A zero cooling water terminal controller and a zero cooling water system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a zero cold water terminal controller and a zero cold water system, comprising: a valve body and a water flow generator arranged on the valve body; characterized in that the valve body is provided with a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, a hot water outlet, and a cold water outlet, a connecting pipe is connected between the hot water inlet and the cold water outlet and the cold water inlet, and a stop valve for controlling the on-off of the connecting pipe is arranged on the connecting pipe, and the water flow generator comprises: a first water wheel arranged in the valve body near the hot water inlet, a second water wheel arranged in the valve body near the cold water inlet, and a generator, the first water wheel is connected to the generator through a first one-way transmission component, and the second water wheel is connected to the generator through a second one-way transmission component. The power supply problem of the terminal controller of the zero cold water system is solved, and the power generation frequency and power generation are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hot water supply, and in particular to a zero-cold-water terminal controller and a zero-cold-water system. Background Art

[0002] At present, the zero cold water solution usually installs a one-way valve between the cold and hot water pipes at the farthest water-using end. The zero cold water solution without a return pipe will result in a large amount of hot water in the cold water pipe after preheating. To reduce the hot water in the cold water pipe and realize the temperature control at the farthest end of the zero cold water hot water pipe, an interrupt control device containing a temperature probe, a single-chip microcomputer and a wireless transmitter is generally installed at the farthest end of the hot water pipe. The temperature data is collected by the single-chip microcomputer and sent to the water heater through the wireless transmitter. At present, some products are implemented by plugging in strong electricity, but because the device is usually located under the wash basin, there is no socket under the wash basin in general household decoration. Therefore, some power supply methods are simply described as using a water flow generator to generate electricity for power supply, and the water flow generator can usually only be used on a single water pipe with limited power generation capacity. The actual product is not currently available on the market.

[0003] At present, some patented water flow generators are installed in zero cold water pipes and can only be installed on cold water pipes or hot water pipes. Water will flow through the generator to generate electricity only when the water in the corresponding water pipe is used, the instant heating function is turned on, and the water is mixed. In the latter two cases, the water flow is smaller and the power generation is less. And when the user uses another pipe, it cannot generate electricity. Therefore, the installation location of the generator should be determined according to the user's water use habits. If water flow generators are installed in both cold and hot water pipes, the different water flows will cause different outputs of the two generators, resulting in a sharp increase in the complexity of system coupling. In addition, the current common zero cold water solution cannot heat the branch in the pipeline. When the branch is long, you still need to wait before you can get hot water, which seriously reduces the user experience.

[0004] For example, a Chinese invention patent with publication number CN 108981140 A specifically relates to an automatic preheating zero-cold water water heater, which includes a water heater body, a heat exchange device, an internal water inlet pipeline, a water inlet joint, an internal water outlet pipeline, a water outlet joint, a preheating circulation pump, a circulation pump controller, a wireless signal receiver and a water outlet terminal controller. The water outlet terminal controller and the preheating circulation pump work in coordination to realize automatic preheating of cold water in the water heater pipeline when water is used at the terminal water outlet. After preheating, hot water of a suitable temperature can flow out of the terminal water outlet, thereby improving user experience and achieving the purpose of saving water resources and reducing user usage costs. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a zero-cold water terminal controller for improving power generation frequency and power generation.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a zero cooling water system having the above-mentioned zero cooling water terminal controller.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

[0008] A zero cold water terminal controller comprises: a valve body and a water flow generator arranged on the valve body; characterized in that the valve body is provided with a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, a hot water outlet, and a cold water outlet, a connecting pipe is connected between the hot water inlet and the cold water outlet and the cold water inlet, and a stop valve for controlling the opening and closing of the connecting pipe is provided on the connecting pipe, and the water flow generator comprises: a first water wheel arranged in the valve body near the hot water inlet, a second water wheel arranged in the valve body near the cold water inlet, and a generator, the first water wheel is connected to the generator through a first one-way transmission component, and the second water wheel is connected to the generator through a second one-way transmission component.

[0009] As a further illustration of the above solution, the first one-way transmission assembly and the second one-way transmission assembly are ratchet structures or one-way clutch bearing structures.

[0010] As a further illustration of the above scheme, the ratchet structure includes a transmission wheel connected to the first water wheel or the second water wheel, a pawl connected to the transmission wheel through a spring, and a ratchet wheel arranged on the outer periphery of the transmission wheel and cooperating with the pawl.

[0011] As a further illustration of the above solution, it also includes: an energy storage module connected to the generator, and a control module connected to the energy storage module.

[0012] As a further illustration of the above solution, the stop valve is an electric valve connected to the control module.

[0013] As a further illustration of the above solution, a temperature sensor for detecting the water temperature in the valve body is provided on the valve body, and the temperature sensor is connected to the control module.

[0014] As a further illustration of the above solution, a wireless transceiver is connected to the control module, and a display control module connected to the control module is provided on the valve body.

[0015] A zero cold water system comprises: a water heater, a water inlet pipe and a hot water pipe connected to the water heater, a plurality of water use points connected to the hot water pipe, and a cold water pipe connected to each of the water use points; the cold water pipe is connected to the water inlet pipe, and is characterized in that a zero cold water terminal controller as described in any one of the above items is provided at each of the water use points.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0017] 1. Solve the power supply problem of the terminal controller of the zero cold water system. Whether the user uses cold water or hot water, the generator can generate electricity, increase the frequency and amount of power generation, and thus allow the terminal system to use higher power external devices.

[0018] 2. Install a terminal controller on each branch according to the usage requirements of the water point to change the length of the circulation pipeline, heat the required branch on demand, reduce heating time, save energy, and achieve on-demand room preheating. At the same time, it can also ensure that the cold water pipes of the subsequent water points are still cold water after preheating. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Shown is a stereoscopic diagram of the zero cooling water terminal controller provided by the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 Shown is a cross-sectional view of the zero cooling water terminal controller provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of a one-way transmission component of a zero cooling water terminal controller provided by the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of the zero cooling water system provided by the present invention.

[0023] Description of Figure Numbers.

[0024] 1: hot water outlet, 2: cold water outlet, 3: hot water inlet, 4: cold water inlet, 5: temperature sensor, 6: wireless transceiver module, 7: control module, 8: energy storage module, 9: electric valve, 10: first water wheel, 11: first one-way transmission assembly, 12: generator, 13: second one-way transmission assembly, 14: second water wheel, 15: ratchet, 16: spring, 17: pawl, 18: water heater, 19: hot water pipe, 20: cold water pipe, 21: water use point, 100: zero cold water terminal controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that directional words, such as the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating directions and positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of narrating the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and cannot be understood as limiting the specific scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features. Therefore, the definition of "first" and "second" features can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "at least" means one or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0027] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "assemble", "connect", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can also be a mechanical connection; it can be directly connected, or it can be connected through an intermediate medium, or the two elements can be internally connected. 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 circumstances.

[0028] In the invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “below”, and “above” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “above”, “below”, and “below” a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0029] The following is a further description of the specific implementation of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings of the specification, so that the technical solution and its beneficial effects of the present invention are clearer and more explicit. The following description of the embodiments with reference to the drawings is exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, but cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0030] Example 1.

[0031] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, a zero cold water terminal controller comprises: a valve body and a water flow generator arranged in the valve body; characterized in that the valve body is provided with a hot water inlet 3, a cold water inlet 4, a hot water outlet 1, and a cold water outlet 2, a connecting pipe is connected between the hot water inlet 3 and the cold water outlet 2 and the cold water inlet 4, and a stop valve for controlling the opening and closing of the connecting pipe is provided on the connecting pipe, and the water flow generator comprises: a first water wheel 10 arranged in the valve body near the hot water inlet, a second water wheel 14 arranged in the valve body near the cold water inlet, and a generator 12, the first water wheel 10 is connected to the generator 12 through a first one-way transmission component 11, and the second water wheel 14 is connected to the generator 12 through a second one-way transmission component 13. In this way, when the first water wheel 10 rotates, the kinetic energy is transmitted to the first one-way transmission component 11. When the transmission condition is met, the first one-way transmission component 11 will drive the rotor in the generator 12 to rotate, thereby generating electricity. Similarly, the second water wheel 14 can drive the generator 12 to generate electricity through the second one-way transmission component 13, thereby increasing the frequency of power generation during water use and increasing the amount of power generation to meet the power demand of the terminal controller in the zero cooling water system. It allows the use of smaller capacity batteries to reduce the volume.

[0032] Combination Figure 3 As shown, both the first one-way transmission assembly and the second one-way transmission assembly are ratchet structures, and the ratchet structure includes a transmission wheel connected to the first water wheel or the second water wheel, a pawl 17 is connected to the transmission wheel through a spring 16, and a ratchet 15 cooperating with the pawl 17 is provided on the periphery of the transmission wheel. When the first water wheel or the second water wheel rotates forward, the spring 16 is stretched under the centrifugal effect, so that the pawl 17 contacts the ratchet 15, thereby driving the ratchet 15 to rotate forward. If the water wheel reverses, the pawl 17 cannot drive the ratchet 15 to rotate. When the water wheel is stationary, no power is transmitted to the pawl, and the pawl does not contact the ratchet under the action of the spring. Obviously, those skilled in the art can use a one-way clutch bearing or other structure with one-way transmission to replace the above-mentioned ratchet structure according to actual use conditions, which is not limited to this embodiment.

[0033] In actual use, there are four water flow directions, namely: (1) Direction 1: using hot water, from the hot water inlet to the hot water outlet; (2) Direction 2: using cold water, from the cold water inlet to the cold water outlet; (3) Direction 3: for mixing hot and cold water, from each inlet to the corresponding outlet, and the flow rate on both sides is related to the mixing ratio of the mixing valve connected to the cold water terminal controller; (4) Direction 4: hot state, from the hot water inlet to the cold water inlet. Because two water wheels are set in the valve body, the above four water flow directions will drive the water wheels to rotate and generate electricity, thereby increasing the frequency and amount of power generation. When the water flow direction is direction 1, the water flow drives the first water flow in the pipeline to rotate forward, and drives the rotor in the generator 12 to rotate through the first one-way transmission component 11. At this time, the second water wheel 14 is stationary, and the second water wheel will not become the load of the first water wheel. The principle of the situation when the water flow is direction 2 is the same as above. When the water flow direction is direction 3, both water wheels transmit power to the generator rotor through the one-way transmission mechanism. However, depending on the mixing ratio, the rotation speeds of the two water wheels are different, and the generator rotor will be driven by the water wheel with a faster rotation speed, while the ratchet wheel follows the generator rotor, and the speed of the slower water wheel lags behind the speed of the ratchet wheel, so it does not affect the rotation of the generator rotor and does not become a load for the faster water wheel. When the water flow direction is direction four, the first water wheel 10 rotates forward and the second water wheel 14 rotates reversely, so the rotor in the generator 12 is driven by the first water wheel 10 and does not affect the second water wheel. Combining the above four situations, as long as there is water flowing through the terminal controller, power can be generated, which increases the frequency of power generation and reduces the rate of battery power consumption, thereby allowing the terminal controller to use higher-power external devices, such as electric valves and higher-power wireless transceiver modules.

[0034] It also includes: an energy storage module 8 connected to the generator, and a control module 7 connected to the energy storage module 8. The stop valve is an electric valve connected to the control module. The electricity produced by the generator 12 will be stored in the energy storage module 8, and then the energy storage module 8 will power the terminal controller.

[0035] Furthermore, a temperature sensor 5 for detecting the temperature of water flow in the valve body is provided on the valve body, and the temperature sensor 5 is connected to the control module 7 .

[0036] The control module 7 is connected to a wireless transceiver module 6, and the wireless transceiver module is used to communicate with the water heater. When the water heater performs the instant heating function, the water heater sends an instant heating command to the control module 7 through the wireless transceiver module 6, and the control module 7 controls the electric valve 9 to open the valve, allowing water to flow from the hot water inlet 3 to the cold water inlet 4. The control module 7 detects the water temperature in the valve body through the temperature sensor 5. When the temperature reaches the end condition, the control module 7 sends an instant heating completion command to the water heater through the wireless transceiver module 6, and controls the electric valve 9 to close the valve to completely block the water flow. Obviously, in other embodiments, the closing of the electric valve can be controlled according to the time when the electric valve is opened. The above-mentioned zero cold water control process is common knowledge of those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0037] In another embodiment, a housing is provided on the valve body, and an operation display module connected to the control module is provided on the housing. A user can operate the terminal controller through the operation display module, and operate the water heater through the wireless transceiver.

[0038] Example 2.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, a zero cold water system includes: a water heater 18, a water inlet pipe and a hot water pipe 19 connected to the water heater 18, a plurality of water use points 21 connected to the hot water pipe, and a cold water pipe 20 connected to each of the water use points; the cold water pipe 20 is connected to the water inlet pipe, and is characterized in that a zero cold water terminal controller 100 as described in Example 1 is provided at each of the water use points 21.

[0040] Specifically, the cold water inlet controlled by the zero cold water terminal is connected to the cold water pipe, the hot water inlet is connected to the hot water pipe, the hot water outlet is connected to the hot water inlet of the mixing valve at the water use point, and the cold water outlet is connected to the cold water inlet of the mixing valve at the water use point.

[0041] Users can select the terminal controller equipped with the water point to be used, send an instant heating instruction, and instantly heat the water in this part of the pipeline, which can optimize the instant heating time. For example, a water point needs to use hot water, and send an instruction to the terminal controller connected to the water point. The electric valve in the terminal controller opens the valve to form a passage, and the water heater and the branch where the water point is located form a loop. When it is detected that the temperature meets the requirements, the completion instruction is sent and the valve is closed to complete the instant heating. Install it at each water outlet that needs hot water. By controlling each terminal controller, the length of the pipeline loop can be changed to achieve heating of the branch pipeline, and the instant heating time is optimized at the same time. There is no need to wait for the entire hot water pipeline to be heated, which saves energy. When the branch is heated, part of the cold water pipe is still cold after preheating, ensuring that other water points can use cold water normally and immediately. When the branch pipeline is too long, it can also reduce the time for the branch water point to produce hot water, greatly improving the user experience of zero cold water.

[0042] Through the description of the above structure and principle, those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above specific implementations, and improvements and substitutions based on the present invention using the known technology in the art fall within the protection scope of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the claims and their equivalents. Parts not described in the specific implementations are prior art or common knowledge.

Claims

1. A zero cold water terminal controller, include: A valve body and a water flow generator arranged on the valve body; characterized in that the valve body is provided with a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, a hot water outlet, and a cold water outlet, a connecting pipe is connected between the hot water inlet and the cold water outlet and the cold water inlet, and a stop valve for controlling the opening and closing of the connecting pipe is provided on the connecting pipe, and the water flow generator comprises: a first water wheel arranged in the valve body near the hot water inlet, a second water wheel arranged in the valve body near the cold water inlet, and a generator, the first water wheel is connected to the generator through a first one-way transmission component, and the second water wheel is connected to the generator through a second one-way transmission component. The one-way transmission assembly is connected to the generator in a transmission manner; the first one-way transmission assembly and the second one-way transmission assembly are ratchet structures or one-way clutch bearing structures; the ratchet structure includes a transmission wheel connected to the first water wheel or the second water wheel, a pawl connected to the transmission wheel through a spring, and a ratchet arranged on the periphery of the transmission wheel and cooperating with the pawl; the zero cold water terminal controller also includes: an energy storage module connected to the generator, and a control module connected to the energy storage module; a temperature sensor for detecting the water temperature in the valve body is provided on the valve body, and the temperature sensor is connected to the control module.

2. A zero cold water terminal controller according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The stop valve is an electric valve connected to the control module.

3. A zero cooling water terminal controller according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The control module is connected with a wireless transceiver, and the valve body is provided with a display control module connected with the control module.

4. A zero-cold-water system, include: A water heater, a water inlet pipe and a hot water pipe connected to the water heater, a plurality of water use points connected to the hot water pipe, and a cold water pipe connected to each of the water use points; the cold water pipe is connected to the water inlet pipe, and is characterized in that a zero cold water terminal controller as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 is provided at each of the water use points.

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