Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PROTECTION DEVICE
Description
The invention relates to a protection device for protecting the
potable water from contamination caused by back-flow.
In various applications, protection devices are required for
protecting the potable water from contamination caused by a
back-flow. One exemplary case is a flushing station, for
example, which ensures that water will not stand for more than
72 hours in a certain water strand and initiates the flushing
process automatically after exceeding this time limit.
In this case, it is to be ensured that the draining water will
not get into contact with the newly inflowing potable water.
According to the EN 1717 standard, it is not permitted that
that drained wastewater gets into contact with newly inflowing
drinking water. Wastewater is to be assigned to category 5 as
being harmful according to the EN 1717 standard. Category 5
liquids must be protected with protection devices of the AA-,
AB- or AC- type. A product standard for the AA-type is DIN EN
13076, for example.
Thus, the object underlying the invention is to propose a
protection device for protecting the potable water from
contamination caused by backflow, which complies with the
German industrial standards DIN EN 130 76 as well as DIN EN
1717.
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Moreover, the protection device should also fulfill the W540
test standard of the DVGW (German: Deutscher Verein far Gas und
Wasser).
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a
protection device for protecting the potable water from
contamination caused by backflow, comprising a housing with a
potable water inlet, a first funnel, which is arranged at a
distance to and aligned below the potable water inlet, a second
funnel, which is arranged at a distance to and aligned with the
first funnel and via which the water can be drained, wherein an
opening is formed in the housing for the exit of the back-
flowing water, to which the backflowing water can flow between
the first and the second funnel.
The configuration of the protection device having the two
series-connected funnels ensures that water will not sprinkle
back to the potable water inlet even under test conditions, but
the back-sprinkling water is drained via the space between the
first and the second funnel to the opening in the housing.
Preferably, the two series-connected funnels are formed as
conical funnels. Conical as defined by the invention means that
the wall of the funnel extends in a straight conical manner, or
in bulged conical manner as shown in the following exemplary
embodiments.
According to the above-mentioned standards, in particular EN
13076, it is required that the drain is closed and potable
water is guided to the closed drain at a flow pressure of 10
bar. This results in a water level in the second conical
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funnel, via which normally the water can be drained, and the
water supplied with a flow pressure of 10 bar causes a backflow
when hitting the water level. This backflow hits laterally
against the lower side of the first conical funnel and is
guided to the opening through the gap between the first and
second conical funnels.
According to a preferred embodiment, the second conical funnel
is part of a siphon. Preferably, the second conical part is
surrounded by a siphon socket, so that the draining water can
rise at the outer side of the second conical part and can be
drained again via the siphon socket.
According to another preferred embodiment, the housing is
formed of a cover and a lower part, wherein the first conical
funnel is releasably received in the cover and the second
conical funnel is releasably received in the lower part. The
separated design of the housing and the detachable installation
of the first conical funnel as well as of the second conical
funnel allows maintenance of the protection device, e.g. in the
case of calcification.
According to another preferred embodiment, a flow regulator is
installed in the potable water inlet. The flow regular allows
targeted guidance of the supplied water and, in particular, a
flow volume regulator, such as a Neoperl, can be installed in
the flow regulator, in order to obtain a uniformly defined
water jet.
Furthermore, it is favorable that sensors for detecting an
overflow situation and for closing the water inlet are
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installed in the cover. The protection device according to the
invention is usually installed behind a front wall, and the
sensors allow for preventing an overflow situation and a
flooding behind the front wall if the drain is clogged, since a
signal for blocking the water inlet can be output immediately
by the sensor elements. This prevents extensive renovation
works due to the overflowing water.
For normal operation, it is favorable if lugs for water
guidance are installed between the potable water inlet and the
first conical funnel as well as between the first conical
funnel and in the second conical funnel, which protect the
potable water inlet from back-sprinkling water and guide the
back-flowing water toward the opening.
Furthermore, it is favorable that the flow regulator is
produced from material suitable for potable water, e.g.
polyphenylene sulfone (PPSU), and the remainder is produced
from a plastic not suitable for potable water, such as ABS
(Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).
Further advantages of the invention are disclosed in the sub
claims as well as in the following description of figures.
The figures show in:
Figure 1 schematically a bathroom with a flushing
station,
Figure 2 the flushing station according to Figure 1 in an
enlarged view,
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Figure 3 the protection device in an inclined/oblique
view,
Figures 4 and 5 the protection device in an inclined view and
exploded view,
Figure 6 the protection device in a sectional view from
the front,
Figure 7 the protection device in a lateral sectional
view, and
Figure 8 the protection device in an oblique/inclined
sectional view.
In the following, elements having the same construction and
function are indicated with the same reference numerals and
will not be repeatedly explained separately.
Figure 1 schematically shows a bathroom, in which all consumers
are connected via a so-called ring-pipe system. A cold water
rising pipe KSL and a hot water rising pipe WSL are laid
vertically across the floors. In each case one cold water pipe
KWL and one hot water pipe WWL is connected to this cold water
rising pipe KSL and hot water rising pipe WSL, which leads to
the respective consumers. In the illustrated exemplary
embodiment, first a valve V is provided in the cold-water pipe
KWL, and a flushing tank SK of a toilet WC is connected
downstream thereof. Downstream thereof, the cold water pipe KWL
leads to a mixer faucet MA of a shower D. At this mixer faucet
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MA, the cold-water pipe KWL is looped-through and leads further
to a flushing station SS and, afterwards, further to the cold-
water port of a wash basin WB. Just as well, at the cold-water
port, the cold-water pipe KWL is looped-through and goes
further to further consumers on the floor, which are not
illustrated in Fig. 1. The hot water pipe WWL is not connected
to the flushing tank SK of the toilet, but also connected via a
series-pipe to the mixer faucet MA of the shower D, the
flushing station SS as well as the wash basin WB as well as
further consumers on the floor.
The above-mentioned so-called ring-pipe installation of the
consumers in the hot and cold water pipe ensures that the water
is moved through all of the other consumers connected upstream
the water tab when opening the tab at the wash basin WB, and
thus, pipe sections in which water could be standing for a
longer period of time are prevented, although certain consumers
have been served.
In particular, the risk lies with the fact that the legionella
will be forming when water stands for a longer period of time.
To not leave to chance the exchange of water, the flushing
station SS is integrated in the water circuit.
Figure 2 shows the flushing station in an enlarged view. The
hot water pipe WWL as well as the cold water pipe KWL are
connected to the flushing station SS via so-called loop-
fittings DSL, the third branch of the loop fittings DSF leading
to a protection device SE. Electrically actuatable valves EV
are integrated in the third branch of the loop fittings DSF,
the valves being controlled via a sensor S and opening the
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valves briefly, e.g. after 72 hours, so that approximately 3
liters of water flow into the protection device SE and are
drained from the protection device via a drain AF.
The flushing station SS thereby ensures the constant
availability of fresh water in the cold water pipe KWL and the
hot water pipe WWL and prevents the formation of legionella or
other harmful substances.
The protection device SE is illustrated in an oblique view in
Figures 3 to 5, Figures 4 and 5 each showing the protection
device SE in an exploded view. The protection device SE
comprises a housing G, which is formed by a cover DL and a
lower part UT. A potable water inlet TWZ is provided in the
cover DL at the upper side thereof, and a siphon socket SSN is
provided at the lower part UT, which can be plugged into the
drain pipe AF (see Figure 2) and through which the water can be
drained.
As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, a fist conical funnel EKT
and a second conical funnel ZKT is received in the housing G
which is formed of cover DL and lower part UT, wherein the
first conical funnel EKT is arranged at a distance to and
aligned below the potable water inlet TWZ, and the second
conical funnel ZKT is arranged at a distance to and aligned
below the first conical funnel EKT. The arrangement and
mounting of the first conical funnel EKT and of the second
conical funnel ZKT is shown in Figures 6 to 8 and the effect of
the two conical funnels is explained in greater detail in
conjunction with Figures 6 to 8.
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Furthermore, sensor elements SE are received in the cover part
DL, the elements detecting whether water stands in the lower
part UT and automatically output a signal to the electric
valves EV, which stop the supply of water to prevent an
overflow situation. Lateral openings OE are provided in the
housing G in the cover part DL, which enable the backflowing
water to be drained when the drain AF is clogged (and the
sensor elements S or electric valves EV fail).
A so-called flow regulator SR is integrated in the potable
water inlet, which ensures that a defined water jet is formed.
A flow volume regulator can be received in the flow regulator,
e.g. a Neoperl.
The flow regulator is formed of a material suitable for potable
water, such as PPSU. The remainder of the protection device SE
is preferably formed of a material not suitable for potable
water, such as the synthetic material ABS. This enables a
cheaper production of the protection device, since ABS is
significantly cheaper than material suitable for potable water,
and only the flow regulator SR gets into contact with the
potable water.
The functioning of the protection device SE as well as the
structure thereof is explained in greater detail by means of
Figures 6 to 8. The first conical funnel EKT is installed, with
its upper edge, at a distance al to the lower edge of the flow
regulator SR in the protection device SE. The second conical
funnel ZKT is installed at a distance a2 between its upper edge
and the lower edge of the first conical funnel EKT in the
protection device. According to the test regulations, at 10 bar
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water pressure and the drain AF closed, it is not permitted for
water standing in the second conical funnel ZKT to sprinkle to
the potable water inlet TWZ or the lower edge of the flow
regulator SR. This is specified by the DIN standards EN 13076,
EN 1717 and even by the test standard W540 of the DVGW (German:
Deutscher Verein far Gas und Wasser). To ensure that, the
supplied water (illustrated by an arrow within the flow
regulator SR) is routed through the flow regulator SR into the
first conical funnel EKT, which is arranged at the distance al
to and aligned below the flow regulator SR, before hitting the
water surface of the water standing in the second conical
funnel ZKT. The distance al is dimensioned in accordance with
DIN 13076. The water sprinkling back by the incoming water jet
is drained to the outside through the first conical funnel EKT,
which is arranged at the distance a2 above the second conical
funnel EKT, via the outer wall of the first conical funnel and
may be drained (schematically illustrated by the two arrows in
Fig. 6) through openings OE in the housing G.
If an overflow situation arises, the sensor elements SE will
react and stop the inflow of water in the flushing station SS
via the electric valves EV, see Figure 2.
Figure 7 shows the illustration of Figure 6 in a sectional view
rotated by 90 . Figure 8 shows the view according to Figure 7
in a slightly pivoted form. Lugs L are formed between the first
conical funnel EKT and the second conical funnel ZKT, which, as
illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, but run in parallel to one
another only on two sides. Lugs L will route the back-flowing
or back-sprinkling water back to the lower side of the first
conical funnel EKT, namely in the region where the openings OE
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are formed in the cover part DL. Thus, the lugs L route the
back-sprinkling water to the openings OE.
Lugs LD are also formed between the cover part DL and the first
conical funnel EKT. These lugs are arranged over the surface
within the openings OE and offset inwards and extend all the
way to the edge of the first conical funnel EKT. The lugs LD
are formed in a semi-circular manner and corresponding to the
DIN 13076 spaced from the potable water inlet TWZ standard at
least by the dimension 2 times al. In an overflow situation,
the lugs LD prevent that the water drained through the openings
OE can sprinkle back to the potable water inlet TWZ in
particular of the lower side of the flow regulator SR. In
normal operation, the lugs LD also prevent the water from
sprinkling to the outside through the openings OE.
The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, in
particular, the invention may be used in other applications
such as a flushing station.
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List of reference numerals
KSL cold water rising pipe
WSL hot water rising pipe
V valve
SK flushing tank
WC toilet
KWL cold water pipe
WWL hot water pipe
MA mixer faucet
= shower
SS flushing station
WB wash basin
= sensor
EV electric valve
DSF loop fitting
SE protection device
AF drain
TWZ potable water inlet
DL cover
UT lower part
SSN siphon socket
EKT first conical funnel
ZKT second conical funnel
SR flow regulator
LD lug cover part
= lug second conical funnel
al distance flow regulator - first conical funnel
a2 distance first conical funnel - second conical funnel
