Domestic hot water storage supply system

Claim 1

A DOMESTIC HOT WATER STORAGE SUPPLY SYSTEM COMPRISING: (A) A HOT WATER STORAGE TANK HAVING A WATER OUTLET AND INLET; (B) COLD WATER SUPPLY CONDUIT ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A SOURCE OF COLD WATER; (C) A THREE-WAY WATER VALVE HAVING A FIRST INLET CONNECTED TO SAID STORAGE TANK OUTLWT, A SECOND INLET CONNECTED TO SAID COLD WATER SUPPLY CONDUIT, AND AN OUTLET, SAID VALVE ALLOWING QUANTITIES OF WATER FROM BOTH OF SAID VALVE INLETS TO PASS TO SAID VALVE OUTLET AND OPERATING TO DECREASE THE FLOW OF WATER FROM SAID SECOND VALVE INLET; (D) A CIRCULATING PUMP HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET; (E) A HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A WATER INLET AND OUTLET AND A FIRST TEMPERATURE SENSOR AT SAID OUTLET; (F) ENERGIZING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID HEAT EXCHANGER FOR SUPPLYING ENERGY THERETO UP TO A MAXIMUM AMOUNT WHICH DEFINES THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AND SAID HEAT EXCHANGER BEING CONTROLLED BY SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE SENSOR AT SAID OUTLET FOR VARYING THE ENERGY SUPPLIED TO SAID HEAT EXCHANGER TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER AT THE OUTLET SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT: (G) CONDUIT MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND TEMPERATURE SENSOR CONNECTING SAID THEREE-WAY VALVE OUTLET TO SAID PUMP INLET AND FURTHER CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID PUMP OUTLET TO SAID HEAT EXCHANGER INLET; (H) CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND TO SAID THREE-WAY VALVE FOR OPERATING SAID THREE-WAY VALVE TO ADJUST THE FLOW OF COLD WATER THROUGH SAID SECOND VALVE INLET AND HOT WATER THROUGH SAID FIRST VALVE INLET TO PROVIDE WATER TO THE INLET OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT SAID HEAT EXCHANGER OPERATES AT APPROXIMATELY ITS MAXIMUM CAPACITY DURING PERIODS OF RELATIVELY HIGH WATER USAGE AND TO SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSE SAID SECOND VALVE INLET DURING PERIODS OF RELATIVELY LOW WATER USAGE; (I) CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID HEAT EXCHANGER OUTLET TO A HOT WATER SUPPLY OUTLET AND FURTHER CONNECTING SAID HEAT EXCHANGER OUTLET TO SAID STORAGE TANK INLET THROUGH A CHECK VALVE, FOR ALLOWING WATER TO FLOW FROM SAID HEAT EXCHANGER OUTLET TO SAID STORAGE TANK INLET; AND (J) ADDITIONAL CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID COLD WATER SUPPLY CONDUIT TO SAID STORAGE TANK INLET FOR SUPPLYING COLD WATER TO REPLENISH SAID STORAGE TANK.