COVER AND INSULATION ELEMENT FOR A BOILER

Abstract: The object of the present invention is an electric or gas boiler, comprised of a tank sealed inside a layer of heat insulation with an external peripheral surface. The boiler also comprises an external cladding element. The external peripheral surface comprises a first supporting portion and a second peripheral portion, which extends further than the first portion. The cladding element is fixed detachably to the layer of heat insulation and covers the second peripheral portion, leaving the first supporting portion uncovered.

Description: DESCRIPTION COVER AND INSULATION ELEMENT FOR A BOILER Technical field The object of the present invention is an electric or gas boiler, comprised of a tank sealed inside a layer of heat insulation with an external peripheral surface. The boiler also comprises an external cladding element. The external peripheral surface comprises a -first supporting portion and a second peripheral portion, which extends further than the -first portion. The cladding element is fixed detachably to the layer of heat insulation and covers the second peripheral portion, leaving the first supporting portion uncovered. Background Art The present invention relates to the sector of devices for heating water, also called boilers, in particular, although not exclusively, the type which store water. The invention has been developed for boilers with a heating unit which is either gas or electric. The storage boilers of a commonly-known type are generally comprised of metal or plastic tanks to store the water heated by the heating unit. A layer of insulating material, entirely covered with an external cladding for protection and aesthetic purposes, reduces the heat loss and maintains the temperature of the water heated in the tank as long as possible. Many commonly-known types of boilers comprise a layer of insulating material realised by applying, to the tank, foam or adhesive layers of insulating plastic, which make it almost impossible to separate the various elements which make up the boiler and subsequently either reuse them or dispose of them separately. The external cladding of the said boilers is generally fixed to the tank itself using connection means, such as for example, U bolts, pins or suchlike, which entail a certain amount of manual work in their assembly and disassembly, or non-conducting materials are attached so that the replacement of the cladding necessitates the replacement of the entire boiler unit. In any case, regardless of whether the material of the tank is made of is metal or plastic, the commonly-known boilers comprise a plurality of metal elements and numerous additional parts, such as flanges, caps, connection means and suchlike, which, on the whole, make the assembly, disassembly, separation and/or separated disposal operations of the various elements that make up the commonly-known boilers complicated. Disclosure of Invention The aim of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the commonly-known boiler, and in particular, to build a boiler whose component elements are fewer in number and are structurally combined so as therefore facilitate the assembly, disassembly, separation and/or separate disposal operations of the boiler itself. A further aim of the invention is to build a boiler whose structural characteristics also facilitate the operations for the hanging of the boiler on a supporting wall and enable the housing of air feeder and fume exhaust pipes, as are necessary to ensure, for example, the airtight chamber of a gas boiler functions well. A still further aim of the invention is to supply a boiler which guarantees high levels of mechanical resistance and reliability over time. A further aim of the invention is to build a simple boiler which is cheap to manufacturer. A still further aim of the invention is to supply a boiler whose final form includes visible surfaces with a good surface finish. To achieve the aims just described, the invention relates to an electric or gas boiler of the type indicated in the preamble of the present description, in which the external peripheral surfaces of the layer of heat insulation comprise a first supporting portion and a second peripheral portion, which extends further than the first portion, the cladding element being fixed detachably to the layer of heat insulation and covering the second peripheral portion, leaving the first supporting portion uncovered. In an special embodiment, the structure of the boiler according to the present invention comprises, essentially, a tank, two half shells of insulating material and an external cladding which wraps the two half shells partially and is sealed above and below with two covers. These elements are connected together simply to allow the entire boiler to be disassembled quickly, in this way facilitating the replacement of any components during maintenance. A further advantage of this invention lies in the structural characteristics of the two half shells and their connection method, achieved for the main part by the 'belt' effect of the external cladding, which facilitates the disassembly of all the constituent parts of the boiler and their efficient recycling. In the present invention, an ample portion of one of the one of the two half shells, arranged in position with the brackets for fastening the boiler to the wall, remains visible and forms am ample supporting surface which guarantees the stability of the boiler hung on the wall. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment that follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided in the form of a non limiting example, in which: - figure 1 is a frontal view of a boiler built according to the present invention; - figure 2 is a transversal section, in larger scale, according to the lines II- II of figure 1; and - figure 3 is a perspective view, in still larger scale, of a detail of the joint between the external cladding and the lower cover. With reference to the figures, a boiler 1 comprises a tank 2 which is preferably but not exclusively, made of metal, designed to store a certain amount of water to be heated up for sanitary use. The tank 2 is preferably laid lengthways along a main Y-Y axis, which is positioned vertically or horizontally when the boiler is installed and ready for use. On the lateral or lower portion of the tank 2 there is an opening 3 for the insertion of a commonly-known type of heating element (not shown), for example, a gas burner unit, or a series of electrical resistors. The exterior of the tank 2 has one or more brackets 4, or similarly functioning parts, fixed to it designed to support the boiler which, when in use, is hung on a wall or surface. If the product were placed on any other type of floor-based support, the surface 14 could also serve a spacer for the rear wall. Moreover, the surfaces 7a and 7b could also be fitted with joints or other systems designed for the automatic assembly and attachment of the two shells 5a and 5b The tank 2 is sealed inside the two half shells 5 a, 5b of insulating material, which as a whole, form a layer of heat insulation or non-conducting material 6. Each one of the half shells 5a, 5b comprises a surface 7a, 7b, with a niche 8a, 8b, so that when the internal surfaces 7 a, 7b of the two half shells 5 a, 5b are placed together to form a layer of heat insulation 6, the whole created by the impressions 8a, 8b forms the internal cavity 9 , whose transversal section has a diameter which is substantially equal to the external diameter of the tank 2. On the external surface 10 of the layer of heat insulation 6 created by placing together the two half shells 5a, 5b there are two channels 11, which extend preferably along the Y-Y axis for the majority of the height of the external surface 10 and between which are placed the brackets) 4 for fastening the boiler to the wall. Preferably, although not exclusively, both the channels 11 are realised in only one of the two half shells 5a, 5b as shown in the section illustrated in figure 2. The channels 11 can be used beneficially to house the air feeder and fume exhaust pipes, as are necessary to ensure, for example, the airtight chamber of a gas boiler functions well. The external surface 10 of the layer of heat insulation 6 lying between the two channels 11 is flat to form an ample supporting portion 12, designed to provide a stable support distributed evenly over the wall on which the boiler is hung using the bracket(s) 4. The supporting portion 12 preferably has a polystyrene film applied to it which guarantees an increased compactness and a more aesthetic surface finish. The remaining peripheral portion 13 of the external surface 10 can have any one of various shapes, essentially dictated by the overall dimensions and design of the boiler, and with a transversal section of a C or U-shaped profile. The said peripheral portion 13 is wrapped with a cladding element 14, also with a section which is substantially C or U-shaped, which has two parallel end edges 15 folded inwards to allow them to be fitted in the channels 11. The cladding element 14 is sealed above and below the two covers 15 having, as shown in figure 3, grooves 16 in which the cladding element 14 is fixed. Preferably, in position with the grooves 16 of the lower cover there are drainage holes 17 which, when the boiler is in use, reduce or prevent condensation collecting. In this way, if the external cladding element 14 is made of folded sheet metal, the risk of oxidisation and the formation of rust in the grooves 16 is reduced. During the assembly of the boiler, the folded edges 15 of the cladding element 14 are attached to the channels 11 of the layer of heat insulation 6 in such a way that the cladding element 14 wraps the flanks and the frontal part of the boiler and only leaves the supporting portion 12 uncovered. The cladding 14, therefore, strengthens the reciprocal connection of the two half shells 5a, 5b, by compressing them against each other in a 'belt' effect. In addition to, or as an alternatively to the joints of the half shells 5a, 5b formed by the cladding element 14, other types of connecting elements can be fitted, such as, for example, two U-bolts which fasten the upper and lower ends of the half shells 5 a, 5b or, in any case, any other type of commonly-known fastening means. Obviously, by maintaining the principle of the present invention, various embodiments are possible and the relevant details can be varied widely with respect to this description and its illustration without falling outside the field of the present invention.

Claims: Claims 1. An electric or gas boiler, comprised of a tank 2 sealed inside a layer of heat insulation 6 with an external peripheral surface 10, the boiler also comprising an external cladding element 14, characterised by the fact that the external peripheral surface 10 comprises a first supporting portion 12 and a second peripheral portion 13, which extends further than the first portion 12, the cladding element 14 being fixed detachably to the layer of heat insulation 6 and covering the second peripheral portion 13, leaving the first supporting portion 12 uncovered. 2. A boiler according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said boiler comprises a bracket means 4 for hanging the boiler, when in use, on the wall, the first portion 12 being placed in position with the bracket 4. 3. A boiler according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the covering element 14 is U or C-shaped and is fixed to the layer of heat insulation 6 using fastening means 11, 15. 4. A boiler according to claim 3 , characterised by the fact that the fastening means 11, 15 comprise a pair of longitudinal parallel channels 11 which mark out the side of the first supporting portion 12 and which are located on the external peripheral surface 10 of the layer of heat insulation 6, the covering element 14 comprising folded edges 15 designed to be fitted into the channels 11. 5. A boiler according to claim 4, characterised by the fact that in the said channels 11 are housed air feeder and fume exhaust pipes. 6. A boiler according to any of the previous claims, characterised by the fact that the external cladding element 14 is sealed at least below with a cover 15. 7. A boiler according to claim 6, characterised by the fact that the cover 15 has a groove 16 into which an edge of the cladding element 14 fits, and a plurality of drainage holes made in position with the groove 16. 8. A boiler according to any of the previous claims, characterised by the fact that the first supporting portion 12 is covered externally with a film of plastic covering material. 9. A boiler according to any of the previous claims, characterised by the fact that the layer of heat insulation 6 is formed from at least two half shells 5a, 5b, reciprocally strengthened and brought together by the tightening effect of the cladding element 14.

Inventors: MARCHETTI RUGGERO, MARCHETTI, RUGGERO
Applicants: MARCHETTI RUGGERO, MERLONI TERMOSANITARI SPA, MARCHETTI, RUGGERO, MERLONI TERMOSANITARI S.P.A.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: F24H1
IPC codes: F24H1, F24H9