KR20170109078A - Device comprising a boiler for containing and heating a liquid and a system for containing the liquid at a lower temperature - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a boiler for receiving and heating liquid and a low temperature liquid system for the purpose of containing a relatively low temperature liquid in communication with the boiler. During operation of the apparatus, the boiler is operated to heat a predetermined amount of liquid received from the cold liquid system. Measures are taken to prevent backflow of the liquid in order to avoid heating of the liquid present in the low temperature liquid system and cooling of the liquid present in the boiler. These measures include the application of certain types of components 9 located upstream of the boiler and additional measures to achieve an adiabatic effect at a location upstream of the boiler to avoid heat transfer through the component 9 Are taken.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a device for containing a liquid for storing and heating a liquid, and a system for accommodating a liquid at a low temperature. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION < RTI ID = 0.0 >

The present invention

A boiler for receiving and heating liquid such as water,

And a low temperature liquid system for use in receiving a liquid which is in liquid communication with the boiler while at a lower temperature than the hot liquid from the boiler.

Devices such as those mentioned at the outset are well known. By way of example, the device may be a water purifier. In many cases, such a device is a gravity-based device, where water only flows under the influence of gravity through a filter that is part of the device and device, and pumps and the like are not used. Thus, in such an arrangement, the boiler is arranged at a lower elevation than the low temperature liquid system, and the low temperature liquid system includes a storage tank in many instances. Also in such a device, a conduit system is provided for interconnecting the storage tank and the boiler. The function of the various elements of the device is adapted to the fact that only very low pressures are present in the device, since only pressure due to the height of the water column extending between the storage tank and the boiler can be applied.

Conventional gravity-based water purifiers have the problem that water present in the storage tank is likewise heated when the boiler is operated to heat a predetermined amount of water. The storage tank is for storing water at room temperature, but due to the presence of the connection between the storage tank and the boiler, the temperature of the water in the storage tank rises when the boiler is operated. In this regard, it should be noted that there is always a heat flow between the quantities of water having various temperatures, regardless of the shape and size of the conduits and other elements for receiving and / or transporting the water. Due to the fact that only low pressures are present in the device, it is possible to apply valves including complex valves, such as spring preloaded valves or moving parts, to separate hot water in the boiler from many cold water in the storage tank It is impossible to do.

The hot water in the boiler has a lower density than the water in the storage tank and the conduit system interconnecting the storage tank and the boiler. Due to the density difference, the hot water has a tendency to rise to a higher elevation in the apparatus and moves toward the storage tank while the cold water has a tendency to flow downward in the apparatus. As a result, the water in the storage tank becomes hotter over time, while the boiler needs to use energy to heat the lower temperature water flowing downward.

WO98 / 51970 provides a stand-alone, non-pressurized hot water and low temperature water dispenser, comprising: a dispenser body having a water reservoir that can be replenished by an inverter-type water bottle removably mountable on top of the distributor body; A non-return valve located in the pipe for supplying water from the water reservoir to the hot water tank to prevent the hot water tank, the hot water tank, the heated water in the hot water tank from returning to the water reservoir or the cold water tank; And an expansion chamber connected to the hot water tank to allow water to expand or warm at substantial atmospheric pressure and to retain water in the hot water tank. However, this distributor can not insulate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above problem in which the temperature of the water in the storage tank unintentionally increases due to the flow of the relative hot water from the boiler to the storage tank. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned problem of a non-intentional increase in the energy required to heat water in the boiler due to the relatively low temperature water flow from the storage tank to the boiler.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus comprising a boiler and a low temperature liquid system as described above which further comprises means for preventing back flow from the boiler to the low temperature liquid system and for realizing insulation at the upstream position of the boiler Respectively.

It should be noted that the means for preventing reverse flow from the boiler to the low temperature liquid system and for realizing the insulation at the upstream position of the boiler includes a single structure in which the functions of both are integrated. By way of example, for the purpose of preventing backflow, the device according to the invention may comprise a one-way valve for allowing liquid to flow in the direction from the low temperature liquid system to the boiler and for blocking flow in the other direction. In a gravity based apparatus, the valve may be a low pressure actuation valve, such as an umbrella valve or a duckbill valve. However, such valves are generally very thin, and as a result, there is significant heat transfer through these valves. Thus, in the case of applying the above-described thin valve, it is possible to avoid cooling of the hot liquid under the influence of the presence of the cold liquid and to prevent the cooling of the liquid under the influence of the presence of the hot liquid A configuration for realizing the heat insulating function to avoid heating is similarly provided. As an example, a space for trapping air can be provided in the vicinity of the valve.

In any case, when the present invention is applied, a flow of liquid does not occur in the direction from the boiler to the low temperature liquid system, and the effect that the hot liquid is insulated from the cold liquid is achieved. As an advantageous result, it is expected that there will be a liquid at room temperature in the cryogenic liquid system, but no longer inconveniences the user of the apparatus to find a certain amount of warm water present. Also, the energy consumption by the boiler is reduced because the temperature on the boiler side of the apparatus is no longer continuously reduced under the influence of the interaction with the liquid from the low temperature liquid system. Another advantageous result of improved isolation of hot and cold liquids is that it is unlikely that a phenomenon known as biofouling occurs in the low temperature liquid system or at least some of the health threatening conditions during the normal use of the device according to the invention It is slowed down to such an extent that it does not occur.

It should be noted that with regard to the possibility of having a one-way valve in the device to prevent backflow, such a valve may be of a type configured to open under the influence of liquid pressure. This option is particularly advantageous when it is necessary to design the device according to the invention as simple as possible and the need for a valve with movable parts which need to be actively placed in an open or closed position by means of a micro- It does not exist.

It is preferable that the apparatus according to the present invention includes an air trapping space located at a position upstream of the boiler. In this manner, an airlock is created, which can be positioned to insulate the hot liquid in the boiler from the cold liquid in the cold liquid system. Preferably, the design of the air trapping space is such that air is automatically trapped when the device is filled with liquid. In this case, a certain amount of air remains in the device as long as the device is filled with liquid. In addition, the airlock is regenerated every time the device containing the boiler is drained and refilled.

Within the scope of the present invention, the low temperature liquid system and the boiler can be directly connected to each other, but it is also possible in accordance with the invention to include a conduit system interconnecting the boiler and the low temperature liquid system, A conduit extending between the liquid system and the boiler, wherein the air trapping space is present in a portion of the conduit having a larger cross-sectional area than the adjacent portions. In this arrangement, various kinds of actual measures can be made to ensure that air remains in the defined portion of the conduit, and that portions of the conduit with larger cross-sectional areas are connected to portions having smaller cross- The use of configurations in which the barriers are present may be possible.

In a practical embodiment, the apparatus may comprise means for preventing liquid from filling the air trapping space from the side of the cold liquid system in the form of a wall blocking access to the air trapping space. Having a physical barrier to limit at least a portion of the air trapping space in the apparatus is an appropriate way of ensuring that air is retained in the air trapping space based on the fact that the space can not be reached by the liquid.

According to a first possibility, a conduit system comprising a conduit extending between the cryogenic liquid system and the boiler is present in the apparatus, the tube member being arranged inside the conduit and having at least an end portion of the tube member, Sectional area of the end portion of the tube member is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the conduit at the position where the end portion of the tube member is present. In this case, the wall of the end portion of the tube member is a liquid containing the air trapping space present in the region where the flow of liquid is present during operation, that is, between the inside of the tube member and the wall of the conduit wall and the end portion of the tube member Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI >

Preferably, the wall of the tube member is a thin wall and comprises a flexible material, so that the end portion of the tube member is opened and closed under the effects of very low pressures, e.g., the pressures present in the gravity based device Which can be used as a one-way valve. Embodiments that include a tube member extending within the conduit have the advantages of a compact and simple design and at the same time have a useful valve function and air trapping function to prevent back flow of liquid from the boiler to the low temperature liquid system, The transmission of heat through is also prevented.

According to a second possibility existing within the concept of having a wall for blocking access to the air trapping space, the air trapping space is formed by the internal space of the hollow member for receiving the air. In this case, the hollow member constitutes a wall that prevents the liquid from filling up the air trapping space. The hollow member may be freely arranged within the portion of the conduit of the conduit system having a larger cross-sectional area than the adjacent portions, and the cross-sectional area of the hollow member is greater than the cross-sectional area of the adjacent portions of the conduit. Based on variations in the sizes of the cross-sectional areas, it is not possible for the hollow member and the air contained therein to escape from a defined portion of the conduit. Further, due to the free arrangement of the hollow member, the hollow member can perform a valve function. Particularly, while the hollow member is prevented from flowing backward from the boiler to the cold liquid system as it blocks openings present between the portion of the conduit with the smaller cross-sectional area and the portion of the conduit with the larger cross-sectional area, Under the influence of the presence of a flow of liquid from the system, the opening described above may no longer be blocked by floating in a position inside the portion of the conduit having a larger cross-sectional area.

The hollow member may have any suitable shape to retain a predetermined amount of air. By way of example, the hollow member may be ball-shaped, completely closed or dome-shaped, and one side of the hollow member, in particular the bottom side of the hollow member, is open.

Depending on other options that are applicable when the device includes a separate valve in addition to the hollow member, the hollow member may be connected to the valve. In this configuration, heat transfer through the valve is minimized, since the insulating effect of the presence of air occurs directly at the valve position.

It should be noted that when a hollow member is applied, especially when the hollow member is completely closed, this member can be filled with a suitable insulating material other than air.

Another advantageous possibility for creating a one-way valve function and improving the thermal insulation function of the space when the device has an air trapping space is to apply means for converting the flow of liquid from the low temperature liquid system to the boiler into a shower of droplets . Particularly, by the above-mentioned means, there is absolutely no physical contact between the liquid on one side of the air trapping space and the liquid on the other side of the air trapping space, so that the maximum insulation is achieved. Also, liquid flow from the boiler to the cold liquid system can not be made because the air blocks the return of the liquid.

The application of the means for converting the flow of liquid with the droplet's shower is particularly useful in a configuration in which the means are arranged above the air trapping space with the low temperature liquid system arranged at a higher height than the boiler. At this time, the droplets simply fall from this means toward the conduit leading to the boiler and traverse the air trapping space. In a practical embodiment, the means for converting the flow of liquid into the shower of droplets comprises a plurality of thin plates, straws, fibers, etc., which extend adjacent to each other with a small space therebetween. An advantage of applying fibers is that this means can also have the function of purifying the liquid.

For practical reasons, it is desirable for the apparatus to have a target pipe that is arranged between the low temperature liquid system and the boiler and is used to degas the liquid-filled portion of the device. Generally, the degassing pipe as described above has a relatively small diameter. When an air trapping space is present in another system according to the present invention, it may be possible for this space to be present in the low temperature liquid system and the end portion of the degassing pipe extends into the air trapping space. Further, in this case, the device may include two one-way valves, which are arranged in locations within the conduit to function to allow liquid to flow from the low temperature liquid system through the conduit to the boiler, The other one-way valve being arranged at the end of the degassing pipe which is present in the interior of the low temperature liquid system and allowing the liquid to flow from the boiler through the degassing pipe in the direction from the low temperature liquid system, It functions to block flow in the other direction. In this arrangement, the interface between the hot and cold liquids is present at the end of the degassing pipe. In particular, this makes it impossible for a user of the device to clearly observe a section of a device where hot and cold liquids are separated from each other because it is expected that contaminants such as fungi, limescale, etc., Can contribute to user satisfaction with the device.

In the apparatus according to the invention, at least part of the boiler may be located at a lower elevation than the low temperature liquid system. In this regard, it should be noted that the device may be a gravity-based device in which the displacement of the liquid occurs only under the influence of gravity. A particular aspect of a gravity based device is that such a device can operate without a pump, and so energy and space can be saved, which can be advantageous for various intended applications of the device. In gravity based devices, where a one-way valve is present in the conduit of the conduit system, the air trapping space is preferably located between the valve and the boiler. When the air trapping space is present at the boiler side of the valve, the liquid inside the boiler is kept at a higher possible temperature, because the elements of the apparatus arranged beyond the valve and the heat transfer process to the valve are not affected by the insulation effect of the air trapping space . ≪ / RTI >

The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent and understood from the following detailed description of a number of embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention concentrated in the portion of the apparatus in which the air trapping space is present.

A water heating and dispensing system is disclosed in WO 98/51970. The system includes a dispenser body having a water reservoir that can be dispensed by inverted water bottles. This bottle is mounted on the top of the distributor body. The system further comprises a low temperature water tank, a hot water tank and a non return valve located in the pipe. The pipe supplies water from the water reservoir to the hot water tank and prevents return of the heated water in the hot water tank to the low temperature water tank. An expansion chamber is connected to the hot water tank to enable expansion of the heated water. The low temperature water tank is insulated from the expansion chamber and the hot water tank.

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which like or similar parts are indicated by the same reference numerals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 schematically illustrates a number of components of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention, including a storage tank, a boiler and a conduit extending from the storage tank to the boiler.
Figure 2 schematically shows a portion of a conduit in which an air trapping space is present.
Figures 3-9 illustrate a number of alternative options that exist within the concept of the present invention for the design of the portion of the duct where the air trapping space is present.
10 schematically shows a number of components of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention comprising a low temperature conduit and a boiler.
Figure 11 schematically shows a number of components of a third embodiment of the device according to the invention.
In the figures, the direction of flow of water is shown by arrows.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a number of components of a first embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention. In this example, device 1 is a device for purifying water, but the fact that the invention is also applicable to other types of devices remains unchanged.

The apparatus 1 comprises a storage tank 2 for receiving water and a boiler 3 for receiving and heating water. 1 shows the position of the storage tank 2 and the boiler 3 in relation to the normal orientation of the device 1 and shows that the boiler 3 is located at a lower level than the storage tank 2. The storage tank 2 and the boiler 3 communicate through a conduit 4 extending from the storage tank 2 to the boiler 3 and have a substantially vertical orientation in the example shown. Moreover, in the illustrated example, a degassing pipe 5 is disposed between the storage tank 2 and the boiler 3.

The filling process of the boiler 3 is carried out by gravity, in which water flows from the storage tank 2 through the conduit 4 to the boiler 3. The boiler 3 has heating means suitable for heating water and / or boiling water.

The apparatus 1 comprises a faucet 6 which is connected to two faucets 6 and 7, i.e. a storage tank 2 and serves to supply water from the storage tank 2, And a faucet (7) serving to supply water from the water tank (3). The user of the device 1 uses the first faucet 6 when he wants to take water at room temperature from the device 1 while the user uses the second faucet 7 when he wants to take the hot water from the device 1 .

The present invention prevents unwanted displacement of hot water to the storage tank 2 through conduit 4 and unwanted displacement of cold water to the boiler 3, which occurs when the conduit 4 is simply opened in all situations It is about the measures that help to do. Specifically, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent backflow of water through the conduit 4, that is, to prevent the flow from the boiler 3 to the storage tank 2 and to create an insulation at a point between the storage tank 2 and the boiler 3 Measures are taken to

Figure 2 shows a detail 8 of the conduit 4 having a larger cross-sectional area than the adjacent part of Figure 1, thereby preventing backflow of water as mentioned in the previous paragraph, ≪ / RTI > water). ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > In the illustrated example, a thin flexible tube member 9 is disposed inside a portion 8 (hereinafter referred to as an expansion conduit portion 8) of the conduit 4 having a relatively large cross-sectional area. One end of the tube member 9 is disposed on the storage tank side of the expansion conduit portion 8 and the other end of the tube member 9 is disposed on the boiler side of the expansion conduit portion 8. [ In the boiler side, the tube member 9 has a tapered shape and the end 10 of the tube member 9 is normally closed. Only under the influence of the pressure difference between the one side and the other side of the normally closed end 10, the tube member 9 is opened and water is allowed to pass.

In the apparatus 1 for purifying water, the pressure is applied from the side of the storage tank 2 under the influence of gravity. When the tube member 9 is opened under the influence of this pressure, water flows from the storage tank 2 to the boiler 3. As soon as the pressure is relieved, the tube member 9 is brought into contact with the end 10 by a predetermined amount of air, which functions to enclose the end 10 of the tube member 9 and / or the originally closed position, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 9 < / RTI > In any case, in the closed state of the tube member 9, no back flow of the flow from the boiler 3 to the storage tank 2 can occur. Thus, the tube member 9 acts like a one-way valve which allows only the flow of water from the storage tank 2 to the boiler 3 while blocking the passage in the opposite direction. Specifically, the tube member 9 acts like a so-called duckbill valve.

Moreover, due to the tapered shape of the tube member 9, the air catching space 11 at the point where there is a space between the outer wall of the tubular member 9 and the inner wall of the conduit 4, . This air trapping space 11 can not be filled with water flowing from the storage tank 2 to the boiler 3 because the water is guided by the tube member 9 through the extension conduit portion 8, Air remaining in the expansion conduit portion 8 is trapped in the air trapping space 11 when the device 1 is charged and this space is surrounded by the wall of the conduit 4 and the wall of the tube member 9, Water can not escape from the sides.

Based on the presence of air in the air trapping space 11, an adiabatic effect is created and the insulation is present between relatively cold water on the storage tank side and relatively hot water on the boiler side. In this way, the temperature of the water in the storage tank 2 is not actually influenced by the temperature of the water in the boiler 3, and the temperature of the water in the boiler 3 is actually influenced by the temperature of the water in the storage tank 2 Do not.

In particular, the device 1 according to the present invention can provide the same water purifying function and water storage function as the conventional water purifying device. Since the tube member 9 can be opened at low pressure, the flow of water from the storage tank 2 to the boiler 3 is virtually unaffected. The advantageous effect of the design with the tube member 9 includes a valve function in which water backflow is prevented and an insulation function in which the heat transfer between the water at the storage tank side and the water at the boiler side is minimized.

Within the scope of the present invention, there are many alternatives to implement the valve function and the adiabatic function described in the foregoing examples. Figures 3-9 illustrate a number of such alternatives.

In Figure 3, a first alternative is shown. According to this alternative, the tube member 9 is rigid and does not have a tapered shape and can not perform a valve function. A separate valve 13 is provided on the side of the storage tank of the tube member 9 and this valve 13 can be a relatively simple valve that can be opened under the influence of low pressure like an umbrella valve. An air trapping space 11 is provided between the outer wall of the tube member 9 and the inner wall of the conduit 4 in order to realize the insulating function at the point of the extended conduit portion 8, Lt; / RTI >

A second alternative is shown in Fig. According to this alternative, there is no tube member 9, and the air catching space 11 is simply constituted by the upper part of the expansion conduit part 8. [ At a point from the expansion conduit portion 8 to the adjacent conduit portion 12 of the storage tank side a valve 13 is provided to allow water to flow from the storage tank 2 through the air trapping space 11 to the boiler 3, It is possible to block the passage in the opposite direction and prevent the air from escaping from the air trapping space 11. For example, the valve 13 is an electrically operated solenoid valve. In this case, the function of the valve 13 is not directly dependent on the pressure created on the two sides of the valve 13, but rather on the proper actuation of the valve 13 in situations where the pressure is higher than the gravity- Is also guaranteed.

In Fig. 5, a third alternative is shown. According to this alternative, the umbrella valve 13 is disposed on the side of the storage tank of the expansion conduit portion 8 and the air trapping space 11 is disposed below the right side of the valve 13 when going from the storage tank side to the boiler side do.

In Fig. 6, a fourth alternative is shown. According to this alternative, there is an umbrella valve 13 as in the third alternative. However, the air trapping space 11 is provided in the form of a hollow member 14 for receiving air or other insulating material and is connected to the valve 13.

In Fig. 7, a fifth alternative is shown. In accordance with this alternative, an apparatus 15 for converting the flow of water into droplets of water is applied. In the illustrated example, the device 15 comprises a plurality of thin plates, straws, fibers, etc., which extend relatively small distances with respect to each other. The application of the fibers in the droplet device 15 is preferred based on this application, since it is also possible to use the droplet device 15 to purify the water.

The droplet device 15 is arranged in the vicinity of the storage tank of the expansion conduit part 8 and the air trapping space 11 is present in the upper part of the expansion conduit part 8. Under the influence of the pressure acting from the side of the storage tank 2, the flow of water is supplied to the droplet device 15, and the droplets of water are produced as the water passes through the device 15, (8) toward the boiler side. By supplying water to the boiler 3 in the form of droplets, no direct contact is achieved between the water on the side of the storage tank and the water on the boiler side, so that the heat insulating function of the air catching space 11 is further improved. Based on the fact that the droplet device 15 provides a specific flow resistance, the droplet device 15 has a valve function. However, if necessary, it is possible to have an additional valve 13, such as an umbrella valve, as shown in Fig.

In Fig. 8, a sixth alternative is shown. According to this alternative, a hollow member 14 comprising air or other insulating material is arranged within the expansion conduit portion 8, which hollow freely floats within the expansion conduit portion 8. The hollow member 14 is ball shaped and the cross sectional area of the hollow member 14 is smaller than the cross sectional area of the expansion conduit portion 8 and greater than the cross sectional area of the adjacent conduit portions 12,16. In this way it is ensured that the hollow member 14 does not escape from the expansion conduit portion 8. The conduit 4 is tapered so that the hollow member 14 is moved from the expansion conduit portion 8 to the adjacent conduit portion 8 from the storage tank side when no pressure is applied 12 to the position for blocking the passage to the outlet. However, when the pressure is applied, the hollow member 14 is slightly displaced, so that water can pass between the hollow member 14 and the inner wall of the conduit 4. This is in accordance with the above description that the hollow member 14 has a valve function. However, it is also possible, if necessary, to have an additional valve 13 such as an umbrella valve as shown in Fig.

In Fig. 9, a seventh alternative is shown. According to this alternative, another type of hollow member is applied, i.e. a dome-shaped hollow member 17 which is open at the bottom side is applied. Since the air rises in the water, there is no danger of air escaping from the hollow member 17 even when there is an open side.

Although the above-mentioned alternatives are different from each other, the fact that there are two important things that they have in common, that is, means for preventing backflow of water, and the fact that there is an insulation function at the position between the boiler 3 and the storage tank 2 There is a fact that there are means for realizing this. These means may be provided in a single structure, such as a thin flexible tube member 9 arranged in a part of the conduit 4 as shown in Fig. 2 or a hollow member 14,17 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 Can be realized. Further, a structure having more elements such as a combination of the umbrella valve 13 and the rigid tube member 9 as shown in Fig. 3 may be applied. In any case, a very practical way to realize the adiabatic function is to have a certain amount of air in a position to separate the water from the storage tank side from the water at the boiler side.

By allowing only the flow of water from the storage tank 2 to the boiler 3 and by preventing back flow and by providing an insulating function it is achieved that the water present in the storage tank 2 is maintained at room temperature , The relatively high temperature of the water present in the boiler 3 is substantially unaffected by the much lower temperature of the water present in the storage tank 2.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples described above, and that many modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail with reference to the drawings and detailed description, such illustration and description is to be considered illustrative or exemplary, and not restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

Modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art from a consideration of the appended claims and drawings and the detailed description that follows. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other steps and elements, and the word "work" does not exclude a plurality. The fact that certain measures are listed in different dependent claims does not mean that a combination of these measures can not be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

For the device 1 according to the invention it is not necessary to include a storage tank 2 for storing low temperature water and for supplying low temperature water upon user request. Generally, an apparatus 1 according to the invention comprises a system for receiving liquid outside the boiler 3, which system can likewise be shaped as a conduit system, for example. To illustrate this situation, one embodiment of the device 18 according to the present invention, which does not include the storage tank 2 and includes only low temperature water conduits 19 in liquid communication with the boiler 3, Are schematically shown.

Furthermore, in the case where the device 1, 18 according to the invention comprises an air trapping space 11, this space 11 need not be present in the conduit 4. [ 11 shows an embodiment of an apparatus 20 in which the air catching space 11 has different positions. Particularly, the alternative position is the position inside the bottom part 21 of the storage tank 2, where the end part of the degassing pipe 5 is located inside the bottom part 21 of the storage tank 2 And the air catching space 11 is arranged so as to surround this end portion. The wall portion 22 is arranged inside the storage tank 2 for the purpose of restricting the air catching space 11 to such an extent that only the bottom portion is left open.

11, a suitable one-way valve 13 is arranged at a position inside the conduit 4, for the purpose of preventing back flow from the boiler 3 to the storage tank 2. In the embodiment shown in Fig. Another one-way valve 23 is also provided, which is located in the bottom portion 21 of the storage tank 2 within the air trapping space 11 at the end of the degassing pipe 5.

When air is present in the air trapping space 11, the hot water is separated from the cold water at the position of the end of the degassing pipe 5. Further, the air can function as a backup portion when the valve 23 has a predetermined leak. An important advantage of the configuration of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 is that it is recognized when the fact that the degassing pipe 5 has a relatively small diameter is considered. It is true that in the presence of any contaminants in water, these contaminants generally tend to be present at the interface between hot and cold water. In this case, the interface as described above is small, so that it is difficult or even impossible for the user to observe any contaminants, which can contribute to the customer's confidence in the device 20.

For completeness, the present invention is characterized in that there is a low temperature liquid system (2, 19) and a boiler (3), wherein the low temperature liquid system (2, 19) and the boiler (3) are in liquid communication with each other, It should be noted that it may be applied in any situation where it is desirable to maintain a low temperature on the side of the low temperature liquid system. Thus, the device 1, 18, 20 according to the invention need not necessarily be a gravity-based device, but may comprise additional components, in particular a pump, for realizing the desired displacement of the liquid through the device. Further, the present invention can be applied to any type of liquid field, and water is just one practical example. With respect to the boiler 3, it should be noted that this component of the device 1, 18, 20 according to the invention can be of any suitable type. The construction of the boiler 3 with heating means for heating the contents of the boiler 3 is well known and no further explanation is required here.

The present invention can be summarized as follows. The apparatus 1, 18, 20 may comprise a boiler 3 for receiving and heating liquid such as water and a low temperature liquid system 2, 19 in liquid communication with the boiler 3, Is a system intended to contain a liquid which is lower in temperature than the hot liquid from the boiler 3, that is, a relatively low temperature liquid. During operation of the apparatus 1, 18, 20, the boiler 3 is operated to heat a predetermined amount of liquid received from the cold liquid system 2, 19. It is possible to avoid heating of the liquid present inside the low temperature liquid system 2, 19 under the influence of the natural displacement of the relative hot liquid and the relative low temperature liquid in the apparatus 1, 18, 20 and to cool the liquid present in the boiler 3 , Measures are taken to prevent backflow of the liquid. These measures may be carried out at a position upstream of the boiler 3, which may be a position in the vicinity of the component, for the application of certain types of components located upstream of the boiler 3 and for the avoidance of heat transfer through the components Additional measures are taken to realize the insulation effect. The actual method for realizing the adiabatic effect is to provide the air trapping space 11 at an appropriate position.

Claims (14)

A boiler 3 for receiving and heating a liquid such as water,
- a low temperature liquid system (2, 19) in liquid communication with said boiler (3), said low temperature liquid system (2, 19) being arranged to receive a liquid at a lower temperature than the hot liquid from said boiler (3)
Means for preventing reverse flow from the boiler (3) to the cold liquid system (2, 19) and for realizing insulation at a location upstream of the boiler (3)
Wherein said means comprises an air trapping space (11) in which air is trapped to realize insulation. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a conduit system for interconnecting the boiler (3) and the cold liquid system (2), the conduit system extending between the cold liquid system (2) Wherein the air trapping space is present in a portion of the conduit having a cross sectional area greater than that of the adjacent portions. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that liquid is prevented from filling the air catching space (11) from the side of the low temperature liquid system (2, 19) in the form of a wall blocking access to the air catching space / RTI > The system according to claim 3, further comprising a conduit system for interconnecting said low temperature liquid system (2) and said boiler (3), said conduit system extending between said low temperature liquid system (2) Wherein a cross sectional area of at least an end portion of the tube member (9) is greater than a cross sectional area of the end portion of the tube member (9) Is less than the cross-sectional area of the conduit (4). 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the wall of the tube member (9) is a thin wall and comprises a flexible material. A device according to claim 1, comprising a hollow member (14, 17) for receiving a heat insulating material. 7. A system according to claim 6, further comprising a conduit system for interconnecting said low temperature liquid system (2) and said boiler (3), said conduit system comprising: Wherein the hollow member comprises a conduit and wherein the hollow member is freely disposed within a portion of the conduit having a greater cross sectional area than the adjacent portions, (14, 17) is greater than the cross-sectional area of adjacent portions (12, 16) of the conduit (4). 7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the hollow member (17) is in a dome shape with an open side. 7. A system according to claim 6, further comprising a valve (13) for allowing liquid to flow from said low temperature liquid system (2, 19) in the direction of said boiler (3) (14) is connected to said valve (13). 2. A boiler (3) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality (3, 4, 5, 6, , Means (15) such as foils, straws or fibers. The system of claim 1 further comprising a conduit system for interconnecting said low temperature liquid system (2) and said boiler (3), said conduit system comprising a conduit (4) extending between said low temperature liquid system ) And a degassing pipe (5) having a relatively small diameter, said degassing pipe being disposed between said low temperature liquid system (2) and said boiler (3), said air catching space (11) Is present in the system (2), and an end portion of the degassing pipe (5) extends inside the air trapping space (11). 12. A system according to claim 11, comprising two one-way valves (13, 23), one unidirectional valve (13) being located in the interior of the conduit (4) (2), while the other one-way valve (23) functions to shut off the flow in the other direction while allowing liquid flow in the direction of the boiler (3) (5) and is operative to permit liquid flow from the boiler (3) in the direction of the cold liquid system (2) through the degassing pipe (5) and to block flow in the other direction. 13. A device according to claim 12, characterized in that the device is a gravity-based device in which the displacement of the liquid is only under the influence of gravity, at least a part of the boiler (3) . 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising: a valve (13) for allowing liquid flow from the cold liquid system (2) in the direction of the boiler (3) and shutting off flow in the other direction; Wherein the air trapping space (11) is located at a position between the valve (13) and the boiler (3).

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