DE29903371U1 - Pipe for piping - Google Patents

Description

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Applicant: Knut Kruse Vonnemann & Partner

Our reference: 0603gm

Pipe for pipelines

The invention relates to a pipe for pipelines, with a pipe body made of an electrically non-conductive material, wherein one or more regions of the pipe body are provided with an electrically conductive material designed as an interrupted metal band.

/ For pipelines that supply gas or water or dispose of waste water, plastic pipes are often used instead of metal pipes, in particular because of their low manufacturing costs and low susceptibility to corrosion. If such pipes are laid underground, they cannot be quickly and safely found or located using sensor devices during subsequent civil engineering work. The laid pipes can therefore easily be damaged during civil engineering work. Even cadastral extracts or site plans from supply and disposal companies are usually of no help here, as such plans are often too imprecise.

From DE-OS 27 30 677, a pipe for laying in the ground is known, which consists of a non-metallic material as the main component, to which fine metallic particles are added in order to be able to find the pipe in the ground using a metal detector. From DE-OS 22 48 441, it is known to embed a metal wire conductor in the pipe wall of plastic pipes in order to locate them after they have been laid.

From DE-GM 17 22 682 it is known to apply electrical

Applying coatings, metal powder or axially parallel or spiral strips of metal foil to dissipate electrical charges. CH 682 840 A5 also discloses a polymer pipeline with metal strips arranged on the inner wall to dissipate a voltage or charge. Finally, AT-PS 294 506 discloses a flexible hose with an electrical conductor running along the hose wall, in which yarns or threads are woven or interwoven with metal wires to eliminate electrostatic charges. In order to fulfil their purpose, these coatings, metal strips or wires must not be interrupted at any point and must therefore have a minimum thickness to prevent accidental strip tears, especially in the case of flexible pipes or hoses.

DE 196 22 247 A1 discloses a generic pipe for pipelines made of a non-conductive material that is provided with an electrically conductive material designed as an interrupted metal strip to enable the underground pipe to be located using suitable electromagnetic sensor devices. However, the sensor signals obtained in this way only indicate that a pipe is present. Further information, for example about the depth at which the pipe is located or what medium it transports, cannot be obtained using the known arrangements. If several underground pipes are located close together, they cannot be distinguished using the known methods.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply designed pipe for pipelines with a pipe body made of an electrically non-conductive

Material that is identifiable by suitable sensing devices, particularly if the pipeline is buried together with others.

The solution to the problem set according to the invention is that the metal strip and its interruptions are arranged at least in sections in the form of a code that contains information about the pipe and can be read by suitable sensor devices. The interrupted metal strip according to the invention can be reliably detected by conventional sensor devices known for locating metal pipes due to its electromagnetic effect. The coded information can be read without the need for additional measures. For example, such sensor devices can emit tones of different frequencies, durations or amplitudes depending on the amplitude of the electromagnetic reaction of the pipe, which can be directly perceived by the operating personnel and also understood if they know the code accordingly.

In a preferred embodiment, the coding is represented by different section lengths, different material thicknesses or material widths of the metal strip. These measures are each suitable for modifying the amplitude of the electromagnetic reaction of the pipe to the sensor device along the pipe direction.

In one variant, it is proposed that the coding be represented by different metals arranged in sections, in particular with different magnetic properties. In particular, the

interrupted metal strip could consist of a ferromagnetic material or a ferromagnetic material and a non-ferromagnetic material could be arranged in sections. In this case, a conventional metal detector would be particularly suitable as a sensor device, since such devices are usually already set up to distinguish between magnetic and non-magnetic metals.

In a further development of the invention, it is recommended that the metal strip and its interruptions are arranged in the form of a bar code, so that when a sensor device is moved along the pipe, a characteristic signal sequence is generated in the latter. Moving along the pipe direction represents the simplest form of converting the spatially arranged coding into a temporal signal sequence, which can be temporarily stored in a decoder arranged downstream of the sensor device and preferably housed together with the sensor device in a housing, subsequently decoded and then displayed in plain text.

However, the code can also be read, at least in sections, by swiveling a suitable antenna of the fixed sensor device over the section to be read. This can be done mechanically or electronically by dividing an electrical signal to be emitted or received by the sensor device into two or more parts, each of which has a phase shift that changes over time and is coupled into or out of the antenna at different points.

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In a preferred embodiment, the coding on the pipe contains information about the medium being transported and/or the diameter and/or the depth of the pipe being laid. Such information is best suited to distinguishing and identifying different pipes that are laid close next to or on top of each other. However, this does not mean that other information, for example about the material of the pipe body or its wall thickness, is superfluous. If required, this and other data can of course also be provided as a code on the pipe.

In a preferred embodiment, the tube body consists essentially of plastic. In addition to the known advantages of this material, it is also particularly well suited for accommodating the electrically conductive material.

Plastic pipes for the supply and disposal sector in underground pressure pipe channels or in gravity channels are preferably made of polyvinyl chloride according to DIN 19531 (PVC - hard), polyethylene according to DIN 19535 (PE - hard), polypropylene according to DIN 19560 (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene according to DIN 19561 (ABS) or acrylic ester-styrene-acrylonitrile according to DIN 19561 (ASA). The invention also extends to all other plastics and all other materials that are electrically non-conductors.

In a first variant, the interrupted metal band is attached, in particular glued, to the inside or outside of the pipe wall. This can be done both during and after the manufacture of the pipe body. In one embodiment of this variant, the interrupted metal band is

thermal treatment of the pipe body. This creates a particularly close connection between the non-conductive and the conductive material, whereby an additional adhesive is not required.

In a second variant, the interrupted metal band is arranged inside the pipe wall. This measure has the advantage of an even stronger and more permanent connection between the non-conductive and the conductive material.

In addition, this arrangement of the electrically conductive material is particularly suitable for the cost-effective manufacturing process described below.

In a preferred method for producing a pipe with a pipe body made of an electrically non-conductive material and with one or more areas of the pipe body that are provided with an interrupted metal band, it is provided that the interrupted metal band is introduced into the interior of the pipe wall during the manufacture of the pipe body. This measure is recommended because there is simple and cost-effective access to the interior of the pipe wall during the manufacture of the pipe body.

In a further development of the method, the interrupted metal strip is introduced into the pipe wall by thermal treatment, in particular during the extrusion of a plastic pipe. The material of the pipe wall, which is soft and plastically deformable during the thermal treatment, allows the interrupted metal strip to be easily introduced. In particular, the metal strip can be introduced into the pipe wall by being added to an extrusion machine.

Due to the predominant direction of movement during the production of a plastic pipe by extrusion, a linear arrangement of the electrically conductive material in the non-conductive material results, which is arranged in an interrupted manner.

However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments with regard to the shape and arrangement of the interrupted metal strip. The interrupted metal strip can also consist of a conductive layer with which parts of the pipe body are coated.

An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

The single figure shows a side view of a tube according to the invention with a longitudinally oriented interrupted metal band.

The pipe according to the invention shown as an example has a pipe body 1 made of electrically non-conductive plastic, which is provided with electrically conductive metal in the form of an interrupted metal band 6 made of copper, which is attached to the outside 2 of the pipe body 1. However, it could also be attached to the inside or on both sides of the pipe body. The pieces of the interrupted metal band 6 run in the longitudinal direction of the pipe body 1. They were attached to the pipe body 1 by thermally treating the plastic of the pipe body 1.

The embodiment described and shown in the figure can of course also be modified so that the metal band is inserted into the interior of the tube wall of the tube body 1

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is embedded. This is done according to a preferred method advantageously during the production of the pipe body 1. When extruding the plastic pipe, the electrically conductive material 6 can be introduced into the pipe wall in a simple manner and without any special effort by means of an additional device on an extrusion machine.

It is not immediately apparent from the figure that the metal band and its interruptions are arranged according to the invention in the form of a code that contains information about the pipe and can be read by suitable sensor devices.

A buried pipeline consisting of plastic pipes 1 according to the invention with an interrupted metal band 6 can be quickly and easily found, located and identified during subsequent civil engineering work due to its electromagnetic properties using suitable sensor devices, whereby information about the properties of the pipe can be read from the outside or at a distance from the pipe, in the case of buried pipes, in particular from the earth's surface.

Claims (9)

• · Applicant: Knut Kruse Vonnemann & Partner Our reference: 0603gm PROTECTION CLAIMS 1. Pipe for pipelines, with a pipe body (1) made of an electrically non-conductive material, wherein one or more areas of the pipe body (1) are provided with an electrically conductive material designed as an interrupted metal band (6), characterized in that the metal band (6) and its interruptions are arranged at least in sections in the form of a code which Contains information about the pipe (1) and can be read by suitable sensor devices. 2. Pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that the coding by different section lengths, different material thicknesses or material widths of the metal strip (6) are shown in sections. 3. Pipe according to claim 1 or 2, characterized characterized in that the coding is represented by different metals arranged in sections, in particular with different magnetic properties. 4. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal band (6) and its interruptions are arranged in the form of a bar code so that when walking along the pipe line with a sensor device in This generates a characteristic signal sequence. 5. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that by means of the coding on the pipe (1) Information about the medium transported and/or the diameter and/or depth of the laid pipe is included. 6. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tubular body (1) consists essentially of plastic. 7. Pipe according to claim 6, characterized in that the interrupted metal band (6) is attached, in particular glued, to the inside (3) or the outside (2) of the pipe wall. 8. Pipe according to claim 7, characterized in that the interrupted metal band (6) is attached to the pipe body (1) by thermal treatment of the latter. 9. Pipe according to claim 6, characterized in that the interrupted metal band (6) is arranged in the interior of the pipe wall.