CN114322297A - Micro-bubble generating device, water heater and control method of water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a micro-bubble generating device, a water heater and a control method of the water heater, wherein the device comprises the following steps: the air-water control valve comprises a valve body and an electromagnetic valve, wherein the valve body is provided with a main water path and an air inlet, the main water path comprises a water inlet section and a water outlet section which are communicated, the water inlet section is communicated with a water source, two opposite ends of the air inlet are respectively communicated with the atmosphere and the water outlet section, and the electromagnetic valve is arranged on the valve body and used for conducting or plugging the water inlet section; the three-way valve is provided with a water inlet, a water using outlet and a water outlet, the two opposite ends of the water using outlet are respectively communicated with the water inlet and the water using point, and the water outlet is respectively communicated with the water inlet and the water collecting area; the water inlet is communicated with the water outlet section through the dissolved air tank; and the controller is electrically connected with the electromagnetic valve and the three-way valve respectively. The main water path and the air inlet are integrated on the same valve body, and the on-off of the main water path is controlled by the electromagnetic valve, so that the integral structure is simple and compact; in addition, an air pump and a water pump are not needed, and reliable air inlet and micro-bubble water generation can be realized.

Description

Micro-bubble generating device, water heater and control method of water heater

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of water heaters, in particular to a micro-bubble generating device and a water heater thereof.

Background

At present, a dissolved air tank is arranged in an internal water path of a microbubble gas water heater, after a microbubble function is started and a hot water faucet is opened to supply water, a solenoid valve is adopted to cut off tap water, then the dissolved air tank is inflated in modes of pumping water and inhaling by an air pump or a water pump, the solenoid valve is opened to recover the water supply of the tap water after the inflation is finished, and the start-up ignition is carried out to heat the tap water. The water inlet and air inlet mode has the following defects:

1. the time for the user to wait for hot water is too long, and is more than 30 s;

2. when the air pump or the water pump operates, the power consumption and the noise are large, and the user experience effect is poor due to the influence on the user experience.

3. The air pump or the water pump has large volume, occupies more space of the machine body, has high cost and is not beneficial to reducing the cost of the water heater.

In addition, when the micro-bubble function is operated, the air in the dissolved air tank is dissolved into the water under the action of water pressure to form micro-bubble water with a certain gas-liquid mixing ratio. With the increase of hot water outlet time, the concentration of micro bubbles becomes gradually lighter, and the bathing requirement of large water volume cannot be met. If a dissolved air tank with larger volume is adopted, more space of the machine body is occupied, and the product cost is increased.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to solve one of the problems in the prior related art at least to a certain extent, and therefore the invention provides the micro-bubble generating device, which has a simple and compact integral structure by integrating a main water path and an air inlet on the same valve body and controlling the on-off of the main water path through an electromagnetic valve; through the cooperation of the electromagnetic valve and the three-way valve, the micro-bubble water can be reliably fed and manufactured without an air pump and a water pump, and the energy consumption, the noise and the product cost are reduced.

The invention also provides a water heater with the microbubble generating device, before the air intake microbubble operation mode, the pre-inflation in a gravity automatic drainage mode is realized through the cooperation of the electromagnetic valve and the three-way valve, the waiting time is greatly shortened, and meanwhile, the working noise and the product cost are reduced.

According to the microbubble generation device that provides above-mentioned, it realizes through following technical scheme:

a microbubble generation apparatus comprising: the air-water control valve comprises a valve body and an electromagnetic valve, wherein the valve body is provided with a main water path and an air inlet, the main water path comprises a water inlet section and a water outlet section which are communicated, the water inlet section is communicated with a water source, two opposite ends of the air inlet are respectively communicated with the atmosphere and the water outlet section, and the electromagnetic valve is arranged on the valve body and used for conducting or plugging the water inlet section; a three-way valve having a water inlet, a water consumption outlet and a water discharge port, opposite ends of the water consumption outlet being communicated with the water inlet and the water consumption point, respectively, and the water discharge port being communicated with the water inlet and the water collection area, respectively; the water inlet is communicated with the water outlet section through the dissolved air tank; and the controller is electrically connected with the electromagnetic valve and the three-way valve respectively.

In some embodiments, the valve body is further provided with a mounting port located between the water inlet section and the water outlet section, the water inlet section is communicated with the water outlet section through the mounting port, and the electromagnetic valve is arranged at the mounting port and used for communicating or blocking a passage between the water inlet section and the water outlet section.

In some embodiments, a partition part is fixedly arranged in the water inlet section, a movable end of the partition part extends into the installation port and divides an inlet of the installation port into an upper water through port and a lower water through port, and the electromagnetic valve is used for conducting or blocking the upper water through port and/or the lower water through port.

In some embodiments, the valve body is further provided with a mounting opening arranged close to the water inlet section, the mounting opening is communicated with the water inlet section, and the electromagnetic valve is arranged at the mounting opening and used for conducting or blocking the water inlet section.

In some embodiments, the air-water control valve includes a one-way valve disposed at the air inlet for one-way communication of outside air from the air inlet to the main waterway.

In some embodiments, the three-way valve includes a three-way joint having the water inlet, the water use outlet, and the water discharge port, and a water discharge valve disposed on the water discharge port and electrically connected to the controller for opening or closing the water discharge port.

In some embodiments, the three-way valve includes a three-way joint having the water inlet, the water use outlet, and the water drain, and a valve element disposed within the three-way joint and electrically connected to the controller for selectively communicating the water inlet with the water use outlet or the water drain.

In some embodiments, the water outlet section is connected to the water inlet of the water dispenser.

In some embodiments, the device further comprises a flow guide disc, wherein the flow guide disc is arranged in the dissolved air tank and used for enabling tap water and air to be uniformly mixed.

According to the water heater that provides above-mentioned, it realizes through following technical scheme:

a water heater, comprising: a microbubble generation device as described above; the main waterway is communicated with a water source through the inner water pipe; the flow detection device is electrically connected with the controller, is arranged on the inner water pipe or between the inner water pipe and the main water channel and is used for detecting the water inlet flow of the main water channel; and the control panel is electrically connected with the controller, and a micro-bubble function key is arranged on the control panel.

According to the control method of the water heater, the control method is realized through the following technical scheme:

a control method of a water heater to which the above-described water heater is applied, the control method comprising the steps of:

s1, judging whether the user presses the micro-bubble function key, if so, turning to the next step, otherwise, continuing to execute the step;

s2, the water heater enters a micro-bubble inflation mode, the electromagnetic valve is closed, and the water inlet is controlled to be communicated with the water outlet;

s3, after the inflation is finished, controlling the water inlet to conduct the used water outlet and starting to record the reopening time, and enabling the water heater to enter a micro-bubble standby mode;

s4, after the restarting time reaches the target value, judging whether the inflow water flow is larger than or equal to the set starting flow, if so, switching to the next step, otherwise, continuously judging the relation between the inflow water flow and the starting flow;

and S5, starting the water heater for ignition, entering a micro-bubble operation mode and recording the accumulated micro-bubble water quantity.

In some embodiments, the control method further comprises the steps of:

s6, acquiring and judging whether the inflow is larger than or equal to the starting-up flow, if so, returning to the step S5, and if so, turning to the next step;

s7, turning off the water heater, and turning into a micro-bubble standby mode;

and S8, judging whether the accumulated microbubble water amount is greater than or equal to the set water amount threshold, if so, returning to the step S2, otherwise, determining to return to the step S5 or the step S7 according to the size relation between the water inlet flow and the starting flow.

Compared with the prior art, the invention at least comprises the following beneficial effects:

1. the main water path and the air inlet are integrated on the same valve body, and the electromagnetic valve for controlling the conduction or the blockage of the main water path is additionally arranged on the valve body, so that the air inlet and the water inlet are integrated into a whole, the whole structure is simple and compact, and the device can be freely switched between the water inlet and the air inlet;

2. through solenoid valve and three-way valve cooperation to adopt gravity automatic drainage mode to inflate in advance, realized need not air pump and water pump, also can reliably admit air and produce little bubble water, so that when making the water heater switch to microbubble operational mode, can go out little bubble water fast, shorten latency by a wide margin, promote user's use and experience, owing to cancelled air pump and water pump, make noise at work, energy consumption and product cost lower.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a microbubble generation device in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the water heater in a normal shower mode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a water heater in a microbubble charging mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a water heater in a microbubble operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method of controlling a water heater in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of another method of controlling a water heater in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of yet another method of controlling a water heater in an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numerals: the air-water control valve 1, the valve body 11, the main water channel 111, the air inlet 112, the mounting port 113, the partition 114, the electromagnetic valve 12 and the check valve 13;

a three-way valve 2, a water inlet 201, a water outlet 202, a water outlet 203, a three-way joint 21 and a drain valve 22;

a dissolved air tank 3; a flow guide disc 4; an inner water pipe 5; a flow rate detection device 6; a controller 7; and a control panel 8.

Detailed Description

The present invention is illustrated by the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Modifications to the embodiments of the invention or equivalent substitutions of parts of technical features without departing from the spirit of the invention are intended to be covered by the scope of the claims of the invention.

Referring to fig. 1, the present embodiment provides a microbubble generation device applied to a water heater, which includes a gas water control valve 1, a three-way valve 2, and a controller 7. The air-water control valve 1 comprises a valve body 11 and an electromagnetic valve 12, wherein the valve body 11 is provided with a main water path 111 and an air inlet 112, the main water path 111 comprises a water inlet section and a water outlet section which are communicated, the water inlet section is communicated with a water source, and two opposite ends of the air inlet 112 are respectively communicated with the atmosphere and the water outlet section. The electromagnetic valve 12 is arranged on the valve body 11 and used for conducting or blocking the water inlet section. Therefore, the main water channel 111 and the air inlet 112 are integrated on the same valve body 11, and the electromagnetic valve 12 for controlling the conduction or the blockage of the main water channel 111 is additionally arranged on the valve body 11, so that the air inlet and the water inlet are integrated into a whole, the whole structure is simple and compact, and the device can be freely switched between the water inlet and the air inlet.

The three-way valve 2 has a water inlet 201, a water outlet 202 and a water outlet 203, the water inlet 201 is communicated with the water outlet, the opposite ends of the water outlet 202 are respectively communicated with the water inlet 201 and the water consumption point, the water outlet 203 is respectively communicated with the water inlet 201 and a water collection area, and the water collection area can be a sewer or a water storage tank. The controller 7 is electrically connected with the electromagnetic valve 12 and the three-way valve 2 respectively and is used for controlling the working states of the electromagnetic valve 12 and the three-way valve 2 according to the working mode of the water heater.

Referring to fig. 2-4, the water heater has at least a normal shower mode, a microbubble standby mode, a microbubble inflation mode, and a microbubble operation mode, and the microbubble standby mode, the microbubble inflation mode, and the microbubble operation mode together constitute the microbubble mode. Referring to fig. 1-2, when the water heater enters the ordinary shower mode, the controller 7 opens the solenoid valve 12 and controls the water inlet 201 of the three-way valve 2 to open the water outlet 202, and the external water source flows from the main water path 111 to the water inlet 201 and then flows out from the water outlet 202, during which, since the water pressure inside the valve body 11 is positive, external air cannot be sucked into the inside of the valve body 11 through the air inlet 112, thereby ensuring that micro-bubble water is not generated in the ordinary shower mode.

Referring to fig. 3, when the water heater enters the microbubble aeration mode, the controller 7 first closes the electromagnetic valve 12 to cut off the water inlet of the main water path 111 in time; and then the water inlet 201 of the three-way valve 2 is controlled to conduct the water outlet 203, so that the water stored between the three-way valve 2 and the water outlet section of the main waterway 111 is automatically discharged to the water collecting area under the action of gravity. During the drainage process, a large negative pressure is formed between the three-way valve 2 and the valve body 11, so that the external air is sucked into the water outlet section of the main water channel 111 through the air inlet 112, and the areas of the water outlet section and the water inlet 201 are inflated. When the drainage time reaches a time threshold value, the water inlet 201 of the three-way valve 2 is controlled to be communicated with the water outlet 202, then the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened, the water heater is switched to a micro-bubble standby mode, at the moment, the water consumption point has no water demand, so that water and air cannot flow out from the water outlet 202, and as the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened again, part of water source is instantly sprayed into the area between the water outlet section and the water inlet 201, and the air in the area is further compressed to be dissolved into water to form low-concentration micro-bubble water. Therefore, through the cooperation of the electromagnetic valve 12 and the three-way valve 2, the purposes of reliably feeding air and manufacturing micro-bubble water without an air pump and a water pump are achieved, and energy consumption, noise and product cost are effectively reduced.

Referring to fig. 4, when the user needs to use the micro-bubble water, the user opens the water consumption point communicated with the water consumption outlet 202, the water heater is switched from the micro-bubble standby mode to the micro-bubble operation mode, at this time, the pre-prepared micro-bubble water flows to the water consumption point from the water consumption outlet 202, the waiting time is greatly shortened, and the user experience is improved. Meanwhile, an external water source flows from the main water path 111 to the water inlet 201, newly-entered water contacts with air filled in the area in advance and starts to dissolve air, micro-bubble water is continuously formed, and micro-bubble water is continuously produced within a period of time. Therefore, the automatic gravity drainage mode is adopted for pre-inflation, so that micro bubble water can be quickly discharged when the micro bubble operation mode is switched, the waiting time is greatly shortened, and the user experience is improved.

Referring to fig. 1, in the present embodiment, the main waterway 111 is vertically arranged and the air inlet 112 is transversely arranged. The valve body 11 is also provided with a mounting port 113 positioned between the water inlet section and the water outlet section, and the water inlet section is communicated with the water outlet section through the mounting port 113. The solenoid valve 12 is preferably a normally open type pilot operated solenoid valve, which is disposed at the installation port 113 and is used to open or close a passage between the water inlet section and the water outlet section, so as to save power.

Specifically, a partition part 114 is fixedly arranged in the water inlet section, the movable end of the partition part 114 extends into the mounting port 113 and partitions the inlet of the mounting port 113 into an upper water passage port and a lower water passage port, wherein the opposite ends of the upper water passage port are respectively communicated with the water inlet ends of the water inlet section and the lower water passage port, and the water outlet end of the lower water passage port is communicated with the water outlet section. The electromagnetic valve 12 is used for conducting or blocking the upper water through opening and/or the lower water through opening. Thus, the electromagnetic valve 12 controls the opening and closing of the upper water passage port and/or the lower water passage port, and the main water passage 111 can be controlled to switch between the water intake and the water intake cutoff.

In other embodiments, the mounting port 113 may be disposed near the water inlet section, and the mounting port 113 is connected to only the water inlet section, and at this time, the electromagnetic valve 12 is used to open or close the water inlet section.

Referring to fig. 1, in the present embodiment, the air-water control valve 1 includes a check valve 13, and the check valve 13 is disposed at the air inlet 112 for making the air inlet 112 conduct to the main waterway in a single direction, so that the internal water can be prevented from overflowing through the air inlet 112.

Referring to fig. 1, in the present embodiment, the three-way valve 2 includes a three-way joint 21 and a drain valve 22, and the three-way joint 21 has a water inlet 201, a water use outlet 202, and a drain opening 203. The drain valve 22 is preferably a normally closed type pilot operated solenoid valve provided on the drain port 203 and electrically connected to the controller 7 for opening or closing the drain port 203, in order to facilitate power saving. Therefore, the water outlet 202 and the water inlet 201 are in a normal open state, at the moment, whether the water is discharged from the water outlet 202 is related to the water using condition of a water using point, a water valve does not need to be additionally arranged at the water outlet 202, and the cost is favorably reduced.

In other embodiments, the three-way valve 2 may further include a water outlet control valve disposed on the water outlet 202 and electrically connected to the controller 7 for controlling the water outlet on-off state of the water outlet 202 so that the water outlet 202 is not interfered when the water pressure fluctuation occurs at the water use point.

In other embodiments, the three-way valve 2 may be designed to include a three-way joint 21 and a valve core, the three-way joint 21 has a water inlet 201, a water use outlet 202 and a water discharge port 203, and the valve core is disposed in the three-way joint 21 and electrically connected to the controller 7 for selectively connecting the water inlet 201 to the water use outlet 202 or the water discharge port 203.

Referring to fig. 1, further, the device further comprises a dissolved air tank 3, and the water inlet 201 is communicated with the water outlet section through the dissolved air tank 3. Therefore, the dissolved air tank 3 is additionally arranged between the water inlet 201 and the water outlet section, so that the air storage capacity during single pre-inflation is improved, and a certain amount of micro-bubble water can be produced after the water heater is inflated every time. In the present embodiment, the volume of the dissolved air tank 3 is preferably larger than 1L.

Further, the device also comprises a flow guide disc 4, wherein the flow guide disc 4 is arranged in the dissolved air tank 3 and used for uniformly mixing tap water and air so as to ensure that the air is more easily dissolved into the water to form micro-bubble water. Specifically, after the micro-bubble water is fully mixed with the air in the dissolved air tank 3 under the action of the flow guide disc 4, micro-bubble water with the gas-liquid mixing ratio of about 1% -3% can be formed, and the requirements of users on sterilization, deep cleaning and the like can be better met.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the present embodiment further provides a water heater, which includes a microbubble generator as described above, an internal water pipe 5, a flow rate detection device 6 electrically connected to the controller 7, and a control panel 8 electrically connected to the controller 7. The main water channel 111 is communicated with a water source through an inner water pipe 5. The flow rate detection device 6 is disposed on the inner water pipe 5 or between the inner water pipe 5 and the main water passage 111, and is configured to detect an inflow rate of the main water passage 111. A microbubble function key (not shown in the figure) is arranged on the control panel 8, and a user can control the water heater to enter a microbubble mode through the microbubble function key.

Specifically, the present embodiment has the flow detection device 6 disposed on the inner water pipe 5 and located at the water inlet front end of the heat exchanger of the water heater. The micro-bubble generating device is arranged at the water inlet rear end of a heat exchanger of the water heater so as to avoid abnormal sound generated by boiling of the generated micro-bubble water in the heat exchanger.

When a user presses a microbubble function key on the control panel 8 of the water heater, the water heater is switched from the ordinary bathing mode to the microbubble mode. In the microbubble aeration mode, the electromagnetic valve 12 is closed to intercept the inflow of water to the main water path 11, and the drain valve 22 is opened to drain the accumulated water in the dissolved air tank 3. In this mode, if the inflow detected by the flow detector 6 is greater than the start-up flow of the water heater (typically 2.5L/min), it is determined that the electromagnetic valve 12 does not completely block the inflow of the main water path 11, and the external water source flows into the dissolved air tank 3 and is discharged to the sewer along with the drainage port. At this time, the controller 7 closes the drain valve 22 and alarms the main waterway fault on the control panel 8 of the water heater; the solenoid valve 12 is then reopened to switch the water heater to normal shower mode.

And after the dissolved air tank 3 is completely inflated, the water heater is switched to a micro-bubble standby mode. In the microbubble standby mode, the controller 7 records the reopening time of the electromagnetic valve 12, after the reopening time of the electromagnetic valve 12 is about 2-5 s, if the inflow water flow detected by the flow detection device 6 is larger than the starting flow, the controller 7 judges that a user opens the hot water faucet to use hot water, the controller 7 opens a gas control valve of the water heater to start and ignite, switches to the microbubble operation mode, and meanwhile, the controller 7 starts to record the accumulated microbubble water amount. Therefore, by means of the delayed starting ignition mode, the phenomenon that the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened again and water is sprayed into the dissolved air tank 3 instantly can be avoided, and the flow detection device 6 generates a large water flow signal to cause false starting.

In the microbubble operation mode, if the water inflow rate detected by the flow detection device 6 is smaller than the starting-up flow rate, the controller 7 closes the gas control valve, shuts down the gas control valve, switches to the microbubble standby mode, and suspends statistics of accumulated microbubble water amount if the water supply rate is judged to be that the user has shut down the water supply.

In the microbubble standby mode, the controller 7 judges that the accumulated microbubble water amount is smaller than a set water amount threshold value, the flow detection device 6 detects that the inflow water amount is larger than the startup flow, and judges that the user restarts the hot water supply, the controller 7 opens the gas control valve, starts the startup ignition, switches back to the microbubble operation mode, and continues to accumulate the microbubble water amount.

In this embodiment, after the water heater is switched from the microbubble operating mode to the microbubble standby mode, the controller 7 determines whether the accumulated amount of microbubble water is greater than or equal to the set water amount threshold, and if not, controls the water heater to remain in the microbubble standby mode. If the result shows that a little air remains in the dissolved air tank 3 and the micro-bubble water with sufficient concentration cannot be output, the controller 7 clears the accumulated micro-bubble water amount, controls the water heater to switch to the micro-bubble inflation mode, automatically inflates the dissolved air tank 3 in a gravity drainage mode, and ensures that the micro-bubble water with sufficient concentration can be output when water is reused.

Alternatively, the set water volume threshold may be a fixed value or set by a parameter setting mode of the control panel 8, or the set water volume threshold may be a value according to the volume of the dissolved air tank 3, and is preferably 100L when the volume of the dissolved air tank 3 is 1L.

In the present embodiment, the drain time during which the drain valve 22 is opened to drain water reaches the programmed target drain time, and it is determined that the dissolved air tank 3 is filled with air. Optionally, the programmed target drainage time may be a fixed value, or the programmed target drainage time is set by a parameter setting mode of the control panel 8, or the programmed target drainage time is a value according to the volume of the dissolved air tank 3 or the actually measured drainage time, for example, when the volume of the dissolved air tank 3 is 1L, the drainage time is about 10 to 20 s.

Referring to fig. 5, the present embodiment further provides a control method of a water heater, which applies the water heater as described above, and the control method includes the following steps:

s1, judging whether the user presses the microbubble function key, if so, going to the next step, otherwise, continuing to execute the step;

specifically, the controller 7 continuously determines whether the user presses the microbubble function key on the control panel 8, if so, it indicates that the microbubble function is started and the next step is performed, otherwise, it indicates that the water heater is in the normal bathing mode. In the normal bathing mode, the solenoid valve is opened to maintain the main water path 111 in a water-passing state, and the water inlet 201 of the three-way valve 2 leads the water outlet 202, so that the external water source can flow from the main water path 111 to the water inlet 201 after being heated, and then flow from the water outlet 202 to the water using point. In the normal bathing mode, since the water pressure inside the valve body 11 is a positive pressure, external air cannot be sucked into the inside of the valve body 11 through the air inlet 112.

S2, the water heater enters a micro-bubble inflation mode, the electromagnetic valve 12 is closed, and the water inlet 201 is controlled to be communicated with the water outlet 203;

specifically, the microbubble mode is composed of a microbubble inflation mode, a microbubble standby mode, and a microbubble operation mode. After the microbubble function key is pressed down, the water heater enters a microbubble inflation mode, and the electromagnetic valve 12 is closed to cut off the water inlet of the main water channel. When or after closing the electromagnetic valve 12, the three-way valve 2 is controlled to open the water outlet 203, the stored water in the dissolved air tank 3 is automatically discharged through the three-way valve 2 under the action of gravity, meanwhile, a large negative pressure is formed inside the dissolved air tank 3, and the external air is sucked into the dissolved air tank 3 through the air inlet and the one-way valve, so that the dissolved air tank 3 is pre-inflated.

In particular, in the microbubble aeration mode, the water spot is not yet turned on temporarily. Through aerifing the mode at the microbubble, aerify in advance dissolving gas pitcher 3, can shorten the user by a wide margin and shorten the latency of boiling hot water, reduce noise at work and product cost simultaneously.

Optionally, before entering the microbubble inflation mode, or after entering the microbubble inflation mode and before closing the solenoid valve 12. The water level of the dissolved air tank 3 is detected by a water level meter which is arranged inside the dissolved air tank 3 and is electrically connected with the controller, and the controller judges whether the detected water level is greater than the set water level. If the water content in the dissolved air tank 3 is enough, the dissolved air tank 3 is inflated by adopting a gravity automatic drainage mode; if not, water is firstly fed into the dissolved air tank 3 through the main water path 111, so that the water level of the dissolved air tank 3 reaches the set water level, and then the dissolved air tank 3 is inflated in a gravity automatic drainage mode. From this, whether the water level through judging earlier dissolved gas pitcher 3 is greater than the settlement water level, adopt gravity automatic drainage mode again to aerify dissolved gas pitcher 3, effectively guarantee to aerify at every turn and accomplish the back, have the air of sufficient in the dissolved gas pitcher, and then guarantee that the water heater exports the sufficient microbubble water of concentration and the accumulative bubble water yield.

And under the microbubble gas charging mode, the controller judges whether the water inlet flow detected by the flow detection device 6 is larger than the starting flow of the water heater, and if not, the controller judges that the electromagnetic valve 12 completely cuts off the water inlet of the main water channel 11. If the water level of the main waterway 11 is not completely cut off by the electromagnetic valve 12, the controller 7 controls the three-way valve 2 to close the water outlet and alarms the fault of the main waterway; the solenoid valve 12 is then reopened to switch the water heater to normal shower mode. Therefore, in the microbubble charging mode, whether the electromagnetic valve 12 or the main water path breaks down or not can be accurately identified through the relation between the water inlet flow and the starting flow.

S3, after the inflation is finished, controlling the water inlet 201 to conduct the water outlet 202, re-opening the electromagnetic valve 12, recording the re-opening time of the electromagnetic valve 12, and controlling the water heater to enter a micro-bubble standby mode;

specifically, the determination of the end of inflation may be determined based on the relationship between the drain time and the programmed target drain time, or may be determined based on the relationship between the water level of the dissolved air tank and the set lower limit value of the water level.

After the charging is finished, the water inlet 201 of the three-way valve 2 is controlled to conduct the used water outlet 202, when or after the water inlet 201 conducts the used water outlet 202, the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened again, the reopening time of the electromagnetic valve 12 is recorded, and the water heater enters the micro-bubble standby mode.

S4, after the restarting time reaches the target value, judging whether the inflow water flow is larger than or equal to the set starting flow, if so, switching to the next step, otherwise, continuously judging the relation between the inflow water flow and the starting flow;

specifically, the target value is preferably 2 to 5 seconds. When the reopening time of the electromagnetic valve 12 is about 2-5 s, the controller obtains the inflow water flow through the flow detection device 6 and judges whether the inflow water flow is larger than or equal to the starting-up flow. Therefore, after the restart time is about 2-5 s, the relation between the water inlet flow and the starting flow is obtained and judged, so that the situation that the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened again and water is sprayed into the dissolved air tank 3 instantly can be avoided, the flow detection device 6 generates a large water flow signal to cause the inaccurate detection of the flow detection device 6, and the phenomenon of false starting is avoided.

And S5, starting the water heater for ignition, entering a micro-bubble operation mode and recording the accumulated micro-bubble water quantity.

Therefore, the dissolved air tank is pre-inflated by entering the microbubble inflation mode, the water heater is controlled to enter the microbubble standby mode, and after the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened for a certain time again in the microbubble standby mode, the water heater is started to ignite according to the relation between the water inflow rate and the starting rate, and then the dissolved air tank is inflated in advance, so that the hot water waiting time is greatly shortened, and the user experience is improved. Meanwhile, the phenomenon of false start caused by a larger water flow signal generated by the flow detection device 6 due to the fact that water is sprayed into the dissolved air tank 3 at the moment when the electromagnetic valve 12 is opened again can be avoided.

Referring to fig. 6, further, the control method further includes the steps of:

s6, acquiring and judging whether the inflow is larger than or equal to the starting-up flow, if so, returning to the step S5, and if so, turning to the next step;

s7, turning off the water heater, and turning into a micro-bubble standby mode;

and S8, judging whether the accumulated microbubble water amount is greater than or equal to the set water amount threshold, if so, returning to the step S2, otherwise, determining to return to the step S5 or the step S7 according to the size relation between the water inlet flow and the starting flow.

Specifically, the calculation method of the accumulated amount of microbubble water may be used as a starting point of each recording when the water heater is turned on and ignited or after the water heater is turned off and is used as an end point of each recording when the water heater is turned off, so that the amount of microbubble water generated by the water heater in each microbubble operation mode can be counted.

After the water heater is switched from the micro-bubble operation mode to the micro-bubble standby mode, namely after the micro-bubble operation mode is finished each time, the residual air quantity of the dissolved air tank can be estimated by judging the relation between the accumulated micro-bubble water quantity and the set water quantity threshold value. And when the accumulated microbubble water amount is greater than or equal to the set water amount threshold, returning to the step S2, entering a microbubble inflation mode, and inflating the dissolved air tank again to ensure that microbubble water with sufficient concentration can be output when water is used again, so that the microbubble effect is improved.

Referring to fig. 7, in other embodiments, before proceeding to step S2 from step S1, the following steps may be further included:

s1, judging whether the user presses the microbubble function key, if yes, directly switching to the step S21, if not, continuing to execute the step;

s21, the water heater enters a micro-bubble standby mode;

s31, acquiring and judging whether the concentration of the micro-bubble water in the dissolved air tank 3 is less than a set concentration value, if so, switching to a step S42, otherwise, switching to a step S41;

specifically, the residual air amount in the dissolved air tank may be estimated from the relationship between the accumulated microbubble water amount and the set water amount threshold, so that the microbubble water concentration in the dissolved air tank 3 may be estimated.

S42, acquiring and judging whether the water level in the dissolved air tank is higher than a set water level, if so, executing the step S2, otherwise, feeding water into the dissolved air tank through the main water path, and then continuing to execute the step;

s41, obtaining and judging whether the inflow is larger than or equal to the starting-up flow, if so, executing the step S5, otherwise, continuing to execute the step.

Therefore, after a user presses the microbubble function key and before entering the microbubble inflation mode, the water heater is controlled to enter the microbubble standby mode first, then the concentration of the microbubble water in the dissolved air tank 3 and the set concentration value are judged to determine whether the dissolved air tank needs to be inflated or not, the microbubble function key is prevented from being restarted in power failure, the dissolved air tank is directly inflated under the condition that the residual air amount in the dissolved air tank is not clear, and therefore resource waste caused by drainage inflation under the condition that the dissolved air tank can produce the microbubble water with enough concentration is avoided.

What has been described above are merely some embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the inventive concept thereof, and these changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A microbubble generation apparatus, comprising:

the air-water control valve (1) comprises a valve body (11) and an electromagnetic valve (12), wherein the valve body (11) is provided with a main water path (111) and an air inlet (112), the main water path (111) comprises a water inlet section and a water outlet section which are communicated, the water inlet section is communicated with a water source, two opposite ends of the air inlet (112) are respectively communicated with the atmosphere and the water outlet section, and the electromagnetic valve (12) is arranged on the valve body (11) and is used for conducting or plugging the water inlet section;

a three-way valve (2) having a water inlet (201), a water outlet (202) and a water outlet (203), wherein the opposite ends of the water outlet (202) are respectively communicated with the water inlet (201) and a water consumption point, and the water outlet (203) is respectively communicated with the water inlet (201) and a water collection area;

the dissolved air tank (3) is used for communicating the water inlet (201) with the water outlet section through the dissolved air tank (3);

and the controller is electrically connected with the electromagnetic valve (12) and the three-way valve (2) respectively.

2. A micro-bubble generating device according to claim 1, wherein the valve body (11) is further provided with a mounting port (113) located between the water inlet section and the water outlet section, the water inlet section and the water outlet section are communicated through the mounting port (113), and the electromagnetic valve (12) is disposed at the mounting port (113) for communicating or blocking a passage between the water inlet section and the water outlet section.

3. A micro-bubble generating device according to claim 1, wherein the valve body (11) is further provided with a mounting port (113) disposed near the water inlet section, the mounting port (113) communicates with the water inlet section, and the electromagnetic valve (12) is disposed at the mounting port (113) for communicating or blocking the water inlet section.

4. A microbubble generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the air-water control valve (1) comprises a check valve (13), and the check valve (13) is disposed at the air inlet (112) for one-way communication of external air from the air inlet (112) to the main water path.

5. The microbubble generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the three-way valve (2) comprises a three-way joint (21) and a drain valve (22), the three-way joint (21) having the water inlet (201), the water outlet (202), and the drain opening (203), the drain valve (22) being disposed on the drain opening (203) and electrically connected to the controller for opening or closing the drain opening (203).

6. The microbubble generator according to claim 1, wherein the three-way valve (2) comprises a three-way joint (21) and a valve body, the three-way joint (21) has the water inlet (201), the water outlet (202) and the water outlet (203), and the valve body is disposed in the three-way joint (21) and electrically connected to the controller for selectively connecting the water inlet (201) to the water outlet (202) or the water outlet (203).

7. A microbubble generation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a flow guiding disc (4), the flow guiding disc (4) being provided inside the dissolved air tank (3) for uniformly mixing tap water and air.

8. A water heater, comprising:

a microbubble generator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7;

the main water channel (111) is communicated with a water source through the inner water pipe (5);

the flow detection device (6) is electrically connected with the controller, is arranged on the inner water pipe (5) or is arranged between the inner water pipe (5) and the main water channel (111), and is used for detecting the inflow of the main water channel (111);

and a control panel (8) electrically connected with the controller, wherein a micro-bubble function key is arranged on the control panel (8).

9. A control method of a water heater to which a water heater according to claim 8 is applied, the control method comprising the steps of:

s1, judging whether the user presses the micro-bubble function key, if so, turning to the next step, otherwise, continuing to execute the step;

s2, the water heater enters a micro-bubble inflation mode, the electromagnetic valve (12) is closed, and the water inlet (201) is controlled to conduct the water outlet (203);

s3, after the inflation is finished, controlling the water inlet (201) to conduct the used water outlet (202), reopening the electromagnetic valve (12) and recording the reopening time of the electromagnetic valve (12), and enabling the water heater to enter a micro-bubble standby mode;

s4, after the restarting time reaches the target value, judging whether the inflow water flow is larger than or equal to the set starting flow, if so, switching to the next step, otherwise, continuously judging the relation between the inflow water flow and the starting flow;

and S5, starting the water heater for ignition, entering a micro-bubble operation mode and recording the accumulated micro-bubble water quantity.

10. The control method according to claim 9, characterized by further comprising the step of:

s6, acquiring and judging whether the inflow is larger than or equal to the starting-up flow, if so, returning to the step S5, and if so, turning to the next step;

s7, turning off the water heater, and turning into a micro-bubble standby mode;

and S8, judging whether the accumulated microbubble water amount is greater than or equal to the set water amount threshold, if so, returning to the step S2, otherwise, determining to return to the step S5 or the step S7 according to the size relation between the water inlet flow and the starting flow.

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