GB2456570A

GB2456570A - Shower tray heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: GB2456570A
Application number: GB0800993A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joshua Nicholas George Reid
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-01-19
Filing date: 2008-01-19
Publication date: 2009-07-22
Also published as: GB0800993D0

Abstract

A shower tray incorporating a heat exchanger is constructed of an upper section 1 with a water capturing recess 2 that is connected to a lower section 3 at the perimeter to form a chamber 9. The water capturing recess 2 is provided with an outlet tube 4 that projects downwards. The lower section 3 is provided with an outlet hole 5 which is surrounded by a boss 6 that is higher than the bottom of the outlet tube. Water may stand stagnant in the chamber above the level of the bottom end of the outlet tube 4. A fresh water supply pipe 7 may run between baffles 8 below the level of the boss 6. The direction of flow in the supply pipe may be opposite to the direction of flow of the waste water between the baffles.

Description

2456570

Shower tray heat exchanger

The present invention relates to a shower tray with integrated heat exchanger.

The tray incorporates a heat exchanger for the purpose of heating the showers feed water using heat transferred from the waste water for the purpose of lowering the net energy requirement of the shower or increasing the shower's water flow rate for any given energy consumption.

The device functions in the following manner: The waste water from the shower head falls into a water capturing recess (2) in upper section (1). The base surface of the water capturing recess (2) slopes at a small angle towards a plug hole towards which any water hitting the tray therefore flows. The water flowing into the plughole flows down a substantially vertical outlet tube (4) and into a chamber (9) formed between an upper section (1) and a lower section (3). The water is prevented from exiting the chamber (9) by a boss (6) that is attached to the lower section (3) and projects above the bottom end of the outlet tube (4) so that the chamber remains filled with water above the bottom level of the tube. The water flows over the boss (6) once the chamber has filled. The lower section (3) is provided with an outlet hole out of which the water flows into the waste water system. The chamber formed between the upper section (1) and the lower section (3) contains the fresh water supply pipe (7) which runs surrounded by the waste water flow so that heat is transferred to it. The lower section (3) is equipped with baffles that force the waste water to snake back and forth increasing the length of the path along which the water flows. The supply pipe runs along the path of the waste water and the flow in the pipe is in the opposite direction.

The connection is made in conjunction with an electric shower, fed by a single pipe, in a manner in which the water supplying the shower is diverted through the supply pipe (7) for the purposes of heating.

When used in conjunction with a hot and cold supplied shower, the cold supply is diverted through the supply pipe (7) for pre heating before mixing with the hot supply in the conventional manner.

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An airtight seal should be formed between the upper section (1) and the lower section (2) when they are connected so that the drain pipe network is isolated and sealed and smells cannot make their way out. This may be achieved by some flexible sealant applied at the time of connecting the trays, by a rubber seal around one or both tray sections or by other means.

Thus an effective cross flow heat exchanger is formed in the tray assembly that integrates a trap into a tray of conventional appearance that provides simple connection to ancillary equipment.

Figure 1. shows the section view of one embodiment of the shower tray. Water stands in the chamber at a level at the top of the boss, or similar projection (6). This water is thus standing above the level of the bottom of the outlet tube (4) preventing air movement in and out of the chamber formed between the tray sections. The outlet tube (4) is substantially vertical in this embodiment but could include bends and filter/ anti-blocking devices such as meshes gauze or removable filters.

Figure 2. shows the section view of one embodiment of the shower with the fresh water supply pipe (7) that, in the preferred embodiment snakes back and forth across the surface of the lower section (3) and runs between the guiding baffles (8).

Figure 3. shows a perspective view of the preferred path of the supply pipe and the arrangement of the guiding baffles (8), the top section (1) is not shown for clarity.

Figure 4. shows a perspective view of the tray with a cutaway view to the heat exchanger components.

Figure 5. shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment in which both ends of the fresh water supply pipe loop exit the through the top surface of the tray close to an edge.

Figure 6. shows the plan view of the tray and fresh water supply pipe (7) arrangement and arrangement of the guiding baffles (8).

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Claims

Claims:

1. A shower tray that is constructed of an upper section (1) with a water capturing recess (2) that is connected to a lower section (3) at the perimeter to form a chamber, the water capturing recess (2) is provided with an outlet tube (4) that projects downwards, the lower section (3) is provided with an outlet hole (5) which outlet hole is isolated by a boss (6)

that is higher than the bottom of the outlet tube (4).

2. A shower tray according to claim 1 that has a fresh water supply pipe (7) located between the upper section (1) and the lower section (3) with portions of the pipe running below the level of the boss (6).

3. A shower tray according to claim 2 m which the lower section (3) is provided with baffles (8) that project to a height above the boss (6) characterised in that the distance travelled by the waste water between the outlet tube (4) and the outlet hole

(5) is increased.

4. A shower tray according to claim 3 in which the supply pipe (7) runs between the baffles (8) and below the level of the boss

(6) following the path of the waste water.

5. A shower tray according to claim 4 that in which the direction of flow in the supply pipe (7) is opposite to the direction of flow of the waste water between the baffles.

6. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims in which the supply pipes exit the top surface of the upper section in a vertically upward direction

7. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims in which foams or other insulation materials are used to construct the upper section and lower section.

8. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims that forms part of a shower cubicle assembly.

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9. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims that is used in conjunction with an electric shower fed by a single pipe that is connected to the supply pipe (7).

10. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims that is used in conjunction with a hot and cold supplied shower, in which the cold supply is diverted through the supply pipe (7).

11. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims in which the vertical tube is equipped with mesh or filtration devices for the purposes of removing debris.

12. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims that is of any shape when viewed from above such as square, quarter circle, circular, elliptical or other shape

13. A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims in which the outlet hole (5) is equipped with a pipe or other easy means of connecting further pipe work.

14 . A shower tray according to any of the preceding claims in which the outlet hole (5) exits in a horizontal out of the side of the invention or out of the bottom in a vertical direction.