Flow diverter for manifolds

Abstract

 A flow diverter (1) comprising a diaphragm head (2) suitable to be arranged inside a manifold (4), and an advancing rod (3) connected to the diaphragm head (2) to alter its position in the manifold (4); the diaphragm head (2) comprises at least one fin (7) suitable to fit in a fluid-tight manner against an inside surface (4a) of the manifold (4).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a flow diverter for manifolds.

[0002] In particular the present invention relates to a flow diverter for radiator manifolds to which the description specifically refers without any loss of generality.

[0003] The radiator is a device suitable to receive a continuous flow of a heating fluid, in particular hot water, and to transfer to the surrounding environment a certain amount of the heat transported by the fluid. The fluid, after cooling down as it passes through the radiator, is sent back to the boiler where it is heated again and then carried back into the radiator.

[0004] As a general rule, radiators consist of at least a pair of vertical manifolds and a plurality of horizontal pipes extending between the two manifolds and between which the heating fluid flows from one manifold to the other.

[0005] Normally it may be necessary to use only some of the horizontal pipes and, thus, prevent the fluid from being directed along all of the horizontal pipes, but only into some.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a device with technical characteristics such as to satisfy the above need.

[0007] According to the invention there is provided a flow diverter characterized in that it comprises a diaphragm head suitable to be arranged inside a manifold, and an advancing rod connected to said diaphragm head to alter its position in the manifold; said diaphragm head comprising at least one fin suitable to fit in a fluid-tight manner against an inside surface of the manifold.

[0008] It is thus possible to arrange the diaphragm head as desired inside the manifold in order to select the horizontal pipes through which the fluid is to flow.

[0009] Further characteristics of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment thereof, with reference to the figure in the accompanying drawing, which is a cross-sectional view of the flow diverter according to the present invention in an operating position inside a manifold.

[0010] In the figure designated as a whole by number 1 is a preferred embodiment of the flow diverter according to the present invention.

[0011] The flow diverter 1 comprises a diaphragm head 2, a hollow advancing rod 3 fixed to the diaphragm head 2 in order to alter from the outside its position inside a manifold 4, from which a plurality of horizontal pipes 5 extend.

[0012] The diaphragm head 2 comprises a central body 6 and a plurality of fins 7 extending radially from the central body 6, and in use arranged in a fluid-tight manner against an inside surface 4a of the manifold 4. The fins 7 can be made of a polymeric material or of metal and can differ in number and be arranged at different distances from one another with respect to those illustrated in the figure.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the rod 3 comprises a scale in order to provide the user with an indication of the actual position of the diaphragm head inside the manifold.

[0014] The radiator is provided with a cap 8 arranged to close the manifold 4 and in which a hole 9 is obtained to allow the advancing rod 3 to slide.

[0015] The flow diverter 1 can be arranged in a fixed manner inside the manifold 4 of a radiator or alternatively it need only be inserted when necessary. In the former case the cap 8 is fixed on the manifold, while in the latter it is used in place of a solid cap.

[0016] In use, to exclude some of the pipes 5 in order to prevent the liquid in the manifold 4 from flowing through said pipes 5, the user moves the hollow rod 3 to arrange the diaphragm head 2 in front of such pipes 5 with respect to the direction of flow of the liquid. The diaphragm head 2 thus arranged prevents the liquid from flowing into the horizontal pipes 5 that are to be excluded, and ensures that all the liquid is directed into the horizontal pipes 5 which extend from the manifold 4 before the diaphragm head 2. If the number of horizontal pipes to be excluded needs to be changed again, the user must simply change the position of the diaphragm head 2 using the hollow rod 3.

[0017] It is apparent from the above description that the flow diverter according to the present invention allows the flow of liquid into the horizontal pipes to be changed as desired in a simple and convenient manner.

Claims

1. Flow diverter (1) characterized in that it comprises a diaphragm head (2) suitable to be arranged inside a manifold (4), and an advancing rod (3) connected to said diaphragm head (2) to alter its position in the manifold (4); said diaphragm head (2) comprising at least one fin (7) suitable to fit in a fluid-tight manner against an inside surface (4a) of the manifold (4).

2. Flow diverter according to claim 1, characterized in that the diaphragm head (2) comprises a central body (6) and at least one fin (7) extending radially from the central body (6).

3. Flow diverter according to claim 1, characterized in that the diaphragm head (2) comprises a plurality of fins (7).

4. Flow diverter according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the fins (7) are made of a polymeric material or of metal.

5. Flow diverter according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that said advancing rod (3) comprises a scale in order to provide the user with an indication of the actual position of the diaphragm head (2) inside the manifold (4).

6. Radiator characterized in that it comprises a flow diverter (1) according to any one of the previous claims.

Drawing