An electric water heater

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of water heaters, and discloses an electric water heater, which includes a housing and a non-metallic inner tank disposed in the housing. A buffer portion is provided in the housing, and the buffer portion is configured to buffer and offset the force exerted on the housing by the non-metallic inner tank due to expansion and deformation when the non-metallic inner tank expands and deforms. By providing a buffer portion inside the housing, the buffer portion can absorb and offset the expansion force generated by the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner tank when the non-metallic inner tank is heated, thereby preventing the non-metallic inner tank from exerting force on the housing due to expansion and deformation, further avoiding unevenness of the housing and preventing the occurrence of the "bulging" phenomenon, so that the electric water heater will not be unsightly due to the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of water heaters, and in particular to an electric water heater. Background Art

[0002] The inner tanks used in traditional electric water heaters are mostly made of stainless steel or enamel. These types of inner tanks meet the pressure requirements, but they have problems such as low insulation coefficient, poor corrosion resistance and processing cost.

[0003] In response to the above problems, the market has begun to use non-metallic inner liners (such as plastic inner liners) to replace stainless steel metal or enamel inner liners. Non-metallic inner liners have the advantages of good corrosion resistance, long service life, high insulation coefficient and low processing cost. However, due to the high thermal expansion coefficient of the non-metallic inner liners, the water inside the non-metallic inner liners will expand and deform due to the heat during the heating process. Since the plastic inner liners and the shell of the water heater are filled with foam material, when the plastic inner liners expand and deform, the plastic inner liners expand and exert force on the shell, making the shell uneven and "bulging", affecting the overall aesthetics of the water heater, and even causing damage to the shell, affecting user safety. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an electric water heater which can effectively avoid the occurrence of a "bulging" phenomenon of the shell caused by thermal deformation of a non-metallic inner tank.

[0005] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] An electric water heater comprises a shell and a non-metallic inner tank arranged in the shell. A buffer portion is provided in the shell. The buffer portion is configured to buffer and offset the force applied to the shell by the non-metallic inner tank due to expansion and deformation when the non-metallic inner tank expands and deforms.

[0007] Preferably, the buffer portion includes a buffer plate fixed to the inner wall of the shell.

[0008] Preferably, the buffer plate is a steel plate or rubber-plastic cotton.

[0009] Preferably, the buffer portion comprises a cavity interlayer arranged inside the shell, and a buffer foam is arranged in the cavity interlayer.

[0010] Preferably, the buffer portion comprises a cavity interlayer arranged in the shell wall, and the cavity interlayer is provided with an exhaust hole communicating with the outside.

[0011] Preferably, the buffer portion comprises a first connecting plate fixed to the inner wall of the shell, and a first buffer space is formed between the first connecting plate and the inner wall of the shell.

[0012] Preferably, the housing includes a front housing and a rear housing which are connected to each other, and the buffer portion is disposed on the inner wall of the front housing.

[0013] Preferably, there are two non-metallic inner liners, and the two non-metallic inner liners are distributed in an 8-shaped pattern.

[0014] Preferably, the buffer portion includes a plastic part disposed between the two non-metallic inner liners, and a second buffer space is formed inside the plastic part.

[0015] Preferably, the buffer portion includes a second connecting plate disposed between the two non-metallic inner liners, and a buffer chamber is formed between the second connecting plate and the two non-metallic inner liners.

[0016] Advantages of the present invention: By providing a buffer portion inside the housing, when the non-metallic inner liner expands and deforms due to heat, the buffer portion can absorb and offset the expansion force generated by the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner liner, thereby preventing the non-metallic inner liner from applying force to the housing due to expansion and deformation, further avoiding unevenness of the housing and preventing the occurrence of the "bulging" phenomenon, so that the electric water heater will not be unsightly due to the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner liner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an electric water heater provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 is the present invention Figure 1 magnified schematic diagram at A;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an electric water heater provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 is the present invention Figure 3 magnified schematic diagram at B;

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an electric water heater provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 is the present invention Figure 5 magnified schematic diagram at C;

[0023] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of an electric water heater provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 is the present invention Figure 7 magnified schematic diagram at D;

[0025] Figure 9 is a schematic structural diagram of an electric water heater provided in Embodiment 5 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 10 It is a schematic structural diagram of the electric water heater provided in Embodiment VI of the present invention.

[0027] In the figure:

[0028] 1. Shell; 11. Front shell; 12. Rear shell; 2. Non-metallic inner tank; 31. Buffer plate; 32. Cavity sandwich; 33. First connecting plate; 34. First buffer space; 35. Plastic part. Detailed implementation manners

[0029] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It can be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than limiting the present invention. In addition, it should be noted that for the sake of description, only parts related to the present invention are shown in the drawings, rather than all structures.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0031] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features between them. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above", and "on" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below", and "under" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0032] In the description of this embodiment, the orientation or positional relationships such as "above", "below", "right", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of description and simplifying the operation, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0033] Embodiment I

[0034] This embodiment provides an electric water heater, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a shell 1, a non-metallic liner 2 and a buffer part. The non-metallic liner 2 is placed in the shell 1, and the space between the two is filled with foam. Preferably, the non-metallic liner 2 can be a plastic liner or a liner made of other non-metallic materials. The buffer part is arranged in the shell 1, and it can absorb the expansion force generated by the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic liner 2 when the non-metallic liner 2 expands and deforms, thereby offsetting and preventing the non-metallic liner 2 from applying force to the shell 1 due to the expansion and deformation, thereby avoiding the unevenness of the shell 1 and preventing the occurrence of the "bulging" phenomenon, so that the electric water heater will not be ugly due to the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic liner 2.

[0035] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 2 The buffer part may be a buffer plate 31 fixed to the inner wall of the shell 1. The buffer plate 31 may be a steel plate. The rigidity of the steel plate can prevent the non-metallic liner 2 from expanding toward the shell 1 when it expands and deforms, thereby preventing the non-metallic liner 2 from expanding further toward the shell 1, thereby preventing the shell 1 from being affected. The steel plate may be a cold-rolled steel plate with a thickness of 1.5-2 mm.

[0036] Optionally, the buffer plate 31 can also be rubber-plastic cotton. Due to the deformable characteristics of the rubber-plastic cotton itself, when the non-metallic inner liner 2 expands and deforms, the expansion force of the non-metallic inner liner 2 can be offset by its own deformation, thereby preventing the expansion force of the non-metallic inner liner 2 from being transmitted to the shell 1, thereby avoiding deformation of the shell 1.

[0037] Preferably, in this embodiment, the shell 1 includes a front shell 11 and a rear shell 12 which are connected to each other. Considering that the electric water heater is mounted on a wall, the user can observe more of the front shell 11. Therefore, in order to reduce processing costs and reduce the weight of the electric water heater, the buffer portion of this embodiment is only arranged on the inner wall of the front shell 11, and preferably, the buffer portion is arranged opposite to the non-metallic inner tank 2, and its buffer area needs to ensure that the buffer portion can buffer and offset the expansion deformation of the non-metallic inner tank 2.

[0038] It should be noted that the electric water heater of the present embodiment may include one non-metallic inner tank 2 or two non-metallic inner tanks 2, that is, the electric water heater of the present embodiment may be a double-tank electric water heater, in which case the two non-metallic inner tanks 2 are connected by a clamp and are distributed in a figure 8 shape. When the electric water heater includes two non-metallic inner tanks 2, the buffer portion needs to be able to buffer and offset the expansion deformation of the two non-metallic inner tanks 2 at the same time.

[0039] The present embodiment can effectively offset the expansion force generated by the expansion deformation of the non-metallic inner tank 2 through the structural setting of the above-mentioned buffer part, thereby preventing the non-metallic inner tank 2 from exerting force on the shell 1 due to the expansion deformation, thereby preventing the shell 1 from having a "bulging" phenomenon, and improving the aesthetics of the electric water heater.

[0040] Example Two

[0041] The difference between the electric water heater provided in this embodiment and that in Example One lies in the different structure of the buffer part. As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the buffer part of the electric water heater in this embodiment is a cavity sandwich layer 32 arranged inside the housing 1, and buffer foam can be arranged in the cavity sandwich layer 32 ( Figure 4 shown). When the non-metal inner tank 2 expands and deforms, the expansion force of the non-metal inner tank 2 is applied to the cavity sandwich layer 32, and the buffer foam in the cavity sandwich layer 32 can offset the expansion force, so that there will be no unevenness on the outside of the housing 1, ensuring the aesthetics of the electric water heater.

[0042] It can be understood that the cavity sandwich layer 32 in this embodiment may not be provided with buffer foam, but directly provided with exhaust holes communicating with the outside. When the non-metal inner tank 2 expands and deforms, the expansion force of the non-metal inner tank 2 is applied to the cavity sandwich layer 32, and the cavity sandwich layer 32 is squeezed by the force, and the gas in it is discharged through the exhaust holes, so that the expansion force of the non-metal inner tank 2 is offset at the cavity sandwich layer 32 and will not be transmitted to the outer surface of the housing 1, thus avoiding the phenomenon of "bulging".

[0043] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned cavity sandwich layer 32 is preferably arranged in the front shell 11 of the housing 1 and is arranged opposite to the non-metal inner tank 2. When the electric water heater includes two non-metal inner tanks 2, the above-mentioned buffer part needs to be able to buffer and offset the expansion and deformation of the two non-metal inner tanks 2 at the same time.

[0044] Example Three

[0045] The electric water heater provided in this embodiment combines the structures of the buffer parts in Example One and Example Two. As Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, the buffer part of the electric water heater in this embodiment includes both a buffer plate 31 and a cavity sandwich layer 32, and the buffer plate 31 is arranged between the non-metal inner tank 2 and the cavity sandwich layer 32. When the non-metal inner tank 2 expands and deforms, the expansion force of the non-metal inner tank 2 is first offset by the buffer plate 31. If the expansion force cannot be completely offset by the buffer plate 31 (at this time, the buffer plate 31 will also deform), the remaining expansion force will continue to act on the cavity sandwich layer 32 to be offset by the cavity sandwich layer 32. By simultaneously arranging the buffer plate 31 and the cavity sandwich layer 32, it can be further ensured that the expansion and deformation of the non-metal inner tank 2 will not cause unevenness on the outside of the housing 1, ensuring the aesthetics of the electric water heater.

[0046] Example Four

[0047] The difference between the electric water heater provided in this embodiment and that in Example One lies in the different structure of the buffer part. As Figure 7and Figure 8 As shown, the buffer part of the electric water heater in this embodiment includes a first connecting plate 33 fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the housing 1. A first buffer space 34 is formed between the first connecting plate 33 and the inner wall of the housing 1, and the first buffer space 34 can buffer and offset the expansion force generated when the non-metallic inner tank 2 expands and deforms. Through the setting of this structure, while reducing the processing cost, it can ensure that the housing 1 will not deform. In this embodiment, the first connecting plate 33 is preferably arranged at the front shell 11.

[0048] It should be noted that when the electric water heater includes two non-metallic inner tanks 2, the above-mentioned first buffer space 34 needs to be able to buffer and offset the expansion and deformation of the two non-metallic inner tanks 2 at the same time.

[0049] Embodiment Five

[0050] The electric water heater provided in this embodiment has two non-metallic inner tanks 2. As Figure 9 shown, the buffer part in this embodiment is not arranged at the front shell 11 described in Embodiments One to Four, but is arranged between the two non-metallic inner tanks 2, specifically at the middle position of the figure-eight structure formed by the two non-metallic inner tanks 2. That is to say, in the double-tank electric water heater of this embodiment, the buffer part is directly arranged between the two non-metallic inner tanks 2. When the non-metallic inner tanks 2 expand and deform, the buffer part can directly absorb and offset the expansion force between the two non-metallic tanks, so that the expansion force generated by the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner tanks 2 will not be transmitted to the housing 1, thus avoiding the deformation of the housing 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, the buffer part can be a plastic part 35, and a buffer space is formed inside the plastic part 35. That is to say, a second buffer space is formed inside the plastic part 35 of this embodiment. When it is stressed, the plastic part 35 will deform to offset the expansion force. Moreover, the setting of the plastic part 35 in this embodiment will not cause the foaming material to fill between the two inner tanks, so that the plastic part 35 has a deformation space.

[0052] Preferably, the above-mentioned plastic part 35 can be set to two, and the two plastic parts 35 are symmetrically arranged between the two non-metallic inner tanks 2 to better offset the expansion force generated by the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner tanks 2.

[0053] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned buffer part can also be a second connecting plate (not shown in the figure) arranged between the two non-metallic inner tanks 2. A buffer chamber is formed between the second connecting plate and the two non-metallic inner tanks 2. When the non-metallic inner tanks 2 expand and deform, the buffer chamber can serve as the expansion space for the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner tanks 2, so that the expansion force generated by the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner tanks 2 will not be transmitted to the housing 1.

[0054] Embodiment Six

[0055] The electric water heater provided in this embodiment combines the buffer part of Embodiment 5 and the structure of the buffer part of any one of Embodiments 1 to 4. Taking the structure combining Embodiment 5 and Embodiment 1 as an example, the electric water heater of this embodiment is described as follows. As Figure 10 shown, the electric water heater provided in this embodiment has both a buffer part located between two non-metallic inner liners 2 and a buffer part located at the front shell 11 to ensure that the expansion and deformation of the non-metallic inner liner 2 will not cause the "bulging" of the housing 1.

[0056] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, rather than limitations on the implementation manners of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various obvious changes, re-adjustments and substitutions can be made without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all the implementation manners here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric water heater, characterized in that, it includes a housing (1) and a non-metallic inner tank (2) disposed within the housing (1). A buffer portion is provided within the housing (1), and the buffer portion is configured to buffer and offset the force exerted on the housing (1) by the non-metallic inner tank (2) due to its expansion and deformation when the non-metallic inner tank (2) expands and deforms; the housing (1) includes a front shell (11) and a rear shell (12) connected to each other, and the buffer portion is disposed at the inner wall of the front shell (11); the buffer portion includes a buffer plate (31) fixedly provided on the inner wall of the housing (1) and a cavity sandwich (32) provided inside the housing (1); the buffer plate (31) is disposed between the non-metallic inner tank (2) and the cavity sandwich (32).

2. The electric water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, the cavity sandwich (32) is provided with buffer foam.

3. The electric water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, the cavity sandwich (32) is provided with an exhaust hole communicating with the outside.

4. The electric water heater according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, there are two non-metallic inner tanks (2), and the two non-metallic inner tanks (2) are distributed in an 8-shaped pattern.

5. The electric water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, the buffer portion includes a plastic part (35) disposed between the two non-metallic inner tanks (2), and a second buffer space is formed inside the plastic part (35).

6. The electric water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, the buffer portion includes a second connecting plate disposed between the two non-metallic inner tanks (2), and a buffer chamber is formed between the second connecting plate and the two non-metallic inner tanks (2).

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