EP4675191A1

EP4675191A1 - Heater and water heater

Info

Publication number: EP4675191A1
Application number: EP24214363.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yaguang Xie
Original assignee: Guandong Midea Kitchen And Bath Appliances Mfg Co Ltd; Wuhu Midea Kitchen and Bath Appliances Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Guandong Midea Kitchen And Bath Appliances Mfg Co Ltd; Wuhu Midea Kitchen and Bath Appliances Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2024-07-01
Filing date: 2024-11-20
Publication date: 2026-01-07
Also published as: CN222799301U

Abstract

The present invention provides a heater and a water heater, and relates to the technical field of heaters. The heater includes a mounting portion and a first heating tube which includes a first extension section and a second extension section connected in sequence. The first extension section is connected to the mounting portion, and at least partial first extension section extends obliquely relative to a central axis of the mounting portion. The second extension section bends relative to the first extension section. A projection of the first extension section and a projection of the second extension section along the central axis of the mounting portion are arranged at a first angle. The technical solutions of the present invention aim to enable the first heating pipe to avoid the installation of related components, thereby facilitating disassembly and assembly of the heater.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the technical field of heaters, and in particular to a heater and a water heater.

BACKGROUND

The heating pipe in the water heater is configured to heat the water in the tank. In the related art, the first heating pipe extends a certain portion along the radial direction of the tank, which causes the heating pipe to interfere with components, such as the magnesium rod and the water inlet and outlet pipes, making it inconvenient to disassemble and assemble the heating pipe during later maintenance.

SUMMARY

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a heater and a water heater, aiming to enable the first heating pipe to avoid the installation of related components, thereby facilitating disassembly and assembly of the heater.
To achieve the above purpose, the heater of the present invention comprises: a mounting portion; and a first heating tube comprising a first extension section and a second extension section connected in sequence. The first extension section is connected to the mounting portion, at least partial first extension section extending obliquely relative to a central axis of the mounting portion, the second extension section bending relative to the first extension section, and a projection of the first extension section and a projection of the second extension section along the central axis of the mounting portion being arranged at a first included angle.
Optionally, the first included angle is an acute angle.
Optionally, the first included angle is in a range from 20 degrees to 45 degrees.
Optionally, the first included angle is in a range from 25 degrees to 30 degrees.
Optionally, a minimum distance between the central axis of the mounting portion and the second extension section is in a range from 16 mm to 59 mm.
Optionally, the minimum distance between the central axis of the mounting portion and the second extension section is in a range from 25 mm to 44 mm.
Optionally, the second extension section comprises at least two folded tube sections.
Optionally, the first extension section comprises a first connection section, an inclined section and a second connection section connected in sequence, both an extension direction of the first connection section and an extension direction of the second connection section may be parallel to the central axis of the mounting portion, and the inclined section extending obliquely relative to the central axis of the mounting portion.
Optionally, the heater further comprises a second heating tube. The second heating tube and the first extension section may extend in parallel with each other, and the second extension section may bend in a direction away from the second heating tube.
The present invention further provides a water heater comprising an tank, a water pipe installed in the tank, an anode member, and the heater as mentioned above. At least one of the water pipe and the anode member is connected to a bottom of the tank and is configured to extend into the tank. The central axis of the mounting portion being parallel to and close to the central axis of the tank.
Optionally, an inclined extension portion of the first extension section is configured to extend obliquely downward. The second extension section may bend upward relative to the first extension section.
Optionally, the second extension section is parallel to the water pipe and the anode member.
In the technical solution of the present invention, at least part of the first extension section extends obliquely relative to the central axis of the mounting portion, so that the bending position of the second extension section deviates from the central axis of the mounting portion, and the second extension section is bent and then extends obliquely relative to the first extension section, thereby forming a first included angle between the projection of the first extension section and the projection of the second extension section. In this way, the second extension section will not pass through the central axis of the mounting portion, so that the second extension section as a whole can deviate from the central axis of the mounting portion. After the heater is installed at the tank of the water heater through the mounting portion, the second extension section can allow the extension portion with a sufficient length along the radial direction of the tank. In addition, the second extension section can deviate from the central axis of the tank, so that the second extension section will not interfere with components such as the anode member or the water pipe. Moreover, the first extension section and the second extension section are set at an included angle, so that the heater can be installed at a certain angle. In this way, the first extension section and the second extension section can be provided at the same side of the anode member and the water pipe, and the heater as a whole will not interfere with related components. When assembling the water heater, it is not necessary to pay attention to the installation order of the heater, the water pipe, the anode member and other components. When the heater is maintained later, the heater can be easily disassembled and assembled without being interfered by the water pipe, the anode member and other components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To more clearly illustrate technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the related art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the related art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained according to structures shown in these drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram from an aspect of a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram from another aspect of the heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a projection of the heater along the central axis direction of the mounting portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the heater according to an embodiment of the present invention when the heater is not installed.
FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of the heater according to an embodiment of the present invention when the heater is installed.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the matching state of part components of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numbers:

100, mounting portion; 200, first heating pipe; 210, first extension section; 211, first connection section; 212, second connection section; 213, inclined section; 220, second extension section; 300, second heating pipe; 10, tank; 11, mounting port; 20, water pipe; 21, water inlet pipe; 22, water outlet pipe; 30, anode member.
The realization of the objective, functional characteristics, and advantages of the present invention are further described with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the embodiments described are only some rather than all of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the claimed scope of the present invention.
It should be noted that all the directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, rear···) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement, or the like of the components in a certain posture (as shown in the drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will change accordingly.
Besides, the descriptions associated with, e.g., "first" and "second," in the present invention are merely for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical feature. Therefore, the feature associated with "first" or "second" can expressly or implicitly comprise at least one such feature. Further, if "and/or" appears throughout the text, it comprises three parallel schemes. Taking "A and/or B" as an example, it comprises the scheme A, or the scheme B, or the scheme that the scheme A and the scheme B satisfy at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but the combinations must be based on the realization of those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be achieved, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist, nor does it fall within the scope of the present invention.
The present invention proposes a heater and a water heater.
As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, in an embodiment of the present invention, the water heater comprises an tank 10, a water pipe 20, an anode member 30 and a heater installed inside the tank 10. At least one of the water pipe 20 and the anode member 30 is connected to the bottom of the tank 10 and extends into the tank 10. The central axis of the mounting portion 100 of the heater is parallel to the central axis of the tank 10, and is close to the central axis of the tank 10. The tank 10 is provided with a mounting port 11, and the mounting port 11 is used for the mounting portion 100 of the heater to be installed.
In an embodiment, the water pipe 20 comprises an inlet pipe 21 and an outlet pipe 22. To ensure the water inlet and outlet effects, the end of the outlet pipe 22 will be placed close to the top of the tank 10, that is, the outlet pipe 22 will generally pass through the central axis of the tank 10, and the end of the inlet pipe 21 will be placed close to the central axis of the tank 10. In this way, the inlet of the outlet pipe 22 is placed higher than the outlet of the inlet pipe 21, to protect the heater and ensure that the water level of the tank 10 can be maintained above the heating pipe of the heater even when the water supply is cut off.
The anode member 30 can be installed inside the tank 10 or outside the tank 10. In this embodiment, the anode member 30 installed inside the tank 10 is used as an example. To ensure the protective effect of the anode member 30 on the tank 10, the anode member 30 is generally placed higher than the central axis of the tank 10. The anode member 30 can be configured as a magnesium rod, an aluminum rod, a zinc rod, or a zinc-magnesium alloy rod, and the like, so that the metal activity of the anode member 30 is higher than that of the material used for the tank 10 of the water heater or the heating element. The anode member 30 will first undergo an oxidation reaction in the water, and by "sacrificing" the anode member 30, corrosive ions in the water will be attracted to form a protective film, thereby effectively preventing the tank 10 of the water heater and the heating element from being corroded, so that the overall service life of the water heater can be extended. In addition, the ions released during the reaction of the anode member 30 can help soften the water quality, and reduce the tendency that calcium, magnesium and other minerals in the water form hard scale, thereby maintaining heating efficiency and reducing energy waste and equipment damage caused by scale accumulation. Further, the anode member 30 can also react with impurities in the water to maintain the relative balance of water quality inside the water heater and reduce erosion on the tank 10 and pipes.
Due to the above-mentioned installation positions of the water pipe 20 and the anode member 30, the heating pipe structure of the existing heater is easy to interfere with the water pipe 20 or the anode member 30, which is not convenient for disassembling and assembling the heater.
As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, in an embodiment of the present invention, the heater comprises a mounting portion 100, and a first heating pipe 200.
The first heating pipe 200 comprises a first extension section 210 and a second extension section 220 connected in sequence. The first extension section 210 is connected to the mounting portion 100. At least part of the first extension section 210 extends obliquely relative to the central axis of the mounting portion 100. The second extension section 220 is bent relative to the first extension section 210. The projection of the first extension section 210 and the projection of the second extension section 220 along the central axis of the mounting portion 100 are set at a first angle A.
In the technical solution of the present invention, at least part of the first extension section 210 extends obliquely relative to the central axis of the mounting portion 100, so that the bending position of the second extension section 220 deviates from the central axis of the mounting portion 100, and the second extension section 220 is bent and then extends obliquely relative to the first extension section 210, thereby forming a first angle A between the projection of the first extension section 210 and the projection of the second extension section 220. In this way, the second extension section 220 will not pass through the central axis of the mounting portion 100, so that the second extension section 220 as a whole can deviate from the central axis of the mounting portion 100. It can be understood that after the heater is installed at the water heater, the central axis of the mounting portion 100 will be parallel to and close to the central axis of the tank 10. In this way, after the heater is installed at the tank 10 of the water heater through the mounting portion 100, the second extension section 220 can allow the extension portion with a sufficient length along the radial direction of the tank 10. In addition, the second extension section 220 can deviate from the central axis of the tank 10, so that the second extension section 220 will not interfere with components such as the anode member 30 or the water pipe 20. Moreover, the first extension section 210 and the second extension section 220 are set at an angle, so that the heater can be installed at a certain angle. In this way, the first extension section 210 and the second extension section 220 can be provided at the same side of the anode member 30 and the water pipe 20, and the heater as a whole will not interfere with related components. When assembling the water heater, it is not necessary to pay attention to the installation order of the heater, the water pipe 20, the anode member 30 and other components. When the heater is maintained later, the heater can be easily disassembled and assembled without being interfered by the water pipe 20, the anode member 30 and other components.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the first angle A is an acute angle. That is, the first extension section 210 is inclined toward the central axis of the mounting portion 100, and part of the second extension section 220 close to the first extension section 210 extends toward the central axis of the mounting portion 100. The second extension section 220 continues to extend, which means that the second extension section 220 will be away from the central axis of the mounting portion 100. In this way, the extension length of the second extension section 220 can be increased, which is conducive to increasing the heating range of the second extension section 220. In addition, the second extension section 220 can span from one side of the central axis of the tank 10 to the other side of the central axis of the tank 10, which will ensure the uniformity of the heater heating the water in the tank 10.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, after the heater is installed at the tank 10, the inclined extension portion of the first extension section 210 is configured to extend downwardly, and the second extension section 220 is bent upward relative to the first extension section 210. In this way, part of the second extension section 220 will be located above the central axis of the tank 10, and part of the second extension section 220 will be located below the central axis of the tank 10, which can take into account the heating of water in the upper and lower positions of the tank 10, which is conducive to improving the uniformity of the heater heating the water.
In other embodiments, the first angle A can also be an obtuse angle, that is, the second extension portion continues to bend along the direction of the first extension portion deviating from the central axis of the mounting portion 100. After the heater is installed at the water heater, the inclined extension portion of the first extension section 210 is inclined upward, and the second extension section 220 is bent upward relative to the first extension section 210. Or the inclined extension portion of the first extension section 210 is inclined downward, and the second extension section 220 is bent downward relative to the first extension section 210.
In an embodiment, the first angle A is in a range from 20 degrees to 45 degrees. The processing of the first heating pipe 200 can be facilitated within this range of the first angle A, and the structural strength of the first heating pipe 200 can be ensured. In particular, based on the first angle A within the range and the inclination of the first extension section 210, it is convenient to control the distance between the second extension section 220 and the anode member 30 within a suitable range, thereby ensuring that functions of the first heating pipe 200 and the anode member 30 can be achieved respectively. The first angle A is preferably in a range from 25 degrees to 30 degrees.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the minimum distance D1 between the central axis of the mounting portion 100 and the second extension section 220 is in a range from 16 mm to 59 mm. In this way, after the heater is installed at the tank 10 of the water heater, the distance between the second extension section 220 of the first heating pipe 200 and the central axis of the tank 10 will also be maintained in the above range, and the components such as the water pipe 20 and the anode member 30 are placed corresponding to the central axis of the tank 10. That is, the distance between the second extension section 220 and the anode member 30 can be set within a suitable range. In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, when the second extension section 220, the water pipe 20 and the anode member 30 are provided in parallel, the minimum distance D2 between the second extension section 220 and the anode member 30 will be in a range from 4 mm to 47 mm. Within the above range, there may allow a sufficient distance between the second extension section 220 and the water pipe 20 or between the second extension section 220 and the anode member 30, and allow a sufficient distance between the second extension section 220 and the inner wall of the tank 10. In this way, it can ensure that functions of the first heating pipe 200 and the anode member 30 can be achieved respectively. Moreover, the appropriate distance helps the water to form a more reasonable flow path inside the tank 10, which not only can ensure that the water flow can fully contact the anode member 30 and the first heating pipe 200 and make the heating more uniform, but also is conducive to the uniform distribution of the metal ions released by the anode member 30 in the water, thereby improving the protection effect and water quality processing effect. The above minimum distance D1 is preferably in a range from 25mm to 44mm, and the minimum distance D2 between the second extension section 220 and the anode member 30 will be correspondingly in a range from 13mm and 22mm.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the second extension section 220 comprises at least two folded pipe sections. In an embodiment, the two pipe sections are connected to each other in a U-shaped manner, so that the effective heating length of the second extension section 220 can be increased without occupying too much space, thereby increasing the heating capacity of the second extension section 220, which is beneficial to improving the heating efficiency of the heater.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the first extension section 210 comprises a first connection section 211, an inclined section 213, and a second connection section 212 connected in sequence. The extension direction of the first connection section 211 and the extension direction of the second connection section 212 are parallel to the central axis of the mounting portion 100, and the inclined section 213 extends obliquely relative to the central axis of the mounting portion 100. In this way, the extension direction of the first connection section 211 allows the first connection section 211 to be conveniently installed at the mounting portion 100, and the structural strength of the connection between the first connection section 211 and the mounting portion 100 can be ensured. The extension direction of the second connection section 212 allows the bending amount of the second extension section 220 to be small, which is convenient for the bending processing of the second extension section 220. In addition, the bending angle formed by two parts of the second extension section 220 will not be too small, and the structural strength of the connection between the second connection section 212 and the second extension section 220 can be ensured, and the connection is not easy to break. In other embodiments, it is also possible that, under the premise of ensuring the structural strength, the first extension section 210 is inclined and extends as a whole, or the inclined section 213 is directly connected to the mounting portion 100 or the second extension section 220.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the heater further comprises a second heating pipe 300. The second heating pipe 300 extends in parallel with the first extension section 210, and the second extension section 220 is bent in a direction away from the second heating pipe 300. In an embodiment, sections of the second heating pipe 300 extend along the direction from the first connection section 211, to the inclined section 213 and the second connection section 212 in sequence, to make the second heating pipe 300 parallel with the first extension section 210. The second heating pipe 300 and the first extension section 210 can heat water at different positions on opposite sides of the first extension section 210, which is beneficial to improving the heating capacity of the heater. After the heater is installed at the tank 10, the second heating pipe 300 will be located below the first extension section 210. In this way, when the water in the tank 10 is heated by the first heating pipe 200, water in the upper half part of the tank 10 can be quickly heated, so that the heating time can be shorten and the user can quickly use hot water. When the water in the tank 10 is heated by the second heating pipe 300, it can ensure that water in the whole tank 10 is heated, thereby providing more hot water to the user.
The above are only some embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention thereto. Under the concept of the present invention, any equivalent structural transformation made according to the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct/indirect invention in other related technical fields shall fall within the claimed scope of the present invention.

Claims

A heater, characterized by comprising:
a mounting portion (100); and

a first heating tube comprising a first extension section (210) and a second extension section (220) connected in sequence, wherein the first extension section (210) is connected to the mounting portion (100), at least partial first extension section (210) extending obliquely with respect to a central axis of the mounting portion (100), the second extension section (220) bending with respect to the first extension section (210), and a projection of the first extension section (210) and a projection of the second extension section (220) along the central axis of the mounting portion (100) being arranged at a first included angle.
The heater according to claim 1, wherein the first included angle is an acute angle.
The heater according to claim 2, wherein the first included angle ranges from 20 degrees to 45 degrees.
The heater according to claim 3, wherein the first included angle ranges from 25 degrees to 30 degrees.
The heater according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a minimum distance between the central axis of the mounting portion (100) and the second extension section (220) ranges from 16 mm to 59 mm.
The heater according to claim 5, wherein the minimum distance between the central axis of the mounting portion (100) and the second extension section (220) ranges from 25 mm to 44 mm.
The heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second extension section (220) comprises at least two folded tube sections; and/or
wherein the first extension section (210) comprises a first connection section (211), an inclined section (213) and a second connection section (212) connected in sequence, both an extension direction of the first connection section (211) and an extension direction of the second connection section (212) being parallel to the central axis of the mounting portion (100), and the inclined section (213) extending obliquely with respect to the central axis of the mounting portion (100); and/or

wherein the heater further comprises a second heating tube, the second heating tube and the first extension section (210) extending in parallel with each other, and the second extension section (220) bending in a direction away from the second heating tube.
A water heater, characterized by comprising:
A tank (10);

a water pipe (20) installed in the tank (10);

an anode member (30); and

a heater according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the water pipe (20) and the anode member (30) is connected to a bottom of the tank (10) and is configured to extend into the tank (10), the central axis of the mounting portion (100) being parallel to and close to the central axis of the tank (10).
The water heater according to claim 8, wherein an inclined extension portion of the first extension section (210) is configured to extend obliquely downward, the second extension section (220) bending upward with respect to the first extension section (210).
The water heater according to claim 9, wherein the second extension section (220) is parallel to the water pipe (20) and the anode member (30).