CN221462992U - Flow control valve and hot water system using same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a flow control valve and a hot water system using the same. The flow control valve includes a first segment extending straight, a second segment extending straight opposite the first segment, and a third segment connected between and extending perpendicularly relative to the first segment and the second segment. The flow control valve further includes a spool portion disposed in the first section thereof. The flow control valve can be used as a three-way joint connected between the cold water pipeline and the circulating pipeline, and meanwhile, the valve core part of the flow control valve is arranged in the first section of the flow control valve, and the first section of the flow control valve is positioned in the cold water section of the cold water pipeline, so that the cold water flow flowing out through the cold water section and the mixed water valve can be adjusted, and the problem of cold water and hot water flowing out due to the false start of the hot water equipment can be avoided.

Description

Flow control valve and hot water system using same

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of hot water preparation, and more particularly, to a hot water system capable of providing a warm-up water circulation function and a flow control valve applied to the same.

Background

Typically, a user will open a mixing faucet when there is a need for domestic hot water use, whereupon the hot water appliance is started. During a period of time when the device is just started, cold water stored in the water pipe can be discharged first, so that the use experience of a user is affected. To avoid this problem, the current hot water apparatus generally has a warm water circulation mode to circulate cold water in a warm water pipe during a period when a user does not use hot water, so that the user can use hot water after opening. To realize the function of preheating water circulation, it is generally necessary to lay a return water pipe at the user's home, which is connected between the hot water pipe and the hot water apparatus, so that water output from the hot water apparatus is returned to the hot water apparatus via the hot water pipe and the return water pipe, thereby realizing the preheating water circulation. However, the return water line requires that the user's home be pre-conditioned and laid, and for some users this problem or need may not be taken into account at the time of the conditioning. In the prior art, another solution is provided for a user who does not lay a return pipe in advance in the home, namely, a hot water pipeline and a cold water pipeline are short-circuited at a water use point at a far end, so that water output from the hot water device returns to the hot water device after passing through the hot water pipeline, the short-circuited water pipeline and the cold water pipeline in a preheating mode to realize the preheating water circulation.

However, the short-circuited water pipe is arranged at a position far away from the hot water equipment, so that the resistance of water flow in the pipeline is large. When cold water is used at a remote water consumption point, a part of the cold water is split and gushed into the hot water device due to the large water resistance in the cold water pipeline. When the split water flow is larger than the starting flow of the equipment, the equipment can be started by mistake to start circulating the water in the heating pipeline, so that when a user opens cold water at a water consumption point at the far end, warm water or hot water can be output, that is, the problem of water mixing of cold water and hot water exists.

Disclosure of utility model

To overcome the problems in the related art, the present disclosure provides a flow control valve and a hot water system using the same.

A first aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure provides a flow control valve that includes a first segment extending straight, a second segment extending straight opposite the first segment, and a third segment connected between and extending perpendicularly relative to the first segment and the second segment. The flow control valve further includes a spool portion disposed in the first section thereof.

In some embodiments, the flow control valve further comprises a control member fixedly connected to the valve core portion, the control member driving the valve core portion to move synchronously to adjust the cross-sectional area of the water flow passage in the first section.

In some embodiments, the control member includes a wrench extending parallel to the first section of the flow control valve that can cause the spool portion within the first section to rotate in unison.

In some embodiments, the flow control valve further comprises a nipple connected to the end of the first section, the nipple having external threads on both ends.

In some embodiments, the second end of the flow control valve is internally threaded and the third end of the flow control valve is externally threaded.

A second aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure provides a water heating system that includes a water heating apparatus, at least one mixing valve, a cold water line, a hot water line, and a circulation line. The hot water equipment comprises a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe, a cold water pipeline is connected with the at least one water mixing valve and communicated with the water inlet pipe, a hot water pipeline is connected with the at least one water mixing valve and communicated with the water outlet pipe, and a circulating pipeline is connected between the hot water pipeline and the cold water pipeline and is arranged close to the at least one water mixing valve. The water heating device further comprises the flow control valve, wherein a first section and a second section of the flow control valve are connected in the cold water pipeline, the first section is positioned in a region between the at least one water mixing valve and the circulating pipeline, and a third section of the flow control valve is connected in the circulating pipeline.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a one-way valve disposed in the circulation line to allow only one-way flow of water from the hot water line to the cold water line.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a circulation pump and a circulation water temperature sensor disposed in association with the circulation line.

In some embodiments, the hot water apparatus includes a burner for combusting a mixture of air and gas to generate heat, and a heat exchanger for absorbing the heat generated by the burner and transferring the heat to a water stream passing therethrough; wherein the water inlet pipe is connected to the upstream of the heat exchanger, and the water outlet pipe is connected to the downstream of the heat exchanger.

The technical solution provided by one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include the following beneficial effects: the flow control valve may be used as a three-way joint connected between the cold water pipe and the circulation pipe while the spool part of the flow control valve is provided in the first section of the flow control valve, and since the first section of the flow control valve is located in the cold water section of the cold water pipe, the flow rate of cold water flowing out through the cold water section and via the water mixing valve is adjustable, so that the flow rate of water in the cold water pipe can be limited, such as to be smaller than the start-up flow rate of the hot water apparatus, by adjusting the flow control valve. Therefore, when the cold water is opened by the water point, even if part of the cold water is split into the hot water equipment, the hot water equipment is not started, and further, the problem that cold water and hot water are mixed due to the false starting of the hot water equipment can be avoided.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings that are required in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a hot water system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a hot water system in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a hot water system in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4A to 4D are schematic plan views of a flow control valve in a fully opened state, which is applied to the hot water system shown in FIG. 3; wherein fig. 4A is a front view of the flow control valve, fig. 4B is a top view of the flow control valve, fig. 4C is a left side view of the flow control valve, and fig. 4D is a schematic sectional view taken along a cutting direction in fig. 4C;

Fig. 5A-5D are similar to fig. 4A-4D, with the flow control valve in a partially open state.

Detailed Description

The embodiments shown in the drawings will be described in detail below. These embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and structural, methodological, or functional transformations of one of ordinary skill in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of the appended claims.

The hot water system of the present disclosure is suitable for home applications, and may be used to provide domestic hot water and/or heating. The water heating system comprises a water heating device, wherein the water heating device can be a gas water heating device using combustible gas as fuel, or an electric water heater using an electric heating rod as a heat source, or a water heating device using solar energy or a heat pump as a heat source. The gas water heating apparatus is a gas boiler or the like that heats domestic water by burning a combustible gas to meet the domestic needs of a user, such as a gas water heater that provides domestic hot water, or that can simultaneously provide domestic hot water and heating needs. The present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to a gas water heater as an example in the following embodiments.

The hot water system 100 in one embodiment of the present disclosure as shown in fig. 1, wherein the hot water apparatus is a gas water heater, which is in communication with a water point, such as the mixing valve 70, through a cold water pipe 51, a hot water pipe 52; further, a circulation line 61 is connected between the cold water line 51 and the hot water line 52 and is disposed near the mixing valve 70. The pipeline can be a water flow passage formed by connecting a single water pipe or a plurality of water pipes. The water consumption points can be multiple and are respectively connected with the cold water pipeline and the hot water pipeline. In this embodiment, the water mixing valve 70 is one of the water points that is farthest or farther from the hot water apparatus. When the hot water apparatus is operated in the bathroom mode, i.e., domestic hot water is supplied, cold water and hot water are supplied to the mixing valve 70 via the cold water pipe 51 and the hot water pipe 52, respectively, and are mixed and then outputted. When the hot water apparatus is operated in the warm-up mode, hot water outputted from the apparatus flows back into the apparatus through the hot water pipe 52, the circulation pipe 61, and the cold water pipe 51 to be reheated. In some embodiments, a check valve 63 is also provided on the circulation line 61 to limit the flow of water from the hot water line 52 to the cold water line 51 only in one direction via the circulation line 61.

The water heating apparatus includes a housing 10, a burner assembly, a heat exchanger 13, a smoke exhaust device, and the like, which are accommodated in the housing 10. The housing 10 may be formed from a plurality of panels that are joined together to form a receiving space therein for receiving the components. A water inlet pipe 111, a water outlet pipe 112, and a gas supply line 113 extend from the bottom of the housing 10. Wherein the water inlet pipe 111 is in communication with the cold water pipe 51, and the water outlet pipe 112 is in communication with the hot water pipe 52. The "communication" of the two lines may be direct connection or may be indirect connection via an intermediate line.

The burner assembly generally includes a gas distribution frame (not shown) and a burner 12. An air valve 15 is provided on the gas supply line 113, and the air valve 15 may be an electrically controllable valve for connecting or disconnecting the gas supply passage and controlling the amount of gas supplied into the gas distribution frame. In some embodiments, the combustor 12 includes several combustion units arranged side-by-side in the longitudinal direction. Each combustion unit has a flat plate shape, which is generally vertically fixed in a burner frame, has an air inlet provided at a lower portion thereof, has a plurality of fire holes provided at a top portion thereof, and a gas-air mixing passage communicating the air inlet and the plurality of fire holes. The gas passing through the gas valve 15 enters the gas inlet of each combustion unit through the distribution of the gas separation frame and is mixed with the primary air simultaneously entering in the gas-air mixing channel and transferred to the fire holes at the top of the fire grate for combustion and generation of hot flue gas. The burner assembly further comprises ignition means 121 for igniting the gas and air mixture, and flame detection means 122 for detecting the presence or absence of a flame. In some embodiments, the ignition device 121 includes a pair of ignition electrodes extending above the fire holes of the combustion unit. The flame detection means 122 comprises a flame detection electrode extending over the fire hole of the combustion unit.

The heat generated by the combustion of the burner 12 passes through a heat exchanger 13. The heat exchanger 13 is typically disposed above the burner 12. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger may be a fin and tube heat exchanger, i.e. a heat exchanger housing having a plurality of fins disposed therein through which a heat exchange water pipe passes in a detour, both ends of which are respectively in communication with an inlet pipe 111 upstream of the heat exchanger in the water flow direction and an outlet pipe 112 downstream of the heat exchanger. The heat generated by the combustion of the gas-air mixture is absorbed by the fins and further transferred to the water flowing through the heat exchange water pipe, and the heated water is transferred to the hot water pipe 52 through the water outlet pipe 112, thereby providing domestic hot water for drinking, bathing, etc. to the user.

In some embodiments, a fan 16 may be provided below the burner 12 to drive the flow of air to provide the air required for combustion and to cause the smoke produced by the combustion to be collected by the fume collection hood of the fume extractor and to be exhausted through a fume exhaust line (not shown) connected to the fume collection hood. A water inlet temperature sensor 171 is provided at the inlet pipe 111 (e.g., on the outer wall of the inlet pipe) for sensing the temperature of the water flow through the inlet pipe. A water outlet temperature sensor 172 is disposed at the outlet pipe 112 (e.g., on the outer wall of the outlet pipe) for detecting the temperature of the water outlet passing through the outlet pipe. The temperature sensor may be a thermistor, such as a positive temperature coefficient thermistor (Positive Temperature Coefficient, PTC), and in some embodiments, the temperature sensor may also be a negative temperature coefficient (Negative Temperature Coefficient, NTC) temperature sensor. A flow detection device 14 is provided in the waterway for detecting the flow of water. In some embodiments, the flow detection device may be installed at the water inlet pipe 111 for detecting the inflow of cold water flowing in via the cold water pipe 51. When the inflow of cold water exceeds a starting flow, the hot water equipment is triggered to work. The flow sensing device 14 may include a rotor assembly with magnets and hall elements that are rotated when water flows through the sensing device, thereby utilizing the hall effect of the hall elements to measure a magnetic physical quantity. A circulation pump 18 is provided in the waterway for driving or promoting the flow of water. In the present embodiment, the circulation pump 18 is connected in the water intake pipe 111.

A controller 20 is provided within the housing 10 for detecting and controlling the operation of the various components and circuit devices within the gas water heating apparatus. In some embodiments, the controller 20 may be a control circuit including a processor and a memory, and a plurality of electronic components connected in a wired manner. The Processor may be a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), but may also be other general purpose processors, digital signal processors (DIGITAL SIGNAL Processor, DSP), application SPECIFIC INTEGRATED Circuit (ASIC), field-Programmable gate array (Field-Programmable GATE ARRAY, FPGA), or other Programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or the like. The general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. In this embodiment, the processor is a control center of the gas water heating apparatus that connects the various parts of the apparatus using various interfaces and lines. For example, the controller 20 is in wired electrical connection or wireless communication with the gas valve 15, the blower 16, the inlet water temperature sensor 171, the outlet water temperature sensor 172, the flow rate detection device 14, the circulation pump 18, and the like.

The cold water pipe 51 is connected to the mixing valve 70, and includes a cold water section 511 connected between the mixing valve 70 and the circulation pipe 61. The hot water line 52 is connected to the mixing valve 70 and includes a hot water section 521 connected between the mixing valve 70 and the circulation line 61. The water heating apparatus 100 further includes a flow control valve having at least a spool portion disposed in the cold water section 511 of the cold water line to regulate the flow of water through the cold water section. In this embodiment, the flow control valve 61 is integrally disposed in the cold water section 511 of the cold water line, which may take the form of a ball valve comprising a spool portion and a wrench fixedly connected to the spool portion. The valve core part can be a sphere with a through channel, and the valve core part can be driven to rotate by rotating a wrench so as to adjust the sectional area size of the water flow channel in the cold water section 511. By providing a flow control valve and at least a valve core part in the cold water section 511, the flow of cold water through the cold water section and out through the mixing valve is made adjustable, whereby the flow of water in the cold water line can be limited, e.g. made smaller than the start-up flow of the hot water apparatus, by adjusting the flow control valve. Thus, when the cold water is turned on by the water point 70, even if part of the cold water is split into the hot water device, the hot water device is not started, and further, the problem of cold water and hot water flowing due to the false starting of the hot water device can be avoided.

Fig. 2 shows a further embodiment of a hot water system 200, which is similar to the heating system 100 shown in fig. 1, with the main difference that the system further comprises a circulation pump 81 and a circulation water temperature sensor 83 arranged in connection with the circulation line 61. The circulation pump 81, the circulation water temperature sensor 83, and the check valve 82 provided in the circulation line 61 together constitute a circulation pump station 80. The pump station 80 may independently control the warm-up water circulation, for example, to trigger the circulation pump to operate when the circulation water temperature sensor 83 detects that the water temperature is lower than the circulation water temperature threshold value, and to stop the circulation pump to operate when the circulation water temperature detected by the circulation water temperature sensor reaches a specific temperature threshold value (equal to or higher than the circulation water temperature threshold value), or when the circulation water temperature does not reach the specific temperature threshold value but the circulation pump 81 is operated for a specific period of time.

Fig. 3 shows a further embodiment of a water heating system 300, which is similar to the heating system 100 shown in fig. 1, with the main difference that the flow control valve 64 is in the form of a T-shaped arrangement, which can be used as a three-way connection between the cold water line 51 and the circulation line 61. As shown with reference to fig. 4A-4D, the flow control valve 64 includes a first segment 641 extending straight, a second segment 642 extending straight opposite the first segment 641, and a third segment 643 connected between and extending perpendicularly relative to the first and second segments. The first and second sections 641 and 642 of the flow control valve are connected in the cold water line 51 to form a portion of the cold water line 51, and the third section 642 of the flow control valve is connected in the circulation line 61 to form a portion of the circulation line 61. Wherein the first section 641 of the flow control valve is located in the area between the mixing valve 70 and the circulation line 61, i.e. in the cold water section 511 of the cold water line. The flow control valve 64 further includes a pipe joint 6411 connected to the end of the first section 641, and external threads are provided on both opposite ends of the pipe joint 6411 to facilitate connection between the first section 641 and the pipes of the cold water pipe 51. The second section 642 of the flow control valve 64 is internally threaded at its end to facilitate connection with the tubing of the cold water line 51. The third section 643 of the flow control valve is externally threaded at its end to facilitate connection with the tubing of the circulation line 61.

The flow control valve 64 also includes a spool portion 652 disposed in the first section 641 thereof, and a control member fixedly coupled to the spool portion. In some embodiments, the core 652 is a sphere with a through channel, and the control member can move the core synchronously to adjust the cross-sectional area of the water channel in the first segment 641. In some embodiments, the control member includes a wrench 651 extending parallel to the first segment 641 of the flow control valve and a valve stem (not labeled) fixedly coupled between the wrench 651 and the spool portion 652. As shown in fig. 4A to 4D, when the flow control valve 64 is in the fully open state, the through passage of the ball 652 as the spool portion is located on the same axis as the water flow passage of the first segment 641; as shown in fig. 5A to 5D, the wrench 651 is turned to drive the ball 652 in the first segment 641 to rotate synchronously, so that the through channel of the ball is staggered by a certain angle relative to the water channel in the first segment, and the cross-sectional area of the water channel in the first segment is reduced. Because the first section 641 of the flow control valve is located in the cold water section 511 of the cold water pipeline, the flow control valve can be adjusted to limit the water flow in the cold water pipeline, for example, the water flow is smaller than the starting flow of the hot water equipment, and further, the problem that cold water and hot water are mixed due to the false starting of the hot water equipment when a user uses cold water can be avoided.

In the description of the above embodiments of the present disclosure, the positional or positional relationship indicated by "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", etc. is based on the positional or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is merely for convenience of description and simplification of description, and does not indicate or imply that the apparatus or element in question must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, a first feature "up" or "down" a second feature may be a direct contact of the first feature with the second feature, or an indirect contact of the first and second features through an intervening medium. Also, a first feature "above," "over," "above" a second feature may be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below", "beneath" the second feature may be the first feature being directly under or obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is less level than the second feature.

In the above disclosure, the terms "first," "second," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implying an indication of the number of technical features being indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first", "a second", etc. can explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the above description, the meaning of "several", "a plurality" and the like means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless specifically defined otherwise.

In the above disclosure, unless explicitly stated and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; either directly or indirectly, through intermediaries, or in communication with each other, or in interaction with each other, unless otherwise specifically defined. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific meaning of the terms described above in this disclosure may be understood as appropriate.

It should be understood that although the present disclosure describes embodiments, not every embodiment is provided with a separate embodiment, and that this description is provided for clarity only, and that the disclosure is not limited to specific embodiments, and that the embodiments may be combined appropriately to form other embodiments that will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims (5)

1. A flow control valve comprising a first segment extending straight, a second segment opposite the first segment and extending straight, and a third segment connected between and extending perpendicularly relative to the first segment and the second segment; the method is characterized in that: the flow control valve further includes a spool portion disposed in the first section thereof.

2. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein: the flow control valve further comprises a control piece fixedly connected with the valve core part, and the control piece can drive the valve core part to synchronously move so as to adjust the size of the cross section area of the water flow channel in the first section.

3. The flow control valve according to claim 2, wherein: the control member includes a wrench extending parallel to the first section of the flow control valve that can cause the spool portion within the first section to rotate in unison.

4. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein: the flow control valve further comprises a pipe joint connected to the tail end of the first section, and external threads are arranged on two opposite tail ends of the pipe joint.

5. The flow control valve according to claim 1, wherein: the end of the second section of the flow control valve is provided with an internal thread, and the end of the third section of the flow control valve is provided with an external thread.