Because the foam heat-insulation covering of the
storage container furthermore has an internal form which
conforms to the outside shape of the synthetic material
storage container, the storage container thus is tig'ntly
enclosed by the insulation covering on all sides, which is
advantageous in many respects. With this construction, an
excellent heat insulation of the synthetic material stor-
age con~ainer may be obtained, avoiding heat bridges and
insulation gaps, and at t'ne same time the production of
the foam heat-insulation covering or coat can be simpli-
~;~ fied. There is especially the possi.bility of making the
arrangement in such a way that the foam heat-insulation
0 covering is a unitary part and an inseparable component of
~ the synthetic material storage container. In this way,
`~ the roam heat-insulation covering or coat can be united
witn the synthetic material storage container in an effl-
. cient and economical way in the factory, so that there is
:
~ 25 no need to have a complicated assembly or application of
-~ the heat-insulation covering to tne storage container at
the place of installation of the hot water heater or stor-
age device.
The production of tne plastic foam heat-
, 30 insulation covering or coat on the storage container can
be performed in a favorable and economical way by using a
conventional plastic foam forming process. To this end,
the prefabricated synthetic material storage container is
positioned as an insert or core in a closed plastic foam-
shaping mold, and the heat-insulation covering or coat
~; then foamed in place, preferably all at one time, by heat-
ing a heat expandable plastic foam-producing material in
the mold. The resulting foam pressures and the reaction
heat would normally deform the storage container which is
made of thermoplastic synthetic material. But since the
. ___, , ~ . _ . _ .. .. , .... ,~ . .. . ...
S~i-660
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storage container has a strong self-stabil~ty due to its
shaping in accordance with the invention, there are no
deformations of the container during the foam insulation
applying process. As a result, there can be obtained a
S hot water heater or storage device where t'ne enclosing
- ~ foam insulation covering or coat is connected with the syn-
thetic material storage container prac~ically without any
surface a~hesion and only by Eorm closure therearound. To
fix the storage container in the foam insulation ap-plying
, 10 mold exactly in proper position spaced from the mold walls,
.~; it is reconmlended to provide it wit'n spacer or holder me
~ bers at least some of which are arranged at the abutting
-~ edges of the blow-molded storage container, in which case
the spacer members consist of narrow synthetic material
~`~ 15 pads or something similar. It is better to arrange more
` spacer members at the largest dimension side walls of the
basic form of t'ne quadra-shape~ synthetic material storage
container, which spacer rmembers are inserted in the blow-
.` mold and embedded in the walls of and integrated with the
container during the ensuing blow-molding thereof. Fur-
thermore, the arranged or integrated spacer members cause
an advantageous local fastening of the foam insulation cov-
ering to tAe synthetic material, i.e., polyurethane, con-
stituted storage container. Preferably, the foam insula-
tion covering or coat will be a semi-hard or hard plastic
foam.
During t'ne above-mentioned foam insulation apply-
3 ~ ing process, it is also possible in a teclmically simple
,~r~' ~ way to form the foam insulation covering or coat with a
predetermined favorable outside shape. Preferably, the
foam material insulation covering is formed with a flat
bottom or base to afford a standing surface for the hot
water storage device. It is advisable to form the outside
shape of the foam heat-insulation covering into a quadra-
shape or quadrate, which is also favorable to the trans-
portation and the placement of the not water heater or
:" storage device in basements or other rooms of the building.
Above all, t'nere is the possibility with the quadra-shaped
heat-insulation covering to place several similarly shaped
~ 40 hot water heaters or storage devices side by side to form
!j ~ a battery of such devices.
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SH-6608
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In an adaitional development of the invention,
the hot water heater or storage device according to the
invention can be provided with a protective outside cover-
ing or coat which covers the foam ;leat-insulation covering
at leas~ partly, preferably completely or at least the
largest surfaces thereof. This o-utsiae covering provides
protection against shocks and protects against darnage,
especially during the transportation of the storage device.
Further~ore, the protective outside covering also can con-
veniently împart, in certain instances, a~.ple stability to
the hot water heater or storage device. ~ne protective
outside covering is preferably formed of a foil, especially
a foil of synthetic material which is in firm surface
adherence with the foam heat-insulation covering. The pro-
tective outside covering or foil of synthetic material is
applied by placing the foil into the foam insulation-
forming mold be:Eore the foam-forming process is initiated.
A firm sur~ace ad~nesion of the foil with the subseq~ently
forr.1ed foam insulation covering is thereby o~tained.
As a special advantage, the hot water heater or
storage device according to the invention is provided with
a synthetic material storage container which is, in its
basic form, at least approximately quadra-shaped and which
is cylindrically shaped at bot'n of its smaller pairs of
surfaces, i.e., its end surfaces and top and bottom sur-
~aces, and ~hich at each of its two opposite largest or
side surfaces, respectively, is provided with a surface
recess which becomes narrower toward the inside of t'ne con-
~; tainer, these wall recesses being connected with eaci~
other at the inner regions opposite their larger outer
regions, i.e., in t'neir deepest regions, preferably in the
center plane of the container. Advantageously, the stor-
age container walls at the wall recesses are shaped gener-
ally cylindrically, In addition, the quadra-shaped syn-
3~ tnetic material storage container is appropriately formed
in its corner areas at its opposite ends with ball-shaped
roundings with a radius of curvature approximately equal
to one-llalf the storage container width. Such a shaped
synthetic material storage container is characterized by
~ 40 an especially hig'n self-stability together with dimensions
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6:6 S~-6608
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which are suitable for the transportation of the device.
Also, it can be produced economically with a blow-molding
process.
Furthermore, a sinuous or wavy-shaped synthetic
material storage container can be employed in the hot
, water heater or storage device according to the invention,
;~ comprised of a closely-convoluted sinuous-shaped or wavy-
like pipe member of circular cross-section and the convo-
lutions o which are disposed in one co~non plane. T'nis
sinuous-shaped storage container also has an approximately
s~ quadra-shaped over-all dimension formation and a high form
stability. It is desirable to interconnect t'ne convolu-
~- tions of the sinuous-shaped pipe member in the area of
tneir turns or reverse bends with formed straps. Each end
of the sinuous-shaped pipe member is provided with a con-
~i` tainer opening. Such sinuous-shaped synthetic material
? j ~ storage containers also can be produced by a blow-molding
,i ~
process.
According to a further embodiment of the inven-
tion, tlle synthetic materlal storage container of the hot
water heater or storage device may comprise several cylin-
~; drically shaped individual container members formed of
~ .
' synthetic material and the interiors of which are con-
nected. Preferably, the cylindrical container members are
arranged parallel to each other in close side-by-side rela-
,~ tionship, and are provided with hemispherical-shaped ends.
It is desirable to connect t'ne cylindrical container mern-
~ ~ bers with several connections having circular cross-section
s ~ passageways, the connections being spaced apart in the
direction of the longltudinal axes of the containers in
,: order to provide, in consideration of the desired high
form stability of the storage container, large connection
: cross-sections between the container members.
The synthetic material storage container formed
; 35 according to the invention is preferably used Eor hot
water storage without pressure, though it also can be used
, as a pressure storage container because of the provided
~ shape. The blow-molding process which is especially
.;~i adapted for the production of such synthetic material stor-
;~ 40 age containers permits the economical production of these
containers with wall thicknesses up to around lO mm. Tne
;~ .
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:
Sl~-660
wavy or sinuous-shaped synthetic material storage con-
tainer referred to previously is especially adapted ~or
use as a pressure storage container, in which case its
pipe member should nave a maximum diameter or 200 mm.
S The hot water heater or storage device according
to the invention is mainly intended for heat stora~e in
the modern engineered private 'nome field, especially for
heating and hot water preparation, although it is also
usable in the industrial fiel~ and for other heat storage.
purposes. Generally, the storage device has a storage
volume of a minimum of 500 liters, preferably of around
1,000 to 2,000 liters and more. By combining several of
the hot water heaters or storage devices according to the
invention in the form of a battery thereof, the storage
volume can be multiplied and adapted to any requirement.
Preferably, the hot water heater or storage device will be
used in such a way that the water which is used for lleat
storage always remains in the storage device.
The supply of heat to the hot water heater or
storage device, and the heat using thereof, is provided by
'neat exchangers which are arranged inside tlle storage con-
tainer of tlle device. It ls desirable to arrange at least
one heat-exchanger inside the blow-molded synthetic mater-
:~ ial storage container, which heat-exchanger is ~irmly sup-
ported in place by the storage container in the center
plane thereof. The center plane is the separation surface
`~ ~ of the mold halves of the blow-molding mold for the stor-
age container. It is possible to insert the heat-exchanger
as a special insert or core in the blow mold prior to the
r.lolding of the synthetic material storage container therein,
so that it is firmly anchored in and supported by the syn-
thetic material storage container during tne ensuing blow-
molding thereof. It is preferable to use plate-like form
heat-exchangers for this procedure. Heat-exchangers made
: 35 out of synthetic material are very well adapted for this
purpose as they can be formed easily during the blow-
moldlng procedure. Synthetic material hea-t-exchangers are
characterized not only be a relatively low weight but also
by chemical inertness! They are used especially in those
cases where these qualities are mainly important, for
instance, for the heat-recovery out of active sewage, etc.
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The connections to the inlet and o~tlet of the
heat-exchanger can be located at any place in the syn-
thetic material storage container. Usually, they are led
out in the area of the abutting joined edges of the blow-
molded storage container which extend therearound.
~ DRAWINGS
; In the following specification~ the invention
will be explained more precisely in connection with pre-
ferred embodiments shown in the drawings which are a part .
-` 10 hereof and wherein:
`~ FIGURE 1 is a side view of a hot water heater or
storage device illustrating a preferred embodiment o the
~;~ inven~ion;
FIGUR~ 2 is a front view of the storage devic~
~` 15 shown in FIGURE l;
~`~ FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the storage device
shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;
:~ FIGURE 4 is a side view of an alternative embodi-
; laent of a storage device according to the invention with
2~ the foam insulation cover:ing thereof omi.tted for the pur-
~` poses of clarity;
:` FIGURE 5 is a sectional view-of the storage con-
tainer of the device shown in F~GU~ 4;
FIGURE 6 is a side view of the storage container
. 25 of FIGUR~S 4 and 5 with the heat-exchanger thereof shown
in dash-dot lines;
FIGURES 7 and ~ are side views of two other
. ,~
alternative embodiments of a hot water heater or storage
device according to the invention; and,
FIGURES 9 and 10 are side and front views of
the embo~iments shown in FIGURES 7 and ~, respectively.
PP~FERRED Ei~ODIl~NTS
The hot water heater or storage device shown in
FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 comprises a storage container 10 which
is blow-molded out of a thermoplastic synthetic rnaterial,
for instance, polyethylene, and a plastic foam heat-
insulation covering or coat 11 which surrounds or envelops
the storage container 10 on all sides and which is consti-
tuted o a semi-hard to hard form of plastic ~oam material,
preferably polyurethane. Tne s~orage container 10 has
,~;''~
:.
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~S~;6 s~l- 660~
,
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, .,
.i~ approximately the basic form of a quadrate. Its len~th
. and hei~ht are several times greater than its widtn w,lich
;' should not be greater than 700 to 800 mm because of the
need to move the llOt water heater or storage device into
buildings, for example, into the basement of a house. The
~ largest surfaces of the storage container 10 are the side
;~ walls 12. The two opposite front sides are indicated at
:.; 13 and the opposite top and bottom or ground sides at 14.
All three sides 12, 13 and 14 are cylindrically shaped.
The top 15 and tne bottom 16 of the storage container 10
each have the form of a nalf-cylinder of which the circu-
ar radius Rl or R2 is equal to half of the container
.' wdith B, with the central point of the respective circle
~$ situated in the ver~ical longitudinal center plane of the
;' 15 storage container (F~GURE 2). The facing front or end
~ walls 13 oE the storage container 10 are likewise in the
;~;' form of a half-cylinder 17 of which the radius R3 is also
equal to half of the container width ~, with the central
.i,:,,~ point of the respective circle situated in the vertical
~ 0 mid-plane of the container (FIGUR~ 3). The corner areas
.i of the storage container 10 at t'ne opposing fron-t or end
walls 13 thereof are in the form of ball-shaped roundin~s
~: 18 (FIGURE 1). The radius of these ball-shape~ roundings
;~` or segments 18 also correspond to half of the container
width B. The two opposite side walls 12 of ~he storage
container 10 which constitute the largest surfaces t'nereof
. ,,~ .
~ are each formed with two side~by-side wall recesses 19
.`:.~ spaced horizontally of the respective wall 12, tne con-
.:; tours of which recesses 19 are indicated in dotted lines
in FIGURES 2 and 3. These wall recesses 19 become nar-
'! rower toward the inside of the container 10 in a funnel
shape, and they connect with one another at their smallest
~ or innermost points at the center plane of the container,
. as s'nown at 20. The container side walls 12, in the areas
, 35 of their wall recesses 19, are cylindrically formed in
~: both their horizontal and vertical sections, as indicated
~:: by the dotted lines 21 in FIGURES 2 and 3. The central
points of the surfaces 21, which are defined by circular
.?~ arches, are also situated in the vertical center plane of
:. 40 the storage container 10. The radius of curvature of the
:.-
:.
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S~- 6 6 0~
:~SC3 ~L66
- 11 -
cylindrically formed surfaces ~1 likewise correspond to
half of the container width. With the above-described
shape, a storage container 10 is created which has, in
practically all horizontal and vertical sections, approxi-
mately circle-shaped, curved wall contours, with the arc-
surfaces having the same radius of curvature corresponding
to 'nalf of the width of the storage container. As men-
tioned, the wall recesses 19 at the opposite side walls 12
of t'he container 10 are connected two by two in the verti-
- 10 cal center plane of the container, and their surfaces are
i also formed in a way such that they are bounded by circu-
lar arches. Such a synthetic material storage container
is cnaracterized by an enormously high form stability,
which is a very advantageous feature where the storage con-
tainer is to be used for a temperature-stressed hot water
heater or s torage devîce .
At the top of the storage container 10, two
`~- spaced container openings 22 are formed in the center
plane of the container for the entrance and exit of the
water or other liquid to be stored therein. The storage
container 10 is also provided in its vertical center plane,
~` which corresponds to the squeezing or abutting plane of
the two halves of the container blow-molcling tool, with
; spacer members or holders 23 whi ch consist of thin syn-
thetic material tabs or something similar which penetrates
- ~ the foam insulation covering or coat 11. Other such spacer
members or holders 24 are located on t'ne side wall surfaces
12. The bolt-like spacer members or holders 24 can be
inserted into the blow mold for the storage container 10
, 30 as a special insert or core, so that they can be united
with the storage container during the moldin~; of the same.
For the manufacture of the plastic foam heat-
insulation covering 11, the storage container 10 is placed
in a foam-shaping mold and held in proper position therein
spaced from the wall thereof by means of the spacer or
holder members 23, 24. Afterwards, the storage container
'~ 10 is foanled in the mold from all sides under application
of a plastic foam reaction nliX in the mold, especially
polyurethane foam. Because of the great self-stability of
the storage container 10, there will not be any deforma-
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` 1~5~66 S~-6608
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tion o the storage container resulting from the foam pres-
sures and reaction heat which are produced in the mold dur-
ing the foaming process. During the progress of the foam-
forming operation, the foam adapts itself to the outside
contour of the storage container 10. Consequently, a foam
`~ insulation covering or coat 11 is formed of which the
inner contour corresponds to the outside form or configura-
; tion of the syntnetic storage container 10 and which com-
. pletely encloses or envelops the container at all sides in
its form. Thus, the foam insulation covering or coat 11
- forms a unitary part of and an inseparable component of
the synthetic material storage container 10, and it is con-
; nected ~hereto without surface adhesion and only by its
; orm enclosure instead.
.,
~ 15 By forming the foam insulation covering or coat
`~ 11 in the above-descrlbed manner in a foam-shaping mold,it may be formed with the desired rectangular or quadrate
, exterior shape as is shown in FIGURES 1 to 3. Also, a
~' ~ flat bottom or standing surEace 25 for the storage device
` 20 may be formed on the foam insulation covering 11.
`~ It is deslrable to cover the foam insulation
covering 11 at its outside surfaces, preferably at all
such suraces, with an outside covering or coat (not shown)
; which serves as a protection coating or covering for the
~; 25 foarll insulation covering 11 and mainly as a shoc~ pro-
~ tec~or. But ad~itionally, however, the exterior protec-
'~ tive covering or coat can also be useful as a means for
,- imparting further rigidity and stability to the hot water
heater or storage device. Preferably, the foam insulation
covering or coat 11 is covered or enveloped on the outside
with a foil (not shown) of synthetic material. This foil
of synthetic material can be applied during the previously
described foam insulation applying process by introducing
it into the foam-shaping mold before the foaming of the
foaln insulation ll around the storage container, and then
:; foaming the foam-producing material in the mold in the
,~ space therein between the storage container and the sur-rounding foil. In this way, the foil of synthetic material
.` becomes firmly attached to the surface of the foam insula-
;. -:
tion covering 11.
' :~
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S11-660~
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.
FIGURES 4 to 6 illustrate a modifie~ form of syn-
thetic material storage container 30 according to the
. invention w~ich, in its all-embracing dimensions, is
~- approximately quadra-shaped or in which the three -mutually
S othogonal axes thereof are different from each other. rrhe
foam insulation covering 11 is not shown in tnese figures,
; but it can correspond to the covering 11 in the embodi,nent
of FIGURES 1 to 3 in formation, shape and production.
The synthetic material storage container 30 in
FIGURES 4 to 6 is in the form of a closely-convoluted
sinuous-like or wavy-like shaped pipe member of circular
transverse cross-sec~ion, the convolutions 31 of which are
disposed in one plane, as s7nown in FIGURE 5. The convolu-
tions 31 of the tubular pipe member are connected near
their reversely bent ends or roundings 32 by formed flat
; straps 33, At each end o~ the sinuous-like pipe member 30
a container opening 34 or 35 is provided. The pipe
` diameter of the sinuous-shaped pipe member corresponds to
tne wi.dth of the container 30 which is much smaller than
the length and height of the same. The storage container
30 is also blow-molded. Into the dividing plane of the
two 'nalves of the container-forming blow mold is posi-
tioned a plate-like heat-exchanger 36 which in this way is
: ; situated in the center plane of the sinuous-shaped pipe
member or storage container 30 (F~GURE 5) during the ensu-
~ ;; ing mol~ing thereof. Tlle plate-like heat-exchanger 36 is
: thus anchored in place in the center plane of the storage
,~,,
,~ container 30, i.e., in the circumference of its tubular
: ~; pipe convolutions 31, whereby its plate-plane coincides
: ~ 30 with the center plane of the sinuous shaped storage con-
.i ~ tainer 30. The heat-exchanger 36 consists of a tubular
,~ pipe system comprised of a plurality of parallel-arranged
:~ and interfitting sinuous-like or wavy-like pipes 3, to 40
'~ which are connected with each other as a unit and the con-
i ~ 35 volutions of which follow those of tne sinuous-shaped pipe
member forming the container 30. The pipe convolutions 37
', to 40 are connected two by two at their one ends 41, and
~ at their other ends to special inlet-outlet connections 42
. or 43 located in the center plane of the pipe system. The
.i ~ 40 sinuous-like pipes 37, 38 and 39, 40 form in each case a
separate heat-exchanger whereby, through the pipe system
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37, 38 the heat can be conducted to the storage medium
.. ~ (water) which is in the storage container 30, and through
`~ the pipe system 39, 40 the lleat can be led out of the
storage container 30.
In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 4 to G, the
entire heat-exchanger 36 consists of a one-part synthetic
`~ material formed unit which is inserted into the sinuous-
shaped blow mold for.the storage container 30 and becomes
firmly anchored within and supported by the synthetic-
material storage container 30 ~uring the following blow-
molding process forming such container. If the hot water
heater or storage device of F~GURES 4 to 6 is to be used
as such with internal pressures, then it is preferable in
such case that the diameter of the sinuous-shaped pipe
~; 15 member 30 be not more than 2~0 null.
will be ~vident tha~ the storage container 30
in FIGURES 4 to 6 also is practically defined, in all hori-
zontal and vertical section planes, by arc-like wall con-
~ ~ tours whereby a container of higil form stability is obtained.
:~ 20 The heat-excllanger 36 in the container 30 is especially
adapted for the heat-recovery out of active sewage, etc.
FIGURE 7 illustrates a furtner modified form of
~,
`~ hot water heater or storage device according to the~inven-
tion, the syntlletic material storage container 50 of which
is also blow-molded and is comprised of two unitarily con-
nected cylindrical container pipes or members 51 and 52
; which are arranged parallel to each other and in close
;~ side-by-side relation with the~r longitudinal axes para-
llel to each other. The ends 53 and 54 of the cylindrical
container members 51, 52 are approximately hemispherically
snaped with their radius of curvature corresponding to half
of the diame~er of the cylindrical container members.
Both o~ the container members 51, 52 have their interior
chambers connected with each other by a plurality of con-
nections 55 spaced apart in the direction of the container
axes and having circular passageways. Each of the cylin-
drical container members 51, 52 has a container opening 56
at its upper end. The plastic foam neat-insulation cover-
ing or coat 11 corresponds to the same in FIGURES 1 to 3
in its formation and production.
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The modified form of hot water heater or storage
device 50A shown in FIGURE 8 differs from the one shown in
FIGURE 7 mainly in that the two cylindrical container
pipes or members 51, 52 are arranged horizontally one
above the other instead of in vertical side-by-side rela-
tion as in FIGURE 7, and that the container openings 56
are both located at the upper side of the uppermost con-
tainer member 51. In both cases also, the radius of curva-
ture of the cylindrical or ball-shaped walls of the syn-
thetic material storage containers 51, 52 are smaller than
its width and correspond to half of the width of the stor-
age container. In addition, the storage containers 50 and
50A, in FIGURE 7 and 8 both have circular wall contours,
respectively, in all horizontal and vertical section
planes.
The modified hot water heater or storage device
shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 corresponds essentially to that
shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the only substantial difference
being in that the blow-molded synthetic material storage
container 60 has only one wall recess 19 arranged in the
center of each of the opposite side wall surfaces 12.
It will be obvious that with the embodiments of
the invention shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 and 9 and 10, heat-
exchangers can be arranged in the inside of the synthetic
material storage container. The heat-exchangers can be
either inserted through the container openings of the stor-
age container or, as previously mentioned, anchored in
place therein during the blow-molding of the container,
which is especially advantageous when synthetic material
heat-exchangers are employed.
The above-described hot water heater or storage
devices can be modified in many respects without departing
from the concept of the invention. Thus, the plastic foam
heat-insulation covering or coat 11 can be produced, as
described, preferably by foaming a plastic foam-producing
material around the blow-molded synthetic material storage
containers in a foam insulation-forming mold to produce the
form-closed insulation covering 11 enveloping the con-
tainer. Although this manner of production of the foam
insulation covering 11 is preferably employed, other ways
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of producing SUCil insulation covering ll are possible.
For example, the foam insulation covering 11 could consist
of two preformed molded half sections ~he irmer contours
~? of which, when the two half sections are placed around and
against the container from opposite sides and joined or
fastened together, conform to the outside shape of the
storage container. From the above description of the
invention, therefore, especially as it is shown in the
drawings, it will be apparent that there has been provided
a novel form~stabilized syntnetic Tllaterial storage con-
tainer for hot water heaters and storage devices.
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