GB2405196A

GB2405196A - Connection fitting for a radiator

Info

Publication number: GB2405196A
Application number: GB0417135A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fester Garm
Original assignee: Danfoss AS
Current assignee: Danfoss AS
Priority date: 2003-08-02
Filing date: 2004-07-30
Publication date: 2005-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2024-07-30
Also published as: CN1590854A; GB0417135D0; DE10335546B3; PL369302A1; FR2858396A1; CN100371654C; FR2858396B1; PL205981B1; RU2004123515A; GB2405196B; RU2277208C2

Abstract

A connection fitting (1) for a radiator comprising a housing (4) having first (14) and second (15) radiator openings, which serves as inlet and outlet to the radiator. The central axis of the two radiator openings (14, 15) are parallel to each other. Furthermore the connection fitting comprises a fixing bolt (19) which is screwable to the radiator (2, 3) through the first radiator opening (14). The housing (4), or a part connected with the housing, has a thread (24) with which the housing (4) can be screwed in the region of the second radiator opening (15) to the radiator (2, 3).

Description

2405 1 96 Connection fitting for a radiator and method of fixing a fitting

to a radiator This invention concerns a connection fitting for a radiator, the fitting comprising a housing having a first radiator opening and a second radiator opening, the central axes of the two radiator openings being parallel to each other, and a fixing bolt which can be screwed to the radiator through the first radiator opening.

Furthermore, the invention concerns a method of fixing a fitting, comprising a housing having a first radiator opening and a second radiator opening, to a radiator by making two screwed connections between the radiator and the fitting.

A connection fitting is used in many cases to provide a connection between the inlet connection and the return connection of a radiator on the one side and a supply connection arrangement on the other side, the supply pipes of which are fixed in a building. Here, the connection fitting is often first connected with the radiator. Then, the connection to the heating system installed in the building is established.

DE 298 12 233 U1 discloses a radiator fitting with a connector provided with a union nut for each of the two - 2 - radiator openings. The union nuts are then screwed onto corresponding connectors on the radiator. Between the connector fixed on the housing of the fitting and the radiator connector, there IS located a seal intended to ensure a fluid-tight joint. A fitting of this kind requires a certain skill during mounting, since the tightening of the union nut at one radiator opening is hindered by the connector at the other radiator opening.

DE 101 08 609 Al therefore suggests fixing of the housing on the radiator by means of two fixing bolts led through the housing of the fitting. These fixing bolts are then screwed into the connectors on the radiator.

This arrangement has the advantage that the fixing bolts can be turned from the side of the fitting housing remote from the radiator. Thus, the use of the corresponding tool is not hindered.

That arrangement has proved successful. It still, however, requires a significant expenditure.

The invention is based on the problem of providing a cost-effective radiator connection.

The present invention provides a connection fitting for a radiator, the fittlog comprising: a housing having a first radiator opening and a second radiator opening, the central axes of the two radiator openings being parallel to each other, and a fixing bolt which can be screwed to the radiator through the first radiator opening, wherein the housing, or a part connected with the housing, has a thread with which the housing can be screwed to the radiator in the region of the second radiator opening.

With a connection fitting as mentioned in the introduction, the abovementioned problem is solved in that the housing, or the part connected with the housing, has the thread with which the housing can be screwed to the radiator in the region of the second radiator opening.

With this construction, fixing of the connection fitting on the radiator is even simpler. The housing is simply screwed to the radiator by means of the thread.

Here, the term "screwed to" is not intended to be limited merely to screwing the thread into a corresponding connection on the radiator. It is also possible to screw the thread onto the radiator. The complete housing can be turned around the thread axis since there are no other connections between the radiator and the fitting except for the connection to be realized by means of the thread.

The thread can be formed on the housing during manufacture of the fitting so that it is integral with the housing.

In many cases, however, the thread will be formed on a part fixedly connected with the housing. In the following, this will also be regarded as a thread of the

- -

housing. To fix the housing on the radiator in the region of the second radiator opening there is no need to deal with a separate component. On the contrary, manipulation of a single component is sufficient, namely the housing of the fitting. When screwing the housing into the radiator not even a tool IS likely to be required since the lever arm provided by the housing is sufficient to produce the required torque.

Preferably, the thread is an external thread of a threaded connector surrounding the second radiator opening. With this construction, it is possible to let the part of the housing carrying the thread, namely the threaded connector, disappear in the radiator, which gives a visually agreeable design. At the connection between the connection fitting and the radiator, there are no awkward enlargements such as the ones which would be caused by a union nut.

Preferably, the thread is provided with a seal. The seal can, for example, be a cord packing, a polytetra fluoroethylene tape or the like, that is, a seal, which is position-independent in the sense that it provides a seal over a range of relative positions. Thus, after a certain depth of screwing-in, the threaded connector is sealed, no matter how far the threaded connector has been screwed into the radiator.

Preferably, the threaded connector is surrounded by an annular seal in a region behind the thread. This annular seal may he provided additionally or as an alternative to the seal on the thread. It also ensures S the fluid-tightness of the connection between the housing of the connection fitting and the radiator in the region of the second radiator opening.

It is preferred here that the annular seal has a predetermined extent parallel to the central axis of the threaded connector. When the housing with the threaded connector is then screwed into the radiator, the annular seal is compressed, and, after a certain depth of screwing-in will then ensure the required fluid-tightness, without requiring a complete compression of the annular seal.

It is also advantageous that the annular seal widens conically in the direction away from the thread. The sealing effect then occurs not only over a relatively narrow front face contact between the annular seal and a corresponding front face of the radiator connection, but the annular seal can also bear radially on the radiator from inside.

Preferably, the end of the annular seal remote from the thread is surrounded by an annular flange of the housing. The annular flange prevents the annular seal - 6 - from being squeezed out when the threaded connector is screwed into the radiator. On the contrary, the flange retains the annular seal firmly In the desired position.

Preferably, a valve is located in a continuation of the second radiator opening. Here, a particular advantage of fixing the fitting to the radiator by means of a thread becomes evident. Sufficient space is available to accommodate the valve. There is no longer any need to provide space for leading through a fixing bolt for the second radiator opening.

Preferably, an electrical heating rod is led through the fixing bolt. Thus, it is possible to heat the radiator during periods in which the usual heating system of a house is turned off, for example during summer. Even in summer there may be relatively cold periods in which a certain degree of heating, for example in the bathroom, is extremely pleasant.

The above-mentioned problem is solved in a method as mentioned in the introduction in that firstly the housing, with a thread surrounding the second radiator opening, is screwed into the radiator, then the first radiator opening is aligned with a connection opening in the radiator, and a fixing bolt is screwed through the housing and the first radiator opening into the radiator from the side of the fitting remote from the radiator. - 7 -

As stated above in connection with the connection fitting, this enables fixing of the fitting to the radiator to be substantially facilitated. Fixing of the fitting is effected by mounting the thread, which surrounds the second radiator opening, on the radiator, and then screwing the complete connection fitting in until the thread has been screwed sufficiently deeply into the radiator. A fluid-tight fixing to the radiator has then been achieved, which provides sufficient stability during mounting, that is, the fitting can be let go without risk that it will become detached from the radiator and fall down. The fitting can therefore be accurately aligned with the radiator without hurrying, so that the two radiator openings lie opposite the corresponding connections in the radiator. For the second radiator opening this will be ensured anyway by the threaded connection joint. Only then is final fixing of the fitting on the radiator effected, by screwing the screw bolt right through the housing into the radiator. The screw bolt then emerges through the first radiator opening. On the side facing the radiator, sufficient free space is available for placement of a tool to turn the screw bolt. This substantially simplifies mounting.

Preferably, the thread surrounding the second radiator opening is provided with a position-independent seal. This ensures that the first radiator opening can always be brought to into register with a corresponding connection opening in the radiator without risk that the fluid-tightness In the area of the second radiator opening will suffer.

A connection fitting and a method of fixing a fitting in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic section through the connection fitting taken along the line I-I marked in Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along the II-II marked in Fig. Referring to the accompanying drawings, a connection fitting 1 for a radiator, of which merely connection pipes 2, 3 are shown, serves the purpose of connecting the radiator with pipes which are fixedly installed in a building.

For this purpose, the fitting 1 has a housing 4, which has an inlet connection 5 and a return connection 6.

The inlet connection 5 is located in a connector 7 with an - 9 - external thread 8. The return connection 6 is located in a connector 9 having an external thread 10. Union nuts, which are fitted on the fixedly installed pipes, can be screwed onto the two external threads 8, 10 to provide a connection between the housing 4 and the fixedly installed pipes. Other kinds of connections are also possible, of course.

A valve 11, indicated only by broken lines, is screwed into the housing, the valve element 12 of said valve 11 co-operating with a valve seat 13 formed in the housing.

For connection with the radiator, the housing has a first radiator opening 14 and a second radiator opening 15. The first radiator opening 14 is located in a connector 16 projecting from the housing and surrounding a channel 17. The channel 17 continues into a mounting opening 18 on the side of the housing 4 opposite the first radiator opening 14. Through this mounting opening 18 can be introduced a fixing bolt 19, which has on its upper end (in relation to the view in Fig. 1) an external thread 20, which can be screwed into a matching internal thread 21 on the connection pipe 2 of the radiator to provide a connection of the housing 4 of the connection fitting 1 with the radiator.

The second radiator opening 15 is located in a connector 22. The connector 22 surrounds an inlet channel 23. Llke the connector 16, the connector 22 is made in one piece with the housing 4. It can instead be lo the form of a separate part fixedly connected to the housing 4. At the end of the connector 22, there is an external thread 24, which can be screwed into a matching internal thread of the connection pipe 3 of the radiator.

The two connectors 16, 22 have the same diameter as the connection pipes 2, 3, and parallel axes. Thus, in the mounted state, there is a smooth transition between the connection pipes 2, 3 and the connection fitting 1.

Behind the outer thread 24 is located an annular seal 26 which surrounds the connector 22. The annular seal has a predetermined extent in the longitudinal direction, that is, a continuation parallel to the axis 27 of the inlet channel 23. Furthermore, it widens conically in the direction away from the outer thread 24. When the housing 4 with its connector 22 is now screwed into the connection pipe 3, the annular seal 26 comes to bear on the connection pipe 3 mainly radially from the inside. Of course, the annular seal 26 will additionally be somewhat compressed so that sealing with respect to the front face of the connection pipe 3 will also be achieved.

A circumferential flange 28 on the connector 22 surrounds the annular seal 26. The flange 28 prevents the annular seal 26 from being squeezed out from between the connection pipe 3 and the housing 4 during mounting of the housing 9 on the connection pipe 3.

The end face of the flange 28 forms a stop, as far as which the thread 29 can be screwed into the heating pipe 3. This limit, however, will not always be reached, as the connector 16 and the pipe 2 will only come into register once for each rotation of the housing 4. Per rotation, the thread 24 has a predetermined "advance" of, for example, 1.5 mm. The end face of the connector 16 is therefore offset in relation to the end face of the flange 28 by half the thread advance, in the present case 0.75 mm, in order to limit the maximum skewing of the housing when the pipe 2 is brought into register with the housing.

If both end faces were at the same height, the maximum skew would be twice as large.

Seals 29, 30, for example in the form of O-rings, are also provided on the fixing bolt 19.

A heating rod 31, which can be screwed into the fixing bolt 19, is indicated schematically.

Mounting of the fitting is now relatively simple.

The fitting 1 with the annular seal 26 already mounted is screwed into the inner thread 25 of the connection pipe - 12 by means of the outer thread 24. Normally, a tool will not even be required here, as the housing 4 forms a lever, which is long enough to ensure that the installer can provide the required torque by hand. Of course, an additional seal, for example in the form of a cord packing, a polytetra- fluoroethylene tape or a rubber seal, can be provided on the outer thread 24 additionally or instead of the annular seal 26.

The outer thread 24 is screwed into the inner thread 25 as far as it will go. It is not, however, necessary for the connector 22 to come into engagement with the connection pipe 3. On the contrary, satisfactory fluid- tightness is ensured even after a certain screwing-in distance.

When the outer thread 24 has been screwed far enough into the inner thread 25, the first radiator opening 14 is aligned with the connection pipe 2 of the radiator. This is also relatively simple. Exact alignment is not necessary. It is sufficient to align the housing 4 with the radiator in such a manner that the fixing bolt 19 can be inserted the channel 17 into the connection pipe 2 through and be tightened there. As soon as this has taken place, the fitting 1 is fixed on the radiator.

Claims

C L A I M S: 1. A connection fitting for a radiator, the fitting

comprising: a housing having a first radiator opening and a second radiator opening, the central axes of the two radiator openings being parallel to each other, and a fixing bolt which can be screwed to the radiator through the first radiator opening, wherein the housing, or a part connected with the housing, has a thread, with which the housing can be screwed to the radiator in the region of the second radiator opening.
2. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the l5 thread is an external thread on a threaded connector surrounding the second radiator opening.
3. A fitting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thread is provided with a seal.
4. A fitting according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the threaded connector is surrounded by an annular seal in a region behind the thread.
5. A fitting according to claim 4, wherein the annular seal has a predetermined extent parallel to the central axis of the threaded connector. - 14
6. A fittlog according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the annular seal widens conically in the direction away from the thread.
7. A fitting according to one of the claims 4 to 6, wherein the end of the annular seal remote from the thread is surrounded by an annular flange of the housing.
8. A fitting according to one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein a valve is located in a continuation of the second radiator opening.
9. A fitting according to one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein an electrical heating rod is led through the fixing bolt.
10. A connection fitting for a radiator, the fitting being substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.
11. A method of fixing a fitting comprising a housing, having a first radiator opening and a second radiator opening, to a radiator, the method comprising: making two screw connections between the radiator and the fitting, wherein: firstly the housing, by means of a thread surrounding the second radiator opening, is screwed into the radiator, then the first radiator opening is aligned with a connection opening lo the radiator, and a fixing bolt is screwed through the housing and the first radiator opening - 15 into the radiator from the side of the fitting remote from the radiator.
12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the thread surrounding the second radiator opening is provided with a position-independent seal.
13. A method of fixing a fitting comprising a housing, having a first radiator opening and a second radiator opening, to a radiator, the method being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.