Abstract
A device (1) for collecting a condensate, comprising a collecting receiver (2) with a base region (3), at least one lateral wall (4), and a contact surface (5) to be brought into contact with a counter piece of a condensate-forming element. The collecting receiver (2) can be placed, at least partially peripherally, with the contact surface (5) against said condensate-forming element.
Claims
1. A device for collecting a condensate, the device comprising: a first collecting channel with a bottom region, at least one side wall, a contact surface for bringing into contact with a condensate-forming element, and the first collecting channel being of a flexible design, wherein the first collecting channel can be placed, in an at least partially encircling manner, with the contact surface against the condensate-forming element, the device has a second condensate-collecting part in a form of a second flexible collecting channel, which can be arranged on a second condensate-forming element, the first collecting channel is closed, in the circumferential direction, and has a first recess for receiving the condensate-forming element, the second condensate-collecting part has a second recess with a contact surface for receiving the second condensate-forming element, and the recess of the second condensate-collecting part spans an area which is positioned at angle of 90 to 165 relative to an area spanned by the first recess.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first collecting channel can be placed against the condensate-forming element in such a manner that the collecting channel at least completely encircles the element.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an outlet for conducting away a collected condensate, wherein the outlet is arranged on the first collecting channel.
4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device, or one or more regions of the device, is or are manufactured from an elastic material.
5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is formed integrally.
6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first recess has a diameter of between 10 mm to 50.8 mm.
7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess of the second condensate-collecting part has a diameter of 25.4 mm to 50.8 mm.
8. A method for at least one of collecting or conducting away a condensate on a cooler of an evaporation system using a device as claimed in claim 1.
9. An evaporation system having a device as claimed in claim 1.
10. A method for at least one of collecting or conducting away a condensate of an evaporation system, wherein condensate of a condensate-forming element is at least one of collected or conducted away in a collecting channel of a device as claimed in claim 1.
Description
(1) The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to figures and exemplary embodiments, in which:
(2) FIG. 1: shows a device for the directed dripping down of condensate from the prior art;
(3) FIG. 2: shows a vertical section through a device according to the invention for collecting a condensate;
(4) FIG. 3: shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of a device according to the invention obliquely from above;
(5) FIG. 4: shows a perspective view of the device from FIG. 3 obliquely from below;
(6) FIG. 5: shows a vertical section of the device from FIGS. 3 and 4;
(7) FIG. 6a: shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention for collecting a condensate, similarly to a flexible curve ruler;
(8) FIG. 6b: shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention for collecting a condensate, similarly to a flexible curve ruler, during use as intended;
(9) FIG. 7: shows a further embodiment of a device according to the invention for collecting a condensate, similarly to a spiral cable connector.
(10) FIG. 1 shows a device I for collecting and conducting away a condensate from the prior art. The device I is configured as a plastics part with a seam II. The seam II runs completely around a punched recess III and has a tapering outer region IV. In the operating state, the punched recess III is placed around a condensate-forming element, wherein a condensate is gathered at the seam II. The gathered condensate drips downward via the tapering outer region IV. The dripping-down condensate is collected, for example, in a collecting cup which is not shown here and, in the operating state, is positioned under the tapering outer region IV. This device is advantageously arranged in an inclined plane such that the tapering region forms the lowest point. However, this is not always straightforward.
(11) FIG. 2 shows a vertical section through a device 1 according to the invention for collecting a condensate. The device 1 has a collecting channel 2 which comprises a bottom region 3, a side wall 4 and a contact surface 5. The contact surface 5 defines a recess 8. An outlet 6 is arranged in the bottom region 3 of the device 1. A connecting element 7 via which a collected condensate can be conducted away is located in the outlet 6. In the operating state, the contact surface 5 is in contact with a condensate-forming element, for example with the lower region of a reflux cooler. A condensate flowing down from the condensate-forming element is collected in the collecting channel 2. The collecting channel 2 which is bounded by the bottom region 3, the side wall 4 and the contact surface 5 has a collecting volume. A collected condensate is conducted out via the outlet 6. A conducting-away system (not shown here), for example a hose, can be connected to the connecting element 7. The device 1 is manufactured from Santoprene 8201-70.
(12) FIGS. 3 and 4 show a further embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention in various views. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view obliquely from above and FIG. 4 a perspective view obliquely from below. The device 1 is substantially identical to the device from FIG. 2 and has a collecting channel 2. The collecting channel 2 comprises a bottom region 3, a side wall 4 and a contact surface 5. An outlet 6 is arranged in the bottom region 3 of the device 1. The contact surface 5 defines a recess 8. The collecting channel 2 completely encircles the recess 8. The recess 8 spans an area which, in the operating state, can be positioned substantially horizontally on a condensate-forming element.
(13) The device 1 of FIGS. 3 and 4 differs from the device from FIG. 2 by means of a further condensate-collecting and/or condensate-conducting-away part, a second recess 9 and a contact surface 10 of the recess 9. The further condensate-collecting and/or condensate-conducting-away part has a supporting surface 11 on the edge of the second recess. In the operating state, the device 1 is positioned by means of the recesses 8 and 9 around two condensate-forming elements or at two positions of a condensate-forming element. Condensate running downward at the condensate-forming elements or the condensate-forming element is collected via that region of the device which encircles the recess 9 and is conducted to the collecting channel 2 and/or is collected directly in the collecting channel 2 and conducted away via the outlet 6.
(14) FIG. 5 shows a vertical section of the device from FIGS. 3 and 4. The first recess 8 for receiving a condensate-forming element spans an area F1. The recess 9 of the second condensate-collecting part spans a second area F2. The second area F2 spanned by the recess 9 is positioned at an angle of substantially 120 relative to the area F1 spanned by the first recess 8.
(15) FIGS. 6a and 6b show a further embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention composed of a plastically deformable material similar to a flexible curve ruler. The device 1 has a collecting channel 2 and an outlet 6. The collecting channel 2 has a bottom region 3, a side wall 4 and a contact surface 5. The device is of basically elongate design (FIG. 6a). For the operating state, the device 1 is placed against a condensate-forming element and is deformed in such a manner that the device 1 lies in an accurately fitting manner against the condensate-forming element (FIG. 6b). The device 1 permanently maintains this shape until the device is deformed again or removed. The device 1 can therefore be optimally adapted or is optimally adapted according to the situation or use to a corresponding counterpart. The closed end region which is positioned at the lowest point in the operating state comprises an outlet 6. Gathered condensate can be conducted out via said outlet and can optionally be conducted away in a manner directed by a connected hose.
(16) FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment according to the invention of the device 1 composed of an elastically deformable material which behaves similarly to a spiral cable connector. The device 1 has a collecting channel 2 and an outlet 6. The collecting channel 2 has a bottom region 3, a side wall 4 and a contact surface 5. The device 1 is configured spirally. The elastic material is deformable, but resumes its shape existing before deformation or attempts to resume the shape existing before the deformation. Owing to the elastic properties of the material, the contact surface 5 is pressed against a corresponding cylindrical counterpart, and therefore the device is adapted particularly advantageously in the operating state. The device 1 can thus be advantageously placed against condensate-forming elements having different sizes or diameters. The collecting channel 2 has a length such that the device 1 at least completely encircles a corresponding counterpart. Condensate which flows down over the entire surface of the condensate-forming element is thus collected and can be conducted out via the outlet 6 in the closed end region of the lowest point of the collecting channel 2.
