Temperature control device for water heater and water heater

Abstract

The present application relates to water heater technology, and provides a temperature control device for a water heater and a water heater, wherein the temperature control device is packaged with a water storage container, wherein the water storage container includes a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein a heat exchange portion for heat exchange is provided between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the first chamber is provided with a cold water inlet and a cold water supply port, and the second chamber is provided with a hot water inlet and a hot water supply port. The temperature continuity function of the whole machine is realized, thereby effectively solving the problem that the water temperature fluctuates between hot and cold for a period of time after the water heater is turned on and off.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to water heater technology, and in particular to a temperature control device for a water heater and a water heater. Background Art

[0002] Instant water heaters use high-power heating elements to quickly heat cold water to a preset temperature. Compared to storage water heaters, instant water heaters are smaller in size, do not require a water tank to save space, and have a faster heating speed.

[0003] With the popularization of gas water heaters and the promotion of the concept of comfortable bathing, the stability of the hot water temperature of gas water heaters and the control of constant temperature performance during the bathing process have become the focus of industry research. When the water heater is turned off and then turned on again during the user's use of water, the water temperature in the heat exchanger rises rapidly and the heat exchanger heats up later after the water is turned on again, causing the hot water supplied to the outside to have a high and low temperature, which causes uncomfortable bathing. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem of the water temperature of the water heater fluctuating between hot and cold in the above-mentioned technology, the present application provides a temperature control device for a water heater and a water heater.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a temperature control device for a water heater, wherein the temperature control device is packaged in a water storage container, wherein the water storage container includes a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein a heat exchange portion for heat exchange is provided between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the first chamber is provided with a cold water inlet and a cold water supply port, and wherein the second chamber is provided with a hot water inlet and a hot water supply port.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present application, the second chamber further includes a mixing pipe connected to the water outlet pipe, and the hot water supply port is arranged at one end of the mixing pipe close to the top of the second chamber.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present application, the mixing tube passes through the first chamber and extends to the top of the second chamber.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present application, the heat exchange portion is a heat-conducting wall plate separated between the first chamber and the second chamber.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first chamber is located at a lower side of the second chamber, or the first chamber is located at an upper side of the second chamber.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first chamber surrounds the second chamber.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first chamber passes through the second chamber, and the first chamber has a plurality of folded sections in the second chamber.

[0012] On the other hand, the present application also provides a water heater, comprising a hot water outlet pipe, a heat exchanger, a cold water inlet pipe and the temperature control device as described above.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present application, the temperature control device is connected to the cold water inlet pipe and the hot water outlet pipe, and is used for heat exchange between the hot water outlet pipe and the cold water inlet pipe.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present application, the water heater is an instant gas water heater.

[0015] The above technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0016] When the water point of the water heater is turned on and off briefly, hot water is automatically stored in the thermostat. When the water switch is turned on again, the high-temperature hot water flowing out of the heat exchanger is mixed with the water in the thermostat for buffering, and at the same time, heat is exchanged with the cold water flowing in the water inlet pipe, thereby lowering the outlet water temperature and avoiding discomfort caused by excessive temperature rise due to water outage. Generally, after the water heater is shut down and restarted, a certain amount of cold water that has not been heated by the heat exchange system will be output due to the ignition to combustion heating process, which seriously affects the comfort of use. This thermostat has a double-layer structure, and the hot water in the tank is heat-exchanged and heated with the cold water in the water inlet pipe. When the unit is restarted again, the temperature of the unheated cold water is close to the temperature of the water stored in the thermostat. At this time, the unheated cold water is mixed with the hot water stored in the thermostat for buffering, and at the same time, hot water is output after heat exchange with the cold water in the water inlet pipe, thereby realizing the temperature continuity function of the whole machine, thereby effectively solving the problem of the water temperature being hot and cold for a period of time after the water heater is turned on and off. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a system schematic diagram of the water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a thermostatic device for a water heater is provided for the first embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 3A schematic structural diagram of a thermostatic device for a water heater is provided for the second embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Reference numerals:

[0023] Hot water outlet pipe 1; water storage container 3; first chamber 31; second chamber 32; heat exchange part 33; mixing pipe 34; cold water inlet 35; cold water supply port 36; hot water inlet 37; hot water supply port 38; heat exchanger 5; cold water inlet pipe 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] In view of the prior art, after a general water heater is shut down and restarted, a certain amount of cold water that has not been heated by the heat exchange system will be output during the ignition to combustion heating process, which seriously affects the comfort of use.

[0026] By utilizing the embodiments of the present application, hot water can be automatically stored in the thermostat when the water is briefly turned on and off at the water point of the water heater. When the water switch is turned on again, the high-temperature hot water flowing out of the heat exchanger is mixed with the water in the thermostat for buffering, and at the same time heat is exchanged with the cold water flowing in the water inlet pipe, thereby lowering the outlet water temperature and avoiding discomfort caused by excessive temperature rise during water outage.

[0027] This thermostatic device can be a double-layer structure. The hot water in the tank exchanges heat with the cold water in the water inlet pipe for heating. When the unit is restarted again, the temperature of the unheated cold water is close to the temperature of the water stored in the thermostatic device. At this time, the unheated cold water is mixed with the hot water stored in the thermostatic device for buffering, and at the same time, hot water is output after heat exchange with the cold water in the water inlet pipe, thereby realizing the continuous temperature function of the whole machine, thereby effectively solving the problem of the water temperature fluctuating between hot and cold for a period of time after the water heater is turned on and off.

[0028] The following is a schematic introduction to the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0029] On the one hand, this application Figure 1 The system schematic diagram of the water heater provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figure 2A schematic diagram of the thermostatic device structure of a water heater is provided for the first embodiment of the present application. The temperature control device of the water heater provided in this embodiment mainly packs a water storage container 3, and the water storage container 3 can be considered to include a first chamber 31 and a second chamber 32, and a heat exchange part 33 for heat exchange is provided between the first chamber 31 and the second chamber 32, and the first chamber 31 is provided with a cold water inlet 35 and a cold water supply port 36, and the second chamber 32 is provided with a hot water inlet 37 and a hot water supply port 38.

[0030] The heat exchange part 33 can be used to exchange heat between cold water and the hot water storage space. On the one hand, it can reduce the rapid temperature rise of the water outlet pipe. On the other hand, it can exchange the heat of the hot water in the water outlet pipe to the cold water, which can reduce the problem of rapid cooling of the output hot water caused by the heating lag of the exchanger.

[0031] Compared with the existing technology, which solves the same problem by mixing water, the present application solves the problem of fluctuating water temperatures by caching hot water and exchanging heat with cold water, outputting hot water with stable temperature to the rear-end water mixer, improving user comfort. Moreover, this technical idea does not quickly disturb the water outlet temperature like the mixing water idea.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present application, the second chamber 32 further includes a mixing pipe 34 connected to the water outlet pipe, and the hot water supply port 38 is disposed at one end of the mixing pipe 34 close to the top of the second chamber 32. The mixing pipe 34 fully extends into the second chamber 32, and the hot water inlet 37 is disposed at a position on the side of the second chamber 32 away from the hot water supply port 38, and the water supply direction of the hot water inlet 37 is perpendicular to the water outlet direction of the mixing pipe 34. In this way, the hot water entering through the hot water inlet 37 can enter the mixing pipe 34 for external supply after turning and flowing for a long distance, and can be fully mixed with the hot water previously entering the second chamber 32.

[0033] As shown in the figure, the mixing tube 34 passes through the first chamber 31 and extends to the top of the second chamber 32. That is, the mixing tube 34 can still exchange heat with the cold water in the first chamber 31.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present application, the heat exchange portion 33 is a heat-conducting wall plate separated between the first chamber 31 and the second chamber 32. The heat-conducting wall plate can be made of a material with a high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the heat-conducting wall plate can have convex and concave parts, similar to a radiator structure or a heat dissipation fin structure.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first chamber 31 is located at the lower side of the second chamber 32 . Of course, the first chamber 31 may also be located at the upper side of the second chamber 32 .

[0036] The second embodiment of the present application, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the thermostatic device structure of a water heater is provided for the second embodiment of the present application. Referring to the first embodiment, the temperature control device of the water heater provided in this embodiment mainly packs a water storage container 3, and the water storage container 3 can be considered to include a first chamber 31 and a second chamber 32, and a heat exchange part 33 for heat exchange is provided between the first chamber 31 and the second chamber 32, and the first chamber 31 is provided with a cold water inlet 35 and a cold water supply port 36, and the second chamber 32 is provided with a hot water inlet 37 and a hot water supply port 38. In this embodiment, the first chamber 31 is formed in a pipe passing through the second chamber 32, and the pipe wall of this pipe is the heat exchange part 33.

[0037] The heat exchange part 33 can be used to exchange heat between cold water and the hot water storage space. On the one hand, it can reduce the rapid temperature rise of the water outlet pipe. On the other hand, it can exchange the heat of the hot water in the water outlet pipe to the cold water, which can reduce the problem of rapid cooling of the output hot water caused by the heating lag of the exchanger.

[0038] Compared with the existing technology, which solves the same problem by mixing water, the present application solves the problem of fluctuating water temperatures by caching hot water and exchanging heat with cold water, outputting hot water with stable temperature to the rear-end water mixer, improving user comfort. Moreover, this technical idea does not quickly disturb the water outlet temperature like the mixing water idea.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present application, the second chamber 32 further includes a mixing pipe 34 connected to the water outlet pipe, and the hot water supply port 38 is disposed at one end of the mixing pipe 34 close to the top of the second chamber 32. The mixing pipe 34 fully extends into the second chamber 32, and the hot water inlet 37 is disposed at a position on the side of the second chamber 32 away from the hot water supply port 38, and the water supply direction of the hot water inlet 37 is perpendicular to the water outlet direction of the mixing pipe 34. In this way, the hot water entering through the hot water inlet 37 can enter the mixing pipe 34 for external supply after turning and flowing for a long distance, and can be fully mixed with the hot water previously entering the second chamber 32.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present application, the first chamber 31 passes through the second chamber 32, and the first chamber 31 has multiple sections in the second chamber 32. As shown in the figure, the first chamber 31 is formed into a spiral tube structure, which is coiled outside the mixing tube 34. The hot and cold water heat exchange structure of the spiral tube structure can extend the heat exchange area of ​​the cold water pipe and lengthen the heat exchange path, which can effectively absorb the heat in the cold water.

[0041] In another embodiment, the first chamber 31 may alternatively surround the second chamber 32 , or vice versa.

[0042] On the other hand, the present application may also be considered to provide a water heater, which mainly includes a hot water outlet pipe 1, a heat exchanger 5, a cold water inlet pipe 6 and a temperature control device as in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present application, the temperature control device is connected to the cold water inlet pipe 6 and the hot water outlet pipe 1 , and is used for heat exchange between the hot water outlet pipe 1 and the cold water inlet pipe 6 .

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present application, the water heater is an instant gas water heater.

[0045] The working principle of the thermostatic device in the embodiment of the present application is to mix and buffer the high-temperature hot water whose temperature rises when the water is stopped or a section of cold water that is not heated when the unit is restarted with the hot water in the thermostatic device, so that the outlet water temperature of the thermostatic device can be constant, avoiding excessive water temperature fluctuations; during the use of the unit, the water points in the user's home cannot be always in a normally open state. When there is a short-term closed state, the temperature will rise, causing the hot water temperature in the heat exchanger to be too high. When the water point is opened again, the excessively hot water enters the thermostatic device through the outlet pipe, mixes with the hot water stored in the thermostatic device itself, and exchanges heat with the cold water circulating in the inlet pipe, thereby lowering the outlet water temperature and avoiding scalding the skin due to excessive water temperature.

[0046] When the unit is restarted after a short shutdown, generally, after the water heater is restarted, a certain amount of cold water that has not been heated by the heat exchange system will be output due to the ignition to combustion heating process, and this cold water will be mixed with the hot water in the thermostat for buffering, but the obtained water outlet temperature is not very high. In order to make the obtained water outlet temperature deviate little from the temperature set during actual use, the water inlet pipe is connected to the thermostat and then connected to the heat exchange system. During use, the cold water in the water inlet pipe exchanges heat with the hot water in the thermostat, so that the temperature of the water entering the heating system is increased. When we restart the unit for the second time, the actual temperature of this unheated cold water in the process from ignition to heating is close to the water outlet temperature of the thermostat. It flows into the thermostat through the water outlet pipe, is buffered and mixed with the hot water in the tank, and exchanges heat with the cold water in the water inlet pipe. Finally, the water outlet temperature obtained by the heat exchange among the three is not much different from the set water outlet temperature, which effectively reduces the water temperature fluctuation problem and improves the user's comfort.

[0047] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0048] The foregoing is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, which enables those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A temperature control device for a water heater, characterized in that: The temperature control device comprises a water storage container (3), the water storage container (3) comprising a first chamber (31) and a second chamber (32), a heat exchange portion (33) for heat exchange is provided between the first chamber (31) and the second chamber (32), the first chamber (31) is provided with a cold water inlet (35) and a cold water supply port (36), the second chamber (32) is provided with a hot water inlet (37) and a hot water supply port (38), the second chamber (32) further comprises a mixing pipe (34) connected to a water outlet pipe, the hot water supply port (38) is provided at one end of the mixing pipe (34) close to the top of the second chamber (32), and the mixing pipe (34) passes through the first chamber (31) and extends to the top of the second chamber (32).

2. The temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchange portion (33) is a heat-conducting wall plate that separates the first chamber (31) and the second chamber (32).

3. The temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first chamber (31) is located at the lower side of the second chamber (32), or the first chamber (31) is located at the upper side of the second chamber (32).

4. The temperature control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first chamber (31) surrounds the second chamber (32).

5. The temperature control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first chamber (31) passes through the second chamber (32), and the first chamber (31) has a plurality of folded sections in the second chamber (32).

6. A water heater, comprising a hot water outlet pipe (1), a heat exchanger (5), a cold water inlet pipe (6) and a temperature control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The water heater according to claim 6, characterized in that The temperature control device is connected to the cold water inlet pipe (6) and the hot water outlet pipe (1) and is used for heat exchange between the hot water outlet pipe (1) and the cold water inlet pipe (6).

8. The water heater according to claim 6, characterized in that The water heater is an instant gas water heater.

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