Small flow valve and water heater

Abstract

The invention discloses a small flow valve and a water heater, the small flow valve comprises a first valve body provided with a first water inlet, a first water outlet and a bypass port, the first valve body forms a first flow channel and a bypass flow channel, the first flow channel is communicated with the first water inlet and the first water outlet, and the bypass flow channel is communicated with the first flow channel and the bypass port; the second valve body is detachably connected with the first valve body, the second valve body is provided with a second water inlet, a second water outlet and a water passing port, the second valve body forms a second flow channel, the second flow channel is communicated with the second water inlet and the second water outlet, and the bypass port is communicated with the second flow channel through the water passing port; the control component is arranged on the first valve body and used for controlling the water passing flow of the bypass flow channel. According to the technical scheme, the small flow valve can be well suitable for a pipeline system of the water heater, so that the water heater has a bypass water mixing function, and the problems of start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, low heat efficiency and the like can be effectively solved; machining and manufacturing difficulty is low, and large-scale machining and production are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of waterway control, and in particular to a small flow valve and a water heater. Background Art

[0002] Most traditional water heaters have a bypass pipe connected between the cold water inlet pipe and the hot water outlet pipe of the heat exchanger. The cold water in the cold water inlet pipe is transported to the hot water outlet pipe through the bypass pipe to mix with the hot water in the hot water outlet pipe, thereby realizing the bypass water mixing function. Water heaters with such a bypass structure, especially water heaters with coilless heat exchangers, usually have problems such as constant temperature difference between start and stop, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency.

[0003] At present, there is no small flow valve on the market that can be well applied to the piping system of water heaters, so that the water heaters have bypass water mixing function, and can effectively improve the problems of constant temperature difference between start and stop, high vaporization noise, low thermal efficiency, etc. In addition, the valve body of most flow valves is an integrated structure. When the flow channel inside the valve body is complex, it will increase the difficulty of manufacturing the valve body and is not suitable for mass production. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a small flow valve, which is designed to be well suited for the piping system of a water heater, so that the water heater has a bypass water mixing function, and can effectively improve problems such as start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency; and the small flow valve has low processing and manufacturing difficulty and is suitable for mass processing and production.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the small flow valve proposed in the present invention is used to be arranged inside the water heater, and the small flow valve comprises:

[0006] A first valve body is provided with a first water inlet, a first water outlet and a bypass port, a first flow channel and a bypass flow channel are constructed inside the first valve body, the first flow channel is connected with the first water inlet and the first water outlet, and two ends of the bypass flow channel are respectively connected with the first flow channel and the bypass port;

[0007] a second valve body, detachably connected to the first valve body, the second valve body being provided with a second water inlet, a second water outlet and a water passage, a second flow channel being constructed inside the second valve body, the second flow channel being connected to the second water inlet and the second water outlet, and the bypass port being connected to the second flow channel via the water passage; and

[0008] A control component is provided on the first valve body, and is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first valve body includes a first tube body and a bypass tube body, the first flow channel is formed inside the first tube body, the first water inlet and the first water outlet are respectively provided at two ends of the first tube body, the bypass flow channel is formed inside the bypass tube body, one end of the bypass tube body is connected to the peripheral wall of the first tube body, and the other end of the bypass tube body is provided with the bypass port;

[0010] The second valve body includes a second tube body extending in parallel with the first tube body and arranged at an interval, the second flow channel is formed inside the second tube body, the second water inlet and the second water outlet are respectively provided at both ends of the second tube body, the water outlet is provided on the peripheral wall of the second tube body, and the bypass tube body is provided with an end of the bypass port that is detachably connected to the portion of the second tube body where the water outlet is provided.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second valve body further comprises an insert sleeve arranged on the peripheral wall of the second tube body, the insert sleeve is arranged around the outer periphery of the water outlet and extends toward the first tube body, and one end of the bypass tube body provided with the bypass port is detachably and sealedly inserted in the insert sleeve.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first valve body further comprises a sealing ring sleeved on the outer circumference of the bypass tube body, the outer circumferential wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a sealing groove for accommodating the sealing ring, and the sealing ring is sealingly matched with the inner circumferential wall of the insert tube;

[0013] And / or, the peripheral wall of the insert tube is provided with a plug hole for inserting a pin, the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a slot for engaging with the pin, and the insert tube and the bypass tube body are locked and fixed by the pin.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first tube body and the second tube body are both extended along the first direction, the bypass tube body is extended along the second direction, the two ends of the bypass tube body are respectively connected to the middle part of the first tube body and the middle part of the second tube body, and the control component is arranged on one side of the bypass tube body in the first direction; wherein the first direction intersects with the second direction.

[0015] In one embodiment, a mounting seat for mounting the control component is provided on a peripheral wall of the bypass tube body, the mounting seat has a center line extending along the first direction, the distance between the center line and the axis of the first tube body is L1, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the second tube body is L2, wherein L1 is greater than L2;

[0016] And / or, the distance between the axis of the first tube body and the axis of the second tube body is L3, wherein L3 is less than 100 mm.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first water inlet and the second water inlet are arranged diagonally, and the first water outlet and the second water outlet are arranged diagonally.

[0018] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the first tube is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube, and the bypass ratio is not less than 42%;

[0019] And / or, the area of ​​the water passage is larger than the area of ​​the bypass port.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first valve body and / or the second valve body is provided with a connecting portion, and the connecting portion is used to be connected and fixed to the back plate of the water heater.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first valve body and / or the second valve body are integrally formed with the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece;

[0022] And / or, the first valve body, the second valve body and the connecting portion are plastic parts.

[0023] In one embodiment, the small flow valve further includes a flow sensor disposed on the first valve body, and the flow sensor is used to detect the water inlet flow of the first flow channel;

[0024] And / or, the small flow valve further comprises a temperature sensor provided on the first valve body, the temperature sensor being used to detect the inlet water temperature of the first flow channel;

[0025] And / or, the control component is a solenoid valve or a proportional valve.

[0026] The present invention also provides a water heater, comprising:

[0027] A heat exchanger, wherein a water inlet and a water outlet of the heat exchanger are located on the same side of the heat exchanger; and

[0028] As described above, the first water outlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water inlet of the heat exchanger through a cold water inlet pipe, and the second water inlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water outlet of the heat exchanger through a hot water outlet pipe.

[0029] In one embodiment, the small flow valve is disposed inside the water heater and adjacent to the heat exchanger.

[0030] The small flow valve of the present invention comprises a first valve body, a second valve body and a control component arranged on the first valve body. The first valve body and the second valve body are assembled to form the valve body of the small flow valve, and the valve body is constructed with a first flow channel connecting the first water inlet and the first water outlet, a second flow channel connecting the second water inlet and the second water outlet, and a bypass flow channel connecting the first flow channel and the second flow channel; the control component is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel. When the small flow valve is applied to a water heater, the valve body is simultaneously connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe and the hot water outlet pipe of the heat exchanger, the first flow channel can be used as an inlet flow channel connected to the cold water inlet pipe, the second flow channel can be used as an outlet flow channel connected to the hot water outlet pipe, and the cold water in the first flow channel can be transported to the second flow channel through the bypass flow channel, so that the small flow valve can be well applied to the piping system of the water heater, so that the water heater has a bypass water mixing function. The control component is used to be electrically connected to the control system of the water heater. The control system sends corresponding control instructions to the control component according to the working state of the water heater, and then the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel can be controlled through the control component, so that the bypass mixed water volume of the water heater can be adjusted according to the actual working conditions, thereby effectively improving the problems of the start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, low thermal efficiency, etc. of the traditional water heater. The valve body of the small flow valve includes a first valve body and a second valve body that are separately arranged. When manufacturing the valve body, the first valve body and the second valve body can be formed separately, and then the first valve body and the second valve body can be assembled. Compared with the valve body of the integrated structure, the structure of the first valve body and the second valve body is simple, which is easy to process and form, thereby reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the valve body, making the manufacturing difficulty of the small flow valve low and suitable for mass production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] 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, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a small flow valve of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Front view of small and medium flow valves;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic cross-section of small and medium flow valves;

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of small and medium flow valves;

[0036] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a water heater of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the assembly structure of small and medium-sized flow valves and heat exchangers.

[0038] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0039]

[0040]

[0041] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0044] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0045] The present invention provides a small flow valve 100 .

[0046] The small flow valve 100 can be used in a water heater 1000 or other hot water systems that need to realize a bypass water mixing function. The following mainly describes the application of the small flow valve 100 in a water heater 1000 as an example. The water heater 1000 is specifically described by taking a gas water heater 1000 with a coilless heat exchanger 200 as an example.

[0047] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the water heater 1000 generally includes a heat exchanger 200, a burner 300 and a fan 400. The heat exchanger 200 includes a heat exchange tube, a heat exchange plate sleeved on the outer periphery of the heat exchange tube, a cold water inlet pipe 210 connected to the water inlet end of the heat exchange tube, and a hot water outlet pipe 220 connected to the water outlet end of the heat exchange tube. The burner 300 is arranged below the heat exchanger 200. For a strong drum type gas water heater 1000, the fan 400 is arranged below the burner 300; for a strong extraction type gas water heater 1000, the fan 400 is arranged above the heat exchanger 200. When the water heater 1000 is working, the fan 400 starts, and the mixture of gas and air enters the burner 300 for combustion. The cold water in the external water supply system can enter the heat exchange tube of the heat exchanger 200 through the cold water inlet pipe 210. The high-temperature flue gas generated by the burner 300 flows upward to exchange heat with the heat exchanger 200 to heat the water in the heat exchange tube. The heated hot water can be output to the user end through the hot water outlet pipe 220 to provide hot water to the user.

[0048] Traditional water heaters usually connect a bypass pipe between the cold water inlet pipe and the hot water outlet pipe of the heat exchanger to achieve the bypass water mixing function. When the water heater is working, part of the cold water in the cold water inlet pipe will enter the hot water outlet pipe through the bypass pipe, thereby achieving the mixing of cold water and hot water. According to research, water heaters with such a bypass structure have at least the following defects:

[0049] (1) When the water heater is burning normally, the flow path in the bypass pipe always remains in a conductive state, so the highest temperature in the heat exchange tube is higher than the set temperature of the water heater. The set temperature is reached only after the cold water is mixed. In order to solve the temperature rise when the water is shut off, a larger bypass ratio is usually required. If the set temperature of the water heater is 65°C, the actual temperature in the heat exchange tube will be as high as 75°C, which will produce serious gasification noise, affect the user experience, and shorten the life of the heat exchanger.

[0050] (2) If the bypass ratio is too large, serious vaporization noise will be generated and the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger will be reduced. Generally, the bypass ratio cannot be set too high. Since the coilless heat exchanger lacks coil water cooling, the water-off temperature rise is high, and a larger bypass ratio is required to reduce the water-off temperature rise, which further causes the adverse effects of high vaporization noise and low thermal efficiency.

[0051] (3) Since the bypass pipe is always open and the bypass ratio is fixed, if the bypass ratio is too large, it is easy to cause large overshoot during start-stop in winter. If the bypass ratio is too small, it is easy to cause the outlet water temperature to be too high or the risk of condensation in summer.

[0052] Among them, the temperature rise when water is stopped / the overshoot when starting and stopping means that when the water heater is working normally, the finned tube (that is, the heat exchange tube with heat exchanger) is in a high temperature state. When the water heater stops working, the heat on the finned tube will be quickly transferred to the water that has stopped flowing, causing the water temperature to rise. When the water heater is restarted, a section of high-temperature water will flow out, which may scald the user in severe cases. The temperature drop when water is stopped / the overshoot when starting and stopping means that after the water heater stops working, it needs to be pre-cleaned and ignited when it is restarted. At this time, a section of cold water will flow out of the heat exchanger before it can be heated to the set temperature. The start-stop constant temperature process means that there is a part of normal temperature hot water in the user's hot water pipeline. After the burner is restarted, it will first experience a normal water temperature, then experience an overshoot (temperature rise when water is stopped) and a undershoot (temperature drop when water is stopped), and finally reach the normal set temperature. The bypass ratio refers to the ratio of the bypass flow to the main line flow. The bypass cold water flow + the main line flow = the total flow.

[0053] Based on this, the present invention proposes a small flow valve 100, which is used to be set inside the water heater 1000. The small flow valve 100 can be well adapted to the piping system of the water heater 1000, so that the water heater 1000 has a bypass water mixing function, and can effectively improve the problems of start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, low thermal efficiency, etc. existing in traditional water heaters; and the small flow valve 100 has low processing and manufacturing difficulty and is suitable for mass processing and production.

[0054] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4In one embodiment of the present invention, the small flow valve 100 includes a first valve body 10a, a second valve body 10b and a control component 20. The first valve body 10a is provided with a first water inlet 101a, a first water outlet 101b and a bypass port 101c. A first flow channel 111 and a bypass flow channel 131 are constructed inside the first valve body 10a. The first flow channel 111 connects the first water inlet 101a and the first water outlet 101b. The two ends of the bypass flow channel 131 connect the first flow channel 111 and the bypass port 101c respectively. The second valve body 10b is detachably connected to the first valve body 10a. The second valve body 10b is detachably connected to the first valve body 10a. The body 10b is provided with a second water inlet 102a, a second water outlet 102b and a water passage 122. A second flow channel 121 is constructed inside the second valve body 10b. The second flow channel 121 connects the second water inlet 102a and the second water outlet 102b. The bypass port 101c is connected to the second flow channel 121 via the water passage 122. The control component 20 is provided on the first valve body 10a, and the control component 20 is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131.

[0055] Specifically, the valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100 is composed of a first valve body 10a and a second valve body 10b. The first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b can be made of metal parts or high temperature resistant plastic parts. Among them, the first valve body 10a is integrated with a control component 20. The first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b can be separately processed and manufactured and then assembled. The connection method between the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b includes but is not limited to one or a combination of several methods such as plug-in matching, snap-fit ​​matching, threaded connection, and screw connection. When applied to the pipeline system of the water heater 1000, one of the first flow channel 111 and the second flow channel 121 can be used as an inlet flow channel, and the other as an outlet flow channel. The bypass flow channel 131 is used to transport the water in the inlet flow channel to the outlet flow channel to achieve bypass mixing; so that the small flow valve 100 can be well applied to the pipeline system of the water heater 1000, so that the water heater 1000 has a bypass mixing function. The control component 20 is installed at a position corresponding to the first valve body 10a and the bypass channel 131, and the water flow rate of the bypass channel 131 can be controlled by the control component 20. It should be noted that the control component 20 controls the water flow rate of the bypass channel 131, which should be understood as the water flow rate through the bypass channel 131 can be changed to a certain extent under the control of the control component 20. The change in water flow rate here can be a change between no flow and flow, or a change between a large flow and a small flow when there is flow. Among them, the control component 20 includes but is not limited to the use of a solenoid valve, a proportional valve, etc.

[0056] The cold water inlet pipe and hot water outlet pipe of the traditional water heater are placed on both sides of the width of the water heater. The distance between them is large, and usually a long bypass pipe is required. It is difficult to connect and install with a small flow valve in actual production, which is costly and difficult to ensure sealing. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In this embodiment, the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the water heater 1000 with the small flow valve 100 can be located on the same side of the water heater 1000, and the distance between the two is relatively short, which is suitable for the installation of the small flow valve 100, and can save a long bypass pipe, reduce costs, and ensure sealing performance. Among them, the first flow channel 111 is connected in series with the flow channel in the cold water inlet pipe 210, and the second flow channel 121 is connected in series with the flow channel in the hot water outlet pipe 220. At this time, the first flow channel 111 is the water inlet flow channel, and the second flow channel 121 is the water outlet flow channel. Cold water enters the first flow channel 111 through the first water inlet 101a, and then is output to the heat exchange tube of the heat exchanger 200 through the first water outlet 101b. The hot water in the heat exchange tube enters the second flow channel 121 through the second water inlet 102a, and then is output from the second water outlet 102b. The control component 20 of the small flow valve 100 can be electrically connected to the control system of the water heater 1000 by wire or wireless means. The control system sends corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 according to the working state of the water heater 1000, and then the water flow rate of the bypass channel 131 can be controlled through the control component 20.

[0057] The following combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the specific control process of the small flow valve 100 when the water heater 1000 is working is introduced in detail.

[0058] When the water heater 1000 is working normally, the control component 20 controls the closing of the bypass flow channel 131. At this time, the highest temperature in the heat exchange tube of the heat exchanger 200 is the set temperature of the water heater 1000. In this way, the risk of vaporization noise can be greatly reduced, and the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger 200 will not be affected, and the service life of the heat exchanger 200 can also be extended.

[0059] After the water supply to the water heater 1000 is stopped, the control component 20 controls the bypass flow channel 131 to be opened, and can close the bypass flow channel 131 within a few seconds of startup according to the actual working conditions. At this time, part of the cold water in the first flow channel 111 is transported to the second flow channel 121 via the bypass flow channel 131, and the cold water is mixed with the high-temperature water in the second flow channel 121, which can effectively reduce the temperature rise when the water supply is stopped; because part of the cold water is diverted from the bypass flow channel 131, the water flow rate transported from the first flow channel 111 to the first water outlet 101b is reduced, thereby reducing the overshoot at startup.

[0060] In addition, it is also possible to determine whether to open the bypass during normal combustion based on actual working conditions. For example, in winter, when the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet water is large and needs to be quickly heated to the set temperature, the control component 20 controls the bypass flow channel 131 to close. This not only improves the heating speed but also ensures that it can be heated to the set temperature. When the water is stopped and restarted, the bypass time can be reduced, thereby reducing the overshoot. When a low-temperature bath is needed in summer, the control component 20 controls the bypass flow channel 131 to open. At this time, the minimum temperature rise of the water heater 1000 can be reduced to prevent the water temperature from being too hot during bathing, and the water temperature in the heat exchange tube can be increased, thereby increasing the flue gas temperature and avoiding the risk of condensation water.

[0061] The small flow valve 100 of the present invention comprises a first valve body 10a, a second valve body 10b and a control component 20 disposed on the first valve body 10a. The first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b are assembled to form the valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100, and the valve body 10 is constructed with a first flow channel 111 connecting the first water inlet 101a and the first water outlet 101b, a second flow channel 121 connecting the second water inlet 102a and the second water outlet 102b, and a bypass flow channel 131 connecting the first flow channel 111 and the second flow channel 121; the control component 20 is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131. When the small flow valve 100 is applied to the water heater 1000, the valve body 10 is connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the heat exchanger 200 at the same time, the first flow channel 111 can be used as an inlet flow channel connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210, the second flow channel 121 can be used as an outlet flow channel connected to the hot water outlet pipe 220, and the cold water in the first flow channel 111 can be transported to the second flow channel 121 through the bypass flow channel 131, so that the small flow valve 100 can be well applied to the piping system of the water heater 1000, so that the water heater 1000 has a bypass water mixing function. The control component 20 is used to be electrically connected to the control system of the water heater 1000. The control system sends corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 according to the working state of the water heater 1000, and then the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131 can be controlled by the control component 20, so that the bypass mixed water volume of the water heater 1000 can be adjusted according to the actual working conditions, thereby effectively improving the problems of the start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency of the traditional water heater 1000. The valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100 includes a first valve body 10a and a second valve body 10b that are separately arranged. When the valve body 10 is manufactured, the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b can be formed separately, and then the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b can be assembled. Compared with the valve body 10 of the integrated structure, the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b have simple structures and are easy to process and form, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the valve body 10, so that the manufacturing difficulty of the small flow valve 100 is low and suitable for mass production.

[0062] In addition, the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b are detachably connected. After the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b are separated, the first valve body 10a can be used as a flow regulating valve with a control component 20, and the second valve body 10b can be used as a three-way valve, so that the small flow valve 100 can be suitable for more application scenarios.

[0063] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the first valve body 10a includes a first tube body 11 and a bypass tube body 13, the first flow channel 111 is formed inside the first tube body 11, the first water inlet 101a and the first water outlet 101b are respectively provided at the two ends of the first tube body 11, the bypass flow channel 131 is formed inside the bypass tube body 13, one end of the bypass tube body 13 is connected to the peripheral wall of the first tube body 11, and the other end of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with the bypass port 101c; the second valve body 10b includes a second tube body 12 extending parallel to the first tube body 11 and arranged at intervals, the second flow channel 121 is formed inside the second tube body 12, the second water inlet 102a and the second water outlet 102b are respectively provided at the two ends of the second tube body 12, the water outlet 122 is provided on the peripheral wall of the second tube body 12, and the end of the bypass tube body 13 provided with the bypass port 101c is detachably connected to the part of the second tube body 12 provided with the water outlet 122.

[0064] In this embodiment, the first valve body 10a is generally a "T" type valve structure. When assembling, the valve body 10 can be obtained by detachably connecting one end of the bypass pipe body 13 provided with the bypass port 101c to the part of the second pipe body 12 provided with the water port 122. The first pipe body 11 and the second pipe body 12 extend in parallel and are arranged at intervals. Here, the parallel extension means that the axis of the first pipe body 11 is parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of the second pipe body 12. The bypass pipe body 13 is connected between the first pipe body 11 and the second pipe body 12. The axis of the bypass pipe body 13 can be perpendicular to or obliquely intersected with the axis of the first pipe body 11 (or the second pipe body 12), so that the valve body 10 generally presents an "H" type valve or "N" type valve structure. In this way, the overall structure of the valve body 10 is regular, suitable for connecting with the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the heat exchanger 200, which is conducive to reducing the overall volume of the water heater 1000. The control component 20 is disposed on the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 so as to control the bypass flow channel 131 .

[0065] In order to facilitate the assembly of the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b, as shown in FIG. Figure 4As shown, in one embodiment, the second valve body 10b further includes an insert 17 disposed on the peripheral wall of the second tube body 12, the insert 17 is disposed around the outer periphery of the water passage 122 and extends toward the first tube body 11, and one end of the bypass tube body 13 provided with the bypass port 101c is detachably sealed and plugged into the insert 17. Specifically, during assembly, the end of the bypass tube body 13 provided with the bypass port 101c is inserted into the insert 17, and the bypass tube body 13 and the insert 17 can be sealed and fixedly connected by interference fit, colloid sealing, or fastener locking.

[0066] In order to ensure the sealing reliability between the bypass tube body 13 and the insert 17, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the first valve body 10a further includes a sealing ring 16 sleeved on the outer periphery of the bypass tube body 13, and the outer peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a sealing groove 134 for accommodating the sealing ring 16, and the sealing ring 16 is sealed with the inner peripheral wall of the insert tube 17. When the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17 are plugged into place, the sealing ring 16 is squeezed and deformed to form a reliable sealing connection with the inner peripheral wall of the insert tube 17, thereby reducing the risk of water leakage. By providing the sealing groove 134, the movement of the sealing ring 16 along the axial direction of the bypass tube body 13 can be restricted, so as to prevent the sealing ring 16 from moving along the axial direction of the bypass tube body 13 during the plugging and unplugging process of the bypass tube body 13 and failing to play a sealing role.

[0067] In order to further improve the assembly reliability and disassembly convenience between the bypass tube body 13 and the insert 17, as Figure 4As shown, in one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the insert tube 17 is provided with an insertion hole 171 for inserting a plug, and the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a slot 135 for engaging with the plug, and the insert tube 17 and the bypass tube body 13 are locked and fixed by the plug. During assembly, after the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17 are plugged into place, the plug is inserted into the insert tube 17 from the insertion hole 171, and the plug is engaged with the slot 135 on the bypass tube body 13, so that the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17 can be locked and fixed, so as to improve the assembly reliability and sealing reliability between the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17. When the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b need to be separated, the plug is pulled out of the insertion hole 171, and a certain pulling force is applied, so that the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17 can be separated, which can improve the convenience of disassembly and assembly. Optionally, the plug adopts a U-shaped plug with two pins, and the peripheral wall of the plug tube 17 is provided with a plug hole 171 for inserting the two pins of the plug, and each plug hole 171 penetrates the opposite sides of the plug tube 17 along the radial direction of the plug tube 17. Other interface parts of the valve body 10 (such as the first water inlet 101a, the first water outlet 101b, the second water inlet 102a, the second water outlet 102b, and the external port 101d) can also adopt a structure of matching a plug with a plug hole to achieve assembly with the pipeline, and the specific method can be referred to the method of this embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0068] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 are both extended along the first direction, the bypass tube body 13 is extended along the second direction, the two ends of the bypass tube body 13 are respectively connected to the middle of the first tube body 11 and the middle of the second tube body 12, and the control component 20 is arranged on one side of the bypass tube body 13 in the first direction; wherein the first direction intersects with the second direction.

[0069] In this embodiment, please combine Figure 5 and Figure 6When the small flow valve 100 is applied to the water heater 1000, since the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the water heater 1000 are usually extended along the height direction of the water heater 1000, accordingly, the first direction is the height direction of the water heater 1000, so that the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 are both vertical pipes extending along the height direction of the water heater 1000, so as to facilitate the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 to be connected in series with the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 respectively, so as to improve the installation adaptability of the small flow valve 100 and the heat exchanger 200. The second direction can be the thickness direction (also such as the front-to-back direction) or the width direction (such as the left-to-right direction) of the water heater 1000, and the first direction and the second direction can be perpendicular to each other or have a certain inclination angle. Since the length of the bypass pipe body 13 is short, optionally, the second direction is the thickness direction of the water heater 1000, which is conducive to making full use of the space in the thickness direction of the water heater 1000 to reduce the width dimension of the water heater 1000.

[0070] The two ends of the bypass tube body 13 are respectively connected to the middle of the first tube body 11 and the middle of the second tube body 12, so that the valve body 10 generally presents an "H"-shaped valve structure. Since the two ends of the first tube body 11 and the two ends of the second tube body 12 are extended one end distance in the first direction compared with the bypass tube body 13, in the first direction, the valve body 10 is formed with concave cavities on the opposite sides of the bypass tube body 13, and the control component 20 is arranged on one side of the bypass tube body 13 in the first direction, so that the control component 20 is at least partially accommodated in one of the concave cavities. In this way, the concave space constructed by the valve body 10 itself can be fully utilized to accommodate the control component 20, which is conducive to reducing the overall volume of the small flow valve 100. For example, in this embodiment, the valve body 10 is formed with concave cavities on the upper and lower sides of the bypass tube body 13, and the control component 20 can be installed on the upper side of the bypass tube to be at least partially accommodated in the concave cavity on the upper side. Of course, in some embodiments, the control component 20 may also be installed on the lower side, front side or rear side of the bypass tube body 13 .

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a mounting seat 14 for mounting the control component 20, and the mounting seat 14 has a center line extending along the first direction, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the first tube body 11 is L1, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the second tube body 12 is L2, wherein L1 is greater than L2.

[0072] In this embodiment, by providing a mounting seat 14 on the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13, the installation of the control component 20 can be facilitated. Optionally, the mounting seat 14 is integrally formed with the bypass tube body 13, which can simplify the assembly process and improve the structural strength. For example, in this embodiment, the mounting seat 14 is generally a square boss structure protruding from the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13, and the four corners of the mounting seat 14 can be provided with assembly holes for fasteners to pass through, and the middle of the mounting seat 14 is provided with a sink 141 for accommodating a partial structure of the control component 20, wherein the axis of the sink 141 is the center line of the mounting seat 14. The distance between the center line of the mounting seat 14 and the axis of the first tube body 11 is smaller than the distance between the center line of the mounting seat 14 and the axis of the second tube body 12, so that the distance between the control component 20 and the first tube body 11 is smaller, and the distance between the control component 20 and the second tube body 12 is farther. In actual application, the first tube body 11 can be a cold water pipe for cold water circulation, and the second tube body 12 can be a hot water pipe for hot water circulation. In this way, the control component 20 can be arranged away from the hot water pipe (that is, the second tube body 12) to avoid damage to the control component 20 by the heat radiated by the hot water pipe. At the same time, the control component 20 is arranged closer to the cold water pipe (that is, the first tube body 11), which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the control component 20, thereby extending the service life of the control component 20.

[0073] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the distance between the axis of the first tube body 11 and the axis of the second tube body 12 is L3, wherein L3 is less than 100 mm. In this way, the influence of the length of the bypass tube body 13 and the assembly deformation on the bypass ratio and the bypass response speed can be reduced. Specifically, the distance between the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 is shorter, so that the length of the bypass tube body 13 is shortened, and then the length of the bypass channel 131 can be shortened, so that the cold water in the first channel 111 can be quickly transported to the second channel 121 through the shorter bypass channel 131 to mix with the hot water in the second channel 121, thereby ensuring a faster bypass response speed and a more accurate bypass ratio. And the shortened length of the bypass tube body 13 is conducive to improving the structural stability of the entire valve, and avoiding the deformation of the bypass tube body 13 after long-term use, which has an adverse effect on the bypass ratio and the bypass response speed. Among them, L3 can be designed to be 90mm, 80mm, 70mm, etc. according to needs.

[0074] In order to further improve the installation compatibility of the small flow valve 100 and the heat exchanger 200, as Figure 3As shown, in one embodiment, the first water inlet 101a and the second water inlet 102a are arranged diagonally, and the first water outlet 101b and the second water outlet 102b are arranged diagonally. Taking the small flow valve 100 placed vertically as an example, the lower end of the first tube body 11 is provided with a first water inlet 101a, the upper end of the first tube body 11 is provided with a first water outlet 101b, the upper end of the second tube body 12 is provided with a second water inlet 102a, and the lower end of the second tube body 12 is provided with a second water outlet 102b. In this way, the water flow direction in the first flow channel 111 is consistent with the water flow direction in the cold water inlet pipe 210 of the heat exchanger 200, and the water flow direction in the second flow channel 121 is consistent with the water flow direction in the cold water outlet pipe of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, the small flow valve 100 can be assembled in the pipeline system of the heat exchanger 200 without changing the pipeline direction of the heat exchanger 200.

[0075] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the first tube body 11 is greater than the inner diameter of the bypass tube body 13, and the bypass ratio is not less than 42%.

[0076] Specifically, when the small flow valve 100 is applied to the water heater 1000, the first tube body 11 is connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210 of the heat exchanger 200, and the second tube body 12 is connected to the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the heat exchanger 200. The inner diameter of the first tube body 11 is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube body 13, so that most of the cold water in the first tube body 11 can be transported to the heat exchanger 200, and a small part of the water is diverted to the bypass tube body 13, thereby preventing the amount of water transported to the heat exchanger 200 from being too small and directly vaporizing, affecting the efficiency of preparing hot water, and also preventing the amount of water transported from the bypass tube body 13 to the second tube body 12 from being too large, causing the hot water in the second tube body 12 to drop too much. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the first tube body 11 and the inner diameter of the bypass tube body 13 are designed to ensure that the bypass ratio is not less than 42%, that is, to ensure that the water flowing from the first flow channel 111 to the bypass flow channel 131 is greater than or equal to 42%, thereby ensuring that a good bypass water mixing effect can be achieved. In addition, in order to avoid a large impact and temperature drop on the hot water in the second tube body 12 due to excessive bypass water, the inner diameter of the second tube body 12 is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube body 13.

[0077] like Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the area of ​​the water opening 122 is larger than the area of ​​the bypass port 101c. In this way, it is possible to avoid excessive resistance to the water flow due to the small area of ​​the water opening 122 when the water in the bypass flow channel 131 is output from the bypass port 101c, which is conducive to the rapid delivery of the water in the bypass flow channel 131 to the second flow channel 121.

[0078] like Figure 3As shown, in one embodiment, the bypass channel 131 includes a first bypass section 1311 and a second bypass section 1312 separated from each other, and the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a first water outlet 132 and a second water outlet 133, the first bypass section 1311 connects the first channel 111 and the first water outlet 132, and the second bypass section 1312 connects the second water outlet 133 and the second channel 121; the control component 20 includes a drive assembly 21 and a seal 22, and the drive assembly 21 cooperates with the seal 22 to connect or disconnect the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133.

[0079] In this embodiment, a partition is provided inside the bypass tube body 13, and the partition divides the bypass flow channel 131 into a first bypass section 1311 and a second bypass section 1312. The peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a first water outlet 132 and a second water outlet 133 on opposite sides of the partition. When the bypass flow channel 131 needs to be closed, the driving end of the driving component 21 abuts against the sealing member 22. At this time, the driving component 21 cooperates with the sealing member 22 to block the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133, thereby ensuring the sealing performance. After the water in the first flow channel 111 enters the first bypass section 1311, it cannot be further transported forward to the second bypass section 1312. When the bypass flow channel 131 needs to be opened, the driving component 21 can drive the seal 22 away from the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 to make the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133 connected, or the driving end of the driving component 21 can be moved away from the seal 22 to make the seal 22 produce a certain displacement or deformation under the water flow pressure to make the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133 connected. At this time, the first bypass section 1311 is connected to the second bypass section 1312, thereby realizing the bypass water mixing function.

[0080] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the bypass pipe body 13 is provided with a mounting seat 14 for mounting the driving assembly 21, the mounting seat 14 is provided with a sink 141 for accommodating the sealing member 22, the bottom wall of the sink 141 is provided with the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133, the driving assembly 21 includes a driving member 211 and a push rod 212 drivingly connected to the driving member 211, the driving member 211 blocks the top opening of the sink 141, and the push rod 212 is connected to the driving member 211. The rod 212 is extended toward the sealing member 22, and the driving member 211 is used to drive the push rod 212 to perform telescopic movement. When the push rod 212 is in an extended state, the push rod 212 presses against the sealing member 22 to block the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133. When the push rod 212 is in a retracted state, a water flow channel connecting the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133 is defined between the sealing member 22 and the bypass tube body 13.

[0081] In this embodiment, the driving member 211 is fixed to the mounting seat 14 and blocks the top opening of the sink 141, so that the sealing member 22 is located in the closed cavity defined by the driving member 211 and the bypass tube body 13, which can prevent the water in the bypass tube body 13 from leaking out and causing damage to the driving member 211. When the bypass flow channel 131 needs to be closed, the push rod 212 abuts against the sealing member 22 to block the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133. At this time, the push rod 212 generates a certain pressure on the sealing member 22, which can prevent the sealing member 22 from being displaced under the action of water pressure and losing its sealing function. The seal 22 may be a flexible diaphragm. When the bypass channel 131 needs to be opened, the push rod 212 retracts and separates from the seal 22. The seal 22 moves toward a side away from the bypass channel 131 or partially deforms under the water pressure in the bypass channel 131, so that a water flow channel is formed between the seal 22 and the bypass tube body 13 to connect the first water port 132 with the second water port 133. There are many ways for the drive member 211 to drive the push rod 212 to achieve telescopic movement. For example, in this embodiment, the control component 20 may be an electromagnetic valve. Accordingly, the drive member 211 may be an electromagnetic coil of the electromagnetic valve, and the push rod 212 may be an iron core disposed in the electromagnetic coil. When the electromagnetic coil is energized, the iron core is driven to move. Of course, in other embodiments, the drive member 211 may also use other mechanical structures to drive the push rod 212 to perform telescopic movement.

[0082] As 3 and Figure 4As shown, in one embodiment, an extension portion 112 is provided on a side of the first tube body 11 away from the bypass tube body 13, and the extension portion 112 is provided with an external port 101d opposite to and connected to the bypass flow channel 131, and the valve body 10 also includes a sealing plug 15 detachably connected to the extension portion 112, and the sealing plug 15 is used to open or block the external port 101d.

[0083] In this embodiment, the extension portion 112 is a hollow cylindrical structure extending from the peripheral wall of the first tube body 11 toward a side away from the bypass tube body 13, and the inner cavity of the extension portion 112 forms an outer port 101d. When manufacturing the valve body 10, a drilling tool can be inserted into the valve body 10 through the outer port 101d to facilitate processing of the bypass flow channel 131 inside the valve body 10. When the small flow valve 100 is in normal use, the outer port 101d is blocked by the sealing plug 15, which can prevent the water in the valve body 10 from leaking from the outer port 101d. In addition, the outer port 101d can also be used as another connecting port of the valve body 10. When it is necessary to connect with other pipelines, the sealing plug 15 can be taken out from the outer port 101d to expand the number of connecting ports of the valve body 10.

[0084] In order to ensure the sealing reliability between the sealing plug 15 and the extension part 112 , optionally, a sealing ring 16 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the sealing plug 15 . When the sealing plug 15 seals the outer port 101d , the sealing ring 16 is squeezed and deformed to seal with the inner peripheral surface of the extension part 112 .

[0085] In one embodiment, the first valve body 10a and / or the second valve body 10b are provided with a connecting portion, and the connecting portion is used to be connected and fixed with the back plate of the water heater 1000. Specifically, after the water heater 1000 is installed on the wall, the back plate of the water heater is arranged close to the wall, and the valve body 10 formed by assembling the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 20b is connected and fixed with the back plate through the connecting portion, so that the installation of the small flow valve 100 is more stable and reliable, and the small flow valve 100 is prevented from shaking during the operation of the water heater 1000, thereby ensuring the working reliability of the small flow valve 100. Among them, the specific setting position of the connecting portion can be set according to actual conditions, for example, the connecting portion can be only provided on the first valve body 10a, or only provided on the second valve body 10b, or provided on both the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b. For example, in a specific application, the first valve body 10a of the small flow valve 100 is arranged close to the back plate, and the connecting portion can be set on the first valve body 10a.

[0086] Furthermore, the first valve body 10a and / or the second valve body 10b are integrally formed with the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece. Among them, the first valve body 10a and / or the second valve body 10b are integrally formed with the connecting portion, so that the structural strength of the connecting portion is higher and it is easy to produce and manufacture. The connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece (such as a screw, a bolt, a latch, etc.), the assembly is simple and convenient, and the connection is stable and reliable. Optionally, the first valve body 10a, the second valve body 10b and the connecting portion are plastic parts. In this way, it is easy to integrally injection mold the first valve body 10a and the connecting portion, or to integrally injection mold the second valve body 10b and the connecting portion, and the manufacturing process is simple.

[0087] Based on the above embodiments, in some embodiments, the small flow valve 100 also includes a flow sensor provided on the first valve body 10a, and the flow sensor is used to detect the water inlet flow of the first flow channel 111; and / or, the small flow valve 100 also includes a temperature sensor provided on the first valve body 10a, and the temperature sensor is used to detect the water inlet temperature of the first flow channel 111.

[0088] In this embodiment, the first valve body 10a of the small flow valve 100 can be used as a mounting carrier for the flow sensor and / or the temperature sensor, so that the small flow valve 100 has a higher degree of integration and more diversified functions. It is no longer necessary to install a flow sensor and / or a temperature sensor on the cold water inlet pipe 210 of the water heater 1000, which is conducive to reducing the number of parts to be assembled, improving assembly efficiency, and reducing costs. At the same time, it can also reduce the risk of water leakage caused by the assembly of parts. When the small flow valve 100 is applied to the water heater 1000, the installation position of the small flow valve 100 can be set closer to the water inlet end of the cold water inlet pipe 210 (that is, replacing the original installation position of the flow sensor and / or the temperature sensor), so that the small flow valve 100 is away from the heat radiation area formed by the burner 300, avoiding damage to the electronic components integrated in the small flow valve 100 due to heat radiation, and extending the service life of the small flow valve 100.

[0089] For example, the water inlet end of the first tube body 11 (i.e., the end provided with the first water inlet 101a) may be provided with an extension tube body, a rotor is provided inside the extension tube body, and a Hall element is provided on the peripheral wall of the extension tube body, so that the extension tube body, the rotor and the Hall element are combined to form a flow sensor. When water flows through, it drives the rotor to rotate, and then the rotation speed of the rotor is detected by the Hall element, so as to calculate the water flow rate flowing through. Of course, the form of the flow sensor is not limited to this, and other forms of flow sensors can also be used. In addition, a temperature sensor can also be provided on the peripheral wall of the extension tube body, and the probe of the temperature sensor extends into the interior of the extension tube body to detect the inlet water temperature. Among them, the temperature sensor includes but is not limited to the use of thermocouple temperature sensors, thermistor temperature sensors, etc.

[0090] In one embodiment, the control component 20 is a solenoid valve or a proportional valve. For example, the control component 20 can use a solenoid valve to control the on and off of the bypass flow channel 131, so that the bypass flow channel 131 can be switched between two gears with bypass flow and without bypass flow, and the adjustment is simple and convenient, and the response speed is fast. For another example, the control component 20 can use a proportional valve, and the proportional valve is equipped with a stepping motor to achieve continuous stepless adjustment with higher adjustment accuracy. Optionally, the control component 20 is only one of the solenoid valve or the proportional valve. In this way, under the premise of ensuring the realization of the bypass flow regulation function, the number of control components 20 can be simplified, so that the overall structure of the small flow valve 100 is more streamlined and smaller in size, which is also conducive to reducing costs.

[0091] The present invention also proposes a water heater 1000, which includes a heat exchanger 200 and a small flow valve 100, wherein the water inlet and the water outlet of the heat exchanger 200 are both located on the same side of the heat exchanger 200; the first water outlet 101b of the small flow valve 100 is connected to the water inlet of the heat exchanger 200 through a cold water inlet pipe 210, and the second water inlet 102a of the small flow valve 100 is connected to the water outlet of the heat exchanger 200 through a hot water outlet pipe 220. The specific structure of the small flow valve 100 refers to the above embodiment. Since the water heater 1000 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described one by one here. Among them, the water heater 1000 includes but is not limited to a strong drum type water heater 1000 with a fan 400 placed below, or a strong extraction type water heater 1000 with a fan 400 placed above.

[0092] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, in one embodiment, the water heater 1000 includes a small flow valve 100, a heat exchanger 200, a burner 300 and a fan 400. The burner 300 is arranged below the heat exchanger 200, and the fan 400 is arranged below the burner 300. The small flow valve 100 can realize a precise intelligent bypass function to control the bypass mixed water temperature, so that there is no need to wind a coil around the combustion chamber box of the water heater 1000, so the heat exchanger 200 can be a coil-free heat exchanger, which is conducive to further reducing the volume of the water heater 1000. At the same time, the need to set a coil can also reduce water leakage points and reduce water resistance pressure. The heat exchanger 200 may include a heat exchange tube, a heat exchange plate sleeved on the outer periphery of the heat exchange tube, a cold water inlet pipe 210 connected to the water inlet end (i.e., water inlet) of the heat exchange tube, and a hot water outlet pipe 220 connected to the water outlet end (i.e., water outlet) of the heat exchange tube. The water inlet and the water outlet of the heat exchanger 200 are located on the same side. Accordingly, the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 are located on the same side of the heat exchanger 200. The valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100 is serially connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220. Specifically, the first pipe body 11 of the first valve body 10a may be serially connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210, and the second pipe body 12 of the second valve body 10b may be serially connected to the hot water outlet pipe 220. The control component 20 of the small flow valve 100 can be electrically connected to the control system of the water heater 1000 by wire or wireless means. The control system sends corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 according to the working state of the water heater 1000, and then the water flow rate of the bypass channel 131 can be controlled through the control component 20.

[0093] When the water heater 1000 is working normally, the control component 20 controls the closing of the bypass flow channel 131. At this time, the highest temperature in the heat exchange tube of the heat exchanger 200 is the set temperature of the water heater 1000. In this way, the risk of vaporization noise can be greatly reduced, and the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger 200 will not be affected, and the service life of the heat exchanger 200 can also be extended.

[0094] After the water supply to the water heater 1000 is stopped, the control component 20 controls the bypass flow channel 131 to be opened, and can close the bypass flow channel 131 within a few seconds of startup according to the actual working conditions. At this time, part of the cold water in the first flow channel 111 is transported to the second flow channel 121 via the bypass flow channel 131, and the cold water is mixed with the high-temperature water in the second flow channel 121, which can effectively reduce the temperature rise when the water supply is stopped; because part of the cold water is diverted from the bypass flow channel 131, the water flow rate transported from the first flow channel 111 to the first water outlet 101b is reduced, thereby reducing the overshoot at startup.

[0095] In addition, it is also possible to determine whether to open the bypass during normal combustion based on actual working conditions. For example, in winter, when the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet water is large and needs to be quickly heated to the set temperature, the control component 20 controls the bypass flow channel 131 to close. This not only improves the heating speed but also ensures that it can be heated to the set temperature. When the water is stopped and restarted, the bypass time can be reduced, thereby reducing the overshoot. When a low-temperature bath is needed in summer, the control component 20 controls the bypass flow channel 131 to open. At this time, the minimum temperature rise of the water heater 1000 can be reduced to prevent the water temperature from being too hot during bathing, and the water temperature in the heat exchange tube can be increased, thereby increasing the flue gas temperature and avoiding the risk of condensation water.

[0096] The water heater 1000 of the present invention is integrated with the small flow valve 100 in the above embodiment. The control system of the water heater 1000 sends corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 according to the working state of the water heater 1000, and then the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131 can be controlled by the control component 20, so that the bypass mixed water volume of the water heater 1000 can be adjusted according to the actual working conditions, thereby effectively improving the problems of the start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, low thermal efficiency, etc. of the traditional water heater 1000. In addition, the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the water heater 1000 can be located on the same side of the water heater 1000, and the distance between the two is relatively short, which is suitable for the installation of the small flow valve 100. By installing a flow channel valve, the water inlet function, the water outlet function and the bypass mixed water function can be realized, and no other bypass pipes need to be installed, which can reduce costs and ensure sealing performance.

[0097] In one embodiment, the small flow valve 100 is disposed inside the water heater 1000 and adjacent to the heat exchanger 200. In this way, the small flow valve 100 can more accurately control the accuracy of the upstream water flow and the bypass water flow, thereby more accurately controlling the temperature rise.

[0098] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A small flow valve, used to be arranged inside a water heater, characterized in that: The small flow valve comprises: A first valve body is provided with a first water inlet, a first water outlet and a bypass port, a first flow channel and a bypass flow channel are constructed inside the first valve body, the first flow channel is connected with the first water inlet and the first water outlet, and two ends of the bypass flow channel are respectively connected with the first flow channel and the bypass port; a second valve body, detachably connected to the first valve body, the second valve body being provided with a second water inlet, a second water outlet and a water passage, a second flow channel being constructed inside the second valve body, the second flow channel being connected to the second water inlet and the second water outlet, and the bypass port being connected to the second flow channel via the water passage; and A control component is provided on the first valve body, and is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel.

2. The small flow valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first valve body comprises a first tube body and a bypass tube body, the first flow channel is formed inside the first tube body, the first water inlet and the first water outlet are respectively provided at two ends of the first tube body, the bypass flow channel is formed inside the bypass tube body, one end of the bypass tube body is connected to the peripheral wall of the first tube body, and the other end of the bypass tube body is provided with the bypass port; The second valve body includes a second tube body extending in parallel with the first tube body and arranged at an interval, the second flow channel is formed inside the second tube body, the second water inlet and the second water outlet are respectively provided at both ends of the second tube body, the water outlet is provided on the peripheral wall of the second tube body, and the bypass tube body is provided with an end of the bypass port that is detachably connected to the portion of the second tube body where the water outlet is provided.

3. The small flow valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second valve body also includes an insert sleeve arranged on the peripheral wall of the second tube body, the insert sleeve is arranged around the outer periphery of the water outlet and extends toward the first tube body, and one end of the bypass tube body provided with the bypass port is detachably sealed and inserted in the insert sleeve.

4. The small flow valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first valve body further comprises a sealing ring sleeved on the outer circumference of the bypass tube body, the outer circumferential wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a sealing groove for accommodating the sealing ring, and the sealing ring is in sealing cooperation with the inner circumferential wall of the insert tube; And / or, the peripheral wall of the insert tube is provided with a plug hole for inserting a pin, the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a slot for engaging with the pin, and the insert tube and the bypass tube body are locked and fixed by the pin.

5. The small flow valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first tube body and the second tube body are both extended along the first direction, the bypass tube body is extended along the second direction, the two ends of the bypass tube body are respectively connected to the middle part of the first tube body and the middle part of the second tube body, and the control component is arranged on one side of the bypass tube body in the first direction; wherein the first direction intersects with the second direction.

6. The small flow valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The peripheral wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a mounting seat for mounting the control component, the mounting seat has a center line extending along the first direction, the distance between the center line and the axis of the first tube body is L1, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the second tube body is L2, wherein L1 is greater than L2; And / or, the distance between the axis of the first tube body and the axis of the second tube body is L3, wherein L3 is less than 100 mm.

7. The small flow valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first water inlet and the second water inlet are arranged diagonally, and the first water outlet and the second water outlet are arranged diagonally.

8. The small flow valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the first tube body is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube body, and the bypass ratio is not less than 42%; And / or, the area of ​​the water passage is larger than the area of ​​the bypass port.

9. The small flow valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first valve body and / or the second valve body is provided with a connecting portion, and the connecting portion is used to be connected and fixed to the back plate of the water heater.

10. The small flow valve according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first valve body and / or the second valve body are integrally formed with the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece; And / or, the first valve body, the second valve body and the connecting portion are plastic parts.

11. The small flow valve according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The small flow valve further includes a flow sensor disposed on the first valve body, and the flow sensor is used to detect the water inlet flow of the first flow channel; And / or, the small flow valve further comprises a temperature sensor provided on the first valve body, the temperature sensor being used to detect the inlet water temperature of the first flow channel; And / or, the control component is a solenoid valve or a proportional valve.

12. A water heater, characterized in that: include: A heat exchanger, wherein a water inlet and a water outlet of the heat exchanger are both located on the same side of the heat exchanger; as well as According to the small flow valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, the first water outlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water inlet of the heat exchanger through a cold water inlet pipe, and the second water inlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water outlet of the heat exchanger through a hot water outlet pipe.

13. The water heater according to claim 12, characterized in that The small flow valve is arranged inside the water heater and adjacent to the heat exchanger.

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