GR1009091B - A connector retaining in-floor heating tubing - Google Patents

Abstract

Novelty: a connector meant to retain in place in-floor heating tubes is disclosed. Constitution: the invented connector is composed of the U-shaped housing 3, made of polyolephines and meant to retain in its interior –via its inwardly-turned ends- in-floor heating tubes; furthermore, it has two insertion members 1 having projections 2 impeding the displacement of the connector set to be inserted inside the floor’s special polystyrene insulation.

Description

DESCRIPTION

"PIPE RETAINING CONNECTION

UNDERFLOOR HEATING"

THE FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention refers to the field of underfloor heating components and specifically to a joint for retaining underfloor heating pipes.

THE HISTORY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed underfloor heating pipe retaining connector of the present invention has not been disclosed in the prior art.

One of the heating systems that are used more and more often is the floor heating system. It is a modern heating system for buildings, in which the transmission of heat to the space is done from the floor and not through the radiators. The use of an underfloor heating system presents a number of advantages, as it allows the uniform distribution of the temperature in the space, achieving the maximum values at the points near the floor and minimum at the points near the roof of the building. In addition, energy is saved due to the uniform distribution of the temperature in the room, while at the same time reducing the air temperature by 2-3 °C compared to a conventional heating system. This, combined with the reduction in the inlet water temperature, results in the burning of less fuel and therefore a significant saving in energy consumption. A further characteristic advantage is finally the saving of space, since the absence of heating elements allows the configuration of the space as desired, while at the same time it also gives the possibility of uniform heating in all parts of the space, without presenting points where the temperature change is noticeable.

However, apart from the general characteristics and advantages presented by an underfloor heating installation, there are also elements that can be improved, as they are a deterrent for the widespread acceptance of this particular heating method.

One of the major disadvantages of underfloor heating installations lies in the mandatory use of form plates, which are nothing more than insulating plates with a substrate of expanded polystyrene that has protrusions for supporting and fitting the pipe to the form plate. Sometimes the form plates also have a cover sheet which is a moisture barrier. As it becomes obvious the need to have a form plate leads to increased installation costs, as well as an increase in the time required to be spent during the installation process.

A further disadvantage is that the pipe is placed in direct contact with the insulating plate and therefore the cement mortar concrete does not achieve the pipe excavation in the relevant and optimal way. This results in a reduced exploitation of the emitted heat and therefore not ensuring the maximum efficiency of the underfloor heating system.

It is thus an object of the present invention to advantageously address the aforementioned disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art by proposing an underfloor heating connector, which is used to hold piping in underfloor heating installations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an underfloor heating pipe retaining connector which hooks onto all kinds and all types of insulation boards.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an underfloor heating pipe retaining joint of plastic material, of a suitable type, which holds the pipe at a distance from the insulation board, resulting in very good embedment of it in the cement mortar concrete. A further object of the invention is the presentation of an underfloor heating piping retaining joint which, with the correct housing, correspondingly increases the contact surface, yielding greater amounts of heat.

A further object of the invention is the presentation of an underfloor heating pipe retaining joint that replaces the use of underfloor heating form plates, significantly reducing both the installation time and the required cost.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which it is illustrated in an illustrative, non-limiting manner.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the underfloor heating pipe retaining joint, where both the retaining notches and the socket for the piping are visible.

Figure 2 shows the top view of the underfloor heating pipe retaining joint, showing where the entry ends are.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED APPLICATION

With reference to the accompanying drawing, an indicative application of the invention will be described, so that it can be understood by those skilled in the art.

The underfloor heating pipe retaining joint is essentially divided into two parts. One part is about inserting and holding the joint in the special polystyrene insulation, also known as Styrofoam, and the other is about receiving and holding the underfloor heating piping from the joint. The underfloor heating pipe retaining joint consists of insertion ends (1), Fig. 1, which are inserted into the polystyrene insulation laid on the floor of a building prior to the installation of the underfloor heating system. Indicative and not limiting, it is stated that there are four of them and they are located at the four edges of the base of the link, Fig. 2. Each insertion end has one or more protrusions (2), which form an angle towards the insertion end (1), so that their insertion into the polystyrene insulator is facilitated. The utility of each protrusion (2) is to prevent movement and assist in the effective hooking of the retaining link within the polystyrene insulation. The insertion of each joint is carried out so that the socket (3) of the piping and therefore the piping are kept at a distance from the special polystyrene insulator. In this way, it can be boxed and completely covered by the concrete of the cement mortar that is laid after the installation of the pipes. The socket (3) has a U shape, being open from the top, so that the underfloor heating pipes can fit into the gap formed between. The connector can indicatively accept and assemble pipes with a diameter of 16 mm up to 18 mm. The two ends (4) of the socket (3) are turned inward to effectively hold the tubes. It becomes obvious that the connectors can be used as many as the installation design provides, so that they effectively hold the piping.

The underfloor heating pipe retaining joint is made of polyolefins, which are materials that exhibit strength and relative rigidity, so they are suitable for use in plumbing fixtures.

It should be noted at this point that the description of the invention was carried out with reference to an illustrative example of application to which it is not limited. Therefore, any change or modification in terms of shape, dimensions, morphology, or the materials and construction and assembly components used, as long as they do not constitute a new inventive step and do not contribute to the technical development of what is already known, are considered included in the purposes and visions of the present invention.

Claims (1)

1. Underfloor heating pipe retaining joint, consisting of entry ends (1), with protrusions (2) and a socket (3), U-shaped, open from its top, with its two ends inverted (4), characterized by that the entry ends (1) are inserted into the floor insulation material, with the protrusions (2) preventing movement and the tubing is inserted into the socket (3) held in place by the inverted ends (4).