Instant electrode water heater

Abstract

An instant electrode water is provided. The instant electrode water heater comprises a housing for containing water therein with the housing having a water inlet and a water outlet. A plurality of electrode plates is disposed inside the housing. The electrode plates are placed such that the electrode plates are oriented parallel to each other and have a predetermined distance between two successive electrode plates for directing water received at the water inlet through successive channels, with each channel being formed by two successive electrode plates, to the water outlet. A plurality of electric contacts is disposed in the housing such that each electric contact is in a touching relationship with a respective electrode plate for providing AC electric power thereto. Electric control circuitry is connected to the electric contacts for controllably providing electric power thereto. The electrode plates may be contained in an electrode cartridge which is removably disposed in a cavity of the housing. The electric control circuitry may comprise current sense circuitry for providing a current sense signal indicative of an electric power usage of the electrodes. A microcontroller is connected to the current sense circuitry, an AC electric power supply, and a user interface. The microcontroller determines supply of the AC electric power to the electrodes in dependence upon the current sense signal and the user input signal and provides a supply control signal indicative of the supply of the AC electric power to the electrodes to the AC electric power supply.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An instant electrode water heater comprising:
 a housing for containing water therein, the housing having a water inlet and a water outlet;   a plurality of electrode plates disposed inside the housing, the electrode plates being placed such that the electrode plates are oriented parallel to each other having a predetermined distance between two successive electrode plates for directing water received at the water inlet through successive channels, with each channel being formed by two successive electrode plates, to the water outlet;   a plurality of electric contacts disposed in the housing such that each electric contact is in a touching relationship with a respective electrode plate for providing AC electric power thereto; and,   electric control circuitry connected to the electric contacts for controllably providing electric power thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 1  wherein the electrode plates are secured to the housing such that the electrode plates are enabled to vibrate during provision of the AC electric power. 
     
     
         3 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 2  wherein the electric contacts comprise spring loaded pins or spring clips. 
     
     
         4 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 1  wherein the electrode plates are graphite electrode plates. 
     
     
         5 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 1  comprising means for directing the water to flow in opposite direction in any two successive channels. 
     
     
         6 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 5  wherein each electrode plate comprises an aperture disposed in one end portion thereof for enabling the water to flow therethrough and wherein the apertures are disposed in opposite end portions of any two successive electrode plates. 
     
     
         7 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 1  wherein the water inlet comprises a quick connector element and wherein an electric connector connected to the electric control circuitry is placed in proximity to the quick connector element such that the quick connector element and the electric connector are simultaneously mated with respective counterparts. 
     
     
         8 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 1  comprising an electrode cartridge having the plurality of electrode plates contained therein, the electrode cartridge being removably disposed in a cavity of the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 1  wherein the electric control circuitry comprises:
 current sense circuitry for providing a current sense signal indicative of an electric power usage of the electrode plates; 
 an AC electric power supply; 
 a user interface for receiving a user input signal; and, 
 a microcontroller connected to the current sense circuitry, the AC electric power supply, and the user interface, the microcontroller for determining supply of the AC electric power to the electrode plates in dependence upon the current sense signal and the user input signal and for providing a supply control signal indicative of the supply of the AC electric power to the electrode plates to the AC electric power supply. 
 
     
     
         10 . An instant electrode water heater comprising:
 a housing having a water inlet and a water outlet and forming a cavity therebetween;   an electrode cartridge having a plurality of electrodes therein, the electrode cartridge being removably disposed in the cavity;   a cover removably mounted to the housing in a water sealed fashion for covering the cavity with the electrode cartridge disposed therein; and,   electric control circuitry connected to the electrodes for controllably providing AC electric power thereto.   
     
     
         11 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  comprising a cover sensor connected to the electric control circuitry, the cover sensor for providing a cover sensor signal indicating if the cover is opened or closed. 
     
     
         12 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  comprising a solenoid valve connected to the water inlet and to the electric control circuitry. 
     
     
         13 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  wherein the electrode cartridge comprises a cartridge housing enclosing the electrodes with the housing having an inlet opening for receiving water from the water inlet and an outlet opening for providing the water to the outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  wherein the electrode cartridge is mounted to the cover to form a single unit and wherein the cover comprises electric cover connector elements connected to the electrodes and wherein the electric cover connector elements are removably mated with respective electric housing connector elements connected to the electric control circuitry for providing the AC electric power to the electrodes. 
     
     
         15 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  wherein the electrode cartridge is one of a set of different electrode cartridges with the electrodes thereof being adapted for heating water having different conductivity, and wherein the electric control circuitry is adapted for providing AC electric power to the electrodes of any one of the set of different electrode cartridges. 
     
     
         16 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  wherein the electric control circuitry is adapted for sensing a resistance of the electrodes and for providing a message when the sensed resistance is indicative of a need for replacing the electrode cartridge. 
     
     
         17 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  wherein the electrode cartridge comprises:
 a plurality of electrode plates, the electrode plates being placed such that the electrode plates are oriented parallel to each other having a predetermined distance between two successive electrode plates for directing water received at the water inlet through successive channels with each channel formed by two successive electrode plates to the water outlet; and, 
 a plurality of electric contacts disposed in the housing such that each electric contact is in a touching relationship with a respective electrode plate for providing AC electric power thereto. 
 
     
     
         18 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 10  wherein the electric control circuitry comprises:
 current sense circuitry for providing a current sense signal indicative of an electric power usage of the electrodes; 
 an AC electric power supply; 
 a user interface for receiving a user input signal; and, 
 a microcontroller connected to the current sense circuitry, the AC electric power supply, and the user interface, the microcontroller for determining supply of the AC electric power to the electrodes in dependence upon the current sense signal and the user input signal and for providing a supply control signal indicative of the supply of the AC electric power to the electrodes to the AC electric power supply. 
 
     
     
         19 . An instant electrode water heater comprising:
 a housing having a water inlet and a water outlet and forming a cavity therebetween;   a plurality of electrodes disposed in the cavity; and,   electric control circuitry connected to the electrodes for controllably providing AC electric power thereto, the electric control circuitry comprising:
 current sense circuitry for providing a current sense signal indicative of an electric power usage of the electrodes; 
 an AC electric power supply; 
 a user interface for receiving a user input signal; and, 
 a microcontroller connected to the current sense circuitry, the AC electric power supply, and the user interface, the microcontroller for determining supply of the AC electric power to the electrodes in dependence upon the current sense signal and the user input signal and for providing a supply control signal indicative of the supply of the AC electric power to the electrodes to the AC electric power supply. 
   
     
     
         20 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 19  wherein the electric control circuitry comprises a rectifier interposed between the current sense circuitry and the electrodes, the rectifier for transforming the AC voltage into rectified DC voltage. 
     
     
         21 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 20  wherein the current sense circuitry comprises a low resistance resistor for determining the current sense signal by measuring a voltage difference across the low resistance resistor. 
     
     
         22 . The instant electrode water heater according to  claim 19  comprising a heatsink element in thermal contact with at least a portion of the electric control circuitry for cooling the same, the heatsink element comprising a channel for transmitting water therethrough with the channel being connected to the water inlet such that the water is transmitted through the heatsink element prior provision to the cavity.