Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
  • E03C1/0408—Water installations especially for showers
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03B—INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER
  • E03B1/00—Methods or layout of installations for water supply
  • E03B1/04—Methods or layout of installations for water supply for domestic or like local supply
  • E03B1/048—Systems for collecting not used fresh water
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
  • F24D17/00—Domestic hot-water supply systems
  • F24D17/0073—Arrangements for preventing the occurrence or proliferation of microorganisms in the water
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
  • E03C2001/0418—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths having temperature indicating means
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/8158—With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Definitions

• the present invention is related to a water supply device for showers, bathtubs and the like, of the kind comprising at least one inlet line of a water flow, adjustment means of said water flow and at least one shower rose or nozzle for the water supply.
• the user operates on said adjustment means for having a water flow which, through the shower rose, falls on the shower plate or in the bathtub and disperses through the bath drain until the flow temperature reaches the desired level, while the user checks it by partially wetting oneself before starting to have a shower. Therefore, it is understood that such operation constitute a moment of discomfort for the user, especially in the winter months, when the room temperature is lower. For mitigating such a discomfort, systems have been proposed not allowing the water supply until the water inside the boiler has not reached the desired temperature level.
• the technical problems underlying the present invention is to provide a water supply device allowing to obviate to the drawbacks mentioned with reference to the prior art.
• a water supply device as above specified, characterized in that it comprises:
• the main advantage of the water supply device according to the present invention lies in allowing the achievement of the desired temperature level, checkable through said display means, while the water flow is deviated directly towards the drain, with the possibility of sending said water flow towards the shower rose when the achievement of the desired temperature is accomplished, thus eliminating the discomfort of the wait and of the direct check before having a shower.
• the means for deviating can link the rose to the drain, through said dedicated line, permitting to keep the rose dry, a precaution required by the guidelines for the prevention of legionella bacterial colony formation, a bacterium responsible for dangerous bacterial infections .
• a prevention is absolutely needed, and required by in force or about to be approved standards, in communities like hospitals, hotels, barracks and the like.
• the present invention will be hereinafter disclosed according to two embodiments thereof, together with some modalities of employment thereof, provided to an exemplificative and non limitative purpose with reference to the following examples and to the attached drawings wherein:
• Figures 1 to 3 schematically show a first embodiment of the water supply device according to the present invention, illustrating different operational conditions
• a first embodiment of water supply device according to the invention is hereinafter disclosed, globally indicated as 1. It comprises at least one inlet line of a water flow which, in the present embodiment, is composed by a cold water inlet line 2 and by a hot water inlet line 3. They converge in a sole supply line 4 at adjustment means of said flow, globally indicated as 5, said supply line 4 being connected to a shower rose 6 of a shower or to any other kind of nozzle for the water supply.
• the present device may be applied to any supply system of tap water: showers, bathtubs, washbasins etc. or any other system employing hot water at a certain temperature, as for domestic equipments like washing machines, dishwashers and machines also of the industrial types .
• the adjustment means 5 comprises a pair of taps 7, but t is apparent that any regulator and/or mixer may be considered comprised in said adjustment means .
• the device 1 At the supply line, 4 the device 1 comprises a branched line 8, placed downstream with respect to said adjustment means 5 of the flow.
• drain it is understood e.g. the piping connecting the shower or the bathtub to the grey waters.
• the dedicated line 9 may be connected to said piping immediately downstream the water collection well, or even it may be open into the bathtub or into the shower plate.
• the device 1 comprises means for deviating said water flow, indicated as 10, arranged to deviate the already mixed water flow towards the rose ⁇ , through the supply line 4, or towards the drain, through the dedicated line.
• the means for deviating 10 is suitable to connect said at least one rose or nozzle 6 to the drain through said dedicated line 9 ( Figure 3) , so as to allow the safe draining of the supply line 4 and of the rose 6 at the end of the shower use. Such draining allows the rose to be kept dry, preventing the formation of moulds and of bacterial colonies, e.g.
• said means for deviating can be arranged in a configuration deviating the water flow towards the drain, which can coincide with the configuration wherein the rose 6 is connected to said drain, so as to relieve the user from the duty of selecting such a configuration after having had a shower.
• the means for deviating comprises a three-way valve, easily maneuverable by a knob 21 ( Figure 5A) .
• Figure 5A a three-way valve, easily maneuverable by a knob 21
• the device 1 therefore comprises means for the detection of temperature, e.g. comprising a thermocouple sensor 12 arranged upstream the branched line 5 ( Figures 1 to 3) or, according to an embodiment not shown in the drawings, between said adjustment means 5 and said branched line 8 or onto said dedicated line 9 as well.
• the position of the sensor 12 allows to check the water temperature even through the supply as such.
• the sensor 12 is connected to temperature display means, globally indicated as 19, which can comprise e.g. an acoustic alarm, a light alarm 13 8 Figure 5A) or even a display ( Figures 4 ad 5B) indicating, in a Celsius or Fahrenheit scale, the temperature level of the water flow.
• the water supply device comprises means for the input of a certain desired temperature value, e.g. a small alphanumeric keyboard 15 or a pair of keys +/.
• a second embodiment of the device 1, for which the same reference numerals are used is of the automatic operation type, wherein said means for deviating 10 are slaved to said means for the detection of temperature 12 by an actuator.
• the configuration of the means for deviating 10 is automatically varied by said actuator, on the basis of the temperature reached by the water flow as detected by the sensor 12.
• the actuating system comprises one or more electrovalves, specifically a first electrovalve 16 on said dedicated line 10 and a second electrovalve 17 placed between said adjustment means 5 of the water flow and the rose 6.
• the flow is deviated, opening said first electrovalve 16, while the flow reaches the requested temperature and when it is occurred, the first electrovalve 16 is shut while the second one is opened, arranging the water supply.
• the simultaneous opening of both the electrovalves 16, 17 allows to connect the rose 6 to the drain, with the already explained advantages.
• the means for deviating in this case substantially overlapped to said adjustment means, can comprise electrically driven regulators 18, arranged on the inlet lines 2, 3 of the cold and hot water.
• the user is required only to input the desired temperature: while the flow is deviated into the drain, it is also adjusted to the requested temperature.
• the position of the sensor 12 detecting the temperature allows to stop the flow in case of a sudden temperature drop .
• the present invention is also referred to integrated structures like shower cabins 20 ( Figure 5A and 5B) , wherein the device is integrated into the structure connected to the water distribution system.
• a first version ( Figure 5A) can provide the use of a manual regulation system with said taps 7 and an additional knob 21 for driving said valve 11.
• a second version (Figure 5B) is completely automated and has a keyboard, which may be remotely arranged with respect to the shower, for inputting the desired temperature and for controlling the start of the water flowing and the start of the supply.
• the device can be used also for the automatic filling up of a bathtub structure.
• the supply in the bathtub may automatically occur having reached the desired temperature.
• flow breaking means may be provided, linked to a level switch inside the bathtub.
• said means can be operated after a certain length of time, by a timer, or after the supply of a certain amount of water, e.g. detected by a flow meter applied to the supply line.
• a flow meter applied to the supply line.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Bathtubs, Showers, And Their Attachments (AREA)
• Domestic Plumbing Installations (AREA)
• Apparatus Associated With Microorganisms And Enzymes (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39269328

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (10)

Families Citing this family (8)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2007
  • 2007-10-10 AT AT07805465T patent/ATE537304T1/de active
  • 2007-10-10 EP EP20070805465 patent/EP2212480B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2007-10-10 US US12/682,495 patent/US20100282343A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-10-10 WO PCT/IB2007/054129 patent/WO2009047586A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-10-10 JP JP2010528495A patent/JP2011500990A/ja active Pending
  • 2007-10-10 CN CN2007801019287A patent/CN101932776A/zh active Pending

Patent Citations (7)

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