Apparatus and method for regulating flow and temperature in a central heating installation

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, wherein water from the inlet chamber (44) via inlet tubes (58, 58', 58") is fed through the mixing chamber (48) into outlet tubes (60, 60', 60"), outgoing therefrom to the coils separately, the return water via the mixing chamber (48) entering gaps (61) between the inlet tubes and the outlet tubes also then being fed into the separate coils (40 40', 40").

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1 wherein the inlet temperatures of the respective coils (40, 40', 40") are sensed by means of temperature transmitters (50, 50', 50") and in that maximum inlet temperatures are adjusted by volume flow control of water coming from the respective inlet tubes (58, 58', 58") by means of valves (46, 46', 46").

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the rooms, which are heated by the respective coils (40, 40', 40"), is sensed and in that the flow to the corresponding coils is shut off by means of an inlet valve having adjustment means (54, 54', 54"), the result being that only return water will circulate in the coil, when the sensed temperature is higher than a predetermined upper desired value, and in that the flow is permitted again, when the sensed temperature is lower than a predetermined lower desired value, in order to keep the room temperature substantially constant.

Claim 6

Apparatus for regulating the flow and the temperature in a central heating installation comprising a feed water pipe (14, 28) from a heat source (10), a heating circuit comprising a control and distributing unit (38) having an inlet chamber (44) connected to the feed pipe and provided with a plurality of outlets, a plurality of heating coils (40, 40', 40") issuing from said inlet chamber by way of said outlets, a collecting unit (42) for said coils, a return water pipe (24, 16) for returning water from the coils to the heat source (10), water circulating means (12, 25), water transfer means (21) for transferring part of the return water flow to the inlet side of the heating coils, and flow volume in the separate coils being limited by means of valves (54, 54', 54", 62, 62', 62"), characterized in that a mixing chamber (48), in the control and distributing unit (38), being connected between said outlets (52, 52', 52") from said inlet chamber (44) and said heating coils (40, 40', 40"), a pipe (56) having a valve (64) being provided to feed return water to said mixing chamber (48) and valves (46, 46', 46") being provided in said outlets between said inlet chamber (44) and said mixing chamber (48) to limit the inlet temperature in the respective coils (40, 40', 40") by controlling the flow of feed water to said mixing chamber (48).

Claim 7

Apparatus for regulating the flow and the temperature in a central heating installation comprising a feed water pipe (14, 28) from a heat source (10), a heating circuit comprising a control and distributing unit (38) having an inlet chamber (44) connected to the feed pipe and provided with a plurality of outlets, a plurality of heating coils (40, 40', 40") issuing from said inlet chamber by way of said outlets, a collecting unit (42) for said coils, a return water pipe (24, 16) for returning water from the coils to the heat source (10), water circulating means (12, 25), water transfer means (21) for transferring part of the return water flow to the inlet side of the heating coils, and flow volume in the separate coils being limited by means of valves (54, 54', 54", 62, 62', 62"), characterized in that a mixing chamber (48), in the control and distributing unit (38), being connected between said outlets (52, 52', 52") from said inlet chamber (44) and said heating coils (40, 40', 40"), a pipe (56) having a valve (64) being provided to feed return water to said mixing chamber (48) and valves (46, 46', 46") being provided in said outlets between said inlet chamber (44) and said mixing chamber (48) to limit the inlet temperature in the respective coils (40, 40', 40") by controlling the flow of feed water to said mixing chamber (48).

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5, valve (64) is a "self-acting valve", which when subjected to a larger inlet pressure allows a large flow to pass and consequently keeps the pressure difference across the floor heating coils substantially constant.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5, comprising valves having adjustment means (54, 54', 54") to shut off the water to the respective coils (40, 40', 40") in response to room temperatures in the rooms heated by the respective coils.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the mixing chamber is provided with inlet tubes (58, 58', 58"), projecting through the mixing chamber into outlet tubes (60, 60', 60") outgoing from the mixing chamber to the respective coils (40, 40', 40") the outer diameter of the inlet tubes being smaller than the inner diameter of the outlet tubes and the inlet tubes projecting into the outlet tubes a certain distance with an intermediate gap (61) designed to allow return water to pass into the respective outlet tubes and their corresponding coils (40, 40', 40").

Claim 11

A method according to claim 1, characterized in, that the flow volume in each individual coil (40, 40', 40") is controlled by an adjustment of the valves (62, 62', 62") at the outlet end of each respective coil (40, 40', 40").

Claim 12

A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the return water flow to the mixing chamber is regulated by an adjustment of a valve (64) in the water transfer means (27) in order to keep the flow in each individual coil (40, 40', 40") substantially constant, regardless of whether the corresponding inlet valve (54, 54', 54") is open or closed.