SHOWER SYSTEM

• US 20200131746A1
• Filed: 03/14/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hametech Holding B.V., Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno, Wilmar Holding B.V.
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: JACOBS, Peter, KEMP, Richard Edward John, NENNIE, Erik Daniel, TER MEER, Bert, VAN DE KOOT, Johny, LIGTERMOET, Wilhelm Hendrik
• Granted Patent: US 11,220,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0408 Water installations especially for showers E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/044 having a heating or cooling apparatus in the supply line water heaters, e.g. with continuous flow, F24H
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/005 Installations allowing recovery of heat from waste water for warming up fresh water
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0005 using recuperation of waste heat F24D17/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0057 with accumulation of the heated water
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/20 Sewage water
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0012 the heat being recuperated from waste water or from condensates
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/0075 with particular circuits for the same heat exchange medium, e.g. with the same heat exchange medium flowing through sections having different heat exchange capacities or for heating or cooling the same heat exchange medium at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/024 the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled tubes, the coils having a cylindrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/18 Domestic hot-water supply systems using recuperated or waste heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/56 Heat recovery units

Abstract

The shower system has a heat exchanger located in compartment vertically adjacent to the wall of the shower space and closed off by an openable or removable panel. The heat exchanger comprising a helically winding heat exchange conduit with successive windings around a vertical axis in said compartment above the floor of the shower space. A pump coupled to the shower drain pumps warm water to a warm water feed of the heat exchanger, from where it is sprayed on a top winding of the heat exchange conduit. Tap water is fed to the shower head successively via the heat exchange conduit and a heater and/or a mixing element for mixing water from the heat exchanger with water from a supply input for external hot water.

Claims

1. A shower system comprising

a shower space bordered by a wall and a floor;

a shower head above the shower space and a shower drain below the shower space;

a heater and/or a supply input for external hot water;

a compartment vertically adjacent to the wall and closed off from the shower space by an openable or removable panel;

a heat exchanger located in the compartment vertically adjacent to the wall closed off by an openable or removable panel, the heat exchanger comprising a helically winding heat exchange conduit with successive windings around a vertical axis in said compartment above the floor of the shower space, and a warm water feed configured to spray water on a top winding of the heat exchange conduit;

a pump coupled between the shower drain and the warm water feed of the heat exchanger;

a tap water input coupled to the shower head successively via the heat exchange conduit and the heater and/or a mixing element for mixing water from the heat exchanger with water from the supply input for external hot water.

2. A shower system according to claim 1, wherein the shower space further borders on a further wall, the wall and the further wall forming a corner of the shower space, wherein the compartment bounded by the panel and parts of the first and second wall that extend from the corner.

3. A shower system according to claim 1, wherein a direction through the helically winding heat exchange conduit from the tap water input to the shower head runs from a lowest point of the helically winding heat exchange conduit to the top winding.

4. A shower system according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger conduit comprises a plurality of sections connected in series between the tap water input and the heater and/or the mixing element, the compartment comprising a first and second sub-compartment with a watertight separation between the first and second sub-compartment, the sections of the heat exchanger conduit being located in the first sub-compartment and connections that connect the sections in series being located in the second sub-compartment.

5. A shower system according to claim 4, wherein the sections of the heat exchanger conduit each comprise a central tap water channel, a wall enclosing the central channel and a plurality of detection channels in the wall of heat exchanger conduit, the detection channels being open to the second sub-compartment at the connections between the sections, the central channels being connected in series in the second sub-compartment.

6. A shower system according to claim 1, comprising a warm water storage vessel, the heat exchange conduit being coupled to the shower head via the warm water storage vessel, the heater being configured to heat the water in the warm water storage vessel.

7. A shower system according to claim 6, comprising a further heater, the heat exchange conduit being coupled to the warm water storage vessel via the further heater.

8. A shower system according to claim 6, comprising a bypass water conduit in parallel with the warm water storage vessel between the heat exchange conduit and the shower head.

9. A shower system according to claim 8, comprising a thermostatic mixing faucet with inputs coupled to the water storage vessel and the bypass, and an output coupled to the shower head.

10. A shower system according to claim 1, comprising a pump control circuit, the pump control circuit comprising a water level sensor configured to sense an indication of a water level in the drain and a control circuit coupled between the water sensor and an input of the pump for pump speed control, the control circuit being configured to increase and decrease the pump speed when the water level in the drain is above and below a reference level respectively.

11. A shower system according to claim 10, wherein the pump control circuit comprises a memory for storing a pump control signal level, the pump control circuit being configured to retain a pump speed control signal level setting reached before water flow is switched off in the memory when the water flow is switched off, and to set the pump speed initially to the retained control signal level setting when the water flow is switched back on.

12. A shower system according to claim 1, comprising a panel, a hinge coupling the panel to the wall, allowing the panel to be swung open as a door of the compartment.

13. A shower system according to claim 1, wherein the panel is coupled to the wall via a detachable connection.