EP4435188A1 - Anti-freezing system for pipelines - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antifreeze system for water pipes comprising a pipe (1) for supplying water to a building and at least one pipe (2) for distributing water to the outside of said building, said distribution pipe (2) comprising at least one tap (21) allowing the opening and closing of the water distribution to the outside, characterized in that it comprises: - a safety valve (4), comprising, on the one hand, a supply inlet (41) connectable to the supply pipe (1) and a distribution outlet (42) connectable to the distribution pipe (2), to be interposed between the supply pipe (1) and the distribution pipe (2) and, on the other hand, a drain outlet (43), said valve (4) comprising a rest configuration and an antifreeze configuration, to either close the drain outlet (43) by opening the supply inlet (41) and the distribution outlet (42) in the rest configuration, or to close the drain outlet (43) by opening the supply inlet (41) and the distribution outlet (42) in the rest configuration, the supply inlet (41) by opening the distribution outlet (42) and the drain outlet (43), in the antifreeze configuration; - a motor (5) actuating said valve (4) between the rest configuration and the antifreeze configuration; - a controller (6) controlling said motor (5) and connected to a temperature sensor (7) to detect freezing conditions and actuate the valve (4) in the antifreeze configuration; - a bleeder (8) arranged on said distribution conduit (2) and configured to allow air to enter the latter when the valve (4) switches to the antifreeze configuration, in order to drain the distribution conduit (2).

Description

The present invention relates to the field of plumbing and water pipes, and in particular to the distribution of water outside professional or private buildings.

In particular, the present invention relates to an antifreeze system for liquid pipes, in particular water pipes.

There is a problem in this area related to the climatic conditions in many parts of the world. In fact, when the outside temperature drops below a value close to zero degrees Celsius for a sufficient time, the freezing of the liquid (usually water) inside the pipes tends to cause damage to the pipes and/or the taps or stopcocks, due to the expansion of the liquid when it passes into solid phase. It is therefore necessary to cut off the water supply to the outside and empty the outside pipes to prevent their contents from being damaged by frost.

It is known in the prior art, including patent applications US20210355660A1 And CN104662234A , systems that seek to limit the damage caused by freezing water in pipes. However, this type of solution also has the disadvantages of being too complex and/or expensive and of not solving the problem effectively, particularly because the pipes are not drained correctly.

An aim of the present invention is to overcome at least certain drawbacks of the prior art by proposing an antifreeze system for pipes which is simple and inexpensive to implement and which provides effective protection of the pipes.

• une vanne de sécurité, comprenant, d'une part, une entrée d'alimentation connectable avec le conduit d'alimentation et une sortie de distribution connectable le conduit de distribution, pour être interposée entre le conduit d'alimentation et le conduit de distribution et, d'autre part, une sortie de vidange, ladite vanne comprenant une configuration de repos et une configuration antigel, pour soit fermer la sortie de vidange en ouvrant l'entrée d'alimentation et la sortie de distribution dans la configuration de repos, soit fermer l'entrée d'alimentation en ouvrant la sortie de distribution et la sortie de vidange, dans la configuration antigel ;
• un moteur actionnant ladite vanne entre la configuration de repos et la configuration antigel ;
• un contrôleur pilotant ledit moteur et connecté à un capteur de température pour détecter des conditions de gel et actionner la vanne en configuration antigel ;
• un purgeur disposé sur ledit conduit de distribution et configuré pour laisser entrer de l'air dans ce dernier lorsque la vanne passe en configuration antigel, afin de vidanger le conduit de distribution.

This aim is achieved by an antifreeze system for water pipes comprising a water supply pipe to a building and at least one water distribution pipe outside said building, said distribution pipe comprising at least one tap allowing the opening and closing of the water distribution outside,
characterized in that it comprises:

• a safety valve, comprising, on the one hand, a supply inlet connectable to the supply conduit and a distribution outlet connectable to the distribution conduit, to be interposed between the supply conduit and the distribution conduit and, on the other hand, a drain outlet, said valve comprising a rest configuration and an antifreeze configuration, to either close the drain outlet by opening the supply inlet and the distribution outlet in the rest configuration, or close the supply inlet by opening the distribution outlet and the drain outlet, in the antifreeze configuration;
• a motor actuating said valve between the rest configuration and the antifreeze configuration;
• a controller driving said motor and connected to a temperature sensor to detect freezing conditions and actuate the valve in anti-freeze configuration;
• a bleeder disposed on said distribution conduit and configured to allow air to enter the latter when the valve switches to antifreeze configuration, in order to drain the conduit of distribution.

According to another feature, said temperature sensor is arranged outside, preferably in contact with the distribution conduit.

According to another feature, said controller is connected to a home automation device comprising said temperature sensor.

According to another feature, said controller is connected to a home automation device comprising said safety valve.

According to another feature, said controller detects the arrival of freezing conditions using said temperature sensor, when the outside temperature is less than or equal to a threshold, for example two degrees Celsius, to control the motor so as to actuate said safety valve in anti-freeze configuration.

According to another feature, said controller detects the end of freezing conditions using said temperature sensor, when the outside temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold, for a determined minimum duration, for example ten degrees Celsius for at least six hours, to control the motor so as to actuate said safety valve in the rest configuration.

According to another feature, said purger is an automatic purger maintained in the closed configuration by the water pressure in the distribution pipe and capable of opening automatically when the pressure drops, thereby allowing air to enter the distribution pipe in order to drain it towards the drain outlet of said safety valve.

According to another feature, said purger is a motorized purge valve, mounted on the distribution pipe and controlled by said controller which thus opens the distribution pipe to the outside when it actuates the safety valve in antifreeze configuration.

According to another feature, said controller also controls a signal indicating the configuration of said safety valve to the user.

• [Fig 1] la figure 1 représente une vue schématique d'un système antigel selon certains modes de réalisation ;
• [Fig 2A] la figure 2A représente une vue en coupe d'une vanne de sécurité en configuration de repos et des conduits d'un système antigel selon certains modes de réalisation ;
• [Fig 2B] la figure 2B représente une vue en coupe d'une vanne de sécurité en configuration antigel et des conduits d'un système antigel selon certains modes de réalisation ;
• [Fig 3] la figure 3 représente une vue schématique d'un système antigel selon certains modes de réalisation.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the description of various embodiments below, given with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• [ Fig 1 ] there figure 1 represents a schematic view of an antifreeze system according to certain embodiments;
• [ Fig 2A ] there Figure 2A represents a sectional view of a safety valve in the rest configuration and the conduits of an antifreeze system according to certain embodiments;
• [ Fig 2B ] there Figure 2B depicts a cross-sectional view of a safety valve in an antifreeze configuration and conduits of an antifreeze system according to certain embodiments;
• [ Fig 3 ] there figure 3 represents a schematic view of an antifreeze system according to certain embodiments.

The present invention relates to an antifreeze system for pipelines.

The terms "conduit" and "pipe" are used in the present description in their meaning meaning a pipe or any channel for the circulation of liquid and must not be interpreted in a limiting manner. Furthermore, the invention is particularly interesting in the case of water which is a liquid solidifying at a temperature close to zero, a condition which is therefore often encountered outdoors in many regions of the globe, but the invention can be applied to other liquids which freeze at other temperatures, in order to avoid damage to the pipes which carry them and the connections between these pipes or the distribution devices at the ends of these pipes. The use of the term "water" in the present application must therefore be considered as illustrative and not limiting.

• une vanne (4) de sécurité, comme par exemple une vanne mélangeuse à (au moins) 3 voies, comprenant, d'une part, une entrée (41) d'alimentation connectable avec le conduit (1) d'alimentation et une sortie (42) de distribution connectable le conduit (2) de distribution, pour être interposée entre le conduit (1) d'alimentation et le conduit (2) de distribution et, d'autre part, une sortie (43) de vidange. Divers types de vannes sont utilisables pour la présente invention du moment qu'elles permettent de couper l'alimentation et de connecter la sortie de distribution à la sortie de vidange. Cette vanne (4) est dite « de sécurité » dans la présente demande car elle permet d'assurer la protection des canalisations contre le gel et offre donc une sécurité à l'installation, mais ce terme ne doit pas être considéré comme étant limitatif par rapport au type de vanne utilisé. Cette vanne (4) comprenant une configuration de repos et une configuration antigel, pour soit fermer la sortie (43) de vidange en ouvrant l'entrée (41) d'alimentation et la sortie (42) de distribution dans la configuration de repos, soit fermer l'entrée (41) d'alimentation en ouvrant la sortie (42) de distribution et la sortie (43) de vidange, dans la configuration antigel ;
• un moteur (5) actionnant ladite vanne (4) entre la configuration de repos et la configuration antigel et inversement ;
• un contrôleur (6) pilotant ledit moteur (5) et connecté à un capteur (7) de température pour détecter des conditions de gel et actionner la vanne (4) en configuration antigel ou de repos selon les conditions climatiques extérieures ;
• un purgeur (8) disposé sur ledit conduit (2) de distribution et configuré pour laisser entrer de l'air dans ce dernier lorsque la vanne (4) passe en configuration antigel, afin de vidanger le conduit (2) de distribution.

In general, the present invention preferably comprises a conduit (1) for supplying water to a building (for example a detached house, a private or professional building, etc.) and at least one conduit (2) for distributing water to the outside of said building. In general, in a manner known per se, said distribution conduit (2) comprises at least one tap (21) or a stop valve, allowing the opening and closing of the water distribution to the outside, for example as shown in the illustrative and non-imitative figure Fig. 1 . According to various embodiments of the invention, the antifreeze system comprises:

• a safety valve (4), such as for example a mixing valve with (at least) 3 ways, comprising, on the one hand, a supply inlet (41) connectable to the supply conduit (1) and a distribution outlet (42) connectable to the distribution conduit (2), to be interposed between the supply conduit (1) and the distribution conduit (2) and, on the other hand, a drain outlet (43). Various types of valves can be used for the present invention as long as they make it possible to cut off the supply and connect the distribution outlet to the drain outlet. This valve (4) is called "safety" in the present application because it makes it possible to ensure the protection of the pipes against frost and therefore offers safety to the installation, but this term should not be considered as being limiting with respect to the type of valve used. This valve (4) comprising a rest configuration and an antifreeze configuration, for either closing the drain outlet (43) by opening the supply inlet (41) and the distribution outlet (42) in the rest configuration, or closing the supply inlet (41) by opening the distribution outlet (42) and the drain outlet (43), in the antifreeze configuration;
• a motor (5) actuating said valve (4) between the rest configuration and the antifreeze configuration and vice versa;
• a controller (6) controlling said motor (5) and connected to a temperature sensor (7) to detect freezing conditions and actuate the valve (4) in anti-freeze or rest configuration depending on the external climatic conditions;
• a purger (8) arranged on said distribution conduit (2) and configured to allow air to enter the latter when the valve (4) switches to antifreeze configuration, in order to drain the distribution conduit (2).

It is understood that a system is obtained capable of detecting climatic conditions that risk damaging the pipes by frost and making it possible to protect these pipes by draining the external distribution pipe (2) via the purge outlet (43) of the valve (4). This outlet (43) can for example be connected to a purge pipe (3), for example as shown in the figures 1 , 2A , 2B And 3 , leading to a container or drain (not shown). This automatic draining is achieved using the controller controlling the actuation of the valve (4) by the motor (5), but also by the presence of the purger (8) without which the water contained in the distribution conduit (2) would not drain, unless an external tap (21) is opened, but this would imply a lack of automation of the anti-freeze function whereas the present system aims precisely to avoid users having to purge their pipes themselves when frost occurs (for example repeatedly too frequently or in the absence of users on site).

In some embodiments, said purger (8) is an automatic purger maintained in the closed configuration by the water pressure in the distribution conduit (2) and capable of opening automatically when the pressure drops, thereby allowing air to enter the distribution conduit (2) in order to drain it towards the drain outlet (43) of said safety valve (4). Such automatic purgers are known for example in the field of garden watering. They comprise for example a valve kept closed by the water pressure and open automatically when the pressure drops, thereby allowing air to enter the conduit which can thus empty (drain, purge) itself via the drain (or purge) outlet (43) of the valve.

In some embodiments, said purger (8) is a motorized purge valve, mounted on the distribution conduit (2) and controlled by said controller (6) which thus opens the distribution conduit (2) to the outside when it actuates the safety valve (4) in antifreeze configuration. These embodiments can be implemented as an alternative to those comprising an automatic purger or in combination with the latter. For example, it is possible to have both types of purger on the same conduit or to have several distribution conduits, some of which (for example the largest ones) are equipped with a motorized purge and others are equipped with an automatic purger.

In some embodiments, said temperature sensor (7) is arranged outside, preferably in contact with the distribution conduit (2). In some embodiments, said controller (6) detects the arrival of freezing conditions using said temperature sensor (7), when the outside temperature is less than or equal to a threshold, for example two degrees Celsius, to control the motor (5) so as to actuate said safety valve (4) in anti-freeze configuration. For example, the outside conditions monitored by the controller, in particular the freezing (or thawing) conditions, may also include taking into account the duration during which the temperature is below or above a threshold or several thresholds (for example a temperature below zero degrees Celsius will be associated with a shorter duration than a temperature between zero and two degrees Celsius). In some embodiments, said controller (6) detects the end of freezing conditions using said temperature sensor (7), when the outside temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold, for a determined minimum duration, for example ten degrees Celsius for at least six hours, to control the motor (5) so as to actuate said safety valve (4) in the rest configuration.

It should be noted that the controller is described here as a single device performing at least two functions: motor control and temperature monitoring. Such a controller may simply be an electronic card or a processor with the connectors and suitable software. A power supply is of course provided, whether by the mains or by batteries or by renewable energies (solar panel for example). In addition, such a controller can in fact be split into several modules dedicated to each of the functions described in the present application for this controller. The examples provided are therefore not limiting and purely illustrative. On the other hand, in certain embodiments, said controller (6) is connected to a home automation device comprising said temperature sensor (7). The term "connected" is therefore used here in the broad sense and covers both a wired connection and a wireless connection, in particular for communication with a home automation device. In addition, the invention may also cover wireless communication with the sensor directly, for example for a sensor of a different home automation system. Alternatively, said controller may be integrated into a home automation system, for example an intelligent system using various types of sensors, or even weather predictions. Indeed, the only adaptation necessary for a known home automation system is to be able to control the motor of the valve and possibly the purger in the embodiments where it is not automatic. Thus, a motor communicating with a home automation device integrating the functions of the present controller is conceivable. In addition, in certain embodiments, said controller (6) is connected to a home automation device comprising said safety valve (4). Indeed, certain known home automation systems already include functions controlling supply valves for the prevention of water leaks. The system monitors the water flow and closes the valve in the event of a leak. The present invention can therefore easily be implemented in such a system by modifying the valve so that it has a purge outlet as well. In such a case, the valve will be different from that shown in the figure 2 because it will be configured to be able to close 2 inputs/outputs at a time.

In some embodiments, said controller (6) also controls a signal (9) indicating the configuration of said safety valve (4) to the user. For example, a diode may be lit green when it closes the valve, for example for several hours to indicate to users that the water has been cut off outside. Additional diodes, for example other colors, may be provided, for example to indicate other statuses, in particular a malfunction by a yellow or red diode (or by a flashing of a single diode). Similarly, it is possible to provide an audible signal as an alternative or in addition to the light signal. Finally, in the case of a combination with a home automation system, a different signal may be provided via the home automation system (voice announcement, sending of a message, etc.)

The present application describes various technical features and advantages with reference to the figures and/or to various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the technical features of a given embodiment can in fact be combined with features of another embodiment unless the contrary is explicitly stated or it is obvious that these features are incompatible or that the combination does not provide a solution to at least one of the technical problems mentioned in the present application. Furthermore, the technical features described in a given embodiment can be isolated from the other features of this embodiment. unless the opposite is explicitly mentioned.

Detailed list of references in the figures:

1

feed duct

2

distribution duct

3

drain pipe

4

safety valve

41

safety valve supply inlet

42

safety valve distribution outlet

43

safety valve drain outlet

5

engine

6

controller

7

temperature sensor

8

purger

9

signaling

Claims (9)

Antifreeze system for water pipes comprising a conduit (1) for supplying water to a building and at least one conduit (2) for distributing water to the outside of said building, said distribution conduit (2) comprising at least one tap (21) allowing the opening and closing of the water distribution to the outside,
characterized in that it comprises: - a safety valve (4), comprising, on the one hand, a supply inlet (41) connectable to the supply conduit (1) and a distribution outlet (42) connectable to the distribution conduit (2), to be interposed between the supply conduit (1) and the distribution conduit (2) and, on the other hand, a drain outlet (43), said valve (4) comprising a rest configuration and an antifreeze configuration, to either close the drain outlet (43) by opening the supply inlet (41) and the distribution outlet (42) in the rest configuration, or close the supply inlet (41) by opening the distribution outlet (42) and the drain outlet (43), in the antifreeze configuration; - a motor (5) actuating said valve (4) between the rest configuration and the antifreeze configuration; - a controller (6) controlling said motor (5) and connected to a temperature sensor (7) to detect freezing conditions and actuate the valve (4) in anti-freeze configuration; - a purger (8) arranged on said distribution conduit (2) and configured to allow air to enter the latter when the valve (4) switches to antifreeze configuration, in order to drain the distribution conduit (2). Antifreeze system according to claim 1, characterized in that said temperature sensor (7) is arranged outside, preferably in contact with the distribution conduit (2). Antifreeze system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said controller (6) is connected to a home automation device comprising said temperature sensor (7). Antifreeze system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said controller (6) is connected to a home automation device comprising said safety valve (4). Antifreeze system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said controller (6) detects the arrival of freezing conditions by means of said temperature sensor (7), when the outside temperature is less than or equal to a threshold, for example two degrees Celsius, to control the motor (5) so as to actuate said safety valve (4) in antifreeze configuration. Antifreeze system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said controller (6) detects the end of freezing conditions by means of said sensor. (7) temperature, when the outside temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold, for a determined minimum duration, for example ten degrees Celsius for at least six hours, to control the motor (5) so as to actuate said safety valve (4) in the rest configuration. Antifreeze system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said bleeder (8) is an automatic bleeder maintained in the closed configuration by the water pressure in the distribution conduit (2) and capable of opening automatically when the pressure drops, thus allowing air to enter the distribution conduit (2) in order to drain it towards the drain outlet (43) of said safety valve (4). Antifreeze system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said purger (8) is a motorized purge valve, mounted on the distribution conduit (2) and controlled by said controller (6) which thus opens the distribution conduit (2) to the outside when it actuates the safety valve (4) in antifreeze configuration. Antifreeze system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said controller (6) also controls a signal (9) indicating the configuration of said safety valve (4) to the user.

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