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Title:
A RADIATOR AND A RADIATOR ARRANGEMENT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/088884
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A radiator (10) for connecting to a central heating water system comprising a heating segment (18); a wall-mounting frame (16); and an insulating shield (17); wherein said wall-mounting frame (16), said insulating shield (17), and said heating segment (18) have substantially equal surface area and geometry; said insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by said wall- mounting frame (16) and said heating segment (18); and wherein said radiator (10) is assembled upon connecting to said building- side heating pipe system.

Inventors:
OLESEN MICHAEL BOEL (DK)
Application Number:
PCT/DK2016/050386
Publication Date:
June 01, 2017
Filing Date:
November 23, 2016
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
RIBE JERN HOLDING AS (DK)
International Classes:
F24D19/06
Domestic Patent References:
WO2011043624A22011-04-14
WO2013115648A22013-08-08
Foreign References:
FR2653535A11991-04-26
DE29622794U11997-07-17
DE102012221746A12014-05-28
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
NORDIC PATENT SERVICE (DK)
Download PDF:
Claims:
A radiator (10) for connecting to a central heating water system from which heating water is made available to said radiator through a building-side heating pipe system; said radiator comprising:

- a heating segment (18) comprising a lid element (30) with a front side (31) and a back side (32), and a heating water duct system (15) mounted on said back side (32) of said lid element (30), said heating water duct system comprising at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), and within which heating water duct system heating water can be transported from said at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) to said at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) ;

- a wall-mounting frame (16); and

- an insulating shield (17);

wherein

- said wall-mounting frame (16), said insulating shield

(17) , and said heating segment (18) have substantially equal surface area and geometry;

- said insulating shield (17) is located in said radiator (10) adjacent to said heating water duct system (15), in between said wall-mounting frame (16) and said heating segment ( 18 ) ;

characterized in that:

- said insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by said wall-mounting frame (16) and said heating segment

(18) ; and

- said heating segment (18) has a perimeter, which encloses said wall-mounting frame (16) and said insulating shield (17) perimetric.

2. A radiator (10) according to claim 1; further comprising flexible connecting pipes connected, respectively, to said at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and, to said at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b)

3. A radiator (10) according to claim 2; wherein said flexible connecting pipes are made from plastics, preferably PVC, or are of a steel hose type, preferably a flexible, braided stainless steel hose.

4. A radiator (10) according to any of the previous claims wherein a thickness of said insulating shield (17) is determined by a thickness required for said insulating shield to substantially or completely shield a building wall from heat emitted from said heating segment (18);

A radiator (10) according to any of the previous claims; wherein said insulating shield (17) is fixedly attached to said heating segment (18).

A radiator (10) according to any of the previous claims; wherein said insulating shield (17) is manufactured from a soft, foam type, insulating plastics material, preferably polystyrene or expanded polystyrene foam, or from mineral wool .

7. A radiator (10) according to any of the previous claims; wherein said insulating shield (17) is manufactured at the assembly of said radiator (10) .

A radiator (10) according to claim 7; wherein said insulating shield (17) is manufactured from self-expanding, insulating foam, in particular self-expanding and fire-retarding insulating foam, preferably from self-expanding polyurethane , or from mineral wool blocks. A radiator (10) according to any of the previous claims; wherein said wall-mounting frame (16) is equipped with locking means (38, 39a, 39b) and said heating segment (18) is equipped with opposing locking means ( 36a, 36b, 37a, 37b) .

A radiator (10) according to any of the previous claims; further comprising at least one air-release valve, preferably a self-releasing type air-release valve, operatively connected to said heating duct system (15) at a heating water inlet (13a, 13b) opposite to a heating water inlet (13a, 13b) connected to said flexible connecting pipes.

A radiator (10) according to any of the previous claims; further comprising an attachable and detachable convection plate (40), said convection plate comprising: a heat emitting plate (43) defining a front side (41) and a back side (42), wherein said back side (42) faces said front side (31) of said lid element (30); a plurality of spacers (44) attached to said back side (42), each spacer having a length of between 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm; and wherein said spacers each comprise attachment means for releasably attaching said attachable and detachable convection plate (40) to said front side (31) of said lid element (30) .

A method of assembling a radiator (10);

said radiator (10) comprising:

- a heating segment (18) comprising a lid element (30) with a front side (31) and a back side (32), and a heating water duct system (15) mounted on said back side (32) of said lid element (30), said heating water duct system comprising at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), and within which heating water duct system heating water can be transported from said at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) to said at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) ;

- a wall-mounting frame (16); and - an insulating shield (17);

said method comprising:

- providing a building wall;

- providing a central heating water system from which heating water can be made available to said radiator (10) through a building-side heating pipe system, said building-side heating pipe system comprising a heating water supply outtake and a heating water supply intake;

- fixedly attaching said wall-mounting frame (16) to said building wall such that said wall-mounting frame (16) perimetric encloses said heating water supply outtake and said heating water supply intake;

- providing flexible connecting pipes;

- using said flexible connecting pipes, connecting said at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) of said radiator (10) to said heating water supply outtake from said building-side heating pipe system, and connecting said at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) to said heating water intake of said building-side heating pipe system;

- providing said insulating shield (17) inside said wall- mounting frame (16); and

- attaching said heating segment (18) to said wall-mounting frame (16) such that said insulating shield (17) is located in said radiator (10) adjacent to said heating water duct system (15), in between said wall-mounting frame (16) and said heating segment (18), and said insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by said wall-mounting frame (16) and said heating segment (18) .

A method according to claim 12; wherein said insulating shield (17) is manufactured at assembly of said radiator (10) by applying self-expanding foam within the space perimetric enclosed by said wall-mounting frame (16) and said heating segment ( 18 ) .

1 . A method according to claim 12; wherein said insulating shield (17) is manufactured at assembly of said radiator (10) by applying mineral wool within the space perimetric enclosed by said wall-mounting frame (16) and said heating segment (18) .

15. Use of an attachable and detachable convection plate (40); said attachable and detachable convection plate (40) comprising: a heat emitting plate (43) defining a front side (41) and a back side (42), wherein said back side (42) faces a front side (31) of a lid element (30) of a radiator (10); a plurality of spacers (44) attached to said back side (42), each spacer having a length of between 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm; and wherein said spacers each comprise attachment means for releasably attaching said attachable and detachable convection plate (40) to said front side (31) of said lid element (30); for creating a convection of heated air between said convection plate (40) and said radiator (10) by attaching said convection plate to said radiator.

16. A use according to claim 15; wherein said radiator (10) is according to any of the claims 1 to 10.

17. A use according to either claim 15 or claim 16; wherein said spacers each have a length of 4 cm.

Description:
A radiator and a radiator arrangement FIELD

The invention relates to a radiator and a radiator arrangement for use in dust sensitive environments.

BACKGROUND

Radiators for heating water based central heating systems serve generally for heating parts of buildings or respectively rooms. They are typically constructed to have a heating water duct system, within which heating water can circulate and heat exchange with the radiator to maximize heat emission through the radiator's main heat emitting surfaces. The required heating water is made available through a building-side heating pipe system. More precisely, the heating water enters into the radiator through a heating water inlet, heats the radiator and subsequently exits from the radiator again through a heating water outlet .

The heat emitted by radiators is emitted in all spatial directions, so that a wall or respectively wall recess arranged on the rear side of the radiator is also heated. Such a heating of wall regions is generally undesirable, as the amount of energy expended for heating walls is no longer available for the actually desired heating of the room. The energy efficiency of the radiator is correspondingly lowered. Also, it poses a problem for the uniformity of the heat emission, due to the proportionality of the heat loss to the area of the emitting surface and the quadrate of the temperature. Hence, walls facing hot spots on the radiator are heated disadvantageously much.

Another significant problem of building radiators is that they accumulate significant amounts of dust for numerous reasons . One well-known reason is the fact that with wall mounted radiators, the space behind the radiator facing the building walls is difficult to access for cleaning purposes and therefore dust, including spores and bacteria, accumulate over time. This is highly unwanted, in particular in clean rooms and in rooms where low biological activity is desired such as e.g. in hospitals, e.g. hospital wards or operation theaters, where the reduction of health care associated infections (HAI) is a serious and important concern, whose control also depend significantly on the level of cleanliness in the sections where patients are located .

In WO 2011/043624 there is described a hot-water panel for installation into a floor-heating system and intended to be covered by a stone floor. The hot-water panel has improved heat conductivity comprising heat transfer means which are molded in a zigzag shape in order to increase moving paths of hot water respectively supplied from a boiler; and a panel body which settles the heat transfer means therein, and includes a lover plate that is equipped with a connection pipe space unit capable of accommodating inner and outer pipes of the boiler or connection pipes, and an upper plate that is fixed to the lower plate by sticking to the upper surface of the heat transfer means in such a manner that the heat of hot water which circulates inside the heat transfer means may be directly transferred. The heat transfer means stick to the upper plate to uniformly transfer the heat over the entire surfaces of the upper plate by being expanded if the hot water flows therein and the adjacent intervals of the heat transfer means are contacted together in order to minimize heat loss. The construction and installation of the disclosed panel is according to common principles of panel construction at a factory site, followed by local installation of the assembled panel into the floor, whereupon it is connected to the piping from a hot water source, e.g. a boiler.

Accordingly, it would be preferable to present a radiator which has a maximized heat emittance to the interior a the building space, while at the same time being easy to install, has a low maintenance profile, and which eliminates or at least significantly reduces the problem of dust collection on the radiator .

To this purpose, the present inventors suggest a radiator for connecting to a central heating water system comprising a heating segment; a wall-mounting frame; and an insulating shield; wherein said wall-mounting frame, said insulating shield, and said heating segment have substantially equal surface area and geometry; said insulating shield is perimetric enclosed by said wall-mounting frame and said heating segment; and wherein said radiator is assembled upon connecting to said building-side heating pipe system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described: a radiator (10) for connecting to a central heating water system from which heating water is made available to the radiator through a building-side heating pipe system; the radiator comprising: a heating segment (18) comprising a lid element (30) with a front side (31) and a back side (32), and a heating water duct system (15) mounted on the back side (32) of the lid element (30), the heating water duct system comprising at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), and within which heating water duct system heating water can be transported from the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) to the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b); a wall-mounting frame (16); and an insulating shield (17); wherein the wall-mounting frame (16), the insulating shield (17), and the heating segment (18) have substantially equal surface area and geometry; the insulating shield (17) is located in the radiator (10) adjacent to the heating water duct system (15), in between the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18); characterized in that: said insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by said wall- mounting frame (16) and said heating segment (18); and said heating segment (18) has a perimeter, which encloses said wall- mounting frame (16) and said insulating shield (17) perimetric.

In a second embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to the first aspect and embodiment of the invention; further comprising flexible connecting pipes connected, respectively, to the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b), and to the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) .

In a third embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to either the first or the second embodiment of the first aspect; wherein the flexible connecting pipes are made from plastics, preferably PVC, or are of a steel hose type, preferably a flexible, braided stainless steel hose.

In a fourth embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to third embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment; wherein a thickness of the insulating shield (17) is determined by a thickness required for the insulating shield to substantially or completely shield a building wall from heat emitted from the heating segment (18) .

In a fifth embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein said insulating shield (17) is fixedly attached to said heating segment (18).

In a sixth embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to any of the previous embodiments; wherein the insulating shield (17) is manufactured from a soft, foam type, insulating plastics material, preferably polystyrene or expanded polystyrene foam, or from mineral wool . In a seventh embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to any of the previous embodiments; wherein the insulating shield (17) is manufactured at assembly of the radiator (10) .

In an eighth embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to the seventh embodiment; wherein the insulating shield (17) is manufactured from self-expanding, insulating foam, in particular self-expanding and fire-retarding insulating foam, preferably from self-expanding polyurethane , or from mineral wool blocks.

In a ninth embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to any of the previous embodiments; wherein the wall-mounting frame (16) is equipped with locking means (38, 39a, 39b) and the heating segment (18) is equipped with opposing locking means (36a, 36b, 37a, 37b) .

In a tenth embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to any of the previous embodiments; further comprising at least one air- release valve, preferably a self-releasing type air-release valve, operatively connected to the heating duct system (15) at a heating water inlet (13a, 13b) opposite to a heating water inlet (13a, 13b) connected to the flexible connecting pipes.

In an eleventh embodiment of the first aspect and embodiment of the invention there is described a radiator (10) according to any of the previous embodiments; further comprising an attachable and detachable convection plate (40), the convection plate comprising: a heat emitting plate (43) defining a front side (41) and a back side (42), wherein the back side (42) faces the front side (31) of the lid element (30); a plurality of spacers (44) attached to said back side (42), each spacer having a length of between 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm; and wherein the spacers each comprise attachment means for attaching the attachable and detachable convection plate (40) to the front side (31) of the lid element (30) . In a second aspect and firsts embodiment thereof there is described according to the invention: a method of assembling a radiator (10); the radiator (10) comprising: a heating segment (18) comprising a lid element (30) with a front side (31) and a back side (32), and a heating water duct system (15) mounted on the back side (32) of the lid element (30), the heating water duct system comprising at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), and within which heating water duct system heating water can be transported from the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) to the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b); a wall-mounting frame (16); and an insulating shield (17); the method comprising: providing a building wall; providing a central heating water system from which heating water can be made available to the radiator (10) through a building-side heating pipe system, the building-side heating pipe system comprising a heating water supply outtake and a heating water supply intake; fixedly attaching the wall- mounting frame (16) to the building wall such that the wall- mounting frame (16) perimetric encloses the heating water supply outtake and the heating water supply intake; providing flexible connecting pipes; using the flexible connecting pipes, connecting the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) of the radiator (10) to the heating water supply outtake from the building-side heating pipe system, and connecting the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) to the heating water intake of the building-side heating pipe system; providing the insulating shield (17) inside the wall-mounting frame (16); and attaching the heating segment (18) to the wall-mounting frame (16) such that the insulating shield (17) is located in the radiator (10) adjacent to the heating water duct system (15), in between the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18), and the insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18) . Further, there is disclosed in a third aspect of the invention the use of an attachable and detachable convection plate (40); which attachable and detachable convection plate (40) comprising: a heat emitting plate (43) defining a front side

(41) and a back side (42), wherein the back side (42) faces a front side (31) of a lid element (30) of a radiator (10); a plurality of spacers (44) attached to the back side (42), each spacer having a length of between 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm; and wherein the spacers each comprise attachment means for attaching the attachable and detachable convection plate (40) to the front side (31) of the lid element (30); for creating a convection of heated air between the convection plate (40) and the radiator

(10) by releasably attaching the convection plate to the radiator. Preferably, the radiator (10) is a radiator according to the present invention. Preferably, the length of each spacer is 4 cm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 : A radiator according to the invention showing a modular composition.

Figure 2: An assembled radiator of the invention.

Figure 3 : A heating segment of the invention comprising a lid element and a heating water duct system.

Figure 4: A convection plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A radiator (10) for connecting to a central heating water system comprising a heating segment (18); a wall-mounting frame (16); and an insulating shield (17); wherein said wall-mounting frame (16), said insulating shield (17), and said heating segment (18) have substantially equal surface area and geometry; said insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by said wall- mounting frame (16) and said heating segment (18); and wherein said radiator (10) is assembled upon connecting to said building- side heating pipe system.

The present invention relates in a first embodiment to a radiator (10) for connecting to a central heating water system from which heating water is made available to the radiator through a building-side heating pipe system; the radiator comprising: a heating segment (18) comprising a lid element (30) with a front side (31) and a back side (32), and a heating water duct system (15) mounted on the back side (32) of the lid element (30), the heating water duct system comprising at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), and within which heating water duct system heating water can be transported from the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) to the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b); a wall- mounting frame (16); and an insulating shield (17); wherein the wall-mounting frame (16), the insulating shield (17), and the heating segment (18) have substantially equal surface area and geometry; the insulating shield (17) is located in the radiator (10) adjacent to the heating water duct system (15), in between the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18); characterized in that: said insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by said wall-mounting frame (16) and said heating segment (18); and said heating segment (18) has a perimeter, which encloses said wall-mounting frame (16) and said insulating shield (17) perimetric. A particular advantage of the construction of the insulating shield (17) such that it can be perimetric enclosed by the wall- mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18) is, that the wall-mounting frame (16), the insulating shield (17), and the heating segment (18) can be assembled to form the radiator (10) upon connecting the radiator (10) to the building-side heating pipe system, rather than having to handling and mounting the assembled radiator, which will be heavier and bulkier than the individual parts .

The general layout of the radiator (10) is depicted in Figure 1. The main parts, wall-mounting frame (16), insulating shield (17), and heating segment (18), are manufactured separately, and are not assembled to form the radiator (10) of the invention until the radiator is mounted at an installation site in a building, wherein the radiator of the invention is intended for use. In the figure, it is indicated with numbers (11) and (12) which side of the radiator, when assembled, is intended to be facing the building wall, (12), and to be facing the interior building space to be heated, (11) .

Figures 2a and 2b show the assembled radiator from front side (21) and backside (22) . In the embodiment shown, the wall- mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18) perimetric enclose the insulating shield (17), cf. Figure 2b. The wall- mounting frame, the insulating shield and the heating segment for use with the invention have substantially matching surface areas and geometry such that heat loss from the heating segment to the building by direct heat radiation or heat transfer is minimized and that they can be assembled to form a compact radiator structure (10).

An installation site in a building is intended to be a wall, in particular a wall niche. When installed, e.g. directly on a wall, the radiator will define (cf . Figure 2a) a front side (21) facing the building space to be heated and a back side (22) facing the building wall, and (dependent on geometry), a top side (23), a bottom side (24) and vertical sides (25a, 25b), wherein the words top and bottom are used in their normal meaning as being opposite and defined relative to the gravitational field. However, it is preferred that the radiator is installed in a wall niche as detailed below. It is necessary to apply flexible connecting pipes for connecting the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) of the radiator (10) to a heating water supply outlet from the building-side heating pipe system, and for connecting the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) to a heating water outtake of the building-side heating pipe system. Such flexible connecting pipes are advantageously made from plastics, in particular PVC, or a steel hose type, in particular flexible braided stainless steel hoses for heating water supply.

The wall-mounting frame (16) is constructed as, and is intended to be, a frame in the dictionary sense, as an object or structure intended to give shape and support to a construction (in the present case the radiator (10) of the invention) .

Figure 1 shows the wall-mounting frame (16) as a rectangular object comprising paired surface members assembled at right angles, four of which together form the frame. Thereby a certain length, width and depth is imposed on the radiator (10); wherein the depth of the frame is measured as the length of the frame in the direction, when the frame is mounted on a wall, perpendicular away from the wall, and the length and width are measured as projected onto the plane of the building wall. As such the wall- mounting frame (16) forms an object or structure which has a certain perimeter and a certain depth, which therefore can encompass another construction element perimetric.

When constructing the wall-mounting frame (16) the skilled person will know how to manufacture a frame of a given geometry. In general, length and width are freely variable, whereas the depth will be determined by the need to perimetric encompass the insulating shield (17), the depth of which shield (its thickness) will be determined by the thickness required for the insulating shield to substantially or completely shield a building wall from the heat emitted from the heating segment (18) . In Figure 2 a conventional rectangular radiator (10) is shown having a certain width (w) , length (I) and depth (d) , with a corresponding perimeter of (2w+2I) .

The wall-mounting frame (16) will usually be an open structure or construction, but it is possible to mount the frame (16) with a back panel; which can have additional beneficial properties for some choices of the insulating shield (17) .

In the art, numerous mountings for radiators are known, these generally being of the type wall hooks or wall hangers of varying complexity. Usually, it is intended that when the radiator of the prior art hangs from the wall, it shall be positioned a certain distance from the wall in order to achieve convective airflow between wall and radiator (chimney effect) . The radiator of the present invention is intended to be placed directly on the wall of the building or wall niche, and hence does not exhibit a chimney effect between wall and radiator.

The wall-mounting frame (16) has a size and geometry, which will allow it to encompass the matching size and geometry of the insulating shield (17) in a perimetric manner. Generally, the geometry of the radiator (10) will be rectangular/ quadratic when viewed from the front side (21), but other geometries are perfectly realizable due to the use of a wall-mounting frame (16) for mounting the radiator of the invention. Other example geometries could be a circular radiator, a triangular radiator etc. And if the radiator of the invention was to be used at a children' s hospital or a child' s bedroom, a radiator with the wall-mounting frame, insulating shield, and heating segment could be manufactured to look like e.g. a car, a play house, an animal or other suitably child themed shapes .

The wall-mounting frame (16) is intended to be mounted directly on the wall, e.g. in a wall niche, using e.g. screws and washers, for which purpose the frame can be equipped with throughbores for ease of mounting as shown in Figure 1. The insulating shield (17) is intended to have a size and geometry matching the wall-mounting frame (16) such that it can be encompassed by the frame in a perimetric manner. In this way, the entire surface of the wall behind the heating segment (18), which would otherwise have become exposed to the heat from the heating segment (18), will now be isolated from it. It is possible to have smaller insulating shields, but this is a sub- optimization of the inventive concept and is not preferred. It is also possible to omit the insulating shield; however, again this is a sub-optimization, which only results in heating of the building wall, and not in heating of the building interior.

Preferably, the insulating shield (17) is manufactured and delivered with or as a part of the radiator; however it can be manufactured on site if necessary. When the shield is delivered with the radiator, it will usually be manufactured from a soft, foam type insulating plastics material, such as e.g. polystyrene foam, or expanded polystyrene foam; or from mineral wool.

When the insulating shield (17) is manufactured at assembly, the materials can e.g. by self-expanding insulating foams, in particular self-expanding and fire-retarding insulating foams, such as e.g. polyurethane, but also e.g. mineral wool blocks cut to match the requisite geometry can be used directly. For the embodiment of the radiator (10) manufactured on site, it is useful if the wall-mounting frame (16) is equipped with the aforementioned back panel, which helps delimit the surface which shall be covered with the insulating shield as manufactured on site .

The limiting elements in relation to the choice of insulating material are, primarily, the need for high R-values (thermal resistance) respectively low U-values (1/R) of the shield material, and adaptability to the chosen geometry of the radiator. Preferably, the insulating material chosen will allow the aforementioned connecting pipes to traverse the insulating material while maintaining a tight fit between insulating material and connecting pipes in order to minimize heat loss to the building wall.

The heating segment (18) is intended to have a size and geometry, which will allow it to encompass and engage the wall-mounting frame (16) in a perimetric manner. In this manner, a sandwich like structure is created wherein the insulating shield (17) is sandwiched between the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18) in a manner not unlike a box-and-lid arrangement. It is possible, as well, to construct the wall-mounting frame

(16) to have a size and geometry such that the wall-mounting frame can encompass and engage the heating segment (18) in a perimetric manner, also thereby creating the aforementioned box- and-lid arrangement. The embodiment wherein the heating segment

(18) forms the lid-like structural element of the box-and-lid- like arrangement is preferred, as it is visually the most satisfactory, and further offers advantages of ease of assembly and ease of maintenance, when the radiator (10) is assembled upon connecting to the aforementioned building-side heating pipe system.

In order to achieve the lid-like configuration of the heating segment (18), the heating segment can be constructed as schematically shown in Figure 3. In the figure, a conventional rectangular lid element (30) is shown having a certain length (a), width (£>) , and depth ( c) , with a corresponding perimeter of (2a+2jb) . When the perimeter of the lid element (30) is slightly larger than the perimeter of the wall-mounting frame (16) the perimeter of the lid element (30) is equal to the perimeter of the radiator (10) .

When the radiator (10) is installed on a building wall, the lid element (30) will define a front side (31) and a back side (32), and (in the geometry shown), a top side (33), a bottom side (34) and vertical sides (35a, 35b), wherein the back side (32) is that side of the lid element (30) which faces the building wall and the words top and bottom are used in their normal meaning as being opposite and defined relative to the gravitational field. As can be seen, the front side (31) of the lid element (30) is also the front side (20) of the radiator (10), when the radiator has been assembled.

In Figure 3 is also shown a conventional heating water duct system (15) comprising at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b), at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), and within which heating water duct system heating water can be transported from the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) to the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), whereby heat is given off to the surroundings from the transported heating water. The heating water thereby preferably traverses the heating water duct system in a diagonal flow direction.

The heating water duct system (15) is intended to be mounted inside the lid element (30), e.g. by welding onto the aforementioned backside (32) of the lid element (30), thereby forming the aforementioned heating segment (18) . In one embodiment, wherein the heating water duct system (15) is equipped with opposing heating water inlets (13a, 13b) as marked in the figures, one inlet can be used for mounting the heating segment to the building-side heating pipe system, while the other can be mounted with an air-release valve for releasing air trapped in the heating water duct system of the heating segment. Preferably, the air-release valve shall be of a self-releasing type; which allows air-release without the active intervention of an operator.

It is intended in a preferred embodiment, that the wall-mounting frame (16) shall be equipped with locking means (38, 39a, 39b) and the heating segment (18) equipped with opposing locking means (36a, 36b, 37a, 37b) . In Figures 1 and 3 are further indicated a set of taps (36a, 36b), a set of receiving screw holes (37a, 37b) on the aforementioned lid element (30); and a set of screws (38) for application within the screw holes (37a, 37b) and throughbores (39a, 39b) for receiving the aforementioned set of taps ( 36a, 36b) .

The use of locking means (38, 39a, 39b) and opposing locking means (36a, 36b, 37a, 37b) is intended for securing the heating segment (18) fixedly to the wall-mounting frame (16) during assembly of the radiator (10) .

In the illustrated embodiment the taps (36a, 36b) are received in the throughbores (39a, 39b) upon attachment of the heating segment (18) to the wall-mounting frame (16) and subsequently the heating segment (18) is fixedly secured to the wall-mounting frame (16) using the set of screws applied in the screw holes (37a, 37b) .

The skilled person will know to design other forms of locking means and opposing locking means as desired. E.g. click-in locks wherein one or more resilient indents or taps have been created in the lid element (30) of the heating segment (18) with corresponding receiving holes in the wall-mounting frame (16), wherein the taps resiliently bend to allow passage of the heating segment (18) over the wall-mounting frame (16) during assembly, but, upon placement over the corresponding receiving holes, spring into the corresponding receiving holes, thereby securing the heating segment (18) fixedly to the wall-mounting frame (16) .

The radiator (10) of the invention can be further improved in some situations by attachment of an attachable and detachable convection plate (40) to the front side (20) of the radiator. An attachable and detachable convection plate (40) for use with the present invention is detailed in figure 4.

Convection plates serve a variety of purposes of which only a few will be mentioned in the present context. Firstly, they serve to create a convection effect (chimney effect) between the radiator's heat emitting surface (here the front side (31) of the lid element (30)) for improved air circulation in the vicinity of the heat emitting surface, and further a convection plate serve as a shield against direct contact with the heat emitting surface of the radiator. In some countries this is particular important, as the circulating heating water can have temperatures above 80 °C, which is enough to cause serious scolding upon contact. The convection plate also serves as a secondary heat emitter when heat received from the heating segment (18) is relayed to the building interior.

The present inventors have discovered that a distance between the heat emitting surface of the radiator and the convector plate of between 3.5 cm and 4.5 cm, preferably 4 cm, will result in optimized convection; and the attachable and detachable convection plates used with the present invention therefore are spaced away from the heat emitting surface of the radiator (10) of the invention by this length.

It is important in the context of the present invention, that the convection plates are attachable and detachable in order to maintain ability to clean the surfaces behind the convection plate. Accordingly, and although it is possible to conceive of a radiator (10) of the invention wherein the convection plate is permanently attached to the front side (31) of the lid element (30), this is a sub-optimization and is not preferred.

Rather, as detailed in Figure 4, a convection plate (40) for use with a radiator (10) of the invention shall be an attachable and detachable convection plate (40) comprising: a heat emitting plate (43) defining a front side (41) and a back side (42), wherein the back side (42) faces the front side (31) of the lid element (30); a plurality of spacers (44) attached to the back side (42), each spacer having a length of between 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm; wherein the spacers each comprise attachment means for attaching the attachable and detachable convection plate (40) to the front side (31) of the lid element (30) . In the convection plate (40) attachment means can e.g. be permanent magnets or click-in taps; which can detach upon use of a reasonable amount of force for a human operator.

The benefits of a radiator (10) of the present invention become apparent when one contemplates the requirements for modern building construction, both complex institutional buildings such as hospitals, as well as serially produced family housings. In such buildings, it is of essence, in order to be able to mount a large number of radiators within a short period of time (in order to retain the benefits of mass production) , that radiators shall be mounted and fitted with a minimum of individual adaptation of a radiator to the building wall onto which it is intended to be mounted.

Traditional radiators of the prior art; which rely on fixed piping in the form of e.g. stainless steel piping, must be individually fitted to the pre-installed building-side heating pipe system as, even with careful measures having been taken before radiator mounting, small variations in mounting positions of the radiator will require individual adaptation of the pipes connecting the building-side piping system to the radiator, which is labor intensive and time consuming.

It is possible with the prior art radiators to circumvent this problem using flexible connecting pipes of the kind detailed above. However, when this solution is used with radiators of the prior art, a vulnerable connection between building-side piping system and the radiator is created, as the flexible connecting pipes are accessible for external physical impacts, which significantly reduces the expected life-time of the flexible connecting pipes. Further, the installed solution is visually not acceptable in the market, which further has limited its use.

The radiator (10) of the present invention overcomes this problem in a simple manner as detailed herein. When the radiator (10) is mounted on the building construction, it is intended that the building-side piping of a central heating water system from which heating water can be made available to the radiator (10) through a building-side heating pipe system, which building-side heating pipe system comprises a heating water supply outtake and a heating water supply intake, shall exit the building construction, e.g. a wall or the building floor, in such a manner that the heating water supply outtake and heating water supply intake are perimetric enclosed by the wall-mounting frame (16).

Now, the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) can be connected to the building-side piping as required at the location of installation using flexible connecting pipes of the kind detailed above, and the radiator (10) assembled by sandwiching the insulating shield (17) between the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18) . Thereby time is saved in assembly, as no fixed piping shall need individual adaptation prior to final assembly, while the flexible connecting pipes remain protected from external influence and a visually acceptable radiator installation is retained, as the flexible connecting pipes will be fully hidden behind the heating segment (18) .

Accordingly, there is disclosed in an aspect of the present invention a method of assembling a radiator (10); the radiator (10) comprising: a heating segment (18) comprising a lid element (30) with a front side (31) and a back side (32), and a heating water duct system (15) mounted on the back side (32) of the lid element (30), the heating water duct system comprising at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) and at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b), and within which heating water duct system heating water can be transported from the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) to the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b); a wall-mounting frame (16); and an insulating shield (17); the method comprising: providing a building wall; providing a central heating water system from which heating water can be made available to the radiator (10) through a building- side heating pipe system, the building-side heating pipe system comprising a heating water supply outtake and a heating water supply intake; fixedly attaching the wall-mounting frame (16) to the building wall such that the wall-mounting frame (16) perimetric encloses the heating water supply outtake and the heating water supply intake; providing flexible connecting pipes; using the flexible connecting pipes, connecting the at least one heating water inlet (13a, 13b) of the radiator (10) to the heating water supply outtake from the building-side heating pipe system, and connecting the at least one heating water outlet (14a, 14b) to the heating water intake of the building-side heating pipe system; providing the insulating shield (17) inside the wall-mounting frame (16); and attaching the heating segment (18) to the wall-mounting frame (16) such that the insulating shield (17) is located in the radiator (10) adjacent to the heating water duct system (15), in between the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18), and the insulating shield (17) is perimetric enclosed by the wall-mounting frame (16) and the heating segment (18) .

Following the above method, it is possible to rapidly and efficiently assemble the radiator (10) of the invention and attach it to the building-side piping, irrespective of whether the piping exits the building construction through a wall or through the building floor. When the building-side pipes exit the wall, no modifications to the wall-mounting frame (16) needs to be accommodated since the frame can simply be placed around the aforementioned building-side heating water supply outtake and intake thereby perimetric enclosing these. When the building-side pipes exit the building floor, it is easy to modify wall-mounting frame (16) and heating segment (18) with matching openings through which the building-side pipes can enter inside the radiator (10) to become perimetric enclosed by the wall- mounting frame (16) .

A particularly suitable place for mounting the radiator (10) of the invention is within a wall niche. Due to the lid element (30) facing the interior building space, the radiator of the invention can easily be mounted in the wall niche. The wall niche can then be sealed off, e.g. using an acrylic sealant or a seal, e.g. sealing strip, thus creating an assembly wherein the radiator is flush with the building wall for improved visual results. However, due to the insulating shield (17), very little heat is lost to the building wall inside the wall niche.

Mounting of the radiator (10) of the invention in a wall niche becomes especially important when the radiator is installed in environments wherein dust free surfaces are of particular importance, such as hospital wards, operation theaters, or clean rooms. The radiator now only presents the heat-radiating surface to the room, which is easily cleaned by wiping it off if necessary.

When the radiator (10) of the invention is mounted in a wall niche and sealed off as described above, it is preferred that the radiator is equipped with a self-releasing air-release valve of a type, which allows air-release without the active intervention of an operator.

In order to improve circulation around the radiator (10) of the invention when installed in the above mentioned wall niche; it can be mounted with the aforementioned attachable and detachable convection plate (40) without loss of the benefits to cleaning, since the plate can simply be detached, cleaned, and then reattached to recreate the desired convection.

Accordingly, there is disclosed in an aspect of the invention the use of an attachable and detachable convection plate (40); which attachable and detachable convection plate (40) comprising: a heat emitting plate (43) defining a front side (41) and a back side (42), wherein the back side (42) faces a front side (31) of a lid element (30) of a radiator (10); a plurality of spacers (44) attached to the back side (42), each spacer having a length of between 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm; and wherein the spacers each comprise attachment means for releasably attaching the attachable and detachable convection plate (40) to the front side (31) of the lid element (30); for creating a convection of heated air between the convection plate (40) and the radiator (10) by attaching the convection plate to the radiator. Preferably, the radiator (10) is a radiator according to the present invention. Preferably, the length of each spacer is 4 cm.

It is a further advantage of the radiator (10) of the present invention that even when installed into a wall niche, the construction is so robust and self-contained that little or no maintenance for many years is to be expected since any parts which may be corrupted through regular user interaction are hidden from user interaction, thereby significantly minimizing the risk of parts breaking or water leaking.

CLOSING COMMENTS

The term "comprising" as used in the claims does not exclude other elements or steps. The term "a" or "an" as used in the claims does not exclude a plurality. Although the present invention has been described in detail for purpose of illustration, it is understood that such detail is solely for that purpose, and variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.