Heaters

Abstract

 A combined door and room heater in which there is a water heater forming part of the door (10) and feed and return water pipes for the heater comprise flexible pipes (16, 17) which pass through hollow hinge units (60, 61, 72, 73).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to heaters and provides a heater for room heating which is combined with a door. Doors incorporating heaters are known, for example from French Patent No.2355987, which shows an electrically heated door. However, electrical heating is relatively expensive and it is an advantge to provide a water-heater in a door, which can be incorporated in a water central-heating system. A door with a water-heater is shown in French Patent No. 2462666. The water is conducted to and from the door by swivel joints at the hinges. It is found that such an arrangement is troublesome in operation because leaks develop at the hinges. The present invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem.

[0002] According to the invention there is provided a combined room door and heater comprising a water-heater forming part of the door; a door frame within which the door swings; hinge units whereby the door is hung in the frame; water supply conduits in the frame; and feed and return flexible pipes coupling the conduits in the frame to the heater in the door, the pipes being fixed at their ends to the conduits and the heater, at least one of the hinge units comprising a hollow tubular member in line with the hinge pivot axis, the arrangement being such that each pipe passes through the or a respective hollow tubular member so that the pipes accommodate door movement by twisting at the hinge axis with substantially no bending.

[0003] It is envisaged that both pipes may pass through the same hinge unit. However, it is preferred to arrange that the feed and return pipes pass through respective hinge units.

[0004] With the arrangement described, the coupling can be achieved in a manner which is concealed and which the minimum stress on the flexible pipes, since the twisting may be over an appreciable length. The risk of failure and leaks is thus minimised.

[0005] By embodying the heat emitter within or as part of a door the heat emitter can be effectively hidden away. If the door heater is combined with some form of skirting heating arrangement for warming other parts of the room then the whole heating system will be very unobstrusive.

[0006] Suitable regulating means can be provided for the heating supply connections in order to vary the heat output of the heat emitter. Alternatively, or in addition, at least one major surface of the door may be adjustably louvred or both major surfaces of the door be selectively adjustably louvred in order to vary the heat output of the door.

[0007] The invention will further'be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:-

Figure 1 is a front view of a door according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section through the hinges of the door shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the conduits of the door shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-section through the door frame taken on the line XX of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an additional use of the heating medium employed in the door of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the top hinge shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the bottom hinge shown in Figure 2.

[0008] Referring to Figures 1 to 7, a heated door 10 is hung within a door frame 11 by means of a pair of hinges 12, 13. Disposed inside the door frame 11 is a conduit system 18 which serves to feed water to and remove water from the door 10.

[0009] A vertical tubular hinge pin 60 extended downwardly from the horizontal top section of the frame 11, said frame having a through bore cooperating with the hinge pin 60. A reinforcement plate 30, also having a through bore, is provided behind the frame in order to strengthen it. The door is provided with a cooperating tubular sleeve 62 projecting vertically downwards into the door from a flat plate 61, which plate 61 is countersunk to lie flush with the top horizontal surface of the door.

[0010] The internal.diameter of the sleeve 62 and the external diameter of the hinge pin 60 are such that the hinge pin 60 can project into the sleeve 62. The longitudinal axis of the hinge pin and the coaxial sleeve constitutes the axis of the hinge 12. An upper flexible pipe 16 extends between a heat emitter (not shown) in the door and the conduit system 18 and extends coaxially through the upper hinge pin 60.

[0011] A through slot 70 is made near the base, and at the edge of the door parallel to the floor, said slot having on its downward facing surface a reinforement portion 71 having a vertical, upward extending tubular sleeve 72, the longitudinal axis of which being coaxial with the axis of the hinge 12.: The through bore of the sleeve effects communication between the slot and the inside of the door.

[0012] A bracket 74 formed integrally with the frame extends generally horizontally into the slot 70 and has on its primary limb 77 at its end remote from the frame a vertical upward extending tubular hinge pin 73 which can project into the sleeve 72. A through bore 75 is provided in the secondary limb which is at right angles to the primary limb of the bracket and a reinforcement plate 35 also having a through bore is secured to the frame at the location of the junction between the frame and the bracket. A lower flexible pipe 17 extends between the heat emitter and the conduit system 18 and extends coaxially through the lower hinge pin 73 and through bore 75.

[0013] The door is mounted in situ in the following way. Firstly, the door is manipulated at a slight angle to the vertical in such a way that hinge pin 60 is located in sleeve 62 and the gap 63 between the top of the door and the frame is substantially zero. The door is then swung about its top edge into a vertical attitude in which position the bracket 74 extends into the slot 70 and hinge pin 73 faces the sleeve 72.

[0014] The door is then lowered in the vertical attitude so that:

1. The upper surface of the slot engages the upper surface of the bracket, and

2. The hinge pin 73 projects into sleeve 72, and

3. The Hinge pin 60 remains projecting into sleeve 62.

[0015] The door 10 is thus supported by the hinge pins 60, 73, and is mounted for rotation about the axis of the hinge 12, 13.

[0016] Plates (not shown) are provided to cover the hinges and to allow access to the hinges so that the flexible pipes 16, 17 may be threaded through the respective hinges. Access to the hinges is also necessary to allow vital maintenanceand repair work to be carried out after installation of the door.

[0017] It will be appreciated that the provision of flexible pipes 16, 17 accommodates the twisting action experienced during the opening and closing of the door and caused by the relative movement of the heat emitter with respect to the conduit system 18. Since the pipes are coaxial with the pivot axes of the hinges there is no bending effect of the pipes.

[0018] It will be appreciated that the geometries of the sleeves and hinge pins are important. Firstly, the gap 76 between the underside of the bracket and the lower surface of the slot must be greater than the height of the hinge pin 73 above the upper surface of limb 77 to allow the bracket to project into the slot. Secondly, the height of the hing pin 60 must be greater than that of the hinge pin 73 otherwise the door would collapse after lowering of sleeve 72 over the hinge pin 73. The difference between the external diameter of the hinge pin 60 and the internal diameter of the sleeve 62 must be such that hinge pin 60 can be instered into sleeve 62 whilst the door is at a slight angle to the vertical during the initial stage of mounting.

[0019] The door and frame arrangement may of course be assembled in the factory prior to installation and the frame complete with door simply secured in an existing or- new doorway.

[0020] The conduit system shown is of a flow and return nature having two fluid inlet orifices 21, 23 and two fluid outlet orifices 22, 24. Inlet 21 and outlet 22 are connected by a pipe 40, inlet 23 and outlet 24 are connected by a pipe 41, outlets 22 and 24 are connected by a pipe 42 and flexible pipes 16 and 17 are connected to pipes 40 and 41 respectively. The conduit system can be adjusted to suit the required heat output of the heat emitter by means of two isolating valves 19, 20 which govern the flow of fluid through outlet orifices 22, 24 respectively.

[0021] A template 31, which may or may not incorporate a lintel, is secured to a doorway in a partition wall 32 and acts as a plaster stop for a layer of plaster 33, 34 on each side of the wall. The door frame 11, complete with its associated door 10 and conduit system 18, is then secured to the template 31. The necessary pipe connections are made to the distribution pipework (not shown) and clip-on architraves 36, 37 are then attached to each of the lateral extremities of the frame and template thus completely enclosing the conduit system.

[0022] The conduit system can also be connected to heat emitters located in skirting 39, the necessary skirting pipework being represented by elongate arrows 50, 51. A snap-on cover plate 38 is also provided to cover the joint between the architraves 37 and the skirting 39, said skirting being detachable to allow access to the pipework for adjustment, maintenance and the like.

[0023] The supportive qualities of the hinges 12, 13 are not essential. Additional, conventional hinges may be provided for supporting the door, in which case the locations of the hinges 12, 13 are somewhat arbitrary.

[0024] The external surface of the door can be covered with a material to give any desired appearance and could, for example be a leather fabric or timber slats. One such external finish would be wood panelled and incorporating louvres. These may be adjustable so as to be moved to an open or closed position thus modifying the extent to which heat is emitted from the door. Thus the louvres could be operated so that heat was emitted essentially only from one side of the door if, required.

[0025] Two independent heat emitters separated by a control heat insulating barrier could be provided. These emitters could be selectively operated to provide a heat output from one side of the door or the other as required.

[0026] Many additional refinements to the system are possible and could for example include a thermostat incorporated in the door handle. Particularly if the door is formed with louvred panels on its surface, the door frame may be provided, at the top, with distribution ducts emabling warm air to be directed into an upper room, such as through a further skirting distributor.

[0027] It will be appreciated that, for safety purposes, the heating for the door will be at a temperature which is comfortable to touch, but the heat will be emitted over a large surface area.

Claims

1. A combined room door and heater comprising a water-heater forming part of the door; a door frame within which the door swings; hinge units whereby the door is hung in the frame; water supply conduits in the frame; and feed and return flexible pipes coupling the conduits in the frame to the heater in the door, the pipes being fixed at their ends to the conduits and the heater, at least one of the hinge units comprising a hollow tubular member in line with the hinge pivot axis, the arrangement being such that each pipe passes through the or a respective hollow tubular member so that the pipes accommodate door movement by twisting at the hinge axis with substantially no bending.

2. A combined room door and heater as claimed in claim 1 wherein the feed and return pipes pass through respective hinge units.

3. A combined room door and heater as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein at least one major surface of the door is adjustably louvred in order to allow the heat output of the door to be varied.

4. A combined room door and heater as claimed in claim 3 wherein both major surfaces of the door are adjustably louvred.

5. A combined room door and heater substantiallly as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawing