초록 ▼

A U-bend pipe spacer for separating vertical portions of a U-bend pipe in a bore in the ground during installation of the U-bend pipe in a geothermal vertical heat exchanger system. The U-bend pipe spacer includes a biasing member with a pair of elongate portions having free ends biased apart from o

A U-bend pipe spacer for separating vertical portions of a U-bend pipe in a bore in the ground during installation of the U-bend pipe in a geothermal vertical heat exchanger system. The U-bend pipe spacer includes a biasing member with a pair of elongate portions having free ends biased apart from one another. The elongate portions of the biasing member is resiliently deflectable from a relaxed position to a deflected portion such that the free ends of the elongate portions of the biasing member are positioned closer to each other when the elongate portions are in the deflected position. The spacer also includes a pair of clip members each comprising a body having a concave arcuate side face defining a channel and a tremie hook is coupled to the body. The tremie hook has a concave side. The body of a first of the clip members is coupled to the free end of a first of the elongate portions of the biasing member and the body of a second of the clip members is coupled to the free end of a second of the elongate portions of the biasing member with the channels of the clip members facing outwardly away from each other. The channel of the body of the first clip member is designed for receiving a first elongate portion of a U-bend pipe therein and the channel of the body of the second clip member is designed for receiving a second elongate portion of the U-bend pipe therein. The bodies of the clip members are positioned adjacent each other when the elongate portions of the biasing member are positioned in the deflected position. In this deflected position, the tremie hooks of the clip members overlap each other so that the concave sides of the tremie hooks face one another and define a tremie space therebetween for extending a tremie pipe therethrough which holds the elongate portions of the biasing member in the deflected position as long as the tremie pipe is in the tremie space.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A U-bend pipe spacer mounting to a pair of elongate portions of a U-bend pipe and an elongate tremie pipe of a geothermal vertical heat exchanger system, said U-bend pipe spacer comprising:a biasing member comprising a pair of elongate portions each having a free end, said free ends

[ I claim:] [1.] A U-bend pipe spacer mounting to a pair of elongate portions of a U-bend pipe and an elongate tremie pipe of a geothermal vertical heat exchanger system, said U-bend pipe spacer comprising:a biasing member comprising a pair of elongate portions each having a free end, said free ends of said elongate portions of said biasing member being biased apart from one another;said elongate portions of said biasing member being resiliently deflectable from a relaxed position to a deflected portion such that said free ends of said elongate portions of said biasing member are positioned closer to each other when said elongate portions are in said deflected position;a pair of clip members, each said clip member comprising:a body having a concave arcuate side face defining a channel;a tremie hook being coupled to said body;said tremie hook having a concave side;said body of a first of said clip members being coupled to said free end of a first of said elongate portions of said biasing member and said body of a second of said clip members being coupled to said free end of a second of said elongate portions of said biasing member;said channels of said clip members facing outwardly away from each other;said channel of said body of said first clip member being adapted for receiving a first elongate portion of a U-bend pipe therein, said channel of said body of said second clip member being adapted for receiving a second elongate portion of the U-bend pipe therein;said bodies of said clip members being positioned adjacent each other when said elongate portions of said biasing member are positioned in said deflected position; andsaid tremie hooks of said clip members overlapping each other when said elongate portions of said biasing member are positioned in said deflected position such that said concave sides of said tremie hooks face one another and define a tremie space therebetween for extending a tremie pipe therethrough to hold said elongate portions of said biasing member in said deflected position such that said clip members are positioned adjacent each other.