Differential pressure switch and heat pump hot water unit

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a differential pressure switch and a heat pump hot water unit, and the differential pressure switch comprises a switch housing which is provided with a water inlet, an inner cavity and a water outlet; the membrane is arranged in the inner cavity and divides the inner cavity into a water inlet cavity part and a water outlet cavity part, the water inlet cavity part is communicated with the water inlet, the water outlet cavity part is communicated with the water outlet, and the membrane is provided with through-flow micropores communicating the water inlet cavity part with the water outlet cavity part; the inductive switch is arranged on the switch shell; and the triggering piece is arranged in an area, facing the inductive switch, of the diaphragm and is used for triggering the inductive switch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of fluid control element technology, specifically to a differential pressure switch and a heat pump water heater unit. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, the water-side heat exchanger of a heat pump water heater is connected to a differential pressure switch to protect it from freezing and damage when the water flow is insufficient. However, when the heat pump water heater operates in harsh, low-temperature environments, the differential pressure switch itself is at risk of freezing and damage, rendering it unable to protect the water-side heat exchanger. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a differential pressure switch and a heat pump water heater unit, which can prevent the differential pressure switch from freezing and being damaged, and ensure the protective function of the differential pressure switch for the water-side heat exchanger.

[0004] On one hand, this application provides a differential pressure switch, comprising: a switch housing having an inlet, an inner cavity, and an outlet; a diaphragm disposed within the inner cavity and dividing the inner cavity into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, the inlet chamber communicating with the inlet and the outlet chamber communicating with the outlet, the diaphragm having flow-through micropores communicating with the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber; an inductive switch disposed on the switch housing; and a trigger element disposed on the diaphragm in the area facing the inductive switch for triggering the inductive switch.

[0005] In some embodiments, the inductive switch is disposed on the side wall of the switch housing surrounding the water outlet cavity. The differential pressure switch further includes an elastic element disposed within the water outlet cavity. One end of the elastic element is connected to the diaphragm or the trigger element, and the other end is connected to the side wall of the switch housing where the inductive switch is disposed. The elastic element is used to reset the diaphragm and the trigger element.

[0006] In some embodiments, a groove is provided on one side of the diaphragm located within the water outlet cavity, and the trigger is embedded in the groove; the trigger is provided with a first connecting portion, and the elastic member is fixedly connected to the first connecting portion.

[0007] In some embodiments, the differential pressure switch further includes a gasket, and a groove is provided on one side of the diaphragm located in the water outlet cavity, and the gasket is embedded in the groove; the gasket is provided with a second connecting portion, and the elastic element and the second connecting portion are fixedly connected.

[0008] In some embodiments, the trigger is a magnetic element, and the inductive switch includes a switch contact and a second magnetic element. The second magnetic element and the trigger are spaced apart and have the same magnetism. The switch contact is located on the side of the second magnetic element away from the trigger. When the pressure difference between the water inlet chamber and the water outlet chamber is less than or equal to a preset value, the second magnetic element and the switch contact are spaced apart. When the pressure difference between the water inlet chamber and the water outlet chamber is greater than the preset value, the second magnetic element touches the switch contact.

[0009] In some embodiments, the diameter of the flow-through micropore is 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

[0010] In some embodiments, the membrane is provided with a plurality of flow-through micropores, which are spaced apart on the membrane.

[0011] On the other hand, this application provides a heat pump water heater unit, including a water-side heat exchanger and a differential pressure switch provided in any of the above embodiments, wherein the inlet is connected to the inlet side of the water-side heat exchanger, and the outlet is connected to the outlet side of the water-side heat exchanger.

[0012] In some embodiments, the heat pump water heater unit includes a fixed bracket, which is disposed on the water-side heat exchanger, and the differential pressure switch is disposed on the fixed bracket.

[0013] In some embodiments, the heat pump water heater unit includes a first pressure tapping pipe and a second pressure tapping pipe, the first pressure tapping pipe being connected to the water inlet and the water inlet side of the water-side heat exchanger, and the second pressure tapping pipe being connected to the water outlet and the water outlet side of the water-side heat exchanger.

[0014] In some embodiments, the heat pump water heater unit includes a first pressure tap and a second pressure tap, wherein the first pressure tap is used to connect the first pressure tap and the inlet side of the water-side heat exchanger, and the second pressure tap is used to connect the second pressure tap and the outlet side of the water-side heat exchanger.

[0015] This embodiment of the application provides flow-through micropores on the diaphragm that connect the inlet and outlet water chambers. When the heat pump water heater is operating in a harsh low-temperature environment, such as below -15°C, the high-temperature refrigerant in the heat pump water heater can circulate through the flow-through micropores to the differential pressure switch, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant in the differential pressure switch. This avoids the risk of the refrigerant freezing in the differential pressure switch and the resulting diaphragm freezing and cracking, thus preventing the differential pressure switch from freezing and being damaged, and ensuring the protective function of the differential pressure switch for the water-side heat exchanger. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a differential pressure switch provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a differential pressure switch provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 This is another partial cross-sectional view of the differential pressure switch provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a connection structure diagram of a heat pump water heater unit provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0021] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0022] 1-Differential pressure switch, 10-Switch housing, 11-Inlet, 121-Inlet chamber, 122-Outlet chamber, 13-Outlet, 20-Diaphragm, 21-Flow-through micropore, 22-Groove, 30-Inductive switch, 31-Second magnetic element, 32-Switch contact, 40-Trigger element, 41-First connection part, 50-Elastic element, 60-Gasket, 61-Second connection part, 2-Water-side heat exchanger, 201-Inlet side, 202-Outlet side, 3-Fixed bracket, 4-First pressure tap, 5-Second pressure tap, 6-First pressure tap connector, 7-Second pressure tap connector. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0025] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0026] The use of "applies to" or "configured to" in this application implies open and inclusive language, which does not exclude the applicability to or configuration to devices performing additional tasks or steps. Additionally, the use of "based on" implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations, or other actions "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0027] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "used as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this application. Details are set forth in the following description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be made without using these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0028] In related technologies, the water-side heat exchanger of a heat pump water heater is connected to a differential pressure switch to protect the water-side heat exchanger from freezing and damage when water flow is insufficient. The inventors discovered that when the heat pump water heater operates in harsh low-temperature environments, such as below -15°C, the temperature of the refrigerant in the differential pressure switch is low. The refrigerant in the differential pressure switch in related technologies cannot flow and is prone to freezing, which can lead to the differential pressure switch itself freezing and cracking, rendering it unable to protect the water-side heat exchanger.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, in one aspect, this application provides a differential pressure switch 1, which includes a switch housing 10, a diaphragm 20, an inductive switch 30 and a trigger 40, which can prevent the differential pressure switch 1 from freezing and being damaged, and ensure the protective function of the differential pressure switch 1 for the water-side heat exchanger 2.

[0030] Here, the switch housing 10 has an inlet 11, an inner cavity, and an outlet 13. A diaphragm 20 is disposed within the inner cavity, dividing the inner cavity into an inlet chamber 121 and an outlet chamber 122; the inlet chamber 121 communicates with the inlet 11, and the outlet chamber 122 communicates with the outlet 13; the diaphragm 20 has flow-through micro-holes 21, which penetrate the diaphragm 20 and connect the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122. An inductive switch 30 is disposed on the switch housing 10 and is used to sense and control drive elements such as water pumps that drive the circulation of water. A trigger 40 is disposed on the diaphragm 20 in the area facing the inductive switch 30 and is used to trigger the inductive switch 30.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, when the differential pressure switch 1 is applied to the water-side heat exchanger 2 of the heat pump water heater unit, the inlet 11 can be connected to the inlet side 201 of the water-side heat exchanger 2 so that the inlet chamber 121 is connected to the inlet side 201 of the water-side heat exchanger 2, and the outlet 13 can be connected to the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2 so that the outlet chamber 122 is connected to the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2. The diaphragm 20 senses the pressure difference between the inlet side 201 and the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2, and then changes the on / off state of the sensing switch 30 according to different pressure difference states. When the pressure difference between the inlet side 201 and the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2 is large, the pressure difference between the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122 is large and greater than the preset value, causing the diaphragm 20 to undergo large elastic deformation. The diaphragm 20 drives the trigger 40 to approach the inductive switch 30 and enter the triggering range, thereby triggering the inductive switch 30 to turn on. When the pressure difference between the inlet side 201 and the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2 is small, the pressure difference between the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122 is small and less than or equal to the preset value, causing the diaphragm 20 to undergo small elastic deformation or no elastic deformation. The trigger 40 moves away from the inductive switch 30 and exits the triggering range, thereby turning off the inductive switch 30.

[0032] When the heat pump water heater is operating in a harsh low-temperature environment, such as below -15℃, thanks to the flow-through micropores 21 provided on the diaphragm 20, the high-temperature refrigerant in the heat pump water heater can circulate through the flow-through micropores 21 to the differential pressure switch 1, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant in the differential pressure switch 1. This avoids the risk of the refrigerant freezing in the differential pressure switch 1 and the resulting damage such as freezing and cracking of the diaphragm 20, thus preventing the differential pressure switch 1 from freezing and ensuring the protective function of the differential pressure switch 1 for the water-side heat exchanger 2.

[0033] The location of the inductive switch 30 can be determined according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not limit this. In some embodiments, the inductive switch 30 can be disposed on the side wall of the switch housing 10 surrounding the water outlet cavity 122, such that the inductive switch 30 and the water outlet cavity 122 are disposed adjacent to each other. Here, the differential pressure switch 1 may also include an elastic element 50 for resetting the diaphragm 20 and the trigger 40. The elastic element 50 is disposed in the water outlet cavity 122, one end of the elastic element 50 is connected to the diaphragm 20 or the trigger 40, and the other end is connected to the side wall of the switch housing 10 where the inductive switch 30 is disposed. When the pressure difference between the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122 is large enough to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element 50 (e.g., greater than a preset value), the diaphragm 20 undergoes a large elastic deformation, causing the trigger element 40 to approach the inductive switch 30 and enter the triggering range, thereby triggering the inductive switch 30 to turn on. When the pressure difference between the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122 is small enough to be insufficient to overcome the elastic force of the elastic element 50 (e.g., less than or equal to a preset value), the elastic element 50 drives the diaphragm 20 and the trigger element 40 to reset, causing the trigger element 40 to move away from the inductive switch 30 and exit the triggering range, thereby turning off the inductive switch 30. The type of elastic element 50 can be determined according to actual needs, and can be, for example, a spring, a sheet, or a wire; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some examples, a groove 22 may be provided on one side of the diaphragm 20 located within the water outlet chamber 122, and the trigger 40 is embedded in the groove 22. The trigger 40 may be provided with a first connecting portion 41, and the elastic member 50 is fixedly connected to the first connecting portion 41. In this way, the elastic member 50 and the trigger 40 can be directly connected, allowing the elastic member 50 to directly drive the trigger 40 to reset, and avoiding damage to the diaphragm 20 by the elastic member 50.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in some other examples, the differential pressure switch 1 may include a gasket 60. A groove 22 may be provided on one side of the diaphragm 20 within the outlet chamber 122, and the gasket 60 is embedded within the groove 22. A second connecting portion 61 may be provided on the gasket 60, and the elastic member 50 and the second connecting portion 61 are fixedly connected. In this way, the gasket 60 and the elastic member 50 can be directly connected, avoiding a direct connection between the diaphragm 20 and the elastic member 50, and preventing damage to the diaphragm 20 from the elastic member 50.

[0036] The type of trigger 40 can be determined according to actual needs. The inductive switch 30 can be triggered by methods such as capacitive triggering, photoelectric triggering, or mechanical triggering; this embodiment does not limit this. In some embodiments, the trigger 40 can be a magnetic element. Here, the inductive switch 30 may include a switch contact 32 and a second magnetic element 31. The second magnetic element 31 and the trigger 40 are spaced apart and have the same magnetism, with the switch contact 32 located on the side of the second magnetic element 31 away from the trigger 40. When the pressure difference between the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122 is less than or equal to a preset value, the elastic deformation of the diaphragm 20 is small, causing the second magnetic element 31 and the trigger element 40 to be far apart. The magnetic repulsion between the second magnetic element 31 and the trigger element 40 is small and insufficient to drive the second magnetic element 31 to touch the switch contact 32. Therefore, the second magnetic element 31 and the switch contact 32 are spaced apart, keeping the inductive switch 30 open. When the pressure difference between the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122 is greater than the preset value, the elastic deformation of the diaphragm 20 is large, causing the second magnetic element 31 and the trigger element 40 to be close together. The magnetic repulsion between the second magnetic element 31 and the trigger element 40 is large, and the magnetic repulsion drives the second magnetic element 31 to gradually approach and touch the switch contact 32, thus turning on the inductive switch 30.

[0037] The aperture range of the flow-through micropores 21 can be determined according to actual needs, and this application embodiment does not limit it. In some embodiments, the aperture of the flow-through micropores 21 can be 1.5mm to 2.5mm, for example, 1.5mm, 1.6mm, 1.7mm, 1.8mm, 1.9mm, 2mm, 2.1mm, 2.2mm, 2.3mm, 2.4mm, or 2.5mm. Within this aperture range, on the one hand, it can ensure that the refrigerant on both sides of the diaphragm 20 circulates through the flow-through micropores 21, avoiding freezing and cracking of the diaphragm 20; on the other hand, it can avoid interfering with the pressure difference between the inlet chamber 121 and the outlet chamber 122, ensuring the control accuracy of the differential pressure switch 1.

[0038] The number of flow-through micropores 21 can be determined according to actual needs, and this application embodiment does not limit this. In some embodiments, a plurality of flow-through micropores 21 may be provided on the membrane 20, and the plurality of flow-through micropores 21 are spaced apart on the membrane 20.

[0039] On the other hand, this application provides a heat pump water heater unit, which includes a water-side heat exchanger 2 and a differential pressure switch 1 provided in any of the above embodiments. The inlet 11 is connected to the inlet side 201 of the water-side heat exchanger 2, and the outlet 13 is connected to the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2. Here, the inductive switch 30 can be electrically connected to a driving element such as a water pump. The heat pump water heater unit provided in this application has the aforementioned differential pressure switch 1, which can prevent the differential pressure switch 1 from freezing and being damaged, ensuring the protective function of the differential pressure switch 1 for the water-side heat exchanger 2 and preventing the water-side heat exchanger 2 from freezing and being damaged.

[0040] In some embodiments, the heat pump water heater unit may include a mounting bracket 3. The mounting bracket 3 is mounted on the water-side heat exchanger 2, and the differential pressure switch 1 is mounted on the mounting bracket 3. By using the mounting bracket 3, reliable fixation between the water-side heat exchanger 2 and the differential pressure switch 1 can be achieved.

[0041] In some embodiments, the heat pump water heater unit may include a first pressure tap 4 and a second pressure tap 5. The first pressure tap 4 connects the inlet 11 to the inlet side 201 of the water-side heat exchanger 2, and the second pressure tap 5 connects the outlet 13 to the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2. By setting the first pressure tap 4 and the second pressure tap 5, the pipeline connection between the differential pressure switch 1 and the water-side heat exchanger 2 can be better realized, and the installation layout of the differential pressure switch 1 can be optimized.

[0042] In some embodiments, the heat pump water heater unit includes a first pressure tap 6 and a second pressure tap 7. The first pressure tap 6 is used to connect the first pressure tap 4 and the inlet side 201 of the water-side heat exchanger 2, and the second pressure tap 5 is used to connect the second pressure tap 5 and the outlet side 202 of the water-side heat exchanger 2. By providing the first pressure tap 6 and the second pressure tap 7, the pipeline connection between the first pressure tap 4 and the water-side heat exchanger 2, as well as the pipeline connection between the second pressure tap 5 and the water-side heat exchanger 2, can be better realized, improving the convenience of disassembly and assembly.

[0043] The differential pressure switch and heat pump water heater provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the idea of ​​this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A differential pressure switch, characterized in that, include: The switch housing has an inlet, an inner cavity, and an outlet; A diaphragm is disposed within the inner cavity and divides the inner cavity into an inlet cavity and an outlet cavity. The inlet cavity is connected to the inlet, and the outlet cavity is connected to the outlet. The diaphragm is provided with flow-through micropores that connect the inlet cavity and the outlet cavity. An inductive switch is mounted on the switch housing; A trigger element is disposed on the diaphragm in the area facing the inductive switch, for triggering the inductive switch.

2. The differential pressure switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inductive switch is disposed on the side wall of the switch housing surrounding the water outlet cavity. The differential pressure switch also includes an elastic element disposed inside the water outlet cavity. One end of the elastic element is connected to the diaphragm or the trigger element, and the other end is connected to the side wall of the switch housing where the inductive switch is disposed. The elastic element is used to reset the diaphragm and the trigger element.

3. The differential pressure switch according to claim 2, characterized in that, The diaphragm has a groove on one side located inside the water outlet cavity, and the trigger is embedded in the groove; the trigger has a first connecting part, and the elastic element is fixedly connected to the first connecting part.

4. The differential pressure switch according to claim 2, characterized in that, The differential pressure switch also includes a gasket, and a groove is provided on one side of the diaphragm located in the water outlet cavity. The gasket is embedded in the groove. A second connecting part is provided on the gasket, and the elastic element and the second connecting part are fixedly connected.

5. The differential pressure switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trigger is a magnetic element, and the inductive switch includes a switch contact and a second magnetic element. The second magnetic element and the trigger are spaced apart and have the same magnetism. The switch contact is located on the side of the second magnetic element away from the trigger. When the pressure difference between the water inlet chamber and the water outlet chamber is less than or equal to a preset value, the second magnetic element and the switch contact are spaced apart. When the pressure difference between the water inlet chamber and the water outlet chamber is greater than the preset value, the second magnetic element touches the switch contact.

6. The differential pressure switch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the flow-through micropores is 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm; and / or, the membrane is provided with a plurality of flow-through micropores, which are spaced apart on the membrane.

7. A heat pump water heater unit, characterized in that, It includes a water-side heat exchanger and a differential pressure switch according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the inlet is connected to the inlet side of the water-side heat exchanger, and the outlet is connected to the outlet side of the water-side heat exchanger.

8. The heat pump water heater unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The heat pump water heater unit includes a fixed bracket, which is mounted on the water-side heat exchanger, and the differential pressure switch is mounted on the fixed bracket.

9. The heat pump water heater unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The heat pump water heater unit includes a first pressure tapping pipe and a second pressure tapping pipe. The first pressure tapping pipe is connected to the water inlet and the water inlet side of the water-side heat exchanger, and the second pressure tapping pipe is connected to the water outlet and the water outlet side of the water-side heat exchanger.

10. The heat pump water heater unit according to claim 9, characterized in that, The heat pump water heater unit includes a first pressure tap and a second pressure tap. The first pressure tap is used to connect the first pressure tap pipe to the inlet side of the water-side heat exchanger, and the second pressure tap pipe is used to connect the second pressure tap pipe to the outlet side of the water-side heat exchanger.

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