Connection systems for components for temperature regulation in buildings

Abstract

A connection system for components (34) for temperature regulation of buildings, in particular for heating, cooling or air conditioning of interior spaces, is provided, the connection system comprising a base plate (36) provided with a plurality of openings (40) designed to receive connecting elements (4) formed as elongated hollow bodies along a longitudinal axis (6), the longitudinal axes (6) of the connecting elements (4) being arranged on a first side (42) of the base plate (36) perpendicular to a main surface of the base plate (36), each connecting element (4) having a closable connecting channel (8) transverse to the longitudinal axis (6), at least one connecting element (4) being provided for each component (34), the component (34) being connected in a fluid-conducting manner to an unclosed connecting channel (8) of its connecting element (4) and forming a fluid connection to another component (34) or as an inlet or outlet via another unclosed connecting channel (8).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection system for components for temperature regulation of buildings, in particular for heating, cooling or air conditioning of interior spaces. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known from the general state of the art to take appropriate measures during the change of seasons in order to maintain the temperature in an interior space within a temperature range that is comfortable for the user, whereby the reduction of the temperature is often achieved by an air conditioning device that appropriately cools the outside air via a refrigeration compressor and directs it into the interior space, while various embodiments of a heating device are used to increase the temperature.

[0003] Modern systems are then used as so-called air conditioning systems, in which outside air can be guided as supply air by a radial fan through a heat exchanger into the interior space of the building. The exhaust air is then often supplied to the heat exchanger by an evaporative cooler, and the air drawn in by another radial fan leaves the building as outlet air. In addition to various filters for cleaning the air, additional heating devices can also be used to allow ventilation of the interior space.

[0004] The systems described above typically work in conjunction with a heat pump installed in the building, which can be supplied with electrical energy, for example via the power grid or via its own power storage facility.

[0005] Another application example is shown by the device described in Patent Document 1 for energy transfer and energy storage in a liquid tank, which comprises a water heat exchanger arranged on the ground, which is arranged in a liquid tank surrounded by an inner shell, which bounds the device against an outer shell that covers the inner shell from the ground, which outer shell can be at least partially buried in the ground, and which comprises an air heat exchanger arranged above the water heat exchanger, and which is closed at the top by a lid so that an air flow can be generated from an air inlet through the air heat exchanger to an air outlet.

[0006] When installing such an air conditioning system, various hydraulic components, such as pumps, valves, temperature or pressure sensors, are required, which must be circulated by a fluid and connected to one another in various ways. For this purpose, it is known to create removable pipe connections in the form of threaded or flanged connections, press-fit pipe connections, or rigid pipe connections by soldering or welding. In this case, the hydraulic components are usually attached to a wall and connected to it by appropriate pipe connections. Due to the different component connections, the number of required connections, and the different sizes of the components, installations performed using conventional techniques are often chaotic or require a large amount of installation space.

[0007] Patent document 2 describes a distribution pipe for water supply, which is installed between a first side connection and a second side connection, the first side connection and the second side connection being provided on a wall or floor surface, and the distribution pipe includes a central pipe having a water supply socket formed at one end and a closed end at the other end so as to be connected to a number of branch pipes, and a number of distribution sockets provided in a number of passage holes formed in the side sections of the central pipe.

[0008] Patent document 3 describes a distribution station for a heating system, in particular for distributing hot water for driving a hot water heating system, which has a first system constructed from a plurality of single pipe elements each screwed together and having a jet pump arranged inside, each pipe element having an internal thread at one end and an external thread matching the internal thread at the opposite end, and lateral sockets whose central axes are arranged at equal intervals from one another. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102019118223 [Patent Document 2] Chinese Patent No. 111457448 [Patent Document 3] German Patent No. 19637575 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Against this background, the challenge is to create a connection system for components for air conditioning in buildings that can be implemented more compactly and has lower installation costs than conventional systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] This problem is solved by the features of claim 1. Further advantageous configurations of the invention are the subject matter of the respective dependent claims, which may be combined with one another in any technically meaningful way. The description, particularly in conjunction with the drawings, further characterizes and specifies the invention.

[0012] According to the present invention, there is provided a connection system for elements for temperature regulation of buildings, in particular for heating, cooling or air conditioning of interior spaces, the connection system comprising a base plate provided with a plurality of openings designed to receive connecting elements formed as elongated hollow bodies along a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the connecting elements being arranged on a first side of the base plate perpendicular to the main surface of the base plate, each connecting element comprising a plurality of closable connecting channels transverse to the longitudinal axis, at least one connecting element being provided for each element, the elements being connected in a manner that allows a fluid to be conducted into the unclosed connecting channel of its connecting element in order to form a fluid connection to another element or to an inlet or outlet via another unclosed connecting channel.

[0013] Thus, in the connection system according to the present invention, the intended installation area is first covered with a base plate. In this case, the base plate can be positioned similarly to the side wall of the frame of the air conditioning device, so that the base plate acts like an interface between the air conditioning device and the outside world. Individual components are connected to the base plate via one or more connecting elements. In addition to their holding function, the connecting elements also perform other functions by forming fluid connections to other components or inlets or outlets for fluids. In hydraulic components in air conditioning technology, the fluid is typically a working medium such as air, water, or a mixture of various liquids, as required, for example, to operate a heat pump. The dual function of the connecting elements as holding and fluid connection allows for a clear, compact, and easily maintained structure. Furthermore, the connection system according to the present invention can be easily modified, for example, if the performance requirements of the air conditioning system change, so that existing installations can be expanded or supplemented. In this case, the openings in the base plate for receiving the connecting elements can be arranged in a regular grid, in which case, in addition to the positions actually covered by the connecting elements, additional openings for later expansion can be selectively provided. Alternatively, a perforated plate may also be used, for example, which is preferably provided with openings arranged in a grid.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connection channel of the connection element is formed as an internal thread connection in the side wall of the connection element.

[0015] In this way, the member to be connected or the inlet or outlet can be guided via the corresponding external thread directly into the side wall of the connecting element to form a screw connection, which side wall may also be provided with a seal.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the connecting element is formed as a hollow cylinder provided with a flat surface on the internal threaded connection.

[0017] The flat surface design allows for the insertion of a differently shaped external thread connection for fastening the member to the internal thread of the connecting element, for example to provide an additional seal in the area of ​​the flat surface. The fluid can then pass through the hollow cylinder to reach the connecting channel.

[0018] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the connecting channels of the connecting elements are arranged in multiple planes along the longitudinal axis, with the connecting channels each having connecting elements rotated 90° and aligned with one another.

[0019] In this way, a regular structure of the connecting elements can be achieved, where the connecting channels are further oriented in a predetermined direction.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the invention, a further shortened connecting element is provided, which has spacers in the area of ​​the plane of the connecting element facing the base plate.

[0021] The shortened connecting elements are therefore designed so that a fluid connection can be made through them in the area of ​​the spacer. The rest of the design of the shortened connecting elements is identical to the connecting elements already described above. This allows the connecting elements and shortened connecting elements to be arranged on a base plate, in which case the shortened connecting elements can be attached, for example, via a fluid connection already installed between the connecting elements, or can be provided to save space. The spacer can be embodied, for example, as a C-section, in which case the side facing the shortened connecting elements also provides a seal against the hollow cylindrical structure of the shortened connecting elements.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the connecting channel is provided with a pipe connection, preferably in the form of a press fit or flange connection, via which a pipe connection to a component or to another connecting element is formed.

[0023] Up to now, the connections between hydraulic components and connecting elements, and between connecting elements, have been collectively described as fluid connections. Because hydraulic components are typically supplied by numerous different manufacturers, there are no standardized connections to components that can be integrated into the connection system according to the present invention. Therefore, it is contemplated that the connecting channel may be provided with a pipe connection, through which a connection to a component or another connecting element is formed. The pipe connection may be configured, for example, in the form of a press fit or a flange connection, although other types of connections are not excluded. Thus, to connect a component to a connecting element, for example, a press fit is screwed into the connecting channel of the connecting element. Subsequently, a plastic pipe of an appropriate length is pressed into the press fit. The other end of the plastic pipe is connected to the component, in which case various connection techniques according to the component connection design may also be used here. If the component has a second or other component connection, these are also correspondingly connected to the connecting element. In this way, it is also possible to form an inlet or outlet for a fluid line.

[0024] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the orientation of the pipe connections to other connecting elements is selected for each plane in the form of crossing-free pipe routing.

[0025] This allows the connections between the various connecting elements to be created based on the fluid flow diagram, a procedure that can be carried out in a similar manner to the dismantling of a printed circuit board, for example, by selecting the orientation of preferably only one pipe connection per plane.

[0026] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the connecting channels of the connecting elements that are not required are closed by screwable closing pieces.

[0027] The closure piece allows previously unneeded connection channels to be opened for additional applications after initial installation, for example, to create a connection for another component via a pipe connection. This allows for flexible response to changing requirements. Furthermore, a union nut located on the second side of the base plate closes the hollow cylindrical interior of the connection element, simultaneously providing stable fixation of the connection element on the base plate.

[0028] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the connecting element is made of plastic.

[0029] This allows for cost-effective production of connecting elements which can be pre-manufactured in large quantities in different sizes as kits, without the need to provide individually manufactured parts at the time of installation.

[0030] Furthermore, the use of the connection system is described in an arrangement for air conditioning of a building, as described above.

[0031] In the following, some embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1A] In a perspective side view, details of a connection system according to the invention are shown schematically. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1A. [Figure 1C] In a perspective side view, further details of the connection system according to the invention are shown diagrammatically. [Figure 2A] In a side view, further details of the connection system according to the invention are shown diagrammatically. [Figure 2B] In a side view, further details of the connection system according to the invention are shown diagrammatically. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective side view of a connection system according to the present invention; [Figure 4A] 1 shows a schematic representation of a part of a connection system according to the invention in a top view. [Figure 4B] 1 shows a schematic representation of a part of a connection system according to the invention in a top view. [Figure 4C] 1 shows a schematic representation of a part of a connection system according to the invention in a top view. [Figure 4D] 1 shows a schematic representation of a part of a connection system according to the invention in a top view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] In the drawings, identical or functionally similar elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0034] 1A shows a component of a connection system 2 according to the invention in a first embodiment in a perspective side view. This component is a connecting element 4 designed as an elongated hollow body formed along a longitudinal axis 6. Transversely to the longitudinal axis 6, the connecting element 4 has a number of connecting channels 8.

[0035] At one end face of the connecting element 4 there is a cylindrical extension 10 which has a smaller diameter than the hollow cylindrical connecting element 4. A support surface 12 formed in the transition area is used to fix the connecting element 4 on the base plate. For this purpose, an external thread (not shown in FIG. 1A) can be provided along the outer periphery of the extension 10, so that fixing to the base plate can be achieved via the support surface 12 of the connecting element 4 by means of a nut or the like.

[0036] The individual connecting channels 8 are arranged in a number of parallel planes, designated by reference numerals 14, 14', and 14" in FIG. 1A, relative to the support surface 12. The connecting channels 8 in one plane are rotated 90° relative to each other, and the connecting channels 8 in each plane 14, 14', and 14" are aligned with each other, so that the center points of all of the connecting channels are located along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis 6.

[0037] Figure 1B shows a cross-section of the connecting element 4 from Figure 1A. To close the hollow cylindrical connecting element 4, several threaded connections can be formed. For example, in the region of the end opposite the extension 10, an internal thread 16 can be provided, via which a screw plug can be guided into the connecting element 4 in order to close the connecting element 4 at this location.

[0038] In the region of the extension 10, a union nut can be used, which is fixed to the external thread 18 and holds the connecting element 4 to the base plate together with the support surface 12. Alternatively, an internal thread opposite the external thread 18 can be used, into which a threaded plug can be inserted. The connecting element 4 is then fixed by means of a nut on the external thread 18.

[0039] Furthermore, the connection channels 8 are each provided with an internal threaded connection 20 into which a pipe connection can be inserted, as will be explained further below. For this purpose, flat surfaces 22 are provided on the outside of the connection element 4 for each connection channel 8, which can be used as contact surfaces for the pipe connection.

[0040] A further embodiment is shown in connection with Fig. 1C, in which a shortened connecting element 24 is shown in a perspective side view. Instead of the extension 10 and the connecting channel 8 in the area of ​​the first plane 14, the shortened connecting element 24 has a spacer 26 in this area that bridges the area between the shortened connecting elements 24. In this way, it is possible to arrange further connecting elements 4 that are connected to each other via a pipe connection through the connecting channel 8 in the first plane 14, so that the shortened connecting element 24 bridges the area of ​​the pipe connection via the spacer 26.

[0041] 2A exemplarily shows the use of a connecting element 4. For the fastening of the pipe connection, several pipe connections are provided, one embodied as a press-fit 28 and one as a flange connection 30. Both the press-fit 28 and the flange connection 30 can be connected either to another connecting element 4 or to a component. The unnecessary connecting channel 8 is closed here by a closing piece 32 designed in the form of a screw.

[0042] The connection of the members 34 is shown in relation to FIG. 2B, where the connecting element 4 rests on a base plate 36. The flange connections 30 in the connecting channels of the connecting element 4 on the second plane 14″ are connected to corresponding flange connections 38 and pipe connections, so that the members 34 are connected to the two connecting elements 4 in a manner that allows fluid to be conducted through these pipe connections.

[0043] The extension 10 of the connecting element 4 is inserted into an opening 40 in the base plate 36 from a first side 42 and serves to retain it within the base plate 36. From a second side 44, the connecting element 4 can be secured by a union nut (not shown).

[0044] The openings 40 in the base plate 36 for receiving the connecting elements 4 can be arranged in a regular grid, in which case additional openings 40 for later expansion can be selectively provided in addition to the positions actually covered by the connecting elements 4. Alternatively, for example, a perforated plate can also be used, which is provided with openings 40 preferably arranged in a grid.

[0045] 3, an embodiment of the invention is shown in which a more complex system is constructed, in which a plurality of connecting elements 4 or shortened connecting elements 24 are provided on a base plate 36, which are inserted into openings in the base plate 36 via their respective extensions. Each connecting element 4 or shortened connecting element 24 can be assigned a pipeline inlet or outlet and member by providing a pipe connection to the corresponding opening in the connecting channel, as described above.

[0046] The hose lines formed by press-fitting or screwing are then arranged in different planes of the connecting element 4 or 24 to achieve the desired function. In that case, the pipelines are preferably laid so that each pipeline runs in one plane without crossing other pipelines. In this way, it is not necessary to provide a U-shaped bypass of the pipeline.

[0047] By way of example, the structure of a complex system is again explained on the basis of Figures 4A to 4D, where Figure 4A corresponds to a top view of a base plate 36 with a number of members 34 and connecting elements 4 or 24.

[0048] 4B and 4C show the pipe connection 50 in one plane and the further pipe connection 52 in the plane below. Based on Fig. 4C, the function of the shortened connecting element 24 can also be seen. The pipe connection 52 can pass through the connecting element 24, here in the region of the spacer 26.

[0049] 4D, which is a stack of Figures 4A-4C, results in a complex arrangement of hydraulic elements 34 with pipe connections 50 and 52. When planning such an arrangement, one can proceed similarly to a schematic diagram of a printed circuit board, in which case the pipe connections 50 and 52 are selected with respect to their orientation, preferably with the same orientation of the pipe connections 50 and 52 being selected for each plane. Elements 34 can then be various hydraulic elements, such as pumps, sensors or valves.

[0050] The features mentioned above and presented in the claims, as well as those which can be seen from the drawings, can be advantageously implemented both individually and in various combinations. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but can be modified in various ways within the capabilities of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 36 Flange connection 36 base plate 38 Flange connection 40 aperture 42 First Side 44 Second Side 50 Pipe Connection 52 Pipe connection

Claims

1. 1. A connection system for components (34) for temperature regulation of buildings, in particular for heating, cooling or air conditioning of interior spaces, comprising a base plate (36) provided with a plurality of openings (40) designed to receive connecting elements (4) formed as elongated hollow bodies along a longitudinal axis (6), the longitudinal axes (6) of the connecting elements (4) being arranged on a first side (42) of the base plate (36) perpendicular to a main surface of the base plate (36), each connecting element (4) having a closable connecting channel (8) transverse to the longitudinal axis (6), at least one connecting element (4) being provided for each component (34), the component (34) being connected in a fluid-conducting manner to an open connecting channel (8) of its connecting element (4) and forming a fluid connection to another component (34) or as an inlet or outlet via another open connecting channel (8).

2. 2. The connection system according to claim 1, wherein the connection channel (8) of the connection element (4) is formed as an internal threaded connection (20) in a side wall of the connection element (4).

3. 3. A connection system according to claim 2, wherein the connecting element (4) is formed as a hollow cylinder provided with a flat surface (22) on the internal threaded connection (20).

4. 4. A connection system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the coupling channels (8) of the coupling elements (4) are arranged in a plurality of planes (14, 14', 14") along the longitudinal axis (6), each of which has coupling channels (8) rotated by 90 degrees and aligned with one another.

5. 4. A connection system according to claim 1, wherein a further shortened connecting element (24) is provided, said connecting element comprising a spacer (26) in the area of ​​the plane (14) of said connecting element (4) facing said base plate (36).

6. 4. A connection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connection channel (8) is provided with a pipe connection, preferably in the form of a press fit (28) or a flange connection (30), via which a pipe connection (38) to the member (34) or to another connection element (4) is made.

7. 4. A connection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the orientation of the pipe connections to other connecting elements (4) is selected in the form of crossing-free pipe routing for each of the planes (14, 14', 14").

8. 4. A connection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting channels (8) without the need for a connecting element (4) are closed by screwable closing pieces (43).

9. Connection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coupling element (4) is made of plastic.

10. Use of a connection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in an apparatus for air conditioning of a building.

Images