Infrared-sensing-based domestic hot water energy-saving circulator

Abstract

This invention provides an infrared sensing-based energy-saving hot water circulator, belonging to the field of hot water circulator technology. It includes a front casing and a rear casing, which are fixedly connected by fasteners. Both the front and rear casings have internal installation cavities. A conveying component and a return component are respectively arranged on both sides of the rear casing. The conveying component includes a variable frequency circulation pump, which is installed on one side inside the rear casing. This invention uses an infrared sensor switch at the point of use, triggering the circulation pump and intelligent angle valve only when a person arrives at the water area, rapidly delivering hot water to the point of use. Once the water temperature reaches the set value, operation stops. Compared to traditional 24-hour continuous circulation systems, this significantly reduces equipment operating time, achieving energy savings of approximately 90%, while avoiding the waste of water resources and time caused by draining cold water, providing users with a better hot water experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of hot water circulator technology, and more specifically, to an energy-saving domestic hot water circulator based on infrared sensing. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most mainstream domestic hot water systems on the market use 24-hour or timed circulation, or traditional natural flow. With natural flow, the cold water in the hot water pipes needs to be drained before each use, wasting both water resources and waiting time. As living standards improve, residential areas increase, and the number of bathrooms rises, this natural flow method leads to increasingly longer waiting times and a poor user experience.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, some large apartments or villas on the market currently employ large or small circulation hot water pipe designs. However, to achieve instant hot water supply, continuous 24-hour circulation is typically required, resulting in extremely high energy consumption and substantial monthly electricity bills. Many families are forced to switch to manual circulation after installation due to the high cost, losing the original convenience. Furthermore, some designs install individual hot water circulation pumps with infrared sensor control at each hot water point, but this leads to extremely high costs, dense piping, and the need for regular maintenance by professionals, making it difficult to widely adopt for ordinary households.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a domestic hot water energy-saving circulation device that can provide hot water instantly at the point of use, significantly reduce energy consumption, and is highly integrated, easy to install, and widely applicable. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an energy-saving domestic hot water circulator based on infrared sensing, aiming to solve the problem of how to achieve instant hot water upon arrival of a person with the lowest energy consumption and the simplest installation method.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] An infrared sensing-based energy-saving hot water circulator includes a front shell and a rear shell, which are fixedly connected by fasteners. Both the front and rear shells have an installation cavity inside. A conveying component and a return component are respectively arranged on both sides of the interior of the rear shell. The conveying component includes a variable frequency circulation pump, which is installed on one side of the interior of the rear shell. The conveying component is used to actively extract and convey hot water from the heating source. The return component is used to combine cold water and used hot water and return it to the heating source.

[0008] An integrated circuit board is fixedly installed inside the front housing. A smart angle valve is installed between the hot water outlet of the conveying component and the hot water return end of the return component through a pipe. The integrated circuit board is electrically connected to the smart angle valve. An infrared sensor switch is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board through a cable. The infrared sensor switch is used to detect whether someone has entered the usage area. When the infrared sensor switch detects someone, it sends a signal to the integrated circuit board to control the smart angle valve to open and start the variable frequency circulation pump to quickly circulate the water in the pipeline to replenish hot water.

[0009] Preferably, the inlet of the variable frequency circulating pump is equipped with a hot water inlet pipe, and the outlet of the variable frequency circulating pump is equipped with a hot water outlet pipe.

[0010] Preferably, a T-shaped pipe is installed at the upper end of the hot water inlet pipe, with one end of the T-shaped pipe connected to the hot water pipe and the other end connected to the faucet.

[0011] Preferably, the reflux assembly includes a main reflux pipe, which is fixedly installed inside the rear housing on the other side. A cold water reflux pipe is installed at the lower end of the main reflux pipe, and a cold water discharge pipe is installed at the upper end of the main reflux pipe.

[0012] Preferably, the cold water return pipe is connected to the cold water pipe, and the cold water discharge pipe is connected to the return water pipe of the heating equipment.

[0013] Preferably, a right-angle connecting pipe is installed on one side of the main return pipe, and a hot water return pipe is installed at the lower end of the right-angle connecting pipe. The hot water return pipe is connected to the hot water discharge pipe through an intelligent angle valve.

[0014] Preferably, a temperature control valve is fixedly installed on the outside of the right-angle connecting pipe. The temperature control valve is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board and is used to detect the temperature of the hot water inside the pipe.

[0015] Preferably, a check valve is installed between the hot water return pipe and the right-angle connecting pipe, and another check valve is installed between the cold water return pipe and the main return pipe.

[0016] Preferably, a power line is provided at one end of the integrated circuit board, and a water pump controller is provided on the upper side of the variable frequency circulating pump, and the water pump controller is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board.

[0017] Preferably, the rear outer shell uses a fixing clamp to fix the position of the pipe, and the front and rear outer shells have extension pipe openings at their upper and lower ends, which are used for the pipes inside the shell to extend outward.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. Achieve instant hot water on demand, significantly saving energy and water: This invention uses infrared sensor switches at point-of-use water outlets (such as bathroom sinks and kitchen sinks). The circulation pump and smart valve are only activated when a person enters the water area, rapidly delivering hot water to the outlet; operation stops once the water temperature reaches the set value. Compared to traditional 24-hour circulating systems, this significantly reduces equipment operating time, achieving energy savings of approximately 90%. It also avoids the waste of water resources and time caused by draining cold water, providing users with a superior hot water experience.

[0020] 2. Highly integrated design, extremely simple installation: To simplify the complex connection between the hot water return end and the external check valve and temperature sensor at the water heater inlet, this invention integrates all core control components such as the main return pipe, right-angle connecting pipe, check valve, and thermostatic valve into the cavity formed by the front and rear shells. During construction, installers only need to connect the external hot and cold water pipes according to the extension pipe openings, greatly reducing the difficulty of construction and making it compatible with most existing home plumbing designs.

[0021] 3. This invention utilizes the linkage between the integrated circuit board control and the variable frequency circulating pump, the water-end angle valve, and the temperature control valve. It accurately controls the start and stop of the water pump through water temperature sensing, avoiding the waste of heat energy caused by hot water directly entering the return water pipe. In addition, the design of the two-way check valve effectively prevents the backflow of the return liquid, ensuring the absolute stability of water pressure and water flow in the entire domestic hot water circulation system. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the front shell;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation location of the integrated circuit board;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the rear shell.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Front casing; 2. Rear casing; 3. Mounting cavity; 4. Integrated circuit board; 5. Conveying assembly; 501. Hot water inlet pipe; 502. Variable frequency circulating pump; 503. Hot water outlet pipe; 504. Pump controller; 6. Return assembly; 601. Main return pipe; 602. Right-angle connecting pipe; 603. Check valve; 604. Cold water outlet pipe; 605. Cold water return pipe; 606. Hot water return pipe; 607. Thermostatic valve; 7. Pipe clamp; 8. Power cord; 9. Infrared sensor switch; 10. Smart angle valve; 11. Extension port. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an infrared sensing-based energy-saving hot water circulator includes a front shell 1 and a rear shell 2, which are fixedly connected by fasteners. Both the front shell 1 and the rear shell 2 have an installation cavity 3 inside. The rear shell 2 has a conveying component 5 and a return component 6 on its two sides. The conveying component 5 includes a variable frequency circulation pump 502, which is installed on one side inside the rear shell 2. The conveying component 5 is used to actively extract and convey hot water from the heating source. The return component 6 is used to combine cold water and used hot water and return them to the heating source.

[0029] An integrated circuit board 4 is fixedly installed inside the front casing 1. A smart angle valve 10 is installed between the hot water outlet of the conveying component 5 and the hot water return end of the return component 6 through a pipe. The integrated circuit board 4 is electrically connected to the smart angle valve 10. An infrared sensor switch 9 is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board 4 through a cable. The infrared sensor switch 9 is used to detect whether someone has arrived in the area. When the infrared sensor switch 9 detects someone, it controls the smart angle valve 10 to open through the integrated circuit board 4 and starts the variable frequency circulation pump 502 to quickly replenish hot water.

[0030] like Figure 4 As shown, a hot water inlet pipe 501 is installed at the inlet of the variable frequency circulating pump 502, and a hot water outlet pipe 503 is installed at the outlet of the variable frequency circulating pump 502. A T-shaped pipe is installed at the upper end of the hot water inlet pipe 501. One end of the T-shaped pipe at the upper end of the hot water inlet pipe 501 is connected to the hot water pipe, and the other end is connected to the faucet.

[0031] In order to achieve active flow of hot water, by starting the variable frequency circulation pump 502, hot water can be continuously delivered from the end of the hot water inlet pipe 501 connected to the hot water pipe to the hot water outlet pipe 503, and hot water can enter the hot water return pipe 606. The above structure can accelerate the flow of water in the current pipe, ensuring that cold water can be discharged in time and hot water can be replenished to meet the subsequent hot water use needs.

[0032] When the operator uses the faucet, hot water has already been replenished through the above structure, so that the user can get hot water instantly as soon as they turn on the faucet, without having to wait.

[0033] In this embodiment, the reflux assembly 6 includes a main reflux pipe 601, which is fixedly installed inside the rear housing 2 on the other side. A cold water reflux pipe 605 is installed at the lower end of the main reflux pipe 601, and a cold water discharge pipe 604 is installed at the upper end of the main reflux pipe 601. The cold water reflux pipe 605 is connected to a cold water pipe, and the cold water discharge pipe 604 is connected to the return water pipe of the heating equipment.

[0034] The main return pipe 601 can concentrate the return liquid inside the cold water return pipe 605 and the hot water return pipe 606 to the cold water discharge pipe 604 and discharge it to the external return water pipe. The cold water return pipe 605 can be connected to the existing cold water pipe without affecting the return of cold water.

[0035] In the specific setup, a right-angle connecting pipe 602 is installed on one side of the main return pipe 601, and a hot water return pipe 606 is installed at the lower end of the right-angle connecting pipe 602. The hot water return pipe 606 is connected to the hot water discharge pipe 503 through the intelligent angle valve 10.

[0036] It should be noted that a thermostatic valve 607 is fixedly installed on the outside of the right-angle connecting pipe 602. The thermostatic valve 607 is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board 4. The thermostatic valve 607 is used to detect the temperature of the hot water inside the pipe. A check valve 603 is installed between the hot water return pipe 606 and the right-angle connecting pipe 602. Another check valve 603 is installed between the cold water return pipe 605 and the main return pipe 601.

[0037] To replenish hot water into the pipes and allow users to quickly access hot water, an infrared sensor switch 9 detects a user's approach and opens the smart angle valve 10, connecting the hot water discharge pipe 503 and the hot water return pipe 606. This activates the variable frequency circulation pump 502, directing hot water into the main hot water pipe through the hot water inlet pipe 501. The pump also accelerates the water flow, ensuring that previously cooled hot water is immediately supplied to the hot water return pipe 606. A temperature control valve 607 monitors the return water temperature in real time, preparing for subsequent shut-off. This structure allows the application to quickly discharge cold water and introduce hot water when a user approaches, ensuring the pipes are already filled with hot water before the user turns on the tap, eliminating waiting time and improving the user experience.

[0038] To accurately shut off the variable frequency circulation pump 502 and the smart angle valve 10, and to avoid wasting hot water and achieve energy saving, the smart angle valve 10 is kept open during the hot water delivery process. This allows hot water to be delivered from the hot water discharge pipe 503 to the right-angle connecting pipe 602. A temperature control valve 607 is installed on the outside of the right-angle connecting pipe 602 to monitor the current water temperature in real time. When the water temperature reaches the set value, it means that the pipe is completely filled with hot water. At this time, the temperature control valve 607 is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board 4, which allows the integrated circuit board 4 to control the variable frequency circulation pump 502 and the smart angle valve 10 to close, thus preventing the hot water from flowing back directly due to the hot water return pipe 606 not being closed, which would result in energy waste.

[0039] The check valve 603 effectively prevents backflow of liquid and ensures the stability of water flow inside the pipeline.

[0040] In this application, a power cord 8 is provided at one end of the integrated circuit board 4, and a water pump controller 504 is provided on the upper side of the variable frequency circulating pump 502. The water pump controller 504 is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board 4. Power is delivered to the integrated circuit board 4 through the power cord 8, and then the integrated circuit board 4 delivers the power to each unit. Thus, during installation, only a single socket needs to be connected to the power cord 8.

[0041] The rear outer shell 2 uses a fixing pipe clamp 7 to fix the position of the pipe. The front outer shell 1 and the rear outer shell 2 have extension pipe openings 11 at the upper and lower ends. The extension pipe openings 11 are used for the pipe inside the shell to extend outward.

[0042] The extension port 11 and the fixing clamp 7 can fix the outward extension pipe, preventing it from loosening during use.

[0043] The piping system of electric water heaters is a technical means that is already mastered and well known to those skilled in the art, and the pipe connection method is not the subject of this application for improvement. Those skilled in the art can choose existing methods to cooperate with it.

[0044] The working principles and wiring methods of the intelligent angle valve 10, infrared sensor switch 9, and water pump controller 504 are all conventional methods or common knowledge, and will not be described in detail here. Those skilled in the art can make any selections according to their needs or convenience.

[0045] The working principle of an infrared sensing-based energy-saving domestic hot water circulator:

[0046] When in use, when the operator (user) arrives at the water-using area (such as in front of the sink or shower), the infrared sensor switch 9 installed near the water point detects the human activity signal and immediately transmits the signal to the integrated circuit board 4 via cable (or wireless communication module).

[0047] After receiving the signal, the integrated circuit board 4 immediately issues a command to open the smart angle valve 10 installed below the water point (the smart angle valve 10 is responsible for connecting the hot water inlet pipe and the return pipe at the end), and simultaneously starts the variable frequency circulation pump 502 inside the housing 2 through the water pump controller 504. At this time, the variable frequency circulation pump 502 forcefully draws hot water from the heating source such as an electric water heater or a gas wall-mounted boiler, and delivers the hot water to the water point. The hot water enters the pump body through the hot water inlet pipe 501 and then enters the hot water outlet pipe 503.

[0048] As the hot water rapidly propels forward, the previously cooled cold water inside the pipe is forced back into the external hot water return pipe via the open intelligent angle valve 10, and finally flows back to the return component 6 inside the circulator. The current cold water flows sequentially through the hot water return pipe 606, the right-angle connecting pipe 602, and finally merges into the main return pipe 601. It then flows back to the heating source for reheating through the cold water discharge pipe 604. In this application, the cold water return pipe 605 is only used to connect to the external cold water pipe, ensuring that the delivery of cold water is unrelated to the improvement direction of this application. During delivery, the check valve 603 prevents the water flow from being pushed back.

[0049] As hot water gradually fills the entire water pipe and flows back to the right-angle connecting pipe 602 inside the circulator, the external thermostatic valve 607 immediately senses the increase in water temperature. When the water temperature reaches the preset value (meaning that the pipe is completely filled with hot water and the cold water has been drained), the thermostatic valve 607 sends a feedback signal to the integrated circuit board 4.

[0050] The integrated circuit board 4 then controls the variable frequency circulating pump 502 to stop running and issues a command to close the smart angle valve 10. At this time, the entire hot water delivery pipeline is filled with sufficient hot water, and the user can get hot water instantly by simply turning on the tap. Because the entire cold water replacement time is extremely short, the actual working time of the variable frequency circulating pump 502 is only tens of seconds to one minute, thus achieving a perfect balance between extremely low energy consumption and extremely high user experience.

[0051] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is impossible to exhaustively list all the implementation methods here. All obvious variations or modifications derived from the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An infrared sensing-based energy-saving domestic hot water circulator, comprising a front shell (1) and a rear shell (2), wherein the front shell (1) and the rear shell (2) are fixedly connected by fasteners, and both the front shell (1) and the rear shell (2) have an installation cavity (3) inside, characterized in that: The rear outer shell (2) is provided with a conveying component (5) and a return component (6) on both sides of the interior. The conveying component (5) includes a variable frequency circulation pump (502), which is installed on one side of the interior of the rear outer shell (2). The conveying component (5) is used to actively extract and convey hot water from the heating source. The return component (6) is used to combine cold water and used hot water and return them to the heating source. An integrated circuit board (4) is fixedly installed inside the front housing (1). A smart angle valve (10) is installed between the hot water outlet of the conveying component (5) and the hot water return end of the return component (6) through a pipe. The integrated circuit board (4) is electrically connected to the smart angle valve (10). An infrared sensor switch (9) is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board (4) through a cable. The infrared sensor switch (9) is used to detect whether someone has arrived in the area. When the infrared sensor switch (9) detects someone, it sends a signal to the integrated circuit board (4) to control the smart angle valve (10) to open and start the variable frequency circulation pump (502) to quickly circulate the water in the pipeline to replenish hot water.

2. The energy-saving domestic hot water circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The variable frequency circulating pump (502) is equipped with a hot water inlet pipe (501) at its inlet and a hot water outlet pipe (503) at its outlet.

3. The energy-saving domestic hot water circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 2, characterized in that: A three-way pipe is installed at the upper end of the hot water inlet pipe (501). One end of the three-way pipe at the upper end of the hot water inlet pipe (501) is connected to the hot water pipe, and the other end is connected to the faucet.

4. The energy-saving domestic hot water circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reflux assembly (6) includes a main reflux pipe (601), which is fixedly installed on the other side inside the rear housing (2). A cold water reflux pipe (605) is installed at the lower end of the main reflux pipe (601), and a cold water discharge pipe (604) is installed at the upper end of the main reflux pipe (601).

5. The energy-saving domestic hot water circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cold water return pipe (605) is connected to the cold water pipe, and the cold water discharge pipe (604) is connected to the return water pipe of the heating equipment.

6. A domestic hot water energy-saving circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 5, characterized in that: A right-angle connecting pipe (602) is installed on one side of the main return pipe (601), and a hot water return pipe (606) is installed at the lower end of the right-angle connecting pipe (602). The hot water return pipe (606) is connected to the hot water discharge pipe (503) through a smart angle valve (10).

7. A domestic hot water energy-saving circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 6, characterized in that: A temperature control valve (607) is fixedly installed on the outside of the right-angle connecting pipe (602). The temperature control valve (607) is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board (4). The temperature control valve (607) is used to detect the temperature of the hot water inside the pipe.

8. A domestic hot water energy-saving circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 6, characterized in that: A check valve (603) is installed between the hot water return pipe (606) and the right-angle connecting pipe (602), and another check valve (603) is installed between the cold water return pipe (605) and the main return pipe (601).

9. A domestic hot water energy-saving circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the integrated circuit board (4) is provided with a power line (8), and a water pump controller (504) is provided on the upper side of the variable frequency circulating pump (502). The water pump controller (504) is electrically connected to the integrated circuit board (4).

10. A domestic hot water energy-saving circulator based on infrared sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear outer shell (2) uses a fixed pipe clamp (7) to fix the position of the pipe. The front outer shell (1) and the rear outer shell (2) are provided with extension pipe openings (11) at the upper and lower ends. The extension pipe openings (11) are used for the pipe inside the shell to extend outward.

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