EP0236235A1 - Gas heater - Google Patents

Abstract

The boiler, of the wall type, comprises a burner (6) connected to a gas supply path (28), a combustion chamber (7), a heat exchanger (9), distribution, exchange and adjustment (17 to 19, 21, 22, 27, 31) and connection passages (20, 23) therebetween, inlet (12) and outlet (13) conduits connected to the exchanger, and external connections (14, 16, 24, 26, 29).

The distribution, exchange and adjustment components are grouped together on a common base (34) which includes a part of the functional elements of each component and into which the connection passages for each component open which are produced in the form of internal passages in the base.

Use to facilitate assembly and maintenance, and reduce the risk of leaks.

Description

The present invention relates to a gas boiler comprising a burner connected to a gas supply path; a combustion chamber in which is disposed opposite the burner a combustion gas / water heat exchanger connected to cold water inlet and hot water outlet paths of a heating circuit; a sanitary water heating path; distribution, exchange and adjustment components through which the aforementioned paths pass; and a battery of connection points for these routes with the outside.

The distribution, exchange and adjustment components include, for example, a pump - or circulator - upstream of the combustion gas / water exchanger, a degasser upstream of the pump, a three-way valve through which the conduit cold water inlet communicates either with a connection point coming from heating radiators or with a bypass connected to the hot water departure pipe via a water / water exchanger which constitutes another of the components above, a domestic water flow detector mounted on a domestic water heating path which also passes through the aforementioned water / water exchanger and extends between two connection points with the domestic hot water circuit of the installation, a water flow detector in the combustion gas / water exchanger, and a combustion speed control unit mounted on the gas supply path.

In known boilers, these components are dispersed in a boiler housing, and they are connected together by water or gas pipes respectively.

The assembly of the boiler is very difficult to automate. In addition, for maintenance operations, the dismantling of one of the components requires disconnection of pipe connections, and, more often than not, work in a very inconvenient manner which results from the bad layout.

According to the invention, the boiler is characterized in that the gas supply path, the cold water and hot water flow paths, and the sanitary water heating path are each at least partially integrated. in the form of internal passages in a common base arranged between the burner and the battery of connection points, and in that the distribution, exchange and adjustment components comprise an individual part fixed in a removable manner on the base.

Thus, one can group together as many components as desired on the base, which constitutes a sort of common cylinder head for the components. During maintenance work, it is possible to disassemble the individual removable part of each component relative to the base, which gives direct access to the interior of the component without having to touch the pipe connections carried by the base. . A considerable time is therefore saved by comparison with the method imposed by the prior art, which consisted in first extracting the component from the boiler, then dismantling the component.

The location for the base in the boiler is very accessible. All the components carried by the base are therefore very accessible, which further simplifies the work.

During manufacture, the mounting of the components on the base is very easy to automate, and in particular to robotize, after which the base provided with these components can be installed in the boiler.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description below.

• - la figure 1 est un schéma fonctionnel d'une chaudière murale à gaz selon l'invention ;
• - la figure 2 est une vue schématique de la chaudière selon le plan II-II de la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 3 est une vue de face de l'embase munie de ses composants ;
• - la figure 4 est une vue de face de l'embase avant montage des composants ;
• - les figure 5 à 9 sont des vues en coupe selon les lignes V-V, VI-VI, VII-VII, VIII-VIII, et respectivement IX-IX de la figure 3 ;
• - la figure 10 est une vue schématique des passages internes de l'embase, sensiblement selon la ligne X-X de la figure 5 ;
• - la figure 11 est une vue schématique frontale due bloc de raccordement, partiellement en coupe ; et
• - la figure 12 est une vue schématique du bloc, en coupe selon un plan horizontal.

In the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples:

• - Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wall-mounted gas boiler according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 is a schematic view of the boiler according to the plane II-II of Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 is a front view of the base provided with its components;
• - Figure 4 is a front view of the base before mounting the components;
• - Figures 5 to 9 are sectional views along lines VV, VI-VI, VII-VII, VIII-VIII, and respectively IX-IX of Figure 3;
• - Figure 10 is a schematic view of the internal passages of the base, substantially along line XX of Figure 5;
• - Figure 11 is a schematic front view of the connection block, partially in section; and
• - Figure 12 is a schematic view of the block, in section along a horizontal plane.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the boiler, the housing 1 of which is for example made of sheet metal, is intended to rest on the substantially horizontal lower wing 3a of a rear chassis 3 (FIG. 2) intended to be fixed against a vertical wall 2.

The housing 1 of the boiler, acting as a frame, comprises an intermediate chassis 4, adjacent in use to the rear chassis 3, and which supports a burner 6. The burner 6 is surmounted by a combustion chamber 7 surrounded by a resistant sheath 8 heat and thermally insulating. At the top of the combustion chamber 7 is disposed a combustion gas / water exchanger 9 above which is fitted a device - or antireflow device - 11 intended for the proper evacuation of the combustion gases.

The “water” path of the exchanger 9 is mounted between a cold water inlet pipe 12 and a hot water departure pipe 13. The hot water departure pipe 13 communicates with a connection valve 14 controlling the flow to a hot water supply circuit for heating radiators.

The boiler also includes a connection tap 16 which in service communicates with a cold water return circuit from the heating radiators. The tap 16 is selectively connected to the cold water inlet pipe 12 through a three-way valve 17 mounted between the tap 16 and a degasser 18, which communicates with the intake of a pump - or circulator - 19 which flows into conduit 12.

When the pipe 12 is isolated from the tap 16 by the valve 17, the pipe 12 communicates with a bypass 20 in which the hot water outlet pipe 13 flows through one of the paths of a water heat exchanger / water 21. When the valve 17 cuts the communication between the tap 16 and the pipe 12, the pipe 13 can no longer flow into the circuit connected to the tap 14 since the latter is closed at the other end by the valve 17. The pump 19 then ensures a closed circuit flow through the cold water inlet pipe 12, the exchanger 9, the hot water outlet pipe 13, the exchanger 21, the bypass 20, the valve 17 and the degasser 18.

The valve 17 is controlled automatically by a flow detector 22 mounted in series with the other channel of the exchanger 21 on a domestic water heating path 23 which extends between an inlet connection tap 24 and an outlet connection valve 26. The detector 22 is located between the cold water inlet valve 24 and the exchanger 21.

Thus, in the absence of flow in the path 23, the valve 17 takes its position shown in FIG. 1 in which the conduits 12 and 13 communicate with the heating circuit by radiators. When a user opens a hot water tap of the sanitary installation, a flow of water is established in the path 23, and this is detected by the detector 22 which controls the passage of the valve 17 in its other position. From then on, the circuit closed above is established and the domestic water heats up in the exchanger 21.

The boiler further comprises a flow detector 27 which is connected on the one hand to the duct 12 and on the other hand to the bypass 20, that is to say to the duct 13 through the exchanger 21. The detector 27 is sensitive to the pressure difference existing between these two points to interrupt the gas supply when this difference is zero, that is to say when the flow is zero in the exchanger 9. The gas supply to the burner 6 is provided by a gas supply path 28 which communicates with a connection valve 29 to the distribution network, through a combustion speed adjustment box 31. The burner 6 further comprises a pilot device 32 connected to the housing 31 by a pilot line 33.

According to the invention, the distribution, exchange and adjustment components, which include the valve 17, the degasser 18, the circulator 19, the exchanger 21, the flow detectors 22 and 27, and the housing 31 are carried by a common base 34 which, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, is carried vertically by the intermediate chassis 4 between the burner 6 and a connection block 35 carried by the wing 3a of the chassis 3 at the base of the boiler, and which carries the connection valves 14, 16, 24, 26, 29.

Referring to Figures 3 to 10, we will now describe in more detail the base 34 and the components it carries.

The base is a foundry piece (see Figures 5 to 9) on the front of which is fixed a removable individual part of each component. Once this attachment has been made, the base 34 completes the components to give them their overall functional quality. In addition, the base and each component are designed so that the fluid connections of each component with the rest of the boiler are made in the part of the component which is constituted by the base, so that the removable part of the components can be separated from the base, for example for maintenance, without damaging the connections fluidics.

In addition, the base 34 contains internal passages which provide the necessary communications between the various components, and also between the components and the connection valves 14, 16, 24, 26, 29. The internal passages also provide outlets for the conduits 12, 13 connected to the combustion chamber. The gas conduits 28 and 33 have not been produced in the form of internal passages of the base since these conduits must be able to be adapted to the nature of the gas used.

As regards the circulator 19 (FIG. 7), its removable individual part comprises the pump motor 36 and the pump wheel 37. The face 38 of the motor housing which is adjacent to the wheel 37 is designed to hermetically seal a chamber. pumping 39 which is constituted by a recess in the front face of the base. An inlet orifice 41 opens axially into the bottom of the chamber 39 from a cavity 42 which comprises the base behind the recess 39 and which belongs to the degasser 18. The pumping chamber 39 also communicates with an orifice discharge 43, also molded in the base 34 and which constitutes a departure from the conduit 12.

At the top of the chamber 42 is connected, as a removable individual part of the degasser 18, an automatic drain valve 44 which eliminates air bubbles when they arise.

The three-way valve 17 comprises a valve seat 46 made in the mass of the base 34, so as to be turned towards the front. The seat 46 surrounds the outlet with an internal passage 47 of the base 34 which comes from the connection valve 16. The cavity which constitutes the chamber 42 extends to a bore 48 at the bottom of which is finds the seat 46, and which opens into the front face of the base.

The removable individual part of the valve 17 comprises a valve 49, the shutter of which is mounted between the seat 46 and a seat 51 which faces the seat 46 and which is carried by a ring 52 added in the bore 48 and constituting a perforated guide. for the stem 53 of the valve 49.

The removable part of the three-way valve 17 further comprises a half-body 54 which is screwed onto the front face of the base 34 so as to surround both the bore 48 and a lumen 56 (FIG. 9) communicating with the bypass 20 constituted by another internal passage of the base 34. Thus, when the valve 49 is applied to its seat 46, the space 42 communicates with the bore 48, the interior of the body 54, the light 56 and the bypass 20 so as to produce the closed circuit described above, while when the valve 49 is applied against its seat 51, the passage 47 communicates with the chamber 42 of the degasser to supply the exchanger 9 with the cold water coming from the heating radiators.

The stem 53 of the valve 49 passes tightly through the body 54. A return device 57 bearing on the body 54 outside of it permanently tends to apply the valve 49 against its seat 51. The body 54 carries a yoke 58 in which a return lever 59 is pivotally mounted, one end of which rests on the free end of the valve stem 53.

The other end of the lever 59 is supported on a rod 61 mounted to slide through a removable individual half-body 62 of the flow detector 22. In the half-body 62, the rod 61 is mechanically connected to a membrane 63 whose the peripheral edge is pinched in a sealed manner between the half-body 62 and a corresponding flat surface of the base 34. This flat surface surrounds a recess 64 which the base has on its front face under the half-body 62 when the latter this is in place. A sanitary cold water inlet passage 66, which comes from the connection valve 24 and which constitutes one of the internal passages of the base 34, opens at the center of the bottom of the recess 64. The recess 64 also communicates with the internal passage constituting the path 23, via a nozzle 67. This nozzle is of a known type capable of causing a significant pressure drop for a very low flow rate without causing an excessive pressure drop when the flow rate is more important. The passage 23 communicates with the interior of the body 62 by means of a bore 68 opening into the flat surface surrounding the recess 64, and by a conduit 69 formed in the half-body 62 between the outlet of the bore 68 and the interior of the half-body 62. The membrane 63, suitably shaped, provides sealing around the junction between the bore 68 and the conduit 69. Thus, there is under the membrane 63 the pressure of the sanitary cold water as it arrives in the boiler, and above the membrane 63, the pressure downstream of the nozzle 67. In the absence of flow, the two pressures are equal and the return device 57 puts the valve 49 in operation. high position, that is to say connects the exchanger 9 to the radiator circuit. This is the situation represented in FIG. 9. When domestic hot water is requested, the pressure above the diaphragm 63 is reduced by the pressure drop in the nozzle 67 and the diaphragm is pushed back towards the up which moves the valve 49 down (Figure 7) and performs the closed circuit for producing domestic hot water.

The removable individual part of the flow detector 27 comprises a half-body 71 which clamps a membrane 72 on a surface which has the base 34 on its front face around a recess 73. The recess 73 communicates by an internal passage 74 with the discharge space of the circulator 19. By a drilling system 76 and conduit 77 quite similar to the hole 68 and to the conduit 69 described in connection with the detector 22, the interior of the half-body 71 is in communication with the internal passage constituting the bypass 20. A rod 78 is mechanically coupled to the membrane 72 and passes through the half-body 71 in leaktight manner actuate a contact 79 controlling the cut-off of the gas supply by the housing 31 when the equipression, significant absence of flow in the exchanger 9, is performed on either side of the membrane 72.

The combustion speed control unit 31 (FIG. 6) will not be described in detail since its own structure is not affected by the invention. It suffices to note that the housing 31 is fixed on a plate 81 of the base 34 and that an internal passage 82 connects the housing 31 to the connection valve 29.

The exchanger 21 (FIG. 5) is of the type with removable superimposed plates, which are screwed onto a plate 83 of the front face of the base 34. The four openings 84, 86, 87, 88 (FIG. 10) which connect the exchanger 21 respectively in passage 23, in passage 20, in conduit 13 and in connection valve 26 are produced through plate 83. The conduit 13 passes through base 34 in the form of an internal passage of the latter.

We will now describe, with reference to Figures 11 and 12, the connection block 35 through which the base 34 is connected to the "gas" network, the "heating" network and the "domestic water" network of the premises. On the construction site, the chassis 3 fitted with the connection block 35 is fixed to the wall. The plumber can therefore connect the block 35 to the aforementioned networks in the absence of the boiler proper. This is only implemented later, when the risks of theft on site are eliminated.

The block 35 comprises a body 135 consisting of a foundry piece, which serves as a body common to all the connection valves 14, 26, 29, 24, 16 and which comprises, moldings, the cavities necessary to make the passages connecting these taps with connection points 91 and 91b with the various external networks, namely respectively D = hot water heating outlet; DHW = domestic hot water; G = gas; EFS = domestic cold water; R = heating water return; EU = departure to the sewage disposal network. The connection point 91a is intended to be connected by a conduit 92 (FIG. 2) to an expansion tank 93 provided for the "heating" network in the upper region of the chassis 3. An internal passage 90 of the body 135 communicates the connection point 91a with the valve cavity 14.

The connection points 91, 91a and 91b are arranged on the rear face 94 of the block 35, that is to say the face turned in service towards the wall 2. The manual control members 96 of the valves 14, 26, 24 , 16 are carried by the front face 97 of the block 35, opposite the aforementioned rear face.

The underside 98 of the block 35 carries traps 99 associated with the taps 14, 26, 24, 16, the manual control member 101 of the tap 29, and the manual control member 102 of a valve 103 controlling the flow through an internal passage 104 formed in the body 135 between the connection point 91 associated with the tap 24 for cold domestic water inlet and the tap 16 for heating water inlet, so as to allow, when the tap 103 is open, filling the "heating" network of the premises through passage 104 from the "sanitary cold water" network. The tap 103 includes an integrated non-return valve 106 preventing the passage of water from the "heating" network to the "domestic cold water" network. The "heating" network can on the other hand be discharged into the "wastewater" network on condition of exceeding a pressure threshold fixed by a pressure limiting valve 107 controlling the flow through an internal passage 108 formed in the body 135 between tap 16 and point 91b of connection to the "wastewater" network.

The upper face 109 (FIG. 11) of the block 35, in flat and horizontal service, is crossed by five orifices 112 each communicating with one of the five connection points 91 through a respective one of the taps 14, 26, 29, 24, 16 and the respective internal passages of the block 35, coming from molding.

The five orifices 112 are placed so as to coincide with five orifices constituting the outlet of the passages 13, 23, 28, 66, 47 respectively through a flat and horizontal underside of the base 34.

Around each orifice 112, the face 109 has an annular groove 114 in which an O-ring 116 is housed.

As explained above, the block 35 is linked to the wing 3a of the chassis 3. In service, the base 34, forming part of the boiler proper resting releasably on the wing 3a, is supported by its face lower 113 on the upper face 109 of the block 35 by compressing the seals 116. By the simple fact of this juxtaposition mounting, each orifice 112 is tightly connected with the corresponding internal passage of the base 34. Thus, after the connections plumbing were carried out between the various networks and the block 35 carried by the chassis 3 in the absence of the boiler proper, the subsequent mounting of the latter automatically performs its complete connection.

As will have been understood throughout the description, the base and the connection block according to the invention considerably facilitate assembly and maintenance, and eliminate a large number of risks of breakdown and in particular of risks of leaks.

Claims (6)

1. Gas boiler comprising a burner (6) connected to a gas supply path (28); a combustion chamber (7) in which is disposed opposite the burner (6) a combustion gas / water heat exchanger (9) connected to cold water inlet (12) and hot water outlet paths ( 13) a heating circuit; a path (23) for heating domestic water; distribution, exchange and adjustment components (17 to 19, 21, 22, 27, 31) through which the aforementioned paths pass; and a battery of connection points (14, 16, 24, 26, 29) of the above-mentioned paths with the outside, characterized in that the gas supply path (28), the cold water inlet paths and hot water outlet, and the path (23) of domestic water heating are each at least partially integrated in the form of internal passages in a common base (34) disposed between the burner (6) and the battery of connection points, and in that the distribution, exchange and adjustment components comprise an individual part (36, 37, 38; 49, 51 to 54, 62, 63; 71, 72; 31; 21) fixed from removably on the base (34). 2. Boiler according to claim 1, characterized in that the individual parts of the components carried by the base (34) are all removable from the same face of the base. 3. Boiler according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the base (34) is a foundry piece. 4. Boiler according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the battery of connection points is produced in the form of a connection block (35) comprising a molded body fixed to a support frame (3) of Boiler. 5. Boiler according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the battery of connection points (35) comprises a body (135) fixed to a chassis support (3) of the boiler and having on its upper face orifices (112) for connection with the internal passages of the base by juxtaposition of a lower face of the base (113), through which several internal passages open , and the upper face (109) of the battery of connection points. 6. Boiler according to claim 5, characterized by means for inserting a seal (114) between base (34) and body (135) of the battery of connection points (35) around each orifice (112) of the latter.

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