Gas appliance, gas valve and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060724-B2
Application number	US-201816014174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2018
Priority date	Jan 25, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A gas appliance includes a burner, a gas valve, and a control device, wherein the gas valve includes a valve body, a flow regulator, a hot film anemometer, and a stepper motor. The valve body communicates with the burner and a gas source. The flow regulator is driven by the stepper motor to change a gas flow rate supplying to the burner. The hot film anemometer is disposed in the valve body and includes a probe exposed to the outlet passage. The control device executes a control method for the gas valve: sensing the gas flow rate in the outlet passage with the hot film anemometer; comparing the gas flow rate sensed by the hot film anemometer with a predetermined gas flow rate, and controlling the stepper motor to drive the flow regulator based on the comparison result, whereby to stabilize the gas flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas valve, comprising:
a valve body, including an air inlet, an air outlet, an inlet passage communicating with the air inlet, an outlet passage communicating with the air outlet, and an opening disposed between the inlet passage and the outlet passage; wherein the valve body comprises a main body and a tube detachably connected to the main body, the tube comprises a threaded tube and an outer tube which are connected to each other; the threaded tube is engaged with an internal thread of a connecting passage of the main body; the tube comprises the outlet passage and the air outlet, and a recess is recessed into an inner wall of the tube;
a flow regulator, being movably disposed at the opening of the valve body, wherein the flow regulator is driven to change an opening degree of the opening;
a hot film anemometer, disposed in the recess of the tube, wherein the hot film anemometer includes a probe which includes a hot film resistor exposed to the outlet passage of the tube to sense a gas flow rate passing through the outlet passage of the tube; wherein a section of a signal wire connected to the hot film anemometer is disposed in the tube, and an end of the signal wire which is not connected to the hot film anemometer extends in a direction away from the outlet passage; and
a driver, disposed in the valve body and connected to the flow regulator, wherein the driver is adapted to receive a control signal to drive the flow regulator to move;
wherein the hot film anemometer does not protrude out of the inner wall of the tube.

2. The gas valve of claim 1 , wherein the hot film anemometer further includes a substrate, and the hot film resistor is disposed on the substrate.

3. The gas valve of claim 1 , further comprising a flow guiding member disposed in the outlet passage; the probe of the hot film anemometer is disposed between the flow guiding member and the air outlet.

4. The gas valve of claim 3 , wherein the flow guiding member further includes a plurality of sub-passages.

5. The gas valve of claim 3 , wherein the outlet passage further includes a first section and a second section, wherein the first section is between the flow guiding member and the second section, and the second section is between the first section and the air outlet; the probe of the hot film anemometer is disposed in the second section.

6. The gas valve of claim 5 , wherein the outer tube includes at least a part of the second section and is disposed outside of the main body; the hot film anemometer is disposed in the outer tube.

7. The gas valve of claim 3 , wherein the first section and the second section of the outlet passage have identical internal diameters.

8. The gas valve of claim 6 , wherein the recess is located at the outer tube and is recessed into a wall of the second section.

9. A control method for the gas valve of claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is adapted to be connected to a gas source, and the air outlet communicates with a burner; the control method comprises steps of:
controlling the driver to drive the flow regulator to open the opening;
sensing the gas flow rate in the outlet passage with the hot film anemometer; and
comparing the gas flow rate sensed by the hot film anemometer with a predetermined gas flow rate, and controlling the driver to drive the flow regulator based on the comparison result, thereby enabling the gas flow rate sensed by the hot film anemometer to be maintained at the predetermined gas flow rate.

10. A gas appliance, comprising:
a burner, adapted to burn gas to generate flames;
a gas valve, including a valve body, a flow regulator, a hot film anemometer, and a driver, wherein the valve body includes an air inlet, an air outlet, an inlet passage communicating with the air inlet, an outlet passage communicating with the air outlet, and an opening disposed between the inlet passage and the outlet passage; the air inlet is adapted to be connected to a gas source, and the air outlet communicates with the burner; wherein the valve body comprises a main body and a tube detachably connected to the main body, the tube comprises a threaded tube and an outer tube which are connected to each other; the threaded tube is engaged with an internal thread of a connecting passage of the main body; the tube comprises the outlet passage and the air outlet, and a recess is recessed into an inner wall of the tube; the flow regulator is movably disposed at the opening of the valve body, wherein the flow regulator is driven to change an opening degree of the opening; the hot film anemometer is disposed in the recess of the tube, wherein the hot film anemometer includes a probe which includes a hot film resistor exposed to the outlet passage of the tube to sense a gas flow rate passing through the outlet passage of the tube; wherein a section of a signal wire connected to the hot film anemometer is disposed in the tube, and an end of the signal wire which is not connected to the hot film anemometer extends in a direction away from the outlet passage; the driver is disposed in the valve body and connected to the flow regulator, wherein the driver is adapted to receive a control signal to drive the flow regulator to move; and
a control device, being electronically connected to the hot film anemometer and the driver, wherein the control device is adapted to control the driver to drive the flow regulator by outputting the control signal according to a predetermined gas flow rate, thereby enabling the gas flow rate sensed by the hot film anemometer to be maintained at the predetermined gas flow rate;
wherein the hot film anemometer does not protrude out of the inner wall of the tube.

11. The gas appliance of claim 10 , wherein the hot film anemometer further includes a substrate, and the hot film resistor is disposed on the substrate.

12. The gas appliance of claim 10 , further comprising a flow guiding member disposed in the outlet passage; the probe of the hot film anemometer is disposed between the flow guiding member and the air outlet.

13. The gas appliance of claim 12 , wherein the flow guiding member further includes a plurality of sub-passages.

14. The gas appliance of claim 12 , wherein the outlet passage further includes a first section and a second section, wherein the first section is between the flow guiding member and the second section, and the second section is between the first section and the air outlet; the probe of the hot film anemometer is disposed in the second section.

15. The gas appliance of claim 14 , wherein the first section and the second section of the outlet passage have identical internal diameters.

16. The gas appliance of claim 14 , wherein the outer tube includes at least a part of the second section and is disposed outside of the main body; the hot film anemometer is disposed in the outer tube.

17. The gas appliance of claim 16 , wherein the recess is located at the outer tube and is recessed into a wall of the second section.

Assignees

• Grand Mate Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Chung-Chin
• Huang Chin-Ying
• Huang Hsin-Ming
• Huang Hsing-Hsiung
• Yeh Yen-Jen

Classifications

• F23N1/005 Primary

  using electrical or electromechanical means (F23N1/04 - F23N1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• F23N5/18

  using detectors sensitive to rate of flow of air or fuel · CPC title

• F23N2235/24

  Valve details · CPC title

• F23N2235/16

  variable flow or proportional valves · CPC title

• F23N1/02

  conjointly with air supply · CPC title