Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
  • G05D23/00—Control of temperature
  • G05D23/19—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means
  • G05D23/20—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature
  • G05D23/24—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24H—FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL
  • F24H9/00—Details
  • F24H9/20—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
  • F24H9/2007—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heaters
  • F24H9/2014—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for water heaters using electrical energy supply
  • F24H9/2021—Storage heaters
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01K1/00—Details of thermometers not specially adapted for particular types of thermometer
  • G01K1/14—Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01K5/00—Measuring temperature based on the expansion or contraction of a material
  • G01K5/48—Measuring temperature based on the expansion or contraction of a material the material being a solid
  • G01K5/50—Measuring temperature based on the expansion or contraction of a material the material being a solid arranged for free expansion or contraction
  • G01K5/52—Measuring temperature based on the expansion or contraction of a material the material being a solid arranged for free expansion or contraction with electrical conversion means for final indication
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01K7/00—Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements
  • G01K7/16—Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements using resistive elements
  • G01K7/22—Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements using resistive elements the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor
• • 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
  • F24D2220/00—Components of central heating installations excluding heat sources
  • F24D2220/04—Sensors
  • F24D2220/042—Temperature sensors
• • 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
  • F24D2240/00—Characterizing positions, e.g. of sensors, inlets, outlets
  • F24D2240/30—At vertical variable positions, e.g. a movable inlet pipe within a tank
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H37/00—Thermally-actuated switches
  • H01H37/02—Details
  • H01H37/32—Thermally-sensitive members
  • H01H37/46—Thermally-sensitive members actuated due to expansion or contraction of a solid
  • H01H37/48—Thermally-sensitive members actuated due to expansion or contraction of a solid with extensible rigid rods or tubes

Definitions

• the object of the present invention is a thermo-regulator device for household heating appliances, in particular for storage water heaters, even more in particular with electrical power supply.
• the present invention relates to a control, regulation and safety device for such electrical storage water heaters which integrates the control and regulation features of an electronic system in a single and compact device with the safety modes of an electromechanical system.
• the electrical storage water heaters include two types of thermostats, usually integrated in a single device, for controlling the temperature of the water contained in the storage tank: the first one is a regulation thermostat (thermo-regulating thermostat) suitable for keeping the water heater temperature at the value set by the manufacturer and/or selected by the user; the second one is a thermal protector thermostat suitable for cutting off the power supply to the electrical resistances when a limit temperature is reached.
• a regulation thermostat thermo-regulating thermostat
• the second one is a thermal protector thermostat suitable for cutting off the power supply to the electrical resistances when a limit temperature is reached.
• thermo-sensitive element In this type of water heater devices, the use of a thermo-sensitive element is widespread, which extends within the storage tank consisting of a heat expanding tube, generally of brass, wherein a rod with a low heat expansion is coaxially arranged, generally made of INVAR (hereinafter, the "heat expanding tube/low heat expansion rod” pair shall be briefly referred to as “tube and rod actuator”).
• a rod with a low heat expansion is coaxially arranged, generally made of INVAR (hereinafter, the "heat expanding tube/low heat expansion rod” pair shall be briefly referred to as “tube and rod actuator”).
• the brass tube As the storage water temperature increases, the brass tube is subject to an elongation that also pulls the INVAR rod, constrained thereto at the outermost end. Said rod therefore performs the action of mechanical actuator on the contacts within the thermostat, cutting off/restoring the power supply to the electrical resistances.
• the tube and rod actuator serves as sensor and actuator for the thermo-regulation only, due to the fact that a monostable elastic sheet micro-switch is operated through it, so as to cause subsequent opening closing of the contacts for the electrical power supply of the heating elements.
• the thermal protection function is performed by an actuator consisting of a known bistable thermo-sensitive bimetallic element (commonly called "clickson"), arranged within the thermostat box in a position that is sufficiently close to said thermo-expansible tube of the tube and rod actuator so that its temperature is strongly influenced by the water heater temperature through the same thermo-expansible tube, which passively serves as heat conductor. If the temperature reached by the clickson exceeds a safety value, it triggers irreversibly opening electrical contacts.
• thermo- protection function is based on the tube and rod actuator, besides the thermo-regulation one.
• the tube and rod actuator also acts on a bistable bimetallic disc capable of inverting the convexity of its concavity, in a non reversible manner, under the action of the rod when a limit temperature is reached, so as to cause the opening of the contacts and set the water heater to a safe condition.
• thermo- regulating and thermal protecting thermostat entirely electronic.
• the microprocessor of electronic thermostats is obtained on a very narrow and elongated board, with overall dimensions similar to those of the tube and rod actuator so that it is easily seated in place of said "heat expansible tube/INVAR rod" pair in the same sheath.
• the thermal protection function performed by the electro-mechanical device described before has an excellent level of reliability, meeting all the safety requirements of the regulations in force.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a single and compact control device suitable for serving as electronic thermo-regulator and electro-mechanical thermal protector in an electrical storage water heater, thus adding up the reliability of an electromechanical system with the adjustment accuracy and the management flexibility of an electronic system.
• a further object of the present invention is to allow all the temperature sensors of such devices to be seated in the sheaths of the current dimensions and currently provided for the alternative seating of either the board of an electronic thermo-regulator or of the tube and rod actuator.
• figure 1 shows a perspective view of the device according to a first version of the invention
• figure 2 shows a detailed view of what shown in figure 1;
• figure 3 shows the interior of the device according to a second version of the invention
• figure 4 shows an exploded view of a device according to the invention
• figure 5 shows a perspective view of the device according to a useful possibility provided by the invention
• figure 6 shows the interior of the device according to a further possibility provided by the invention.
• the teachings of the invention are particularly useful for facilitating the assembly and mounting of a thermostat with electronic thermo-regulation and electro-mechanical thermal protection in a water heater.
• the teachings of the invention are further as much useful for facilitating the assembly of a thermostat with electronic thermo-regulation and thermal protection.
• reference numeral 1 globally indicates the device suitable for performing, at least, the thermo-regulation and the thermal protection functions, in particular of an electrical storage water heater.
• said device 1 shall be generically referred to with the term “thermostat”.
• any dimensional and spatial term refers to the position according to which the devices are shown in the annexed figures.
• Thermostat 1 comprises a containment box 2 consisting of a base 2.1 and a cover 2.2, wherein an electronic board 8 is seated (see figs. 2, 3 4 or 6) seating, among the others, a microprocessor suitable for controlling at the least the thermo-regulation function.
• Box 2 at least in the preferred versions of the invention, also contains the elements intended for the safety function (not shown in the figure).
• a probe holder element 3 extends from base 2.1 of said box 2.
• said probe holder element 3 consists of a metal tube 3 having the function of supporting the probes intended for the electronic thermo-regulation function.
• probe holder element 3 is also an essential element of the electro-mechanical thermal protection function.
• thermo-sensitive bimetallic element clickson
• said probe holder element 3 acts as heat conductor for making the clickson temperature to be strongly influenced by the water heater temperature.
• said probe holder element 3 is the thermo-expansible tube of the tube and rod actuator.
• box 2 of thermostat 1 seats not only the actuating safety means, actuated by the movement of the probe holder element 3 and intended for opening/closing the electrical contacts of the circuit powering the connecting fastens 2.6 of the resistances; it also seats an electronic board 8, capable of receiving the signals coming from special electronic sensors, to then transmit them to the microprocessor the electrical appliance is provided with.
• Said electronic sensors are indicated with reference numeral 5 and are arranged on the probe holder element 3.
• such electronic sensors 5 are preferably of the NTC type and are in a variable number according to the functions they should perform.
• a single sensor may be provided, but in general there are more than one arranged at different heights to allow actuating various improving ancillary functions or other than thermoregulation, such as the estimate of the mean temperature or of the energy content of the water heater.
• One of the technical problems solved by the present invention consists in the particular embodiment of the conductive paths and in the connecting methods of sensors 5 and of such paths to the electronic board 8.
• the element that is common to all versions lies in the fact that the electrical conductive paths that connect sensors 5 to box 2 of the thermostat and/or directly to the electronic board 8, are made by silkscreen printing, a printing technique that has long been used although not in the field of thermostats.
• Figs. 1 and 2 show a first version of the invention wherein said conductive paths 6 are silkscreen printed directly on the probe holder element 3 by a portion that goes from said sensors 5 to the lower end of said probe holder element 3 in contact with base 2.1 of the box of thermostat 1.
• Such conductive flexible element 7 consists in an FPCB, that is, a “flexible printed circuit board” (for shortness, also called “flex”), that is, a flexible tape whereon one or more resistive tracks are silkscreen printed, thus obtaining a conductive path totally similar to conductive paths 6.
• FPCB flexible printed circuit board
• flex flexible tape whereon one or more resistive tracks are silkscreen printed
• Fig. 3 shows a second version of the connection method between sensors 5 and the electronic board 8: in this case, the probe holder element 3 does not stop in contact with base 2.1 of box 2 but it extends within the same up to coming into direct contact with the electronic board 8 or better, with a coupling 8.1 constrained on said board.
• the conductive paths 6 made on the probe holder element 3 substantially come into contact with the electronic board 8 without the aid of a further conductor cable, such as flex 7 of the first version, the end result of transferring the signal captured by the electronic sensors 5 to said board 8 through the silkscreen printed conductive paths remaining unchanged.
• the electronic sensors 5 are standard NTC or PTC thermistors, affixed by welding or, in the case of PTC, also directly made by silkscreen printing, in this last case advantageously with the same technique used for the respective conductive paths 6.
• the probe holder 3 can still consist of a tube but not necessarily heat conductive. However, the probe holder 3 may also be shaped as in figs. 5 and 6.
• the probe holder element 3 acts as support for a flat bar 9 whereon the electronic sensors 5 and the conductive paths 6 are made.
• conductive paths 6 consist of the same flex cable 7, affixed on the entire portion of said bar 9, between sensors 5 and up to the lower end thereof in contact with base 2.1 of the box of thermostat 1.
• Fig. 6 shows a further simplified version comparable to the version shown in fig. 3 as regards the direct connection of the conductive paths 6 to the electronic board 8, but similar to the version of fig. 5 as regards the support element of sensors 5 and of said conductive paths 6.
• Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of thermostat 1, which highlights a possible feature of the thermostat described above, consisting in the fact that pins 2.4 (suitable for mechanically constraining base 2.1 of box 2 to the underlying electronic board 8 through reciprocal holes 2.5), or at least one of them, also perform the role of electrical connectors of the same board 8 to the electrical resistances and to the network.
• the same pins 2.4 also have the role of spacers for the electromc board 8 from base 2.1 of the containment box 2, so as to prevent undesired overheating of the board and create an adequate space for the components thereof, such as the regulation and/or thermal protection relay 8.2 (the opening-closing whereof controls the power supply to the resistances) and the fuses that protect the contacts of the various relays from overcurrents that would cause the gluing of the same.
• the regulation and/or thermal protection relay 8.2 the opening-closing whereof controls the power supply to the resistances
• the fuses that protect the contacts of the various relays from overcurrents that would cause the gluing of the same.
• thermostat 1 resides in combining the typical safety features of an electro-mechanical device with the capabilities of regulation of an electronic device in a single body, using the elements and the dimensions of a standard rod thermostat.
• thermo-regulation function This peculiarity is present, in particular, in the version of the invention wherein the probe holder element 3 is represented by the tube and rod actuator: in this case, the probe holder element 3 is already provided for regularly performing the function of thermal protection but without having to provide additional support elements, it also serves as support for the electronic sensors 5 and the conductive paths 6 used for the thermo-regulation function. It is clear that several variants to thermostat 1, object of the invention, are possible for those skilled in the art, without departing from the novelty scopes of the inventive idea, as well as it is clear that in the practical embodiment of the invention the various components described above may be replaced with technically equivalent ones.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Nonlinear Science (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
• Measuring Temperature Or Quantity Of Heat (AREA)
• Cookers (AREA)
• Control Of Resistance Heating (AREA)
• Surface Heating Bodies (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (3)

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Citations (6)

• 2010
  • 2010-07-29 IT ITAN2010A000131A patent/IT1401027B1/it active
• 2011
  • 2011-06-06 DE DE212011100126U patent/DE212011100126U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2011-06-06 WO PCT/IB2011/001227 patent/WO2012014025A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-06-06 RU RU2013108677/08U patent/RU131212U1/ru active
  • 2011-06-06 PL PL122033U patent/PL67697Y1/pl unknown
  • 2011-06-06 PT PT2011001227U patent/PT2012014025Y/pt unknown
  • 2011-06-06 ES ES201390002U patent/ES1082705Y/es not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (6)

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