BAEK, In Sook (212-203, Chukong New TowrnJowon-dong, Jangan-g, Suwon-si Gyeonggi-do 440-200, KR)
Claims
[1] A hot water supplier for a hot water circulation mat, comprising a pump (130) connected to a heat radiating pipe of the hot water circulation mat to circulate water, and a heating device (120) to heat the water moved by the pump (130), wherein the heating device (120) comprises: a hot water tank (121) having a circulation water inlet (123) and a circulation water outlet (124) which are coupled to the heat radiating pipe; a heater (145) installed in the hot water tank (121); and a heat exchanger (131) having a spiral tube shape and provided around the heater (145), the heat exchanger (131) being provided with an inlet (132) connected to the circulation water inlet (123) of the hot water tank (121) and with an outlet (133) communicating with a space in the hot water tank (121).
[2] The hot water supplier for the hot water circulation mat according to claim 1, wherein at least one partition wall (129) is provided in the hot water tank (121) to partition the space in the hot water tank (121) into a plurality of sections, wherein the partition wall (129) defines a water passage (133) at a position spaced apart from the outlet (133) of the heat exchanger (131).
[3] The hot water supplier for the hot water circulation mat according to claim 1 or
2, wherein a water supplementation tub (103) is provided outside the hot water tank (121), and the hot water tank (121) further has a supplemental water inlet (125) and a supplemental water outlet (126), which communicate with the water supplementation tub (103), with check valves (127) and (128) respectively provided in the supplemental water inlet (125) and the supplemental water outlet (126), each of the check valves allowing water to be discharged or drawn in one corresponding direction. |
Description
HOT WATER SUPPLYER FOR HOT WATER CIRCULATION
MAT
Technical Field
[1] The present invention relates, in general, to hot water suppliers for hot water circulation mats and, more particularly, to a hot water supplier for a hot water circulation mat which can rapidly heat, at a constant temperature, water to be supplied to the mat, thus ensuring satisfaction when using the hot water circulation mat, and being more comfortable for a user. Background Art
[2] Generally, hot water circulation mats are widely used as devices for medical treatment and health administration or as simple heating devices. As shown in a schematic view in Fig. 1, such a hot water circulation mat includes a mat body 13, in which a heat radiating pipe 11 is arranged to have a predetermined shape, and a hot water supplier 15, which is coupled to the heat radiating pipe 11 through a circulation water pipe 10. The hot water supplier 15 includes a heating device 18, which heats water drawn through the circulation water pipe 10, and a pump 17, which is coupled to a front or rear end of the heating device 18. The hot water supplier 15 supplies hot water heated by the heating device 18 to the heat radiating pipe 11, thus heating the mat body 13 to a desired temperature set by a user. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem
[3] The heating device 18 is constructed such that a heater is provided in a hot water tank to receive and heat water drawn from the heat radiating pipe 11 through the circulation water pipe 10 and, as necessary, to supply the heated water to the heat radiating pipe 11 again. However, the conventional heating device 18 has a basic structure in which water heated by the heater is mixed only by natural convection, and thus heat transfer is not efficiently conducted. Therefore, depending on the positions of a circulation water inlet and a circulation water outlet of the heating device or depending on the position of the heater, some of the water drawn into the heating device is heated to a relatively high temperature by the heat of the heater while the rest of the water is insufficiently heated. In this state, because the water is supplied to the heat radiating pipe 11 of the mat body 13 again, the temperature of the hot water that passes through the heat radiating pipe 11 is not constant, thus causing dissatisfaction when using the hot water circulation mat.
[4] Furthermore, because the conventional hot water supplier has a structure such that
the efficiency of heat transfer from the heater to the water in the heating device 18 is relatively low, as described above, it takes a lot of time to heat the mat body 13 to a temperature set by the user. In addition, because the temperature of the water in the hot water tank is uneven depending on position, it is difficult to precisely maintain the mat body 13 at the temperature set by the user. Technical Solution [5] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supplier for a hot water circulation mat which is constructed such that heat is rapidly and evenly transferred from a heater to water in a heating device, thus ensuring satisfaction when using the hot water circulation mat, and being more convenient for a user.
Advantageous Effects
[6] In a hot water supplier for a hot water circulation mat according to the present invention, a heat exchanger is installed in a heating device into a structure such that a water supply path winds around a heater, so that water drawn into the heating device absorbs heats around the heater and simultaneously accelerates the mixture of water, thus preventing a difference in temperature depending on the position of water to be supplied to the hot water circulation mat, thereby ensuring satisfaction when using the hot water circulation mat. Furthermore, the present invention has an advantage in that, because the heating efficiency of the heater is improved, the temperature of the mat is rapidly and precisely adjusted to the temperature set by the user.
[7] These advantageous effects of the present invention can be increased by providing a partition wall in the heating device such that a water passage is defined at a position spaced as far apart from the outlet of the heat exchanger as possible. Brief Description of the Drawings
[8] Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing the construction of a typical hot water circulation mat;
[9] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a hot water supplier for hot water circulation mats, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[10] Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the internal construction of a heating device, which is an important part of the hot water supplier according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[11] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a hot water supplier for a hot water circulation mat, including a pump connected to a heat radiating pipe of the hot water circulation mat to circulate water, and a heating device to heat the water moved by the pump, wherein the heating device includes: a hot water tank
having a circulation water inlet and a circulation water outlet which are coupled to the heat radiating pipe; a heater installed in the hot water tank; and a heat exchanger having a spiral tube shape and provided around the heater, the heat exchanger being provided with an inlet connected to the circulation water inlet of the hot water tank and with an outlet communicating with a space in the hot water tank. Mode for the Invention
[12] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description. Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
[13] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a hot water supplier for a hot water circulation mat, according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[14] As shown in Fig. 2, the hot water supplier of the present invention includes a casing
101, which has a planar lower casing body 101b and an upper casing body 101a that is coupled to the upper surface of the lower casing body 101b and defines installation space therein, and a heating device 120 and a pump 130, which are installed in the casing 101 and are sequentially connected to a circulation water pipe 10 coupled to a heat radiating water pipe of the mat.
[15] Furthermore, a manipulation panel 107, which has operating and setting buttons, a display, etc., is provided on a surface of the upper casing body 101a. A control unit, which controls the supply of power to the heating device 120 and the pump 130 and the operation of the display depending on input setting values, is provided inside the control panel 107. In addition, a water supplementation tub 103 is provided in the upper end of the upper casing body 101a, and a cover 105 is removably coupled to the upper end of the water supplementation tub 103.
[16] Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the internal construction of the heating device
120, which is an important part of the hot water supplier of the present invention. Referring to the drawing, the heating device 120 includes a hot water tank 121, which has a circulation water inlet 123 and a circulation water outlet 124 on opposite ends thereof and a supplemental water inlet 125 and a supplemental water outlet 126 on the upper end thereof. The heating device 120 further includes a heater 145, which is vertically installed in the hot water tank 121 and generates heat when power is supplied thereto by the control unit, and a heat exchanger 131, which has a spiral tube shape that is provided around the heater 145 and defines a water path that winds around the heater 145 and extends downwards.
[17] The circulation water inlet 123 and the circulation water outlet 124 of the hot water tank 121 are connected to the heat radiating water pipe of the mat through the
circulation water pipe 10. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pump 130 is provided behind the heating device 120, so that the circulation water inlet 123 is directly coupled to the circulation water pipe 10, and the circulation water outlet 124 is coupled to the circulation water pipe 10 through a connection pipe 141 and the pump 130.
[18] Furthermore, the hot water tank 121 has therein a partition wall 129, which partitions the internal space in the hot water tank 121 into a plurality of sections, portions of which communicate with each other, for example, in the embodiment, into two sections, the upper portions of which communicate with each other through a water passage 130 defined by the partition wall 129. Preferably, the water passage 130 is formed at a position spaced as far apart from the outlet 133 of the heat exchanger 131 as possible.
[19] Meanwhile, the supplemental water inlet 125 and the supplemental water outlet
126, which communicate with the water supplementation tub 103, are provided on the upper end of the hot water tank 121. Check valves 127 and 128 are respectively installed in the supplemental water inlet 125 and the supplemental water outlet 126 in directions opposite each other, such that water can move between the hot water tank 121 and the water supplementation tub 103 depending on a difference in pressure therebetween.
[20] Preferably, the heat exchanger 131 is made of material having relatively high thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the heat exchanger 131 is constructed such that an inlet 132, which is provided on the upper end of the heat exchanger 131, is connected to the hot water inlet 123 of the hot water tank 121, and the outlet 133, which is provided on the lower end of the heat exchanger 131, communicates with the space defined in the hot water tank 121.
[21] In the hot water supplier of the present invention, having the above-mentioned construction, the pump 130 circulates water through the heat radiating pipe of the mat and through the circulation water pipe 10 connected to the heat radiating pipe. The heating device 120 heats and supplies the water that circulates. Here, because water is drawn into the internal space of the heating device 120 through the heat exchanger 131, the water to be drawn into the space is preheated by water, which is in the hot water tank 121. Thus, the temperature difference between the water that is drawn and the water that has been stored in the hot water tank 120 is reduced. Particularly, the water to be drawn conducts heat exchange while moving along the spiral path, which winds around the heater 145, which generates relatively high heat. Therefore, the drawn water absorbs a relatively large amount of heat, thus the temperature of the water around the heater 145 is prevented from increasing excessively. Thereby, the temperature difference between positions in the hot water tank 121 is primarily
reduced.
[22] Furthermore, because the water to be drawn through the heat exchanger 131 swirls when it is discharged into the hot water tank 121, the water in the hot water tank 121 is actively mixed. Therefore, the temperature of water in the hot water tank 121 is efficiently homogenized.
[23] Moreover, because the passage 13 defined by the partition wall 129 is spaced apart from the outlet 133 of the heat exchanger 131 by a relatively long distance, the path, along which water moves through the hot water tank 121, is lengthened and complicated. As a result, the mixing of the water is further promoted, and thus the temperature of hot water is more efficiently homogenized. Industrial Applicability
[24] As described above, the present invention provides a hot water supplier for a hot water circulation mat in which a heat exchanger is installed in a heating device into a structure such that a water supply path winds around a heater, so that water drawn into the heating device absorbs heat around the heater and simultaneously accelerates the mixture of water, thus eliminating a difference in temperature depending on the position of the water to be supplied to the hot water circulation mat, thereby ensuring satisfaction when using the hot water circulation mat. Furthermore, the present invention has an advantage in that, because the heating efficiency of the heater is enhanced, the temperature of the mat is rapidly and precisely adjusted to the temperature set by the user.
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