Telescopic support for an expansion tank suitable for sanitary and potable water networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a support for an expansion vessel (40) comprising: - a wall mounting plate (10); and - a fitting (20) having a threaded hole configured to receive a thread (41) for connecting the vessel (40) to a water supply. According to the invention, the threaded hole of the fitting is configured to also receive a thread of a water supply connection, and the fitting (20) is made of stainless steel and is connected to the plate (10) by a telescopic arm (30) by being welded to an internal rod of the arm, so as to be connectable to both a domestic water supply and a potable water supply, hot or cold, and the fitting and the rod have a protective coating against oxidation.

Description

technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of supports for expansion vessels used in plumbing and any system using pressurized fluids, and in particular intended for connection to the sanitary and drinking water network, hot and cold. Previous art

[0002] Various devices for fixing an expansion vessel are known from earlier art.

[0003] With reference to the figure 1This illustration depicts a support for the art, a previous expansion vessel for a sanitary circuit is fixed to a wall by means of a plate with protruding tabs (L) defining a gap intended to receive a clamp (C). The clamp is designed to wedge, clip, or screw into the tabs and to support the expansion vessel at the point where a weld bead protrudes from the vessel. However, this solution is difficult to handle: it requires simultaneously holding the vessel (40), the clamp (C), which is flexible and spring-loaded during installation, and a screwdriver or power drill to tighten the clamp. This operation is therefore very difficult for one person and may require two people to fix the vessel (40) to its support (P).

[0004] Significant play must be left in the clamp (C) to allow insertion of the vessel, and subsequent tightening of the clamp (C) may damage the vessel's paint. Disassembly and reassembly, for example during maintenance, will inevitably leave marks on the vessel due to deterioration of the surface coating and its visual appearance. Consequently, there is a significant risk of oxidation.

[0005] Furthermore, the distance between the expansion vessel and the wall is not adjustable. This can make connecting the vessel more difficult when using rigid piping. The installer must adapt to the existing support.

[0006] Finally, a hose clamp (C) gives the whole assembly a cheap, DIY look. Furthermore, the installation is flimsy, fragile, and not rigid.

[0007] There figure 2This illustrates another prior art support for a heating circuit, in the form of a rigid bracket welded to a wall mounting plate. The cylindrical or square bracket has several threaded holes, configured to accommodate, depending on the location, the expansion vessel (R), the connection to the network, a safety valve, a pressure gauge, or an air vent. Such a bracket is delicate to manufacture because water circulates within it: each weld must be carefully executed to ensure a watertight seal.

[0008] It is also known as a support in the form of a rigid bracket with hooks or screws that attach to a bulge at the weld or seam of the vessel. This type of support is only compatible with vessels whose weld or seam has a geometry adapted to cooperate with such hooks or screws.

[0009] The supports currently available on the market are designed for non-potable water systems, such as heating systems, and are not suitable for potable water systems. Documents PL209254B1 and DE29603359 illustrate examples of this type of support. Description of the invention

[0010] The aim of the invention is to provide a support for an expansion vessel that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art, and in particular simplifies the installation of the vessel. Another aim of the invention is to make the support adaptable to different vessel sizes, the dimensional constraints of the installation, and the environment in which the vessel is installed.

[0011] Another aim of the invention is to simplify the manufacture of a support for an expansion vessel.

[0012] For this purpose, a support for the expansion vessel has been developed, comprising: a wall mounting plate; and a fitting with a threaded hole configured to receive a thread for connecting the vessel to a water supply,

[0013] According to the invention, the tapping of the fitting is configured to also receive a thread of a water network fitting and the fitting is made of stainless steel and is connected to the plate by a telescopic arm by being welded to an internal rod of the arm, so as to be connectable to both a sanitary water network and a drinking water network, hot or cold, and the fitting and the rod have a protective coating against oxidation, such as an epoxy paint.

[0014] In this way, once the bracket is fixed to the wall, the vase can be attached by screwing its threads directly into the fitting. No other parts need to be handled. Eliminating the clamp also eliminates the unsightly and low-quality appearance of prior art brackets. The invention also improves the rigidity, stability, and lifespan of the entire assembly.

[0015] The distance between the vase and the wall can be easily adjusted using the telescopic arm, depending on the sizes of vases available on the market, other installation components, and the installation environment. The installer no longer needs to adapt to the support; the support adapts to the installer and the installation environment.

[0016] The welded steel structure of the support provides the entire assembly with great robustness. Avoiding the weld seam on the vase also contributes to a support compatible with a wider variety of vase models. The support is standard and not specific to any brand or product line.

[0017] The fitting is made of stainless steel to prevent any risk of contamination of the drinking water. This makes the vessel suitable for hot or cold domestic hot water systems.

[0018] The protective coating against oxidation helps to protect against oxidation a heat-affected area generated during welding.

[0019] The fitting's threads are designed to also accept the threads of a water supply connection. This creates a female-to-female sleeve. The water flow length within the support is minimized, reducing sealing challenges. This design eliminates the need for watertight welds, simplifying manufacturing and reducing the risk of leaks.

[0020] To ensure the anti-rotation function of the boom, it has a polygonal cross-section. A square cross-section facilitates the orientation of the connection axis both vertically and horizontally. Furthermore, when the boom has a square or rectangular cross-section, the geometry of the intersection between the connection and the boom is simpler, making the weld between the connection and the boom easier to perform.

[0021] Advantageously, the support includes means for locking the telescopic boom, such as one or more pressure screws.

[0022] In order to be compatible with the majority of expansion vessels on the market, the center distance between the fitting and a support face of the plate is between 125 mm and 185 mm, or between 145 mm and 235 mm, or between 185 mm and 280 mm, or any other range defined by the combination of these values.

[0023] To stiffen the plate, it features ribs parallel to a threaded axis. These ribs can also be made around the entire periphery of the plate.

[0024] In order for the support to have sufficient rigidity in relation to the material used, an internal rod of the gallows has a square section with sides between 24mm and 30mm, and a thickness between 0.5mm and 2mm.

[0025] For this same purpose, the fitting has a radial thickness of between 2mm and 4mm. Brief description of the drawings

[0026] [ Fig.1 [ ] is a diagram illustrating a prior art expansion vessel device. Fig. 2 [ ] is a diagram illustrating another vase support device from earlier art. Fig.3 ] is a diagram of a perspective view of a support according to the invention. Fig. 4 ] is a diagram of a front view of this support. Detailed description of the invention

[0027] With reference to figures 3 and 4 illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, a fitting (20) has a tapped hole (21) configured to receive a thread (41) for connecting the vessel (40) to a water network, whether sanitary or potable, hot or cold, and is connected to a wall mounting plate (10) by means of a telescopic arm (30).

[0028] The telescopic arm (30) allows the position of the vase (40) to be adjusted without difficulty in relation to the wall, according to the different dimensions of vases (40) available on the market, the constraints of the installation and the installation environment.

[0029] Furthermore, if the piping used in the water network is rigid, it may be simpler to slightly reposition the expansion vessel (40) using the telescopic arm (30) to position it opposite a pre-existing rigid pipe. The support adapts to the installation environment of the expansion vessel (40) and to the constraints encountered by the installer on site. The telescopic nature of the arm (30) also provides the installer with considerable flexibility and a margin of error in positioning the piping.

[0030] Once the gap between the vessel (40) and the wall has been adjusted, this setting can be locked, for example, by means of pressure screws (33), advantageously located on an external tube (31) of the arm (30). These pressure screws are optional, since once the vessel (40) is screwed into the fitting (20), it exerts an eccentric weight on the arm (30), tending to lock the telescopic arm (30). A rigid assembly nevertheless contributes to the perceived quality expected in the relevant technical field.

[0031] To make a simple yet effective telescopic boom (30), it comprises an internal rod (32) and an external tube (31) of complementary shape. Preferably, these are commercially available, standard-sized tubes.

[0032] In particular, the tubes are advantageously of polygonal cross-section so that the connection between the inner rod (32) and the outer tube (31) is a sliding connection, since a polygonal cross-section performs an anti-rotation function of the telescopic arm (30).

[0033] Preferably, the inner rod (32) has a square cross-section with sides measuring between 25mm and 30mm, for example 26mm. The thickness of the inner rod (32) and / or the outer tube (31) is between 0.5mm and 2mm.

[0034] A 1mm gap between the inner rod (32) and the outer tube (31) ensures the smooth sliding of the telescopic stem (30).

[0035] The fitting (20) is made of stainless steel such as 304L to ensure compatibility with domestic hot water and potable water systems. However, for cost reasons, the internal stem (32) is made of standard, unalloyed structural steel. The rest of the support can also be made of standard, unalloyed structural steel.

[0036] The fitting (20) is welded to the inner rod (32). To protect the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the weld from oxidation, the fitting (20) and the inner rod (32) have an anti-corrosion coating. Preferably, this is a paint, the color of which can be adapted to a color standard used in a particular field (for example, red for a heating network, and blue or white for a domestic hot water network). In this case, the base plate (10) and the outer tube (31) also have the same coating.

[0037] The fitting (20) is preferably in the form of a female-female sleeve, configured to receive on one side the connection of the expansion vessel (40) and on the other side a connection to the water network, for example, potable water. Even more preferably, it is a single open thread (21) of the same diameter on both sides, with no reduction in the cross-section of the internal diameter. For example, the thread (21) is of the ¾" type.

[0038] Since the water only circulates within the fitting (20), then the quantity of stainless steel used is minimal, which is a saving, and the resulting support is extremely simple, therefore very inexpensive to manufacture.

[0039] With particular reference to the figure 4The center distance (E) between the fitting (20) and a bearing surface of the plate (10) is between 125 mm and 185 mm, or between 145 mm and 235 mm, or between 185 mm and 280 mm. The center distance (E) may also fall within any range defined by a combination of these values, in order to be compatible with the majority of expansion vessels (40) available on the market.

[0040] The plate (10) has fixing holes (11) for connecting it to the wall, preferably 4 to ensure optimal stability and strength, and advantageously these holes are oblong to allow adjustment of the position of the plate (10) on the wall.

[0041] In order to use a sufficiently thin sheet of metal while still maintaining the rigidity of the plate (10), the latter has reinforcing ribs (12). Since the vessel (40) is intended to be positioned vertically on top of the bracket (30), the ribs (12) are parallel to the axis of the fitting (20). These ribs can also be made around the entire circumference of the plate (10).

[0042] Furthermore, the support can be shaped differently from the examples given without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims.

[0043] Furthermore, the technical characteristics of the various embodiments and variants mentioned above can be combined, in whole or in part. This allows the support to be adapted in terms of cost, functionality, and performance.

Claims

1. Support for expansion vessel (40) comprising: - a wall mounting plate (10); and - a connector (20) of which a thread is configured to receive a thread (41) for connecting the vessel (40) to a water network, characterized by This that the threading of the connection is configured to further receive a thread of a connection of the water network and the connection (20) is made of stainless steel and is connected to the plate (10) by a telescopic bracket (30) by being welded to an internal rod of the bracket, so as to be connectable both to a sanitary water network and to a drinking water network, hot or cold, and the connection and the rod have a protective coating against oxidation.

2. Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the stem has a polygonal section, preferably square.

3. Support according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that It includes means for locking the telescopic boom, such as one or more pressure screws.

4. Support according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that 'a center distance between the connection and a support face of the plate is between 125 mm and 185 mm, or between 145 mm and 235 mm, or between 185 mm and 280 mm.

5. Support according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate has ribs parallel to an axis of the thread.

6. Support according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the internal stem of the stem has a square section with sides between 24mm and 30mm, and a thickness between 0.5mm and 2mm.

7. Support according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fitting has a radial thickness between 2mm and 4mm.

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