The present disclosure relates to water heaters, in particular, but not exclusively, instantaneous water heaters. The present disclosure relates to fluid delivery systems, e.g. plumbing or ablutionary systems, comprising such heaters.

Electric shower systems typically comprise a wall-mountable unit housing an instantaneous water heater. The instantaneous water heater comprises a tank. Water, typically cold water, is supplied to the tank from a water supply. The water in the tank is heated and is then conveyed from the tank to a shower head.

Typically, connection points for connecting the wall-mountable unit to the water supply are relatively few in number and their locations, e.g. within a wall, cannot easily be changed. Adding further connection points or moving existing connection points is not a simple task. Consequently, when installing or replacing an electric shower system, the number of possible installation locations for the wall-mountable unit may be limited. Hence, options for configuring the electric shower system may be limited. A first aspect provides a water heater comprising: a heater tank with a heater tank inlet and a heater tank outlet; and a valve disposed upstream of the heater tank inlet, the valve comprising: a valve body comprising a valve body inlet, a valve body outlet in fluid communication with the heater tank inlet and a valve member disposed between the valve body inlet and the valve body outlet, the valve member being operable to control water flow from the valve body inlet to the valve body outlet; wherein the valve body outlet is disposed in a first plane and the valve body inlet is disposed in a second plane, the first plane and the second plane being non parallel with each other and the valve body inlet is rotatable about an axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet.

Rotation of the valve body inlet about the axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet may allow for the heater tank to be installed in a range of positions relative to a fixed connection point for a water supply. The valve may be configured such that the whole valve body may be rotatable, in use, about the axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet. For example, the connection of the valve body outlet to the heater tank inlet may allow rotation about the axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet.

The valve body inlet may be rotatable relative to the rest of the valve body.

The valve may be configured such that the valve body inlet may be rotatable about the axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet, while the rest of the valve body (including the valve body outlet) remains fixed in position.

The valve body inlet may be rotatable about the axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet in an anticlockwise and/or a clockwise direction.

The valve body inlet may be rotatable about the axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet without any limitation to the extent of rotation. The valve body inlet may be freely rotatable.

The valve may be configured such that rotation of the valve body inlet is limited to a bounded arc, e.g. of up to 270°. The bounded arc may limit rotation of the valve body inlet to 180°.

The valve body inlet may be rotatable in an arc offset a radial distance from the axis that is normal to the first plane and passes through the valve body outlet. The arc may be a boundless arc, i.e. free rotation around a circular path, or a bounded arc.

There may be an angle of at least 30° between the first plane and the second plane. The angle between the first plane and the second plane may be up to or at least 45°, up to or at least 60°, up to or at least 75° and/or up to 90°. The first plane and the second plane may be perpendicular to one another.

The water heater may comprise an inlet transfer assembly for connecting the valve body inlet to a water supply connection point. A first connector fitting adapted to be connected to a water supply connection point may be disposed at a first end of the inlet transfer assembly.

A second end of the inlet transfer assembly, which is downstream of the first end, may communicate with the valve body inlet. At the second end of the inlet transfer assembly there may be a second connector fitting connected to the valve body inlet.

The inlet transfer assembly may further comprise an intermediate pipe extending between the first connector fitting and the second connector fitting.

At a first end the intermediate pipe may be rotatably connected to the second connector fitting. The intermediate pipe may be rotatable about an axis of rotation extending through the second connector fitting and/or the valve body inlet. The axis of rotation extending through the second connector fitting and/or the valve body inlet may be normal to the second plane. The intermediate pipe may extend in a direction having a radial component, e.g. a radial direction, away from the axis of rotation.

The intermediate pipe may be freely, i.e. endlessly, rotatable about the axis of rotation extending through the second connector fitting and/or the valve body inlet. The intermediate pipe may be rotatable in a bounded arc about the axis of rotation extending through the second connector fitting and/or the valve body inlet. The bounded arc may include up to 300° of arc length.

At a second end, the intermediate pipe may be rotatably connected to the first connector fitting. The first connector fitting may be rotatable about an axis of rotation at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the intermediate pipe. The angle between the axis of rotation and the longitudinal axis of the intermediate pipe may be 45° or more. The axis of rotation may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate pipe.

The first connector fitting may be freely, i.e. endlessly, rotatable about the axis of rotation. The first connector fitting may be rotatable in a bounded arc about the axis of rotation. The bounded arc may include up to 300° of arc length. The provision of an inlet transfer assembly as described herein may further enable the water heater to be connected at a variety of locations above or below a given water supply connection point and/or either side of the given water supply connection point. Thus, the water heater may be installed in a wide range of ways, to provide for example an installer with increased options for installing the water heater at a given location. This may be beneficial when installing the water heater in a new bath or shower room and/or when replacing a previous fluid delivery, e.g. ablutionary, system.

The heater tank may be housed at least partially within a casing.

The water heater and/or the casing may be adapted to be mounted to a surface such as a wall.

The water heater may be an instantaneous water heater.

A second aspect provides a water delivery system comprising a water heater according to the first aspect and a fluid delivery device in fluid communication with the heater tank outlet.

The fluid delivery device may comprise a faucet, a tap, a sprayer or a spray head, e.g. for a shower.

The water heater may be adapted to be mounted to a surface, e.g. a wall. The water heater may be mounted to the surface.

The water heater may comprise a casing. The heater tank may be housed at least partially within the casing.

A third aspect provides an inlet transfer assembly for connecting an appliance such as a water heater to a water supply connection point comprising: a first connector fitting adapted to be connected to the water supply connection point; a second connector fitting adapted to be connected to the appliance; and an intermediate pipe extending between the first connector fitting and the second connector fitting, a first end of the intermediate pipe being connected to the first connector fitting and a second end of the intermediate pipe being connected to the second connector fitting, the intermediate pipe extending in a direction having a radial component away from an axis extending through the second connector fitting; wherein the intermediate pipe is rotatably connected to the second connector fitting and/or the first connector fitting is rotatably connected to the intermediate pipe.

The intermediate pipe may be rotatable about the axis extending through the second connector fitting.

The intermediate pipe may be freely, i.e. endlessly, rotatable about the axis extending through the second connector fitting. The intermediate pipe may be rotatable in a bounded arc about the axis extending through the second connector fitting. The bounded arc may include up to 300° of arc length.

The first connector fitting may be rotatable about an axis of rotation at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the intermediate pipe. The angle between the axis of rotation and the longitudinal axis of the intermediate pipe may be 45° or more. The axis of rotation may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate pipe.

The first connector fitting may be freely, i.e. endlessly, rotatable about the axis of rotation. The first connector fitting may be rotatable in a bounded arc about the axis of rotation. The bounded arc may include up to 300° of arc length.

The provision of an inlet transfer assembly as described herein may enable the appliance, e.g. water heater, to be connected at a variety of locations above or below a given water supply connection point and/or either side of the given water supply connection point. Thus, the appliance may be installed in a wide range of ways, to provide for example an installer with increased options for installing the appliance at a given location. This may be beneficial when installing the appliance in a new bath or shower room and/or when replacing a previous fluid delivery, e.g. ablutionary, system. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that except where mutually exclusive, a feature described in relation to any one of the above aspects may be applied mutatis mutandis to any other aspect. Furthermore except where mutually exclusive any feature described herein may be applied to any aspect and/or combined with any other feature described herein.

Example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a first side view of an instantaneous water heater suitable for use in an electric shower system;

Figure 2 is a first perspective view of the instantaneous water heater of Figure i ;

Figure 3 is a second side view of the instantaneous water heater of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a second perspective view of the instantaneous water heater of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 shows an example of an electric shower system.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, there is shown an example of an instantaneous water heater 1 suitable for use in an electric shower system.

The instantaneous water heater 1 comprises a heater tank 2. The heater tank 2 has a heater tank inlet 8 and a heater tank outlet 10. The heater tank inlet 8 provides an opening into the heater tank 2 and is located in a bottom wall 3 of the heater tank 2. The heater tank outlet 10 provides an opening leading from the heater tank 2 and is located towards the top of a side wall 5 of the heater tank 2. In use, cold water enters the heater tank 2 via the heater tank inlet 8. The water is heated by any suitable heating means (not shown) as it passes through the heater tank 2 towards the heater tank outlet 10. The heating means may comprise one or more electric heating elements (not shown).

An outlet pipe 7 extends from the heater tank outlet 10 in a downwards direction along the side wall 5 of the heater tank 2 and extends past the bottom wall 3 of the heater tank 2 to a distal end 9. The outlet pipe 7 may be formed integrally with the heater tank 2. Alternatively, the outlet pipe 7 may be joined to the heater tank 2 by any suitable means.

The distal end 9 of the outlet pipe 7 is connected to a first end 11 of an outlet connector 13. A second end 15 of the outlet connector 13 is adapted to be connectable to a hose or pipe (not shown) leading to a spray head (not shown) for a shower.

A valve 4 is connected to the heater tank inlet 8. The valve 4 comprises a valve body 12 having a valve body inlet 17 and a valve body outlet 19. Between the valve body inlet 17 and the valve body outlet 19 there is a valve member (not shown) operable to control water flow through the valve body 12. In the illustrated example embodiment, the valve 4 is a proportional solenoid valve.

The valve body outlet 19 is disposed in a first plane indicated in Figure 1 by a dashed line A. The valve body inlet 17 is disposed in a second plane indicated in Figure 1 by a dashed line B. The second plane B is perpendicular to the first plane A.

The valve body outlet 19 is connected to the heater tank inlet 8.

The valve body 12 is rotatable, in use, such that the valve body inlet 17 can rotate about an axis (a first rotation axis), indicated in Figure 1 by a dashed line C, that is normal to the first plane A and passes through the valve body outlet 19. The second plane B is offset a radial distance from the first rotation axis C. The valve body inlet 17 is rotatable through a bounded arc of 180° to allow the heater tank 2 to be connected to a water supply connection point (not shown) on either side of an intended installation location.

The valve body inlet 17 is connected to an inlet transfer assembly 6. The inlet transfer assembly 6 provides, in use, fluid communication from the water supply connection point to the valve body inlet 17.

At a first end of the inlet transfer assembly 6 there is a first connector fitting 21 adapted to be connected to the water supply connection point. A second end of the inlet transfer assembly 6, which is downstream of the first end, communicates with the valve body inlet 17. At the second end of the inlet transfer assembly 6 there is a second connector fitting 23 connected to the valve body inlet 17.

The inlet transfer assembly 6 further comprises an intermediate pipe 25 extending between the first connector fitting 21 and the second connector fitting 23.

At a first end the intermediate pipe 25 is rotatably connected to the second connector fitting 23. The intermediate pipe 25 is rotatable about an axis of rotation (a second rotation axis), indicated in Figure 1 by a dashed line D, extending through the second connector fitting 23 and the valve body inlet 17. The second rotation axis D is normal to the second plane B. The intermediate pipe 25 extends in a radial direction away from the second rotation axis D.

At a second end the intermediate pipe 25 is rotatably connected to the first connector fitting 21. The first connector fitting 21 is freely rotatable about an axis of rotation (a third rotation axis), indicated in Figure 1 by a dashed line E, perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the intermediate pipe 25.

The inlet transfer assembly 6 enables the instantaneous water heater 1 to be connected, in use, at a variety of locations above or below the water supply connection point and/or either side of the water supply connection point. Thus, the instantaneous water heater 1 may be installed in a wide range of ways, to provide for example an installer with increased options for installing the instantaneous water heater 1 at a given location. This may be beneficial when installing the instantaneous water heater 1 in a new bath or shower room and/or when replacing a previous electric shower system.

The heater tank 2 may be housed at least partially within a casing (not shown).

Various example arrangements are illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, in which the valve body 12 is rotated to facilitate connection to a water supply connection point located on either side of the heater tank 2 (see, e.g., Figures 1 and 3) and/or the inlet transfer assembly is rotated to facilitate connection to a water supply connection point located above or below the water supply connection point and/or either side of the water supply connection point. For example, in Figures 3 and 4, the first connector fitting 21 is oriented to connect to a water supply connection point having an opposite orientation from the example arrangement illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 shows schematically an electric shower system 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An electric shower unit 51 is mounted on a wall 52. The electric shower unit 51 comprises a casing 55 housing an instantaneous water heater such as the instantaneous water heater 1 described above. The instantaneous water heater is connected to a water supply point (not shown) located within the wall 52. The instantaneous water heater may be connected to the water supply point via an inlet transfer assembly such as the inlet transfer assembly 6 described above. A hose 53 provides fluid communication from the instantaneous water heater to a spray head 54 located downstream thereof. A shower tray or bath tub (not shown) may be present to collect the water emitted from the spray head 54.

While the specific embodiments described herein relate to instantaneous water heaters for use in electric shower systems, the teaching of the disclosure may be applied to other types of water heater and to other types of fluid delivery, e.g. ablutionary, systems. For instance, a water heater according to the disclosure may be used in a system for dispensing hot water for use in the preparation of drinks.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Except where mutually exclusive, any of the features may be employed separately or in combination with any other features and the disclosure extends to all combinations and sub-combinations of one or more features disclosed herein.

Other embodiments are intentionally within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.