The invention relates to a heat exchanger for motorized vehicles, comprising: at least one heat-conducting conduit for passage of a first medium, a covering of a thermally conducting porous structure connected to an external side of the conduit for passage of a second medium surrounding the conduit.

1. A contruction element for heat insulation in buildings, especially in protruding cantilever wall portions, comprising an elongate insulation element (10) made of a thermally insulating material, wherein elongate metallic reinforcing elements (20) are provided which extend substantially transversely for the insulation element (10) and which protrude in lateral direction on either side, characterized in that the insulation element (10), together with said reinforcing elements (20), is formed as an integral prefabricated element and provided, or adapted to be provided, with at least one compression element (30) being integrated into the insulation element (10) as an interconnecting (joining) core member and having dimensions corresponding to those of the insulation element (10).

Equipment (10) for the preparation of a hot beverage comprising a boiler (10) capable of containing a liquid component of the beverage, for example water, a collection container (14) and means (22, 20, 28) defining a delivery path for the liquid component from the boiler to the collection container. The equipment also comprises valve means (40) located along the delivery path for the liquid component comprising a plug (44) which can move between a position in which the delivery path is closed and one in which it is open and means (70, 72; 74, 76; 78) to immobilise the plug in the open position. These means are arranged in such a way that they can be activated and deactivated by a force exerted in the direction of movement of the plug.

The invention relates to a cooling device ( 1 ) for cooling an item to be cooled, especially for use in the examination, handling and processing of cryogenic samples. The device includes a cooling compartment ( 3 ) for receiving the item to be cooled, an inner wall defining the cooling compartment ( 3 ), an outer wall, a space between the outer wall and the inner wall, and a coolant feed line ( 11 ) for feeding a coolant. According to the invention, the coolant feed line ( 11 ) leads into the space between the inner wall and the outer wall and feeds the coolant into the space, the inner wall being permeable for the coolant.

The device (10) has at least one resistance heating element and a heat conducting flat envelope (20) enclosing the resistance heating element for outputting heat to the medium to be heated. At least one temperature detection element with electrical connections is arranged inside the envelope with its connections in a connection region (20c) of the envelope. The envelope edges are joined in a sealed manner.

The invention relates to an apparatus for heating water by solar energy, including a container made from a plastic film or sheeting for the water to be supplied to consumers, having a cold water inlet opening preceded by an inlet valve and having a withdrawal opening, wherein the top of the container is transparent and the bottom is dark in color. To further develop a known apparatus of this type such that water can be withdrawn even for relatively large-scale needs and it can be connected to an installed water system, it is provided that the outlet opening is followed by a pump and a check valve, that the inlet valve is electromagnetically actuatable, and that a sensor for measuring the instantaneous water temperature and an adjusting device for adjusting the desired temperature of the water to be supplied are connected to the inlet valve. The higher the instantaneous water temperature, the more cold water the inlet valve admits into the container.

An electrical heating element comprising a resistive element consisting of granular boron carbide packed in a quartz tube embedded in a piece of copper. A first power lead is electrically connected to the boron carbide at one end of the quartz tube. This first power lead passes through and is electrically insulated from the piece of copper. The second power lead is electrically connected to the boron carbide at the other end of the quartz tube, either directly or via the piece of copper. In use, connection of the first and second leads to an electrical power source causes the resistive element to generate heat in a very fast manner and to trandmit this heat to the piece of copper.

The invention relates to a heat accumulator having at least one first volume and one second volume. Said volumes are separate, can be respectively filled with, or passed through, by a medium, and are in, or can be brought into, thermal contact. The invention is characterised in that another volume that can be filled with a fluid and emptied, a so-called switchable volume, is provided between at least the first and second volumes, said switchable volume being in thermal contact with the media of the first and second volumes.

The invention relates to a composition for producing a heat-insulating coating comprising at least one radiation-absorbing compound and at least one IR-reflector component, to a heat-insulating coating comprising this oriented, cured composition, and to a process for producing said coating.