Water heater

Abstract

The application provides a water heater, which comprises: an inner container, the inner container comprising a container body and a blowdown pipe, the blowdown pipe being protruded outside the container body and being communicated with a water storage cavity in the container body, the container body and the blowdown pipe being integrally formed; a connecting nozzle, the connecting nozzle being sleeved on the outer periphery of the blowdown pipe; and an external device, the external device being connected to the connecting nozzle, the external device being a visible dirt bottle or an automatic blowdown valve, wherein the visible dirt bottle is at least partially transparent, and the automatic blowdown valve is a valve capable of automatically blowing down according to water quality and scale conditions. It can be understood that if the external device is the visible dirt bottle, a user can observe the accumulation of scale from the visible dirt bottle, so as to facilitate the user to determine the best time for blowdown; if the external device is the automatic blowdown valve, the automatic blowdown valve can automatically blow down according to water quality and scale conditions, and through the arrangement of the automatic blowdown valve, the user can determine the best time for blowdown without any operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of electric water heater technology, and specifically relates to a water heater. Background Technology

[0002] Storage-type electric water heaters are indispensable appliances in modern households. After a period of use, scale will accumulate at the bottom of the inner tank. To clean this scale, the drain outlet needs to be opened periodically. However, because the internal condition of the tank cannot be observed, users cannot judge the extent of the scale buildup and find it difficult to determine the optimal time for draining. Frequent draining wastes water, while excessively long intervals between drainings allow scale to accumulate, affecting bathing health and shortening the lifespan of the water heater. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a water heater equipped with an external device. If the external device is a visible scale bottle, the user can observe the accumulation of scale in the bottle, thus making it easier for the user to determine the best time to drain the scale. If the external device is an automatic drain valve, the automatic drain valve can automatically drain the scale according to the water quality and scale level. By setting an automatic drain valve, the user can determine the best time to drain the scale without having to worry about it.

[0004] The water heater includes: The inner liner includes a liner body and a drain pipe. The drain pipe protrudes from the outside of the liner body and communicates with the water storage cavity of the liner body. The liner body and the drain pipe are integrally formed. A connecting nozzle, wherein the connecting nozzle is fitted around the outer periphery of the sewage pipe; and An external device is connected to the connector. The external device is either a visible dirt bottle or an automatic drain valve. The visible dirt bottle is a container that is at least partially transparent, and the automatic drain valve is a valve that can automatically drain dirt according to water quality and scale levels.

[0005] In one embodiment, the external device and the connector are detachably connected.

[0006] In one embodiment, the connecting nozzle has an external thread, the external device has an internal thread, and the external device and the connecting nozzle are screwed together by the threads.

[0007] In one embodiment, the visible dirt bottle includes a connector and a bottle body connected together, the connector being used to connect to the connector nozzle, the bottle body being used to contain scale, and the bottle body being at least partially transparent.

[0008] In one embodiment, the connector is used to surround and connect to the outer periphery of the connector nozzle, and the visible dirt bottle further includes an annular boss connected to the inner periphery of the connector. When the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector nozzle, the orthographic projection of the connector nozzle onto the annular boss falls within the range of the annular boss, and / or, the orthographic projection of the drain pipe onto the annular boss falls within the range of the annular boss.

[0009] In one embodiment, the visible dirt bottle further includes a sealing ring disposed on the annular protrusion. When the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connecting nozzle, the annular protrusion and the end of the connecting nozzle jointly compress the sealing ring, and / or, the annular protrusion and the end of the drain pipe jointly compress the sealing ring.

[0010] In one embodiment, the drain pipe and the connector are connected as an inseparable unit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the connecting nozzle includes a tubular portion and an annular portion. The tubular portion is sleeved on the outer periphery of the sewage pipe and is used to screw the external device. The annular portion is connected around the outer periphery of the tubular portion. The cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the annular portion is non-circular. The inner tank is provided with a limiting groove. The limiting groove matches the outer contour shape of the annular portion. The annular portion is disposed in the limiting groove.

[0012] In one embodiment, the inner tank is made of a non-metallic material, and the water heater further includes a reinforcing layer that wraps around the outside of the tank body and also wraps around the annular portion.

[0013] In one embodiment, the water heater further includes a heating element installed at the end of the inner tank and extending into the interior of the inner tank.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The water heater provided in this application is equipped with an external device. If the external device is a visible scale bottle, during the use of the water heater, at least some scale will enter the visible scale bottle from the drain pipe, allowing the user to observe the scale accumulation and thus determine the optimal time for draining. If the external device is an automatic drain valve, the automatic drain valve can automatically drain based on water quality and scale levels. Therefore, by installing an automatic drain valve, the user can determine the optimal time for draining without any intervention. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments 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.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a water heater provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shown is an exploded view of the water heater.

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the inner tank of a water heater.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The water heater shown is a cross-sectional view after the reinforcement layer has been concealed.

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of the water heater shown.

[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The diagram shows the structure with a sealing ring added.

[0022] Figure 7 for Figure 5 The diagram shows a hidden external device based on the structure shown.

[0023] Figure 8 for Figure 7 The diagram shows a reinforced layer added to the structure shown.

[0024] Explanation of key figure labels: Water heater 100; Inner tank 11; Tank body 111; First water inlet 1111; First water outlet 1112; Second water inlet 1113; Second water outlet 1114; Limiting groove 1115; Drain pipe 112; Connecting nozzle 12; Tubular part 121; Ring part 122; External device 13; Connector 131; Bottle body 132; Annular boss 133; Sealing ring 134; Reinforcing layer 14; Heating element 15. Detailed Implementation

[0025] 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.

[0026] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0027] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are primarily used to distinguish different devices, components, or parts (which may be the same or different in specific type and construction), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, components, or parts. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0030] The technical solution of this application will be further described below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 This application provides a water heater 100, which includes: an inner tank 11, a connecting spout 12, and an external connection device 13.

[0032] The inner liner 11 includes a liner body 111 and a drain pipe 112. The liner body 111 is the main body of the inner liner 11 and has a water-storing cavity. The drain pipe 112 is a hollow tubular structure that protrudes from the outside of the liner body 111 and connects to the water-storing cavity of the liner body 111. The liner body 111 and the drain pipe 112 are integrally formed, which avoids water leakage problems caused by assembly gaps between the two.

[0033] The connecting nozzle 12 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the drain pipe 112. The external device 13 is connected to the connecting nozzle 12, and the external device 13 is either a visible dirt bottle or an automatic drain valve. The visible dirt bottle is a container that is at least partially transparent, and the automatic drain valve is a valve that can automatically drain water based on water quality and scale levels. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings in this application are only schematic representations of a visible dirt bottle.

[0034] Understandably, if the external device 13 is a visible scale bottle, during the use of the water heater 100, at least some scale will enter the visible scale bottle from the drain pipe 112, allowing the user to observe the scale accumulation and thus determine the optimal time for draining. If the external device 13 is an automatic drain valve, the automatic drain valve can automatically drain based on water quality and scale levels. Therefore, by setting an automatic drain valve, the user can determine the optimal time for draining without any intervention.

[0035] Optionally, the automatic drain valve is equipped with a detection unit and a control unit. The detection unit can detect the water quality and scale information of the surrounding environment. The control unit determines whether the threshold is exceeded based on the water quality and scale information. If the threshold is exceeded, the automatic drain valve is opened to drain the sewage.

[0036] In one embodiment, the external device 13 and the connecting nozzle 12 are non-detachably connected. For example, the external device 13 and the connecting nozzle 12 are welded together. For a visible dirt bottle, a drain port can be provided; when drainage is not required, the drain port is closed, and when drainage is required, the drain port is opened for drainage. For an automatic drain valve, welding it to the connecting nozzle 12 helps improve the sealing effect and avoids leakage problems.

[0037] In one embodiment, the external device 13 is detachably connected to the connector 12. That is, the external device 13 can be installed on the connector 12 or removed from the connector 12, which facilitates replacement and maintenance.

[0038] For example, users initially installed a visible dirt bottle, but after a period of time found manual draining troublesome and replaced it with an automatic drain valve.

[0039] For example, after a period of use, the inner wall of a visible dirt bottle may become covered with limescale, making it difficult to observe. Therefore, the limescale-covered visible dirt bottle should be replaced with a new one.

[0040] In one embodiment, the outer periphery of the connecting nozzle 12 is provided with an external thread, and the inner periphery of the external connecting device 13 is provided with an internal thread. The external connecting device 13 and the connecting nozzle 12 are screwed together by the aforementioned external and internal threads. It is understood that the threaded structure is easy to manufacture and can form a relatively strong connection.

[0041] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 If the external device 13 is a visible scale container, the visible scale container includes a connector 131 and a container body 132 connected together. The connector 131 is used to connect to the connector 12, and the container body 132 is used to contain scale, and the container body 132 is at least partially transparent. The connector 131 and the container body 132 can be made of the same material or different materials; when made of the same material, they can be integrally molded. The container body 132 can be made of transparent plastic, transparent glass, etc. The container body 132 can be completely transparent, making it easier for users to observe the accumulation of scale.

[0042] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 The connector 131 is used to surround and connect to the outer periphery of the connector 12. The visible dirt bottle also includes an annular boss 133, which is connected to the inner periphery of the connector 131. When the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector 12, the orthographic projection of the connector 12 on the annular boss 133 falls within the area of ​​the annular boss 133, and / or, the orthographic projection of the drain pipe 112 on the annular boss 133 falls within the area of ​​the annular boss 133.

[0043] In one embodiment, when the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector 12, the orthographic projection of the connector 12 onto the annular boss 133 falls within the area of ​​the annular boss 133.

[0044] In another embodiment, when the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector 12, the orthographic projection of the drain pipe 112 on the annular boss 133 falls within the area of ​​the annular boss 133.

[0045] In another embodiment, when the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector 12, the orthographic projection of the connector 12 on the annular protrusion 133 falls within the range of the annular protrusion 133, and the orthographic projection of the drain pipe 112 on the annular protrusion 133 falls within the range of the annular protrusion 133.

[0046] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 6 The visible dirt bottle also includes a sealing ring 134, which is disposed on the annular protrusion 133. When the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connecting nozzle 12, the annular protrusion 133 and the end of the connecting nozzle 12 jointly compress the sealing ring 134, and / or, the annular protrusion 133 and the end of the drain pipe 112 jointly compress the sealing ring 134. The sealing ring 134 may be elastic, which better fills gaps and improves the sealing effect. The material of the sealing ring 134 may be, but is not limited to, rubber.

[0047] In one embodiment, when the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector 12, the annular boss 133 and the end of the connector 12 together press against the sealing ring 134. In this way, the gap between the annular boss 133 and the connector 12 can be eliminated by the sealing ring 134, thereby preventing leakage.

[0048] In another embodiment, when the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector 12, the annular boss 133 and the end of the drain pipe 112 together press against the sealing ring 134. In this way, the gap between the annular boss 133 and the drain pipe 112 can be eliminated by the sealing ring 134, thereby preventing water leakage.

[0049] In another embodiment, when the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector 12, the annular protrusion 133 and the end of the connector 12 jointly press against the sealing ring 134, and the annular protrusion 133 and the end of the drain pipe 112 jointly press against the sealing ring 134. In this way, the gap between the annular protrusion 133 and the connector 12, and the gap between the annular protrusion 133 and the drain pipe 112, can be eliminated by the sealing ring 134, thereby preventing water leakage.

[0050] In one embodiment, the drain pipe 112 and the connecting nozzle 12 are connected as an inseparable unit. The drain pipe 112 can be inserted into the connecting nozzle 12 by insert blow molding, or connected to the connecting nozzle 12 by heat fusion, ultrasonic welding, or other methods to form an inseparable unit. Connecting the drain pipe 112 and the connecting nozzle 12 as a unit can prevent the connecting nozzle 12 from falling off and can also improve the sealing effect.

[0051] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 7The connecting nozzle 12 includes a tubular portion 121 and an annular portion 122. The tubular portion 121 is a hollow tubular structure, which is fitted around the outer periphery of the drain pipe 112 and is used to screw the external connecting device 13. The annular portion 122 surrounds and connects to the outer periphery of the tubular portion 121. The cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the annular portion 122 is non-circular. The inner tank 111 is provided with a limiting groove 1115, which matches the outer contour shape of the annular portion 122, and the annular portion 122 is disposed within the limiting groove 1115.

[0052] The cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the annular portion 122 can be, but is not limited to, an ellipse, a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a D-shape, etc. Correspondingly, the shape of the limiting groove 1115 can be, but is not limited to, an ellipse, a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, a D-shape, etc.

[0053] For example, if the cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the annular portion 122 is elliptical, then the limiting groove 1115 is an elliptical groove so that the annular portion 122 can be placed in the limiting groove 1115.

[0054] For example, if the cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the annular portion 122 is hexagonal, then the limiting groove 1115 is a hexagonal groove so that the annular portion 122 can be placed in the limiting groove 1115.

[0055] Understandably, since the cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the annular portion 122 is not circular, and the shape of the limiting groove 1115 matches the shape of the annular portion 122, when the annular portion 122 is placed in the limiting groove 1115, the limiting groove 1115 will hinder the rotation of the annular portion 122, thereby restricting the rotational freedom of the annular portion 122. Because the rotational freedom of the annular portion 122 is restricted, the connecting nozzle 12 will not undergo rotational displacement during the screwing process between the tubular portion 121 and the external device 13, thus facilitating the screwing connection. Here, "screwing connection" refers to a connection made by screwing together threads.

[0056] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 Reference Figure 8The inner tank 11 is made of a non-metallic material (such as PB, PE, PPR, PP). The water heater 100 also includes a reinforcing layer 14, which is wrapped around the outside of the tank body 111. This effectively increases the structural strength of the inner tank 11, giving it stronger resistance to deformation. The reinforcing layer 14 can be, but is not limited to, glass fiber, which can be impregnated with epoxy resin. Furthermore, the reinforcing layer 14 also wraps around the annular portion 122, thus effectively securing the annular portion 122 to the tank body 111 and preventing it from falling off. The tubular portion 121 is exposed outside the reinforcing layer 14, that is, the tubular portion 121 is not wrapped or covered, so that the tubular portion 121 can be screwed onto the external device 13. It should be noted that... Figure 8 The reinforcing layer 14 shown is only Figure 1 The simplified representation of reinforcement layer 14 shown is intended for ease of understanding.

[0057] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 4 The water heater 100 further includes a heating element 15, which is installed at the end of the inner tank 11 and extends into the interior of the inner tank 11. The heating element 15 is used to heat the water in the inner tank 11. The heating element 15 may be elongated, and the entire heating element 15 extends along the length of the inner tank 11 to heat the water more evenly.

[0058] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 4 The inner tank 11 has a first water inlet 1111 and a first water outlet 1112 on its side, and a second water inlet 1113 and a second water outlet 1114 at its end. The first water inlet 1111, first water outlet 1112, second water inlet 1113, and second water outlet 1114 can be used in any combination. That is, for the water heater 100, external water can enter the inner tank 11 through the first water inlet 1111, or through the second water inlet 1113, or simultaneously through both. Similarly, water in the inner tank 11 can flow out through the first water outlet 1112, or through the second water outlet 1114, or simultaneously through both. This design makes the water inlet and outlet methods of the water heater 100 more flexible and versatile.

[0059] The technical means disclosed in this application are not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above technical features. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of this application, and these improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A water heater, characterized in that, The water heater (100) includes: The inner liner (11) includes a liner body (111) and a drain pipe (112). The drain pipe (112) protrudes from the outside of the liner body (111) and communicates with the water storage cavity of the liner body (111). The liner body (111) and the drain pipe (112) are integrally formed. Connecting nozzle (12), the connecting nozzle (12) being sleeved on the outer periphery of the drain pipe (112); and An external device (13) is connected to the connector (12). The external device (13) is a visible dirt bottle or an automatic drain valve. The visible dirt bottle is a container that is at least partially transparent, and the automatic drain valve is a valve that can automatically drain water according to the water quality and scale condition.

2. The water heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The external device (13) and the connector (12) are detachably connected.

3. The water heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connector (12) has an external thread, and the external device (13) has an internal thread. The external device (13) and the connector (12) are screwed together by the threads.

4. The water heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The visible dirt bottle includes a connector (131) and a bottle body (132) connected together. The connector (131) is used to connect the connector (12), and the bottle body (132) is used to contain scale. The bottle body (132) is at least partially transparent.

5. The water heater as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The connector (131) is used to surround and connect to the outer periphery of the connector (12). The visible dirt bottle also includes an annular boss (133), which is connected to the inner periphery of the connector (131). When the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connector (12), the orthographic projection of the connector (12) on the annular boss (133) falls within the range of the annular boss (133), and / or, the orthographic projection of the drain pipe (112) on the annular boss (133) falls within the range of the annular boss (133).

6. The water heater as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The visible dirt bottle also includes a sealing ring (134), which is disposed on the annular boss (133). When the visible dirt bottle is connected to the connecting nozzle (12), the annular boss (133) and the end of the connecting nozzle (12) jointly squeeze the sealing ring (134), and / or, the annular boss (133) and the end of the drain pipe (112) jointly squeeze the sealing ring (134).

7. The water heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drain pipe (112) and the connector (12) are connected as an inseparable unit.

8. The water heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connector (12) includes a tubular part (121) and an annular part (122). The tubular part (121) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the drain pipe (112) and is used to screw the external device (13). The annular part (122) is connected around the outer periphery of the tubular part (121). The cross-sectional shape of the outer contour of the annular part (122) is non-circular. The bladder (111) is provided with a limiting groove (1115). The limiting groove (1115) matches the outer contour shape of the annular part (122). The annular part (122) is located in the limiting groove (1115).

9. The water heater as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The inner tank (11) is made of non-metallic material. The water heater (100) also includes a reinforcing layer (14), which is wrapped around the outside of the tank body (111) and also wraps the annular part (122).

10. The water heater as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The water heater (100) also includes a heating element (15) which is installed at the end of the inner tank (11) and extends into the interior of the inner tank (11).

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