KR100695669B1 - Water pipe freeze-protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

An anti-freezing device of a water pipe is provided to prevent the water pipe from freezing and being broken, and to minimize waste of water by quickly discharging water from the water pipe with remotely controlling a valve in dropping temperature. An anti-freezing device of a water pipe includes a lever(105) opening and closing a cold water inlet part(102) and a hot water inlet part(103), a discharge part(104) discharging cold or hot water supplied to a hydrant, a first ceramic valve(108) opening and closing a cold water pipe(107) in a rear cold water inlet part(102b) by dividing the cold water inlet part with a partition(106), a first stepping motor(109) opening and closing the first ceramic valve in a front cold water inlet part(102a), a timer(110) generating time data, a control panel(111) installed in a body to set the opening period and opening time of the first ceramic valve and temperature of discharge water, a memory(112) memorizing the opening period and the opening time of the valve set by the control panel, and a hydrant control unit(113) shutting after opening the first ceramic valve for the opening time by controlling the first stepping motor according to the valve opening period based on time data from the timer. The memory stores the reference table including reference time by dividing one day into time ranges, and the hydrant control unit controls the first stepping motor by adding or subtracting the reference time from the reference table from the valve opening period or time according to time data from the timer.

Description

Water pipe freeze-protection device

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional water tap.

2 is a perspective view showing a water tap according to the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of Figure 2 showing the structure of the cold water inlet of the tap water according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the overall structure of the water pipe freeze protection apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the water pipe freeze protection apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

101: main body 102: cold water inlet

103: hot water inlet 104: discharge part

105: lever 106: bulkhead

107: cold water pipe 108: first ceramic valve

109: first stepping motor 110: timer

111: operation panel section 112: memory section

113: water supply control unit 114: hot water pipe

115: second ceramic valve 116: third ceramic valve

117: second stepping motor 118: third stepping motor

119: First Transmitter and Receiver

120: Home Automation System

121: system control unit 122: second transmission and reception unit

123: Meter

The present invention relates to a water pipe freeze protection device for preventing the water pipe connected to the water field is frozen by the winter temperature drop.

In general, the freezing of the water pipe is a meter (not shown) in the pipeline of the water pipe (2) connected to the water pipe (1) as shown in FIG. The water inside the water pipe 2 connected to the side freezes due to the winter temperature drop, so that the water pipe 2 is broken.

In such a method conventionally used to prevent freezing of the water pipe 2, water is discharged from the discharge portion 3 of the water tap 1 in any one of the places where the tap water 1 is installed, such as a toilet and a kitchen. Open the valve (or lever 4) so that it can be discharged little by little, and open the valve so that water can be discharged from the tap water 1 continuously even when the house is empty for a long time, so that water in the water pipe 2 freezes. The method of prevention has been used.

By relying on the above method, the freezing can be prevented, and most freezing can be prevented unless a sudden drop in temperature occurs due to an unexpected cold.

Here, the conventional freeze protection method is a waste of water because the water must be discharged by continuously opening the valve of the tap water (1), thereby causing a problem that the water tax rises, but in most customers the water pipe ( 2) freezes water bills more than repair costs, so it was inevitable to rely on the above method.

On the other hand, when there is a concern about freezing of the water pipe 2 during the winter season, when the house needs to be vacated for a long period of time, as mentioned above, when the temperature rises because water is discharged from the tap water 1 day and night, the tap water 1 Although there is no need to drain the water, there is no proper way to control it, so water will continue to be discharged until the user returns home, resulting in serious waste of water. do.

The present invention devised to solve the above problems is that when the temperature drops to a temperature that is concerned about freezing in winter, the valve of the tap water is opened at regular intervals so that the water staying in the water pipe may be rapidly discharged for a certain time. This prevents freezing of water pipes, and allows the valve opening and closing of water taps to be controlled remotely so that rapid discharge of water can be achieved at the appropriate time, thereby eliminating the concerns of freezing and minimizing waste of water. The purpose is to make it.

The above object is, as in the first embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the lever 105 for opening and closing the cold water inlet 102 and hot water inlet 103 of the tap water 100, and the tap water The discharge part 104 for discharging at least one of the cold and hot water supplied to the 100 and the cold water inlet 102 of the main body 101 of the tap water 100 are partitioned before and after the partition 106. The first ceramic valve 108 for opening and closing the cold water pipe 107 in the rear cold water inlet 102b, and the first stepping for opening and closing the first ceramic valve 108 in the front cold water inlet 102a. 1. A water pipe freeze protection apparatus having a motor (109), comprising: a timer (110) for generating time data; Installed in the main body 101, the first ceramic valve 108 is opened for a predetermined time period after a predetermined time, and then set the valve opening period and the valve opening time and the temperature of the discharged water discharged to the discharge unit 104 to be blocked. An operation panel 111 arranged to be; A memory unit 112 for storing a valve opening period and a valve opening time set by the operation panel unit 111; The first stepping motor 109 may be disconnected after the first ceramic valve 108 is opened for the valve opening time according to the valve opening period stored in the memory unit 112 with reference to the time data generated by the timer 110. Control may be achieved by a water pipe freeze protection device comprising a water tap control unit 113.

Here, the memory unit 112 divides one day (24 hours) into at least one time domain, stores a standard reference table in which reference time is recorded for each time domain, and the faucet control unit 113 includes a timer ( It is preferable to drive control the first stepping motor 109 by adding or subtracting the reference time in the standard reference table belonging to the current time according to the time data transmitted at 110 to the valve opening period and the valve opening time.

On the other hand, the above object, as in the second embodiment shown in Figure 5, the discharge unit 104 and the discharge unit 104 for discharging at least one of the cold, hot water supplied to the water tap 100 The lever 105 for manual opening and closing, and the cold and hot water inlet portions 102 and 103 of the main body 101 of the tap water 100 are divided into the partition walls 106 before and after the rear cold and hot water inlet portions ( The second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 coupled to the cold and hot water pipes 107 and 114 are coupled to the 102 and 103, and the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 are coupled thereto. The water pipe for opening and closing the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 is coupled to the second and third stepping motors 117 and 118 embedded in the front cold and hot water inlet 102 and 103. A freeze protection device, comprising: a timer (110) for generating time data; Installed at the main body 101, at least one of the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 is opened for a predetermined period of time, and then set the valve opening period and the valve opening time to shut off, and discharged An operation panel unit 111 configured to set a temperature of the discharged water discharged to the unit 104; A memory unit 112 for storing a valve opening period and a valve opening time set by the operation panel unit 111; The second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 are opened and shut down during the valve opening time according to the valve opening period stored in the memory 112 with reference to the time data generated by the timer 110. It can also be achieved by the water pipe freeze protection device, characterized in that it comprises a water tap controller 113 for controlling the third stepping motor (117, 118).

Here, the memory unit 112 divides one day (24 hours) into at least one time domain, stores a standard reference table in which reference time is recorded for each time domain, and the water tap controller 113 is a timer. At least one of the second and third stepping motors 117 and 118 may be determined by adding or subtracting the reference time in the standard reference table belonging to the current time according to the time data transmitted from 110 to the valve opening period and the valve opening time. It is preferable to drive control.

In addition, the first transmitter / receiver 119 is embedded in the main body 101 so as to be connected to and communicate with the water supply control unit 113, and the home automation system 120 remotely with the first transmitter / receiver 119 (Home Automation). System) The second transmitter / receiver 122 connected to the system control unit 121 is connected to one of wired and wireless, and the valve opening period and the valve opening time are set to the system control unit 121 by either wired or wireless. In this case, it is preferable that the first and second transmitting and receiving units 119 and 122 communicate with each other so that the water supply control unit 113 stores the valve opening period and the valve opening time in the memory unit 112.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the present invention will be described for each of the first and second embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 2 to 5, and overlapping components in the first and second embodiments will be given the same reference numerals. Components to be distinguished will be described with reference numerals, respectively.

First, Figure 2 shows the cold, hot water faucet 100 to discharge cold, hot water.

The present invention is not limited only to the cold and hot water faucet 100, but may be adopted to the hot water only or cold water only faucet, the detailed configuration and operation will be described below.

The main body 101 of the faucet 100 has a cold water inlet 102 to which the cold water pipe 107 is connected, a hot water inlet 103 to which the hot water pipe 114 is connected, and a cold water inlet 102 and hot water. The lever 105 for opening and closing the inlet 103 is coupled to the upper end of the main body 101, and is composed of a discharge unit 104 for discharging at least one of cold and hot water supplied.

The inside of the cold water inlet 102 of the main body 101 is divided into a front cold water inlet 102a and a rear cold water inlet 102b by the partition 106, as shown in FIG. A first stepping motor 109 is built into the inlet portion 102a, and a cold water pipe is provided in the drive shaft 109a of the first stepping motor 109 that penetrates through the partition wall 106 and protrudes into the rear cold water inlet portion 102b. The first ceramic valve 108 embedded in the rear cold water inlet 102b is axially coupled to open and close the 107.

That is, the first ceramic valve 108 is embedded in the rear cold water inlet 102b and coupled to the cold water pipe 107, and when the cold water pipe 107 is opened by the driving of the first stepping motor 109, Cold water of the cold water pipe 107 is introduced into the rear cold water inlet 102b, and the drawn cold water is discharged to the outside through the discharge unit 104.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, after the first ceramic valve 108 is opened at a predetermined time interval, the first ceramic valve 108 is shut off after a predetermined time elapses. An operation panel 111 for setting the valve opening period and the valve opening time of the ceramic valve 108 is provided in the main body 101 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the operation of the operation panel 111 is performed. The valve opening period and the valve opening time set by the are stored in the memory unit 112.

In addition, time data generated from the timer 110 is continuously transmitted to the water supply control unit 113 that controls the first stepping motor 109 to open and close the first ceramic valve 108.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4, when the time data transmitted from the timer 110 reaches the valve opening period stored in the memory unit 112, the first tapping motor 109 during the valve opening time. ) Controls the first ceramic valve 108 to open, and then controls the cold water pipe 107 to be blocked by the first ceramic valve 108 by driving control of the first stepping motor 109. will be.

At this time, the water remaining in the cold water pipe 107 flows toward the faucet 100 and at the same time a part of the water flowing through the cold water pipe 107 is discharged through the discharge unit 104.

Here, according to the first embodiment according to the present invention, when the water supply control unit 113 opens and closes the first ceramic valve 108 in order to prevent freezing, cold water flowing into the cold water inlet 102 is discharged 104. It is assumed that the lever 105 must be operated in an open state at all times so that the first ceramic valve 108 can be discharged so that the cold water can be discharged to the discharge unit 104.

In addition, the lever 105 should be opened to block hot water and discharge only cold water.

As a result, the water of the cold water pipe 107 on the meter 123 side is also clouded on the pipeline, so that the time required for the water inside the cold water pipe 107 (or the water pipe) to freeze is not provided, thereby preventing freezing. .

In particular, such periodic automatic opening and closing generates a pressure wave phenomenon by rapidly changing the motion state of the water flowing through the cold water pipe 107, which is called a water hammer or water hammer.

In this water hammer phenomenon, when the end valve of the pipe flowing through the liquid is rapidly closed, the flow of the liquid flowing in the pipe is rapidly decelerated, and the kinetic energy of the liquid is converted into pressure energy, and the elastic waves reciprocate inside the pipe. The same thing happens when you open a closed valve quickly.

Here, if the water is completely incompressible and the wall of the cold water pipe 107 is rigid, the pressure when the first ceramic valve 108 is closed instantaneously becomes infinite, but in reality there is some compressibility to the water, Since the wall of the cold water pipe 107 is elastic, when the first ceramic valve 108 is closed, the wall of the cold water pipe 107 is slightly expanded but the water is also compressed to increase the pressure.

Since the above water hammer generally causes damage to the pipe, in most pipes, a safety valve (not shown) is installed to prevent damage to the pipe due to the water hammer.

Therefore, the automatic opening and closing of the first ceramic valve 108 according to the present invention is accompanied by the above-described water hammer phenomenon, even if water staying in the cold water pipe 107 on the meter 123 side is finely frozen. Due to the compression and expansion of the water, the fine icing is broken, while the water hammer is offset by the safety valve, which does not cause serious damage to the pipe.

In addition, the water on the pipeline is temporarily discharged out through the discharge unit 104, so that the water on the pipeline flows to prevent the freezing of the cold water pipe 107 on the meter 123 side.

On the other hand, as described above, when the first ceramic valve 108 is automatically opened and closed quickly for a short time, by operating the lever 105 of the water tap 100 finely open the valve, water is continuously It is possible to prevent freezing more efficiently than to discharge, and to greatly reduce the amount of water discharged, thereby preventing the waste of water.

In the second embodiment according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the overall configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the cold water inlet 102 and the hot water inlet 103 are partitioned into partitions 106. The second and third stepping motors are built into the front cold and hot water inlets 102 and 103, respectively, and the cold and hot water inlets 102 and 103 are respectively provided with a cold water pipe 107 and a hot water pipe 114. The second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 to open and close the second and third stepping motors 117 and 118 to open and close the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116. To be able.

Accordingly, the second and third stepping motors 117 and 118 are individually or simultaneously controlled by the water supply control unit 113, so that cold and hot water may be discharged.

Here, the lever 105 in the second embodiment according to the present invention is for manually opening and closing the discharge part 104, when the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 are opened during a power failure, It is forcibly blocking the discharge part 104 to prevent waste of water.

On the other hand, the water supply control unit 113 is connected to the first transmission and reception unit 119 embedded in the main body 101 to transmit and receive a signal with the first transmission and reception unit 119, the first transmission and reception unit 119 The second transmitter / receiver 122 connected to the system control unit 121 of the remotely located home automation system 120 can communicate with any one of wired and wireless.

Therefore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the valve opening period and the valve opening time stored in the memory unit 112 can be set even remotely, and the second and third ceramic valves are available anytime and anywhere according to the drop and rise of temperature. It is possible to control the opening and closing period and opening time of the (115) (116).

That is, the first transmitting and receiving unit 119 for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the water supply control unit 113 is provided in the main body 101, and the first transmitting and receiving unit 119 is at least one of wired and wireless. The second transmitter / receiver 122 is connected to the second transmitter / receiver 122, and the second transmitter / receiver 122 is connected to the system controller 121 of the home automation system 120 to thereby control the water supply controller 113 and the system controller ( 121 is connected to enable mutual communication.

Here, the first transmitter / receiver 119 receives a control signal, a valve opening cycle, and a valve opening time through the second transmitter / receiver 122 under the control of the system controller 121, and the received data is a water supply controller. By transmitting to 113, the water supply control unit 113 stores the valve opening period and the valve opening time in the memory unit 112 according to the transmitted control signal.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, cold and hot water may be discharged by the valve opening period and the valve opening time of the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116, but in some cases, the valve may be discharged to allow only cold or hot water to be discharged. The opening period and the valve opening time may be set, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made.

Hereinafter, only the second ceramic valve 115 will be opened and closed to prevent freezing of the cold water pipe 107, and the operation will be described.

Therefore, when the water supply control unit 113 opens the second ceramic valve 115, the cold water may be discharged to the discharge unit 104, and the memory unit 112 updated by the system control unit 121 may be used. The second ceramic valve 115 is opened and closed with reference to the valve opening cycle and the valve opening time.

In other words, when a remotely located user connects to the home automation system 120 by telephone or the Internet, sets the valve opening period and the valve opening time, the system control unit 121 receives the first transmission / reception from the second transmission / reception unit 122. The valve 119 transmits a valve opening cycle, a valve opening time, and a control signal.

The signal received from the first transmitter / receiver 119 is transmitted to the water tap controller 113, and the controller taps the valve opening period and the valve opening time received from the first transmitter / receiver 119 to the memory unit. Save to 112.

Therefore, when the water supply control unit 113 controls the second stepping motor 117, the second ceramic valve 115 is opened according to a valve opening cycle and a valve opening time set remotely, and the third ceramic valve ( 116 maintains the closed state because there is no open signal, so that only cold water can be discharged to the discharge unit 104.

On the contrary, if the valve opening period and the valve opening time are signals for the third ceramic valve 116, the second ceramic valve 115 remains closed and the third ceramic valve 116 is opened. Hot water of the hot water pipe 114 is discharged to the discharge unit 104.

On the other hand, if the valve opening period and the valve opening time are signals for the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116, the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 are both open and cold, Hot water may be discharged.

As a result, the remote setting of the user according to the sudden rise or decrease in temperature is that at least one of the second ceramic valve 115 and the third ceramic valve 116 is opened and closed for an appropriate period and time, and thus water is wasted in an unprotected state. You can prevent it.

Here, the home automation system 120 may be a method of accessing the home automation system 120 using a H.3113 compatible telephone, and accessing the home automation system 120 using a general telephone or a web browser. In some embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the approach of the home automation system and the operation of the home automation system 120.

Therefore, if you are away from your home for a long period of time during the winter freezing period, when the temperature drops sharply, you can access the home automation system 120 by using the telephone or the Internet, and then reset the valve opening cycle and valve opening time. Therefore, the optimum valve opening and closing is maintained to minimize the waste of water.

On the other hand, in the memory unit 112 of the first and second embodiments of the present invention, a standard reference table is formed by dividing one day (24 hours) into a plurality of time areas, and a reference time is included in each time area of the standard reference table. The reference time is preferably recorded so that the water tap control unit 113 can be referred to when opening or closing at least one of the first, second, and third ceramic valves 108, 115, and 116. Do.

That is, when the day is divided into 24 hours, the temperature for each hour is different, so when the highest temperature and the lowest temperature are among the first, the first, second, and third ceramic valves 108, 115, and 116 By setting the valve opening period and the valve opening time differently so that the optimum valve opening period and the valve opening time can be set, the waste of water can be minimized.

For example, when the time data transmitted from the timer 110 to the faucet control unit 113 is a time region having the highest temperature of the day, the faucet control unit 113 may include first, second and third ceramic valves. When opening at least one of the 108, 115, and 116, the reference time of the corresponding time domain from the standard reference table stored in the memory 112 is subtracted from the valve opening time to open.

On the other hand, when the time data transmitted by the timer 110 to the tap water control unit 113 is a time region having the lowest temperature of the day, the tap water control unit 113 may include the first, second, and third ceramic valves ( When opening the 108, 115, and 116, it is preferable to add the reference time of the corresponding time domain among the standard reference tables stored in the memory 112 to the valve opening time, thereby opening more safe freeze protection. .

Here, since the above 24 hours can be divided into at least one or more time domains, the number is not limited, and the valve open cycle may be referred to in the corresponding region as well as the valve open time.

As described above, the present invention can prevent the freezing phenomenon by allowing the water remaining in the water pipe on the meter side to flow rapidly or discharged by opening and closing the ceramic valve periodically, thereby preventing the compression and expansion of the water according to the opening and closing of the ceramic valve. It can be used to remove minute freezing that may remain inside the water pipe.

In addition, the valve opening cycle and the valve opening time are differentially applied according to the passage of time in response to a daily temperature change, thereby minimizing waste of water.

In addition, by allowing the home automation system to be remotely accessed and reset the valve opening cycle and the valve opening time even when the user is away from home for long periods of time, unnecessary waste of water can be prevented in a situation where the freezing of the water pipe is not concerned. Has the effect of.

Claims (5)

A lever 105 for opening and closing the cold water inlet 102 and the hot water inlet 103 of the tap water 100, and a discharge part 104 for discharging at least one of cold and hot water supplied to the tap water 100. ) And a first ceramic for dividing the cold water inlet portion 102 of the main body 101 into the partition wall 106 to open and close the cold water pipe 107 to the rear cold water inlet portion 102b. In the water pipe freeze protection device in which the valve 108 is incorporated and the front cold water inlet 102a includes the first stepping motor 109 for opening and closing the first ceramic valve 108, A timer 110 for generating time data; Installed in the main body 101, the first ceramic valve 108 is opened for a predetermined time period after a predetermined time, and then set the valve opening period and the valve opening time and the temperature of the discharged water discharged to the discharge unit 104 to be blocked. An operation panel 111 arranged to be; A memory unit 112 for storing a valve opening period and a valve opening time set by the operation panel unit 111; The first stepping motor 109 may be disconnected after the first ceramic valve 108 is opened for the valve opening time according to the valve opening period stored in the memory unit 112 with reference to the time data generated by the timer 110. The water pipe freeze protection device, characterized in that the control comprises a water tap control unit (113). The method of claim 1, The memory unit 112 divides one day (24 hours) into at least one time domain, stores a standard reference table in which reference time is recorded for each time domain, and the water tap controller 113 includes a timer 110. And controlling the first stepping motor (109) by controlling the reference time in the standard reference table belonging to the current time to the valve opening period and the valve opening time in accordance with the time data transmitted from the control unit. The discharge part 104 for discharging at least one of cold and hot water supplied to the tap water 100, the lever 105 for manually opening and closing the discharge part 104, and the main body 101 of the tap water 100. The second and third ceramic valves are divided into the front and rear compartments of the cold and hot water inlets 102 and 103 by the partition wall 106, and the cold and hot water inlets 102 and 103 are coupled to the cold and hot water inlets. The second and third stepping motors 117 which are coupled to the first and second ceramic valves 115 and 116, and are embedded in the front cold and hot water inlet 102 and 103. In the water pipe freeze protection device that 118 is coupled to open and close the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116, A timer 110 for generating time data; Installed at the main body 101, at least one of the second and third ceramic valves 115 and 116 is opened for a predetermined period of time, and then set the valve opening period and the valve opening time to shut off, and discharged An operation panel unit 111 configured to set a temperature of the discharged water discharged to the unit 104; A memory unit 112 for storing a valve opening period and a valve opening time set by the operation panel unit 111; The second and third steppings may be performed such that the second and third ceramic valves 116 are opened and shut down during the valve opening time according to the valve opening period stored in the memory unit 112 with reference to the time data generated by the timer 110. Water pipe freeze protection device comprising a water tap control unit 113 for controlling the motor (118). The method of claim 3, The memory unit 112 divides one day (24 hours) into at least one time domain, stores a standard reference table in which reference time is recorded for each time domain, and the water tap controller 113 includes a timer 110. At least one of the second and third stepping motors 115 and 116 is driven and controlled by adding or subtracting the reference time in the standard reference table belonging to the current time according to the time data transmitted from the valve opening period and the valve opening time. Water pipe freeze protection device characterized in that. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The first transmitter / receiver 119 is embedded in the main body 101 so as to be connected to and communicate with the water supply control unit 113, and the home automation system 120 remotely with the first transmitter / receiver 119. When the second transmission / reception unit 122 connected to the system control unit 121 is connected to any one of wired and wireless, and the valve opening period and the valve opening time are set in the system control unit 121 by either wired or wireless, Water pipe freeze protection device characterized in that the first and second transmission and reception unit 119, 122 to communicate so that the water supply control unit 113 stores the valve opening period, the valve opening time in the memory unit 112. .

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