Piping heating structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a pipe heating structure that can be stably wrapped around a pipe, even when the pipe has a bend or a protruding portion (outer flange) on its outer diameter surface, and can be attached to the pipe without easily shifting. [Solution] This pipe heating structure comprises a main body consisting of a long, strip-shaped electric heater with a heating wire, and branch bodies consisting of short, strip-shaped electric heaters with heating wires, and is attached to a pipe to be heated. In its free state, multiple branch bodies are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main body, and the central part of each branch body is fixed to the main body so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle to the main body. When attached to a pipe, the main body is spirally wrapped around the pipe to be heated, and the ends of each branch body are connected to form a ring-shaped structure that fits over the pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipe heating structure attached to a pipe for heating the pipe.

Background Art

[0002] In order to prevent the fluid or viscous fluid in the pipe from freezing or the gas in the pipe from condensing, the pipe may be heated with a heater for warming or heat preservation (such as Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, such a pipe heater 1 has a base material including a heating wire 2 and a coating layer 3 that coats the heating wire, is formed in a long strip shape, and is spirally wound around a pipe 5 as shown in the illustrated example. The heating wire 2 is formed of a material such as an alloy of nickel and chromium (nichrome), an alloy of iron and chromium, platinum, or tungsten. Further, the coating layer 3 is preferably made of a material having electrical insulation and heat resistance. For example, fibers such as glass fiber are used.

[0003] Therefore, by flowing an electric current through the heating wire 2 of the pipe heater 1, the heating wire 2 generates heat, the pipe 5 can be heated, and the fluid in the pipe 5 can be prevented from freezing or condensing.

[0004] By the way, as shown in FIG. 8, if the pipe is a straight pipe having a cylindrical surface with no unevenness on the outer diameter surface and no bending or curved portions, an operator can easily wind the pipe 5. However, as shown in FIG. 9, when a pipe 5 around which the pipe heater 1 is to be wound is configured by connecting a plurality of straight connecting pipes 8 with a joint 6, a flange portion 10 is provided at the end of the joint 6, a convex portion is formed on the outer diameter surface, and a bending portion is also formed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] When attaching (wrapping) the pipe heater 1 to the pipe 5, as shown in Figure 9, if the pipe has a bend and a protruding portion (outer flange portion 10) on its outer diameter surface, the wrapping work of the pipe heater 1 is troublesome, and deviations in the wrapping work can result in differences in the heating effect, which is undesirable.

[0007] Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a pipe heating structure that can be stably wound around a pipe even when the pipe has a bent portion and a convex portion (outer flange portion) on its outer diameter surface, and that can be attached to the pipe without slipping, and that when it is necessary to remove a part of the pipe, the winding work can be done by removing a part of the heater. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The pipe heating structure of the present invention comprises a main body consisting of a long, strip-shaped electric heater having a heating wire, and branch bodies consisting of short, strip-shaped electric heaters having heating wires, and is attached to a pipe to be heated. In its free state, the branch bodies are arranged in a plurality at predetermined pitches along the longitudinal direction of the main body, and the central part of each branch body is fixed to the main body so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the main body. When attached to the pipe, the main body is spirally wound around the pipe to be heated, and the ends of each branch body are connected to form a ring-shaped structure that is fitted onto the pipe.

[0009] According to the pipe heating structure of the present invention, when attaching (installing) the main band to the pipe, the main band is wound spirally around the pipe, but by winding the branch bands around the pipe and connecting their ends, an annular body can be formed that fits onto the pipe in an external manner. Therefore, each branch band can be attached to the pipe in a stable state (a state in which displacement is unlikely). Furthermore, even if the outer diameter of the pipe is provided with a protruding part consisting of an outer flange, since each branch band is connected at both ends, the connection point can be shifted, and the diameter of the formed annular body can be increased to accommodate the size of the protruding part. Moreover, even if the pipe has curved or bent sections, this can be accommodated by shifting the connection point. Furthermore, when the main band is wound spirally around the pipe, the main band will be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the pipe. However, since the central part of each branch band is fixed to the main band so that it is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the main band, when the ends of the branch bands are connected to form a ring, the axis of the ring can be aligned with the axis of the pipe. By aligning them in this way, the ring can be fitted onto the pipe without tilting. Then, with this pipe heating structure attached to the pipe, the main band and branch bands are energized, causing the pipe to heat up.

[0010] When attached to the aforementioned piping, it is preferable that the spiral winding angle of the main body relative to the piping is between 25° and 35°. In this case, the winding angle is the angle on the side that forms an acute angle with respect to the axis of the piping. Setting the winding angle to this extent facilitates the spiral winding of the strip-shaped main body. That is, if it is less than 25°, the angle with respect to the axis of the piping becomes too acute, making the spiral winding of the main body difficult, and conversely, if it exceeds 35°, the spiral winding becomes too dense, resulting in a long main body.

[0011] In the free state, the inclination angle of the branch bands relative to the main band is preferably between 25° and 35°. By setting it in this way, the spiral winding angle and the inclination angle of the branch bands relative to the main band can be set to be approximately the same, effectively preventing the annular body from tilting relative to the piping.

[0012] It is preferable that the length of the main body is 1.3 to 1.5 times the length of the pipe. Setting it in this way stabilizes the spiral winding of the main body. In this case, this ratio changes depending on whether the pipe has irregularities such as clamps, like ferrule piping, or whether it does not. If there are no irregularities, it will be set as pipe length (length of pipe) ÷ cos inclination angle (spiral winding angle), and if the inclination angle is 25° to 35°, the length of the main body will be about 1.1 to 1.2 times the length of the pipe, and if there are irregularities such as clamps, it is preferable that the length of the main body is about 1.3 to 1.5 times the length of the pipe. Here, ferrule piping is a component for sanitary piping used in manufacturing plants of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, and is a type of piping that uses a connection method to connect pipes to pipes or pipes to valves.

[0013] It is preferable to use hook-and-loop fasteners to fasten the ends of the aforementioned trunk bands together. A hook-and-loop fastener has a hook side with small hooks and a loop side with loops, and the hooks on the hook side hook onto the loops on the loop side to fasten them. It also has the advantage of being easy to attach and detach and being able to be repeatedly bonded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, even if the outer diameter of the pipe has a protruding portion consisting of an outer flange, or if the pipe has curved or bent sections, each branch band can be attached to the pipe in a stable state (a state in which displacement is unlikely). Displacement of the pipe is unlikely, the pipe can be heated uniformly, and freezing and condensation can be effectively prevented in a stable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a front view of the pipe heating structure of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing how to attach the main pipe assembly to the piping. [Figure 3]It is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between the winding angle of the trunk belt body around the pipe and the inclination angle of the branch belt body. [Figure 4] It is a simplified diagram of the state where the branch belt body becomes an annular body. [Figure 5] It shows the pipe to be heated, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a plan view. [Figure 6] It shows the state where the pipe heating structure is attached to the pipe shown in Fig. 4, shows the pipe to be heated, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a plan view. [Figure 7] It shows the winding shape of the trunk belt body of the pipe heating structure on other pipes, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a right side view, (c) is a front view, and (d) is a left side view. [Figure 8] It is a simplified diagram showing the pipe mounting state of the conventional pipe heating structure. [Figure 9] It is a simplified diagram showing one form of the pipe to be heated.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a front view before the pipe heating structure according to the present invention is attached to the pipe. This pipe heating structure includes a trunk belt body 21 composed of a long strip-shaped electric heater and a branch belt body 22 composed of a short strip-shaped electric heater attached to the trunk belt body 21, and is attached to the pipe 23 (see Fig. 2 etc.) to be heated. The pipe 23 contains a fluid (such as a liquid like water or a gas like gas) or a viscous fluid. A viscous fluid is a fluid that has the property (viscosity) of resisting the force when a force is applied to the fluid.

[0018] The trunk strip 21 consists of a heating wire heater 25 having a heating wire (not shown) and a coating layer 24 covering the heating wire, and is in the form of a long strip. The branch strip 22 consists of a heating wire heater 25 having a heating wire (not shown) and a coating layer 24 covering the heating wire, is in the form of a short strip shorter than the trunk strip 21, and the middle part in its length direction is connected to the trunk strip 21. In this case, the branch strip 22 is connected so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the longitudinal direction of the trunk strip 21.

[0019] In this case, the width dimension W1 of the trunk strip 21 is, for example, about 10 mm to 20 mm, the width dimension W2 of the branch strip 22 is, for example, about 20 mm to 30 mm, the thickness of the trunk strip 21 is, for example, about 1 mm to 3 mm, and the thickness of the branch strip 22 is, for example, about 1 mm to 3 mm.

[0020] Also, for the branch strip 22, as the predetermined angle θ with respect to the longitudinal direction of the trunk strip 21, it is, for example, about 25° to 35°. Also, chamfers C are protected at both ends of the branch strip 22. In this case, for example, it is C12. Also, the branch strips 22 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the longitudinal direction of the trunk strip 21. In this case, for example, the gap between the branch strips 22 is about 10 mm to 20 mm.

[0021] By the way, the heating wire is made of materials such as an alloy of nickel and chromium (nichrome), an alloy of iron and chromium, platinum, tungsten, etc. Also, the coating layer 24 is preferably made of a material having electrical insulation and heat resistance. For example, fibers such as glass fibers are used. Note that, as the heating wire, for example, a nichrome wire is used, and it may be coated with a ceramic fiber layer or the like on the surface of this nichrome wire, and then the coating layer 24 is coated thereon.

[0022] The trunk strip 21 and the branch strip 22 are joined by "welding" or "adhesion" or the like. Welding is a method of dissolving resins in a solution and joining them, and adhesion is a method of joining materials using an adhesive. Note that even in the case of "welding" or "adhesion", it should not come off due to heat generation of the heating wire or the like.

[0023] Incidentally, as will be described later, each branch band 22 is connected at its ends to form a ring-shaped structure that is fitted onto the pipe 23 in an external manner. A so-called hook-and-loop fastener 31 is used as the connecting means 30 between these ends. The hook-and-loop fastener 31 has a hook surface 31a with small hooks and a loop surface 31b with a loop, and the hooks of the hook surface 31a hook onto the loops of the loop surface 31b to fasten it. It has the advantage of being easy to attach and detach, and can be repeatedly bonded.

[0024] Next, Figure 5 shows the pipe heating structure according to the present invention attached to the pipe, and Figure 6 shows the pipe 23 to which the pipe heating structure is attached. In this case, the pipe 23 consists of a first straight section 23a1 and a joint (first elbow) 23b1, a second straight section 23a and a joint (second elbow) 23b2 It is equipped with a joint (second elbow) 23b3, etc. Furthermore, a ring-shaped outer flange 26, such as a butt weld, is formed at the connecting portion.

[0025] In the free state (before installation), a straight main band 21 is wound around such a pipe 23 in a spiral shape. That is, as shown in Figure 2, the spiral winding angle α of the main band 21 around the pipe 23 is 25° to 35°. In this case, it is shown that the main band 21 is wound spirally around the first straight section 23a1. In this case, the length dimension L1 of the main band 21 (see Figure 1) is preferably about 1.3 to 1.5 times the length dimension L2 (dimension between outer flanges) of the pipe 23. In this case, this ratio changes depending on whether the pipe 23 has irregularities such as clamps, like a ferrule pipe, or whether it does not have such irregularities. If there are no irregularities, the length is set by dividing the pipe length (length dimension of the pipe) by the cos angle of inclination (spiral winding angle α). If the angle of inclination is between 25° and 35°, the length dimension of the main band 21 is approximately 1.1 to 1.2 times the length dimension of the pipe 23. If there are irregularities such as clamps (i.e., if there is an outer flange 26), it is preferable that the length dimension of the main band 21 is approximately 1.3 to 1.5 times the length dimension of the pipe.

[0026] Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, when the angle θ of the branch band 22 with respect to the main band 21 is set to 30°, and the spiral winding angle α of the main band 21 (an acute angle with respect to the axial direction of the pipe 23, as shown in Figure 2) is set to 30°, the branch band 22 will be perpendicular to the axial line L of the pipe 23, as shown in Figure 3. In this state, the ends of each branch band 22 are joined (connected) to form a ring-shaped body 27 that fits over the pipe 23, as shown in Figure 4. In this case, the axial line of the formed ring-shaped body 27 will coincide with the axial line L of the pipe 23. That is, the plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the ring-shaped body 27 will be perpendicular to the axial line of the pipe 23, and it will fit over the pipe 23 in a stable state without tilting. Note that the spiral winding of the main band 21 is omitted from the illustration in Figure 4.

[0027] Incidentally, even with a pipe 23 as shown in Figure 5, when the pipe heating structure according to the present invention is attached, as shown in Figure 4, the main band 21 is wound in a spiral shape, and each branch band 22 is connected at its ends to form a ring-shaped body 27, and the pipe 23 is fitted onto this ring-shaped body 27, so that the pipe heating structure can be stably attached to the pipe 23. In addition, in this case, an outer flange portion 26 is formed on the outer surface of the pipe 23.

[0028] In the branch band 22 corresponding to the outer flange portion 26, the joint portion at the end is shifted compared to the joint portion of other branch bands 22 that do not correspond to the outer flange portion 26, thereby increasing the diameter of the formed annular body 27 and making it correspond to the outer flange portion 26.

[0029] Figure 7 also shows the spiral winding state of the main band 21 according to the pipe 23 to be heated. In the wound state, a recess 28 is formed in the main band 21, and this recess 28 corresponds to the outer flange 26 formed on the outer surface of the pipe 23, and the outer flange 26 fits into it, enabling the spiral winding of the main band 21 around the pipe 23. In this case as well, the ends of each branch band 22 are connected to each other, forming a ring 27, so that the pipe heating structure can be attached to the pipe in a stable state.

[0030] According to the pipe heating structure of the present invention, when attaching (installing) the main band 21 to the pipe 23, the main band 21 is wound spirally around the pipe 23, but by winding the branch bands 22 around the pipe 23 and connecting their ends, an annular body 27 can be formed that fits over the pipe 23. Therefore, each branch band 22 can be attached to the pipe 23 in a stable state (a state that is less likely to shift position). Furthermore, even if the outer diameter of the pipe is provided with a protruding part (outer flange 26) consisting of an outer flange 26, since each branch band 22 is connected at both ends, the connection part can be shifted, and the diameter of the formed annular body 27 can be increased to accommodate the size of the protruding part. Moreover, even if the pipe 23 has curved or bent sections, this can be accommodated by shifting the connection part. Furthermore, when the main band 21 is wound spirally around the pipe 23, the main band 21 will be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the pipe 23. However, since the central part of the branch band 22 is fixed to the main band 21 so that it is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the main band 21, when the ends of the branch bands 22 are connected to form a ring 27, it becomes possible to align the axis of the ring 27 with the axis L of the pipe 23. By aligning them in this way, the ring 27 can be fitted onto the pipe 27 without tilting. Then, with this pipe heating structure attached to the pipe 23, the main band 21 and branch bands 22 are energized, causing the pipe 23 to be heated. As a result, the fluid inside the pipe 23 can be heated or kept warm.

[0031] When attached to the pipe 23, it is preferable that the spiral winding angle of the main body 21 relative to the pipe 23 is between 25° and 35°. In this case, the winding angle is the angle on the side that forms an acute angle with respect to the axis L of the pipe 23. This makes it easier to spirally wind the strip-shaped main body 21. That is, if it is less than 25°, the angle with respect to the axis of the pipe 23 becomes too acute, making it difficult to spirally wind the main body 21, and conversely, if it exceeds 35°, the spiral winding becomes too dense, requiring a longer main body 21.

[0032] In the free state, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the branch bands 22 relative to the main band 21 is between 25° and 35°. By setting it in this way, the spiral winding angle and the inclination angle of the branch bands 22 relative to the main band 21 can be set to be approximately the same, and the annular body 27 can be effectively prevented from tilting relative to the piping.

[0033] If the piping 23 has irregularities such as clamps, like a ferrule pipe, it is preferable that the length of the main band 21 be 1.3 to 1.5 times the length of the piping 23. Setting it in this way stabilizes the spiral winding of the main band 21. If the piping 23 does not have irregularities such as clamps, and the inclination angle (winding angle) of the main band 21 is between 25° and 35°, it is preferable that the length of the main band 21 be about 1.1 to 1.2 times the length of the piping 23.

[0034] It is preferable to use hook-and-loop fasteners 31 to fasten the ends of the main body 21 together. The hook-and-loop fasteners 31 have a hook side with small hooks and a loop side with loops, and the hooks on the hook side hook onto the loops on the loop side to fasten them. In addition, they have the advantage of being easy to attach and detach and being able to be repeatedly bonded.

[0035] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways. For example, welded joints or threaded joints may be used as piping, and the piping may be made of metal or PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes. Furthermore, in the piping heating structure, an outside air temperature sensor or a piping temperature sensor may be provided to control the supply of power to the main body and branch body, thereby maintaining the temperature of the piping at a predetermined constant temperature.

[0036] Furthermore, the means of connecting both ends of the branch band 22 may be other than hook-and-loop fasteners, such as welding or adhesive bonding. The arrangement pitch of the branch band 22 relative to the main band 21 can be set arbitrarily and is not limited to equal pitches; it may also be unequal pitches. Incidentally, in this embodiment, both ends of the branch band 22 were chamfered with C-chamfers, but R-chamfers may be applied instead of C-chamfers, and furthermore, the entire end may be made into a convex curved surface shape. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 21 Trunk body 22 Branch girdle 23 Piping 25 Electric heaters 26 Outer flange 27 Rings

Claims

1. A pipe heating structure attached to a pipe to be heated, comprising a main body consisting of a long, strip-shaped electric heater having a heating wire, and branch bodies consisting of short, strip-shaped electric heaters having heating wires, In a free state, the branch bands are arranged in a plurality at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction relative to the main band, and the central portion of each branch band is fixed to the main band so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the main band. When attached to the piping, the main band is spirally wrapped around the piping to be heated, and the ends of each branch band are connected to form a ring that is fitted onto the piping in an external manner. This is a pipe heating structure characterized by these features.

2. The pipe heating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, when attached to the pipe, the spiral winding angle of the main body with respect to the pipe is 25° to 35°.

3. The pipe heating structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the inclination angle of the branch bands with respect to the main band in a free state is 25° to 35°.

4. The pipe heating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the length dimension of the main body is 1.3 to 1.5 times the length dimension of the pipe.

5. The pipe heating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that hook-and-loop fasteners are used to fix the ends of the main body members together.

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