Background art There is known a multi-purpose source for the heating system of a building using as heat source a heat pump coupled with a low temperature source situated outside the building. The heat pump heats in a well-known way the refrigerant led by circulation through a refrigerant piping to a heat exchanger refrigerant/water heated by the refrigerant incorporated in the design of the heat pump. To enter the heat exchanger refrigerant/water heated by the refrigerant and to leave it, a first circulation water piping connects a separately situated accumulator container of the water heated by the refrigerant of the heat pump. Connected to said first circulation water piping by means of a second circulation water piping is a separately situated heat exchanger between the water heated by the refrigerant of the heat pump and the supply water for the warm supply water to which there is connected by a third circulation water piping a separately situated warm supply water container connected by another piping with the warm supply water distribution inside the building. The first circulation water piping is in the section line at the entry of the heat pump from the accumulator container to the heat exchanger refrigerant/water heated by the refrigerant of the heat pump in the section between the accumulator container and the connection of the second circulation water piping fitted with a circulation pump providing for the circulation of the water heated by the refrigerant of the heat pump through the entire heating system of the building. The accumulator container is connected to the heating circuit of the building by a separate circulation water piping whose outlet section line, serving to lead the water heated by the refrigerant of the heat pump from the accumulator container, is fitted with an electric boiler for supplying the water with additional heat required for heating the building.

The drawback of this design of a multi-purpose heat source consists in its considerable complicity and high price of the constituting elements of the multipurpose heat source requiring mutual communication by external pipings needing thorough thermal insulation for cutting thermal losses which increases still more the costs of such a multi-purpose heat source. Another drawback of this arrangement of the multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of a building consists in its relatively large dimensions requiring a relatively large engine room.

This is disadvantageous in particular for relatively small buildings such as family houses, and still further increases the costs connected with the installation of this multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of the building. A still another drawback consists in the fact that the positive circulation of the water heated by the refrigerant of the heat pump makes whirl the water, already heated, in the accumulator container and thus increases the heat losses of the multi-purpose heat source.

The technical solution aims at proposing a new arrangement of the multipurpose heat source for the heating system of a building using the technique of the heat pump in such a way that it is simpler, less space-consuming, less heat- iosing, and cheaper to produce.

Principe of the technical solution The aim of the technical solution has been reached by a multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of a building whose principle consists in that the inner space of the accumulator container is passed through, on the one hand, by a refrigerant piping of a heat pump serving therein as a heat exchanger refrigerant/inner space of the accumulator container and, on the other hand, by a water piping serving therein as a heat exchanger inner space of the accumulator container/warm supply water.

By this arrangement, the multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of a building is simplifie and reduced in size and in costs of acquisition since the previously used separate and expensive heat exchangers refrigerant/water of the multi-purpose heat source/warm supply water are replace by simple shaped pipings passing through the accumulator container itself. This arrangement dispenses with the need for a separate warm supply water reservoir because the water piping in the inner space of the accumulator container itself serves as the warm supply water reservoir. This arrangement also reduces the costs connected with the interconnection of the elements of the multi-purpose heat source by pipings and with the heat insulation of said pipings and cuts down heat losses in said pipings. Other savings, both economic and energetic, are due to the fact that this arrangement of the multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of a building dispenses with the up to now indispensable use of expensive and exacting in operation circulation pump since only circulation of the multi-purpose heat source water through the heating system of a building takes place whereas the positive circulation of the multi-purpose heat source water through the pipings into the previously used heat exchanger refrigerant/multi-purpose heat source water and into the previously used heat exchanger of the multi-purpose heat source/warm supply water accompanied by the concomitant circulation of the multi-purpose heat source water through the heating system of a building are omitted.

In a preferred embodiment, a first section of the refrigerant piping, heat- insulated from the inner space of the accumulator container, is led into the upper part of the inner space of the accumulator container while a second section of the refrigerant piping functions in the upper part of the inner space of the accumulator container as a first heat exchanger refrigerant/inner space of the accumulator container, and in the lower part of the inner space of the accumulator container functions as a second heat exchanger refrigerant/inner space of the accumulator container. The water piping functions in the lower part of the inner space of the accumulator container as a first heat exchanger accumulator container/warm supply water, and in the upper part of the inner space of the accumulator container, as a second heat exchanger accumulator container/warm supply water. Situated in the area between the upper and the lower part of the inner space of the accumulator container is a water outlet of the multi-purpose heat source from the accumulator container into the heating system of a building, and in the lower part of the inner space of the accumulator container is situated an inlet of the multi-purpose heat source water from the heating system of the building into the accumulator container.

This arrangement provides for the most intense heating of the multi-purpose heat source water in the upper part of the inner space of the accumulator container where the warm supply water is additionally heated to a predetermined temperature while in the lower part of the inner space of the accumulator container the multi- purpose heat source water is heated to a lower temperature and is therefore used for the preheating of the warm supply water and can be used also for heating the building after connecting the lower part of the inner space of the accumulator container to the heating system of the building. This effect of the heat field distribution of the multi-purpose heat source water in the accumulator container is reached by the absence of the positive circulation of the multi-purpose heat source water caused by the previously used heat exchanger refrigerant/multi-purpose heat source water and the heat exchanger multi-purpose heat source water/warm supply water resulting in the reduction of the movement of the multi-purpose heat source water since only a part of the volume of this water flows through the heating system of the building. The reduction of the movement of the multi-purpose heat source water reduces the intermixing of the higher-temperature and lower- temperature water of the multi-purpose heat source in the accumulator container thus permitting a differentiated transfer of more heat to the warm supply water and of less heat to the portion of the volume of the multi-purpose heat source water that is used in the heating system of the building.

In one preferred embodiment, the second part of the refrigerant piping consists of a single pipe adapted in shape for intense heat transfer from the refrigerant to the inner space of the accumulator container.

This is a simple way of achieving an efficient and differentiated heat transfer from the refrigerant in the refrigerant piping to the multi-purpose heat source water, and from the multi-purpose heat source water, to the warm supply water.

In another preferred embodiment, the second part of the refrigerant piping is made as a system of pipes going on from the first part of the refrigerant piping and adapted in shape for intense heat transfer from the refrigerant to the inner space of the accumulator container.

This embodiment is more complicated in manufacture but it increases the heat transfer intensity from the refrigerant in the refrigerant piping to the multi- purpose heat source water.

For reasons of manufacture, the water piping preferably consists of a single pipe adapted in shape for intense heat transfer from the refrigerant to the inner space of the accumulator container.

To permit additional multi-purpose heat source water heating if the temperature output of the heat pump fails to heat the warm supply water and/or the building to a predetermined temperature, the inner space of the accumulator container houses at least one electric heater connected to a current supply and to the control means of the multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of the building.

The heat pump is preferably seated in the lower part of the body, and the accumulator container, in the upper part of the body.

Such a multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of the building places only limited requirements both on the space and on the complicity of its installation, its acquisition costs are limite, is simple in design and in manufacture, and fully meets the functional requirements.

To extend its applicability beyond the warm supply water heating and the building heating, the inner space of the accumulator container is equipped with at least one further heat exchanger multi-purpose heat source water/a medium for another heating circuit and/or for another heat source.

The principle of function of the heat pump which on the one side releases the heat, and on the other side absorbs it permits to use the device for the air conditioning of the building. For this reason, it is advantageous to connect the heat pump to an air-conditioning medium container adapted to be connected to the air- conditioning units throughout the building.

Brief description of the drawings The technical solution is schematically shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a section of a multi-purpose heat source of a heating system of a building for heating warm supply water and the building, Fig. 2 is a section of a multi-purpose heat source of a heating system of a building for heating warm supply water, the building and a swimming pool with additional water heating in an accumulator container by means of solar cells, and Fig. 3 is a section of the multi-purpose heat source of the heating system of the building of Fig. 2 with an incorporated container for an air-conditioning medium for the air conditioning of the building.

Examples of embodiment of the technical solution The multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of the building comprises a well-known heat pump 1 connected in a well-known manner to a low temperature source 2 consisting for instance of earth or water or air.

The heat pump 1 is connected to a control unit 10 of the multi-purpose heat source. The heat pump 1 is situated under an accumulator container 3 and seated in a lower part 300 of a body 30 and the accumulator container 3 is provided in an upper part 301 of the body 30. The inner space of the accumulator container 3 is filled with the multi-purpose heat source water which can contain for instance corrosion inhibiting substances for protecting parts of the multi-purpose heat source or also can be substituted by another suitable medium.

The heat pump 1 contains a refrigerant piping 11 passing into the inner space of the accumulator container 3 and used to let circulate through it a refrigerant heated by the heat pump 1. The refrigerant piping 11 creates in the accumulator container 3 a heat exchanger refrigerant/inner space of the accumulator container 3, i. e., the multi-purpose heat source water, this multi- purpose heat source water heated by the refrigerant of the heat pump 1 serving, on the one side, for heating the warm supply water and, on the other side, as water for the heating system of the building. Passing into the inner space of the accumulator container 3 is a water piping 5 used to let stream cold supply water to be heated to warm supply water and functioning as a heat exchanger between the inner space of the accumulator container 3 and the warm supply water. Thanks to its length and ensuing volume, the water piping 5 also serves as a warm supply water reservoir which due to the high heat output of the multi-purpose heat source also fulfils the function of a through-flow heater of the warm supply water if the warm supply water off-take is superior to the volume of the water piping situated inside the accumulator container 3. The accumulator container 3 contains an inlet 6 of the cooled water of the multi-purpose heat source from the heating system of the building into the accumulator container 3 and an outlet 7 of the heated water of the multi-purpose heat source from the accumulator container 3 into the heating system of the building. To ensure a sufficient heating of the multi-purpose heat source also in a season when the heat output of the heat pump 1 is reduced, for instance due to atmospheric conditions, the inner space of the accumulator container 3 contains at least one electric heater 8 for increasing the water temperature to required value.

Each electric heater 8 is connected to a current supply and to a control unit of the multi-purpose heat source.

In the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerant piping 11 is divided into two sections out of which the first section 110 is straight, heat-isolated from the inner space of the accumulator container 3, and serves as an outlet of the refrigerant from the heat pump 1 into an upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3. In this example of embodiment, the first section 110 of the refrigerant piping 11 is led along the accumulator container 3. The second section 111 of the refrigerant piping 11 leads the refrigerant from the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 back into the heat pump 1 and contains an upper helicoidal part 1110 situated in the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 and functioning as a first heat exchanger refrigerant/ inner space of the accumulator container 3, i. e. the multi-purpose heat source water. The upper helicoidal part 1110 of the refrigerant piping 11 passes through the straight part 1111 into the lower helicoidal part 1112 situated in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 and serving as a second heat exchanger refrigerant/inner space of the accumulator container 3, i. e., the multi-purpose heat source water. The upper helicoidal part 1110 of the second section 111 of the refrigerant piping 11 serves to heat the multi-purpose heat source water in the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3, while the lower helicoidal part 1112 of the second section 111 of the refrigerant piping 11 serves to heat the multi-purpose heat source water in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3. Since the refrigerant passes through the refrigerant piping 11 from the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 into the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3, the multi-purpose heat source water situated in the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 receives more heat than that situated in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3. Thus, the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 is suitable for heating the warm supply water while the water of the multi-purpose heat source in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 can be used at the same time as water for the heating system of the building, the warm supply water requiring a higher temperature than the heating system of the building.

In a not represented example of embodiment, the second section 111 of the refrigerant piping 11 consists of a system of pipes of reduced cross section, all of them going on from the first section 110 of the refrigerant piping 11. The system of pipes is suitably shaped so as to produce the two heat exchangers refrigerant/ inner space of the accumulator container 3 ; for instance, the system consists of a number of plain sections situated one under the other and created by the sequential bending through 90° of the whole pipe system in the parts 3010,3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3. In another not represented example of embodiment, the second section 111 of the refrigerant piping 11 is made in another suitable manner so as to obtain as good as possible heat transfer from the refrigerant heated by the heat pump 1 to the multi-purpose heat source water.

In the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the water piping 5 enters the accumulator container 3 in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 and in a helix 50 representing the first heat exchanger inner space of the accumulator container 3/warm supply water, rises into the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 where at a level above the refrigerant piping 11 the helix 50 passes into a pipe heat exchanger 51 inner space of the accumulator container 3/warm supply water which is the second heat exchanger inner space of the accumulator container 3/warm supply water. Behind the pipe heat exchanger 51 inner space of the accumulator container 3/warm supply water, the water piping 5 leaves the accumulator container 3. In the shown example of embodiment, the pipe heat exchanger 51 consists of straight pipe sections extending from one side wall of the accumulator container 3 to the opposite side wall of the accumulator container 3. In a not shown example of embodiment, the water piping 5 inside the accumulator container 3 is shaped in another suitable way so as to obtain as good as possible heat transfer from the multi-purpose heat source in the accumulator container 3 to the warm supply water in the water piping 5.

In the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the inlet 6 of the cooled water of the multi-purpose heat source from the heating system of the building into the accumulator container 3 is situated at the lower edge of the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3, and the outlet 7 of the heated water of the multi-purpose heat source from the accumulator container 3 into the heating system of the building is situated at the frontier between the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 and the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3. In combination with the first heat exchanger 1110 of the refrigerant piping 11, this ensures a constantly high temperature of the multi-purpose heat source water in the upper part 3010 of the accumulator container 3 in which the greatest part of the heat exchanger inner space of the accumulator container 3/warm supply water is situated.

In the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 1, there is one electric heater 8 for increasing the warm supply water temperature to a predetermined value situated in the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 in the area of the pipe heat exchanger 51 inner space of the accumulator container 3/warm supply water, i. e., in the area of the upper helicoidal part 1110 of the second section 111 of the refrigerant piping 11, while in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 in the area of the helix 50 of the water piping 5 there are situated three electric heaters 8 for increasing the warm supply water temperature to a predetermined value required for the heating system of the building.

The refrigerant piping 11 and the water piping 5 are fixed in the inner space of the accumulator container 3 in suitable holders.

The multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of a building operates as follows : The accumulator container 3 is filled with the water of the multi-purpose heat source, and the heat pump 1 heats the refrigerant streaming in the refrigerant piping 11 through the accumulator container 3 and thus heats the water of the multi-purpose heat source. Due to the heat insulation of the first section 110 of the refrigerant piping 11, the refrigerant of the heat pump 1 begins to heat the water of the multi-purpose heat source first in the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3, i. e., in the area of the additional heating to a predetermined temperature of the warm supply water in the water piping 5, because in this upper part 3010 of the inner space of he accumulator container 3 the temperature of the refrigerant of the heat pump 1 is highest. When traveling in the second section 111 of the refrigerant piping 11 from the upper part 3010 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 to the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3, the refrigerant of the heat pump continuously transmits its heat to the water of the multi-purpose heat source so that the water of the multi-purpose heat source sinks in the direction of the bottom of the accumulator container 3. In the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3, the cold supply water in the water piping 5 is preheated to the warm supply water. The water of the multi-purpose heat source situated in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 which is heated to the temperature required for heating the building in the lower part 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container passes through the outlet 7 from the accumulator container 3 into the heating system of the building, flows through it and then, cooled, returns into the accumulator container 3 where it is heated again and thus circulates uninterruptedly. If the heat output of the heat pump 1 is at a time interval too low, the water of the multi-purpose heat source receives additional heat required for reaching the required temperature from the electric heaters 8. The water of the multi-purpose heat source can receive additional heat in any of the parts 3010, 3011 of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 depending on whether the heating of the warm supply water or that of the building is to be supplemented.

To enable the multi-purpose heat source to be used also for other ends than the heating of the warm supply water and the heating of a building, the multi- purpose heat source of the Fig. 1 is in the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 2 additionally equipped with more heat exchangers. To permit a swimming pool heating, a heat exchanger 4 warm water of the multi-purpose heat source/water in the swimming pool is provided in a part of the inner space of the accumulator container 3 and adapted to be connected by a suitable pump to a swimming pool situated at any chosen place. To increase the heating of the water of the multi- purpose heat source by exploiting the heat of solar radiation at sunny weather, the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 2 comprises in the inner space of the accumulator container 3 a heat exchanger 40 solar cell heated water/multi- purpose heat source water. Thus, depending on the topical needs, additional elements and supporting devices for extending the application range and increasing the heating performance of the multi-purpose heat source can be mounted in the accumulator container 3.

The multi-purpose heat source for the heating system of the building also can be used for the air-conditioning of the building in hot weather since the heat pump 1, on the one hand, delivers heat by heating the refrigerant and, on the other hand, absorbs heat which can be used for cooling for instance water for air- conditioning units, as is shown in the example of embodiment shown in Fig. 3. In this example of embodiment, the heat pump is in any suitable way heat-connected with a container of air conditioner medium for air-conditioning the building which in its turn can be connected to the air-conditioning units situated in the building.