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EP-4314614-B1 - LIQUID RECOVERY AND SAFETY SYSTEM FOR A PRESSURISED LIQUID SUPPLY LINE

EP4314614B1EP 4314614 B1EP4314614 B1EP 4314614B1EP-4314614-B1

Inventors

  • BONA, PIETRO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220325

Claims (13)

  1. A liquid recovery and safety system (1;200) for a hydraulic pipe (6) which is coupled in fluid-tight manner, in use, to a delivery fitting (2) and to an injection fitting (4) for conveying a pressurised liquid; the system (1) comprising: - at least one shoulder body (12) arranged, in use, in a fixed and coaxial position, at one of the delivery and injection fittings (2, 4); - at least one sleeve (7, 8; 29A, 29B) which has a first and a second axial end, opposite to one another, and is suitable to be arranged coaxially around said pipe (6) in an operating position, in which said sleeve (7, 8; 29A, 29B) is coupled in fluid-tight manner to said shoulder body (12) and forms, in use, an annular chamber (20) around an end segment of said pipe; - fixing means (7A, 8A; 30, 40) for fixing said sleeve (7, 8; 29A, 29B) with respect to said pipe (6); - at least one drainage opening (21, 48; 50, 48) communicating with said annular chamber (20) to allow the liquid to flow out of said annular chamber (20) towards the outside; characterised in that said fixing means are manoeuvrable, manually and/or with the aid of suitable equipment, for releasably fixing the sleeve with respect to the pipe (6) in any desired position along the pipe (6), and comprise a driving member (13B; 13A) which is movable with respect to said sleeve (7, 8; 29A, 29B), in response to a manual action, between a) a release position, in which said sleeve (7, 8; 29B, 29A) is substantially free to axially slide from and towards said operating position; b) a blocking position, in which said fixing means stop the axial sliding of said sleeve (7, 8; 29B, 29A).
  2. The system according to claim 1, comprising a cover sheath (9) suitable to be arranged, in use, around said pipe (6), and having an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of said pipe (6) so as to form, in use, an annular channel with respect to said pipe (6), said annular channel communicating with said annular chamber (20); and wherein said fixing means are carried by said first end and, in said blocking position, are interference fitted onto said cover sheath (9).
  3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said drainage opening (21) is located along said cover sheath (9).
  4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said cover sheath (9) comprises a first and a second sheath portion; and wherein the system further comprises a T-fitting (10) having: - a first pipe fitting (10A) and a second pipe fitting (10B) coupled in fluid-tight manner to said first and second sheath portions, respectively, and - a third pipe fitting (10C) arranged in an intermediate position between said first pipe fitting (10A) and said second pipe fitting (10B) and defining said drainage opening (21).
  5. The system according to claim 1, comprising a further sleeve (27) suitable to be arranged, in use, around said pipe (6); and wherein said fixing means are carried by said further sleeve (27) and, in said blocking position, are interference fitted onto said sleeve (29B, 29A).
  6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said further sleeve (27) has an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of said pipe (6) so as to form, together with said sleeve (27B, 27A), a gap with respect to said pipe (6); and wherein said drainage opening (50) is provided in said further sleeve (27).
  7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said fixing means are carried by said first end and, in said blocking position, in use, are interference fitted onto said pipe (6).
  8. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said shoulder body (12) comprises a collar portion (12A) which radially delimits an axial end of said annular chamber (20) and is coupled in fluid-tight manner to said second end, in said operating position.
  9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said drainage opening (48) is made through said collar portion (12A).
  10. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fixing means comprise an elastically deformable portion (16; 16A), distinct from said sleeve (7, 8; 29B, 29A); and wherein said driving member (13B; 13A), in said blocking position, causes a radial deformation of said elastically deformable portion (16; 16A) so as to reduce the internal radius of said elastically deformable portion (16; 16A) and determine an interference fit.
  11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said elastically deformable portion (16) defines part of a deformable element (15) distinct from said driving member (13B).
  12. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising two of said shoulder bodies (12) and two of said sleeves (7,8; 29A, 29B) arranged, in use, at opposite ends of said pipe.
  13. A pressurised liquid supply line (100), comprising: - inlet means (3) comprising a delivery fitting (2); - a pipe (6) coupled in fluid-tight manner to said delivery fitting (2); - a liquid recovery and safety system (1; 200) according to any one of the preceding claims; said shoulder body (12) being fixed and coaxial with respect to said delivery fitting (2).

Description

Cross-Reference to Related Applications This patent application claims priority of Italian Patent Application No. 102021000007544 filed on March 26, 2021. Technical Field The present invention relates to a liquid recovery and safety system for a pressurised liquid supply line, in particular for a line installed at industrial plants, swimming pools, hotels or other facilities, in order to recover any liquid leaked out of the line in the event of failure or wear thus to ensure the safety of the operators and of the surrounding environment. State of the Art As is known, in general, pressurised liquid supply lines comprise a pipe which is connected in fluid-tight manner, at its opposite ends, to a delivery fitting of a pump, and to an injection fitting for conveying the liquid to a distributor or to a further pipe. The liquid supplied by the line can also be represented by chemical substances recognized as hazardous to humans and/or to the surrounding environment. For this reason, the need is felt to place such lines in safety conditions, i.e. to prevent any liquid leaked out of the line due to wear or failures from generating damage in the surrounding environment or to operators and/or from generating slip hazards for such operators. In the known solutions, sometimes, a protective sheath is provided which covers the pipe in a fixed and permanent manner. Although such protective sheath is effective as shield for any liquid that seeps when breakages or cracks occur in an intermediate segment of the pipe, the same protective sheath does not prove to be as effective in the hypothesis in which the leakage of liquid takes place in proximity to the delivery and/or injection fittings. In fact, generally, such fittings cannot be validly covered by the protective sheath, in order to leave space and freedom for the operators to carry out inspection and/or maintenance operations. Furthermore, the known solutions generally fail to recover any liquid seeped from the pipe. DE3142702A1, US10473252B2 and DE202009006902U1 relate to solutions with a protective sheath which is provided with a side hole and is fixed in a stable and irreversible manner to the pipe. For example, in DE3142702A1 the sheath is fixed by means of two fittings welded to the pipe. This type of coupling does not allow moving and repositioning the sheath, nor inspecting the pipe, nor possibly reusing the components. Technical Problem In light of the foregoing, the need is particularly felt to provide a system that is able to ensure the safety of the operators and of the surrounding environment, to recover any liquid seeped from the pipe, and in any case to give the possibility to carry out inspection and maintenance operations. Furthermore, the need is felt to increase the protection of the pipe, averting the occurrence of premature wear phenomena, with the consequent formation of breakages or cracks. Therefore, aim of the present invention is to provide a liquid recovery and safety system for a pressurised liquid supply line which meets the above requirements, preferably with a high level of effectiveness and/or with a limited number of components which, moreover, could be normally reused, without having to be replaced, after the inspection/maintenance operations. Subject of the Invention According to the invention, a liquid recovery and safety system and a corresponding pressurised liquid supply line are provided, as defined in the appended claims. Brief Description of the Drawings The features and the advantages of the present invention will be apparent with greater evidence from the detailed description of exemplifying embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1A is a schematic and perspective view of a first embodiment of the liquid recovery and safety system for a pressurised liquid supply line, according to the present invention;Fig. 1B is a lateral view of the supply line of Fig. 1A, with some parts shown in cross section;Figs. 1C and 1D are similar to Figs. 1A and 1B, respectively, with two components which are shown in a different position to enable, for example, inspection and/or maintenance operations;Figs. 2A-2D are similar to Figs. 1A-1D, respectively, and show a second embodiment according to the present invention;Figs. 3A-3D are similar to Figs. 1A-1D and show a variation of the first embodiment;Figs. 4A-4D are similar to Figs. 2A-2D and show the variation of Figs. 3A-3D applied to the second embodiment;Figs. 5A and 5B show, in sectional view and on an enlarged scale, a fixing device forming part of the system of the present invention, the fixing device being arranged in a blocking position and in a release position, respectively;Figs. 6A and 6B are similar to Figs. 5A and 5B and show an alternative solution of the fixing device; andFigs. 7A-7C show different alternatives for the mounting configuration for a component of the system according to the present invention. Description of the Exemplifying Embodiments of