Gas water heater and gas leakage emergency treatment device thereof

Abstract

The application is suitable for the technical field of gas water heaters, and provides a gas water heater and a gas leakage emergency treatment device thereof. The device comprises a control panel, a gas monitoring alarm, a controller, an internal electromagnetic valve and an external stop valve. The controller and the internal electromagnetic valve are arranged inside the body of the gas water heater. The external stop valve is arranged outside the body of the gas water heater. The control panel is electrically connected with the gas monitoring alarm and the controller, and is wirelessly connected with the external stop valve. The controller is electrically connected with the internal electromagnetic valve. The gas monitoring alarm sends an alarm signal to the control panel. The control panel sends a closing instruction to the external stop valve and the controller. The controller sends a closing instruction to the internal electromagnetic valve. The application adopts a double-control and double-valve mode to treat gas leakage. When leakage occurs, the external stop valve can be closed through the control panel, and the internal electromagnetic valve can be closed through the controller inside the gas water heater, so that the gas supply is timely and comprehensively cut off.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of gas water heater technology, and in particular relates to a gas water heater and its gas leak emergency handling device. Background Technology

[0002] Most existing gas water heaters have a gas leak alarm function, which involves a two-way alarm connected to the internal controller of the water heater. When a gas leak occurs, the alarm sends a leak signal to the controller, which then closes the solenoid valve on the gas passage of the water heater, thus stopping the gas leak inside the water heater. However, the internal controller of the gas water heater is also responsible for the control and operation of the water heater itself. It can often only handle leaks caused by the water heater itself, and cannot effectively handle leaks in the external gas pipeline in a timely manner. If an additional connection is added between the controller and the external gas pipeline safety device, it will further consume the controller's resources, increase costs, and excessive resource consumption will also lead to greater instability, making the controller prone to malfunction and creating safety hazards. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a gas water heater and its gas leak emergency handling device, which can solve the problems of insufficient timeliness and comprehensiveness in handling gas leaks and the existence of safety hazards.

[0004] Based on this, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater, including a control panel, a gas monitoring alarm, a controller, an internal solenoid valve, and an external shut-off valve;

[0006] The controller and the internal solenoid valve are located inside the gas water heater body, the control panel is located on the front of the gas water heater body, the gas monitoring alarm is located on the side of the gas water heater body, and the external shut-off valve is located on the outside of the gas water heater body.

[0007] The control panel is electrically connected to the gas monitoring alarm and the controller respectively, and the control panel is also wirelessly connected to the external shut-off valve;

[0008] The controller is electrically connected to the internal solenoid valve;

[0009] The gas monitoring alarm is used to send an alarm signal to the control panel when the detected gas concentration in the air is greater than a preset gas concentration threshold.

[0010] The control panel is used to generate a shutdown command after receiving the alarm signal, and send the shutdown command to the external shut-off valve and the controller;

[0011] The controller is used to send the shutdown command to the internal solenoid valve when it receives the shutdown command;

[0012] Both the internal solenoid valve and the external shut-off valve are used to cut off the gas supply after receiving the shut-off command.

[0013] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the external shut-off valve is disposed on the gas inlet pipe; wherein one end of the gas inlet pipe is used to connect to the gas meter, the other end is used to connect to the gas water heater body, and the external shut-off valve is located close to the gas meter.

[0014] In one embodiment of the first aspect, a vent is provided on the side of the gas water heater body, and the gas monitoring alarm is located at the location of the vent.

[0015] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the gas leak emergency handling device for the gas water heater further includes an explosion-proof fan;

[0016] The explosion-proof fan is located higher than the gas water heater body.

[0017] The explosion-proof fan is electrically connected to the control panel;

[0018] The control panel is also used to generate an activation command after receiving the alarm signal and send the activation command to the explosion-proof fan;

[0019] The explosion-proof fan is used to exchange air after receiving the start command.

[0020] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the explosion-proof fan includes an exhaust explosion-proof fan and an air supply explosion-proof fan;

[0021] The exhaust explosion-proof fan is used to send indoor air to the outside, and the supply explosion-proof fan is used to send outdoor air into the room.

[0022] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the control panel has a built-in first wireless radio frequency module, and the external shut-off valve has a built-in second wireless radio frequency module.

[0023] The control panel and the external shut-off valve are wirelessly connected via the first wireless radio frequency module and the second wireless radio frequency module.

[0024] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the first wireless radio frequency module is a WiFi module, a Bluetooth module, a Zigbee module, a LoRa module, a 4G module, or an NB-IoT module;

[0025] And / or,

[0026] The second wireless radio frequency module is a WiFi module, Bluetooth module, Zigbee module, LoRa module, 4G module or NB-IoT module.

[0027] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the controller is further configured to generate fault code information upon receiving the shutdown command and send the fault code information to the control panel;

[0028] The control panel is also used to display the fault code information.

[0029] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the control panel is further configured to issue an audible and visual alarm upon receiving the alarm signal.

[0030] A second aspect of this application provides a gas water heater, which includes a gas leak emergency handling device for the gas water heater described in any one of the first aspects above.

[0031] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the gas water heater further includes a gas proportional valve;

[0032] All gas proportional valves are electrically connected to the controller.

[0033] The controller is also configured to send the shutdown command to the gas proportional valve when it receives the shutdown command.

[0034] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0035] The system employs a dual-control, dual-valve approach to comprehensively handle gas leaks. The gas monitoring alarm can detect whether there is a gas leak. When a leak occurs, the external shut-off valve can be closed via the control panel, and the internal solenoid valve can be closed via the controller inside the gas water heater. This can promptly cut off the gas supply. Whether the gas leak is in the internal pipes of the gas water heater or in the indoor pipes, it can effectively and comprehensively prevent further gas leaks. At the same time, the control panel can also activate the explosion-proof fan to quickly reduce the gas concentration in the air.

[0036] The control panel can also issue audible and visual alarms and display fault code information, which helps to further prompt users to eliminate safety hazards in a timely manner, thereby comprehensively and promptly solving the gas leak problem.

[0037] By adopting a communication method between the controller and the control panel, and then between the control panel and the gas monitoring alarm, the system can achieve linkage control between the gas water heater and the external shut-off valve without consuming excessive controller resources. The overall structure is simple and highly reliable. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the 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.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a gas water heater provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0041] Legend:

[0042] 11. Gas monitoring alarm; 12. Control panel; 13. Controller; 14. Internal solenoid valve; 15. External shut-off valve; 16. Explosion-proof fan; 121. First wireless radio frequency module; 151. Second wireless radio frequency module; 161. Exhaust explosion-proof fan; 162. Supply explosion-proof fan; 21. Burner; 22. Gas proportional valve; 23. Water heater fan assembly; 24. Thermostat; 25. Heat exchanger; 26. Temperature sensor; 27. Water inlet valve; 28. Water flow sensor; 31. Gas meter; 32. Indoor gas pipe; 33. Gas water heater inlet pipe; 34. Gas inlet pipe for other gas-using equipment; 35. Manual shut-off valve. Detailed Implementation

[0043] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail.

[0044] It should be understood that, when used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or a collection thereof.

[0045] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0046] Furthermore, in the description of this application and the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0047] This embodiment provides a gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the gas leak emergency handling device of the gas water heater includes a gas monitoring alarm 11, a control panel 12, a controller 13, an internal solenoid valve 14, and an external shut-off valve 15.

[0048] The controller 13 and internal solenoid valve 14 are located inside the gas water heater body; the control panel 12 is located on the front of the gas water heater body; the gas monitoring alarm is located on the side of the gas water heater body; and the external shut-off valve 15 is located on the outside of the gas water heater body. (See also...) Figure 1 The control panel 12 is electrically connected to the gas monitoring alarm 11 and the controller 13 respectively. The control panel 12 is also wirelessly connected to the external shut-off valve 15. The controller 13 is electrically connected to the internal solenoid valve 14.

[0049] In one optional embodiment, the gas monitoring alarm 11 is used to send an alarm signal to the control panel 12 when the detected gas concentration in the air is greater than a preset gas concentration threshold; the control panel 12 is used to generate a shutdown command after receiving the alarm signal and send the shutdown command to the external shut-off valve 15 and the controller 13; the controller 13 is used to send the shutdown command to the internal solenoid valve 14 when it receives the shutdown command; both the internal solenoid valve 14 and the external shut-off valve 15 are used to cut off the gas supply after receiving the shutdown command.

[0050] In this embodiment, the closing command sent to the external shut-off valve 15 represents a valve closing command, that is, closing the external shut-off valve, while the closing command sent to the controller 13 represents a shutdown command, that is, controlling the gas water heater to stop. If it is in operation, it will stop running, and the controller 13 will perform actions such as cutting off the power supply to the internal solenoid valve 14.

[0051] In one feasible embodiment, an external shut-off valve 15 is installed on the gas inlet pipe; one end of the gas inlet pipe is used to connect to the gas meter, and the other end is used to connect to the gas water heater body, with the external shut-off valve 15 located close to the gas meter.

[0052] As an example, such as Figure 2As shown, the gas meter 31's gas supply end is connected to the indoor gas pipe 32. The indoor gas pipe 32 is the main pipeline for introducing gas. The indoor gas pipe 32 is connected to the gas water heater body and other gas-using appliances through the gas water heater inlet pipe 33 and other gas-using appliance inlet pipes 34, etc. Specifically, the other gas-using appliance inlet pipes 34 include the gas stove inlet pipe and the wall-mounted boiler inlet pipe, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0053] In this embodiment, the indoor gas pipe 32, the gas water heater inlet pipe 33, and the gas inlet pipes 34 of other gas-using equipment constitute the gas inlet pipeline. The external shut-off valve 15 is specifically installed at the indoor gas pipe 32 on the gas inlet pipeline. When the external shut-off valve 15 is closed, the indoor gas pipe 32 can be shut off, cutting off the gas supply from the source.

[0054] Optionally, the external shut-off valve 15 is an electrically controlled solenoid valve, which can be opened and closed based on specific command signals to open or close the gas inlet pipe. In another optional embodiment, a manually controlled shut-off valve is also provided on the gas inlet pipe 33 of the gas water heater and the gas inlet pipe 34 of other gas-using equipment for double protection, further ensuring effective prevention of gas leakage.

[0055] In one optional embodiment, a vent is provided on the side of the gas water heater body, and the gas monitoring alarm 11 is located at the location of the vent. The gas monitoring alarm 11 is connected to both the inside and outside of the gas water heater body, that is, the inside and outside are connected.

[0056] In one feasible embodiment, the gas monitoring alarm 11 can detect both the gas concentration outside and inside the gas water heater. The effective detection range of the gas monitoring alarm 11 is approximately a circular area with a diameter of 7 meters.

[0057] In one optional implementation, the preset gas concentration threshold is much lower than the actual lower explosive limit of the corresponding gas. Typically, the preset gas concentration threshold can be set to 10% of the lower explosive limit. For example, when the gas is natural gas, its lower explosive limit is 5% of air by volume, so an alarm signal can be triggered when the gas content is 0.5% of air. Similarly, when the gas is liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), its lower explosive limit is 2% by volume, so the preset gas concentration threshold can be set to 0.2%. Of course, this embodiment also adjusts the threshold according to different usage scenarios. For example, if the space is small and relatively enclosed, the threshold can be set even lower.

[0058] In an alternative implementation, when the fuel gas is manufactured gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a preset fuel gas concentration threshold is set with separate thresholds for different combustible gases. For example, the concentration threshold for nitrogen monoxide is typically 50 PPM (parts per million), and the concentration threshold for hydrogen is typically 125 PPM. Of course, this embodiment can also set concentration thresholds for other gases in the manufactured gas, such as a hydrogen sulfide concentration threshold of 10 PPM and an ammonia concentration threshold of 5 PPM. When the concentration of any of these gases exceeds its corresponding concentration threshold, an alarm is immediately triggered.

[0059] Optionally, such as Figure 1 As shown, the gas leak emergency handling device of the gas water heater also includes an explosion-proof fan 16, which is electrically connected to the control panel 12. The control panel 12 is also used to generate an activation command after receiving an alarm signal and send the activation command to the explosion-proof fan 16; the explosion-proof fan 16 is used to perform air exchange after receiving the activation command.

[0060] In this embodiment, the explosion-proof fan 16 is located higher than the gas water heater body. For example, the explosion-proof fan can be installed on the ceiling or at a high position on the wall.

[0061] Optional, such as Figure 2 As shown, the explosion-proof fan 16 includes an exhaust explosion-proof fan 161 and a supply explosion-proof fan 162. The exhaust explosion-proof fan 161 is used to send indoor air to the outside, and the supply explosion-proof fan is used to send outdoor air into the room, thereby realizing air exchange and rapidly reducing the concentration of gas.

[0062] In one optional implementation, the control panel 12 can be wired or wirelessly connected to the controller 13, the gas monitoring alarm 11, the external shut-off valve 15, and the explosion-proof fan 16. In this embodiment, the control panel 12 and the external shut-off valve 15 communicate wirelessly. Specifically, the control panel 12 has a built-in first wireless radio frequency module 121, and the external shut-off valve 15 has a built-in second wireless radio frequency module 151. The control panel 12 and the external shut-off valve 15 are wirelessly connected through the first wireless radio frequency module 121 and the second wireless radio frequency module 151.

[0063] Optionally, the first wireless radio frequency module 121 can be any one of a WiFi module (wireless local area network module), a Bluetooth module, a Zigbee module (Zigbee protocol wireless communication module), a LoRa module (long-range radio module), a 4G module (fourth-generation mobile communication module), and an NB-IoT module (narrowband Internet of Things module). Similarly, the second wireless radio frequency module 151 can also be any one of a WiFi module, Bluetooth module, Zigbee module, LoRa module, 4G module, and NB-IoT module. Of course, other wireless radio frequency modules can also be used, as long as the communication protocols of the first wireless radio frequency module 121 and the second wireless radio frequency module 151 are set to be consistent.

[0064] In one optional implementation, the controller 13 is further configured to generate fault code information upon receiving a shutdown command and send the fault code information to the control panel 12; the control panel 12 is further configured to display the fault code information. The fault code information indicates the specific fault condition. The gas water heater body typically has a fault code table, which includes different fault codes and their corresponding meanings and solutions. When the gas leak emergency handling device automatically cuts off the gas supply and rapidly exchanges air, if a user is present, the system will prompt the user with the correct procedures for handling a gas leak, such as further closing the manual shut-off valve, slowly and gently opening windows, avoiding touching electrical appliances, not using open flames, or making phone calls, and ideally, evacuating immediately.

[0065] In one optional implementation, the control panel 12 is also used to issue an audible and visual alarm upon receiving an alarm signal. Specifically, the control panel 12 is equipped with an indicator light and / or a buzzer. After the control panel 12 receives an alarm signal, it activates the operating circuits of the indicator light and the buzzer, causing the indicator light to flash continuously and the buzzer to sound an alarm, further reminding the user that a gas leak has occurred.

[0066] In this embodiment, Figure 2 A gas water heater is also specifically shown, which includes the gas leak emergency handling device for the gas water heater in the various embodiments described above.

[0067] As an example, the gas water heater includes a controller 13, an internal solenoid valve 14, a burner 21, a gas proportional valve 22, a water heater fan assembly 23, a thermostat 24, a heat exchanger 25, a temperature sensor 26, an inlet valve 27, a water flow sensor 28, a gas monitoring alarm 11, and a control panel 12.

[0068] The components connected to the controller 13 include a burner 21, a gas proportional valve 22, a water heater fan assembly 23, a thermostat 24, a temperature sensor 26, a water inlet valve 27, and a water flow sensor 28. The heat exchanger 25 itself is not directly connected to the controller 13, but its operating status (such as water temperature) is monitored by the temperature sensor 26 and fed back to the controller 13.

[0069] In an alternative implementation, the controller 13 is also configured to send a shutdown command to the gas proportional valve 22 upon receiving a shutdown command, while there is no mandatory shutdown requirement for other components.

[0070] Based on the above embodiments, the beneficial effects of this utility model can be obtained as follows:

[0071] 1. A dual-control, dual-valve system is used to comprehensively handle gas leaks. The gas monitoring alarm can detect whether there is a gas leak. When a leak occurs, the external shut-off valve can be closed via the control panel, and the internal solenoid valve can be closed via the controller inside the gas water heater. This can cut off the gas supply in time. Whether the gas leak is in the internal pipes of the gas water heater or the indoor pipes, it can effectively prevent further gas leaks. At the same time, the control panel can also turn on the explosion-proof fan to quickly reduce the gas concentration in the air.

[0072] 2. The control panel can also issue audible and visual alarms and display fault code information, which helps to further prompt users to eliminate safety hazards in a timely manner, thereby comprehensively and promptly solving the gas leak problem.

[0073] 3. By adopting a communication method between the controller and the control panel, and then between the control panel and the gas monitoring alarm, the system can achieve linkage control between the gas water heater and the external shut-off valve without consuming excessive controller resources. The overall structure is simple and highly reliable.

[0074] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater, characterized in that, Includes control panel, gas monitoring alarm, controller, internal solenoid valve and external shut-off valve; The controller and the internal solenoid valve are located inside the gas water heater body, the control panel is located on the front of the gas water heater body, the gas monitoring alarm is located on the side of the gas water heater body, and the external shut-off valve is located on the outside of the gas water heater body. The control panel is electrically connected to the gas monitoring alarm and the controller respectively, and the control panel is also wirelessly connected to the external shut-off valve; The controller is electrically connected to the internal solenoid valve; The gas monitoring alarm is used to send an alarm signal to the control panel when the detected gas concentration in the air is greater than a preset gas concentration threshold. The control panel is used to generate a shutdown command after receiving the alarm signal, and send the shutdown command to the external shut-off valve and the controller; The controller is used to send the shutdown command to the internal solenoid valve when it receives the shutdown command; Both the internal solenoid valve and the external shut-off valve are used to cut off the gas supply after receiving the shut-off command.

2. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The external shut-off valve is installed on the gas inlet pipe; one end of the gas inlet pipe is used to connect to the gas meter, and the other end is used to connect to the gas water heater body, and the external shut-off valve is located close to the gas meter.

3. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas water heater body has a vent hole on its side, and the gas monitoring alarm is located at the location of the vent hole.

4. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas leak emergency handling device for the gas water heater also includes an explosion-proof fan; The explosion-proof fan is located higher than the gas water heater body. The explosion-proof fan is electrically connected to the control panel; The control panel is also used to generate an activation command after receiving the alarm signal and send the activation command to the explosion-proof fan; The explosion-proof fan is used to exchange air after receiving the start command.

5. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The explosion-proof fan includes an exhaust explosion-proof fan and an air supply explosion-proof fan; The exhaust explosion-proof fan is used to send indoor air to the outside, and the supply explosion-proof fan is used to send outdoor air into the room.

6. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control panel has a built-in first wireless radio frequency module, and the external shut-off valve has a built-in second wireless radio frequency module. The control panel and the external shut-off valve are wirelessly connected via the first wireless radio frequency module and the second wireless radio frequency module.

7. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first wireless radio frequency module is a WiFi module, Bluetooth module, Zigbee module, LoRa module, 4G module, or NB-IoT module; And / or, The second wireless radio frequency module is a WiFi module, Bluetooth module, Zigbee module, LoRa module, 4G module or NB-IoT module.

8. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to generate fault code information after receiving the shutdown command, and send the fault code information to the control panel; The control panel is also used to display the fault code information.

9. The gas leak emergency handling device for a gas water heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control panel is also used to issue an audible and visual alarm upon receiving the alarm signal.

10. A gas water heater, characterized in that, The gas water heater includes a gas leak emergency handling device as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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