EP0088736A2 - Prefabricated central installation for electrically activated water supply - Google Patents

Abstract

The system allows the hot and cold water supplies to be mixed to obtain the required output temp. before feeding to the respective utilisation points, to eliminate the necessity for hot and cold feed lines to each utilisation point. The flow regulation and temp. mixing for each utilisation point is effected by a number of LV electrically operated valves controlled independently or in combination. The temp. and flow regulation controls at each utilisation point are coupled to the centralised control via electric leads which are fed along a common conduit with a flexible water line leading from the central control to the utilisation point. The prefabricated system is designed for reduced cost while ensuring a uniform supply at the required temp. at each utilisation point.

Description

The hydraulic installations of the abitation houses and similar buildings consist of galvanized steel pipes, inserted inside the structure of the building and provided with interceptors for each unit of use as sinks, baths, showers, appliances and similar units. The installation of these installations requires an expensive work of cutting, threading, assembly and lining of said steel pipes, which are moreover constrained to rectilinear paths connected by curves which form a predetermined and non-variable angle.

The use of metal pipes also presents the danger of corrosion and drilling, with significant damage and costly interventions to the masonry works where the pipe is inserted.

In traditional installations, the temperature is adjusted by mixing valves installed near the water distribution point, making it necessary to supply two independent pipes for hot water and for each point of use. cold water. In addition, it is difficult to obtain a constant flow rate in range and temperature each time.

These and other problems are solved by the installation of the invention, which comprises a general central control and distribution box, to which the pipes of the cold and hot water network terminate. From this box connect the supply lines to each unit of use near the which one or more terminal water control and distribution boxes are installed. The regulation of the flow and the mixing of the water for the regulation of the temperature are carried out, for each unit of use, by means of groups of electric, normal or modulating valves, placed inside said general central box. control and distribution, supplied with hot and cold water by the said network pipes, and which can be actuated either one by one or in combination, these groups of electric valves being supplied with low voltage current ( for example at 12 V).

Each supply unit supply line includes at least one flexible hose for the passage of water and a group of conveniently insulated electrical conductors for the remote control of the corresponding electrical valves, all inserted in a flexible sheath suitable to be fitted inside the masonry works of the building where the installation is set up.

Inside said general central control and distribution box, a cold water collecting pipe and a hot water collecting pipe are installed, both possibly fitted with interception valves and inlet filters. To the cold water collector are connected the inlet pipes of the electric valves for regulating the flow of cold water, while to the hot water collector are connected the inlet pipes of the electric valves to regulate the flow of hot water. The outlet pipes of the hot and cold water electric valves of each user unit lead to a single pipe, inserted inside the flexible supply pipe to the user unit itself.

The units which use water at constant flow rate are directly connected to a manifold by means of the corresponding flexible hose, but it is possible to provide for the presence of an electric interception valve between manifold and piping also for each of these units, like sanitary installations, washing machines, dishwashers and similar units, in order to prevent the corresponding flexible supply hoses from remaining under pressure when the interceptor valve usually placed on these units is closed.

At the end of each flexible pipe leaving the general central control and distribution box, near the corresponding point of use, such as sink, shower, baths and similar units, there are one or more terminal boxes, in which are contained a hose for the distribution of water and the electric selectors for the control of opening and closing of the electric valves, normal or with modulation, present in the central central box of control and distribution and relating to the corresponding unit of use, in the combination chosen to dispense water at the desired flow and temperature.

The general central control and distribution box provides the possibility of being connected to a stand-alone generator or an emergency battery, to cope with sudden interruptions in the supply of electrical energy.

• la Figure 1 montre une vue d'ensemble de la boite générale cen trale de commande ec de distribution, partie en coupe,
• la Figure 2 est une coupe de la conduite flexible d'eau et de commande électrique,
• les Figures 3 et 4 sont deux coupes d'un groupe de soupapes électriques réglantes le débit et la température pour une unité d'utilisation,
• la Figure 5 est une vue des boîtes terminales d'une conduite.

A more detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention refers to the appended drawings, in which:

• FIG. 1 shows an overall view of the general central control ec distribution box, part in section,
• FIG. 2 is a section of the flexible water and electrical control pipe,
• Figures 3 and 4 are two sections of a group of electric valves regulating the flow rate and the temperature for a unit of use,
• Figure 5 is a view of the end boxes of a pipe.

The accompanying drawings show an embodiment of the hydraulic installation according to the invention, essentially constituted by a general central control and distribution box 1 and by a plurality of pipes for connection to the units 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.

The general central control and distribution box 1 consists of a box to be installed in a room in the user's apartment. To said box are connected the hot water supply lines 7 and cold water 8 usually made of galvanized iron pipe, which are connected to the two collectors 9 and 10 present inside. These collectors 9 and 10 are equipped with interception valves 11 and 12, which make it possible to isolate the interior prefabricated installation of the mains water pipes 7 and 8.

They are also inserted on said collectors filters 13 and 14, which can be taken for periodic cleaning.

To avoid that during maintenance interventions there is a flow of water from the collectors, there is provided a pusher 15 which acts on the control of the user unit at the lowest level relative to the general box. control center and distribution (for example the bidet) and which allows the drainage of all the water contained in the pipes.

The general central control and distribution box 1 contains a number of electric valves, for each unit of use which needs water with variable flow and temperature, such as sinks, baths, showers and similar units, and the connections of the collector for the direct uses of cold water, not regulated in flow, like sanitary installations, washing machines and similar units. These units of use can however be equipped, if one did not wish to leave under pressure the pipe of the corresponding pipe of the general central box of control and distribution to the unit of use, of a valve each for the interception of the pipe even near the manifold.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, each unit for using hot and cold water (for example that supplied by line 2) is provided with a series of electric valves connected to the cold water collector 9 ( in the example four in number), generally indicated with 16 in the drawing of Figure 1, and correspondingly electric valves connected to the hot water collector 10, indicated with 17 in the same Figure 1.

Said electrical valves 16 and 17 can advantageously be grouped, for each unit of use, in a single block 18, as is produced in the example illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, in which there are two inlet chambers separated 19a and 19b, supplied respectively by the cold water collector 9 and by the hot water collector 10, which can be brought into communication with the outlet chamber 20 by means of the opening of the shutter 16 'd one of the valves 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d (or 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d), or an appropriate combination of more than one of said electrical valves, which, as shown in Figure 3, may have different cross sections from one another. To the chamber 20 is connected the pipe which carries the mixed water and regulated in flow rate to the unit of use (for example by line 2). The opening of an appropriate combination of the electric valves 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d and 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, each having an appropriate passage section, makes it possible to obtain the desired flow and temperature values. Said pipe 21 and the analogs corresponding to the other use units are each inserted into an outer sheath 22, flexible, suitable for being placed under the floor or inside concreting or inside walls in the place of placing. in place. This sheath is large enough to also receive the electric line 23 which contains the cables for controlling the electric valves.

The general central control and distribution box 1 also contains the transformer 24 which supplies the supply voltage to the electric valves, which is connected to the electrical network by means of the general supply cable 25. Inside the box general control and distribution center is also provided housing for an emergency battery, or terminals for connection to another source of energy, to obviate possible interruptions in the supply of electrical energy.

Near the point of use, the water distribution box 26 and the electric control box for the electric valves 27 are installed. This control is carried out by handles, sliders, levers or by similar means, as required. and the wishes of the user.

It is of course possible to combine the electrical controls and the water distribution connection into a single group (not shown), with a single distribution box, depending on the installation requirements.

The electric cable 23 passes through, in the illustrated embodiment, the box 26 and it splits in the box 27 by separating the selection wires of the electric valves of hot water from those of the electric valves of cold water.

The rotation of one or two handles or an analogous movement of other selection means makes it possible to choose the number of electric valves to open, obtaining the combination which provides the desired flow.

It is possible to use external sheaths 22 of larger diameter in the event that future expansions of the installation are planned which would require subsequent points of use. It will then be possible to introduce into the general central control and distribution box a new group of electric valves and to pass into the existing sheath 22 a new flexible hose and a new control cable, for a new point of use placed near the outlet of the preceding pipe 21, thus minimizing the masonry work necessary for an extension of such installation.

In the area of the illustrated embodiment, numerous constructive variants are possible, with the aim of adapting the installation to particular installation requirements, for example by increasing or decreasing the number of components used, such as pipes, cables, electric valves or by varying the form and the kind of materials employees. These modifications, and others still, do not depart from the limits of the invention as described and illustrated in its general characteristics.

Claims (4)

1. Centralized prefabricated hydraulic system with electrical control, characterized in that it comprises a general central control and distribution box, to which the pipes of the cold and hot water network and the power supply line and which connect the flexible supply lines to each unit of use, near which unit of use are installed one or more terminal boxes for control and distribution of water, in that the flow control and the mixture for the temperature adjustment is carried out, for each of said use units, by means of groups of low-voltage electric valves, which can be actuated either one by one or in combination, and in that each supply line includes at least one flexible hose for the passage of water and a group of suitably insulated electrical conductors for controlling the electric valves, all inserted in a sheath s ouple able to be fitted inside the masonry works of the building where the installation is set up. 2. Hydraulic electrically controlled installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said general central control and distribution box comprises a cold water collecting pipe and a hot water collecting pipe, both provided with interception valves. and inlet filters, in that to the cold water collector are connected the inlet conduits of the electric valves for adjusting the cold water flow and to the hot water collector are connected the inlet of the electric valves for adjusting the flow of hot water, in that the outlets of the electric valves for hot and cold water of each unit of use lead to a single pipe, inserted in the flexible supply pipe to the unit of use itself, and in that the units which use water at constant flow rate feel directly connected to a collector by means of the corresponding hose fle xible, being able to provide for the presence of an electric valve that intercepts between manifold and piping also for each of these units with the corresponding electrical conductors. ₄ 3. Hydraulic installation according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, at the end of each outgoing pipe from the general central control and distribution box, near the corresponding point of use, are present one or more terminal boxes, to which are connected the water distribution pipe and the electric controls for opening and closing the electric valves present in the general central control and distribution box and relating to the unit corresponding use. 4. Hydraulic installation according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the general central control and distribution box provides the possibility of being connected to an autonomous electricity generator or to an emergency battery to make faced with sudden interruptions in the supply of electrical energy.

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