DE202008016920U1 - Fitting arrangement for drinking water heaters - Google Patents

Abstract

Fitting arrangement (10) for drinking water heaters with an integrated expansion vessel containing
(a) a safety valve (12) and
(b) a drain assembly (14) for draining expansion water,
marked by
(c) a sensor (42, 44, 46) in the flow path (22) through the expander assembly (14) for detecting expansion water.

Description

Technical area

• (a) ein Sicherheitsventil und
• (b) eine Ablaufanordnung zum Ableiten von Ausdehnungswasser.

The invention relates to a fitting assembly for drinking water heater with an integrated expansion vessel containing

• (a) a safety valve and
• (b) a drainage arrangement for draining expansion water.

The The invention further relates to a drinking water heater an expansion vessel and such a fitting arrangement.

State of the art

There are drinking water heaters in which the drinking water to be heated in a closed container, eg. B. by heat exchange with heating water is heated. When heated, the drinking water expands. This expansion must be taken into account. For this purpose, water is usually drained via a membrane safety valve. Safety valves, for example, by the applicant under the name "Syrobloc" or "Security Center 4807" (s. www.syr.de ) and are well known.

A safety valve requires an outlet for the exiting expansion water. An example of such a process is in the DE 20 2005 002 415 U1 described. Simpler drainage arrangements for safety valves are described, for example, by the applicant under the name "drainage funnel M 18 × 1.5 article no. 0214.00.902 "(p. www.syr.de ).

The Volume of lost expanding water may be at a four-person household depending on the installation and size of the DHW heater up to ten liters per day. That adds up to considerable Loss of water and energy.

It is therefore known, expansion tanks with the system of drinking water heater connecting the expansion water take up. Known devices of this type contain a bubble membrane, arranged in a gas filled housing is. The edge of an inlet opening of the bladder membrane is with the edge of an inlet opening of the housing connected. The inlet openings are with the System of drinking water heater in connection. In the room between bubble membrane and housing is over Fill valve filled with compressed gas.

One Problem exists in such expansion vessels in that maintenance and verification of such Vessels is difficult. In operation, the bubble membrane from the inside with the drinking water under operating pressure applied. On the outside of the pressure of the compressed gas acts. The pressure of the compressed gas in the housing would have over the filling valve to be checked. A pure pressure check by measuring the pressure but at the filling valve in the operating state does not allow Conclusion on the functionality of the expansion tank, So it depends on whether in the housing enough compressed gas is included. About the membrane is namely a Maintain gas pressure equal to the operating pressure of the water. Therefore, the expansion vessel of be disconnected from the drinking water system. The membrane must be of be relieved of the water pressure. Only then can a pressure measurement at the filling valve for checking the Gas cushion of the compressed gas made sense.

The EP-C-0 602 430 describes a connection fitting for an expansion vessel with a cavity. The connection fitting has a direct flow passage passing between the inlet and the outlet past the cavity. The connection fitting further provides a flow path parallel to the direct flow passage and through the cavity. In this parallel flow path, a suction device is arranged, through which by means of flowing in the direct flow path of drinking water, a suction is generated, which generates a water exchange flow through the parallel flow path through the cavity into a downstream part of the flow path in the drawing of drinking water , It is further provided for testing the pressure expansion vessel, a ball valve, through which the parallel flow path upstream and downstream of the cavity of the pressure expansion vessel can be shut off, while a compound of the cavity with an outlet can be produced.

A connection fitting for pressure expansion vessels is in DE 197 42 047 A1 described.

The Although known arrangements can be checked for their functionality The layman becomes a malfunction of the expansion vessel or failing to detect installation errors.

Disclosure of the invention

It It is an object of the invention to provide a drinking water heater an expansion tank and a safety valve to create, where the proper function of the expansion vessel at any time and for the layman is recognizable.

According to the invention the problem solved by a sensor in the flow path through the drainage arrangement for detecting expansion water. With such a sensor can be determined and displayed whether Expansion water occurs. The occurrence of expansion water is a sign that the arrangement is not working properly. Malfunctions occur when the expansion tank is defective is. But they also occur when the gas pressure in the expansion tank is not is sufficient. There is also a risk that the vessel, For example, by a malposition of the ball valve, not connected is. Finally, the pressure in the system may be too high so that the expansion vessel is insufficient to to absorb the expansion water. A sensor with which expansion water can capture all these problems without the system must be shut off. An elaborate exam by the installer is not required. Rather, the functionality is detected at any time and an installer must only at Malfunctions and / or incorrect installation.

Preferably the drain assembly has a drain body and a Drain funnel on. The drain body is then connected to the drinking water heater and arranged above the drain funnel so that the expansion water through the drain body and through a lower opening dripping into the funnel. Drain body and drain funnel can be interconnected via bridges and form a common component. The drain assembly can be made of plastic be made.

In In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor is in Drain body arranged. The drain body can an upper opening aligned with the lower opening have and the sensor can from the top into the upper opening be plugged. This makes the sensor easily accessible. The arrangement has the advantage that it can be easily retrofitted is. Only the drainage arrangement of comparatively inexpensive Plastic is replaced in existing drinking water heaters.

Preferably the sensor comprises evaluation means with which the amount of expansion water, the duration of the appearance of expansion water and / or the frequency the occurrence of expansion water are stored and evaluated. A unique, short appearance of expansion water is also possible with intact systems. A frequent, long or strong occurrence of expansion water, however, is an indication on a fault or a wrong installation. With a suitable Evaluation, this can be detected.

Preferably Signaling means are provided on the sensor, which in accordance with the results generated by the evaluation means can be activated. The signaling means can be an optical or acoustic Generate signal. In the simplest case, a luminaire is provided, which lights up when the sensor detects expansion water and the evaluation results in a fault. It is understood that also a transmission of the signal for further processing elsewhere and to trigger appropriate action may be provided by the installer.

In a particularly suitable embodiment of the invention, the Flow path for the expansion water through the Drain arrangement a horizontal and a vertical section on which are connected at a transition, wherein provided in the region of the transition a drainage lug is, on which the sensor is arranged. Also small amounts Expansion water will then remain on the nose and will be there detected by the sensor.

In In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor is a Humidity sensor. But there are also optical sensors possible.

refinements The invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Embodiments are with reference to the accompanying drawings explained in more detail.

Brief description of the drawings

1 is a partially sectioned side view through a fitting assembly with a safety valve and a drain assembly with sensor.

2 is an exploded view of the arrangement 1 ,

3 is a side view of the arrangement 1 ,

4 is a section along the section line CC in 3 ,

5 is a side view of a fitting arrangement for drinking water heater with an expansion tank, a double shut-off with backflow preventer, a cold water connection and a safety valve.

6 is a side view of the fitting assembly 5 in the direction of the pipe axis.

Description of the embodiments

1 shows a general with 10 call te fitting arrangement. The fitting arrangement 10 includes a safety valve 12 , The safety valve is connected to a drinking water heater (not shown), which has a (also not shown) expansion vessel for expansion water. When drinking water is heated, it expands. The expansion tank absorbs this expansion water. If, for some reason, the expansion tank can not absorb any expansion water, the safety valve will open 12 , The expansion water then flows into a drain assembly described in more detail below 14 , The drainage arrangement 14 is open to the atmosphere. The expansion water flows through the drainage arrangement 14 off, about in the sewage.

The drainage arrangement is in the 2 - 4 also shown. It consists of a plastic injection molded part. A drain body 16 is over jetties 18 with a discharge funnel 20 connected. The drain body 16 forms a drainage channel 22 , The drainage channel 22 is with a horizontal section 24 with the valve body of the safety valve 12 connected. For this purpose, a union nut 26 intended. The drainage channel 22 goes into a vertical section 28 above. Between the horizontal section 24 and the vertical section 28 is a curved transition section 30 intended. The vertical section is aligned with the vertical axis of the discharge funnel 20 , The expansion water drips or flows freely through a lower opening 36 in the funnel 20 ,

In the transition section 30 is a nose 34 intended. The nose 34 has a horizontal surface 32 on. On the horizontal surface 32 Even very small amounts of expansion water remain.

On the top of the drain body 16 is a neck 38 intended. The stub 38 Aligns with the lower opening 36 and the funnel 20 , The stub 38 is over an upper opening 40 with the drainage channel 22 connected. In the neck 38 is a humidity sensor 42 used. The sensor 42 is cylindrical and has two sensors on the underside 44 and 46 on. These are in 4 particularly easy to recognize. The feelers 44 and 46 are good conductive metal wires, each with a pole one in the sensor 42 provided battery are connected. The end of the feelers 46 and 44 protrudes to the surface 32 the nose 34 , If a drop of expansion water on the surface 32 reaches, the metal wires are brought into contact with each other via this drop. Then a measurable current flows. A circuit provided in the sensor evaluates the frequency and duration of the contacts. There are empirical values for the frequency and duration of the occurrence of expansion water.

If the frequency or the duration of the measured values exceeds these empirical values, the evaluation circuit triggers a signal with which a signal light which is also operated by the battery is triggered 48 is turned on. The signal light 48 remains lit even when no expansion water is flowing anymore. In this way, it is easy to see when the drinking water heater at any unobserved time more expansion water has flowed, as in functional plants.

Because the sensor 42 integrated in the drainage arrangement, any domestic water heater can be easily retrofitted. The already existing installation does not have to be opened. Rather, the sensor assembly can be retrofitted during operation, which saves time and money.

The 1 to 4 show a simple fitting arrangement 10 with safety valve and drain arrangement, which is installed according to the standard regulations with other fittings in a drinking water system. These other valves are in particular a backflow preventer with double shut-off and the aforementioned expansion vessel. 5 and 6 show an alternative fitting arrangement 110 in which all components required for DHW heating are integrated in one valve.

The fitting arrangement 110 includes a housing 112 with an inlet 114 and an outlet 116 , The inlet 114 is connected to a drinking water supply (not shown). The outlet 116 is connected to the drinking water heater. The fitting arrangement 110 is as a whole with fasteners 118 and 120 and a bracket (not shown) mounted on the wall. The housing 112 is with a cold water connection 122 Mistake. Behind the cold water connection is a double shut-off with backflow preventer 124 intended. The double shut-off is by means of a handle 126 actuated. One with a lid 128 closed opening allows access to a provided in the housing backflow preventer cartridge. Downstream of the non-return valve has the fitting assembly 110 a safety valve 130 on. The safety valve 130 corresponds to that already on the basis of 1 to 4 described safety valve. You can see the lifting handle 132 and the drainage arrangement 134 , The fitting assembly further includes an expansion vessel 136 on. The expansion vessel 136 is over a stopcock 138 connected to the flow path in the housing. Another connection 140 allows the connection of the expansion tank 136 also on the other side of the fitting. This is in 6 particularly recognizable.

The Embodiments show that the sensor both on the drainage arrangement of individual safety valves, as well attached to the drainage arrangement of complex fittings or retrofitted can be without the fitting itself must be shut off.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• - DE 202005002415 U1 [0004]
• EP 0602430 C [0008]
• - DE 19742047 A1 [0009]

Cited non-patent literature

• - www.syr.de [0003]
• - www.syr.de [0004]

Claims (9)

Fitting arrangement ( 10 ) for domestic water heaters with an integrated expansion tank, comprising (a) a safety valve ( 12 ) and (b) a flow arrangement ( 14 ) for draining expansion water, characterized by (c) a sensor ( 42 . 44 . 46 ) in the flow path ( 22 ) by the flow arrangement ( 14 ) for detecting expansion water. Fitting arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that (a) the drainage arrangement ( 14 ) a drain body ( 16 ) and a funnel ( 20 ), (b) the drain body ( 16 ) is connected to the drinking water heater and so above the drain funnel ( 20 ) is arranged so that the expansion water flows through the drain body and through a lower opening ( 36 ) drips into the funnel. Fitting arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the sensor ( 42 ) in the drain body ( 16 ) is arranged. Fitting arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the drain body is one with the lower opening ( 36 ) aligned upper opening ( 40 ) and the sensor ( 42 . 44 . 46 ) from above into the upper opening ( 40 ) is inserted. Fitting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor ( 42 ) Comprises evaluation means with which the amount of expansion water, the duration of the occurrence of expansion water and / or the frequency of occurrence of expansion water are stored and evaluated. Fitting arrangement according to claim 5, characterized by signaling means ( 48 ) on the sensor, which can be activated in accordance with the results generated by the evaluation means. Fitting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flow path ( 22 ) for the expansion water through the drainage arrangement a horizontal ( 24 ) and a vertical section ( 28 ), which at a transition ( 30 ) are connected to each other, wherein in the region of the transition a drain nose ( 34 ) is provided, on which the sensor ( 42 . 44 . 46 ) is arranged. Fitting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor ( 42 ) is a humidity sensor. Drinking water heater with an expansion vessel and a fitting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.