JP2001052578A - Float switch, hot-water tank and hot-water cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a float switch allowing prevention of operation failure caused by the interposition of a foreign matter above the float. SOLUTION: In this float switch, a float 5A is vertically movably fitted on a vertically extending guide shaft 4. The float 5A is provided with a magnet 6 in the inner circumference. When the float 5A ascends, a reed switch 7 inside the guide shaft 4 responds to magnetic flux of the magnet 6 and is turned on. Even if the foreign matter exists between the float 5A and an upper face part of a hot-water tank 2, the ascending float 5A ascends with pushing the foreign matter aside to ascend without influence of the foreign matter.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a float switch, a hot water tank using the float switch, and a hot water cleaning device using the hot water tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a hot water tank or the like, a float switch is provided as a safety device for stopping power supply to a heater when the water level in the tank falls below a predetermined lower limit. This hot water tank is widely used in, for example, a hot water cleaning device. This hot water washing apparatus supplies hot water in a hot water tank to a washing nozzle, and jets upward or diagonally upward from a jet port at the tip of the washing nozzle to wash the buttocks of a toilet user with hot water. is there.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional float switch. The float switch 1 is attached to the opening 3 on the upper surface of the hot water tank 2. The float switch 1 includes a guide shaft 4 extending in the up-down direction.
A cylindrical float 5 is fitted on the guide shaft 4 so as to be vertically movable, and a ring-shaped magnet 6 is installed on the inner periphery of the float 5. The float 5 is made of a lightweight material such as urethane foam, and the magnet 6 is integrated with the float 5 by being inserted at the time of molding, for example. A reed switch 7 is provided in the guide shaft 4. When the float 5 rises above a predetermined height along the guide shaft 4, the reed switch 7 is turned on in response to the magnetic flux of the magnet 6. When the float 5 descends below the predetermined height along the guide shaft 4, the reed switch 7 is turned off.
It becomes F. A stopper 8 is provided at the lower end of the guide shaft 4 to prevent the float 5 from coming off.
An O-ring 9 is provided in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the O-ring 9 in a watertight manner.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional float switch, since the upper surface of the float 5 is flat as shown in FIG. 2, foreign matter is present between the upper surface of the float 5 and the upper surface of the hot water tank 2. , The rise of the float 5 is hindered, and the reed switch 7 rarely does not turn on even though the water level in the hot water tank 2 is sufficiently high.
Such foreign matter includes burrs and the like generated when the hot water tank 2 is manufactured. If the reed switch is not turned on, the heater of the hot water tank will not turn on, and the water in the hot water tank will remain cold.

[0005] The present invention solves such a problem, and a float switch in which the float of the float switch is prevented from being hindered from rising, a hot water tank provided with the float switch, and a hot water cleaning device using the hot water tank. The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a float switch including a float switch having a float which moves up and down as the water level rises and falls, wherein an upper surface of the float is formed as a slope having a downward slope toward an outer periphery. It is a feature.

In this float switch, when the float rises in a state where foreign matter is interposed between the upper surface of the float and the upper surface of the hot water tank or the like, the foreign matter moves to the side of the float along the slope and the upper surface of the float. And the upper surface of the hot water tank. This allows the float to rise according to the water level without being obstructed by foreign matter,
The float switch operates normally.

[0008] The downward slope of the slope of this float is 20 ° or more.
70 °, particularly preferably about 30 ° to 60 °.

The hot water tank of the present invention comprises a tank body for storing water, a heater for heating water in the tank body, and stopping power supply to the heater when the water level in the tank body falls below a lower limit. In a hot water tank having a float switch for performing the above operation, the float switch of the present invention is employed as the float switch.

[0010] The hot water washing apparatus of the present invention comprises: a hot water tank;
In a hot water washing apparatus having a washing nozzle to which hot water is supplied from the hot water tank, the hot water tank with a float switch is employed as the hot water tank.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is an overall view of a float switch according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the float.

The float switch 1A also has a guide shaft 4 extending in the vertical direction, similarly to the float switch 1 of FIG.
The float 5A is fitted on the outside so as to be vertically movable. A magnet 6 is provided on the inner circumference of the float 5A, and when ascending, the reed switch 7 in the guide shaft 4 is turned on in response to the magnetic flux of the magnet 6.

The upper surface of the float 5A has a slope 5a.
It has become. The downward slope angle of the slope 5a is 20 ° or more.
70 °, particularly preferably about 30 ° to 60 °. In this float 5A, all the slopes 5a extend from the top to the peripheral surface.
It has become.

The other structure of the float switch 1A is the same as that of the float switch 1 shown in FIG. 2, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

Float switch 1 constructed as described above
In A, the float 5A moves up and down as the water level in the hot water tank 2 rises and falls, and when the water level becomes higher than the predetermined water level, the reed switch responds to the magnetic flux of the magnet 6 of the float 5A that has risen as described above. When the water level is lower than the predetermined water level, the magnet 6 is separated from the reed switch 7 and the reed switch 7 is turned off.

In this embodiment, the float 5A
Of the float 5A and the upper surface of the hot water tank 2, even if foreign matter exists between the float 5A and the upper surface of the hot water tank 2.
Since the rising float 5A pushes away the foreign matter and rises, the float 5A rises without being affected by the foreign matter. Therefore, the float switch 1A is prevented from malfunctioning (being turned on) due to foreign matter.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a hot water washing apparatus using the hot water tank 2. As shown in FIG. The hot water tank 2 is provided with a heater 11 controlled by a control circuit 10.
The control circuit 10 receives signals from the float switch 1A, the thermistor 12 for detecting hot water temperature, and the water temperature setting switch 13, and sends the signals to the heater 11 based on these signals so that the water temperature in the hot water tank 2 becomes a predetermined temperature. Is controlled. When the water level in the hot water tank 2 falls below a predetermined water level, the reed switch 7 of the float switch 1A is turned off, the power supply to the heater 11 is stopped, and the hot water tank 2 is prevented from being idle.

The hot water in the hot water tank 2 is supplied to a pump 15
Is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 16 via The cleaning nozzle 16 has a cylinder portion 16a and a nozzle portion 16b that can protrude from the cylinder portion 16a. When hot water is supplied to the cylinder portion 16a, the nozzle portion 16b moves forward by this water pressure, Warm water spouts upward or diagonally upward from the tip.

As described above, since the float switch 1A of the hot water tank 2 is prevented from malfunctioning (being not turned on) due to foreign matter, there is no stoppage of power supply to the heater 11 of the hot water tank 2 due to this malfunction, and the washing nozzle 16 Inadvertent ejection of cold water from is prevented.

In the above embodiment, the entire upper surface of the float 5A is the slope 5a. However, if it is possible to remove foreign matter when the float is raised, a part of the upper surface of the float may have a horizontal surface or a portion with a gentle slope. May be present.

[0021]

As described above, in the float switch according to the present invention, malfunctions due to the presence of foreign matter above the float can be prevented. According to the present invention, there is provided a hot water tank that employs such a float switch and is supplied with hot water in a stable manner, and a hot water cleaning device using the hot water tank.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a float switch according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a float switch according to a conventional example.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a hot water cleaning device according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1A Float switch 2 Hot water tank 3 Opening 4 Guide shaft 5, 5A Float 6 Magnet 7 Reed switch 8 Stopper 9 O-ring 10 Control circuit 11 Heater 12 Thermistor 13 Temperature setting switch 15 Pump 16 Cleaning nozzle

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A float switch having a float that moves up and down as the water level rises and falls, wherein the upper surface of the float is a slope having a downward slope toward the outer periphery. 2. The float switch according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the slope of the float is 20 ° to 70 °. 3. A tank body for storing water, a heater for heating water in the tank body, and a float switch for stopping power supply to the heater when a water level in the tank body falls below a lower limit. 3. A hot water tank comprising: the float switch according to claim 1 or 2; 4. A hot water washing device comprising a hot water tank and a washing nozzle to which hot water is supplied from the hot water tank, wherein the hot water tank is the hot water tank according to claim 3.