Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for dosing chemical reagents in heating systems.

Background Art

The fitting is known of a dosing device for chemical reagents, such as polyphosphates and silicon polyphosphates, to heating plants in order to "soften" water, or as anti-scale treatment.

The known devices for dosing chemical reagents comprise a chemical reagent storage tank and a tubular element, which is connected to a water flow line and which is put in communication with the tank by means of an outward pipe for the water to be treated and a return pipe for the water to which the reagent has been added.

The devices of known type generally have two different conformations depending on their intended use.

In fact, such dosing devices can be wall mounted, in which case they have an overturned L configuration, or fitted under the boiler, in which case they extend longitudinally and have lateral overall dimensions considerably smaller than those of the wall-mounted installation. More in particular, such different conformation is due to the fact that in the case of the under-the-boiler installation, the room available between one wall and the supporting plate of the couplings of a boiler is very limited including due to the presence of other pipes. These known devices for dosing chemical reagents have therefore a number of drawbacks.

Their use in fact is not at all easy because of the costs required for the manufacture of two different products, because dealers have to keep stocks of both products in their warehouses and because installers have to acquire both types of dosing devices in order to cater to different installation requirements. To overcome these drawbacks, an adjustable dosing device has also been made, equipped with mechanical means of connection of the tubular element to the tank which comprise a first arm associated with the tubular element and a second ami associated with the tank, where such amis are coupled together in rotation and have their respective coupling surfaces sloped by 45° with respect to a horizontal plane.

The rotation of the first arm with respect to the second arm, and therefore the reciprocal rotation of the above-mentioned coupling surfaces, allows obtaining two different configurations of the dosing device, a first configuration wherein the first and the second amis are arranged to define an overturned L and a second configuration wherein the first ami is turned by 90° with respect to the first configuration to allow the dosing device itself to be installed under the boiler.

Even this known type of dosing device has some drawbacks.

In fact, this known dosing device is of complex realization in particular due to the presence of the coupling surfaces arranged at 45° with respect to a horizontal plane.

This arrangement, in fact, calls for the execution of complex mechanical jobs needed to define the correct coupling between the sloped surfaces and for the realization of the outward and return water pipes.

Furthermore, the presence of the 45° sloped surfaces results in the outward and return pipes having a series of sections sloping the one to the other in the two possible configurations, with consequent high flow resistance.

Again, the 45° slope of the coupling surfaces results in the first and the second ami being offset the one to the other including in the under-the-boiler working configuration, and consequently in the reciprocally coupled areas being subject to significant mechanical stresses.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a device for dosing chemical reagents in heating systems which allows to comply with any condition of use and which is, at the same time, easy to make and use.

Within this aim, one object of the present invention is to provide a device for dosing chemical reagents which allows to reduce, compared to the adjustable devices of known type, flow resistance and mechanical stresses acting on the mechanically coupled parts. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for dosing which can also be used in intermediate configurations compared to the wall-mounted and under-the-boiler configurations, so that it has a wide versatility of use which makes it suitable for any use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for dosing chemical reagents in heating systems which allows to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the state of the art within the ambit of a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as low cost solution.

The above objects are achieved by the present device for dosing chemical reagents in heating systems, comprising:

- at least a tank for containing at least a chemical reagent;

- at least a tubularelement connectable to a water flow line;

- mechanical and hydraulic connection means of said tubular element to said tank which comprise at least an outward pipe, suitable for introducing water which crosses said tubular element in said tank, and at least a return pipe, suitable for bringing water mixed with said reagent from said tank into said tubular element;

characterised by the fact that said connection means comprise at least a first and a second portion associated with said tank and with said tubular element respectively, wherein said second portion is coupled in rotation to said first portion around a substantially horizontal axis and by the fact that it comprises removable locking means of said second portion with respect to said first portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not sole, embodiment of a device for dosing chemical reagents in heating systems, illustrated purely as an example but not limited to the annexed drawings in which:

figure 1 is an axonometric view of a device according to the invention, in a first extreme use configuration;

figure 2 is an axonometric view of a device of figure 1 in a second extreme use configuration; figure 3 is a section view of the first portion of the device of figure 1 ;

figure 4 is a first section view of the second portion of the device of figure 1 ; figure 5 is a second section view of the second portion of the device of figure 1 ; figure 6 is a third section view of the second portion of the device of figure 1. Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to such figures, globally indicated by 1 is a device for dosing chemical reagents in heating systems.

The device 1 comprises at least one tank 2 for containing at least one chemical reagent, at least one tubular element 3 connectable to a flow line (not shown) of the water to be treated and mechanical and hydraulic connection means 4 for connecting the tubular element 3 to the tank 2.

More in particular, the tubular element 3 comprises at least one inlet mouth 3a for the water to be treated and at least one outlet mouth 3b for the treated water connectable, e.g., to a boiler or to another device to be supplied with "softened" water.

The connection means 4 comprise at least one outward pipe 5, suitable for introducing the water to be treated which enters the tubular element 3 inside the tank 2, and at least one return pipe 6, suitable for once again conveying the water to which has been added the reagent from the tank 2 into the tubular element 3.

Suitably, the tank 2 also comprises a cup container 7 arranged inside it and suitable for containing the chemical reagent.

According to the invention, the connection means 4 comprise at least one first and one second portion 8 and 9 associated to the tank 2 and to the tubular element 3 respectively, wherein the second portion 9 is coupled in rotation with the first portion 8 around a substantially horizontal axis and identified in the illustrations by the reference number 10.

According to the invention, furthermore, the device 1 comprises removable locking means 1 1 of the rotation of the second portion 9 with respect to the first portion 8.

Advantageously, the first and the second portions 8 and 9 have respective reciprocal coupling areas, defined in correspondence to relative extremity sections substantially opposite those associated with the tank 2 and with the tubular element 3. More in detail, each of the coupling areas of the first and of the second portions 8 and 9 have respective reciprocal coupling surfaces 8a, 9a arranged substantially vertically. Such coupling surfaces 8a, 9a are substantially flat, facing one another and resting against one another.

Preferably, the first portion 8 is associated integral with the tank 2. More in particular, the tank 2 has an inner thread suitable for engaging with a corresponding outer thread defined on the first portion 8.

In the embodiment shown in the illustrations, the second portion 9 is associated integral with the tubular element 3.

In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the illustrations, the tubular element 3 is associated in rotation with the second portion 9 around an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tubular element itself. In this embodiment, the tubular element 3 can be positioned in various ways so as to adapt to the specific requirements of the case.

In the present treatise, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", and generally speaking all spatial positioning are referred to the configuration of use of the device 1 , wherein the tank 2 is substantially positioned vertically.

Advantageously, the second portion 9 moves between two extreme configurations, angularly staggered to one another by 90°, passing through a plurality of intermediate working configurations.

More in detail, in one of such extreme configurations, shown in figure 1 , the first and the second portions 8 and 9 are arranged the one to the other to define an overturned L for the wall mounting of the device 1, while in the other extreme configuration, shown in figure 2, the first and the second portions 8 and 9 are substantially vertically aligned the one with the other for the under-the- boiler installation of the device 1.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the illustrations, the locking means 1 1 are associated with the connection means 4 in correspondence to the reciprocal coupling areas of the portions 8 and 9.

More in particular, the locking means 1 1 comprise at least one hole 12 which crosses at least partially the portions 8 and 9 in correspondence to the coupling surfaces 8a and 9a and comprising threaded means 13,14 suitable for engaging in the hole 12 to lock in rotation the second portion 9 with respect to the first portion 8.

In the embodiment shown in the illustrations, the hole 12 is of the through type, and therefore passes through both the portions 8 and 9 across their entire thickness in correspondence to the reciprocal coupling areas and the threaded means 13, 14 are of the type of a bolt 13, which inserts itself in the hole 12, and of a nut 14 suitable for cooperating with the bolt 13.

The connection means 4 also comprise at least one bellows pipe 15 associated with the first portion 8 and arranged inside the tank 2.

As shown in the figure 3, the outward pipe 5 communicates with the inside of the bellows pipe 15 to which is also associated, in correspondence to its lower extremity, at least one diffuser element 16 suitable for diffusing in a substantially uniform way the water to be treated inside the tank 2.

Advantageously, at least one of the outward and return pipes 5 and 6, preferably both, comprises at least a respective substantially (inasmuch as it might not define a complete circumference) annular section 17,18, defined in correspondence to the reciprocal coupling areas of the portions 8 and 9 and coaxial to the rotation axis 10 of the second portion 9 with respect to the first portion 8, so as to allow the hydraulic connection between the portions 8 and 9 during the entire rotation movement of the second portion itself.

Preferably, the return pipe 6 has an annular section 18 arranged outside and coaxially to the annular section 17 of the outward pipe 5. Between the annular sections 17 and 18 are suitably arranged seal means (not shown), e.g., O-rings, suitable for avoiding leakages between the outward pipe 5 and the return pipe 6. In the preferred embodiment shown in the illustration, each of the annular sections 17 and 18 comprises a relative first and second part, 17a, 18a and 17b, 18b respectively, these too substantially annular and complementary the one to the other, which are defined on the first and on the second portion 8 and 9 respectively in correspondence to the relative coupling surfaces 8a and 9a.

More in particular, the annular section 17 comprises a first part 17a and a second part 17b which are also annular and defined on the coupling surface 8a and on the coupling surface 9a, respectively. In the same way, the annular section 18 comprises a first part 18a and a second part 18b which are also substantially annular and defined on the coupling surface 8a and on the coupling surface 9a respectively.

Each first part 17a, 18a is therefore constantly in communication with the respective second part 17b, 18b during the rotation of the second portion 9 around the axis 10.

More in detail, each of the first parts 17a and 18a has a relative first port 17c, 18c communicating with the tank 2 and each of the second parts 17b and 18b has a relative second port 17d, 18d communicating with the tubular element 3. As shown in the figures 3 and 4, the outward pipe 5 also comprises a first rectilinear section 20, defined in the second portion 9 and suitable for connecting the tubular element 3 to the annular section 17 by means of the second port 17d, and a second rectilinear section 21 , defined in the first portion 8 and which connects the annular section 17 to the tank 2 by means of the first port 17c.

More in particular, the second rectilinear section 21 faces inside the bellows pipe 15.

In the same way, the return pipe 6 comprises a first rectilinear section 22, defined in the first portion 8 and suitable for placing in communication the tank 2 with the annular section 18 by means of the first port 18c, a second rectilinear section 23, defined in the second portion 9 and which branches from the second port 18d terminating in an annular chamber 24, and a third rectilinear section 25 suitable for placing in communication the annular chamber 24 with the tubular element 3. The first rectilinear section 22 is arranged outside the bellows pipe 15.

Preferably, the connection means 4 comprise at least one valve device 26 which can be operated to open/close the outward and return pipes 5 and 6 so as to place in communication/insulate the tubular element 3 and the tank 2.

In the embodiment shown in the illustrations, the valve device 26 is of the guillotine type and comprises a drawer shutter 27, mobile between at least a closing position, wherein it obstructs the outward and return pipes 5 and 6, and at least an opening position, wherein it allows the water to flow through the tubular element 3 to the tank 2 and vice versa.

Suitably, the valve device 26 is associated with the second portion 9 and the shutter element 27 is suitable for intercepting the first rectilinear section 20 and the second rectilinear section 23 of the outward pipe 5 and of the return pipe 6 respectively.

The operation of the present invention is the following.

The device 1 is fitted to a water flow line regulating the position of the second portion 9 with respect to the first portion 8 depending on requirements.

More in particular, the first thing is to intervene on the locking means 1 1 so as to free in rotation the second portion 9 after which, once the best work position has been achieved, intervention again occurs on the locking means 1 1 to fix the configuration obtained and block in rotation the second portion 9 with respect to the first portion 8.

During the rotation of the second portion 9 with respect to the first portion 8 the first and the second parts 17a, 18a and 17b, 18b of the outward and return pipes 5 and 6 are always in communication the one with the other due to their being coaxial with the rotation axis 10. This allows ensuring the communication between the tubular element 3 and the tank 2 in any reciprocal aiTangement of the first and the second portions 8 and 9.

In use, the water to be treated which enters the tubular element 3 is conveyed by the outward pipe 5 into the tank 2, passing through the first rectilinear section 20, the annular section 17 and the second rectilinear section 21 in that order. Once it has reached the tank 2, the water mixes with the reagent contained in the tank itself and comes out of the latter through the return pipe 6.

More in detail, the water to which the reagent has been added enters the first rectilinear section 22 and flows across the annular section 18, the second rectilinear section 23, the annular chamber 24 and finally the third rectilinear section 25, through which it reaches the tubular element 3, in that order.

In the event of maintenance jobs having to be performed, the hydraulic connection between the tubular element 3 and the tank 2 can be disengaged by operating on the valve device 26. It has in fact been ascertained how the described invention achieves the proposed objects and in particular the fact is underlined that it allows easily and practically changing the working configuration of the dosing device depending on the different application requirements.

The device according to the invention is also easy and inexpensive to make. Again, the device according to the invention allows reducing the mechanical stresses affecting the coupled-together elements, inasmuch as the vertical arrangement of the coupling surfaces permits obtaining the substantial alignment of the first and the second portions in the under-the-boiler use configuration.

Again the device according to the invention has a plurality of use configurations that also allow satisfying different applications from the usual wall-mounted and under-the-boiler installations.