Small flow valve and water heater

Abstract

The present application discloses a small flow valve and a water heater. The small flow valve comprises: a first valve body, provided with a first water inlet, a first water outlet, and a bypass port, wherein the first valve body is provided with a first flow channel and a bypass flow channel, the first flow channel communicates the first water inlet with the first water outlet, and the bypass flow channel communicates the first flow channel with the bypass port; a second valve body, detachably connected to the first valve body, wherein the second valve body is provided with a second water inlet, a second water outlet, and a water passing opening, the second valve body is provided with a second flow channel, the second flow channel communicates the second water inlet with the second water outlet, and the bypass port is communicated with the second flow channel by means of the water passing opening; and a control part, arranged on the first valve body and used for controlling the flow of water passing through the bypass flow channel.

Description

Small flow valves and water heaters

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311184316.6, filed on September 13, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of waterway control technology, and in particular to a small flow valve and a water heater. Background Art

[0004] Most traditional water heaters connect a bypass pipe between the cold water inlet and hot water outlet pipes of the heat exchanger. This bypass pipe transports cold water from the cold water inlet to the hot water outlet pipe, where it mixes with the hot water there, achieving bypass water mixing. Water heaters with this bypass structure, especially those with coilless heat exchangers, often suffer from issues such as constant temperature differences between start and stop, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main purpose of this application is to propose a small flow valve, which is designed to be well suited for the piping system of a water heater, so that the water heater has a bypass water mixing function, and can effectively improve problems such as constant temperature difference between start and stop, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency; and the processing and manufacturing difficulty of the small flow valve is low, and it is suitable for large-scale processing and production.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application proposes a small flow valve, which is used to be arranged inside a water heater. The small flow valve includes:

[0008] a first valve body, provided with a first water inlet, a first water outlet, and a bypass port; a first flow channel and a bypass flow channel are constructed inside the first valve body, the first flow channel is connected to the first water inlet and the first water outlet, and two ends of the bypass flow channel are respectively connected to the first flow channel and the bypass port;

[0009] a second valve body detachably connected to the first valve body, the second valve body being provided with a second water inlet, a second water outlet, and a water passage; a second flow channel being constructed inside the second valve body, the second flow channel being connected to the second water inlet and the second water outlet, and the bypass port being connected to the second flow channel via the water passage; and

[0010] A control component is provided on the first valve body, and is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first valve body includes a first tube body and a bypass tube body, and the first flow channel is formed inside the first tube body.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first water inlet and the first water outlet are respectively provided at both ends of the first tube body, and the bypass flow channel is formed inside the bypass tube body.

[0013] In one embodiment, one end of the bypass tube body is connected to the peripheral wall of the first tube body, and the other end of the bypass tube body is provided with the bypass port.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second valve body includes a second tube body extending in parallel with and spaced apart from the first tube body, and the second flow channel is formed inside the second tube body.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second water inlet and the second water outlet are respectively provided at both ends of the second tube body, and the peripheral wall of the second tube body is provided with the water passage.

[0016] In one embodiment, one end of the bypass pipe body provided with the bypass port is detachably connected to a portion of the second pipe body provided with the water outlet.

[0017] In one embodiment, the second valve body further includes an insert tube provided on a peripheral wall of the second tube body, wherein the insert tube is provided around the outer periphery of the water opening and extends toward the first tube body.

[0018] In one embodiment, one end of the bypass tube body provided with the bypass port is detachably and sealedly inserted into the insert cylinder.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first valve body further includes a sealing ring sleeved on the outer circumference of the bypass tube body.

[0020] In one embodiment, the outer peripheral wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a sealing groove for accommodating the sealing ring, and the sealing ring is in sealing cooperation with the inner peripheral wall of the insert.

[0021] In one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the insert is provided with a hole for inserting a pin, the peripheral wall of the bypass tube is provided with a slot for engaging with the pin, and the insert and the bypass tube are locked and fixed by the pin.

[0022] In one embodiment, the first tube body and the second tube body are both extended along a first direction, and the bypass tube body is extended along a second direction.

[0023] In one embodiment, two ends of the bypass tube are respectively connected to the middle of the first tube and the middle of the second tube, and the control component is provided on one side of the bypass tube in the first direction.

[0024] In one embodiment, the first direction intersects the second direction.

[0025] In one embodiment, a mounting seat for mounting the control component is provided on a peripheral wall of the bypass tube body, and the mounting seat has a center line extending along the first direction.

[0026] In one embodiment, the distance between the center line and the axis of the first tube body is L1, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the second tube body is L2, wherein L1 is greater than L2.

[0027] In one embodiment, the distance between the axis of the first tube body and the axis of the second tube body is L3, wherein L3 is less than 100 mm.

[0028] In one embodiment, the first water inlet and the second water inlet are arranged diagonally, and the first water outlet and the second water outlet are arranged diagonally.

[0029] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the first tube is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube, and the bypass ratio is not less than 42%.

[0030] In one embodiment, the area of ​​the water opening is larger than the area of ​​the bypass port.

[0031] In one embodiment, the first valve body and / or the second valve body is provided with a connecting portion, and the connecting portion is used to be connected and fixed to the back plate of the water heater.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first valve body and / or the second valve body are integrally formed with the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece.

[0033] In one embodiment, the first valve body, the second valve body and the connecting portion are plastic parts.

[0034] In one embodiment, the small flow valve further includes a flow sensor provided on the first valve body, and the flow sensor is used to detect the water inlet flow of the first flow channel.

[0035] In one embodiment, the small flow valve further includes a temperature sensor provided on the first valve body, and the temperature sensor is used to detect the inlet water temperature of the first flow channel.

[0036] In one embodiment, the control component is a solenoid valve or a proportional valve.

[0037] The present application also proposes a water heater, comprising:

[0038] a heat exchanger, wherein the water inlet and the water outlet of the heat exchanger are both located on the same side of the heat exchanger; and

[0039] As described above, the first water outlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water inlet of the heat exchanger through the cold water inlet pipe, and the second water inlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water outlet of the heat exchanger through the hot water outlet pipe.

[0040] In one embodiment, the small flow valve is disposed inside the water heater and adjacent to the heat exchanger.

[0041] The small flow valve of the present application includes a first valve body, a second valve body, and a control component provided on the first valve body. The first valve body and the second valve body are assembled to form the valve body of the small flow valve. The valve body is constructed with a first flow channel connecting the first water inlet and the first water outlet, a second flow channel connecting the second water inlet and the second water outlet, and a bypass flow channel connecting the first flow channel and the second flow channel; the control component is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel. When the small flow valve is applied to a water heater, the valve body is simultaneously connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe and the hot water outlet pipe of the heat exchanger. The first flow channel can serve as an inlet flow channel connected to the cold water inlet pipe, and the second flow channel can serve as an outlet flow channel connected to the hot water outlet pipe. The cold water in the first flow channel can be transported to the second flow channel through the bypass flow channel. The small flow valve is well suited for the piping system of the water heater, so that the water heater has a bypass water mixing function. The control component is used to electrically connect to the control system of the water heater. The control system sends corresponding control instructions to the control component according to the working state of the water heater, and then the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel can be controlled by the control component. The bypass mixed water volume of the water heater can be adjusted according to the actual working conditions, which can effectively improve the problems of traditional water heaters such as the start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency. The valve body of the small flow valve includes a first valve body and a second valve body that are separately arranged. When manufacturing the valve body, the first valve body and the second valve body can be formed separately, and then the first valve body and the second valve body can be assembled. Compared with the valve body with an integrated structure, the structure of the first valve body and the second valve body is simple and easy to process and form, which can reduce the manufacturing difficulty of the valve body, making the manufacturing difficulty of the small flow valve low and suitable for large-scale processing and production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0043] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a small flow valve of the present application;

[0044] FIG2 is a front view of the small flow valve in FIG1 ;

[0045] FIG3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the small flow valve in FIG1 ;

[0046] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the small flow valve in FIG1 ;

[0047] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a water heater of the present application;

[0048] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the small and medium flow valve and the heat exchanger in FIG5.

[0049] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0050] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0053] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0054] The present application proposes a small flow valve 100 .

[0055] The small flow valve 100 can be used in a water heater 1000 or other hot water systems requiring bypass mixing. The following description primarily uses the small flow valve 1000 in a water heater 1000 as an example. Specifically, the water heater 1000 is described using a gas water heater 1000 having a coilless heat exchanger 200 as an example.

[0056] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a water heater 1000 generally includes a heat exchanger 200, a burner 300, and a fan 400. The heat exchanger 200 includes heat exchange tubes, heat exchange fins sleeved around the tubes, a cold water inlet pipe 210 connected to the water inlet of the heat exchange tubes, and a hot water outlet pipe 220 connected to the water outlet of the heat exchange tubes. The burner 300 is located below the heat exchanger 200. For a forced-drum gas water heater 1000, the fan 400 is located below the burner 300; for a forced-draft gas water heater 1000, the fan 400 is located above the heat exchanger 200. When the water heater 1000 is working, the fan 400 starts, and the mixture of gas and air enters the burner 300 for combustion. The cold water in the external water supply system can enter the heat exchange tube of the heat exchanger 200 through the cold water inlet pipe 210. The high-temperature flue gas generated by the burner 300 flows upward to exchange heat with the heat exchanger 200 to heat the water in the heat exchange tube. The heated hot water can be output to the user end through the hot water outlet pipe 220 to provide hot water to the user.

[0057] Traditional water heaters typically connect a bypass pipe between the cold water inlet and hot water outlet pipes of the heat exchanger to achieve bypass water mixing. When the water heater is operating, some of the cold water in the cold water inlet pipe flows through the bypass pipe into the hot water outlet pipe, causing the cold and hot water to mix. Research has found that water heaters with this bypass structure have at least the following drawbacks:

[0058] (1) When the water heater is burning normally, the flow path in the bypass pipe always remains in a conductive state. Therefore, the maximum temperature in the heat exchange tube is higher than the set temperature of the water heater. The set temperature is reached only after the cold water is mixed. In order to solve the temperature rise during water outage, a larger bypass ratio is usually required. If the water heater is set to 65℃, the actual temperature in the heat exchange tube will reach 75℃, generating severe vaporization noise, affecting the user experience, and shortening the life of the heat exchanger.

[0059] (2) If the bypass ratio is too large, severe vaporization noise will be generated and the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger will be reduced. Generally, the bypass ratio should not be set too high. Coilless heat exchangers lack coil water cooling, so the water-off temperature rise is high. A large bypass ratio is required to reduce the water-off temperature rise, which further causes the adverse effects of high vaporization noise and low thermal efficiency.

[0060] (3) Since the bypass pipe is always open and the bypass ratio is fixed, if the bypass ratio is too large, it is easy to cause large overshoot during start-stop in winter. If the bypass ratio is too small, it is easy to cause the outlet water temperature to be too high or the risk of condensation in summer.

[0061] The "water shut-off temperature rise" / start-stop overshoot" refers to the high temperature of the finned tubes (i.e., the heat exchanger tubes with heat exchangers) during normal operation of the water heater. When the water heater stops, the heat from the finned tubes is rapidly transferred to the stagnant water, causing the water temperature to rise. When the water heater is restarted, a section of hot water will flow out, which can seriously scald the user. The "water shut-off temperature drop" / start-stop undershoot refers to the situation where, after the water heater is shut off and restarted, a section of cold water flows out of the heat exchanger before it has time to reach the set temperature, requiring pre-cleaning and ignition. The "start-stop constant temperature" process occurs when a portion of ambient hot water remains in the user's hot water line. After the burner restarts, the water line will first reach a normal temperature, followed by an overshoot (water shut-off temperature rise) and an undershoot (water shut-off temperature drop) before finally reaching the set temperature. The bypass ratio is the ratio of the bypass flow rate to the main line flow rate: bypass cold water flow rate + main line flow rate = total flow rate.

[0062] The inventors have discovered that, at present, there is no small flow valve on the market that can be well adapted to the piping system of a water heater, so that the water heater has a bypass water mixing function, and can effectively improve problems such as a constant temperature difference between start and stop, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency. In addition, the valve body of most flow valves is an integrated structure. When the flow path inside the valve body is complex, it will increase the difficulty of manufacturing the valve body, making it unsuitable for mass production. Based on this, the present application proposes a small flow valve 100 for being arranged inside a water heater 1000. The small flow valve 100 can be well adapted to the piping system of the water heater 1000, so that the water heater 1000 has a bypass water mixing function, and can effectively improve problems such as a constant temperature difference between start and stop, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency that exist in traditional water heaters. Moreover, the small flow valve 100 has low processing and manufacturing difficulty and is suitable for mass production.

[0063] 1 to 4, in one embodiment of the present application, the small flow valve 100 includes a first valve body 10a, a second valve body 10b and a control component 20. The first valve body 10a is provided with a first water inlet 101a, a first water outlet 101b and a bypass port 101c. A first flow channel 111 and a bypass flow channel 131 are constructed inside the first valve body 10a. The first flow channel 111 connects the first water inlet 101a and the first water outlet 101b, and the two ends of the bypass flow channel 131 connect the first flow channel 111 and the bypass port 101c respectively. The second valve body 10b is detachably connected to the first valve body 10a. The body 10b is provided with a second water inlet 102a, a second water outlet 102b and a water passage 122. A second flow channel 121 is constructed inside the second valve body 10b. The second flow channel 121 connects the second water inlet 102a and the second water outlet 102b. The bypass port 101c is connected to the second flow channel 121 via the water passage 122. The control component 20 is provided on the first valve body 10a, and the control component 20 is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131.

[0064] Specifically, the valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100 consists of two parts: a first valve body 10a and a second valve body 10b. The first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b can be made of metal or high-temperature-resistant plastic. The first valve body 10a is integrated with a control component 20. The first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b can be separately manufactured and then assembled. The connection between the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b includes, but is not limited to, plug-in fitting, snap-fit ​​fitting, threaded connection, screw connection, or a combination of these. When used in the piping system of a water heater 1000, one of the first flow channel 111 and the second flow channel 121 can serve as the water inlet channel, and the other as the water outlet channel. The bypass channel 131 is used to transfer water from the water inlet channel to the water outlet channel to achieve bypass mixing. The small flow valve 100 is well suited for the piping system of a water heater 1000, providing the water heater 1000 with a bypass mixing function. The control component 20 is mounted on the first valve body 10a at a position corresponding to the bypass channel 131. The control component 20 controls the water flow rate through the bypass channel 131. It should be noted that the control component 20 controlling the water flow rate through the bypass channel 131 should be understood as enabling the water flow rate through the bypass channel 131 to vary under the control of the control component 20. The variation in water flow rate can be between no flow and flow, or between high and low flow rates under flow conditions. The control component 20 includes, but is not limited to, solenoid valves, proportional valves, and the like.

[0065] In conventional water heaters, the cold water inlet pipe and hot water outlet pipe are located on either side of the water heater's width, with a large gap between them. This often requires a long bypass pipe, making them difficult to connect and install with a small flow valve during actual production, resulting in high costs and difficulty ensuring sealing. Referring to Figures 5 and 6 , in this embodiment, the cold water inlet pipe 210 and hot water outlet pipe 220 of a water heater 1000 equipped with the small flow valve 100 can be located on the same side of the water heater 1000, with a relatively short gap between them. This is suitable for installation of the small flow valve 100, eliminating the need for a long bypass pipe, reducing costs, and ensuring sealing performance. The first flow channel 111 is connected in series with the flow channel in the cold water inlet pipe 210, and the second flow channel 121 is connected in series with the flow channel in the hot water outlet pipe 220. In this case, the first flow channel 111 serves as the water inlet channel, and the second flow channel 121 serves as the water outlet channel. Cold water enters the first flow channel 111 through the first water inlet 101a and is then output to the heat exchange tubes of the heat exchanger 200 through the first water outlet 101b. Hot water in the heat exchange tubes enters the second flow channel 121 through the second water inlet 102a and is then output through the second water outlet 102b. The control component 20 of the small flow valve 100 can be electrically connected to the control system of the water heater 1000 via a wired or wireless connection. The control system issues corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 based on the operating status of the water heater 1000, thereby controlling the water flow rate through the bypass flow channel 131 through the control component 20.

[0066] 5 and 6 , the specific control process of the small flow valve 100 when the water heater 1000 is working will be described in detail.

[0067] When the water heater 1000 is working normally, the control component 20 controls the closure of the bypass flow channel 131. At this time, the highest temperature in the heat exchange tube of the heat exchanger 200 is the set temperature of the water heater 1000. In this way, the risk of gasification noise can be greatly reduced, and the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger 200 will not be affected. It can also extend the service life of the heat exchanger 200.

[0068] After the water supply to the water heater 1000 is shut off, the control unit 20 opens the bypass channel 131 and, depending on actual operating conditions, closes the bypass channel 131 within a few seconds of startup. At this point, some of the cold water in the first channel 111 is transported via the bypass channel 131 to the second channel 121. This cold water mixes with the high-temperature water in the second channel 121, effectively reducing the temperature rise during the shutdown. Because some of the cold water is diverted from the bypass channel 131, the flow rate of water from the first channel 111 toward the first water outlet 101b is reduced, minimizing overshoot during startup.

[0069] In addition, it is also possible to determine whether to open the bypass during normal combustion based on the actual working conditions. For example, in winter, when the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet water is large and needs to be quickly heated to the set temperature, the control component 20 controls the closure of the bypass flow channel 131. This not only improves the heating speed but also ensures that it can be heated to the set temperature. When the water is stopped and restarted, the bypass time can be reduced to reduce the overshoot. In summer, when a low-temperature bath is needed, the control component 20 controls the opening of the bypass flow channel 131. At this time, the minimum temperature rise of the water heater 1000 can be reduced to prevent the water temperature from being too hot during bathing, and the water temperature in the heat exchange tube can be increased, the flue gas temperature can be increased, and the risk of condensation water can be avoided.

[0070] The small flow valve 100 of the present application includes a first valve body 10a, a second valve body 10b, and a control component 20 disposed on the first valve body 10a. The first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b are assembled to form the valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100. The valve body 10 is constructed with a first flow channel 111 connecting the first water inlet 101a and the first water outlet 101b, a second flow channel 121 connecting the second water inlet 102a and the second water outlet 102b, and a bypass flow channel 131 connecting the first flow channel 111 and the second flow channel 121. The control component 20 is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131. When the small flow valve 100 is applied to the water heater 1000, the valve body 10 is connected in series to the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the heat exchanger 200 at the same time. The first flow channel 111 can be used as an inlet flow channel connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210, and the second flow channel 121 can be used as an outlet flow channel connected to the hot water outlet pipe 220, and the cold water in the first flow channel 111 can be transported to the second flow channel 121 through the bypass flow channel 131. The small flow valve 100 can be well adapted to the piping system of the water heater 1000, so that the water heater 1000 has a bypass water mixing function. The control component 20 is electrically connected to the control system of the water heater 1000. The control system issues corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 based on the operating status of the water heater 1000. The control component 20 is then used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131. The bypass mixed water volume of the water heater 1000 can be adjusted according to actual operating conditions, effectively improving the problems of conventional water heaters 1000 such as constant temperature difference between start and stop, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency. The valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100 includes a first valve body 10a and a second valve body 10b, which are separately arranged. During the manufacture of the valve body 10, the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b can be formed separately and then assembled. Compared with the valve body 10 with an integrated structure, the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b have a simpler structure and are easier to process and form, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the valve body 10. This makes the small flow valve 100 easy to manufacture and suitable for mass production.

[0071] In addition, the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b are detachably connected. After the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b are separated, the first valve body 10a can be used as a flow regulating valve with a control component 20, and the second valve body 10b can be used as a three-way valve, so that the small flow valve 100 can be suitable for more application scenarios.

[0072] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment, the first valve body 10a includes a first tube body 11 and a bypass tube body 13, the first flow channel 111 is formed inside the first tube body 11, the first water inlet 101a and the first water outlet 101b are respectively provided at both ends of the first tube body 11, the bypass flow channel 131 is formed inside the bypass tube body 13, one end of the bypass tube body 13 is connected to the peripheral wall of the first tube body 11, and the other end of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with the bypass port 1 01c; The second valve body 10b includes a second tube body 12 extending parallel to the first tube body 11 and arranged at intervals, and the second flow channel 121 is formed inside the second tube body 12. The second water inlet 102a and the second water outlet 102b are respectively provided at both ends of the second tube body 12, and the water outlet 122 is provided on the peripheral wall of the second tube body 12, and the bypass tube body 13 is provided with one end of the bypass port 101c and is detachably connected to the portion of the second tube body 12 where the water outlet 122 is provided.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first valve body 10a generally has a "T"-shaped valve structure. During assembly, the valve body 10 is assembled by removably connecting one end of the bypass tube body 13, provided with the bypass port 101c, to the portion of the second tube body 12 provided with the water inlet 122. The first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 extend parallel to each other and are spaced apart. "Parallel" here means that the axis of the first tube body 11 is parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of the second tube body 12. The bypass tube body 13 is connected between the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12. The axis of the bypass tube body 13 can be perpendicular to or obliquely intersecting the axis of the first tube body 11 (or the second tube body 12). The valve body 10 generally has an "H"-shaped valve or "N"-shaped valve structure. This provides a neat overall structure for the valve body 10, suitable for connection to the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the heat exchanger 200, thereby reducing the overall volume of the water heater 1000. The control component 20 is disposed on the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 to control the bypass flow channel 131 .

[0074] To facilitate assembly of the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b, as shown in FIG4 , in one embodiment, the second valve body 10b further includes an insert 17 disposed on the peripheral wall of the second tube body 12. The insert 17 surrounds the outer periphery of the water passage 122 and extends toward the first tube body 11. The end of the bypass tube body 13 provided with the bypass port 101c is detachably and sealedly inserted into the insert 17. Specifically, during assembly, the end of the bypass tube body 13 provided with the bypass port 101c is inserted into the insert 17. The bypass tube body 13 and the insert 17 can be sealed and fixedly connected by interference fit, colloid sealing, or fastener locking.

[0075] In order to ensure the reliability of the seal between the bypass tube body 13 and the insert 17, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment, the first valve body 10a also includes a sealing ring 16 that is sleeved on the outer circumference of the bypass tube body 13. The outer circumferential wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a sealing groove 134 for accommodating the sealing ring 16. The sealing ring 16 is sealed with the inner circumferential wall of the insert 17. When the bypass tube body 13 and the insert 17 are plugged into place, the sealing ring 16 is squeezed and deformed to form a reliable sealing connection with the inner circumferential wall of the insert 17, reducing the risk of water leakage. The provision of the sealing groove 134 can limit the axial movement of the sealing ring 16 along the bypass tube body 13, thereby preventing the sealing ring 16 from moving along the axial direction of the bypass tube body 13 during the insertion and removal process, thereby preventing the sealing ring 16 from failing to perform a sealing function.

[0076] To further enhance the assembly reliability and ease of assembly and disassembly between the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17, as shown in FIG4 , in one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the insert tube 17 is provided with a socket 171 for inserting a latch pin, and the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a slot 135 for engaging with the latch pin. The insert tube 17 and the bypass tube body 13 are locked and fixed together by the latch pin. During assembly, after the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17 are properly plugged into place, the latch pin is inserted into the insert tube 17 from the socket 171. The latch pin engages with the slot 135 on the bypass tube body 13, thereby locking and fixing the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17, thereby enhancing the assembly reliability and sealing reliability between the bypass tube body 13 and the insert tube 17. When the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b need to be separated, the latch is pulled out of the socket 171 and a certain amount of pulling force is applied to separate the bypass tube 13 from the insert 17, thereby improving the convenience of assembly and disassembly. In one embodiment, the latch is a U-shaped latch with two prongs. The peripheral wall of the insert 17 is provided with sockets 171 for the two prongs of the latch to be inserted. Each socket 171 extends radially through opposite sides of the insert 17. Other interface portions of the valve body 10 (such as the first water inlet 101a, the first water outlet 101b, the second water inlet 102a, the second water outlet 102b, and the external port 101d) can also be assembled with pipelines using a latch-and-socket structure. For details, please refer to the method of this embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0077] As shown in Figure 2, in one embodiment, the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 are both extended along the first direction, the bypass tube body 13 is extended along the second direction, the two ends of the bypass tube body 13 are respectively connected to the middle part of the first tube body 11 and the middle part of the second tube body 12, and the control component 20 is provided on one side of the bypass tube body 13 in the first direction; wherein, the first direction intersects with the second direction.

[0078] In this embodiment, referring to Figures 5 and 6 , when the small flow valve 100 is applied to a water heater 1000, since the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the water heater 1000 are generally arranged along the height direction of the water heater 1000, the first direction is the height direction of the water heater 1000. This allows the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 to be vertical pipes extending along the height direction of the water heater 1000. This facilitates serial connection of the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 with the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220, respectively, thereby improving the installation compatibility of the small flow valve 100 with the heat exchanger 200. The second direction can be the thickness direction (e.g., the front-to-back direction) or the width direction (e.g., the left-to-right direction) of the water heater 1000. The first direction and the second direction can be perpendicular to each other or have a certain inclination angle. Since the bypass tube 13 is relatively short, the second direction is the thickness direction of the water heater 1000 , which is beneficial for fully utilizing the space in the thickness direction of the water heater 1000 to reduce the width of the water heater 1000 .

[0079] The two ends of the bypass tube 13 are connected to the middle of the first tube 11 and the middle of the second tube 12, respectively. Thus, the valve body 10 generally presents an "H"-shaped valve structure. Because both ends of the first tube 11 and both ends of the second tube 12 extend a distance from the bypass tube 13 in the first direction, the valve body 10 forms concave cavities on opposite sides of the bypass tube 13 in the first direction. The control component 20 is disposed on one side of the bypass tube 13 in the first direction, and the control component 20 is at least partially accommodated in one of the concave cavities. This allows full utilization of the recessed space constructed within the valve body 10 to accommodate the control component 20, facilitating a reduction in the overall volume of the small flow valve 100. For example, in this embodiment, the valve body 10 forms concave cavities on the upper and lower sides of the bypass tube 13, respectively. The control component 20 can be mounted on the upper side of the bypass tube to be at least partially accommodated in the upper concave cavity. Of course, in some embodiments, the control component 20 may also be installed on the lower side, front side or rear side of the bypass tube body 13 .

[0080] As shown in Figure 2, in one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a mounting seat 14 for mounting the control component 20, and the mounting seat 14 has a center line extending along the first direction, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the first tube body 11 is L1, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the second tube body 12 is L2, wherein L1 is greater than L2.

[0081] In this embodiment, by providing a mounting seat 14 on the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13, the installation of the control component 20 can be facilitated. In one embodiment, the mounting seat 14 is integrally formed with the bypass tube body 13, which can simplify the assembly process and improve the structural strength. For example, in this embodiment, the mounting seat 14 is generally a square boss structure protruding from the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13. The four corners of the mounting seat 14 can be provided with assembly holes for fasteners to pass through. The middle of the mounting seat 14 is provided with a recessed groove 141 for accommodating a partial structure of the control component 20, wherein the axis of the recessed groove 141 is the centerline of the mounting seat 14. The distance between the centerline of the mounting seat 14 and the axis of the first tube body 11 is smaller than the distance between the centerline of the mounting seat 14 and the axis of the second tube body 12. In this way, the distance between the control component 20 and the first tube body 11 is smaller, and the distance between the control component 20 and the second tube body 12 is farther. In actual application, the first tube body 11 can be a cold water pipe for cold water circulation, and the second tube body 12 can be a hot water pipe for hot water circulation. In this way, the control component 20 can be set away from the hot water pipe (that is, the second tube body 12) to avoid the heat radiated by the hot water pipe from damaging the control component 20. At the same time, the control component 20 is set closer to the cold water pipe (that is, the first tube body 11), which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the control component 20 and extends the service life of the control component 20.

[0082] As shown in Figure 2, in one embodiment, the distance between the axis of the first tube body 11 and the axis of the second tube body 12 is L3, where L3 is less than 100 mm. This reduces the impact of the length and assembly deformation of the bypass tube body 13 on the bypass ratio and bypass response speed. Specifically, the shorter distance between the first tube body 11 and the second tube body 12 shortens the length of the bypass tube body 13, which in turn shortens the length of the bypass channel 131. Cold water in the first channel 111 can be quickly transported through the shorter bypass channel 131 to the second channel 121 to mix with the hot water in the second channel 121, ensuring a faster bypass response speed and a more accurate bypass ratio. Furthermore, the shorter length of the bypass tube body 13 improves the structural stability of the entire valve and prevents deformation of the bypass tube body 13 after prolonged use, which could adversely affect the bypass ratio and bypass response speed. L3 can be designed to be 90 mm, 80 mm, 70 mm, etc., as needed.

[0083] To further enhance the installation compatibility of the small flow valve 100 and the heat exchanger 200, as shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment, the first water inlet 101a and the second water inlet 102a are arranged diagonally, and the first water outlet 101b and the second water outlet 102b are arranged diagonally. Taking the small flow valve 100 placed vertically as an example, the first water inlet 101a is provided at the lower end of the first tube body 11, the first water outlet 101b is provided at the upper end of the first tube body 11, the second water inlet 102a is provided at the upper end of the second tube body 12, and the second water outlet 102b is provided at the lower end of the second tube body 12. In this way, the water flow direction in the first flow channel 111 is consistent with the water flow direction in the cold water inlet pipe 210 of the heat exchanger 200, and the water flow direction in the second flow channel 121 is consistent with the water flow direction in the cold water outlet pipe of the heat exchanger 200. In this way, the small flow valve 100 can be assembled in the pipeline system of the heat exchanger 200 without changing the pipeline direction of the heat exchanger 200.

[0084] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the first tube body 11 is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube body 13 , and the bypass ratio is not less than 42%.

[0085] Specifically, when the small flow valve 100 is used in a water heater 1000, the first tube 11 is connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210 of the heat exchanger 200, and the second tube 12 is connected to the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the heat exchanger 200. The inner diameter of the first tube 11 is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube 13. This allows most of the cold water in the first tube 11 to be delivered to the heat exchanger 200, while a small portion of the water is diverted to the bypass tube 13. This prevents too little water from being delivered to the heat exchanger 200 and causing it to directly vaporize, thereby affecting the efficiency of hot water preparation. It also prevents excessive water from being delivered from the bypass tube 13 to the second tube 12, which could cause the hot water in the second tube 12 to cool significantly. Furthermore, the inner diameters of the first tube 11 and the bypass tube 13 are designed to ensure a bypass ratio of no less than 42%. This ensures that 42% or more of the water flowing from the first flow channel 111 to the bypass flow channel 131 is sufficient to achieve a good bypass water mixing effect. Furthermore, to prevent excessive bypass water from significantly impacting and cooling the hot water in the second tube 12, the inner diameter of the second tube 12 is larger than that of the bypass tube 13.

[0086] As shown in FIG3 , in one embodiment, the area of ​​the water opening 122 is larger than the area of ​​the bypass port 101 c. This prevents excessive resistance to the water flow in the bypass channel 131 due to the small area of ​​the water opening 122 when the water is discharged from the bypass port 101 c, thereby facilitating rapid transfer of the water in the bypass channel 131 to the second channel 121.

[0087] As shown in Figure 3, in one embodiment, the bypass channel 131 includes a first bypass section 1311 and a second bypass section 1312 separated from each other, and the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a first water outlet 132 and a second water outlet 133, the first bypass section 1311 connects the first channel 111 and the first water outlet 132, and the second bypass section 1312 connects the second water outlet 133 and the second channel 121; the control component 20 includes a drive assembly 21 and a seal 22, and the drive assembly 21 cooperates with the seal 22 to connect or isolate the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133.

[0088] In this embodiment, a partition is provided within the bypass tube body 13, dividing the bypass flow channel 131 into a first bypass section 1311 and a second bypass section 1312. A first water outlet 132 and a second water outlet 133 are provided on the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13, corresponding to opposite sides of the partition. When the bypass flow channel 131 needs to be closed, the driving end of the driving assembly 21 abuts against the sealing element 22. At this point, the driving assembly 21 and the sealing element 22 cooperate to block the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133, ensuring a tight seal. Once water in the first flow channel 111 enters the first bypass section 1311, it cannot be transported further to the second bypass section 1312. When the bypass flow channel 131 needs to be opened, the driving component 21 can drive the seal 22 away from the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 to connect the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133, or the driving end of the driving component 21 can be moved away from the seal 22 to cause the seal 22 to produce a certain displacement or deformation under the water flow pressure to connect the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133. At this time, the first bypass section 1311 is connected to the second bypass section 1312, and the bypass water mixing function can be realized.

[0089] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment, the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body 13 is provided with a mounting seat 14 for mounting the drive assembly 21. The mounting seat 14 is provided with a sink 141 for accommodating the seal 22. The bottom wall of the sink 141 is provided with the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133. The drive assembly 21 includes a drive member 211 and a push rod 212 driven by the drive member 211. The drive member 211 blocks the top opening of the sink 141. The push rod 212 extends toward the sealing member 22, and the driving member 211 is used to drive the push rod 212 to perform telescopic movement. When the push rod 212 is in an extended state, the push rod 212 presses against the sealing member 22 to block the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133. When the push rod 212 is in a retracted state, a water flow channel is defined between the sealing member 22 and the bypass tube body 13 to connect the first water outlet 132 and the second water outlet 133.

[0090] In this embodiment, the driver 211 is fixed to the mounting base 14 and seals the top opening of the trough 141. The seal 22 is located within the sealed cavity defined by the driver 211 and the bypass tube 13, preventing water from leaking out of the bypass tube 13 and potentially damaging the driver 211. When the bypass channel 131 needs to be closed, the push rod 212 abuts against the seal 22 to seal the first and second water outlets 132 and 133. At this point, the push rod 212 exerts a certain amount of pressure on the seal 22, preventing it from shifting under the action of the water pressure and losing its sealing function. The seal 22 can be specifically implemented as a flexible diaphragm. When the bypass channel 131 needs to be opened, the push rod 212 retracts and separates from the seal 22. Under the pressure of the water flow in the bypass channel 131, the seal 22 moves toward a side away from the bypass channel 131 or partially deforms. A water flow channel is formed between the seal 22 and the bypass tube body 13, connecting the first water port 132 with the second water port 133. There are various ways in which the driver 211 can drive the push rod 212 to achieve telescopic movement. For example, in this embodiment, the control component 20 can be implemented as a solenoid valve. Accordingly, the driver 211 can be the solenoid coil of the solenoid valve, and the push rod 212 can be the iron core disposed within the solenoid coil. When the solenoid coil is energized, the iron core is driven to move. Of course, in other embodiments, the driver 211 can also employ other mechanical structures to drive the push rod 212 to achieve telescopic movement.

[0091] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in one embodiment, an extension portion 112 is provided on a side of the first tube body 11 away from the bypass tube body 13, and the extension portion 112 is provided with an external port 101d opposite to and connected to the bypass flow channel 131. The valve body 10 also includes a sealing plug 15 detachably connected to the extension portion 112, and the sealing plug 15 is used to open or block the external port 101d.

[0092] In this embodiment, the extension portion 112 is a hollow cylindrical structure extending from the peripheral wall of the first tube body 11 toward the side away from the bypass tube body 13, and the inner cavity of the extension portion 112 forms the outer port 101d. When manufacturing the valve body 10, a drilling tool can be inserted into the valve body 10 through the outer port 101d to facilitate processing of the bypass flow channel 131 inside the valve body 10. When the small flow valve 100 is in normal use, the outer port 101d is blocked by the sealing plug 15, which can prevent the water in the valve body 10 from leaking from the outer port 101d. In addition, the outer port 101d can also serve as another connecting port of the valve body 10. When it is necessary to connect to other pipelines, the sealing plug 15 can be removed from the outer port 101d to expand the number of connecting ports of the valve body 10.

[0093] In one embodiment, in order to ensure the sealing reliability between the sealing plug 15 and the extension portion 112, a sealing ring 16 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the sealing plug 15. When the sealing plug 15 seals the external port 101d, the sealing ring 16 is squeezed and deformed to seal with the inner peripheral surface of the extension portion 112.

[0094] In one embodiment, the first valve body 10a and / or the second valve body 10b are provided with a connecting portion, which is used to connect and securely attach to the back panel of the water heater 1000. Specifically, after the water heater 1000 is installed on a wall, the back panel of the water heater is positioned close to the wall. The valve body 10, formed by assembling the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 20b, is connected and secured to the back panel via the connecting portion. This provides a more stable and reliable installation of the small flow valve 100, prevents shaking of the small flow valve 100 during operation of the water heater 1000, and ensures the operational reliability of the small flow valve 100. The specific location of the connecting portion can be determined based on actual conditions. For example, the connecting portion can be provided only on the first valve body 10a, only on the second valve body 10b, or on both the first valve body 10a and the second valve body 10b. For example, in a specific application, the first valve body 10a of the small flow valve 100 is positioned close to the back panel. In this case, the connecting portion can be provided on the first valve body 10a.

[0095] Furthermore, the first valve body 10a and / or the second valve body 10b are integrally formed with the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece. The first valve body 10a and / or the second valve body 10b are integrally formed with the connecting portion, so that the structural strength of the connecting portion is higher and it is convenient to produce and manufacture. The connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece (such as a screw, a bolt, a latch, etc.), which is simple and convenient to assemble, and the connection is stable and reliable. In one embodiment, the first valve body 10a, the second valve body 10b and the connecting portion are plastic parts. In this way, it is easy to injection mold the first valve body 10a and the connecting portion as a whole, or to injection mold the second valve body 10b and the connecting portion as a whole, and the manufacturing process is simple.

[0096] Based on the above embodiments, in some embodiments, the small flow valve 100 further includes a flow sensor provided on the first valve body 10a, and the flow sensor is used to detect the water inlet flow of the first flow channel 111; and / or, the small flow valve 100 further includes a temperature sensor provided on the first valve body 10a, and the temperature sensor is used to detect the water inlet temperature of the first flow channel 111.

[0097] In this embodiment, the first valve body 10a of the small flow valve 100 can be used as a mounting carrier for a flow sensor and / or a temperature sensor, making the small flow valve 100 more integrated and more versatile. It is no longer necessary to install a flow sensor and / or a temperature sensor on the cold water inlet pipe 210 of the water heater 1000, which is beneficial for reducing the number of parts to be assembled, improving assembly efficiency, and reducing costs. It can also reduce the risk of water leakage caused by the assembly of parts. When the small flow valve 100 is applied to the water heater 1000, the installation position of the small flow valve 100 can be set closer to the water inlet end of the cold water inlet pipe 210 (that is, replacing the original installation position of the flow sensor and / or temperature sensor). The small flow valve 100 is away from the heat radiation area formed by the burner 300, avoiding damage to the electronic components integrated in the small flow valve 100 due to heat radiation, and thus extending the service life of the small flow valve 100.

[0098] For example, the water inlet end of the first tube body 11 (that is, the end with the first water inlet 101a) can be provided with an extension tube body, a rotor is provided inside the extension tube body, and a Hall element is provided on the peripheral wall of the extension tube body. In this way, the extension tube body, the rotor and the Hall element are combined to form a flow sensor. When water flows through, it drives the rotor to rotate, and then the rotation speed of the rotor is detected by the Hall element, thereby calculating the flow rate of water flowing through. Of course, the form of the flow sensor is not limited to this, and other forms of flow sensors can also be used. In addition, a temperature sensor can be provided on the peripheral wall of the extension tube body, and the probe of the temperature sensor extends into the interior of the extension tube body to detect the inlet water temperature. Among them, the temperature sensor includes but is not limited to the use of thermocouple temperature sensors, thermistor temperature sensors, etc.

[0099] In one embodiment, the control component 20 is a solenoid valve or a proportional valve. For example, the control component 20 can use a solenoid valve to control the on / off of the bypass flow channel 131, so that the bypass flow channel 131 can be switched between two gears, one with bypass flow and one without bypass flow, with simple and convenient adjustment and fast response speed. For another example, the control component 20 can use a proportional valve, which is equipped with a stepping motor to achieve continuous stepless adjustment with higher adjustment accuracy. In one embodiment, the control component 20 is only one of the solenoid valve and the proportional valve. In this way, while ensuring the realization of the bypass flow regulation function, the number of control components 20 can be simplified, so that the overall structure of the small flow valve 100 is more streamlined and smaller in size, which is also conducive to reducing costs.

[0100] This application also proposes a water heater 1000, which includes a heat exchanger 200 and a small flow valve 100. The water inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger 200 are both located on the same side of the heat exchanger 200. The first water outlet 101b of the small flow valve 100 is connected to the water inlet of the heat exchanger 200 via a cold water inlet pipe 210, and the second water inlet 102a of the small flow valve 100 is connected to the water outlet of the heat exchanger 200 via a hot water outlet pipe 220. The specific structure of the small flow valve 100 is similar to that of the above-mentioned embodiments. Since the water heater 1000 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above-mentioned embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. Among them, the water heater 1000 includes but is not limited to a strong drum-type water heater 1000 with a fan 400 located below, or a strong extraction-type water heater 1000 with a fan 400 located above.

[0101] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in one embodiment, the water heater 1000 includes a small flow valve 100, a heat exchanger 200, a burner 300, and a fan 400. The burner 300 is located below the heat exchanger 200, and the fan 400 is located below the burner 300. The small flow valve 100 enables a precise intelligent bypass function to control the bypass mixed water temperature. This eliminates the need for coils around the combustion chamber of the water heater 1000, so the heat exchanger 200 can be a coil-less heat exchanger. This further reduces the size of the water heater 1000 and, by eliminating the need for coils, reduces leaks and lowers water resistance. The heat exchanger 200 may include a heat exchange tube, heat exchange fins sleeved around the outer periphery of the heat exchange tube, a cold water inlet pipe 210 connected to the water inlet end (i.e., water inlet) of the heat exchange tube, and a hot water outlet pipe 220 connected to the water outlet end (i.e., water outlet) of the heat exchanger 200. The water inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger 200 are located on the same side. Accordingly, the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 are located on the same side of the heat exchanger 200. The valve body 10 of the small flow valve 100 is serially connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220. Specifically, the first tube body 11 of the first valve body 10a can be serially connected to the cold water inlet pipe 210, and the second tube body 12 of the second valve body 10b can be serially connected to the hot water outlet pipe 220. The control component 20 of the small flow valve 100 can be electrically connected to the control system of the water heater 1000 in a wired or wireless manner. The control system sends corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 according to the working status of the water heater 1000, and then the water flow rate of the bypass channel 131 can be controlled through the control component 20.

[0102] When the water heater 1000 is working normally, the control component 20 controls the closure of the bypass flow channel 131. At this time, the highest temperature in the heat exchange tube of the heat exchanger 200 is the set temperature of the water heater 1000. In this way, the risk of gasification noise can be greatly reduced, and the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger 200 will not be affected. It can also extend the service life of the heat exchanger 200.

[0103] After the water supply to the water heater 1000 is shut off, the control unit 20 opens the bypass channel 131 and, depending on actual operating conditions, closes the bypass channel 131 within a few seconds of startup. At this point, some of the cold water in the first channel 111 is transported via the bypass channel 131 to the second channel 121. This cold water mixes with the high-temperature water in the second channel 121, effectively reducing the temperature rise during the shutdown. Because some of the cold water is diverted from the bypass channel 131, the flow rate of water from the first channel 111 toward the first water outlet 101b is reduced, minimizing overshoot during startup.

[0104] In addition, it is also possible to determine whether to open the bypass during normal combustion based on the actual working conditions. For example, in winter, when the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet water is large and needs to be quickly heated to the set temperature, the control component 20 controls the closure of the bypass flow channel 131. This not only improves the heating speed but also ensures that it can be heated to the set temperature. When the water is stopped and restarted, the bypass time can be reduced to reduce the overshoot. In summer, when a low-temperature bath is needed, the control component 20 controls the opening of the bypass flow channel 131. At this time, the minimum temperature rise of the water heater 1000 can be reduced to prevent the water temperature from being too hot during bathing, and the water temperature in the heat exchange tube can be increased, the flue gas temperature can be increased, and the risk of condensation water can be avoided.

[0105] The water heater 1000 of the present application integrates the small flow valve 100 of the above-described embodiment. The control system of the water heater 1000 issues corresponding control instructions to the control component 20 according to the operating state of the water heater 1000, thereby controlling the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel 131 through the control component 20. The bypass mixed water volume of the water heater 1000 can be adjusted according to actual operating conditions, effectively improving the problems of the conventional water heater 1000 such as the start-stop constant temperature difference, high vaporization noise, and low thermal efficiency. In addition, the cold water inlet pipe 210 and the hot water outlet pipe 220 of the water heater 1000 can be located on the same side of the water heater 1000, and the distance between them is relatively short, which is suitable for the installation of the small flow valve 100. By installing a single flow channel valve, the water inlet, water outlet, and bypass water mixing functions can be realized, eliminating the need to install additional bypass pipes, thereby reducing costs and ensuring sealing performance.

[0106] In one embodiment, the small flow valve 100 is disposed inside the water heater 1000 and adjacent to the heat exchanger 200. In this way, the small flow valve 100 can more accurately control the accuracy of the upstream water flow and the bypass water flow, and more accurately control the temperature rise.

[0107] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structural transformation made by using the contents of the present application specification and drawings under the application concept of the present application, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields, is included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A small flow valve, used to be arranged inside a water heater, wherein: The small flow valve comprises: A first valve body is provided with a first water inlet, a first water outlet and a bypass port, a first flow channel and a bypass flow channel are constructed inside the first valve body, the first flow channel is connected with the first water inlet and the first water outlet, and two ends of the bypass flow channel are respectively connected with the first flow channel and the bypass port; a second valve body, detachably connected to the first valve body, the second valve body being provided with a second water inlet, a second water outlet and a water passage, a second flow channel being constructed inside the second valve body, the second flow channel being connected to the second water inlet and the second water outlet, and the bypass port being connected to the second flow channel via the water passage; and A control component is provided on the first valve body, and is used to control the water flow rate of the bypass flow channel.

2. The small flow valve according to claim 1, wherein: The first valve body comprises a first tube body and a bypass tube body, the first flow channel is formed inside the first tube body, the first water inlet and the first water outlet are respectively provided at two ends of the first tube body, the bypass flow channel is formed inside the bypass tube body, one end of the bypass tube body is connected to the peripheral wall of the first tube body, and the other end of the bypass tube body is provided with the bypass port; The second valve body includes a second tube body extending in parallel with the first tube body and arranged at an interval, the second flow channel is formed inside the second tube body, the second water inlet and the second water outlet are respectively provided at both ends of the second tube body, the water outlet is provided on the peripheral wall of the second tube body, and the bypass tube body is provided with an end of the bypass port that is detachably connected to the portion of the second tube body where the water outlet is provided.

3. The small flow valve according to claim 2, wherein: The second valve body also includes an insert sleeve arranged on the peripheral wall of the second tube body, the insert sleeve is arranged around the outer periphery of the water outlet and extends toward the first tube body, and one end of the bypass tube body provided with the bypass port is detachably sealed and inserted in the insert sleeve.

4. The small flow valve according to claim 3, wherein: The first valve body further comprises a sealing ring sleeved on the outer circumference of the bypass tube body, the outer circumferential wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a sealing groove for accommodating the sealing ring, and the sealing ring is in sealing cooperation with the inner circumferential wall of the insert tube; And / or, the peripheral wall of the insert tube is provided with a plug hole for inserting a pin, the peripheral wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a slot for engaging with the pin, and the insert tube and the bypass tube body are locked and fixed by the pin.

5. The small flow valve according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The first tube body and the second tube body are both extended along the first direction, the bypass tube body is extended along the second direction, the two ends of the bypass tube body are respectively connected to the middle part of the first tube body and the middle part of the second tube body, and the control component is arranged on one side of the bypass tube body in the first direction; wherein the first direction intersects with the second direction.

6. The small flow valve according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein: The peripheral wall of the bypass tube body is provided with a mounting seat for mounting the control component, the mounting seat has a center line extending along the first direction, the distance between the center line and the axis of the first tube body is L1, and the distance between the center line and the axis of the second tube body is L2, wherein L1 is greater than L2; And / or, the distance between the axis of the first tube body and the axis of the second tube body is L3, wherein L3 is less than 100 mm.

7. The small flow valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The first water inlet and the second water inlet are arranged diagonally, and the first water outlet and the second water outlet are arranged diagonally.

8. The small flow valve according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: The inner diameter of the first tube body is larger than the inner diameter of the bypass tube body, and the bypass ratio is not less than 42%; And / or, the area of ​​the water passage is larger than the area of ​​the bypass port.

9. The small flow valve according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The first valve body and / or the second valve body is provided with a connecting portion, and the connecting portion is used to be connected and fixed to the back plate of the water heater.

10. The small flow valve according to claim 9, wherein: The first valve body and / or the second valve body are integrally formed with the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is connected and fixed to the back plate via a connecting piece; And / or, the first valve body, the second valve body and the connecting portion are plastic parts.

11. The small flow valve according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The small flow valve further includes a flow sensor disposed on the first valve body, and the flow sensor is used to detect the water inlet flow of the first flow channel; And / or, the small flow valve further comprises a temperature sensor provided on the first valve body, the temperature sensor being used to detect the inlet water temperature of the first flow channel; And / or, the control component is a solenoid valve or a proportional valve.

12. A water heater, wherein: The water heater comprises: A heat exchanger, wherein a water inlet and a water outlet of the heat exchanger are located on the same side of the heat exchanger; and According to the small flow valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, the first water outlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water inlet of the heat exchanger through a cold water inlet pipe, and the second water inlet of the small flow valve is connected to the water outlet of the heat exchanger through a hot water outlet pipe.

13. The water heater according to claim 12, wherein: The small flow valve is arranged inside the water heater and adjacent to the heat exchanger.

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