Water heater
US9004017B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 14, 2013 |
| Grant date | Apr 14, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 12, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF24H1/124
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A water heater includes a bypass that is formed, on the side of a water supply pipe, branching from a main water path and bypassing a part of the main water path, and a flow path switching unit (a valve and a stepping motor) that is formed at a branching portion of the main water path and the bypass. The flow path switching unit is controlled by a controller and that can selectively switch a flow path between the main water path and the bypass. A microbubble generator generating microbubbles is provided on the bypass, the microbubble generator including a water agitator portion, a compression portion and a decompression portion. When the controller determines that scale has built up, the flow path is switched to the bypass by the flow path switching unit, and water containing microbubbles is caused to flow inside the water heater.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.