WO2008020303A2

WO2008020303A2 - Modular radiant unit and radiant system made with such modular unit

Info

Publication number: WO2008020303A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/002384
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enrico Gavello; Marco Gavello
Original assignee: Enrico Gavello; Marco Gavello
Priority date: 2006-08-14
Filing date: 2007-08-10
Publication date: 2008-02-21
Also published as: ITRM20060449A1; WO2008020303A3

Abstract

Described herein is a modular radiant unit (1) consisting of a quadrangular element having a hydraulic circuit for a heat-exchange fluid, formed by peripheral pipes (2) arranged along the perimeter of the quadrangular element (1) in the neighbourhood of at least one plate (4; 9, 10) having a complementary shape, anchored to the peripheral pipes (2). Each plate (4, 9, 10) can consist of a radiant panel and/or of a panel with an ornamental function, and the modular radiant unit (1) can be connected to similar modular units (1) for the composition of complex radiant systems.

Description

"Modular radiant unit and radiant system made with such a modular unit"

*** FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to devices for heating or cooling environments, and regards more in particular ^'a modular radiant unit for use in such applications . STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

Known in the art, for example from the European patent No. EP-0524085B1, are modular radiant units consisting of quadrangular, square, or rectangular elements, which have respective hydraulic circuits designed to be traversed by a heat-exchange fluid and are connectable to one another for the composition of radiant systems of variable, generally planar, dimensions .

A similar radiant system made up of modular units with quadrangular elements is also currently marketed under the brand name "Domino" by the Italian company Radiator! Tubor S. p. A.

In both cases, the quadrangular elements of the modular radiant units consist of relatively thick bodies, directly formed within which is the hydraulic circuit, made up of channels inside the bodies themselves. The channels of each modular unit are, connected hydraulically to those of the contiguous units, and also provided are means of mechanical assembly between the various units.

These solutions, in addition to being constructionally complex and costly and difficult to install and maintain, also involve the difficulty, given the same number of modular units, of varying (i.e., increasing or reducing) the capacity for heat exchange of the radiant system built using them according to the requirements of use, entailing for said purpose recourse to valve systems for partialization of the hydraulic circuit. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks and more in particular to provide a modular radiant unit of the type defined above, which, in addition to being simpler and cheaper to produce, will present smaller thicknesses and be more convenient and flexible to assemble together with similar modular units to form complex radiant systems both as regards increase and reduction of the capacity for heat exchange and in terms of variations in design and styling of the radiant systems that can be obtained using it.

According to the invention, this purpose is principally achieved thanks to the characteristics defined in Claim 1, according to which the hydraulic circuit of the modular radiant unit is formed by peripheral pipes arranged along the perimeter of the quadrangular element in the neighbourhood of at least one plate having a complementary shape and anchored to said peripheral pipes . The plate, which can be single or else for example double or else triple and can be anchored to the peripheral pipes also in a partially or totally removable way, can perform radiant or simply aesthetic functions, or else both. Taking into account that said plate or plates do not contribute to the circulation of the heat-exchange fluid, they can present minimal thicknesses and, as will be seen in what follows, can also be used for • functional purposes in addition to aesthetic ones. They can be made with any material, such as metals and corresponding alloys, polymeric materials, including transparent ones, ceramics, glass etc., possibly with decorated surfaces.

The peripheral pipes, which are typically made of metal, are interconnected by tubular connectors - made preferably but not necessarily of plastic material - at least in part prearranged for the connection to the peripheral pipes of similar radiant units for the composition of modular radiant systems that are complex both from the functional standpoint and from the aesthetic standpoint, with variable shapes and dimensions .

The advantages deriving from the characteristics of the modular radiant unit according to the invention and of the radiant systems that can be obtained using it can be summarized as follows:

- simplicity and economy of production, assembly, and maintenance;

- high radiant efficiency, which can be easily modified; - extreme versatility, which also envisages the possibility of devising and creating personalizable configurations that can be readily adapted to the spaces available;

- ample flexibility of aesthetic and also functional personalization of the visual interface of the modular unit arid of the complex radiant systems that can be obtained using it; and

- ease of cleaning.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed plates of drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a modular radiant unit according to a possible embodiment of the invention; - A -

- Figure 2 is an exploded view of Figure 1 ;

- Figure 3 is a partially exploded view at an enlarged scale of a detail of Figures 1 and 2;

- Figure 4 shows a variant of Figure 3; - Figures 5, 6 and 7 show, in perspective and at a larger scale, further components that can be used for the modular unit according to the invention;

- Figure 8 shows an example of composition of modular unit according to Figures 1 and 2 with a similar modular unit; and

- Figure 9 and 10 show further examples of composition of a plurality of modular units according to the invention for the construction of complex radiant systems . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With initial reference to Figures 1 and 2, a modular radiant unit according to the invention is designated as a whole by 1 and consists basically of a quadrangular element, typically but not necessarily square, formed by four peripheral pipes 2 that constitute a hydraulic circuit for circulation of a heat-exchange fluid for heating or cooling an environment. The four pipes 2 are interconnected, at the vertices of the quadrangular element 1, by respective tubular fittings or connectors 3 and delimit, like a quadrangular frame, an internal space that is normally closed by at least one thin plate 4 (shown in Figure 2), which will be described in what follows . The pipes 2 are made of material with high thermal conductivity, typically steel, aluminium or metal alloys, and can have a circular cross section (as in the case of the example illustrated herein) , or else oval or square, rectangular or polygonal. ~~ O ~~

The tubular connectors or fittings 3, which in the case of Figure 1 are four-way fittings or crosses, may be made of metal or else, for economy of production, of polymeric material, for example nylon. Two branches of each four-way fitting ^'or cross 3 forms a sealed connection with the respective pipes 2 with any suitable system, for example by means of threaded joints, bayonet couplings, welds, or else more simply by mere axial pressure fit, with the interposition of ring seals 5 housed within corresponding grooves. The other two branches of each four-way fitting or cross 3 can be used for union to the pipes 2 of identical modular units 1, for example in the way represented in Figures 8, 9^' and 10, with the same modalities.

The fittings or connectors 3 can alternatively present different configurations; for example they could be three-way connectors or else two-way connectors, as is illustrated schematically in Figures 9 and 10.

Figure 7 illustrates in greater detail an example of a two-way connector 3, which in this case is rectilinear but could also present an elbow shape. Figures 5 and 6, instead, respectively show a further example of a two-way connector 6, provided, on one side, with an internal thread 7, for example for connection to a line for supply or discharge of the heat-exchange fluid, and a plug 8 for terminal closing of the hydraulic circuit of the modular unit 1 or of a radiant system made with a multiplicity of said modular units 1, for example in the way represented in Figures 9 and 10.

Figures 3 and 4 show two examples of simple- coupling connection with axial interference between a four-way fitting or cross 3 and respectively two pipes 2 of a first quadrangular element 1 and another two pipes 2 of a second quadrangular element. In the case of Figure 3 the ends of the pipes 2 rest at the front against a corresponding annular flange 13 of the cross 3, whilst in the case of Figure 4 the ends of the pipes 2 are formed with respective recesses substantially shaped like the mouthpiece of a flute 14 for deeper insertion in the respective branches of the cross 3.

With reference to Figure 2, the plate 4 that fills the space comprised between the four pipes 2 that delimit the quadrangular element 1 can, as has been said, be single: in this case, it will have, at its sides, respective curved, i.e., concave, edges 4a for resting and engagement on the internal sides of the pipes 2, on one, or more conveniently, both of the faces of the quadrangular element that constitutes the modular unit 1. The concave edges 4a will obviously have a curvature corresponding to the diameter of the pipes 2. The plate 4, which is substantially thinner than the external diameter of the pipes 2, can be made of any material, such as metal, polymeric materials, including transparent ones, ceramic, glass, etc., and, in the case where it is single, its external surface in view may be personalized with aesthetic and ornamental motifs, either permanent or else applied in a removable way.

Alternatively, two opposed plates 4 may be provided, in this case, applied, one on one face, and the other on the opposite face of the quadrangular element 1, each being provided with respective concave semi-edges 4a for resting respectively on one side and on the opposite side of the pipes 2. In this case, the two plates 4 may be connected to one another with any mechanical system, such as screw connections, joints, or adhesive and also magnetic joining systems.

With a configuration of this sort, and in the case where the two plates 4 are transparent, when the modular unit 1 is, for example, used for cooling environments, supplying a coolant to the hydraulic circuit formed by the pipes 2, the possible condensate that drips into the gap between the two plates 4 may generate particular and pleasant aesthetic effects. As further alternative, and as represented in the example of embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the quadrangular element 1 can include three plates: in addition to the plate 4, inserted with the modalities clarified previously between the four pipes 2, two further plates 9, 10 are provided, located on opposite sides of the plate 4 and connected thereto permanently or else in a way that is at least partially separable. In the second case, the coupling may be conveniently of a magnetic type by equipping the intermediate plate 4 with permanent magnets 11 projecting in a direction perpendicular from its opposite faces and designed to co-operate with corresponding elements or inserts made of ferromagnetic material 12 applied to the plates 9 and 10. Obviously, the arrangement of the magnets 11 and of the ferromagnetic elements 12 may be reversed.

The plates 9 and 10 may also be thin like the plate 4 or else may have one, as in the case of the plate 10, or else both, a boxlike configuration usable for containing, for example, a heat-storage material, such as cast iron in the form of full or semi-hollow bricks, or granules.

Of course this same arrangement is applicable also in the case where the quadrangular element that constitutes the modular unit 1 uses a single plate 4 or else two plates. In the embodiments with two or three plates, the faces in view of these may be personalized with the same modalities clarified in what follows with reference to the single plate 4. Figure 8 shows a first example of composition of two modular units 1 described previously: in said example, the outer plate 9 of a modular unit 1 is connected in a rotatable to the intermediate plate 4 in a position corresponding to the bottom pipe 2, with modalities not illustrated in detail but within the reach of a person skilled in the branch. In this way, it can oscillate like a hinged lid between the normal vertical position (corresponding to that of the plate 9 of the other modular unit 1 represented) and the position illustrated, in which it extends in a direction perpendicular to the modular unit 1 so as to be able to function as a horizontal resting bracket.

Further possible examples of composition of a plurality of modular units 1 are represented in Figures 9 and 10, to form more complex radiant systems. In the example of Figure 9 the radiant system, designated as a whole by 15, comprises two columns set alongside one another of four radiant units 1 each, one of which has the ^whinged-lid" configuration of the plate 9 or else of the plate 4 in the case where only this is provided.

In the example of Figure 10, the radiant system, designated as a whole by 16, is formed by three columns set alongside one another, each formed by four modular units 1. The modular units 1 of the right-hand column in the drawing are open, in the sense that the corresponding plates 9 or else 4 are absent.

Of course, the possibilities of composition of the modular units 1 are infinite, just as infinite are the personalizations of the surfaces in view of the corresponding plates, according to the needs and tastes in furnishing.

In use, the hydraulic circuit defined of the pipes 2 is supplied with a heated or cooled fluid (typically water) , for heating or cooling, by irradiation, the environment in which the radiant system is installed. The heat exchange with the environment occurs by radiant effect by the pipes 2 as well as, possibly, by the plates 4 and/or 9 and/or 10 heated or cooled by conduction by the pipes 2 in the case where said plates are made of thermally conductive material and are possibly also provided with the heat-storage system referred to previously.

It is to be noted that the radiant system made up using the modular radiant units 1 can also possibly be partialized, in the sense that it is possible to use for the heat exchange only a part of the radiant units 1 that make it up, for example providing systems of partialization by means of shutoff valves (not illustrated in so far as they are conventional) associated to one or more of the pipes 2, or else more simply using, for at least part of the radiant units 1, plates made of a material with low thermal conductivity . The sizing of each modular unit 1, i.e., of the corresponding pipes 2 and of the corresponding plates 4 (and possibly 9 and/or 10) will obviously take into account parameters such as the desired thermal power, the coefficient of heat exchange, the temperature to be guaranteed in the environment both in winter (heating) and in summer (cooling) .

Of course the details of construction and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to what is described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the scope of the ^' present invention, as defined in the ensuing claims .

Thus, for example according to a variant (not illustrated) , the connection between the modular units 1 of the complex radiant systems made up using them may also be made, instead of rigidly, with the aid of connectors - or tubular connection elements between the connectors - of a flexible type, so as to enable composition of not necessarily planar and also at leastin part foldable radiant systems so as to enable, when their use is not required, a convenient compacting thereof in a condition for example folded in concertina fashion.

Claims

1. A modular radiant unit consisting of a quadrangular element (1) having a hydraulic circuit (2)

■5 designed to be traversed by a heat-exchange fluid for the heating or cooling of environments, characterized in that said circuit is formed by peripheral pipes (2) arranged along the perimeter of the quadrangular element (1) in the neighbourhood of at least one plate 0 (4; 9, 10) having a complementary shape and anchored to said peripheral pipes (2).

2. The modular radiant unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that said at least one plate (4; 9, 10) is connected to said peripheral pipes (2) in a way 5 that is at least in part removable.

3. The modular radiant unit according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that said peripheral pipes (2) are interconnected by connectors (3) at least in part prearranged for connection with the peripheral 0 pipes (2) of similar radiant units (1) for the composition of modular radiant systems (15, 16) of variable forms and dimensions.

4. The modular radiant unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that 5 said at least one plate (4; 9, 10) is constituted by a radiant panel.

5. The modular radiant unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one plate (4; 9, 10) is constituted by a 0 panel with an ornamental function.

6. The modular radiant unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one plate (4) is formed on at least part of its sides with curved edges (4a) , which can be 5 engaged on the corresponding pipes (2) .

7. The modular radiant unit according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a pair of opposed plates (4, 9; 4, 10) .

8. The modular radiant unit according to one or more of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a set of three opposed plates (4, 9, 10) of which the intermediate plate (4) is anchored permanently to said pipes (2) and at least one of the other two plates (9, 10) is connected, in a separable or rotatable way, to the intermediate plate (4).

9. The modular radiant unit according to either Claim 7 or Claim 8, characterized in that said plates

(4, 9, 10) are connected to one another via means of magnetic retention (11, 12). 10. The modular radiant unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one plate (4; 9,

10) is made of a material chosen between metals, metal alloys, glass, ceramic, polymeric materials and the like.

11. The modular radiant unit according to Claim 3, characterized in that said peripheral pipes (2) are metal and said tubular connectors (3) are made of polymeric material.

12. Α sectional radiant system, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of modular radiant units

(1) according to one or more of the preceding claims and the hydraulic circuit of which is designed to be traversed by the heat-exchange fluid, is defined by a lattice of said peripheral pipes (2) of the modular radiant units (1) ..

13. The radiant system according to Claim 12, characterized in that it is provided with valve means for partialization of said hydraulic circuit.

14. The radiant system according to Claim 12 or Claim 13, characterized in that the modular radiant units (1) are connected at least in part via foldable components of said hydraulic circuit.