WO2020067864A1

WO2020067864A1 - Device for saving liquids at different temperatures

Info

Publication number: WO2020067864A1
Application number: PCT/MX2018/000161
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jorge Alfonso ADAME GARDUÑO; Jorge Elías ADAME ELÍAS
Original assignee: Adame Garduno Jorge Alfonso; Adame Elias Jorge Elias
Priority date: 2018-09-25
Filing date: 2018-12-19
Publication date: 2020-04-02

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water-saving device formed by a three-way valve having an inlet for water at an undefined temperature directly from the public mains network, a cistern or a tank, an outlet for water at a temperature lower than that selected to reuse unused water, a water outlet for water at a temperature equal to or higher than that selected which is used in a shower head and a plug in the main valve chamber, actuated by a thermostatic head.

Description

The present application relates to the saving devices implemented in water or liquid networks for domestic or industrial use. In particular, with a three-way thermally actuated valve that allows the water or liquid that is not at the selected minimum temperature to be redirected from a hydraulic network, water tank, cistern or storage tank, returning it to the defined place while it reaches the temperature selected for final use.

AHTECKDEHTES OF THE IHVENCIÓH

Today, the amount of water we waste during the shower is impressive for the home use case. On the one hand, it may happen that the heater or heating system is away from the bathroom, so when you open the hot water faucet, the heating system may take time to reach the required temperature, causing all the water contained in the pipe and the one that flows until before reaching the selected temperature leaves by drain and waste before we get into the shower. We must also consider the fact that our head has a considerable flow, and that we also like to be more than necessary under the stream of hot water. This implies that we are not only throwing water, but also energy. Experts in the field have estimated that we throw away approximately 20% of the shower water. Researchers at the Lawrenee Berkeley National Laboratory estimate that in the US, the water used in the shower is equivalent to 17% of domestic consumption. Assuming that each household there has an average expenditure of 150 liters of water a day in the shower, we have that the amount used throughout the country in a year would serve to supply (during that period of time) to New York and New Jersey.

In this regard, a solution to this problem is the use of water saving devices, an explanation of the usefulness of these devices and systems, is that the amount of drinking water that is wasted while waiting for hot water to arrive at the tap depends fundamentally from the distance that separates the water heater and the water heating system, the diameter of the pipe between them.

The contribution of each home to the reduction of Consumption can start by installing simple economizers on taps, showers and toilets, which save up to 5% of the water that is normally consumed, without detracting from user comfort. Among the mechanisms that save water in a simple way are the flow regulators that screw onto the external nozzle of the taps.

The atomizers work like water diffusers, producing the atomization of the water in small drops. Perlizers mix air with water, so that water droplets come out as "pearls" of different sizes, increasing the speed of the outgoing jet with a low inlet flow. Both methods achieve a lower flow rate, increase their efficiency and produce a sensation of greater current.

There are other water saving systems such as anti-leak devices, whose internal valve cuts off the flow when a depression occurs.

With respect to the faucet systems, the mono-and thermostatic faucets allow the shower to be cut by means of soaping and to be opened again without the need to adjust the water temperature again, facilitating savings. The new models incorporate a cold opening cartridge, avoiding unnecessary water consumption hot from traditional mixer taps. Presence detection taps and timer taps for washbasin and shower are also used.

In the case of toilets, we find that many older models use more water than necessary (10-15 liters). European regulations limit the capacity of the tanks to 9 liters, although several manufacturers have launched six-liter models with a discharge cut-off button to three liters, or a double button.

Leaks are one of the biggest problems when it comes to controlling water consumption. They may be due to faulty installation in the pipeline path, from the meter to the taps, or be visible leaks caused by leaking faucets or toilets.

We must recognize that for many household uses the quality of drinking water is not needed, for this we can resort to the installation of a rainwater collection system. If a rainwater collection system is installed in an already built house, it is advisable to use polyethylene tanks in the basement, when it is carried out in a new building, a buried tank is always recommended. For this type of Water collection facilities and for others where it is necessary due to insufficient pressure of the water supplied by the public network, the use of pumps or pressurizers is required to increase the water pressure. One way to save energy is to use variable speed pumping equipment, so that the speed and flow are adapted to the demand of the installation, avoiding pressure shocks in indoor installations and excess flow.

In this sense, the present application proposes a simple and low-cost saving device, but with a percentage of use of the water used of almost 100%. The proposed device is made up of a three-way valve that allows the water in a system to be redirected, stored or used until it reaches the selected temperature, and once the desired temperature is reached, it has the ability to change its automatically path to direct water flow to a valve outlet for use in a shower head during showering.

In this regard, there are some patent documents related to a thermostatic actuation multi-way valve; For example, the US patent application US 8690072 B2 that describes a three-way tubular body that allows it to move in its Inside an opening / closing device actuated by the variation of temperature of the surrounding fluid. Unlike the valve proposed in the present application, said US patent is used for fuels and not in domestic water flow lines. discloses the use of means to set a certain temperature.

Another patent document is US Patent US 8733666 B2 which describes a hemostatic water mixing valve further comprising a temperature adjustment mechanism and a recoil spring. As can be seen, US patent 8733666 B2 shows characteristics such as a thermostatic head that is proposed in the present application, however, said patent has two water inlets (hot and cold) and one outlet, and its function is to mixing both water flows and not changing its trajectory, so that its internal components are completely different from those of the valve described in the present application.

Another document of the state of the art is the US patent US 3792812 A that comprises a valve that contains a thermostatic control mechanism. Unlike said US patent, the present invention disclosure has Elements such as devices to set a desired temperature and a shutter mechanism that changes the path of the water flow around you according to the detected water temperature.

Therefore, there is a need in the state of the art for a winch made up of a robust and resistant frame for extreme work that uses a drum and reinforced cable coupled with the shaft of a speed reducer driven by an electric motor designed to operate. with a variable frequency drive that operates with variable speed to activate the electromagnetic brake that stops the movement of the cable drum without the need to apply the brake pads of the physical brake.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the present invention is: to provide a three-way valve consisting of a water inlet at any temperature, a water outlet at a temperature equal to or greater than that selected, a water outlet at a temperature lower than that selected and a mechanism head-operated shutter hemostatic,

Another objective of the present invention is: to provide a three-way valve that directs the flow of surrounding water to a water outlet with a temperature lower than the selected one.

Another objective of the present invention is: to provide a three-way valve that directs the surrounding water flow towards a hot water outlet with a temperature higher than the selected one.

Another object of the present invention is: to provide a three-way valve with a hemostatic head with a temperature sensor.

Another objective of the present invention is: to provide a three-way valve with a hemostatic head that has a switch for deactivation.

Another objective of the present invention is: to provide a three-way valve that can be used in any domestic water network and with various system configurations.

Another objective is to be able to obtain registration of the number of liters of drinking water that is directed to any of the device's water outlet options.

The above aspects and many of the advantages will be better understood when referring to the following detailed description and considered in conjunction with the following drawings, exemplified with selected temperature SO ^ C:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the saving device.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the saving device.

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the thermostatic head of the proposed saving device.

Figure 4 shows a front of the saving device in a first embodiment.

Figure 5 shows a domestic water network that implements the proposed saving device.

Figure 6 shows a modality of the domestic water network that implements the proposed saving device.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the saving device claimed in the present application. The saving device comprises a three-way valve (1), where each way is related to a water inlet {2), a water outlet with a temperature lower than the selected one (3) and a water outlet with a temperature equal to or greater than the selected hot (4).

The flow of water coming directly from the storage tank, passes through the valve (1) through the water inlet (2); It is worth mentioning that the water that enters the valve (1) is at room temperature, hot or a mixture of both. The body of the valve (1) also has a thermostatic head with sensor {5} to select the temperature of the water outlet to the shower, which has the function of activating the internal valve plug (described below), and thus mode, direct the water flow to the corresponding water outlet (3, 4). There are different types of thermostatic heads, the most common being those described below:

Manual head. It allows the user to actuate the valve's internal plug to direct the flow of surrounding water to the requested water outlet. It is important to mention that it is possible to replace it with an integrated or electronic head.

Thermostatic head with integrated sensor. Adjusts the position of the valve's internal plug automatically. Installing it saves up to 25% in energy. When the desired temperature * is reached, the thermostatic head moves the internal shutter to direct the water flow to the hot water outlet.

Thermostatic head with remote sensor. Its installation is recommended when you want to control the shutter of a valve that it locates hidden behind some element that limits its access.

Electronic heads. It allows programming the time and temperature. Adjustment and programming are carried out using a keyboard on the spindle itself. There is the option of installing remote-controlled electronic heads that allow programming the temperature and time from a smartphone or an electronic tablet.

The cold water outlet (3) is directly related to the first position of the internal shutter (6) since the water from the storage tank (public network, water tank, cistern, etc.). The water from the tank enters the valve (1) through the water inlet (2), in this position, the shutter (6) closes the access to the path of the hot water outlet when the temperature is lower than the selected (4) to direct the water flow towards the water outlet (3). The water outlet through access (3) has a pipe that directs the water for reuse either in an external container, back to the tank or cistern, or even for its implementation in the toilet, washing machine, etc. Once the water reaches the selected temperature that is established via the thermostatic head, the position of the shutter (6) changes to close the access to the water outlet (3) and direct the flow to the water outlet (4) . The latter is connected to a pipe that directs the flow of hot water to the shower.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the valve (1). The water inlet (2) comprises a cylindrical portion {2a) that communicates with the main chamber of the valve (la) by means of a passage (2b). In the same way, the water outlet with lower temperature than selected {3} and the water outlet with temperature equal to or higher than selected (4) are formed of cylindrical portions (3a, 4a) respectively. Said cylindrical portions (3a, 4a) in turn, have passages (3b, 4b) that communicate the flow of water from the aforementioned outlets with the main chamber (la) of the valve.

The internal valve plug (6) is attached to a cylindrical casing {6a) and the latter forms water flow channels inside the chamber (la) that connect the water flow from the water inlet (2) to any of the water outlets (3) and {4) according to the selected temperature.

The casing (6a) also has upper peri-ether rings (6b) and lower peri-ether rings (6c) that prevent the passage of water to their respective outlets (according to the selected temperature) according to the position of the shutter (6). It is worth mentioning that the perimeter rings (6b, 6c), in addition to preventing flow, limit the movement of the shutter {6} inside the chamber (la).

The movement of the shutter {6} is controlled by the thermostatic head (5) that is adjusted to move the shutter (6) towards the first position that releases the passage of water with a temperature lower than the selected one by the water outlet (3) when its detected temperature (by means of a sensor) is lower than the selected temperature and to move the shutter {6} towards the second position, which favors the passage of water with a temperature equal to or greater than the one selected by the water outlet (4) when the temperature is greater than or equal to the selected temperature. It is worth mentioning that the temperature can be adjusted by means of the thermostatic head (5) so that the movement of the shutter (6) moves according to the user's temperature wishes. The temperature limit is determined according to the characteristics of the thermostatic head.

In figure 3 an exploded view of the thermostatic head (5) is shown, which mainly consists of a regulating knob {7} that is coupled with a base (8) and in turn, to the valve body (1) by half of a guide {9}. Said thermostatic head (5) determines the actuation temperature of the shutter (6) when the determined temperature is detected through a thermostatic sensor (10). Other accessories such as the basket (11), a steel spring (12), washers (13), the cup (14), a bolt {15} and a stem (16), are also accessories that contribute to the operation of the thermostatic head (5) . It is important to mention that these elements may vary depending on the head used

In an embodiment of the present, there is a switch {17} in the thermostatic head (see figure 4) that restricts the position of the shutter (6) to the second position, allowing direct water flow between the water inlet ( 2) at the water outlet (4) returning to the latter, a "cold" water outlet since it has the same temperature at both the water inlet (2) and the outlet (4). This modality is extremely useful for warm places or for people who like to bathe in cold water.

Figure 5 shows the example diagram of a domestic network where the saving device of the present application is used, the system is made up of a water tank (100) that feeds a domestic water network that directs the flow of water to the heater (101) where the water is heated. In this mode, the water that enters the valve (1) with a temperature of less than 30 ^e C is stored in an external water tank (102) and once it reaches a temperature equal to or greater than 30 ° C, it is use for shower (103) during shower.

Figure 6 is a second embodiment where the water from the water tank (200) passes through the water heater water {201} direct to the valve {1}, and at this point, the water with a temperature below 30 ° C is recycled back to the water tank (200) by means of a water pump or pressurizer (202) . When the water flow reaches a temperature greater than or equal to 30 ^e C, the water flow is recirculated towards the shower (203),

In another embodiment, the {5} thermostatic head allows to have two different predetermined operating temperatures, preferably being at the hot water outlet a temperature greater than or equal to 35 ° C and greater than or equal to 10 ° C, and at the outlet cold water, less than 35 ° C or less than 1G ⁹ C.

Claims

1.- A water saving device characterized by * a three-way valve that defines a water inlet that comes directly from the public network * cistern or tank * a water outlet with a temperature lower than the one selected to reuse the water that is not * a water outlet with a temperature equal to or greater than that selected is used in a shower and a plug, in the main chamber of the valve * operated by a thermostatic head * where the internal plug moves to a first position To direct the water go around the water outlet while it reaches the selected temperature, and to a second position to direct the water flow to the water outlet with a temperature equal to or greater than that selected for use in a shower.

2.- The saving device according to claim 1; characterized in that the water inlet comprises a cylindrical portion that communicates with the main chamber of the valve by means of a passage.

3. The saving device according to claim 1; characterized in that, the water outlet with a temperature lower than that selected and the water outlet with a temperature equal to or greater than that selected are formed of cylindrical portions that have passageways that communicate the flow of water with the main chamber of the valve.

4.- The saving device according to claim 1; characterized in that the valve plug is attached to a cylindrical housing within the main chamber,

5. - The saving device according to claim 4; characterized in that the housing has upper perimeter rings and lower perimeter rings that prevent the passage of water according to the position of the shutter (6).

6.- The saving device according to claim 1; characterized in that the thermostatic head has a switch that restricts the shutter position to the second position.

7.- The saving device according to claim 1; characterized in that the valve directs the flow of the surrounding water towards a water outlet with lower temperature than selected.

8. The saving device according to claim 1; characterized in that the three-way valve directs the surrounding water flow towards a water outlet with a temperature equal to or greater than the selected temperature.

9.- The saving device according to claim 7; characterized in that * valve directs the flow of surrounding water to a water outlet with a temperature lower than the selected one.

10. - The saving device according to claim 8; characterized in that the three-way valve directs the surrounding water flow towards a water outlet with a temperature equal to or greater than that selected.