Method and device for water dispensers on sabbath

Abstract

Water dispenser with separation between hot and cold water to prevent, temporarily, like on the Sabbath, heating incoming cold water with the hot water in the tank. Ability to temporarily prevent functioning of electronic taps and during such time manual taps would be operable. Ability to temporarily prevent the functioning of the thermostat that controls the water heating elements and during such time to enable the water heating elements to operate at a fixed pre-set temperature. Safety device to prevent the heating elements overheating when water level low. Optional micro-processor to control the apparatus according to the day of the week.

Description

This invention is in the field of water machines and in particular machines that provide instant hot and cooled water commonly known as “dispensers” or “home bars” making the hot water system isolated from the cold water system to prevent cold water entering the hot water containers when the hot water is used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Orthodox Jews are not allowed to heat water on Sabbath. The active use of electricity is forbidden although passive use of electricity is allowed. Therefore, pressing electrically operated buttons and causing the heating elements to operate by a thermostat when removing hot water from a hot water dispenser are actions that are avoided by those who take care not to break the laws of Sabbath. In addition causing cold water to mix with hot water is not allowed as cooking is not permitted and heating cold water with hot water is considered to be cooking the cold water. When a hot water tap is opened in a water dispenser, the volume of hot water exiting the hot water tank is replaced by cold water. Even if the heating elements that heat the hot water are turned off, the cold water is heated by mixing with the existing hot water in the tank.

For these reasons Orthodox Jews do not use hot and cold water dispensers on the Sabbath. In summary the problematical actions that require a solution are;

• • a. pressing the electrically operated buttons which applies to the hot and cold water dispensing buttons,
  • b. the operation of the heating elements when cold water enters the hot water tank and the thermostat detects that the temperature is lower than the set minimum,
  • c. the entry of the cold water into the hot tank after hot water has been removed.

This innovation solves the above described problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention but not to limit the invention to these descriptions only.

An object of this invention is to enable a person to use hot water from a tap while preventing cold water replacing the hot water that left the hot water tank.

Another object of the invention is to have manually operated taps instead of electrically operated buttons to enable the hot or cold water to be dispensed.

Another object of the invention is to have a switch that changes the working of the heating elements from the regular weekday operation, where the heating elements heat water when the thermostat detects that a pre-set minimum temperature has been reached, to a Sabbath setting where the heating elements work at a fixed and constant current without thermostat operation, thereby keeping the water a constant temperature close to but less than boiling point.

Another object of the invention is to have an electric clock controlled by a micro-processor that can switch electrical switches on and off on a pre-programmed weekly basis. The ability to enable the electrically operated water taps to work could be controlled such clocks. Heating elements could be made to work on a constant heat basis or on a thermostat basis by electrical switches controlled by such clocks.

Another object of this invention is to download from the internet or from other sources to the micro-processor information of the changing times for the start and end of Sabbath throughout the year in different cities around the world. The micro-processor could be programmed to start the Sabbath settings a certain fixed time before the Sabbath starts and to revert to weekday settings a certain fixed time after the Sabbath ends.

Another object of this invention is to have the temporal Sabbath operation to be manual without the aid of an electrical clock and micro-processor. The electrical taps before the Sabbath, could be disengaged manually and then the manual taps be used. The heating elements before the Sabbath, could be manually switched from thermostat control to constant heat. The tap preventing the entry of new cold water when hot water leaves the hot water tank could also be closed manually.

Another object of the invention is to have a method and device that protects the hot water tank heating elements from damage when the water level in the hot tank is low. This protection could be by a sensor that detects when the water reaches a given level and an electrical pulse from the sensor to the micro-processor could switch off the heating elements. Alternatively, the hot water tap or the exit hot water pipe could be placed higher than the highest heating element so that the heating elements would remain covered with water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain by way of example only, the principles of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the piping systems and other apparatus in a hot and cold water dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As will be appreciated the present invention is capable of other and different embodiments than those discussed above and described in more detail below, and its several details are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Accordingly, the drawings and description of the embodiments set forth below are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

FIG. 1 shows the internal parts of a standard hot and cooled water dispenser 100. Cold water enters the system via the water purification filters 102. From the filters 102 the water splits into two ways, namely, to the cold water system in piping 104 and to the hot water system in piping 106. The water flowing through pipe 104 is cooled with the aid of a refrigerant, a compressor 109 and an evaporator. The cold water is stored in the cold water tank 108 until a consumer presses the cold water button to make the cold water flow out of the cold water tap 110.

The water flowing through pipe 106 flows passed tap 112 to the hot water tank 114. A programmable micro-processor 116 could be used to control the valve 112 and could also control the heating elements 118. The micro-processor could act as a clock showing the day of the week, the time of the day and the temperature of the water in the hot water tank 114. The buttons 117 could be used to program the times and days to switch on and off the special features. When the day of the week is other than Saturday, the valve 112 is kept open and as hot water is used that volume of hot water is replaced by the same volume of cold water that is heated both by mixing with the extant hot water and by the heating effect of the heating elements when they are switched on. Hot water leaves the hot water tank 114 via the hot water tap 120.

When the day of the week is Sabbath, that is to say, from Friday afternoon close to nightfall until Saturday evening after nightfall, the micro-processor 116 keeps the valve 112 closed. This isolates the hot water tank 114 and prevents cold water replacing the hot water that left the tank 114. A one way valve 115 could be used to prevent a vacuum forming in tank 114 when the hot water exits. The heating elements 118 would work at a steady pre-determined heat, not being affected by a thermostat as occurs the other days of the week. In this case there would need to be a protection method for the heating elements 118 when the hot water level is low, like for example, the water could be prevented from going lower than a certain level that would always keep the heating elements 118 covered with water. There would not be rapid evaporation of the hot water as the heating elements 118 on the Sabbath are set to work at a consistent temperature close to but lower than boiling point.

Another job of the micro-processor 116 on the Sabbath could be to prevent the hot and cold electric buttons from working and the manual taps would operate. These manual taps could work by letting the water run out by gravitational force when the tap is turned on or by using a manual pumping mechanism.

Claims

1. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers comprising,

a. a switch to turn on and off the functionality of electrically operated hot and cold water buttons where the said buttons cause hot and cold water respectively to be dispensed by the said water dispenser,

b. a switch to change the working of the thermostat, where the said thermostat controls the heating elements in the hot water system, to operate the said heating elements at a constant temperature, and

c. a valve to separate the hot water tank from the cold water supply, whereby water dispensers can be operated without changing electrical current and without heating water other than by electricity of unchanging current.

2. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers comprising,

a. an electrical switch to turn on and off the functionality of electrically operated hot and cold water buttons where the said buttons cause hot and cold water respectively to be dispensed by the said water dispenser,

b. an electrical switch to change the working of the thermostat, where the said thermostat controls the working of the heating elements in the hot water system, to operate the heating elements at a constant temperature,

c. an electrically operated valve to separate the hot water tank from the cold water supply, and

d. a micro-processor to control at least one of the following functions namely, the said electrical switch to control the functionality of the said on and off hot and cold water operating buttons, the said electrical switch to control the operation of the said heating elements to operate with and without thermostatic control, and the said electrical valve to control the supply of cold water entering the said hot water tank, whereby water dispensers can be programmed to automatically switch to a system where there is no electrical current fluctuations during the operation of the said water dispenser and to heat water only by electricity of unchanging current.

3. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the said switches and said valve are operated manually.

4. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the said switches and said valve are operated electronically.

5. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers as claimed in claim 1 wherein the piping leading from the said hot water tank to the hot water dispensing valve is attached to the said hot water tank at a height above the level of the said heating elements.

6. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a sensor connected to the said heating elements that will switch off the said heating elements when the water level in the said hot water tank reaches a pre-set level.

7. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers as claimed in claim 4 further comprising an electrical clock that could operate electrical switches according to pre-set times to turn on and pre-set times to turn off.

8. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers as claimed in claim 2 further comprising an electrical clock that could operate the said electrical switches according to pre-set times to turn on and pre-set times to turn off.

9. A method and device for hot and cold water dispensers as claimed in claim 8 wherein the said pre-set times are set by connecting to an internet site or computer program that has in it the times for the start and end of the Sabbath in different locations and different times of the year.