TECHNICAL FIELD The proposed technology generally relates to devices for draining or removing water from a water pipe. More specifically it relates to water drainage devices that are adapted to be inserted into a water pipe in order to remove water from particular sections of the pipe to enable work to be performed at the water free regions. The proposed technology also relates to certain components of such a water drainage device.

BACKGROUND

In order to perform work, e.g. mechanical work, repair work or welding, in a water carrying pipe it is often necessary to remove the water flow from at least sections of the water pipe. A normal procedure to handle the water flow during work in a water carrying pipe is to first close the water flow in a centrally controlled fashion and then try to remove, by means of suction or pumping, any remaining water flow. Since there is always some leakage of water through the pipe valves, even if the general water flow has been closed, the water has to be removed or drained from the pipe in a more or less continuous fashion. One particular problem is to actually reach the residual water flow in order to be able to remove it. One possible way to reach and remove the water flow is to make a hole in the pipe and try to remove the water by means of suction or pumping. This procedure however demands that the pipes are penetrated mechanically, something that is highly unwanted and, in some places, also forbidden. This crude way of reaching and removing the water may moreover not be ideal to ascertain that, if not all so at least a large part, of the water flow is stopped. Some maintenance work may be negatively affected by even minute flows of water, e.g. maintenance work that requires welding.

It is therefore a need within the technical field to provide mechanisms that enables water to be drained or removed from of at least sections of a water carrying pipe in order to make it possible for, e.g., a pipe repair man or a welding operator to perform work in that section without being disturbed by water flows and without having to damage the pipe by, e.g., making a hole in the pipe.

SUMMARY

It is a general object of the proposed technology to provide devices that makes it possible to drain or remove water from at least sections of a water carrying pipe.

A more specific object is to provide a device that makes it possible to drain or remove water from at least sections of a water carrying pipe where the device has a design that enables the insertion of the device into already existing pipe seams or pipe joints.

It is another specific object to provide a water drainage device that can be used to drain water from a water carrying pipe to enable an operator to perform work on the pipe in the drained region.

It is another specific object to provide certain components of a water drainage device that will enable the operator to tailor the design of the water drainage device to the particular circumstances dictated by the application or the design of the pipe.

It is yet another object to provide a water drainage device that is suitable to be inserted into a water carrying pipe in order to enable a welding of the pipe without allowing the water flow to negatively influence the welding flame, i.e. cooling the welding flame. These and other objects are met by embodiments of the proposed technology.

According to a first aspect, there is provided a water drainage device adapted to be inserted into a water pipe. The water drainage device comprises a main body that comprises:

a first surface adapted to face the flow of water in the water pipe;

a pipe contacting section having an edge with a shape adapted to lie essentially flush with the inner profile of the water pipe to prohibit water from flowing past the pipe contacting section; a water inlet arranged in the pipe contacting section and adapted to face the water flow in the water pipe;

a water outlet adapted to be connected to a water removal means;

a water drainage channel, extending through the main body from the water inlet to the water outlet, adapted to enable water to be drained from the water pipe. The main body further comprises a width dimension, between the first surface and a second surface arranged on the opposite side of the first surface, with respect to intended direction of the water flow, which enables the device to be inserted into the water pipe through seams or joints in the water pipe.

According to a second aspect there is provided a pipe contacting module to be fitted on a water drainage device according to the first aspect. The pipe contacting module comprises an edge with a shape adapted to lie essentially flush with the inner profile of a water pipe to prohibit water from flowing past the pipe contacting section and a water inlet adapted to be connected to a water draining channel of a water drainage device.

According to a third aspect there is provided a curved module adapted to be attached to a water drainage device according to the first aspect. The curved module comprising an upper end adapted to be attached to the upper part of the water drainage device and a lower end adapted to be attached to a lower part of the water drainage device.

According to a fourth aspect there is proposed a use of a water drainage device according to the first aspect in order to obtain a water free region in a water pipe and to thereby enable welding in said water free region.

Embodiments of the proposed technology makes it possible to remove a water flow from a pipe in a simple manner in order to create a water free space where maintenance work and other operations on the pipe may be performed.

Other advantages will be appreciated when reading the detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by making reference to the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating a water drainage device according to the proposed technology.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating a particular embodiment of a water drainage device according to the proposed technology where the water drainage device comprises a curved midsection.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the embodiment shown in FIG.2 when inserted into a water pipe.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the embodiment shown in FIG.2 when inserted into a water pipe. The direction of the water flow is illustrated by means of arrows.

FIG. 5 is an alternative view of the embodiments illustrated in FIGs 2-4.

FIG. 6a is a schematic diagram illustrating the pipe contacting section of a water drainage device according to the proposed technology.

FIG. 6b is a schematic diagram illustrating a curved module to be used as a midsection in a water drainage device according to the proposed technology.

FIG.6c is a schematic diagram illustrating the upper part of a water drainage device according to the proposed technology. The upper part attaches to a curved module on one end and to a water removal means on the other end.

FIG. 6d is a schematic diagram illustrating a nozzle to be attached at the water outlet of a water drainage device according to the proposed technology. The nozzle will attach to a water removal means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Throughout the drawings, the same reference designations are used for similar or corresponding elements. For a better understanding of the proposed technology, it may be useful to begin with a brief recollection of the technical problem. When maintenance work is to be done in a pipe carrying a water flow the common procedure is to centrally close the water flow in order to create a dry working area. This may however not be enough since there is always some residual water flow left in the pipes due to, e.g. leakages in valves. Even a small flow of water may be a disturbance to general maintenance work, and in some circumstances it may even make the work impossible, e.g., when welding has to be performed in the pipe. In order to counter this problem mechanisms has to provided that will enable a user to remove the residual water flow from the pipe in order to create a dry working area/spot.

The proposed technology provides such a mechanism by providing a water drainage device that is suitable to use in water pipes to enable an operator or user to obtain a water free section of the pipe where work can be performed. FIG.1 provides a schematic illustration of a water drainage device 1 according to the proposed technology. Illustrated is a water drainage device that is adapted to be inserted into a water pipe. The water drainage device comprises a main body 10 that comprises a first surface 1 a adapted to face the flow of water in the water pipe. The main body 10 further comprises a pipe contacting section 12 having an edge 12a with a shape adapted to lie essentially flush with the inner profile of the water pipe to prohibit water from flowing past the pipe contacting section 12. The main body 10 also comprises a water inlet 12b arranged in the pipe contacting section 12 and adapted to face the water flow in the water pipe. The main body also comprises a water outlet 12c adapted to be connected to a water removal means. The main body 10 also comprises a water drainage channel 13, extending through the main body 10 from the water inlet 12b to the water outlet 12c, adapted to enable water to be drained from the water pipe The main body 10 further comprises a width dimension, between the first surface 1 1a and a second surface 11 b arranged on the opposite side of the first surface, with respect to intended direction of the water flow, which enables the device to be inserted into the water pipe through seams or joints in the water pipe.

The water drainage device according to the proposed technology provides a dual functionality, an impoundment functionality whereby the water flow is stopped and prohibited from flowing past the device, and a water removal functionality whereby the impounded water is led into a water inlet and removed from the pipe by means of a water removal means.

5 According to a particular embodiment of the proposed technology there is provided a water drainage device that is suitable to use for e.g., performing welding in a water pipe. To this end the water drainage device is provided with a curved midsection. The reasons for providing the water drainage device with a curved section are manifold. One particular reason is to obtain a water drainage device where the surface of the

10 main body that is closest to the welding spot is protected from the heat that emanates from the welding. This is achieved by distancing the surface from the welding spot. Another reason for providing a curved section is to ensure that the welding spot is distanced from the water flow in order to reduce the cooling effect from the water which may have a negative impact on the quality of the welding. This is in turn achieved

15 since the region of the water pipe that is directly underneath the curved midsection will be free from water.

A particular example of the proposed technology provides a water drainage device where the main body 10 comprises a first part 1 10, a second part 110 and a third part

20 120. The first part 100 connects to one end 11 1 of the second part 1 10. The second part 110 also comprises a second end 112 that connects to an end 121 of the third part 120 that comprises the pipe contacting section 12. The second part 10 is provided with a curved shape whereby the second end 112 of the middle part 1 10 is adapted to be arranged further upstream of the water flow than the end 111 of the first

25 part upon inserting the water drainage device 1 into the water pipe. This embodiment is suitable to use in order to obtain a water free section of the pipe in the region underlying the second part 110.

The water drainage device is intended to be inserted into a pipe so that the third part 30 120, comprising the pipe contacting section 12, of the main body 10 connects to the inside of the pipe at the location where the water flows, i.e., at the lower inside of the pipe with regard to the position of the ground. It is therefore possible to refer to the first part of the main body 10 as the upper part 100, the second part 1 10 of the main body 10 as the middle part and the third part 120 as the lower part. The upper part 0 thus connects to the middle part at an upper end 111 of the middle part while the lower end 112 of the middle part, opposite the upper end, connects to a corresponding upper end 121 of the lower part.

A corresponding embodiment is schematically illustrated in FIG.2. Shown is a water drainage device where the main body 10 comprises an upper part 100, a middle part 110 and a lower part 120. The upper part 100 connects to an upper end 1 1 of the middle part 1 10. The middle part 110 also comprises a lower end 112 that connects to an upper end 121 of the lower part 120 that comprises the pipe contacting section 12. The middle part 1 10 is provided with a curved shape whereby the lower end 112 of the middle part 1 10 is adapted to be arranged further upstream of the water flow than the upper end 1 1 1 upon inserting the water drainage device 1 into the water pipe. The embodiment shown is suitable to use in order to obtain a water free section of the pipe in the region underlying the middle part 110. The water free region will ensure that there is ample distance between the main body and the area where the intended work will take place. This embodiment is, as was stated above, particularly useful for protecting the main body from heat emanating from welding performed at a spot or region in the vicinity of the created water free region of the pipe.

The water drainage device according to the embodiment described above is also particularly useful for providing water drainage in a seamed pipe, i.e. in a water pipe with sections attached to each other by means of pipe seams or joints. These pipe seams or joints often provides a small gap in the pipe where the operator/user may insert the water drainage device. The water drainage device may for example be inserted, through the gap, into the pipe from above and lowered down until the pipe contacting section 12 lies flush with the profile of the pipe. That is, lies flush with the inner surface of the pipe. Since the middle section of the water drainage device may be curved it will be possible for the operator or user to perform e.g. welding in the area lying underneath the curved section. FIG.3 provides a schematic illustration of how a water drainage device according to the embodiment with a curved middle part may be used in a pipe. It is clear from the drawing that a water free region is created behind the pipe contacting section 12 and underneath the curved middle section 11. Another particular embodiment of the proposed technology provides a water drainage device where the upper part 100 and the lower part 120 comprises essentially planar surfaces that are arranged to face the direction of the flow of water. The fact that the upper and lower parts are provided in an essentially planar shape will simplify the insertion of the device into a gap defined by the seams or joints of the pipe. If the middle section is curved the user may thread the device into the pipe through the gap defined by the pipe seams or joints. A schematic illustration of this embodiment is provided by FIG.4.

Yet another exemplary embodiment of the proposed technology provides a water drainage device where the distance, in a direction parallel to the water flow, between the upper end 11 1 and the lower end 112 of the middle part 110 is at least 10 cm. This particular embodiment ensures a safety distance to the main body when the device is used to e.g. enable welding in the pipe. That is, it ensures that there is a substantial distance between the main body and the welding spot. The safety distance, and thus the distance between the upper end 111 and the lower end 112 of the middle part 110 may of course be altered to fit the particular situation. All the disclosed embodiments may be provided as a uniformly constructed device, i.e. a device where all the parts, i.e. the first or upper part, the second or middle part and the third or pipe contacting part, are constructed from a single piece or molded or cast in single piece. There are however some particular advantages with having a modular water drainage device. One particular advantage is that the length and/or curvature of the middle part may be varied in order to create different sized regions underneath the curved middle part. To this end there is provided an embodiment of the proposed technology where the water drainage device is a modular water drainage device where the middle part 110 comprises a curved module that is detachably attached to the upper part 00 and the lower part 120. In this way the water drainage device 1 can be fitted with different curved modules that provides different distances between the upper end 1 11 and the lower end 1 12. That is, different sized water free regions underneath the curved module may be obtained by using curved modules with different sizes and/or different curvatures. The curved module may be attached to the upper part and lower part with any suitable locking means, such as e.g. a clamp lock or a snap-fit lock. It is also possible to provide the curved module and the upper part/lower part with shapes that enables that one end of the curved module slides over a corresponding end of the upper part/lower part in such a way that they form an overlapping section which provides an interlocking mechanism.

A similar modular water drainage device may be used to provide pipe contacting sections that are tailored to fit with different pipe profiles. An embodiment that allows for this is provided by a water drainage device where the pipe contacting section 12 is a detachable section whereby the water drainage device 1 can be provided with pipe contacting sections 12 having edges 12a that are tailored to different water pipe profiles. The modular pipe contacting section may be attached to the second or middle part with any suitable locking means, such as e.g. a clamp lock or a snap-fit lock. It is also possible to provide the pipe contacting section and the middle section/curved module with shapes that enables that one end of the pipe contacting section slides over a corresponding end of the curved section/module in such a way that they overlap and interlock which provides the locking means.

According to an optional embodiment of the proposed technology there is provided a water drainage device where the main body 10 comprises attaching means for attaching the water drainage device 1 to the water pipe. This embodiment ensures that the water drainage device is securely attached to the pipe during use. This will in turn ensure that the operator's hands are free to perform the needed work, e.g. repairing the pipe or welding. The attaching means may for example be a clamp lock. Other attaching means are possible, such as snap-fit means.

Another embodiment of the proposed device comprises a water drainage device 1 where the main body 10 comprises a second surface 1 1b that is arranged on the opposite side of the first surface 11 a, with respect to the intended direction of the water flow in the pipe, and where the second surface comprises a heat resisting material or is covered with a heat resisting layer. The embodiment is schematically illustrated in FIG.5, the layer is however not shown. This embodiment may advantageously be used to enable welding in the water free region created by the device. During use the second surface 11 b will be closer to the welding spot, and the heat emerging from the welding flame will heat the second surface and the heat may possibly damage the surface. If, for example, the second surface comprises a plastic material it might melt, or at least degenerate, due to the substantial heat associated with welding. The proposed embodiment therefore provides additional protection against the heat from the welding flame.

The second surface 1 1 b that is arranged on the opposite side of the first surface 11 a, with respect to the intended direction of the water flow in the pipe, may in one particular embodiment be comprised as a part of the main body 10 that is produced from a heat resistant material. Another possibility is however to provide the second surface 1 b with a layer of a material with beneficial heat resistant characteristics. The water drainage device may in a particular embodiment be produced from a rather inexpensive but robust material, such as a plastic, where the second surface 11b has been provided with a heat resisting layer. One optional version such a heat resisting layer might for example be a ceramic layer.

Another suitable material characteristic is that the material used to produce the water drainage device, or the components thereof, e.g. the middle section or the pipe contacting section, is flexible. The flexibility of the device or the components may simplify the insertion of the device into a water pipe through a minor gap such as a pipe seam or joint.

According to yet another embodiment of the proposed water drainage device, the device may comprise water removal means connected to the water outlet 12c and being adapted to remove water from the water pipe through the water transferring channel 13 extending through the main body 10 from the water inlet 12b to the water outlet 12c. By way of example, the water removal means may be a water pump or a water suction device, such as a vacuum suction device. The water removal means are not necessarily part of the water drainage device, the water drainage device may instead comprise connection means for connecting the water outlet arranged in the main body with an external water removal means. In order to enable the insertion of the water drainage device in a pipe through pipe seams or joints, the main body 10 of the water drainage device may be provided with a width dimension, defined by the extension or distance between the first surface 11a and a second surface 11b arranged on the opposite side of the first surface, with respect to intended direction of the water flow, that enables the device to be inserted into the water pipe through small gaps such as seams or joints in the water pipe. The width dimension may for example range between approximately 2 mm and 12 mm. Other dimensions are however possible and the choices may be made in light of the actual size of the gaps, pipe seams or joints.

The various parts of the water drainage device are schematically illustrated in FIGs 6a-6d. FIG.6a illustrate the pipe contacting section 12 with a pipe contacting edge 12a that is adapted to lie flush with the profile of the inner surface of a pipe. FIG.6b illustrates the middle part, or middle section, 11 with a curved portion 15. FIG.6c provides a schematic illustration of the shape of the main body 10 of a water drainage device, with a non-curved middle section. FIG. 6d illustrates, schematically a water outlet provided with a nozzle that is adapted to be connected to a water removal means. As was briefly mentioned earlier, the proposed water drainage device may be provided in module form, i.e. in a form where one or several parts can be assembled in order to obtain the water drainage device. The module parts may for example be a module having a shape that corresponds to the pipe contacting section 12 of the assembled water drainage device. An advantage obtained with such a module is that the size and shape of the module may be adapted to fit different sized pipes with different shape pipe profiles. To this end the proposed technology also provides a pipe contacting module 12 to be fitted on a water drainage device 1 according to what has been described. The pipe contacting module 12 comprises an edge 12a with a shape adapted to lie essentially flush with the inner profile of a water pipe to prohibit water from flowing past the pipe contacting section 12 and a water inlet 12b adapted to be connected to the water draining channel 13 of the water drainage device 1. The pipe contacting module 2 may be provided with attaching means for attaching the module to the water drainage device main body, i.e. be attached to a midsection of the water drainage device, e.g. a curved section 11. By way of example, the attaching means may be a clamp lock or a snap-fit, other detachable locking mechanisms may however be used. Another particular module corresponds to the second or middle part 110 of the earlier described water drainage device. One advantage obtained with a detachable module corresponding to the second or middle part is that the curvature and size of such a module may be tailored for the particular application. One may for example select a module with a particular curvature and size to obtain a large water free region underneath the module. Such a large region may for example be beneficial if the user intends to weld in the vicinity of the water free region. By distancing the water flow from the welding spot any cooling influence on the welding flame, from the water, may be reduced. To this end the proposed technology provides a curved module adapted to be attached to a water drainage device 1 according to what has been described, the curved module comprises a first end, or an upper end 11 1 , adapted to be attached to the first or upper part of the water drainage device and a second end, or lower end, 1 12 adapted to be attached to the third or lower part 120 of the water drainage device. The curved module should enclose a water transferring channel that connects to a corresponding water transferring channel in the third, or lower part, 120 that is, a water transferring channel in the pipe contacting section or module, and also to a water transferring channel arranged in the first or upper part 100 of the water drainage device in order to be able to remove the water from the pipe. The first or upper part 100 of the water drainage device also comprises, in this embodiment, the water outlet connecting to a water removal means.

The main body 10 of the water drainage device describe in any of the earlier embodiments may be provided with an elliptically shaped cross-section, as viewed from an end of the device. Having a cross-section with such a tapered shape may simplify the insertion of the device into e.g. a pipe seam or joint.

Another particular embodiment of the proposed technology provides a water drainage device according to any of the earlier described embodiments where the surface facing the working region, see e.g. surface 11 b and/or 11 c in FIG. 5, may be provided with illumination means in order to provide the user with some light in the working area. By way of example, the main body may comprise illuminating means in the form of a light emitting diode arranged on the surface 11 b. The light emitting diode may either be connected, by means of wires, to a power source, e.g. a battery, provided in the water drainage device or be connected to an external power source. The diode may be provided in an open ended cavity provided in the surface 11b where the cavity provides some protection to the diode against mechanical impacts, e.g. when inserting the device into the pipe. The wires connecting the diode to the power source could in one embodiment be built into the main body and in another embodiment be provided on the outside of the main body. The wires may for example be provided on the surface 11 b, possibly in recesses provided on the surface in order to protect the wires.

The illuminating means may also be provided on any of the proposed modules, i.e. the curved module or the pipe contacting module described earlier.

The proposed technology also provides a use of a water drainage device 1 according to what has been describe earlier in order to obtain a water free region in a water pipe and thereby enabling welding in the water free region. The use of a water drainage device according to the proposed technology may prove particularly beneficial for providing a water free region in order to enable welding work in the water free region created by the device. Consider the particular example when maintenance work including welding needs to be done to a particular section of a water pipe with seams or joints. The proposed water drainage device may be inserted into an opened pipe seam or pipe joint in order to create a water free region. Maintenance work may then be performed in the water free region. The open pipe seam or pipe joint may then be welded together to close the pipe. Maintenance work can at a later stage be performed again by opening up the joint or seam and inserting the device. The embodiments described above are merely given as examples, and it should be understood that the proposed technology is not limited thereto. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the present scope as defined by the appended claims. In particular, different part solutions in the different embodiments can be combined in other configurations, where technically possible.