JPS5824327A - Hot water agitating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make agitation possible without supplying energy from any other source, by forming a rotary part of a rotary shaft with a reversible shape memory effect alloy and shifting a center of gravity of the rotary part eccentrically when a temp. difference occurs. CONSTITUTION:A rodlike body 9 consisting of a shape-memory effect alloy is fixedly attached to the tip of a rotary arm 8 of a rotary shaft 7, and further, a weight 10 is attached to constitute a rotary blade 11. Then, the body 9 of high temp. becomes straight and the body 9 of low temp. becomes curved when the temp. difference occurs i.e. when an upper part A is in high temp. and a lower part B is in low temp. Accordingly, the center of gravity of the whole body is shifted toward the blade 11 located at the high temp. side to rotate the shaft 7 counterclockwise, and next, the shaft 7 is rotated reversely i.e. clockwise. Thus, the agitation is performed without supplying energy from any other sources.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device that utilizes the properties of a shape memory alloy and utilizes thermal energy to stir hot water in a bathtub or the like.

First, a general description will be given of the shape memory alloy used in this invention. Shape memory alloys are alloy materials that exhibit martensitic transformation, and have received particular attention in recent years for use in low-quality thermal energy. This martensitic transformation is a type of phase transformation that occurs when a metal is solution-treated at high temperature and then rapidly cooled, resulting in a complete transformation of the atomic group without long-range diffusion of atoms. There are two types: type martensitic transformation and non-thermoelastic type martensitic transformation. The former thermoelastic martensitic transformation is caused by the difference (As-Ms) between the reverse transformation start temperature (As) from the martensitic phase to the parent phase and the transformation start temperature (Ms) from the parent phase to the martensitic phase, that is, hysteresis. The latter type of non-thermoelastic martensitic transformation has a large hysteresis and the interface between the martensitic phase and the matrix maintains consistency while deformation occurs. It is something that causes deformation without having any.

Alloys exhibiting thermoelastic martensitic transformation have the following unique properties. One reason for this is the shape memory effect, in which even if the martensitic phase is deformed, it will return to the original shape of the matrix when heated.Secondly, even if the deformation is performed by applying stress exceeding the elastic limit, the stress will be reduced. It has a pseudoelastic property of returning to the original shape of the matrix when removed, and this invention utilizes the first shape memory effect of the two properties of the thermoelastic martensitic transformation described above. Furthermore, this invention utilizes the reversible shape memory effect, which means that if an alloy that has a shape memory effect is subjected to repeated training with appropriate stress and heat cycles, it will be able to remember its shape even at low temperatures. . That is, the present invention uses a shape memory alloy having a reversible shape memory effect as described above to form a rotor blade that memorizes an elongated shape at high temperatures and a contracted shape at low temperatures, and The rotating part is attached to the rotating shaft so that they balance each other, and when the water temperature in the upper layer is higher than that in the lower layer when immersed in a vortex such as a bathtub, the upper rotor blade expands and the lower rotor blade contracts. Taking advantage of the fact that the center of gravity is off the axis of rotation, the rotating part is automatically rotated to stir the hot water.

Next, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a schematic perspective view of a normal bathtub, (1) is a bathtub, (
2) is a boiler, and (3) is a bathtub (1) with hot water from the boiler (2).
), the outlet (4) is for supplying water from the bathtub (1) to the boiler (
2) This is the hot water inlet that supplies water (or low-temperature hot water) to the hot water tank.

The water (hot water) in the bathtub (1) is gradually heated as it circulates through natural convection, but the hot water that comes out of the outlet (3) is high temperature, so it stays in the upper part of the bathtub (1) and the hot water is heated. It is difficult to equalize the temperature. The device of the present invention is used by being attached to the pumping port (3) that forms the interface between the high-temperature water and the low-temperature water.

Figure 2 shows the lid (5) of the outlet (3), which has a hole (6) in the center for inserting the rotating part. (7) in Figure 3 is a rotating shaft that is inserted into the hole (6) and rotatably supported by an appropriate support mechanism, and the tip has a symmetrical rotating arm (
8) is provided. Figure 4 shows a shape memory section using a shape memory alloy, where (9) is a rod-shaped body made of a shape-memory alloy, and α is a weight fixed to the tip of the rod-shaped body (9). The rod-shaped body (9) is attached to the tip of the rotary arm (8) and forms a rotary blade circle. Here, this rod-shaped body (9
) is the reversible shape memory effect mentioned above 1
Accordingly, a straight line shape as shown in FIG. 4(1) is stored as a shape at high temperature, and a curved shape as shown in FIG. 4(b) is stored as a shape at low temperature.

FIG. 5 shows the operating state of this device. The upper part of the diagram is on the high temperature side, and the lower part (B) is on the low temperature side. In the state shown in the diagram, one rotating NOυ on the high temperature side has a linear shape in which the rod-shaped body (9) is the memorized shape at the time of farm temperature. , the other rotor αl
Since it is on the low temperature side, the rod-shaped body (9) is curved. For this reason, the center of gravity of the entire body is shifted toward the rotating iI circle on the high temperature side, and the left side becomes heavier, causing the rotating part to rotate counterclockwise as shown by the arrow.

Next, the rod-shaped body (9) of the right rotor blade I, which has been on the low-temperature side, stretches, and the left-hand rod (9) curves, so the right side becomes heavier and rotates clockwise, contrary to the previous direction. do.

Such movement is repeated until there is no difference in temperature between the upper and lower layers. Therefore, by appropriately selecting the shape of the rotating arm (8) or the rod-shaped body (9) and allowing the rotary blade αυ to operate as a stirring blade, the oscillating motion of the rotating part as described above can improve the hot water flow. Stirring is carried out, and if there is no temperature difference (it will stop naturally).

Although this embodiment has two rotary blades, if a plurality of rotary blades are provided radially, the center of gravity of the rotating part can always be shifted upward to the left or right, and the center of gravity can be kept at the same position. It is also possible to continuously rotate in one direction, and it is also possible to construct a device that converts the thermal energy of the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides into the mechanical energy of continuous rotation in one direction.

As is clear from the description of the embodiments above, this invention utilizes the reversible shape memory effect of shape memory alloys, uses the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of hot water such as in a bathtub as energy, and supplies energy from other sources. Hot water can be easily stirred using a simple device without having to do anything.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a bathtub using the device of the present invention, FIG. A front view and a side view of the rotating shaft and rotating arm of an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. It is a front view explaining the operation. (5)... Lid of evacuation port, (6)... Hole, (7)...
- Rotating shaft, (8)... Rotating arm, (9)... Rod-shaped body made of shape memory alloy, αD... Rotor blade. Applicant Sharp Corporation Agent Patent Attorney Hisao Komori Figure 1 Figure 2 (b) (Q)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Using a shape memory alloy with a reversible shape memory effect, the rotor blades, which memorize the elongated shape at high temperatures and the contracted shape at low temperatures, are attached to the rotating shaft so as to balance each other, and the rotating part is 1. A hot water stirring device characterized in that the center of gravity of the rotating part is located at a position deviated from the rotation axis when the temperature of the upper layer is higher than that of the lower layer.