A remotely controllable electronic thermostatic mixing valve and shower
By designing a remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve, the problem of manually opening the cooling valve in the initial stage of shower head operation is solved, realizing remote control of cooling, improving the user experience, and is especially suitable for long-distance hot water supply systems.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAMEN SOLEX HIGH TECH INDUSTRIES CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing shower heads require users to manually open the cold water exhaust valve upon initial use, which is inconvenient and makes the user easily wet by cold water, resulting in a poor user experience, especially in long-distance hot water supply systems with large volumes of cold water.
Design a remotely controllable electronic cooling exhaust main control valve, including cold water and hot water inlet channels, valve core assembly, water outlet, solenoid valve and temperature sensor. It is wirelessly connected to the controller through the main control unit to realize remote control of the opening and closing of the cooling exhaust channel, and is equipped with a power supply module.
It enables remote control of the cooling function, improves the user experience, avoids the inconvenience of operating it in the shower room, and is especially suitable for long-distance hot water supply systems.
Smart Images
Figure CN224533556U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bathroom fixtures, and more particularly to shower units. Background Technology
[0002] While existing showerheads are equipped with hot and cold water mixing valves, a large amount of cold water remains in the pipes. This causes a large amount of cold water to be discharged when the showerhead is first used, which can irritate the skin and cause discomfort, especially for the elderly and children. In addition, for users with outdoor solar water heaters or gas water heaters, especially those in areas that require remote hot water supply, there is a long pipe distance between the hot water source and the showerhead in their home, resulting in an even larger volume of cold water. Therefore, drain valves that can solve the discomfort caused by large amounts of cold water and showerheads equipped with such drain valves have appeared on the market.
[0003] However, traditional drain valves still require users to enter the shower room to open and release the cold water, which is inconvenient and also makes it easy for users to accidentally get wet from the discharged cold water, resulting in a poor user experience. Utility Model Content
[0004] The main technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve that can be remotely operated.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve, including: a cold water inlet channel, a hot water inlet channel, a valve core assembly, and an outlet end; the inlet side of the valve core assembly is connected to the cold water inlet channel and the hot water inlet channel respectively, and the outlet side is connected to the outlet end;
[0006] It also includes a cooling channel connected to the hot water inlet channel, a solenoid valve for controlling the opening or closing of the cooling channel, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the water outlet in the cooling channel;
[0007] The temperature sensor is connected to the signal input terminal of the main control unit, and the signal output terminal of the main control unit is connected to the solenoid valve; the signal output terminal of the main control unit also establishes a wireless signal transmission connection with the controller.
[0008] It also includes a valve body and a power module detachably connected to the valve body, the power module being used to supply power to the main control unit and the solenoid valve.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the system further includes a handle connected to the valve core assembly via an adapter to adjust the ratio of cold water to hot water entering the valve core assembly.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the signal output terminal of the main control unit is also connected to an indicator light and a buzzer.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment: the valve body is provided with a chamber for accommodating the power module; the inner wall of the chamber is provided with a movable member that cooperates with the power module; when the power module is inserted into the chamber, the movable member and the power module move together along the insertion direction to drive the movable member to move from a first position to a second position or a third position.
[0012] The valve body is also provided with a limiting member that cooperates with the movable member; when the movable member is in the second position, the limiting member and the movable member are limited and cooperated against the insertion direction of the power module; when the movable member is in the third position, the limiting member and the movable member are released from the limiting cooperation.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the third position is located downstream of the second position along the insertion direction of the power module.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment: the movable component has a first guide groove, a second guide groove, and a limiting groove connecting the first guide groove and the second guide groove; the ends of the first guide groove and the second guide groove are located downstream of the limiting groove along the insertion direction of the power module; the side of the second guide groove away from the limiting groove is connected to the first guide groove;
[0015] When the movable part moves from the first position to the second position, the limiting member moves along the first guide groove. When the movable part is in the second position, the limiting member enters the limiting groove and engages with the limiting groove in the opposite direction of the power module insertion. When the movable part moves from the second position to the third position, the limiting member enters the second guide groove from the limiting groove. When the movable part moves from the third position to the first position, the limiting member moves along the second guide groove and enters the first guide groove.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment: the movable component further includes a locking member, which locks with the power module to fix the power module to the movable component when the movable component moves from the first position to the second position.
[0017] In a preferred embodiment: the locking member is reversed in its engagement with a reversing member, the reversing member reversing the movement of the movable member along the power module insertion direction to the movement of the locking member from the unlocked position to the locked position.
[0018] In a preferred embodiment: the side of the power module is provided with a locking groove that mates with the locking member; when the locking member is in the locked position, the locking member enters the locking groove.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment: the reversing member reverses the movement of the movable member along the power module insertion direction to the movement of the locking member along the cavity radially.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment: the reversing member is an inclined surface, and the locking member has a guide block abutting against the inclined surface.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment: the movable member has a baffle extending radially inward along the chamber; when the power module is inserted into the chamber, the power module abuts against the baffle to form a linkage engagement along the insertion direction.
[0022] In a preferred embodiment: the limiting member is a rocker arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the valve body.
[0023] In a preferred embodiment: an elastic rib is provided on the inner wall of the chamber, and a limiting protrusion is provided at the free end of the elastic rib.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment: it further includes an elastic reset member, the movable end of which is connected to the movable member; during the movement of the movable member from the first position to the second position, the elastic reset member accumulates an elastic reset force.
[0025] In a preferred embodiment: the power module is provided with a cooling exhaust button, which is connected to the signal input terminal of the main control unit.
[0026] This utility model also provides a shower device equipped with the electronic cooling valve described above.
[0027] In a preferred embodiment: there are two water outlets, which are respectively connected to the overhead shower and the bathtub.
[0028] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this utility model has the following beneficial effects:
[0029] This invention provides a remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve, enabling remote operation and powering the main control unit and solenoid valve via a power module. The power module can be easily connected, disconnected, and charged. Attached Figure Description
[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic cooling main control valve in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the electronic cooling main control valve in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic cooling main control valve in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling water path in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the power module in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the power module installed from another angle in a preferred embodiment of this utility model;
[0036] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the chamber in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0037] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the movable component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0038] Figure 9 This is a front view of the movable component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0039] Figure 10 This is a side view of the movable component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0040] Figure 11 This is a top view of the electronic cooling main control valve in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0041] To make the technical solution and features of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific examples. It should be understood that these examples are only for illustrating this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. After reading this utility model, any modifications of this utility model by those skilled in the art in various equivalent forms fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.
[0042] refer to Figures 1-11 This embodiment provides an electronic cooling main control valve, including a valve body 1 and a detachable power module 2, wherein the power module 2 is used to supply power to the electronic components in the electronic cooling main control valve, so that the electronic cooling main control valve has the function of remote control.
[0043] For the installation of the power module 2, an electronic main board 11 is provided inside the valve body 1. The electronic main board 11 has a chamber for accommodating the power module 2. The inner wall of the chamber is provided with a movable part 12 that cooperates with the power module 2. When the power module 2 is inserted into the chamber, the movable part 12 and the power module 2 move together along the insertion direction to move the movable part 12 from a first position to a second position or a third position. The valve body 1 is also provided with a limiting part 13 that cooperates with the movable part 12. When the movable part 12 is in the second position, the limiting part 13 and the movable part 12 are limited to cooperate against the insertion direction of the power module 2. When the movable part 12 is in the third position, the limiting part 13 and the movable part 12 are released from the limiting cooperation.
[0044] The aforementioned water outlet terminal, through the coordinated action of the movable component 12 and the power module 2, allows the movable component 12 to change position during the insertion of the power module 2. After the power module 2 is installed, the movable component 12 is fixed in the second position, thus securing the power module 2 in that position and completing the installation. When it is necessary to remove the power module 2, simply pushing the power module 2 again to move the movable component 12 to the third position releases the fixation on the movable component 12, allowing it to return to the first position from the third position. This enables the power module 2 to be removed from the chamber, achieving rapid installation and removal of the power module 2.
[0045] In this embodiment, the third position is located downstream of the second position along the insertion direction of the power module 2. Therefore, when removing the power module 2, the user only needs to push the power module 2 towards the bottom of the chamber again to unlock and remove the power module 2.
[0046] To achieve the limiting engagement and release of the limiting engagement between the limiting member 13 and the movable member 12, in this embodiment, the movable member 12 has a first guide groove 121, a second guide groove 122, and a limiting groove 123 connecting the first guide groove 121 and the second guide groove 122; the ends of the first guide groove 121 and the second guide groove 122 are located upstream of the limiting groove 123 along the insertion direction of the power module 2; the side of the second guide groove 122 away from the limiting groove 123 is connected to the first guide groove 121;
[0047] When the movable part 12 moves from the first position to the second position, the limiting part 13 moves along the first guide groove 121. When the movable part 12 is in the second position, the limiting part 13 enters the limiting groove 123 and engages with the limiting groove 123 in a limiting fit against the insertion direction of the power module 2. When the movable part 12 moves from the second position to the third position, the limiting part 13 enters the second guide groove 122 from the limiting groove 123. When the movable part 12 moves from the third position to the first position, the limiting part 13 moves along the second guide groove 122 and enters the first guide groove 121.
[0048] After the above settings, the first guide groove 121, the limiting groove 123 and the second guide groove 122 form a track for the continuous movement of the limiting member 13. The limiting member 13 can achieve the limiting engagement and release of the limiting engagement between the limiting member 13 and the movable member 12 by moving to different positions in this track.
[0049] Furthermore, to allow the limiting member 13 to move within this track, the limiting member 13 in this embodiment is a swing arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first fixed cylinder 112 on the electronic motherboard 11. Since the limiting member 13 can swing, when it moves to the end of the first guide groove 121, the pushing force of the first guide groove 121 on the limiting member 13 will cause it to swing into the limiting groove 123. Similarly, when the movable member 12 moves from the second position to the third position, the pushing force between the limiting groove 123 and the limiting member 13 will also cause it to swing into the second guide groove 122.
[0050] In this embodiment, in order to achieve the linkage between the power module 2 and the movable part 12, the movable part 12 has a baffle 124 extending radially inward along the cavity; when the power module 2 is inserted into the cavity, the power module 2 and the baffle 124 abut against each other to form a linkage along the insertion direction.
[0051] However, the above structure can only achieve the linkage between the power module 2 and the movable part 12 along the battery insertion direction. When the movable part 12 is fixed in the second position, since the power module 2 and the movable part 12 do not form a linkage in the opposite direction of battery insertion, the power module 2 will fall out of the cavity and cannot be fixed. To solve this problem, the movable part 12 in this embodiment also includes a locking member 125. When the movable part 12 moves from the first position to the second position, the locking member 125 locks with the power module 2 to fix the power module 2 and the movable part 12. That is, the baffle 124 drives the movable part 12 to move together when the power module 2 contacts the movable part 12, and then the locking member 125 fixes the movable part 12 and the power module 2 together during the movement of the movable part 12. In this way, when the movable part 12 moves to the second position, the locking member 125 and the power module 2 are fixed together in the second position. Similarly, when the movable part 12 moves from the third position to the first position, the locking part 125 releases the movable part 12 and the power module 2, so that the power module 2 can be taken out.
[0052] In this embodiment, the locking member 125 engages with a reversing member 14 in a reversible manner. The reversing member 14 reverses the movement of the movable member 12 along the insertion direction of the power module 2, causing the locking member 125 to swing from the unlocked position to the locked position. Correspondingly, the side of the power module 2 is provided with a locking groove 21 that engages with the locking member 125. When the locking member 125 is in the locked position, the locking block 1252 on the locking member 125 swings into the locking groove 21.
[0053] To achieve the aforementioned reversing process, in this embodiment, the reversing member 14 is an inclined surface, and the locking member 125 has a guide block 1251 abutting against the inclined surface. During the movement of the movable member 12 from the first position to the second position, the guide block 1251 moves from the top to the bottom of the inclined surface. Since the distance between the inclined surface and the axis of the chamber gradually decreases from the top to the bottom, the locking member 125 swings radially inward along the chamber. During the movement of the movable member 12 from the third position to the first position, the guide block 1251 moves from the bottom to the top of the inclined surface, and the locking member 125 swings radially outward along the chamber under its own elastic force. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the reversing member 14, a limiting baffle 16 is also provided on the outer side of the bottom of the inclined surface on the electronic motherboard 11. When the guide block 1251 moves from the top to the bottom of the inclined surface, the limiting baffle 16 can block the guide block 1251, preventing it from moving further. The electronic motherboard 11 is also provided with a mounting slot 17 for mounting the movable part 12.
[0054] To further enhance the ease of disassembly of the power module 2, this embodiment also includes an elastic reset member 15. One end of the elastic reset member 15 is attached to the cylinder 111 of the electronic motherboard 11 to form a fixed end, and the other end is connected to the second fixed cylinder 126 of the movable member 12 to form a movable end. During the movement of the movable member 12 from the first position to the second position, the elastic reset member 15 accumulates elastic reset force. Thus, during the movement of the movable member 12 from the third position to the first position, the elastic reset member 15 can release its elastic force to push the power module 2 outward, making the entire disassembly process faster and less strenuous.
[0055] Finally, to ensure the power module 2 can be installed in the correct orientation, the locking block 1252 on the locking connector 125 is swung into the locking groove 21. Furthermore, the electronic motherboard 11 has an elastic rib 113 on the inner wall of the chamber, with a limiting protrusion 114 at its free end. This is to prevent the power module 2 from falling directly under gravity in the unlocked state. The limiting protrusion 114 provides a limiting force to the power module 2. The user needs to apply an external force to pull the power module 2, causing the elastic rib 113 to open, thus releasing the limiting force of the limiting protrusion 114 on the power module 2.
[0056] Since the main control valve in this embodiment has a cooling function, and the power module 2 is used to power the electronic components in the electronic cooling main control valve, the electronic cooling main control valve has a remote control function. Therefore, the above-mentioned remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve also includes: a cold water inlet channel 3, a hot water inlet channel 4, a valve core assembly 5, and a water outlet 6; the water inlet side of the valve core assembly 5 is connected to the cold water inlet channel 3 and the hot water inlet channel 4 respectively, and the water outlet side is connected to the water outlet 6;
[0057] It also includes a cooling channel 7 connected to the hot water inlet channel 4, a solenoid valve 8 for controlling the opening or closing of the cooling channel 7, and a temperature sensor 9 for detecting the temperature of the water outlet in the cooling channel 7;
[0058] The temperature sensor 9 is connected to the signal input terminal of the main control unit on the electronic motherboard 11, and the signal output terminal of the main control unit is connected to the solenoid valve 8, the buzzer and the indicator light on the electronic motherboard 11; the signal output terminal of the main control unit also establishes a wireless signal transmission connection with the controller.
[0059] The controller can be a remote control or a mobile app, etc. When the user sends a cooling discharge command to the main control unit via the remote control, the main control unit sends a control signal to drive solenoid valve 8 to open and begin draining water. At this time, the indicator light starts flashing. Meanwhile, temperature sensor 9 monitors the water temperature in the cooling discharge channel 7 in real time and feeds it back to the main control unit. When the water temperature in the cooling discharge channel 7 is higher than the set value, the cooling discharge is considered complete. The main control unit then drives solenoid valve 8 to close, the indicator light to turn off, and a buzzer to sound an alarm to remind the user that the cooling discharge is complete and they can take a normal shower.
[0060] In addition to the function of venting cold water, the main control valve also needs to have the functions of normal water output and temperature adjustment. Therefore, this embodiment also includes a handle 10. The handle 10 is connected to the valve core assembly 5 through the adapter 101 so as to adjust the ratio of cold water and hot water entering the valve core assembly 5 by means of the handle.
[0061] In addition to being remotely controlled, the main control valve in this embodiment can also be controlled via a cooling exhaust button 22 located on the power module 2. This cooling exhaust button 22 is connected to the signal input terminal of the main control unit.
[0062] The aforementioned main control valve can be used in shower units. By changing the number of water outlets 6, different shower terminals can be connected, such as overhead showers, bathtubs, handheld showers, etc.
[0063] The above is only one specific embodiment of the present utility model, but the design concept of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present utility model using this concept shall be deemed as an infringement of the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve, characterized in that... include: The system includes a cold water inlet channel, a hot water inlet channel, a valve core assembly, and an outlet; the inlet side of the valve core assembly is connected to both the cold water inlet channel and the hot water inlet channel, and the outlet side is connected to the outlet. It also includes a cooling channel connected to the hot water inlet channel, a solenoid valve for controlling the opening or closing of the cooling channel, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the water outlet in the cooling channel; The temperature sensor is connected to the signal input terminal of the main control unit, and the signal output terminal of the main control unit is connected to the solenoid valve; the signal output terminal of the main control unit also establishes a wireless signal transmission connection with the controller. It also includes a valve body and a power module detachably connected to the valve body, the power module being used to supply power to the main control unit and the solenoid valve.
2. The remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a handle that is connected to the valve core assembly via an adapter to adjust the ratio of cold water to hot water entering the valve core assembly.
3. The remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body is provided with a chamber for accommodating the power module; the inner wall of the chamber is provided with a movable part that cooperates with the power module. When the power module is inserted into the chamber, the movable part and the power module move together along the insertion direction to drive the movable part to move from a first position to a second position or a third position. The valve body is also provided with a limiting member that cooperates with the movable member; when the movable member is in the second position, the limiting member and the movable member are limited and cooperated against the insertion direction of the power module; when the movable member is in the third position, the limiting member and the movable member are released from the limiting cooperation.
4. The remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The third position is located downstream of the second position along the insertion direction of the power module.
5. The remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The movable component has a first guide groove, a second guide groove, and a limiting groove connecting the first guide groove and the second guide groove; the ends of the first guide groove and the second guide groove are located downstream of the limiting groove along the insertion direction of the power module; the side of the second guide groove away from the limiting groove is connected to the first guide groove. When the movable part moves from the first position to the second position, the limiting member moves along the first guide groove. When the movable part is in the second position, the limiting member enters the limiting groove and engages with the limiting groove in the opposite direction of the power module insertion. When the movable part moves from the second position to the third position, the limiting member enters the second guide groove from the limiting groove. When the movable part moves from the third position to the first position, the limiting member moves along the second guide groove and enters the first guide groove.
6. The remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The movable component further includes a locking member, which locks with the power module to fix the power module to the movable component when the movable component moves from the first position to the second position.
7. The remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking member engages with a reversing member, which reverses the movement of the movable member along the power module insertion direction to the movement of the locking member from the unlocked position to the locked position.
8. The remotely controllable electronic cooling main control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power module is equipped with a cooling exhaust button, which is connected to the signal input terminal of the main control unit.
9. A shower, characterized in that... It is equipped with the electronic exhaust main control valve as described in any one of claims 1-8.
10. A showerhead according to claim 9, characterized in that: The water outlet has two parts, which are connected to the overhead shower and the bathtub respectively.