NL2005157C2 - SYSTEM FOR FLUSHING MIXER Taps WITH RINSE CHANNEL OF THE SANITARY SYSTEM OF A HOUSE. - Google Patents

Description

System for flushing mixer taps with flush channel of the sanitary system of a home.

The invention has for its object, inter alia, to combat legionella bacteria preventively or curatively in taps of sanitary installations, by flushing the pipes and the tapping point with sufficient hot water.

The following three topics are discussed below:

10 RINSE CHANNEL

CLIPPING FLOW AS A TARGET TEMPERATURE REACH

AUTOMATIC SHUT-DOWN TAPPAGE DURING RINSING

As is known, the legionella bacteria thrive at temperatures between approximately 25 and 55 degrees Celsius. The bacterium dies above, below it is inactive. In the meantime, it has been decided to flush the sanitary installations frequently with hot water, for example every week, to kill the legionella bacteria. See, for example, EP1820910A2 (Markstreamer). For mixer taps with a short spout, such as a kitchen or washbasin tap, flushing can be carried out in a closed circuit. With mixer taps with a long spout, such as a shower, or with a cold water tap, so with only a connection from the tap to the cold water pipe, such as with a toilet or outside tap, the hot flushing water is discharged via the tap.

This invention is applicable to flushing with hot or cold water, but is also applicable to other ways of treating a sanitary installation, such as cleaning or disinfecting, for example flushing with a chemical agent, for example chlorine.

The object of the invention is versatile. One of the more important aspects that is preferred is to be able to make an existing sanitary installation suitable for low costs in order to be able to flush with hot water in a safe and water-saving manner, while legionella can nevertheless be reliably controlled. In addition, it is to be borne in mind that, as a rule, hardly any or no modification is possible to an existing sanitary installation without hooks, since the water pipes are located behind tiled 2 walls.

RINSE CHANNEL

To this end it is proposed to make a permanent water connection (so-called rinsing channel) between the hot and cold water side, at least in one and preferably both flow directions, in the case of a mixer tap to which the hot and cold water pipes are connected. or directly upstream of the valves with which the tap is opened, so that when the tap is completely closed, and therefore no water can flow out of the outlet, via that permanent water connection the water can flow from the hot to the cold water side while no water comes out. the spout flows. This water connection preferably has a flow-through surface area equal to a hole with a diameter of 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2 millimeters or less. For example, in a tap with ceramic locking discs, a slot is made in one of the locking discs which forms the permanent water connection. Or with a thermostatic mixer tap, a hole with a diameter of 0.7 millimeter is drilled in the bulkhead between the two compartments (for hot or cold water). During normal use, the permanent water connection will lead to a leakage current always flowing through that water connection, for instance if only the cold water side is opened, a leakage current will nevertheless flow from the hot water pipe via the water connection to the outlet. By making the flow area of the water connection sufficiently small, this leakage current will be negligible.

For example with a single-lever mixer, the seal between the cold and hot water port is completely or partially removed, so that when the tap is closed, cold water can flow through the cold water port, via the removed part of the seal, into the hot water port and then the hot water pipe , 35 or vice versa. This modification of an existing mixer can also be applied to other types of mixer. Preferably, for this water flow with the tap closed via the flushing channel from the cold water pipe to the hot water pipe, or vice versa, the water pressure in the water pipe (for example hot water pipe) to which the water flows via the flushing channel is lower than the pressure in the other water pipe 5 ( cold water pipe).

In order to prevent the water from flowing through the flushing channel in an undesired direction, it is preferable to place a non-return valve that prevents the water flow through the flushing channel in the undesired direction.

10 CLIPPING FLOW AS A TARGET TEMPERATURE REACH (Water-saving flushing of a tap via the spout, such as the shower head, with a built-in thermocouple saving mode)

It is further proposed to equip a tap, such as a mixer or shower head, with a built-in control element that automatically ensures a considerable reduction (with for instance a minimum of 50% or 60% or 70%) of the water delivery from the tap as soon as a predetermined temperature level ( for example, the temperature level desired to control the legionella bacterium) has been reached, however, that control element is arranged so that when the water delivery is reduced a minimum water delivery / saving position (for example at least 10% or 20% or 25% or 30% of the original water delivery) that is sufficient to maintain a desired temperature level (for example, the temperature level desired to control the legionella bacterium) at the tap point, preferably during the entire or substantially entire duration of the rinsing. The control element preferably functions as a stand-alone unit, without external energy or electricity supply and preferably also without its own energy or electricity supply, such as a battery or battery. The control element preferably extracts the energy required for its operation from the temperature or temperature change of the water flowing through the shower head.

For example, that control element has one or more of a temperature sensor, control member, and shut-off member.

4

Temperature sensor and control member can for instance be integrated in a bimetal. The operating member ensures, for example, opening and closing of the closing member. The closing member varies, for example, the flow surface 5 of the water pipe running through the shower head between a maximum and a minimum, the minimum being, for example, at least 50% or 60% or 70% smaller than the maximum (for example, during normal shower the water delivery is 6 liters per minute and during rinsing (energy-saving mode) 1 or 1.5 or 2 liters per minute). The invention is on the one hand based on the insight that for heating a tap to be heated to the desired temperature, such as a shower head, by rinsing with heated water, considerably more water must be supplied compared to maintaining it at the desired temperature . By reducing the water supply as soon as the desired temperature has been reached, a considerable water saving can be realized. Moreover, steam development in the shower room is also considerably reduced.

On the other hand, it is now prevented that when a mixer tap is opened during rinsing with hot water, a strong hot water jet can emerge from which one could burn.

By equipping the tap with the control element, only the tap of an existing sanitary installation needs to be replaced. Therefore, nothing has to be changed at the other installation, such as the pipework. For example, the provision of an extension piece or intermediate piece or other additional pipe part between the existing pipe work and the inventive tap point is unnecessary. Thus, no or minimal change in the appearance of the installation takes place and a maximum guarantee of "foolproof" (protection against vandalism) can be achieved. It can also be guaranteed in this way that all parts of the installation, including the tap, for example shower head, are reliably exposed to the desired heating via the rinsing water. In a shower installation, for example, the control element is located at its extreme end, the shower head, the component of the installation that will reach the temperature required for disinfection in the very last resort.

In a specific application with a shower installation, there is preferably a large number of shower heads, each intended for one person, so that a large number of people in a common room can shower simultaneously. The shower installation preferably has no provision so that a shower person can individually change the temperature and / or amount of shower water dispensed, and can only choose between shower on (maximum dispensing) and shower out of 10 (no dispensing).

AUTOMATIC SHUT-DOWN TAPPING POINT DURING RINSING (safety)

When the hot water rinsing program is started, it can happen that someone uses a tap, for example in the shower. It may not happen that that person gets the hot rinse water over him. To prevent this, a tap, in particular a shower, can be equipped with an automatic valve that closes the outlet, even though the tap is turned on, for which purpose this valve is equipped with a detector which is adapted to detect the rinsing program or part thereof, for example by registering the water supply pressure when this is changed for the rinsing program, or by registering a message transmitted by the rinsing machine, and an actuator adapted to receive a command from the detector and operating the shut-off valve on that basis to block or release the outlet of the tap / mixer tap.

30

GENERAL

Preferably, at a short distance from the tap, the hot and / or cold water pipe is equipped with a non-return valve which blocks a water flow opposite to the direction during normal operation. The non-return valve in the hot and / or cold water pipe is of a type with switching means so that the blocking action thereof can be switched on and off, for example in that the switching means are water pressure sensitive so that a pressure pulse or pressure change of sufficient magnitude of the water pressure in the line in question is switched on or off.

Rinsing is preferably carried out so that hot water flows through the cold water pipe, preferably wherein hot water is introduced into the cold water pipe at a central point remote from the taps and flows to the taps via the cold water pipe and through the hot water pipe from the taps. flows so that the water flows in the opposite direction through the hot water pipe during flushing. At the beginning of the flushing, the water pressure in the piping system is changed so that the non-return valve in the hot water pipe is switched off, allowing the opposite flow of water from the tap point inwards into and through the hot water pipe during flushing. At the end of the flushing, the water pressure in the pipe system is changed again so that the non-return valve in the hot water pipe is switched on again to prevent water from flowing into and through the hot water pipe from the tap point during normal operation of the sanitary system.

During flushing, the water pressure in the hot and tap water pipes that are flushed may be lower than the normal operating pressure, for example substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure (pressureless), or higher than the normal operating pressure.

The pressure change is preferably greater than a pressure fluctuation that occurs during normal operation of the sanitary installation. In homes and utility buildings, the pressure of the sanitary installation connected to the public water supply network is approximately 2.5 bar (atmospheric overpressure) under normal operating conditions and at street level. Pressure fluctuations due to opening and closing of taps are generally not more than 5% of the normal operating pressure. The pressure change according to the invention is preferably at least 0.5 bar resp. 10% of the normal operating pressure. More preferably, the pressure change is at least about 7 bar or resp. 20%, even more preferably at least about 1.5 bar resp. 30% of the normal operating pressure. To be able to flush effectively, the pressure in the pipe must be at least 1 bar (atmospheric excess pressure).

For flushing, the pressure is preferably increased with respect to the normal operating pressure. This pressure increase is preferably about 2 bar resp. 40% of the normal operating pressure. Thus, with a normal water pressure of 2.5 bar (atmospheric excess pressure), 5 bar 10 is used for flushing.

A valve is preferably set such that it switches at approximately the pressure caused by the pressure change, or a pressure between the pressure caused by the pressure change and the normal operating pressure. For example, assuming a normal operating pressure of 2.5 bar and a flushing pressure of 5 bar, the valve switches at 4 bar.

It is preferable to flush with hot water, preferably more than about 55 or 60 degrees Celsius, to effectively kill the bacteria. However, flushing with cold water, preferably colder than 25 degrees Celsius, can be a good alternative. Instead of a thermal treatment, during the flushing, for example, a chemical treatment can be carried out, for example with a solution of water and citric acid.

25

The present invention also relates to the combination of one or more individual features of the present invention and one or more individual features as disclosed in EP1820910A2, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

A generic elaboration of the invention applied to a sanitary installation is as follows: taps to which two supply lines (for hot and cold water) are connected (such as mixer taps for the washbasin, bath and sink) are equipped with an internal connection between the two supply lines, so that, even during normal operation, the tap point 8 always taps out of both supply lines at the same time, even when one of the two valves operated by the mixer is completely closed and water flow from the associated supply line to the outlet is completely blocked. Flushing medium is injected at a distance of 5 from the tapping points, for example into a pipe part that is common to all relevant tapping points, such as just after the water meter. The flushing medium flows successively through the one supply line, then through the mixer tap and via the flushing channel 10 therein into the other supply line and then flows further, for example in recirculation. During the flow of flushing medium through the two supply lines via the mixing valve placed between them, no flushing medium flows out of the outlet of the mixer tap, so all flushing medium 15 flows from one supply line through the mixing valve into the other supply line.

The intention is that an installation with a large number of taps can be treated integrally in as much an automated / mechanized way as possible.

20

EXAMPLES

The invention is now elucidated on the basis of exemplary embodiments, which, incidentally, are not the only possible exemplary embodiments of this invention.

CLIPPING OF FLOW

In a shower room of, for example, a public swimming pool or municipal sports hall with a floor area of, for example, 3 by 4 meters in which several people, for example 6, can shower at the same time, a large number of shower heads are fixed fixed to the tiled wall or ceiling. lateral spacing of, for example, 1 meter. A printer / sensor is mounted directly below each shower head on the wall at an ergonomic level for manual operation, for example hip height, which printer is connected via pipework to the associated shower head.

9

Activation of the sensor by, for example, touching or recording movement or proximity of a person ensures that water is supplied for a predetermined time to the shower head, which sprays the supplied water into the room.

A hot water pipe runs from a communal boiler to each of the shower heads. A cold water pipe also runs from a common point to each of the shower heads. At a distance from the shower head, the hot water and cold water pipes come together via a mixer that is, for example, thermostatically controlled to supply water with the desired shower temperature, for example 38 degrees Celsius, to the shower head. This water piping runs via the printer / sensor to the shower head and the water flow therethrough is blocked or released by the printer / sensor.

The shower head comprises a housing through which runs a single water pipe which is designed at one end for connection to the water pipe work terminating at the wall / ceiling (for example a pipe stub projecting from the housing 20 with external screw thread) and connected at the other end to the sprayer with which the shower water is introduced into the shower room, for example in the form of a soft, conically widening jet of water droplets.

Inside the housing of the shower head there is a control element, for example a thermocouple or other heat sensor, associated with a means for partially and not completely closing off the water pipe running through the shower head, so that the control element can switch the shower head between the normal operating mode with maximum water delivery (for example around 6 liters per minute) and a saving position (for example around 1 or 1.5 or 2 liters per minute).

During showering (normal use), by activating the printer / sensor, water of the desired shower temperature is supplied to each shower head for a certain time, wherein the shower head is in the normal operating position and, for example, hot and cold water are supplied separately to the mixer that, thanks to the correct mixing ratio, provides water with the shower temperature and supplies this water to the shower head. The control element is inactive.

5 During rinsing / cleaning, the shower head (for example, continuously for a period of time considerably longer than the time determined by single operation of the printer / sensor during shower) receives considerably hotter water of more than about 50 or 60 or 70 degrees Celsius. Initially, the shower head releases this water in the amount corresponding to the normal operating position. In the meantime, the control element is heated up, as a result of which the operating element increasingly closes the water pipe running through the shower head until the economy position is reached. Some time later the supply of hot water is stopped. The control element then cools down, as a result of which the control member releases the water pipe running through the shower head again, so that the normal operating position is restored.

Other embodiments also belong to the invention, for example by applying a separate measure of the embodiments disclosed herein separately or combining it with one or more separate measures of the same or one or more other embodiments disclosed herein. Instead of being permanently mounted, the shower head can form part of a hand shower. Instead of in the shower head, one or more components of the control device could be mounted just outside it, for example just upstream of the shower head, for example in the pipe stub projecting from the shower head.

FIG. 1-4 show piping diagrams.

11

FIG. 1 shows an example of flushing a hot water pipe with water from a cold water pipe, or vice versa. Pipeline 12 is connected to the drinking water network. Water can flow between the cold water pipe 2 and hot water pipe 3 via a channel (flushing channel) with a small through-flow area in the mixing valve 8 serving as a tap. With the same water pressure in pipes 2 and 3 (normal operating condition, with valve 1 closed) no water flows through valve 8 between pipes 2 and 3. During the rinsing phase, valve 1 is open. If the pressure in pipe 3 is sufficiently lower than in pipe 2, or vice versa, water automatically flows from pipe 2 via pipe 8 into pipe 3 (or from pipe 3 via pipe 8 to pipe 2).

FIG. 2-4 show a different three operating states of a pipe diagram, based on the principle of flushing with pressure increase. An electronic control unit is shown which switches via the five control lines 25, the pump 9 and the valves 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 according to the three different operating states. Connected to the water network of the building are a sewer drain, a sink mixer, boiler, bath mixer and toilet cistern. What is special about the two mixer taps is that during rinsing there is no question of water release at the relevant taps, which is safe with hot water rinsing. In the mixer taps there is a permeable connection with a small through-flow area between the hot and Kouwater pipes. During flushing, water is dispensed in the toilet cistern.

FIG. 2 shows normal operation, FIG. 3 shows flushing of the cold water pipe with hot water, FIG. 4 shows rinsing with cold water.

Claims (27)

1. The sanitary system of a building, such as for habitation or a household, belonging to a building water pipe system or similar system in a dwelling or residential building, comprising a cold water source (12), a hot water source (7) and pipes for hot (3) and cold (2, 29) water connected to a number of mixer taps (8, 26) located in separate rooms in the building with outlet 10 for tapping hot water, which in the mixer tap from water from the two pipes ( 2, 3, 29) is mixed. 2. System as claimed in claim 1, and provided with means for flushing the pipes (2, 3, 29) with a treatment agent, such as hot water, for example originating from the hot water source, for combating legionella. 3. System as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means are adapted during said flushing for all mixing faucets of the building water pipe system to enable the treatment agent from the hot water pipe via the mixing valve connected thereto into the cold water pipe, or in the reverse direction. System as claimed in claim 2 or 3, arranged without water flowing out of the outlet during flushing with the treatment agent. 5. System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, the mixing taps are each provided with a permanent water connection (so-called rinsing channel) made between the hot and cold water side inside the mixing tap in at least one and preferably both flow directions, preferably in or directly upstream of the hot and cold water valves with which the mixing valve is opened for tapping the water. System as claimed in claim 5, arranged so that with a completely closed mixer tap, and therefore no water can flow from the outlet, via that permanent water connection the water can flow from the hot to the cold water side, and / or vice versa, while there is no water flows out of the spout. 5 7. System as claimed in claim 5 or 6, arranged so that due to the presence of the permanent water connection during normal use (i.e. outside the periods of flushing) a leakage current always flows via said water connection during the draining of water from the outlet, for example if one is alone the cold water side opens, a leakage current will nevertheless flow from the hot water pipe via the water connection to the outlet. System as claimed in any of the claims 1-7, wherein with closed mixer tap from the cold water pipe through the cold water port, cold water can flow in through the permanent water connection into the hot water port and then the hot water pipe, or vice versa. 20 A system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the water connection has a through-flow surface equal to a hole with a diameter of at most 0.5 or 1 or 1.5 or 2 millimeters, for example approximately 0.7 millimeter. 25 The system of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the mixer taps include a means, such as a valve, to allow the flow through the water connection in only one direction and to block it in the opposite direction. 30 A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the case of a mixer tap with ceramic closing disks a slot is formed in one of the closing disks which forms the permanent water connection. 35 System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein in the case of a thermostatic mixing valve in the partition between the two compartments (for hot or cold water) a hole is made, such as drilled, that forms the permanent water connection. 13. System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein in a one-handle mixer the seal between the cold and hot water port is wholly or partly removed, so that with closed mixer tap from the cold water pipe through the cold water port, via the removed part of the seal 10 cold water into the hot water port and then the hot water pipe can flow, or vice versa. 14. Mixer tap, suitable for the system according to any one of the preceding claims, provided with a permanent water connection (so-called rinsing channel) between the hot and cold water side, made in or directly upstream, in the at least one and preferably both flow directions of the hot and cold water valves with which the mixing valve is opened for tapping the water, so that when the mixing valve is completely closed, and therefore no water can flow out of the outlet, via that permanent water connection the water can flow from the hot to the cold water side flows, or vice versa, while no water flows out of the outlet, while this water connection has a flow surface area equal to a hole with a diameter of 2 millimeters or less, all this so that due to the presence of the permanent water connection during normal use (so outside the periods of flushing) via that water connection there is always a leakage current during the outlet step n of water, for example if only the cold water side is opened, a leakage current will nevertheless flow from the hot water pipe via the water connection to the outlet. 15. System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims and a tap, such as mixer tap or shower head, is equipped with a built-in control element which automatically ensures a considerable reduction (with for instance a minimum of 50% or 60% or 70%) of the water delivery of the draw-off point as soon as a predetermined temperature level (for example the temperature level desired to combat the legionella bacterium) has been reached, wherein, however, that control element is arranged such that when the water delivery is reduced a minimum water delivery / saving position (for example at least 10% or 20% or 25%) or 30% of the original water delivery) that is sufficient to maintain a desired temperature level (for example, the temperature level desired to control the legionella bacterium) at the tap point, preferably during the entire or substantially entire duration of the rinsing. 16. System as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control element 15 functions as a stand-alone unit, without external energy or electricity supply and preferably also without its own energy or electricity supply, such as a battery or battery. 17. System as claimed in claim 15 or 16, the control element extracts the energy required for its operation from the temperature or temperature change of the water flowing through the shower head. 18. System as claimed in any of the claims 15-17, the control element has one or more of a temperature sensor, operating member and shut-off member, temperature sensor and operating member are, for example, integrated in a bimetal. 19. System as claimed in any of the claims 15-18, the operating member ensures opening and closing of the closing member and / or the closing member varies, for example, the flow surface of the water pipe running through the shower head between a maximum and a minimum, the minimum being, for example, minimum 50% or 60% or 70% is smaller than the maximum (for example, during normal shower the water delivery is 6 liters per minute and during rinsing (economy mode) 1 or 1.5 or 2 liters per minute). 20. System as claimed in any of the claims 15-19, with a shower installation with a large number of shower heads, preferably each intended for one person, so that a large number of persons in a common room can shower simultaneously, wherein the shower installation preferably has no provision so that a shower person can individually change the temperature and / or quantity of shower water from the relevant shower head, and can only choose between shower on (maximum flow) and shower off (no flow). 21. System as claimed in any of the claims 1-20, with a tap, such as a mixer tap, in particular of a shower, or a shower head, equipped with an automatic shut-off valve which closes the outlet, even when the tap is standing, such as tap, turned open so that water is tapped via its outlet, so that no water flows out of the outlet. 22. System as claimed in claim 21, to which end this valve is equipped with a detector adapted to detect the flushing program or part thereof, for instance by registering the water pipe pressure when this is changed for the purpose of the flushing program, or by registering a message transmitted by the rinsing machine, and optionally an actuator which is adapted to receive a command from the detector and to operate the shut-off valve on the basis thereof to block or release the outlet of the tap / mixer tap. 30 23. System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, the non-return valve in the hot and / or cold water pipe is of a type with switching means so that the blocking action thereof can be switched on and off, for instance in that the switching means are water-pressure sensitive so that a pressure pulse or pressure change of sufficient magnitude of the water pressure in the relevant pipe the switching on or off takes place. 24. System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, arranged so that flushing is carried out so that hot water flows through the cold water pipe, preferably wherein hot water is introduced into the cold water pipe at a central point remote from the taps and via the cold water pipe to the taps flows and flows from the taps through the hot water pipe, so that the water flows in the opposite direction through the hot water pipe during flushing. 10 25. System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, adapted for applying a water pressure in the hot and built water pipe during flushing that is flushed lower than the normal operating pressure, for instance substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure (pressureless), or be higher than the normal operating pressure, wherein preferably the applied pressure change is greater than a pressure fluctuation that occurs during normal operation of the sanitary installation, for example at least 0.5 or 1.0 or 1.5 bar resp. 10% or 20% 20 or 30%. 26. System as claimed in claim 25, adapted for applying, during flushing, an increased water pressure with respect to the normal operating pressure, which is preferably approximately 2 bar resp. 40% of the normal operating pressure, as with a normal water pressure of 2.5 bar (atmospheric excess pressure), is used for flushing 5 bar. 27. System as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, adapted to flush with hot water of preferably more than about 55 or 60 degrees Celsius to effectively kill the bacterium, or with cold water, preferably colder than 25 degrees Celsius.