CN108361970B

CN108361970B - Water heater and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN108361970B
Application number: CN201710712541.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 万华新; 王�华; 杜韬
Original assignee: AO Smith China Water Heater Co Ltd
Current assignee: AO Smith China Water Heater Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-01-26
Filing date: 2017-08-18
Publication date: 2023-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2037-08-18
Also published as: CN207335148U; CN108361970A

Abstract

The invention discloses a water heater and a control method thereof, wherein the water heater comprises: the inner container can store fluid; the mixing device is used for mixing gas and liquid, and is provided with a mixing space for mixing gas and liquid, and the mixing space is positioned in the liner; the driving device can be communicated with the inner container and the mixing device, and the driving device can guide the fluid in the inner container into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing and then return to the inner container. The water heater provided by the invention can realize gas-liquid mixing to generate micro-bubble water for users, is water-saving and environment-friendly, has strong water supply cleaning performance, can prepare micro-bubble water in the liner in advance before the users use, and better meets the use requirements of the users.

Description

Water heater and control method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of water heaters, in particular to a water heater and a control method thereof.

Background

At present, domestic water heater products mainly comprise an electric water heater, a gas water heater, a solar water heater, an air energy water heater and the like. The water heater field mainly takes the traditional electric water heater and the gas water heater as the main materials.

Further, the electric water heater is divided into three types of water storage type, instant heating type and instant heating type according to heating power. Wherein, storage type water heater and instant heating type water heater use comparatively extensively. The water storage type electric water heater is generally provided with the liner for storing water, has the advantages of low power, cleanness, sanitation, safety and reliability, but needs a certain preheating time for using hot water, so that the water storage type electric water heater is suitable for families with smaller population.

Along with the increasing living standard of people, the requirements of people on water heaters are also increasing. For example, the use requirements of users on water heaters are further demanded by miniaturization design, water conservation, environmental protection, comfort, health and the like besides the basic requirements of safety and reliability.

Therefore, there is a need for an improvement to the current water heater to better meet the user's usage requirements and improve the user's usage experience.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a water heater and a control method thereof, which can realize gas-liquid mixing to generate micro-bubble water for users, not only save water and protect environment and have strong water supply cleaning performance, but also can prepare the micro-bubble water in the liner in advance before the users use, thereby better meeting the use requirements of the users.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

a water heater, comprising:

the inner container can store fluid;

the mixing device is used for mixing gas and liquid, and is provided with a mixing space for mixing gas and liquid, and the mixing space is positioned in the liner;

the driving device can be communicated with the inner container and the mixing device, and the driving device can guide the fluid in the inner container into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing and then return to the inner container.

A water heater, comprising:

the inner container can store fluid;

a mixing device capable of communicating with the liner; the mixing device can input the fluid in the liner into the mixing device for gas-liquid mixing to form a gas-liquid mixture, and the gas-liquid mixture returns to the liner.

A water heater, comprising:

a liner capable of storing a fluid at a predetermined pressure;

the mixing device is used for mixing gas and liquid, and is provided with a mixing space for mixing gas and liquid, and the mixing space is positioned in the liner or can be communicated with the liner;

A control method of a water heater, comprising:

the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path are communicated, air is input into the liner from the air inlet path, liquid in the liner is discharged through the liquid discharge path, and water and air are supplied to the liner;

when the liquid level of the inner container is reduced to a preset liquid level, the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path are closed, the circulating path is communicated, and the driving device is started to drive the fluid in the inner container to be input into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing and then returned to the inner container.

According to the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the application, the driving device is arranged in the water heater, the driving device is used for forming a fluid circulation path with the inner container communicated with the driving device and the mixing device, when the driving device is started, fluid in the inner container communicated with the input end of the driving device can be led in, the fluid is led out from the output end of the driving device to the mixing device, gas-liquid mixing is carried out, and a gas-liquid mixture is formed and then returned to the inner container. The fluid flows out of the inner container as a whole, enters the input end of the driving device, flows out of the output end of the driving device, flows through the mixing device to form a gas-liquid mixture, and is stored in the inner container, so that the fluid circulation passage is formed. The fluid in the inner container can circulate infinitely, so that the water and the gas in the inner container can be fully premixed, the high-concentration bubble water can be obtained by directly opening the water terminal when the user needs water, and the use experience of the user is improved.

In addition, the water heater provided by the application can form a gas-liquid mixed circulation passage, and can also reduce the lift requirement on the driving device.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4A is a schematic view of a pressure regulating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4B is a schematic view of a pressure regulating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a variable cross-sectional area portion of a first tube provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of another first tube variable cross-sectional area portion provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5C is a schematic view of a structure of a variable cross-sectional area portion of yet another first tube provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5D is a schematic view of a structure of a variable cross-sectional area portion of yet another first tube provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10A is a schematic illustration of a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10B is a schematic illustration of a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10C is a schematic illustration of a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10D is a schematic illustration of a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10E is a schematic illustration of a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of steps of a method for controlling a water heater provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 13 is a flowchart of steps of a control method of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present application.

Reference numerals illustrate:

a mixing space-1; an inner container-2; a tank body-10; a first tube-21; a first port-210; a variable cross-sectional area section-211; a second tube-22; a second port-220; a driving device-3; a heating element-20; a third tube-23; a third port-230; a pressure regulating device-4; an air inlet-11; a liquid outlet-13; a water supply port-12; an upstream line-14; downstream piping-15; a first switching valve-5; a second switching valve-6; an interface-7; and a gas-liquid mixing pump-8.

Detailed Description

The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are only for illustrating the present invention and not for limiting the scope of the present invention, and various modifications of equivalent forms of the present invention will fall within the scope of the appended claims of the present application after reading the present invention.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and the like are used herein for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be the only embodiment.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the description of the application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and/or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The invention provides a water heater and a control method thereof, which can realize gas-liquid mixing to generate micro-bubble water for users, not only save water and protect environment and have strong water supply cleaning performance, but also can prepare the micro-bubble water in the liner in advance before the users use, thereby better meeting the use demands of the users.

Referring to fig. 1 to 2 in combination, a water heater according to an embodiment of the present application may include: a liner 2 capable of storing a fluid at a predetermined pressure; the mixing device is used for mixing gas and liquid, and is provided with a mixing space 1 for mixing gas and liquid, wherein the mixing space 1 is positioned in the liner 2; and the driving device 3 can be communicated with the inner container 2 and the mixing device, and the driving device 3 can guide the fluid in the inner container 2 into the mixing space 1 for gas-liquid mixing and then return to the inner container 2.

In this embodiment, the liner 2 is a pressure-bearing liner capable of bearing a predetermined pressure, and may be used to store fluid under pressure therein. The predetermined pressure may be 0.1 megapascals or more. The pressurized fluid may include one of a gas, a liquid, and a mixture of a gas and a liquid. Specifically, the inner container 2 may be used for containing water, or gas, or a mixture of water and gas, etc. The inner container 2 may be a hollow cylindrical shell as a whole. Of course, the liner 2 may have other shapes, which are not particularly limited herein. The inner containers 2 may be horizontal type inner containers or vertical type inner containers, and the present application is not limited thereto.

The water heater may further comprise a heating element 20 for heating the fluid stored in the liner 2. When the heating element 20 heats the fluid in the inner container 2, the fluid in the inner container 2 can be heated and expanded, so that the pressure in the inner container 2 can be increased, and when the gas and the liquid are mixed in the inner container 2, the requirement of external required pressurization is reduced, and in particular, the requirement of the lift of the driving device 3 can be reduced.

In particular, the form of the heating element 20 may be different according to the actual usage scenario, and is not specifically limited herein. For example, when the water heater is a storage type electric water heater, the heating element 20 may be an electric heating rod. One end of the electric heating rod can be fixed on the inner container 2, and the other end extends into the inner container 2. The electric heating rod is contacted with water or gas-liquid mixture in the inner container 2, and after heat energy generated by electric heating is transferred to the water or gas-liquid mixture in the inner container 2, the water or gas-liquid mixture in the inner container 2 can be heated.

In this embodiment, the mixing device is used for mixing gas and liquid. The mixing device is provided with a mixing space 1 for mixing gas and liquid, and the mixing space 1 can be positioned in the liner 2. Specifically, the mixing device may be formed by at least part of the space of the inner container 2, or may be formed by at least part of the space of the inner container 2 in cooperation with other mechanisms; alternatively, the mixing device may be formed by a separate mechanism located in the liner 2; alternatively, the mixing device may take other forms, and the present application is not specifically limited herein.

When the mixing device is formed by at least part of the space of the inner container 2, that is to say, the mixing space 1 is located in the inner container 2, the inner container 2 has both a storage function and a gas-liquid mixing function, thereby realizing the maximum utilization of the space of the inner container 2. In contrast, the container with a separate mixing space can be omitted, so that the cost can be reduced, and the whole volume of the water heater can be reduced.

In addition, the mixing space 1 may be located outside the inner container 2 and is in communication with the inner container 2. As shown in fig. 3, the mixing space 1 may be formed by a can 10 located outside the inner container 2.

In the present embodiment, the driving device 3 is capable of communicating with the inner container 2 and the mixing space 1 to provide driving force to the fluid flowing therethrough, thereby establishing a fluid circulation path between the driving device 3, the inner container 2 and the mixing space 1. The driving device 3 may be in the form of a water pump, and of course, the driving device 3 may be any other device capable of providing power, which is not specifically limited herein.

In particular, the driving means 3 may comprise opposite inputs and outputs. When the driving device 3 is started, the driving device can introduce the fluid in the liner 2 communicated with the input end of the driving device, and guide the fluid out of the output end of the driving device to the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing. After the gas-liquid mixture is formed, the gas-liquid mixture returns to the inner container 2. The fluid flows out of the liner 2 as a whole, enters the input end of the driving device 3, flows out of the output end thereof, flows into the mixing space to form a gas-liquid mixture, and is stored in the liner 2, thereby forming a circulation path of the fluid. The fluid in the inner container 2 can circulate for many times, so that the water and the air in the inner container 2 are fully premixed, the high-concentration micro-bubble water can be obtained by directly opening the water terminal when the user needs water, and the use experience of the user is improved. The water heater provided by the application can form a gas-liquid mixed circulation passage, and can also reduce the lift requirement on the driving device.

In addition, the driving means 3 may pressurize the inner container 2 when the water pressure supplied from the water supply end is insufficient.

The gas-liquid mixture in the present embodiment is a microbubble, wherein the microbubble refers to a bubble having a size of several or several tens micrometers. The surface of the microbubbles has weak negative charges in water, and can adsorb substances such as grease, protein and the like, thereby carrying them away from skin, hair and the like. When the bath is performed by using the microbubble water with microbubbles, a large amount of microbubbles per minute can penetrate into the parts such as the hair roots which are difficult to clean, and dirt such as sebum, grease and the like accumulated in the parts can be thoroughly removed.

In addition, the microbubble water also has a unique bactericidal effect. Specifically, the sterilization process of the microbubble water comprises two processes of attraction and sterilization, and the microbubbles are provided with static electricity, so that bacteria and viruses in the water body can be adsorbed; then, a large amount of free radicals are excited around the bubbles along with the collapse of the bubbles, and the adsorbed bacterial viruses are killed by the ultrahigh temperature and high pressure generated by the collapse. The sterilization process is a complete physical sterilization process, has essential difference from the conventional disinfection sterilization method, and is more environment-friendly and healthy compared with the conventional chemical sterilization.

The diameter size of the generated microbubbles of the water heater can be below 50 micrometers. The concentration of microbubbles can typically reach 8 tens of thousands/cc. In the process of generating micro bubbles, the color of the fluid in the inner container 2 is gradually changed from the original transparent state. The concentration of the microbubbles is reduced with the subsequent use by the user, and the extension of the fluid in the liner 2 gradually returns to transparency.

The water heater is characterized in that the driving device 3 is arranged in the water heater, the driving device 3 is utilized to form a fluid circulation path with the inner container 2 and the mixing space 1 which are communicated with the driving device, when the driving device 3 is started, fluid in the inner container 2 which is communicated with the input end of the driving device can be introduced, the fluid is led out from the output end of the driving device to the mixing space 1, gas-liquid mixing is carried out, and a gas-liquid mixture is formed and then returned to the inner container 2. The fluid flows out of the inner container 2 as a whole, enters the input end of the driving device 3, flows out of the output end thereof, flows through the mixing space 1 to form a gas-liquid mixture, and is stored in the inner container 2, thereby forming the fluid circulation path. The fluid in the liner 2 can circulate infinitely, so that the water and the air in the liner 2 can be fully premixed, the high-concentration bubble water can be obtained by directly opening the water terminal when the user needs water, and the use experience of the user is improved.

The water heater may further comprise a pressure regulating device 4 arranged downstream of the water heater.

The pressure regulating device 4 may be disposed at a downstream position of the entire water heater, and the pressure regulating device 4 is configured to maintain the pressure between the liner 2 and itself within a predetermined range. Specifically, the pressure adjusting device 4 may be any one of the following forms: the device comprises a release valve, a pressure relief valve and a switch valve with preset pressure. For example, the pressure regulating device 4 may be a self-operated pressure regulating valve, such as an air release device or the like; the control principle of the pressure adjusting device 4 may be different according to the specific structure of the pressure adjusting device 4, and the present application is not limited specifically herein.

The pressure regulating device 4 has opposite inlet and outlet ends, and is internally provided with a pressure regulating mechanism to reduce the pressure of the inlet end to a predetermined pressure and output the pressure from the outlet end.

Specifically, the pressure adjusting device 4 is formed with at least a throttle mechanism having a stepwise or abrupt flow cross-sectional area along the direction of fluid flow, i.e., the pressure adjusting mechanism may be a throttle mechanism. The throttling mechanism can be used for rapidly reducing pressure and realizing gas release.

Referring to fig. 4A, for example, at least one stage of the variable aperture structure is provided in the direction of fluid flow, and the pressure adjusting device 4 includes a hollow pipe body in which at least one throttling member is provided. The throttling component can be of a structure with the aperture smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe body. In addition, the throttle plate can be sequentially provided with the flow holes with sequentially increased number of holes along the fluid flow direction, so that the flow cross section area is gradually increased along the fluid flow direction on the whole. When fluid flows through the throttling mechanism, the pressure of the fluid is correspondingly increased due to the fact that the flow cross section area is suddenly reduced, and therefore the function of maintaining the pressure can be achieved.

Referring to fig. 4B, the pressure adjusting device 4 may be further provided with a back pressure spring with a variable flow cross-sectional area, or other throttling mechanism, which is not specifically limited herein. Other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein, and it is intended to cover within the scope of this application all such variations as come within the meaning and effect of this application.

In one embodiment, when the mixing space 1 is located in the inner container 2, the mixing space 1 includes a region in which gas is stored in an upper portion of the inner container 2. The driving device 3 has opposite output and input ends, the output end of the driving device 3 is connected with a first pipe 21, and the first pipe 21 can introduce fluid into the region where the inner container 2 stores gas for gas-liquid mixing under the driving of the driving device 3.

In the present embodiment, a predetermined space above the liner 2 stores a gas for mixing gas and liquid. The mixing space 1 may be located in the inner container 2. Specifically, the mixing space 1 may include a region in which gas is stored in an upper portion of the liner 2. The size of the predetermined space may be adaptively adjusted according to the volume of the liner 2, and the like, and the present application is not particularly limited herein. In general, an interface 7 exists between the gas and the liquid in the liner 2. When fluid is introduced into the space in which gas is stored through the driving device 3, the fluid disturbs the air in the upper portion of the liner 2. When the disturbed air enters the liquid below the interface 7 with the introduced fluid, it can be further mixed with the liquid in the vicinity of the interface 7. Thus, the mixing space 1 may also comprise a space in which a part of the liquid close to the interface 7 is located.

In the present embodiment, a first tube 21 is connected to the output end of the driving device 3. Specifically, the first tube 21 may be a hollow tube body, and has two opposite ends, one end may be connected to the output end of the driving device 3, and the other end may be located in the inner container 2. The number of the first tubes 21 may be one or a plurality, and is not particularly limited herein. Furthermore, the first pipe 21 may also be used as a water inlet pipe or a water outlet pipe of the water heater.

What needs to be explained here is: the first tube 21 illustrated in this embodiment is mainly aimed at the bottom of the liner 2, and as for other scenes, for example, the first tube 21 is disposed at the top of the liner 2 or on the side wall of the liner 2, and a person skilled in the art can adjust the first tube adaptively in the scene of the bottom of the liner 2, which is not described herein, but as long as the function and effect achieved by the first tube are the same as or similar to those of the present application, the first tube should be covered in the protection scope of the present application.

Further, referring to fig. 6, the first tube 21 has a first port 210 remote from the driving device 3, and the first port 210 is located at or near the region of the liner 2 where the gas is stored.

Specifically, the inner container 2 may be provided with an opening for disposing the first tube 21. The first port 210 of the first tube 21 may extend through the opening into the liner 2. The first port 210 may be slightly higher than the interface 7 or flush with the interface 7. When the driving device 3 drives the fluid into the first pipe 21, the fluid can directly flow out of the first port 210 to be mixed with the gas in the mixing space 1. Furthermore, the height of the first port 210 may be slightly lower than the interface 7, for example, when the driving force provided by the driving means 3 to the fluid is sufficient. Under the drive of the drive means 3, pressurized fluid can be ejected from said first port 210 into the mixing space 1 for gas-liquid mixing.

As shown in fig. 1, in one embodiment, the driving device 3 may be located outside the inner container 2, the first pipe 21 is disposed on the inner container 2, the input end of the driving device 3 is connected to a second pipe 22 capable of communicating the driving device 3 with the inner container 2, and the inner container 2, the second pipe 22, the driving device 3, and the first pipe 21 may be communicated to form a circulation path.

In this embodiment, the water heater is provided with a second pipe 22 for establishing a communication relationship between the liner 2 and the input end of the driving device 3. Specifically, the second pipe 22 may have a hollow pipe body structure, and has opposite ends, and one end may be in communication with the inner container 2, so as to guide out the fluid in the inner container 2; the other end can be connected to the input of the drive means 3.

When the driving device 3 is located outside the inner container 2, after the driving device 3 is started, fluid in the inner container 2 can flow through the driving device 3 through the second pipe 22, and then enter the mixing space 1 storing gas in the inner container 2 through the first pipe 21 for gas-liquid mixing; the subsequent gas-liquid mixture falls back into the liner 2 under the action of gravity, thereby forming a gas-liquid mixed circulation path.

As shown in fig. 2, in another embodiment, the driving device 3 may be located inside the inner container 2, and accordingly, the first pipe 21 is disposed inside the inner container 2, and the input end of the driving device 3 is connected to the second pipe 22, and the inner container 2, the second pipe 22, the driving device 3, and the first pipe 21 may be communicated to form a circulation path.

That is, when the driving device 3 is located inside the inner container 2, the first pipe 21 is correspondingly located inside the inner container 2, and one end thereof is connected to the output end of the driving device 3 so that the driving device 3 introduces the fluid into the first pipe 21; the other end can extend into the region of the inner container 2 where the gas is stored, so that the water injected into the inner container 2 from the first pipe 21 can be directly mixed with the gas in the inner container 2 in a gas-liquid mode without damaging pressure.

When the driving device 3 is started, the fluid in the liner 2 can flow through the driving device 3 through the second pipe 22, then flows into the region of the liner 2 storing the gas through the first pipe 21 for gas-liquid mixing, and the subsequent gas-liquid mixture falls back into the liner 2 under the action of gravity.

Further, in order to improve the gas-liquid mixing effect, a jet structure is disposed at the first port 210 where the first tube 21 communicates with the liner 2. The jet structure can boost the pressure of the fluid introduced into the first pipe 21, so that the gas in the liner 2 and the fluid can achieve better gas mixing effect when mixed.

Referring to fig. 5A to 5D, in particular, the jet structure may be a variable cross-sectional area portion 211 formed at the first port 210 of the first tube 21. The cross-sectional area of the variable cross-sectional area portion 211 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the body of the first pipe 21 as a whole.

As shown in fig. 5A, the variable cross-sectional area portion 211 may be an elliptical opening formed at the first port 210 of the first tube 21.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 5C, the variable cross-sectional area portion 211 may be a circular opening formed at the first port 210 of the first tube 21 with a smaller aperture than the tube body of the first tube 21.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 5B, the variable cross-sectional area portion 211 may be a cross-shaped opening formed at the first port 210 of the first tube 21.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 5D, the first port 210 is a closed end, and the variable cross-sectional area portion 211 may be a plurality of openings formed in a wall of the first pipe 21 adjacent to the first port 210.

In addition, the cross-sectional area-variable portion 211 may be in other forms, and the present application is not limited thereto, and other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art in light of the technical spirit of the present application, but it is intended to cover the present application as long as the functions and effects achieved by the present application are the same or similar.

In one embodiment, the water heater may further include: a water supply path which can be communicated with the inner container 2, and a first switch device which can control the on-off of the water supply path. In addition, the water heater may further include: an air inlet path and a liquid outlet path which can be communicated with the liner 2, and a second switch device which can control the on-off of the air inlet path and the liquid outlet path.

In this embodiment, the water heater may further include an air inlet path and a liquid discharge path connected to the liner 2, the air inlet path is provided with an air inlet 11, the liquid discharge path is provided with a liquid discharge port 13, and the water heater further includes a second switch device capable of controlling on-off of the air inlet 11 and the liquid discharge port 13; when the water and air supplementing state is in the water draining and air supplementing state, the second switching device opens the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13; when in a gas-liquid mixing state, the switch device controls the gas inlet 11 to be closed, and the liquid outlet 13 to be closed.

In this embodiment, the water heater may further include an air intake path for supplying air to the liner 2 and a drain path for draining excess water in the liner 2 during air supply. One end of the air inlet path may be connected to the liner 2, the other end of the air inlet path may be an air inlet 11, and external air may enter the air inlet path through the air inlet 11 and finally be fed into the liner 2. One end of the liquid draining path is also connected with the inner container 2, the other end of the liquid draining path can be provided with a liquid draining port 13, and water discharged by gas in the inner container 2 can flow through the liquid draining path and be discharged outwards from the liquid draining port 13.

A second switching device may be provided to the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13 to control opening and closing of the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13. The form of the second switching means may be in the form of a solenoid valve, of course, the form of the second switching means is not limited to the above examples. The second switching device can be electrically connected with the controller, and when the controller sends a switching signal to the second switching device according to a preset control signal, the second switching device can correspondingly switch the opening and closing states.

Specifically, when the inner container 2 is drained and supplemented with air, that is, air required by air-liquid mixing is supplemented into the inner container 2, and meanwhile, when the excessive liquid in the inner container 2 is drained, the second switching device can control the air inlet 11 to be opened, the liquid outlet 13 to be opened, and at the moment, the air enters through the air inlet 11 and enters into the inner container 2 through the air inlet path; the surplus water in the liner 2 is discharged outwards from the liquid outlet 13 through the liquid discharge path, so that the water discharge and air supplement are completed. When the water draining and air supplementing are completed and the water heater needs to enter a gas-liquid mixing state, namely, the liner 2, the driving device 3 and the mixing space 1 form a circulation passage, the second switching device controls the air inlet 11 to be closed, and the liquid outlet 13 to be closed.

The number of the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13 may be one or plural, and the present application is not limited thereto. The number of the second switch devices can be one or a plurality of. For example, when the number of the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13 is one, the number of the second switch devices may be two, one of which is disposed at the position of the air inlet 11, and the other of which may be disposed at the position of the liquid outlet 13. In addition, the number of the second switching devices may be one, and in this case, the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13 may share the second switching devices.

Further, since the open/close states of the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13 are substantially synchronized, the second switching devices provided in the air inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 13 can be synchronized, thereby facilitating simplified control.

The water heater may further include a water supply path. The water supply path may be provided with a water supply port 12. The water heater also comprises a first switching device capable of controlling the on-off of the water supply port 12; the first switching device controls the water supply port 12 to be closed when in a water draining and air supplementing state and a gas-liquid mixing state; the first switching device opens the water supply port 12 when water is used or water is required to be injected into the liner 2.

In this embodiment, the water heater may further include a water supply path for supplying water to the liner 2. Wherein, one end of the water supply path can be connected with the inner container 2, the other end can be a water supply port 12, and an external water source can enter the water supply path through the water supply port 12 so as to enter the inner container 2.

Wherein the water supply path and the air intake path may be at least partially shared, and the water outlet path may be at least partially shared with the water discharge path to simplify piping and thereby optimize the overall structure of the water heater.

Further, a first switching device for controlling the opening and closing of the water supply port 12 may be provided at the water supply port 12. The form of the first switching device may be a solenoid valve, and of course, the form of the first switching device is not limited to the above example. The first switching device can be electrically connected with the controller, and when the controller sends a switching signal to the first switching device according to a preset control signal, the first switching device can correspondingly switch the switching state.

Specifically, when the water and air are in the above-mentioned draining and air supplementing state, the first switch device controls the water supply port 12 to be closed; at this time, it is ensured that no external water enters the inner container, and the drainage and air supply state is disturbed. When the gas and liquid are mixed, the second switch device controls the liquid outlet 13 to be closed, and when the gas and liquid are mixed, the pressure of the water heater is maintained within a preset pressure range. In addition, in the gas-liquid mixing state, the water supply port 12 and the air intake port 11 may be in an open or closed state, and the present application is not particularly limited herein. When in the open state, pressurized gas or water may be replenished. When the water heater needs to enter a water supply state, the first switching device is used for opening the water supply port 12, meanwhile, the second switching device can be used for closing the air inlet 11 and the liquid discharge port 13, the water supply path is communicated with the inner container 2, external water can be supplied into the inner container 2, and accordingly, gas-liquid mixture in the inner container 2 can be supplied to a water terminal.

The number of the water supply ports 12 may be one or plural, and the present application is not limited thereto. The number of the first switch devices can be one or a plurality of. The first switching device may be integrated with the second switching device, or the like, and the present application is not particularly limited herein.

Referring to fig. 6 or 7, in one embodiment, the water heater may further include an upstream line 14 capable of communicating with a water supply end and a downstream line 15 capable of communicating with a water terminal end, and a first switching valve 5 capable of switching communication relation with the first pipe 21, the second pipe 22, the upstream line 14 and the downstream line 15.

In the present embodiment, the upstream pipe 14, the first switching valve 5, and the first pipe 21 or the second pipe 22 may form an air intake path or a water supply path to the liner 2; the first pipe 21 or the second pipe 22 may form a drain path or a water outlet path by being combined with the downstream pipe 15 through the first switching pipe.

Wherein the first tube 21 has a first port 210 extending into the liner 2; the second tube 22 has a second port 220 extending into the liner 2. The first pipe 21 and the second pipe 22 are respectively communicated with the inner container 2, wherein one pipe can be used for water inflow, and the other pipe can be used for water outflow. The heights of the first port 210 and the second port 220 may be different, for example, the height of the first port 210 corresponding to the first tube 21 may be higher than the height of the second port 220.

The upstream line 14 is located entirely upstream of the water heater and has the water supply 12 provided thereon. The upstream line 14 may be provided with an intake port 11.

The downstream pipe 15 is integrally located downstream of the water heater and is provided with a water outlet. The downstream line 15 may be provided with a drain port 13.

In one embodiment, the first switching valve 2 includes a first position and a second position and a third position, wherein the first position of the first switching valve 2 is capable of communicating the upstream pipe 14 with the first pipe 21 to form the air intake path and communicating the downstream pipe 15 with the second pipe 22 to form the liquid discharge path; the second position of the first switching valve 5 can communicate the second pipe 22, the driving device 3, the first pipe 21 and the liner 2 to form a circulation passage; the third position of the first switching valve 5 enables the first pipe 21 to communicate with the upstream pipe 14 to form the water supply path, and the second pipe 22 to communicate with the downstream pipe 15 to form the water outlet path.

Further, the first pipe 21 has a first port 210 extending into the inner container, the second pipe 22 has a second port 220 extending into the inner container, the first port 210 is higher than the second port 220, the first switching valve 5 further includes a fourth position, the fourth position of the first switching valve 5 can communicate the second pipe 22 with the upstream pipeline 14 to form the water supply path, and the first pipe 21 is communicated with the downstream pipeline 15 to form the water outlet path.

In this embodiment, the first switching valve 5 may comprise a first port capable of communicating with the water heater upstream line 14, a second port communicating with the second pipe 22, a third port communicating with the downstream line 15, and a fourth port communicating with the first pipe 21. Specifically, the first switching valve 5 may be a four-way valve capable of being communicated in a two-to-two combination manner between four ports, and of course, the first switching valve 5 may also be in the form of other valves, which are not specifically limited herein.

The water heater includes: a water draining and air supplementing state, a gas-liquid mixing state and a water using state. By switching the position of the first switching valve 5, the connection relation with the respective pipes can be changed. When the position of the first switching valve 5 is changed and the on-off of the air inlet 11, the liquid outlet 13 and the water supply port 12 are controlled, the switching between different states of the water heater can be realized.

Specifically, when in the drain and make-up state, the first switching valve 5 communicates the upstream pipe 14 with the first pipe 21 to form the intake path, and the downstream pipe 15 with the second pipe 22 to form the drain path; when the liquid level in the liner 2 reaches a preset liquid level, the water draining and air supplementing state is switched to be a gas-liquid mixing state.

The condition for switching between the water draining and air supplementing state and the air-liquid mixing state is the liquid level height in the liner 2. After the liquid level in the liner 2 is reduced to the predetermined liquid level, it indicates that a predetermined amount of gas has been supplied at this time. The preset gas quantity can ensure the normal micro-bubble water consumption of a user. Specifically, for a liner having a current volume of 80 liters, 60 liters, 50 liters, etc., the predetermined amount of gas may be 3 liters to 4 liters. When the amount of the supplied gas is 3 to 4 liters, generally, the micro bubble water may be supplied to the user for 20 to 30 minutes. Of course, the preset gas amount is not limited to the above examples, and may be adjusted according to different application scenarios, which is not particularly limited herein. The predetermined level may be the interface 7 between gas and liquid in the liner 2. Specifically, the determination of the predetermined liquid level may be different according to the volume, the structure, etc. of the liner 2 and the conditions such as the requirement of the user, etc., which are not particularly limited herein. The first switching valve 5 communicates the second pipe 22 with the driving device 3, the first pipe 21 and the liner 2 to form a circulation passage when the liquid is in a gas-liquid mixing state; the driving device 3 is started to drive the fluid in the liner 2 to be mixed with the gas at the upper part of the liner 2 through the second pipe 22, the driving device 3 and the first pipe 21 to form a gas-liquid mixture, and the gas-liquid mixture is returned to the liner 2.

A bypass line may be provided between the upstream line 14 and the second line 22, and a switching valve 30 may be provided on the bypass line to control the switching thereof. Accordingly, when the above-described circulation passage is established, the on-off valve 30 on the passage is in an open state, and the circulation passage includes: a second pipe 22 communicating with the liner 2, a bypass line, a driving device 3, a first switching valve 5, a first pipe 21, and the liner 2.

When the water temperature in the liner 2 is higher than the set temperature of the user in the water using state, the first switching valve 5 is used for communicating the first pipe 21 with the upstream pipeline 14 to form the water supply path, and the second pipe 22 is used for communicating with the downstream pipeline 15 to form the water outlet path; when the water temperature in the liner 2 is reduced to a predetermined temperature, the first switching valve 5 communicates the second pipe 22 with the upstream pipe 14 to form the water supply path, and the first pipe 21 with the downstream pipe 15 to form the water discharge path.

What needs to be explained here is: the first switching valve 5 is not limited to a structure including four switching positions, but may be integrated with the bypass line and its switching valve 30. The structure and form of the first switching valve 5 are not limited to the above description, and other modifications are possible by those skilled in the art in light of the technical spirit of the present application, but all the functions and effects implemented by the first switching valve are the same or similar to those of the present application, and are covered in the protection scope of the present application.

In one embodiment, the water heater may further include: the detection piece is used for controlling the water draining and air supplementing quantity of the liner 2 and is electrically connected with the controller; when the detection part detects that the water draining and air supplementing quantity of the liner 2 meets the preset requirement, the controller changes the on-off states of the first switch device and the second switch device and the communication state of the switching valve.

Specifically, the detecting member may be any one or a combination of the following: time measurement spare, flow detection spare, liquid level detection spare.

When the detecting member is a flow detecting member, the flow detecting member may be a flow sensor capable of acquiring flow information in the pipeline. The flow sensor may be provided on the water supply line upstream of the liner 2. After the controller obtains the flow signal of the flow sensor, the flow of the fluid can be determined by combining the time signal, so as to judge whether the preset liquid level required to be reached in the liner 2 is reached, and if so, a corresponding control signal is sent to the switching device to change the opening and closing state of the switching device.

When the detecting member is a liquid level detecting member, the specific liquid detecting member may be a liquid level meter capable of acquiring a liquid level signal in the liner 2. The liquid level meter is arranged in the inner container 2 and can be used for acquiring a liquid level signal in the inner container 2 and providing the liquid level signal to the controller. The controller can determine the liquid level in the liner 2 according to the liquid level signal, judge whether the liquid level reaches the preset liquid level which needs to be reached, and send corresponding control signals to the switching device and the switching valve if the liquid level reaches the preset liquid level, so as to change the opening and closing states of the switching device and the communication state of the switching valve.

In addition, when the flow rate of the injected gas is a known flow rate value, the detecting member may also be a time measuring member, such as a timer, capable of counting the time of the gas input into the gas storage mechanism. Of course, the specific form of the detecting member is not limited to the above examples, and those skilled in the art may make other modifications in light of the technical spirit of the present application, and all the functions and effects achieved by the detecting member are included in the scope of protection of the present application as long as they are the same as or similar to the present application.

When the liquid level information represented by the signal is that the inner container 2 reaches a preset liquid level, corresponding switching control signals can be sent to the first switching device, the second switching device and the first switching valve 5 to realize on-off switching of each opening and connection switching between pipelines.

Referring to fig. 8 or 9, in one embodiment, the water heater may further include a third pipe 23 in communication with the inner container 2, the third pipe 23 having a third port 230 extending into the inner container 2, and a height of the third port 230 being at a predetermined liquid level of the inner container 2.

In the present embodiment, the first tube 21 includes a first port 210 communicating with the liner 2, and the second tube 22 includes a second port 220 communicating with the liner 2; the third tube 23 has a third port 230 extending into the liner 2. Wherein the height of the third port 230 may be located at a predetermined level of the liner 2. The predetermined level is in particular the interface 7 between the gas and the liquid, which is preset. Further, the third port 230 of the third pipe 23 may be an intermediate-height port, which may be lower than the first port 210 and higher than the second port 220.

In the present embodiment, the amount of make-up air and the amount of water discharged in the inner container 2 may be defined by the third pipe 23 provided with the third port 230 protruding into the inner container 2. Specifically, the height of the third port 230 is located at a predetermined level of the liner 2. That is, in the drain and air make-up state, the drain and air make-up amount may be limited by using the third pipe 23 as a water outlet pipe.

Further, the water heater further includes an upstream line 14 capable of communicating with a water supply end and a downstream line 15 capable of communicating with a water supply end, and a second switching valve 6 capable of switching a communication relationship with the first pipe 21, the second pipe 22, the third pipe 23, the upstream line 14, and the downstream line 15.

In this embodiment, the upstream and

downstream pipes

14 and 15 may be specifically described with reference to the above embodiments, and the functions and structures thereof may be similar, which is not described herein.

The second switching valve 6 is used for switching the communication relation between the first pipe 21, the second pipe 22 and the third pipe 23 and the upstream pipeline 14 and the downstream pipeline 15, so as to change the working state of the water heater. The specific form of the second switching valve 6 may refer to the specific form of the first switching valve 5, for example, it may be a four-way valve structure capable of two-by-two combined communication between four valve ports, and the four valve ports may be a first valve port, a second valve port, a third valve port and a fourth valve port, respectively.

In the embodiment provided with the third pipe 23, the water heater includes the same operation state as in the above embodiment, and specifically may include a water discharge and air make-up state, a gas-liquid mixture state, and the like.

In one embodiment, the first tube 21 can constitute at least part of the intake path. The third pipe 23 can constitute at least part of the drainage path. The drain path comprises a drain, and the form of the third pipe 23 forming at least part of the drain path comprises at least one or a combination of the following: the third pipe 23 is provided with the liquid outlet 13; the third pipe 23 is communicated with the liquid outlet 13 through a pipeline; alternatively, the third pipe 23 is connected to the drain port 13 via a pipe provided with the driving device 3.

Specifically, when the water is drained and air is supplied, the driving device 3 can be used for pumping water and draining, the gravity of the water can be used for draining, or the air and liquid can be supplied and discharged in other ways, and the application is not limited specifically.

As shown in fig. 8, in a specific embodiment, when pumping and draining are performed by the driving device 3, specifically, when in the drainage and air-supplementing state, the first pipe 21 forms an air intake path, and the second switching valve 6 communicates the third pipe 23 with the driving device 3 to form a drainage path; starting the driving device 3 to discharge water in the liner 2 from the liquid outlet 13; when the liquid in the liner 2 is reduced to a preset liquid level, the water draining and air supplementing state is switched to a gas-liquid mixing state; in the gas-liquid mixture state, the second switching valve 6 communicates the first pipe 21, the second pipe 22, and the driving device 3 with the liner 2 to form a circulation path; the driving device 3 drives the fluid in the liner 2 to flow out through the second pipe 22, enter the liner 2 through the first pipe 21, and be mixed with the gas in the liner 2 to form a gas-liquid mixture, and return to the liner 2.

The air inlet 11 may be disposed on the first pipe 21 or may be another location communicating with the first pipe, and in particular, the present application is not limited thereto. When the gas inlet 11 is provided at the first pipe 21 or a corresponding position communicating therewith, the first pipe 21 serves to constitute a gas inlet path for introducing external gas into the inner container 2.

The drain port 13 may be provided at a position downstream of the drain path. Specifically, the drainage path formed by the third pipe 23 and the driving device 3 through the second switching valve 6 may be: the third port 230 extending from the third pipe 23 into the liner 2 flows through the third pipe 23 to the second switching valve 6, the driving device 3 and finally to the liquid outlet 13. By means of the driving device 3, the flow of water flow can be accelerated, and the water in the liner 2 can be discharged quickly and reliably.

In another specific embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, when the water itself is drained by gravity, specifically, when in the drainage and air-supplementing state, the first pipe 21 forms an air intake path, and the third pipe 23 forms a drainage path; when the liquid in the liner 2 is reduced to a preset liquid level, the water draining and air supplementing state is switched to a gas-liquid mixing state; in the gas-liquid mixture state, the second switching valve 6 communicates the first pipe 21, the second pipe 22, and the driving device 3 with the liner 2 to form a circulation path; the driving device 3 drives the fluid in the liner 2 to flow out through the second pipe 22, enter the liner 2 through the first pipe 21, and be mixed with the gas in the liner 2 to form a gas-liquid mixture, and return to the liner 2.

The drain port 13 may be provided at a position downstream of the drain path. Specifically, the third pipe 23 or the downstream pipe 15 communicating with the third pipe 23 may be provided, and the present application is not limited thereto. When the drain port 13 is provided at the above position, the third pipe 23 is used to constitute a drain path. When the water is discharged and the air is supplemented, air can enter from the first pipe 21, and accordingly, excessive water in the liner 2 enters the third pipe 23 and flows downwards to the liquid outlet 13 to be discharged under the action of gravity.

The water heater can also comprise a water consumption state, a temperature detection part can be arranged in the liner 2 and can be electrically connected with a controller, and the controller can control the second switching valve 6 to perform corresponding switching action according to water temperature information detected by the temperature detection part and representing the water temperature in the liner 2.

Specifically, when the water temperature in the liner 2 is greater than the set temperature of the user, the second switching valve 6 communicates the first pipe 21 with the upstream pipeline 14 to form a water supply path, and communicates the second pipe 22 and the third pipe 23 with the downstream pipeline 15 to form a water outlet path; when the water temperature in the liner 2 is lower than a preset temperature, the second switching valve 6 communicates the second pipe 22 with the upstream pipeline 14 to form a water supply path, and the third pipe 23 communicates with the downstream pipeline 15 to form a water outlet path.

When the water temperature in the liner 2 is greater than the user set temperature, the first pipe 21 may be communicated with the upstream pipe 14, and cold water in the upstream pipe 14 may be mixed into the first pipe 21, so as to achieve mixed water cooling.

When the water temperature in the inner container 2 is reduced to a predetermined temperature, water can be fed through the second pipe 22 by utilizing the characteristic that the water temperature distribution of the inner container 2 is high and low, and water is discharged through the third pipe 23, so that water with relatively high temperature at the upper part of the inner container 2 is supplied to a user through a water outlet path, and the efficient utilization of hot water in the inner container 2 is realized.

In one embodiment, the second switching valve 6 may include a first position and a second position, where the first position of the second switching valve 6 can communicate the third pipe 23, the driving device 3 and the liquid drain port 13 to form a liquid drain path; the second position of the second switching valve 6 can connect the second pipe 22, the driving device 3, and the first pipe 21 to the liner 2 to form a circulation path.

Further, the second switching valve 6 may further include a third position and a fourth position, wherein the third position of the second switching valve 6 communicates the first pipe 21 with the upstream pipe 14 to form a water supply path, and communicates the second pipe 22 and the third pipe 23 with the downstream pipe 15 to form a water outlet path; the fourth position of the second switching valve 6 enables the second pipe 22 to communicate with the upstream pipe 14 to form a water supply path, and the third pipe 23 communicates with the downstream pipe 15 to form the water outlet path.

Referring to fig. 10A to 10E, in particular, the water heater may include: the device comprises a driving device 3, a liner 2, a first pipe 21, a second pipe 22, a third pipe 23, a second switching valve 6, an upstream pipeline 14, a downstream pipeline 15, a pressure regulating device 4, an air inlet 11, a water supply port 12 and a liquid discharge port 13 and a switching device for controlling the opening and closing of the air inlet 11, the water supply port 12 and the liquid discharge port 13, wherein the first pipe 21, the second pipe 22, the third pipe 23, the second switching valve 6, the upstream pipeline 14, the downstream pipeline 15 and the pressure regulating device 4 are arranged in the liner 2. Wherein said first pipe 21 can form a water supply path with the upstream pipe 14 via the driving means 3.

As shown in fig. 10A, the liner 2 is filled with water before initial non-use. At this time, the water supply port 12, the upstream pipeline 14, the driving device 3 and the first pipe 21 form a water supply path, and at this time, water enters from the water supply port 12, flows through the upstream pipeline 14, enters the driving device 3, and then enters the liner 2 through the first pipe 21. Wherein the third pipe 23 may be used to control the water level of the water injection. The third pipe 23 may communicate with the downstream pipe 15 through the second switching valve 6 to constitute a water outlet path. When the water in the inner container 2 reaches the level of the third port 230 of the third pipe 23, the water injection may be stopped. The pressurizing device in the water supply path can be in an electrified opening state or in a power-off state. In addition, when the water pressure supplied from the water supply port 12 is too small, pressurized water injection can be performed by activating the driving device 3.

When the water heater enters a normal use state, the gas in the liner 2 is continuously consumed along with the gas-liquid mixture, and at the moment, the liner 2 is required to be drained and supplemented with the gas.

As shown in fig. 10B, when the water and air are exhausted from the liner 2, the air inlet 11 may be provided on the first pipe 21, and the first pipe 21 may constitute an air inlet path; at this time, air enters from the air inlet 11, flows through the first pipe 21, and enters the liner 2.

The second switching valve 6 may be in a first position, which can communicate the third pipe 23, the driving device 3 and the liquid discharge port 13 to form a liquid discharge path. The water in the liner 2 flows into the third pipe 23, flows through the second switching valve 6 and the driving device 3, and is discharged from the liquid outlet 13. At this time, the driving device 3 is in an on state, and the discharge of the excessive water in the liner 2 can be accelerated. Wherein the drain 13 may be arranged downstream of the drive means 3.

The third pipe 23 may be used to control the amount of water discharged, i.e., when the water level in the bladder 2 is discharged to the third port 230 of the third pipe 23, the water can no longer be discharged to the outside, and the controller controls the water discharge and air supplement to be stopped.

After the water draining and air supplementing are completed, the water heater can enter a gas-liquid mixing state. As shown in fig. 10C, the second switching valve 6 may be in the second position, and may be configured to communicate the second pipe 22, the driving device 3, and the first pipe 21 with the liner 2 to form a circulation path.

When in use, under the driving action of the driving device 3, the fluid in the liner 2 enters the space storing the gas in the liner 2 through the second pipe 22, the driving device 3 and the first pipe 21, and is mixed with the gas in the liner 2 to form a gas-liquid mixture, and then the gas-liquid mixture is returned to the liner 2.

When the gas-liquid mixing is completed and the water is used, in one case, the water temperature in the liner 2 is higher than the user set temperature, and at this time, as shown in fig. 10D, the second switching valve 6 may be in a third position, which may simultaneously communicate the second pipe 22 and the third pipe 23 with the downstream pipe 15.

Specifically, the upstream pipe 14 provided with the water supply port 12, the driving device 3, and the first pipe 21 constitute a water supply path. When the water pressure flowing in the water supply port 12 is low, the driving device 3 may be in an energized state, so as to pressurize the water flowing through the driving device 3, and when the water pressure flowing in the water supply port 12 is high, the driving device 3 may be in an deenergized state, which corresponds to a part of the pipeline. The third pipe 23 is connected in parallel with the second pipe 22 and is connected to the downstream pipe 15 to form a water outlet path. When the water temperature in the liner 2 is high and greatly exceeds the user's set temperature, if cold water is simply mixed into the water outlet path, the concentration of gas is inevitably lowered, thereby reducing the effect of gas-liquid mixing.

In the present embodiment, the upstream pipe 14 of the water supply port 12, the driving device 3, and the first pipe 21 constitute a water supply path, and when water is supplied to the liner 2, cold water introduced into the liner 2 from the first pipe 21 can be mixed with gas in the liner 2 to form a gas-liquid mixture. When the gas-liquid mixture is returned to the inner container 2, it can be collected first by the third pipe 23 with its port at the location of the interface 7. The gas-liquid mixture having a relatively low temperature flowing into the third pipe 23 is mixed with the gas-liquid mixture having a relatively high temperature in the second pipe 22, and a gas-liquid mixture having a suitable temperature and a concentration that is not excessively diluted can be obtained.

Further, the second switching valve 6 may adjust the opening degrees of the third pipe 23 and the second pipe 22 in communication with the downstream pipe 15 to adjust the temperature of the gas-liquid mixture output from the second pipe 22 and the third pipe 23. During specific adjustment, the water temperatures corresponding to the positions of the ports on the third pipe 23 and the second pipe 22 in the inner container 2 can be obtained according to the temperature detection part, and the cross-sectional area ratio of the third pipe 23 to the second pipe 22 is determined according to the water temperature of the inner container 2 and the user set temperature, so that micro-bubble water which is close to or equal to the user set temperature is obtained for users to use.

As shown in fig. 10E, when the water temperature in the liner 2 is reduced to a certain temperature in the water use state, the connection relationship of the pipes may be changed by switching the second switching valve 6 so that the heat remaining in the liner 2 can be fully utilized. At this time, the second switching valve 6 may be located at a fourth position, and the third pipe 23 may be connected to the downstream pipe 15 to form the water outlet path when the second switching valve 6 can connect the second pipe 22 to the upstream pipe 14 to form the water supply path.

A bypass line may be provided between one end of the drive device 3 and the second pipe 22, and the bypass line may be provided with a switching valve 30 for controlling the switching thereof. When the water temperature in the liner 2 is reduced to a certain temperature, the on-off valve 30 on the bypass line is opened, and the bypass line is opened.

The upstream pipeline 14 provided with the water supply port 12 is communicated with the driving device 3, the bypass pipeline and the second pipe 22 in sequence to form a water supply path; the third pipe 23 communicates with the downstream pipe 15 to form a water outlet path. The cold water flowing in from the water supply path formed by the second pipe 22 is supplemented into the inner container 2, and the water with relatively high temperature at the upper part of the inner container 2 is discharged from the water outlet path formed by the third pipe 23, thereby realizing the utilization of the water with high temperature at the upper part of the inner container 2.

It should be noted that, the second switching valve 6 is not limited to a structure including four switching positions, and may be integrated with the bypass line and the switch valve 30 thereof, and of course, the structure and form of the second switching valve 6 are not limited to the above description, and other modifications may be made by those skilled in the art in light of the technical spirit of the present application, and all the functions and effects implemented by the second switching valve are included in the scope of the present application as long as they are the same or similar to the present application.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3 and fig. 11 in combination, in an embodiment of the present application, a water heater is further provided, which may include: a liner 2 capable of storing a fluid at a predetermined pressure; a mixing device capable of communicating with the liner 2; the mixing device can input the fluid in the liner 2 into the mixing device for gas-liquid mixing to form a gas-liquid mixture, and the gas-liquid mixture returns to the liner 2.

The specific description of the liner 2 may refer to the description in the foregoing embodiment, and the description is omitted herein.

The mixing device is used for inputting the fluid in the liner 2 into the mixing device for gas-liquid mixing to form a gas-liquid mixture, and returning the gas-liquid mixture to the liner 2. Specifically, the mixing device is provided with a mixing space 1 for performing gas-liquid mixing. The mixing space 1 may be located inside the inner container 2 or may be located outside the inner container 2. When the mixing space 1 is located inside the inner container 2, the mixing device may be formed by a part of the space of the inner container 2, or may be formed by a part of the space of the inner container 2 being matched with other mechanisms; alternatively, the mixing device may be formed by a separate mechanism located in the liner 2; alternatively, the mixing device may take other forms, and specific reference may be made to the specific description of the above embodiments, which is not intended to be limiting.

In addition, the mixing space 1 may be located outside the inner container 2 and is in communication with the inner container 2.

As shown in fig. 3, the mixing space 1 may be formed by a can 10 located outside the inner container 2. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 11, the mixing space 1 is located in the gas-liquid mixing pump 8.

Of course, in the case that the mixing space 1 is located outside the liner 2, the mixing space 1 of the mixing device is not limited to the above description, and other modifications are possible by those skilled in the art in light of the technical spirit of the present application, but all the functions and effects implemented by the mixing device are the same or similar to those of the present application, and are covered in the protection scope of the present application.

In this embodiment, the mixing device may include a driving device 3, and the driving device 3 may introduce the fluid into the mixing space 1 to perform gas-liquid mixing. Specifically, the driving device 3 may be in communication with the inner container 2 and the mixing space 1, for providing a driving force to the fluid flowing therethrough, so as to establish a fluid circulation path between the driving device 3, the inner container 2 and the mixing space 1. The driving device 3 may be in the form of a water pump, and of course, the driving device 3 may be any other device capable of providing power, which is not specifically limited herein.

In particular, the driving means 3 may comprise opposite inputs and outputs. When the driving device 3 is started, the driving device can introduce the fluid in the liner 2 communicated with the input end of the driving device, and guide the fluid out of the output end of the driving device to the mixing space 1 for gas-liquid mixing. After the gas-liquid mixture is formed, the gas-liquid mixture returns to the inner container 2. The fluid flows out of the liner 2 as a whole, enters the input end of the driving device 3, flows out of the output end of the driving device and flows into the mixing space 1 to form a gas-liquid mixture, and finally the formed gas-liquid mixture is input into the liner 2, so that a circulation path of the fluid is formed. The fluid in the inner container 2 can circulate for many times, so that the water and the air in the inner container 2 are fully premixed, the high-concentration micro-bubble water can be obtained by directly opening the water terminal when the user needs water, and the use experience of the user is improved. In addition, the driving means 3 may pressurize the inner container 2 when the water pressure supplied from the water supply end is insufficient.

In one embodiment, the mixing space 1 is located inside the inner container 2, and the mixing device further includes an introducing mechanism connected to the output end of the driving device 3 and the inner container 2, where the introducing mechanism can introduce the fluid in the inner container 2 into the mixing space 1 to perform gas-liquid mixing to form a gas-liquid mixture.

In this embodiment, the scene where the mixing space 1 is located inside the liner 2 may refer to the specific description in the above embodiment, and the description is not repeated here.

The introducing mechanism is connected with the output end of the driving device 3 and the inner container 2 respectively, and is used for introducing the fluid in the inner container 2 into the mixing space 1 for gas-liquid mixing. In particular, the introducing mechanism may be the first tube 21 in the above embodiment, and of course, the form of the introducing mechanism is not limited to the above description, and other modifications are possible by those skilled in the art in light of the technical spirit of the present application, but all the functions and effects achieved by the introducing mechanism are the same or similar to those of the present application, and are covered in the protection scope of the present application.

In another embodiment, the mixing space 1 is located outside the liner 2, the mixing device includes a tank 10 connected to the driving device 3, the mixing space 1 is located in the tank 10, and the driving device 3, the tank 10, and the liner 2 can be connected in series to form a circulation path.

In the present embodiment, when the mixing space 1 is located outside the liner 2, specifically, the mixing space 1 may be formed of a separate pressure-bearing container. As shown in fig. 3, the mixing space 1 may be formed by a can 10 located outside the inner container 2. The mixing device comprises a driving device 3 and a tank body 10 connected with the driving device 3. When the driving device 3, the tank 10 and the liner 2 are connected in series in sequence, a circulation passage can be formed. During circulation, the driving device 3 guides the fluid in the liner 2 into the tank body 10 for gas-liquid mixing, and then drives the gas-liquid mixture into the liner 2, and the circulation is repeated for a plurality of times until the gas-liquid mixture meeting the use requirement is stored in the liner 2.

In another embodiment, the mixing space 1 is located outside the liner 2, the driving device 3 is a gas-liquid mixing pump, the mixing space 1 is located in the gas-liquid mixing pump 8, and an input end and an output end of the gas-liquid mixing pump 8 are respectively connected with the liner 2 to form a circulation path.

In the present embodiment, the mixing space 1 is also located outside the liner 2. As shown in fig. 11, the difference from the above embodiment is that the function of the driving device 3 is performed by the gas-liquid mixing pump 8, and the mixing space 1 is formed inside the gas-liquid mixing pump 8. Furthermore, the function of the mixing device is also fulfilled by the gas-liquid mixing pump 8. When specifically connected, the gas-liquid mixing pump 8 and the liner 2 may form a circulation path. During circulation, the gas-liquid mixing pump 8 guides the fluid in the liner 2 into the liner for gas-liquid mixing, and then drives the gas-liquid mixture into the liner 2, and the circulation is repeated for a plurality of times until the gas-liquid mixture meeting the use requirement is stored in the liner 2.

Referring to fig. 12, the embodiment of the present application further provides a control method of a water heater, which may include the following steps:

step S10: the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path are communicated, air is input into the liner from the air inlet path, liquid in the liner is discharged through the liquid discharge path, and water and air are supplied to the liner;

Step S12: when the liquid level of the inner container is reduced to a preset liquid level, the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path are closed, the circulating path is communicated, and the driving device is started to drive the fluid in the inner container to be input into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing and then returned to the inner container.

In the present embodiment, the air intake path and the liquid discharge path may be communicated by opening the air intake port and the liquid discharge port; inputting gas into the liner from the gas inlet through the gas inlet path, and discharging liquid in the liner from the liquid discharge path to the liquid discharge port; draining water and supplementing air to the inner container.

When the liquid in the inner container is reduced to the preset liquid level, or other signals indicate that the liquid in the inner container is reduced to the preset liquid level, the air inlet and the liquid outlet can be closed, the air inlet path and the liquid outlet path can be closed, then the driving device is started, the liquid in the inner container is driven by the driving device to be input into the mixing device and introduced into the inner container, so that the liquid is mixed with the gas in the inner container, and the gas-liquid mixture formed by the gas-liquid mixture is returned to the inner container.

The preset liquid level is a preset liquid level, and the area above the preset liquid level is used for storing gas and can represent the amount of the gas to be supplemented. The signal indicating that the liquid in the inner container is reduced to the preset liquid level can be directly a liquid level signal detected by a liquid level meter arranged in the inner container. In addition, when the fluid flow rate is known, the amount of liquid discharged from the liner can be determined in combination with the time for draining and replenishing the liner. Then, the liquid level change of the liner can be determined by combining the specific structure of the liner. That is, when the flow rate is known, the liquid level in the liner can also be determined by acquiring the time to replenish the liner with water. Of course, the determination of the liquid level in the liner may also be determined by other manners, and the present application is not specifically limited herein.

The device portion constituting the circulation path may be specifically referred to the embodiment of the device portion described above, and will not be described herein. For example, for an embodiment in which gas-liquid mixing is performed in the liner, the circulation path may include: the device comprises a driving device, a first pipe, a mixing space and an inner container. Specifically, the mixing space is located in the inner container, and the mixing space comprises a region in which gas is stored at the upper part of the inner container; the water heater comprises a first pipe, and one end of the first pipe connected with the inner container is positioned at or near the area where the inner container stores gas; correspondingly, the starting driving device drives the fluid in the liner to be input into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing, and the starting driving device comprises the following steps: and starting the driving device to drive the fluid in the inner container to be guided into the region of the inner container storing the gas through the first pipe for gas-liquid mixing.

The mode of inputting the gas into the liner from the gas inlet path and discharging the liquid in the liner through the liquid discharge path comprises any one of the following steps: the liquid in the inner container is pumped out through the driving device and is discharged from the liquid discharge path, and gas automatically enters the inner container from the air inlet path; or, sucking gas into the inner container from the gas inlet path through the driving device, and automatically discharging liquid in the inner container from the liquid discharge path; or, the liquid in the inner container is automatically discharged from the liquid discharge path by utilizing the self gravity of the liquid, and the gas automatically enters the inner container from the air inlet path.

Of course, the mode of inputting the gas from the gas inlet to the liner through the gas inlet path and discharging the liquid in the liner through the liquid discharge path to the liquid discharge port is not limited to the above example, and the present application is not particularly limited thereto.

In one embodiment, before the communicating air intake path and the liquid discharge path, inputting the air from the air intake path into the liner, and discharging the liquid in the liner through the liquid discharge path may further include: when the gas-liquid mixture in the inner container meets the preset requirement, the first switching valve is controlled to be switched to the first position, and the water and the air are supplied to the inner container.

In the present embodiment, in the embodiment in which the gas is stored in the liner in advance, the gas in the liner is consumed as the gas-liquid mixture proceeds. The volume of the consumed gas is filled with water which is subsequently replenished, the concentration of the gas in the gas-liquid mixture in the liner gradually decreases, and when the concentration of the gas in the gas-liquid mixture decreases to a predetermined value, micro-bubble water with sufficient concentration cannot be output to a user. Indicating that drainage and air supply are performed. At this time, the first switching valve may be switched to the first position, and the air intake path and the liquid discharge path may be communicated, so as to drain and replenish air to the liner. Specifically, the evaluation index of the predetermined requirement may be a predetermined period of time after the user starts to use water, for example, 20 minutes to 30 minutes later. On the premise that the volume of the inner container is known, the water consumption time of a user and the flow rate of fluid in the water heater can be combined to determine whether the gas-liquid mixture in the inner container meets the preset requirement. The predetermined required evaluation index may be the concentration of the gas in the gas-liquid mixture. For example, the gas concentration in the gas-liquid mixture may be detected by a detecting member. The specific form of the detecting member may be an electrode made based on the principle that the concentration of the gas is different according to the concentration of the gas-liquid mixture, however, the form of the detecting member is not limited to the above example, and the predetermined required evaluation index may be other forms for determining the content of the gas in the gas-liquid mixture in the liner, which is not specifically limited herein.

Further, when the liquid level of the liner drops to a predetermined liquid level, the air intake path and the liquid discharge path are closed, and the communication circulation path may include: and controlling the first switching valve to switch to the second position, and communicating the circulating passage to perform gas-liquid mixing. That is, the communication circulation path may be realized to perform gas-liquid mixing by switching the position of the first switching valve. The specific structure of the first switching valve may refer to the specific description of the water heater embodiment, and the specific description is not repeated herein.

In another embodiment, before the communicating air intake path and the liquid discharge path, inputting the air from the air intake path into the liner, and discharging the liquid in the liner through the liquid discharge path may include: when the gas-liquid mixture in the inner container meets the preset requirement, the second switching valve is switched to the first position, and the inner container is subjected to water draining and air supplementing.

Further, when the liquid level of the liner drops to a predetermined liquid level or the time for draining and replenishing the water of the liner reaches a predetermined time, the air intake path and the liquid discharge path are closed, and the communication circulation path may include: and switching the second switching valve to a second position, and communicating the circulating passage to perform gas-liquid mixing.

In this embodiment, the control principle of the second switching valve is similar to that of the first switching valve, and reference may be made to the control principle of the first switching valve, which is not described herein. The difference is that the specific communication positions are different due to the difference between the specific pipeline structure arrangement. For example, for the above embodiment, it includes a first tube and a second tube, and for the present embodiment, it also includes a third tube. The specific connection relationship may refer to the specific description of the water heater embodiment, and will not be described herein.

Referring to fig. 13, the control method of the water heater may further include the following steps:

step S131: when a water signal is received, acquiring a temperature signal of fluid in the inner container, and determining the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container according to the temperature signal;

step S132: according to the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container, the water outlet path is communicated, and the fluid with different liquid levels in the inner container is controlled to flow out through the water outlet path.

In this embodiment, the temperature distribution condition of the fluid in the inner container can be determined by acquiring the temperature signal of the fluid in the inner container, so that the outlet water temperature is within a reasonable range by adjusting the connection between the switching valve and different pipelines, and the effects of maximum utilization of constant-temperature water and inner container hot water and the like can be realized.

Specifically, when the water signal is received, the communicating the water outlet path according to the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container, and controlling the fluid with different liquid levels in the inner container to flow out through the water outlet path may include: when the temperature of the fluid in the inner container is higher than a first preset temperature, the first switching valve is controlled to be switched to a third position, the water outlet path is communicated, and the fluid at the lower part of the inner container is led out; when the temperature of the fluid in the inner container is reduced to be lower than a second preset temperature, the first switching valve is switched to a fourth position to be communicated with a water outlet path, and the fluid at the upper part of the inner container is led out.

Generally, as described in the above water heater embodiments: the water temperature distribution in the liner is gradually reduced from top to bottom. When the average temperature of the fluid in the inner container is higher, for example, higher than a first preset temperature, the first switching valve can be switched to a third position to be communicated with the water outlet path, and low-position water outlet is adopted, so that the fluid at the lower part of the inner container is led out. At this time, since the temperature of the lower portion of the inner container is relatively low, closest to the user's set temperature, the amount of cold water to be mixed can be reduced as much as possible, thereby ensuring the concentration of micro bubbles supplied from the water terminal to the user. Wherein the first predetermined temperature may be substantially higher than a user-set temperature. Specifically, the first predetermined temperature may be adjusted according to different practical application scenarios, which is not specifically limited herein. For example, the first predetermined temperature may be greater than a user-set temperature by more than 20 degrees celsius.

When the average temperature of the fluid in the inner container is low, for example, lower than the second preset temperature, high-level water outlet can be adopted to make the hot water of the inner container be utilized efficiently. Specifically, the first switching valve can be switched to the fourth position, and the water outlet path of the high-level water outlet is communicated, so that the fluid at the upper part of the liner is led out. The second predetermined temperature may be close to the user set temperature, and may be slightly higher or slightly lower than the user set temperature. Specifically, the second predetermined temperature may also be adjusted according to different practical application scenarios, which is not specifically limited herein. For example, the second predetermined may be between 45 degrees celsius and 50 degrees celsius.

In this embodiment, the low-level water outlet or the high-level water outlet of the inner container may be implemented by using a first pipe and a second pipe which are alternately communicated and disposed in the inner container and have different port heights. Specifically, the positional relationship and the specific communication relationship between the first pipe and the second pipe in the liner may refer to the specific description of the water heater embodiment, which is not described herein.

In another embodiment, when receiving the water signal, the communicating the water outlet path according to the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container, and controlling the fluid with different liquid levels in the inner container to flow out through the water outlet path includes: when the temperature of the fluid in the liner is higher than a third preset temperature, the second switching valve is switched to a third position, and the second switching valve is communicated with the water outlet path to supply water to the water terminal; when the temperature of the fluid in the liner is reduced to be lower than a fourth preset temperature, the second switching valve is switched to a fourth position, and the second switching valve is communicated with a water outlet path to supply water to a water terminal.

In this embodiment, when the average temperature of the fluid in the liner is higher, for example, higher than a third predetermined temperature, the second switching valve may be switched to the third position to communicate with the water outlet path, and water outlets with different heights are used to mix the water outlet, so that the cold water and the gas-liquid mixture containing part of the cold water fed into the upper portion of the liner are mixed with the high-temperature fluid in the liner and then led out. The fluid being led out can be closest to the user's set temperature, the incorporation of cold water can be reduced as much as possible, even avoided, thereby ensuring the concentration of microbubbles provided to the user from the water-use terminal. Wherein the third predetermined temperature may be substantially higher than the user-set temperature. Specifically, the third predetermined temperature may be adjusted according to the actual application scenario, which is not specifically limited herein. For example, the third predetermined temperature may be greater than a user-set temperature by 20 degrees celsius or more.

When the average temperature of the fluid in the inner container is low, for example, lower than the fourth preset temperature, high-level water outlet can be adopted to make the hot water of the inner container be utilized efficiently. Specifically, the second switching valve can be switched to the fourth position, and the water outlet path of the high-level water outlet is communicated, so that the fluid at the upper part of the liner is led out. Wherein the fourth predetermined temperature may be close to the user set temperature, for example, may be slightly higher or close to the user set temperature. Specifically, the fourth predetermined temperature may also be adjusted according to different practical application scenarios, which is not specifically limited herein. For example, the fourth predetermined temperature may be between 45 degrees celsius and 50 degrees celsius.

In this embodiment, the mixed water outlet or the high-level water outlet of the inner container may be implemented by using a second pipe and a third pipe which are alternately communicated and disposed in the inner container and have different port heights. Specifically, the positional relationship and the specific communication relationship between the second pipe and the third pipe in the liner may refer to the specific description of the water heater embodiment, which is not described herein.

In one embodiment, the water outlet path is connected and also comprises a water supply path, and the control method may further comprise: detecting a water pressure in the water supply path; when the water in the water supply path is detected to be lower than the preset pressure, the driving device is started to boost pressure. That is, when the insufficient water pressure in the water supply path is detected, the pressurizing can be performed by starting the driving means to secure the effect of the gas-liquid mixing. The driving device may be a driving device for providing a circulation driving force in the water heater, or may be a water pump or the like separately provided in the water supply path, and the present application is not particularly limited herein.

The control method of the water heater can achieve the technical effect of the water heater implementation, and specifically, please combine the specific description in the water heater implementation, the description is omitted herein.

The foregoing embodiments in the present specification are all described in a progressive manner, and the same and similar parts of the embodiments are mutually referred to, and each embodiment is mainly described in a different manner from other embodiments.

The foregoing description is only a few examples of the present invention, and the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are merely used to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make any modification and variation in form and detail of the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, but the scope of the present disclosure is still subject to the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A water heater, comprising:

the inner container can store fluid;

the driving device can be communicated with the inner container and the mixing device, and can guide the fluid in the inner container into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing and then return the fluid into the inner container; the mixing space comprises a region in which gas is stored at the upper part of the inner container, the driving device is provided with an output end and an input end which are opposite, the output end of the driving device is connected with a first pipe, and the first pipe can guide fluid into the region in which the gas is stored in the inner container for gas-liquid mixing under the driving of the driving device; the input end of the driving device is connected with a second pipe; a water supply path capable of communicating with the liner; an air inlet path and a liquid discharge path which can be communicated with the liner;

An upstream pipeline capable of communicating with a water supply end, a downstream pipeline capable of communicating with a water terminal, and a first switching valve capable of switching communication relation with the first pipe, the second pipe, the upstream pipeline and the downstream pipeline; the air inlet path is provided with an air inlet, the water supply path is provided with a water supply port, the air inlet and the water supply port are arranged in the upstream pipeline, and the liquid discharge port is arranged in the downstream pipeline; the state of the first switching valve is changed, and the on-off of the air inlet, the liquid outlet and the water supply port is controlled in a combined mode, so that the switching among different states of the water heater is realized; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

a third tube in communication with the liner; an upstream line communicating with the water supply end, a downstream line communicating with the water supply end, and a second switching valve capable of switching a communication relationship with the first pipe, the second pipe, the third pipe, the upstream line, and the downstream line; the second switching valve is used for switching the communication relation between the first pipe, the second pipe and the third pipe and the upstream pipeline and the downstream pipeline, so that the working state of the water heater is changed.

2. The water heater as recited in claim 1, wherein the first tube has a first port remote from the drive means, the first port being located at or near an area of the liner where gas is stored.

3. The water heater as recited in claim 1, wherein said driving means is located outside of said inner container, said first tube is provided on said inner container, said second tube communicates with said driving means and said inner container, said second tube, said driving means, and said first tube are capable of communicating to form a circulation path.

4. The water heater as recited in claim 1, wherein said drive means is located in said inner vessel, said first tube is located inside said inner vessel, and said inner vessel, second tube, drive means, first tube are communicable to form a circulation path.

5. The water heater as recited in claim 1, wherein the first tube includes a first port in communication with the liner, the first port having a jet structure disposed therein.

6. The water heater as recited in claim 5 wherein said jet structure is a variable cross-sectional area portion formed at said first tube proximate said first port.

7. The water heater as recited in claim 1, further comprising: and the first switching device can control the on-off of the water supply path.

8. The water heater as recited in claim 7, further comprising: and the second switching device can control the on-off of the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path.

9. The water heater as recited in claim 8 wherein the first switching valve includes a first position and a second position and a third position, wherein,

the first position of the first switching valve can be used for communicating the upstream pipeline with a first pipe to form the air inlet path, and communicating the downstream pipeline with a second pipe to form the liquid discharge path;

the second position of the first switching valve can be used for communicating the second pipe, the driving device, the first pipe and the liner to form a circulation passage;

the third position of the first switching valve can be used for communicating the first pipe with the upstream pipeline to form the water supply path, and communicating the second pipe with the downstream pipeline to form the water outlet path.

10. The water heater of claim 9, wherein the first tube has a first port extending into the liner, the second tube has a second port extending into the liner, the first port is higher than the second port, the first switching valve further includes a fourth position, the fourth position of the first switching valve enables communication of the second tube with the upstream line to form the water supply path, and the first tube with the downstream line to form the water outlet path.

11. The water heater as recited in claim 9, further comprising: the detection piece is used for controlling the water draining and air supplementing quantity of the liner and is electrically connected with the controller; when the detection part detects that the water draining and air supplementing quantity of the liner meets the preset requirement, the controller changes the on-off states of the first switch device and the second switch device and the communication state of the switching valve.

12. The water heater as recited in claim 8 wherein said third tube has a third port extending into said liner, said third port being located at a predetermined level in said liner.

13. The water heater according to claim 12, wherein the water heater is further provided with a drain port communicable with the inner container, the second switching valve includes a first position and a second position, wherein,

the first position of the second switching valve can be used for communicating the third pipe and the driving device with the liquid discharge port to form a liquid discharge path;

the second position of the second switching valve can enable the second pipe, the driving device, the first pipe and the liner to be communicated to form a circulation passage.

14. The water heater as recited in claim 12, wherein the second switching valve further comprises a third position and a fourth position, wherein,

The third position of the second switching valve is used for communicating the first pipe with an upstream pipeline to form a water supply path, and the second pipe and the third pipe are communicated with a downstream pipeline to form a water outlet path;

the fourth position of the second switching valve can enable the second pipe to be communicated with an upstream pipeline to form a water supply path, and the third pipe is communicated with a downstream pipeline to form the water outlet path.

15. The water heater as recited in claim 12 wherein the third tube is capable of forming at least a portion of a drain path, the drain path including a drain, the third tube being in the form of at least a portion of a drain path including at least one or a combination of:

the liquid outlet is arranged on the third pipe;

the third pipe is communicated with the liquid outlet through a pipeline;

or the third pipe is communicated with the liquid outlet through a pipeline provided with a driving device.

16. The water heater as recited in claim 12 wherein said first tube is capable of forming at least part of an intake path.

17. The water heater as recited in claim 1 further comprising a pressure regulating device disposed downstream of the water heater proximate the water use terminal.

18. The water heater as recited in claim 17 wherein said pressure regulating means has opposite inlet and outlet ends with a pressure regulating mechanism disposed therein for causing a pressure drop at said inlet end to a predetermined pressure output from said outlet end.

19. The water heater of claim 1, further comprising a heating element operable to heat fluid stored in said liner.

20. A water heater, comprising:

the inner container can store fluid;

a mixing device capable of communicating with the liner; the mixing device can input the fluid in the liner into the mixing device for gas-liquid mixing to form a gas-liquid mixture and return the gas-liquid mixture to the liner; the mixing device is provided with a mixing space; the mixing device comprises a driving device, and the driving device can guide fluid into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing;

the mixing space is positioned in the inner container, the mixing device further comprises an introduction mechanism connected with the output end of the driving device and the inner container, the introduction mechanism comprises a first pipe, and the introduction mechanism can introduce fluid in the inner container into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing to form a gas-liquid mixture; or the mixing space is positioned outside the inner container, the mixing device comprises a tank body connected with the driving device, the mixing space is positioned in the tank body, and the driving device, the tank body and the inner container can be connected in series to form a circulation passage; or the mixing space is positioned outside the inner container, the driving device is a gas-liquid mixing pump, the mixing space is positioned in the gas-liquid mixing pump, and the input end and the output end of the gas-liquid mixing pump are respectively connected with the inner container to form a circulation passage;

The driving device is provided with an output end and an input end which are opposite, the output end of the driving device is connected with a first pipe, and the first pipe can guide fluid into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing under the driving of the driving device; the input end of the driving device is connected with a second pipe; a water supply path capable of communicating with the liner; an air inlet path and a liquid discharge path which can be communicated with the liner;

21. A water heater, comprising:

a liner capable of storing a fluid at a predetermined pressure;

the driving device can be communicated with the inner container and the mixing device, and can guide the fluid in the inner container into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing and then return the fluid into the inner container; the driving device is provided with an output end and an input end which are opposite, the output end of the driving device is connected with a first pipe, and the first pipe can guide fluid into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing under the driving of the driving device; the input end of the driving device is connected with a second pipe; a water supply path capable of communicating with the liner; an air inlet path and a liquid discharge path which can be communicated with the liner;

22. A control method employing the water heater as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, comprising:

23. The control method as set forth in claim 22, wherein: the mixing space is positioned in the inner container and comprises a region of the upper part of the inner container, wherein the region stores gas; the water heater comprises a first pipe, and one end of the first pipe connected with the inner container is positioned at or near the area where the inner container stores gas; correspondingly, the starting driving device drives the fluid in the liner to be input into the mixing space for gas-liquid mixing, and the starting driving device comprises the following steps:

And starting the driving device to drive the fluid in the inner container to be guided into the region of the inner container storing the gas through the first pipe for gas-liquid mixing.

24. The control method as set forth in claim 23, further comprising:

when a water signal is received, acquiring a temperature signal of fluid in the inner container, and determining the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container according to the temperature signal;

according to the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container, the water outlet path is communicated, and the fluid with different liquid levels in the inner container is controlled to flow out through the water outlet path.

25. The control method of claim 22, wherein the means for inputting gas from the gas inlet path into the liner and discharging liquid from the liner through the liquid discharge path comprises any of:

the liquid in the inner container is pumped out through the driving device and is discharged from the liquid discharge path, and gas automatically enters the inner container from the air inlet path;

drawing gas into the inner container from an air inlet path through the driving device, and automatically discharging liquid in the inner container from the liquid discharge path;

and the liquid in the inner container is automatically discharged from the liquid discharge path by utilizing the self gravity of the liquid, and the gas automatically enters the inner container from the air inlet path.

26. The control method as set forth in claim 22, wherein: before the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path are communicated, the air is input into the liner from the air inlet path, and the liquid in the liner is discharged through the liquid discharge path, the method further comprises:

when the gas-liquid mixture in the inner container meets the preset requirement, the first switching valve is controlled to be switched to the first position, and the water and the air are supplied to the inner container.

27. The control method according to claim 26, wherein the closing the air intake path and the liquid discharge path when the liquid level of the inner container falls to a predetermined liquid level, the communicating the circulation path, includes:

and controlling the first switching valve to switch to the second position, and communicating the circulating passage to perform gas-liquid mixing.

28. The control method of claim 24, wherein: when receiving water signals, according to the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container, the water outlet path is communicated, and the controlling of the fluid with different liquid levels in the inner container to flow out through the water outlet path comprises the following steps:

when the temperature of the fluid in the inner container is higher than a first preset temperature, the first switching valve is controlled to be switched to a third position, the water outlet path is communicated, and the fluid at the lower part of the inner container is led out;

When the temperature of the fluid in the inner container is reduced to be lower than a second preset temperature, the first switching valve is switched to a fourth position to be communicated with a water outlet path, and the fluid at the upper part of the inner container is led out.

29. The control method as set forth in claim 22, wherein: before the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path are communicated, inputting air into the liner from the air inlet path and discharging liquid in the liner through the liquid discharge path, the method comprises the following steps:

when the gas-liquid mixture in the inner container meets the preset requirement, the second switching valve is switched to the first position, and the inner container is subjected to water draining and air supplementing.

30. The control method of claim 29, wherein: when the liquid level of the liner is reduced to a preset liquid level, the air inlet path and the liquid discharge path are closed, and the circulating path is communicated, and the circulating path comprises:

and switching the second switching valve to a second position, and communicating the circulating passage to perform gas-liquid mixing.

31. The control method of claim 24, wherein: when receiving water signals, according to the temperature distribution of the fluid in the inner container, the water outlet path is communicated, and the controlling of the fluid with different liquid levels in the inner container to flow out through the water outlet path comprises the following steps:

When the temperature of the fluid in the liner is higher than a third preset temperature, the second switching valve is switched to a third position, and the second switching valve is communicated with the water outlet path to supply water to the water terminal;

when the temperature of the fluid in the liner is reduced to be lower than a fourth preset temperature, the second switching valve is switched to a fourth position, and the second switching valve is communicated with a water outlet path to supply water to a water terminal.

32. The control method of claim 24, wherein: the control method further comprises the following steps of:

detecting a water pressure in the water supply path;

when the water in the water supply path is detected to be lower than the preset pressure, the driving device is started to boost pressure.