A grooved-ended resilient expansion joint is disclosed. The expansion joint has a resilient expansion member with a central resilient portion and two resilient axially disposed cylindrical ends. Each cylindrical end has a radially outwardly raised distal cylindrical gasket portion with at least one inside shoulder having an inner diameter sized substantially the same as an outer diameter of a pipe to be joined. A pair of pre-assembled pipe couplings are provided for joining the expansion joint to a pair groove-ended pipe segments without disassembling the coupling.

A thermal expansion compensating device has a conduit with a first opening and a second opening for connection to a first pipe and a second pipe of a hot water system, respectively, the first and second pipes being formed by removing a section from a length of pipe of the hot water system. A pre-tensioning force is applied to the device to axially displace the first opening from the second opening until after connection of the openings of the pipes. A resiliently deformable pipe segment defines a portion of the conduit between the first opening and the second opening and is resiliently deformed to a tensioned position by the application of the pre-tensioning force. Once the hot water system is activated, the pipes axially thermally expand such that the first opening moves towards the second opening and the pipe segment moves from the tensioned position towards a rest position decreasing the stress on the device.

A grooved-ended resilient expansion joint is disclosed. The expansion joint has a resilient expansion member with a central resilient portion and two resilient axially disposed cylindrical ends. Each cylindrical end has a radially outwardly raised distal cylindrical gasket portion with at least one inside shoulder having an inner diameter sized substantially the same as an outer diameter of a pipe to be joined. Each cylindrical end also has a neck portion between the central portion and the gasket portion that is sized to receive a grooved-ended pipe nipple.

A thermal expansion compensating device has a conduit with a first opening and a second opening for connection to a first pipe and a second pipe of a hot water system, respectively, the first and second pipes being formed by removing a section from a length of pipe of the hot water system. A pre-tensioning force is applied to the device to axially displace the first opening from the second opening until after connection of the openings of the pipes. A resiliently deformable pipe segment defines a portion of the conduit between the first opening and the second opening and is resiliently deformed to a tensioned position by the application of the pre-tensioning force. Once the hot water system is activated, the pipes axially thermally expand such that the first opening moves towards the second opening and the pipe segment moves from the tensioned position towards a rest position decreasing the stress on the device.

A flow management system includes an expandable device configured for attachment to a wall surface of a conduit and being adjustable between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, an electric actuator in fluid communication with the expandable device, and a control module. The control module is configured to control the electric actuator to flow a current to the expandable device to expand the expandable device for compacting a flow blockage within the conduit to create a channel adjacent the flow blockage and to terminate a flow of the current to the expandable device to collapse the expandable device for opening the channel to a fluid flow within the conduit.

This disclosure relates to a device in the form of a connecting pipe for use in heat pump devices for decoupling as well as for vibration control. The device includes a pipe section as well as a connecting element arranged at each end. The device further includes two non-metallic, spaced, staggered bellows assemblies for vibration compensation, the pipe section having a constant material thickness between the connecting elements, apart from any individual stabilizing rings. In addition, the bellows arrangements includes of one or more annularly closed foldings, each extending 360°.

A flow management system includes an expandable device configured for attachment to a wall surface of a conduit and being adjustable between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, an electric actuator in fluid communication with the expandable device, and a control module. The control module is configured to control the electric actuator to flow a current to the expandable device to expand the expandable device for compacting a flow blockage within the conduit to create a channel adjacent the flow blockage and to terminate a flow of the current to the expandable device to collapse the expandable device for opening the channel to a fluid flow within the conduit.

A compensator arrangement comprising a first fixing unit, a second fixing unit, and an intermediate flexible member removably arranged between the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit and comprising a main body, a first radial end flange and a second radial end flange, wherein the first fixing unit comprises a first connecting member having a first connecting body and a first fixing flange having a plurality of through-holes, a first counter ring, a first clamping ring and a first clamping device for releasably clamping the first radial end flange.

The invention relates to a compensator arrangement comprising a first fixing unit (10), a second fixing unit (20), and an intermediate flexible member (30) removably arranged between the first fixing unit (10) and the second fixing unit (20) and comprising a main body (33), a first radial end flange (31) and a second radial end flange (32), wherein the first fixing unit (10) comprises a first connecting member (11) having a first connecting body (11a) and a first fixing flange (11b) having a plurality of through-holes (11c), a first counter ring (12), a first clamping ring (13) and a first clamping device (14) for releasably clamping the first radial end flange (31), the first clamping device (14) comprising bolts (15) and elongated recesses (13a) for receiving the bolts, the second fixing unit (20) comprises a second connecting member (21) comprising a connecting body (21a) and a second fixing flange (21b) having a plurality of through-holes (21c), a second counter ring (22), a second clamping ring (23) and second clamping device (24) for releasably clamping the second radial end flange (32), the second clamping device (24) comprising bolts (15) and elongated recesses for receiving the bolts, wherein the first end flange (31) of the flexible intermediate member (30) is fluid-tightly clamped between the first fixing flange (11b) of the first connecting member (11) and the first counter ring (12), and wherein the second end flange (32) of the flexible intermediate member (30) is fluid-tightly clamped between the second fixing flange (21b) of the second connecting member (21) and the second counter ring (22).

A thermal expansion compensating device has a conduit with a first opening and a second opening for connection to a first pipe and a second pipe of a hot water system, respectively, the first and second pipes being formed by removing a section from a length of pipe of the hot water system. A pre-tensioning force is applied to the device to axially displace the first opening from the second opening until after connection of the openings of the pipes. A resiliently deformable pipe segment defines a portion of the conduit between the first opening and the second opening and is resiliently deformed to a tensioned position by the application of the pre-tensioning force. Once the hot water system is activated, the pipes axially thermally expand such that the first opening moves towards the second opening and the pipe segment moves from the tensioned position towards a rest position decreasing the stress on the device.