JP2002106038A - Sanitary washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sanitary washing device having an abundant quantity of warm wash water and capable of saving energy. SOLUTION: A pump 50 is continuously or intermittently operated to circulate warm water in a warm water tank 32 in pipelines 35, 39, 51. A current to a heater 36 is so controlled that warm water of about 30 deg.C always exists in the warm water tank 32, pipelines 35, 39, 51 and a three-way valve 40. When a shower washing switch is pressed, the three-way valve 10 communicates the pipelines 39, 41, and a first washing valve 43 is opened to apply a current to the heater 36, so that warm water heated to about 40 deg.C is supplied to a washing nozzle 44.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sanitary washing device for washing the buttocks of a human body with hot water, and more particularly to an improved sanitary washing device for reducing heat radiation from a hot water tank and reducing power consumption.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a sanitary washing device installed in a Western-style toilet bowl or the like, there is a sanitary washing device in which hot water in a hot water tank is supplied to a washing nozzle and ejected from a tip of the washing nozzle toward a human hip.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-87430 discloses a sanitary washing apparatus in which tap water is heated by an instantaneous water heater and supplied to a cleaning nozzle, and water is supplied into a toilet room from an upstream side of the instantaneous water heater. A sanitary washing device (hot water washing device) provided with a cold water buffer tank for temporarily storing tap water and bringing the tap water close to the room temperature of a toilet room is described.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram of the sanitary washing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-87430. Tap water is supplied to a water channel 21 of a hot water washing apparatus through a branch fitting 22. 24. A ceramic heater is provided in the instantaneous water heater 24, and hot water is generated by the ceramic heater. The generated hot water is supplied to the nozzle 26 through the hot water channel 25, and is directed from the nozzle 26 toward the buttocks of the user. Is gushing.

On the upstream side of the instantaneous water heater 24, there is provided a cold water buffer tank 27 formed to have a capacity of storing about 200 cc of water.
, The water flowing into the instantaneous water heater 24 is temporarily stored. The cold water buffer tank 7 is for bringing the water inside the toilet room close to the room temperature depending on the room temperature.

In winter, the temperature of the water flowing through the water channel 21 is reduced to about 5 ° C., but the room temperature in the toilet room is about 10 ° C. Therefore, the water stored in the cold water buffer tank 27 is reduced to the room temperature of the toilet. The temperature is kept close to 10 ° C., and the water stored in the cold water buffer tank 27 and about 10 ° C. is flowed into the instantaneous water heater 24, and the instantaneous water is heated to about 60 ° C. Hot water can be generated. In the instantaneous water heater 24, water having a water temperature of
The time for heating to 5 ° C. is remarkably shortened compared to the time for heating water at a temperature of 5 ° C. to 60 ° C., and the provision of the cold water buffer tank 27 allows the instantaneous heating of the hot water in the water heater 24. The time is shorter than before and the nozzle 26
Can be projected early to discharge hot water from the nozzle 26.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION FIG.
In the sanitary washing device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 0-87430, the tap water is brought close to the room temperature of the toilet room by the cold water buffer tank 27.
Insufficient rise in temperature. For this reason, it is not possible to discharge hot water sufficiently unless an instantaneous water heater 4 having a considerably large current capacity is used. However, since the power supply capacity is limited in ordinary households, a large current cannot be supplied. . For this reason, as the instantaneous water heater 24, the flow rate of water must be a small flow rate of, for example, about 0.6 L (liter) / min, and the amount of water jetted from the nozzle 26 must be reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to provide a sanitary washing apparatus capable of sufficiently discharging hot water from a nozzle while saving energy.

[0009]

A sanitary washing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a hot water tank, a washing nozzle for jetting hot water, a hot water supply passage for supplying hot water from the hot water tank to the washing nozzle, and a hot water supply passage. In a sanitary washing device having a branch portion provided and a return flow path for returning hot water from the branch portion to the hot water tank, the temperature of the hot water from the hot water tank is raised between the hot water tank and the branch portion. And a power supply control means for supplying power to the heater.

In such a sanitary washing apparatus, the hot water in the hot water tank is circulated from the hot water supply channel to the hot water tank via the return flow channel.
There is warm water that is warmed to some extent. For this reason, when the instantaneous water heater is operated when the hot water supply to the cleaning nozzle is started, hot water having a sufficiently high temperature is spouted from the cleaning nozzle in a very short time.

In addition, this instant water heater only needs to heat hot water, which has already been heated to about 30 ° C., to about 40 ° C., which is suitable for washing the buttocks, and sends a large amount of hot water to the washing nozzle with low power. be able to. Therefore, a large amount of warm water spouts from the cleaning nozzle.

In this sanitary washing device, the temperature of the hot water circulating in the hot water tank and the pipe is about 30 ° C., which is lower than the temperature of the jet of the washing nozzle. Therefore, the amount of heat radiation from the hot water tank and the piping is also small.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a sanitary washing apparatus according to an embodiment. Tap water flows from a water pipe into a hot water tank 32 via a pipe 31. This hot water tank 32
Is provided with a temperature sensor 34, which keeps water at about 30 ° C. The warm water of about 30 ° C. flows in the order of the pipe 35, the instantaneous water heater 37, the pipe 39, and the three-way valve 40 as a branch. The instant water heater 37 is provided with a heater 36, and a pipe 39 on the tapping side of the instant water heater 37 is provided with a temperature sensor 38. Note that a heater for heating water may be provided in the hot water tank 32.

A pipe 41 is connected to the first outlet of the three-way valve 40, and a return pipe 51 is connected to the second outlet.

The pipe 41 branches into pipes 42 and 45. The pipe 42 is connected to a first cleaning nozzle (shower nozzle) 44 via a first cleaning valve 43, and the pipe 45 is
The second cleaning nozzle (bidet nozzle) 47 via the cleaning valve 46
It is connected to the.

A return pipe 51 connected to the second outlet of the three-way valve 40 is connected to the hot water tank 32. The return pipe 51 is provided with a circulation pump 50 and a check valve 52. The pump 50 allows water to flow from the three-way valve 40 to the hot water tank 32, and the check valve 52 allows only the flow of water in this direction.

In the sanitary washing apparatus thus configured, the power supply to the heater 36 is controlled so that hot water of about 30 ° C. is stored in the hot water tank 32. In the standby state, the three-way valve 40 communicates the pipe 39 with the return pipe 51. And the instantaneous water heater 3 is continuously or intermittently.
7 to the heater 36, and the pump 50
Is activated, and the hot water in the hot water tank 32 is supplied to the pipes 35, 39,
Circulating through 51; Thereby, these pipes 35,
39, 51, the three-way valve 40 and the hot water tank 32 always have hot water of about 30 ° C.

When the buttock washing is performed using the washing nozzle 44 or 47, the three-way valve 40 connects the pipes 39 and 41 and opens the first washing valve 43 by pressing a shower washing switch (not shown). In addition, instant water heater 37
The heater 36 is energized, and the water is heated so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 38 becomes about 40 ° C. As a result, hot water of about 40 ° C. suitable for washing the buttocks is supplied to the washing nozzle 44, the nozzle body 44a advances, and hot water spouts obliquely upward from the tip.

When a charm cleaning switch (not shown) is pressed, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 38 is about 40 ° C.
Electricity is supplied to the heater 36 of the instantaneous water heater 37 so that the temperature is about the same, the three-way valve 40 connects the pipes 39 and 41, and the second cleaning valve 46 is opened. As a result, hot water of about 40 ° C. is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 47, the nozzle body 47a advances, and hot water spouts obliquely upward from the tip.

In this sanitary washing device, the temperature of the hot water circulating in the hot water tank 32 and the pipes 35, 39, 51 is 3
Since the temperature is about 0 ° C, which is a tepid level, the hot water tank 3
2 and less heat radiation from the pipes 35, 39, 51 and the three-way valve 40. Further, the instantaneous water heater 37 only has to heat the warm water warmed to about 30 ° C. to about 40 ° C. (for example, 39 to 42 ° C.). Can be raised to about 40 ° C. Therefore, a lot of warm water can be ejected from the cleaning nozzles 44 and 47 (for example, about 1.6 to 2 L / min).

By circulating the hot water, the temperature distribution in the hot water tank 32 is also eliminated.

In the above embodiment, hot water is jetted from the cleaning nozzles 44 and 47 by tap water supply pressure, but a pump for jetting hot water may be provided. Further, in the above embodiment, the three-way valve 40 is provided, but the three-way valve 40 is a simple three-way joint.
1 may be provided with a two-way valve, and when the valves 43 and 46 are provided, the two-way valve of the pipe 41 may be omitted.

Although not shown, it is obvious that means for adjusting the amount of water jetted from the cleaning nozzles 44 and 47 and the temperature of the jetted water may be provided.

[0024]

As described above, in the sanitary washing apparatus of the present invention, the amount of heat radiated from the pipes and the hot water tank is small, energy can be saved, and a large amount of hot water is spouted from the washing nozzle. Can also.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a sanitary washing device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional sanitary washing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22 branch tap 23 pump 24 instantaneous water heater 26 nozzle 27 cold water buffer tank 32 hot water tank 33, 36 heater 37 instantaneous water heater 40 three-way valve 44 first cleaning nozzle 47 second cleaning nozzle 51 return pipe

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Masafumi Arakawa 5-1-1 Koie Honcho, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Yasuaki Kozen 5-1-1 Koie Honcho, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Stock Company Inax F term (reference) 2D038 JA01 JB04 KA14

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A hot water tank, a washing nozzle for jetting hot water, a hot water supply passage for supplying hot water from the hot water tank to the washing nozzle, a branch provided in the hot water supply passage, and hot water from the branch. In a sanitary washing device having a return flow path returning to the hot water tank, a heater for raising the temperature of hot water from the hot water tank is provided between the hot water tank and the branch portion, and the heater is energized. A sanitary washing device, characterized in that an energization control means is provided.