Patent Application
20230120421
The present invention relates to a tool intended for applying a liquid agent around a circular-cylindrical object, such as a pipe, hose, cable or the like.
There are different ways to insulate pipes. Which method you choose depends, among other things, on costs, the purpose of the insulation and the environment in which the pipe will be located. Insulation is needed, for example, to thermally insulate, soundproof or protect a pipe from external or internal attacks, e.g. corrosion. It can also be used to repair a damage, for example by applying a layer of chemical metal around a damaged metal pipe.
For example, water pipes are insulated by using strips of pipe winding with foam pipe sleeves that are to be cut and adapted. Joints or cavities where pipes come out of, for example, a wall, may need to be insulated. Disadvantages with these methods are that the sleeves must be cut to exact dimensions for fitting, which requires precise templates and some tools. But the joints will still need to be taped or glued to be tight so that leakage of, for example, heat, or corrosion attacks are avoided.
Expanded spray foam is often used to insulate cavities where the pipe enters a wall or other connection points. Insulating agents can, for example, be expandable foams, flexible elastomeric foams, rigid foams, polyethylene, cellular glass, and aerogels.
Foam insulation is stored in a pressurized can or container and is applied by spraying the foam to the place that needs to be insulated. There are some aids that facilitate application, for example, Smart Dispenser-straw (Great stuff) is a spout that is attached to the nozzle and thereby facilitates the application of the foam to the place to be insulated.
GB 2507572 provides a sleeve that facilitates application of foam to a pipe joint. As soon as the sleeve is fixed around the joint, foam can be applied or injected into the sleeve through a one-way valve. The foam can then circulate around but is held in place by the sleeve.
US 3,731,710 provides a method and apparatus for applying insulating foam to a pipe by spraying. A subsequent bitumastic and a paper vapor-barrier is applied to the exterior surface of the insulation.
US 1,988,628 provides an apparatus and a method for coating a pipe and the like with a bituminous mastic by extrusion. The pipe passes through an opening in a feeder that extends completely around the pipe and a rotating nozzle.
US 5,707,449 discloses a ring-shaped coating apparatus having a distribution chamber of varying volume along its circumference.
US 20170304866 discloses a tool for coating a liquid on a tubular object having two arcuate members which are joined together by a hinge.
A disadvantage of known methods is that when sleeves are cut to insulate a pipe, joints arise which must be sealed with, for example, tape. A disadvantage when foam is used is that it is difficult to apply an even layer of agent (foam) around the pipe. The tools identified for the same purpose are unnecessarily complicated, heavy, and made up of many small parts. It is therefore a need for a simple and user-friendly tool which applies an even layer of, for example, a foam or other agent around an object, for example a pipe.
The present invention provides a device and a method for applying a liquid agent around an object.
More specifically, the invention relates to a tool for applying liquid agents such as, for example, an insulating foam, an adhesive, or paint to the mantle surface of a circular-cylindrical object, comprising a tool head having an axially through hole with a substantially circular cross-section, the tool head comprising:
The asymmetrical restriction can in one example be provided by an inner cam of the outer flange, which inner cam has a varying radial distance from the through hole, preferably so that the distance is greater than the application radius.
The asymmetrical restriction can in one example at least partially be created between the object o be coated and the inner cam.
The asymmetrical restriction can in one example at least partially be created between the inner flange and the inner cam.
The outer cam can in one example be terminated with a release surface having a gradually increasing radius.
The tool head can in one example be divided into two halves so that the tool head can be passed over a circular-cylindrical object and then closed around it.
The tool can in one example further comprise two handles, one for each half, which handles are connected to each other via, for example, a hinge or a pin.
The handles can in one example be detachably arranged to the tool head.
Further is described a method for applying an agent around a circular-cylindrical object with a tool according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the steps:
In one embodiment, one or more injection pipes may be provided. For example, in industrial use, pipes with large diameters may be coated and then more than one injection pipe may be needed.
The present invention will now be described in detail by means of embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Other features and uses of the invention and its associated advantages will be appreciated by one skilled in the art upon reading the specification and the accompanying examples.
It will be appreciated that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments shown herein. The following examples are appended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, the terms used herein are intended to have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the field to which the invention pertains.
The term “about” as used in connection with a numerical value throughout the specification and claims denotes an accuracy range well known and acceptable to one skilled in the art.
The term coating means that a film or layer of, for example, a foam, filter, paper, paint has been applied on the surface of an object, commonly called a substrate. Various coatings are often used to improve surface properties of the substrate, such as appearance, adhesion, corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance and scratch resistance.
The term mantle means that an object has an outer sheath, the outer sheath is applied by sheathing and the object/substrate is sheathed. In the description, the terms coating and mantle are considered synonymous.
The invention is described below with reference to a pipe, but other cylindrical objects such as cables and hoses can of course be coated with the described tool.
Furthermore, the tool 1 comprises two handles 4a, 4b, and in this embodiment a spring 5 is arranged between the handles 4a, 4b, and an injection pipe 11 to the distribution chamber 12 (shown in
The handles 4a, 4b are connected to each other, for example via a hinge or a pin 6. The tool head can be opened and closed to facilitate the positioning of the tool 1 around a pipe or the like. The tool head 2 then comprises two halves 2a, 2b which move from a closed position to an open position by pressing the handles 4a, 4b together, or vice versa by opening the handles, like the mechanism of a pair of scissors. In the case of opening of the head by pressing the handles together, the spring 5 return the handles 4 to the initial position when the handles 4a, 4b are no longer pressed together.
In the open position a pipe 10 is positioned in the opening, then the tool head 2 is closed around the pipe to be able to coat the pipe all around with an even layer of liquid agent, for example an insulating foam, an adhesive, paint, or a chemical metal.
In a second embodiment the tool head 2 is not divisible. Then the pipe instead is inserted/fed into the through hole 3 of the tool head, or vice versa, the tool head 2 can be arranged around the pipe 10.
The tool head 2 comprises an inner flange 8 where the through hole 3 in at least one axial position is delimited by an application surface 9, having an application radius r1, adapted to be guided along the pipe 10 to be coated. This can be done by selecting a tool head 2 which has an application radius r1 slightly larger than the radius of the pipe 10 to be coated.
For example, the application radius may be 0.3 mm larger than the radius of the tube 10 if a 12 mm tool head is used. The clearance can be adapted to the dimensions and surface of the pipe, e.g. 1-10% larger radius.
The tool head 2 further comprises an outer flange 16 which extends axially after the inner flange 8 at a radial distance from the center of the hole, which radial distance is larger than the application radius r1.
Preferably, the through hole 3 in at least one position is defined by a mantle forming surface 18 having a forming radius r2, which is larger than the application radius r1.
In this embodiment, the injection pipe 11 is arranged at the bottom of the tool head 2, so that the agent that is to be applied has the greatest possibility of reaching the back of the tool head 2, but it is not essential to arrange it close to the bottom. The injection pipe 11 is connected to a container (not shown), comprising the liquid agent to be applied. The container can, for example, be connected via a hose or other suitable part to the injection pipe 11. The container can be a pressurized container, or the pressure can be applied manually. The container comprising the liquid agent to be applied is not part of the present invention.
The liquid agent is led/pushed further into a distribution chamber 12 of the tool head 2. The distribution chamber 12 is for the agent to be evenly distributed around the pipe 10 and has a volume so that the agent can reach around the pipe 10.
The distribution chamber 12 runs around the inner flange 8, which leads out to the through hole 3 where the outer flange 16 extends axially after the inner flange 8. An injection pipe 11 leads to the distribution chamber 12 for supplying the liquid agent to it.
When liquid agent is supplied to the distribution chamber 12 the pressure will be highest on the side where the injection pipe 11 connects to the distribution chamber 12, and lowest on the opposite side. The outlet 13 is distributed around the through hole 3 and has an asymmetrical restriction, so that the outlet is restricted where the pressure is as highest 14. In the embodiment shown in
The distance between the application surface 9 of the inner sleeve 8 and the mantle forming surface 18 of the outer flange 16 leaves a play so that the agent shall lie against the surface of the pipe 10. The mantle forming surface 18 of the outer flange 16 presses the agent against the surface of the pipe 10 to obtain sufficient adhesion.
The length of the inner flange 8 is preferably long enough to obtain lateral stability when the tool head 2 is advanced by means of the handles 4a, 4b.
The tool head can, for example, be sealed with male and female sealings 21, 22 to prevent the agent from being pressed out. Other solutions for achieving the same purpose are known to those skilled in the art.
The dimensions of the tool head 2 are scalable and can therefore be dimensioned so that the tool can be used by the general public as a hand-held tool, but it can also be used for coating larger pipes and then being adapted for industrial use. Several injection pipes may also be needed.
The tool 1 can be manufactured as a set, comparable to a socket wrench set, i.e. tool heads 2 are manufactured in different dimensions and are adapted to different purposes. Each respective tool head 2 can be mounted to the handles 4a, 4b. This means that one tool set can be comprised of handles 4a, 4b of different length/size and a number of tool heads with different dimensions.
The parts of the tool, such as the tool head 2 or handles 4a, 4b can be manufactured of different materials. The choice of material depends on the type of coating and size of substrate (pipe) it is intended for. For example, the parts of the hand-held tool 1 can be made of a light metal, for example aluminium. In one embodiment, a coating/alloy is applied on the metal so that the tool becomes smoother so that the coating agent does not stick.
In another embodiment, the entire tool 1 is manufactured in one piece, for example by molding. It could be made of, for example, a plastic to keep costs down. The tool head 2 is then cast to fit different dimensions. The size of the handles is adapted to the purpose.
The tool 1 may in one embodiment also include a support for better support and control when moving the tool forwards. A lock can also be included so that the tool can be locked in the closed position.
A container with coating agent is connected where a pressure is produced. Either the pressure is in the container, or it is built up manually. The connection is made with or without hose. The nozzle on the injection pipe may in one embodiment be movable to facilitate angling of the tool. The tool head 2 is arranged around the pipe 10, after which the pressure in the container is increased until it is seen that the agent flows out. Then the tool 1 is moved forward in a speed which leaves the desired thickness of the coating (mantle).
For example, commercial polyurethane foam that expands and dries can be used to insulate pipes. The agent applied to a pipe does not have to be for insulating purposes. For example, paint, adhesives, silicone, softener, etc. can also be applied with the present invention.
Coating of pipes 10 with different dimensions has been tested successfully, for example pipes with dimensions 6, 10, 12, 15 mm and 110 mm. The size does not limit the present invention.
In summary, the present invention provides a tool that simplifies the process of coating a pipe with an even layer of agent. The thickness of the coating is regulated by how fast the tool is moved over the pipe.
With the tool, no accurate measurement needs to be made of pipes to be insulated. The tool is light and takes up little space, which means that you can easily bring tools that fit different pipe dimensions. Foam is cheaper than other insulation materials, does not form joints, provides no waste, takes up much less space during transport and is faster to apply than other insulation materials, which leads to lower labor costs.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2050655-6 | Jun 2020 | SE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2021/050539 | 6/4/2021 | WO |
