Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02288619 2003-05-27
Bender, Helinuth
D-35713 Eschenburg
Canadian Patent Application
TEMPERATURE AND FLOW MEASURI~JG APPARATUS
DESCR1PT1(7N
The present invention relates to a device for producing one or several pipe
branches
off one medium-containing pipe, comprising a two-part unit cocasisting of a
lower part and an
upper part which can be clamped onto said pipe. liar each hranch coimection,
two opposing
apertures are provided in said pipe transverse to the pipe axis;, with said
lower part exhibiting
a through passage for the fluid medium which tightly fits ~:m said lower
aperture, and said
upper part exhibiting a valve insert fitting in said upper aperture, both said
parts being
clamped firmly on said pipe.
A device of this kind is lrnown from DE 44 4S 0105 C i . Such devices for
producing
pipe branches are widely used. In many sectox-s of engineering, there is a
need for producing
pipe branches off a medium-.containing main pipe. For regulating the
respective amounts of
said medium, a valve is provided at the branclnotf site. Suc::h devices are
particularly useful
in heating circuit distributors of central heating systems. 1-lowever, besides
water as the fluid
medium in the case of central heating systems, other fluid media such as oil
or lubricant may
also be contained in the branches. 'Plus may e.g. become necessary in chemical
process
engineering. The range of application is randonv. Craseous rr~edia may
likewise be used.
What is disadvantageous about these prior art devices for praducing pipe
branches,
however, is that with them, it is impossible to represent or display media-
related parameters
such as flow rate or temperature. Especiall;~r in the case of~ heating circuit
systems or in
chemical process steps, however, it is crucial that such value; can be
measured and displayed.
CA 02288619 2002-03-05
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It is therefore the obj ect of the present invention to provide an improved
device for producing
pipe branches.
This object is accomplished by a generic device according to the features of
claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.
An inventive device for producing pipe branches includes a flowmeter for the
fluid medium,
located in the upper part of a clamp-on unit, as well as a temperature
measuring device. As a
consequence, generic devices will not be able to determine the flow rate and
the temperature ofthe
medium flowing within the system. Besides the determination of such
parameters, suitable regulation
of the flow rate and of the temperature of the fluid medium will also be
possible.
In an advantageous embodiment ofthe invention, a display device for displaying
the detected
flow rate and temperature values is mounted on its upper part. This allows "in
situ" reading of the
measured values. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a f7owmeter and a
temperature measuring
device including suitable display means each at every branch ofthe medium-
containing pipe. Tlvs will
advantageously allow immediate detection of any differences occurring in the
flow rates or in the
temperatures prevailing.
In yet another advantageous embodiment ofthe invention, the upper part
comprises an external
pipe sleeve and an internal pipe accommodated within saidpipe sleeve.
Moreover, a valve disk is
mounted on the end ofthe internal pipe facing the lowerpart, said valve disk
being designed such that
it engages with the corresponding lower aperture in said pipe such that the
medium coming from the
through passage wi 11 be contained within said internal pipe. Furthermore, the
diameter of the internal
pipe has been dimensioned such that a cavity is formed between the surface of
the internal pipe and the
internal surface ofthe pipe sleeve through which the fluid medium from the
upper part is passed into
said pipe. In this way, any medium coming from the branch or the through
passage wi l l be forced to
flow through the upper part of the clamp-on unit. The flowmeter is
adva~~tageously provided within said
CA 02288619 2001-04-10
3
internal pipe and the temperature measuring device is provided within said
cavity. This allows
exact measurement of the flow rate of the medium as well as of its
temperature. Moreover,
owing to the specific array of the flowmeter and the temperature measuring
device, the device
in its entirety can be kept relatively small.
The invention herein comprises measuring apparatus for measuring flow rate and
temperature of a flowable medium, comprising an outer pipe jacket and an inner
pipe disposed
inside the outer pipe jacket, the diameter of the inner pipe being dimensioned
such that a
cavity is formed between the inner pipe and the outer pipe jacket, wherein a
medium can flow
into the inner pipe through an opening formed at a first end of the inner
pipe, and at the
second end of the inner pipe an opening is provided, through which the medium
can flow out
of the inner pipe and through the cavity out of the measuring apparatus,
wherein a flowmeter
and a temperature measuring device are arranged in and along this flow path
for the flowable
medium, respectively, formed in the measuring apparatus.
The invention herein further comprises an apparatus for producing one or more
branches at a medium carrying pipe having a measuring apparatus according to
any one of the
preceding claims, consisting of a two-part unit clampable to the pipe, having
a base portion
and a top portion, wherein for each branch transverse to the pipe axis two
opposed openings
are formed in the pipe, and the base portion has a passage for the flowable
medium, sealingly
fitting to the lower opening, and the top portion has a valve insert fitting
into the upper
opening, and both portions are fixedly clamped to the pipe, wherein the
measuring apparatus is
disposed in the top portion.
Further details, features and advantages of the invention may be gathered from
the
description, which follows, of an embodiment illustrated in the (single)
drawing.
The device 12 for producing pipe branches illustrated in a schematic sectional
view in
FIG 1 comprises a two-part unit 20 including a lower part 22 and an upper part
24 intended to
be clamped on a pipe 10. For each branch, two opposing apertures 16, 18 are
formed in the
pipe 10 transverse to the pipe axis. The lower part 22 exhibits a through
passage 30 for the
CA 02288619 2001-04-10
3a
fluid medium which tightly fits on said lower aperture 18. The upper part 24,
by contrast,
exhibits a valve insert fitting in said upper aperture 16. The parts 22, 24
are interconnected by
means of a hinge joint 80 and are clamped firmly on said pipe 10. The end of
said unit 20
opposite said hinge joint 80 includes mounting means 14 for detachably
interconnecting said
lower and upper parts 22, 24.
As can be seen in FIG 1, the upper part 24 accommodates a flowmeter 26 for the
fluid
medium and a temperature measuring device 28. Furthermore, it is apparent
therefrom that
the upper part 24 includes a display device 32 for displaying the detected
flow rate as well as
temperature values. To be more precise, the upper part 24 consists of an
external pipe sleeve
34 and an internal pipe 36 accommodated within said pipe sleeve 34. The
diameter of said
internal pipe 36 has been dimensioned such that a cavity 52 is formed between
the surface of
the internal pipe 36 and the internal surface of said pipe sleeve 34, through
which the fluid
medium is passed from the upper part 24 into said pipe 10. The end of the
internal pipe 36
facing the lower part 22 includes a valve disk 38 which serves for engagement
with the
corresponding lower aperture 18 of said pipe 10. This serves to contain the
medium from the
through passage 30 within said internal pipe 36.
Said flowmeter 26 is provided within said internal pipe 36 and said
temperature
measuring device 28 is mounted within said cavity 52. To be more precise, the
flowmeter 26
CA 02288619 1999-11-04
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consists of a floating body 40 movably mounted within said internal pipe 36,
which body 40
contacts a pressure spring 42 which in turn abuts a spring stop 44 within said
internal pipe 36
at the end opposite said floating body 40. This pressure spring 42 exerts a
spring force acting
against the direction of flow of said medium. It may furthermore be gathered
from the
drawing that said floating body 40 is connected to a pointer 48 of the display
device 32 so as
to allow the current flow rate to be read therefrom.
The temperature measuring device 28 comprises a thermometer 78 including a
thermometer tube 54 and corresponding receiving and fixing means 58 for
mounting said
thermometer 78 within said cavity 52. The display device 32 moreover includes
a memory
pointer 56 for marking the temperature value measured by the temperature
measuring device
28.
It may furthermore be seen from the drawing that a rotary handle 62 is formed
at the
end of the upper part 24 facing away from said pipe 10, said handle 62
actuating a spindle 60
which in turn engages with said internal pipe 36 and is tightly connected
thereto via a sealing
ring 70. Actuation of said rotary handle 62 will cause said valve disk 38 to
go up and down.
A cap-like safety cover 66 partially overlapping said rotary handle 62 will
prevent unintended
damage to the rotary handle 62 and/or the entire valve insert in the upper
part 24.
Furthermore, it is apparent from the drawing that a plurality of seals 68, 70,
72, 74,
76 are provided to ensure the sealing connection of the individual components
of the device
12. In addition, it is notable from the drawing that plural spacers SO are
provided within said
cavity 52 for maintaining the distance between the surface of the internal
pipe 36 and the
internal surface of the pipe sleeve 34.
The device 12 for producing pipe branches is usually made of metal or a metal
alloy.
However, it is also possible to use any other kind of suitable material such
as plastic, glass or
the like for manufacturing the individual components of the device 12.
