Steam Trap Insulating Cover with Wireless Monitoring
OwnerJoseph Richterinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steam trap cover has a front panel, a back panel, a top panel, and a first and a second end panel joined along edges forming a rectangular enclosure, and a bottom panel joined along one edge, such that the bottom panel may be opened or closed, the first and second end panels each having a circular opening and a slit from a bottom edge of the end panel into the circular opening. The cover is characterized in that with the bottom panel open and the slits in the end panels separated the cover is adapted to be placed over a steam trap having an inlet and an exit pipe until the entrance and the exit pipe are enclosed in the circular openings, after which closing the bottom cover completely encloses the steam trap.
Claims20
A steam trap cover, comprising:
- a front panel, a back panel, a top panel, and a first and a second end panel joined together along panel edges forming a substantially rectangular enclosure open at the bottom, and a bottom panel joined along one lower edge of the front or the back panel, such that the bottom panel may be opened or closed, the first and second end panels each having a circular opening and a slit from a bottom edge of the end panel into the circular opening;
- characterized in that with the bottom panel open and the slits in the end panels separated the cover is adapted to be placed over a steam trap having an inlet and an exit pipe until the entrance and the exit pipe are enclosed in the circular openings, after which closing the bottom cover completely encloses the steam trap.
A method for insulating a steam trap having an entrance and an exit pipe, comprising:
- providing a steam trap cover having a front panel, a back panel, a top panel, and a first and a second end panel joined together along panel edges forming a substantially rectangular enclosure open at the bottom, and a bottom panel joined along one lower edge of the front or the back panel, such that the bottom panel may be opened or closed, the first and second end panels each having a circular opening and a slit from a bottom edge of the end panel into the circular opening;
- enclosing the steam trap by the cover by opening the bottom panel, separating the slits in the end panels, placing the steam trap cover down over the steam trap until the entrance and the exit pipe are enclosed in the circular openings, closing the slits in the end panels and closing the bottom cover.
A heat exchanging or steam transfer system, comprising:
- a plurality of steam traps connected in the system with each steam trap having an entrance and an exit pipe;
- a plurality of removable steam trap covers each having a front panel, a back panel, a top panel, a bottom panel and a first and a second end panel joined together along panel edges forming an enclosure, the steam trap covers each further comprising a first pipe clip carrying a first temperature sensor with a first conductor from the first temperature sensor and a second pipe clip carrying a second temperature sensor with a second conductor from the second temperature sensor, the first and second conductors leading to a wireless transmitter in a transmitter pocket affixed to a surface of the back cover, the steam trap covers enclosing individual ones of the plurality of steam traps;
- and
- a central digital hub having wireless communication circuitry coupled to a processor executing software, and a data repository;
- wherein the temperature sensors at each steam trap having a steam trap cover in the system measure temperature of the inlet and exit pipes, the wireless transmitters in the transmitter pockets transmit the measured temperatures to the wireless communication circuitry, and the processor executing the SW determines condition or failure of each steam trap having a steam trap cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.