JPH0259383B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a water heating device using an electric water heater that utilizes late-night electricity.

Conventional configuration and its problems Water heaters that use late-night electricity use low-cost electricity at night to boil water in a hot water storage tank to a predetermined temperature.
It is mixed with water at the tap and used as needed. In this case, unlike instantaneous heating water heaters, the amount of hot water that can be used is limited by the capacity of the hot water storage tank, as instantaneous heating is not possible. For home use, the rate is generally 300 to 470/min. Therefore, when using hot water, it is necessary to know the amount of hot water remaining in the tank, and a conventional example of this system will be explained with reference to FIG. Water in a hot water storage tank 1 is heated to a predetermined temperature by an electric heater 2 using electricity late at night. The predetermined temperature is determined through the controller 4 to the temperature instructed by the remote control box 3, and the completion of boiling is controlled by the controller by detection of the hot water temperature thermometer 5 provided below the tank 1. In use, hot water flows from the hot water supply path 6 led out from above the tank 1, and water is replenished from the water supply path 7 below. Inside the tank, there is a difference in temperature between the hot water and the refilled cold water, so there is a mirror layer that separates the hot water above and the cold water below without mixing.
The position of this mirror layer is detected by hot water temperature thermostats 8 installed at several locations along the height of the tank, and displayed on the remote control box 3 via the controller 4. These conventional methods for detecting the amount of remaining hot water have a limited number of thermostats (usually three), and the amount can only be measured using digital detection, which is determined by the number of thermostats, making it difficult to accurately detect the amount of hot water remaining. In particular, when the amount of remaining hot water is small, there is a risk of running out of hot water, and because instant hot water cannot be heated, it is not possible to accurately display the amount of remaining hot water, which poses problems in terms of usability. On the other hand, a conventional example of installing a flow meter in the path of an electric water heater and resetting the display of the flow meter to zero using a late-night power energization timer (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 31989/1989, Publication of Utility Model Publication No. 56/1989)
41176), but it does not officially display the amount of remaining hot water as it resets the display of the integrated flow meter to zero, and furthermore, you cannot check the boiling water temperature by resetting it with a timer (it does not boil to the set temperature within the time the electricity is on). (In some cases, it may not be possible to raise the temperature), and there was also the drawback that the hot water supply capacity, including the hot water temperature, could not be determined.

Purpose of the invention The present invention solves such conventional problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hot water supply device that accurately and clearly displays the amount of remaining hot water with a simpler configuration.

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a water heater that uses late-night electricity, a water flow sensor installed in the water supply channel or hot water supply path of the water heater, a hot water temperature thermometer installed below the hot water storage tank of the water heater, and a water flow sensor. It has a controller that processes signals from sensors and hot water temperature thermometers, and a display that displays the amount of hot water remaining in the hot water storage tank and the hot water temperature based on the signals.
This constitutes a water heater that resets the display on the water temperature thermo signal. This configuration enables accurate and clear display of the amount of remaining hot water and improves usability.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Figure 2 shows a hot water supply system using an electric water heater, where 9 is a hot water storage tank, 10 is a heater installed below the tank 1 that heats the stored water using late-night electricity, and 1
1 is a hot water temperature thermometer installed below the tank to detect hot water temperature; 12 is a water supply channel that supplies water from below the tank; 13 is a hot water supply channel led out from the top of the tank; 1
Reference numeral 4 is a mixing faucet located at the terminal that mixes hot water and cold water, and reference numeral 15 is placed near the hot water outlet or in the kitchen, and serves as a display that determines the boiling temperature of the water heater and displays the amount of remaining hot water and the water temperature. It is a remote control box.
16 is a water amount sensor provided in the water supply channel 12; 17
is a controller, which is connected to a remote control box 15, a water amount sensor 16, and a thermostat 11 through signal lines, and is connected to a power source and a heater 10 (not shown) through electrical wiring.

Next, the operation will be explained. Water in the hot water storage tank 9 is heated to a set temperature by a heater 10 that is energized through a controller 17 in the middle of the night by a timer (not shown). The temperature of the hot water heated below the tank gradually increases due to natural convection within the tank, and when the hot water temperature thermometer 11 detects that the entire temperature has reached the set temperature, the heater is turned off. Boiling temperature setting is in remote control box 15
The temperature is usually set around 60℃ or 80℃.
The boiled hot water is supplied through a hot water supply path 13 during the day or at night, mixed with water at a mixing faucet 14, and dispensed at a desired temperature for use. In the tank 1, water is automatically replenished from below through the water supply channel 12 as hot water is supplied from the hot water supply path, and hot water and cold water are separated by a mirror layer whose position is determined by the amount of hot water used, and hot water is distributed upward and cold water is distributed downward. are clearly separated. The amount of hot water supplied, that is, the amount of hot water used in the tank, is the same as the amount of water supplied,
The amount of water is detected by the water amount sensor 16 and determined by the controller. Therefore, the amount of hot water remaining in the tank can be easily calculated from the tank capacity and the amount of hot water used, and by accurately detecting the amount of water supplied with the water amount sensor 16, the amount of remaining hot water can also be accurately determined, and the amount can be displayed on the remote control box. Along with the digital display, when using hot water, you can check the amount and use it effectively. The daily reset of the remaining amount of hot water (the total capacity of the hot water storage tank) is carried out at the same time as the heater 10 is turned off when the hot water temperature thermometer 11 detects the boiling temperature, and the display of the remote control box 15 is reset to the initial value through the controller 17. The current water temperature (set boiling temperature) is also displayed.
On the other hand, when the electric heater capacity is slightly insufficient compared to the hot water storage tank capacity, or when hot water is used late at night, etc.
Even if the water cannot be heated to the set temperature within the late-night power-on time set by the timer, the current boiling temperature can be displayed using the signal from the water temperature thermometer 11, allowing you to check both the amount and temperature of remaining hot water, ensuring accurate hot water supply capacity. This enables effective use of hot water supply. Also,
When displaying the hot water temperature, the hot water temperature thermometer 11 detects the incoming water temperature early when refilling the tank during hot water supply.
Usability is improved by retaining the hot water temperature display at the time of reset until the next reset.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the same components as in FIG. 2 are given the same numbers. The difference from Fig. 2 is that the water supply channel on the cold water side of the mixing faucet 14 is
In the case of FIG. 2, the water is taken from the water supply channel near the mixing faucet, whereas in the case of FIG. The water amount sensor in this case is provided upstream of the water supply channel branch portion 19. The value on the meter side of the water sensor detects the total amount of hot water and cold water, that is, the amount of hot water coming out, so in order to know the amount of hot water used or the amount of remaining hot water, you need to check the hot water thermometer above the tank 1 (not shown), the supply water temperature thermometer, the hot water temperature thermometer, and the hot water temperature. It is calculated from the thermometer and the amount of hot water, and the value is displayed on the remote control box. The difference from the example in FIG. 2 is that the water amount sensor 16
The amount of water detected is the amount of hot water coming out of the mixing faucet 14, so the amount varies depending on the hot water temperature setting, but the amount is between 2 and 4.
It will be twice as much. Therefore, the flow rate level detected by the water sensor increases, the sensitivity flow rate of the water sensor becomes higher, the configuration becomes easier, and the accuracy of flow rate detection also improves.

In the above embodiments, the water flow sensor is provided in the water supply channel, but it is clear that the same effect can be achieved even if a water flow sensor with a structure that is resistant to hot water is used in the hot water supply channel.
In addition, although the heater has been explained using only a late-night power heater, it is also possible to display the amount of remaining hot water in an electric water heater that also uses a daytime power heater by calculating and correcting the amount of heat for daytime power heating.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the water heater of the present invention includes a water heater using late-night electricity, a water quantity sensor, a hot water temperature thermostat in a hot water storage tank, a controller that processes the signals of the water quantity sensor and the hot water temperature thermostat, and the signals thereof. This constitutes a display that displays the amount of hot water remaining in the tank and the water temperature.In particular, by displaying the amount of remaining hot water using the signal from the water sensor and resetting the display using the signal from the water temperature thermometer, the following effects can be achieved.

(1) Conventional methods of displaying the amount of remaining hot water using several hot water temperature thermometers were inaccurate and could only serve as a reference, but with this device, it is possible to accurately display the amount of remaining hot water, and digital display is also possible, making it clear. Furthermore, compared to the conventional method of using a flow meter and resetting the flow meter to zero using a timer, this method allows for a more accurate and clear display of the amount of hot water remaining, which improves the conventional usage condition where there was concern about running out of hot water. As a result, you can use hot water with peace of mind and the usability is significantly improved.

(2) The configuration is extremely simple, with only a water flow sensor installed in a portion of the passage, and no hot water temperature thermostats required at various locations within the tank.

(3) By controlling the water flow sensor signal with a controller, it is possible to accurately measure the amount of hot water used each day, and it is possible to control the boiling temperature according to each household's hot water usage pattern, and to control the heating pattern when using an electric heater during the day. This water heater has features such as controls that allow it to be used as a home control system for central water heating systems.

(4) Even if the electric heater capacity is insufficient for the hot water storage tank capacity, or if hot water is used late at night, the boiling temperature at that time can be displayed even if the water cannot be heated to the set temperature within the timer's late-night energization time. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional water heater that uses late-night electricity, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams of a water heater according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9... Hot water storage tank, 10... Heater, 12...
Water supply channel, 13...Hot water supply channel, 16...Water flow sensor,
11...Water temperature thermometer, 17...Controller, 1
5...Remote control box (display).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A water heater that uses late-night electricity, a water flow sensor provided in the water supply channel or hot water supply path of the water heater, a hot water temperature thermometer provided below the hot water storage tank of the water heater, and the water flow sensor or a controller that processes a signal from the hot water temperature thermometer; a display that displays the amount of remaining hot water in the hot water storage tank based on the output of the water flow sensor and a set boiling temperature; and a display that detects the boiling temperature of the water temperature thermometer. A water heater comprising: means for resetting the display on the display when power is turned off to the heater. 2. The water heater according to claim 1, which maintains the hot water temperature display at the time of reset until the next reset state.