JP2003130447A - Bath device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save power and reduce noise. SOLUTION: The output of a circulating pump 11a is made variable and appropriately changed either automatically or manually according to the way it is installed or its operating condition. Thus, the output of the circulating pump 11a is increased by a predetermined amount, for example, only when a water flow switch 10 is not turned on, to enable continued operation without hindrance. When piping is short, the pump is operated while keeping its output low to easily save on energy and reduce noise.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bathtub connected to a bathtub by forcibly circulating the water in the bathtub with a pump to boil water.
The present invention relates to an additional bath device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the circulation pump of this type of bath apparatus is generally equipped with a circulation pump having a large output when the output is constant and the bath piping is long.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional bath device, the output of the circulation pump is increased, so that the power consumption is inevitably increased. That is, when the piping is short or when the circulation flow rate is not so large, it consumes unnecessary power and produces a large output, which causes a large operating noise, and a large suction port of the bath piping connected to the bathtub. There was a problem that suction force may be generated and it may become unsafe.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a safer bath device that saves energy, has a low operating noise.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a structure in which the output of the circulation pump is variable and the output is switched automatically or manually according to the installation condition and the operating condition.

According to the above invention, the output of the circulation pump is increased when the required circulation flow rate cannot be secured due to the long bath piping, so that the operation can be continued without any trouble, while the short piping is required. It becomes possible to easily realize energy saving, noise reduction and safety improvement by operating at low output.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is
It is equipped with a circulation pump that circulates water through the bath pipe connected to the bathtub, a heat exchanger that heats the water, a heating device that heats the heat exchanger, and a water flow switch that detects that the water has flowed over a predetermined amount. In the bath equipment, the circulation pump is a variable output pump, and when the water flow switch does not turn on, the main control is configured to increase the circulation pump output by a specified value, so that the power required for operation is sufficient. , You can continue driving without any trouble.

In the bath apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the output of the circulation pump is set to high output operation until the water flow switch is turned on, and when the water flow switch is turned on, it is switched to a predetermined low output operation. By configuring the controller, it is possible to continue operation without trouble with only the electric power required for operation.

In the bath apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the water flow switch, a second water flow switch is additionally connected in series, and when the second water flow switch is turned on, the output of the circulation pump is set to a predetermined value. By configuring the main controller to lower the value, it becomes possible to easily realize a device that suppresses the suction force of the suction port of the bath pipe connected to the bathtub, in addition to power saving and low noise.

A bath apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is provided with an outside air temperature detector, and is configured to operate only the circulation pump when the detector detects a predetermined value or less. At this time, the circulation pump is operated. By configuring the main controller to reduce the output to the limit flow rate at which the water flow switch is turned off, it is possible to realize power saving and low noise during freeze prevention operation.

In the bath apparatus according to claim 5 of the present invention, when the detected value of the temperature sensor provided in the upstream pipe of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the circulation pump operates at high output, and when the detected value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value. Is configured to operate at low output, so that when the temperature of the water in the bathtub is low, that is, when operating from the remaining hot water to boiling, the circulation pump is operated at high output to increase the circulation flow rate. On the other hand, at the time of reheating when the water in the bathtub is relatively high, the circulation pump is operated at a low output to reduce the discharge flow rate from the discharge port of the bath pipe connected to the bathtub and raise the temperature slowly. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the discomfort felt from the high discharge flow rate when reheating while entering the bathtub.

In the bath apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the output of the circulation pump whose output is variable can be manually switched, so that the output of the circulation pump can be changed when the operation noise is annoying at midnight. By artificially lowering it, silent operation can be performed, and when the bath piping is short, lowering the output of the circulation pump can easily reduce energy consumption without hindering operation and making it easy to judge the situation at the installation site. .

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a gas bath apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an example of the output and circulation flow rate characteristics of the circulation pump used in the present invention. FIG. 3 shows an example of bath pipe length and circulation flow rate characteristics when the output of the circulation pump is changed.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a bathtub, 2 is bath water stored in the bathtub, 3 is an exterior body, 4 is a heat exchanger, 5 is a bathing pipe, 6 is a bathing pipe connected to the bathtub, and 7 is a pipe. Is a discharge port of circulating water to the bathtub 1, 8 is a suction port, 9 is a bath return pipe, 10 is a water flow switch, 11a is a variable output circulation pump, 12 is a bath thermistor, and the circulating water temperature is detected, 13
Is a bath return pipe, 14 is a gas burner for heating the heat exchanger 4, and 15a is a main controller. The main controller 15a is
10 water flow switch, 11a circulation pump, 12 bath thermistor, 14 gas burner
When the 0 water flow switch is not turned on, the output of the 11a circulation pump is increased by a predetermined value.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the output and circulation flow rate characteristics of the circulation pump used in the present invention. In the figure, the larger the output of the 11a circulation pump, the larger the circulation flow rate. FIG. 3 shows an example of bath pipe length and circulation flow rate characteristics when the output of the circulation pump is changed.

If the output of the circulation pump 11a is constant, the longer the bath pipes 6 and 9, the smaller the circulation flow rate.

Next, the operation and action will be described. The bath water 2 is sucked by the circulation pump 11a and is sucked by the suction port 8 → the bath return pipe 9 → pressed by the water flow switch 10 and the flow circulation pump 11a, and the bath return pipe 13 → heat. Exchanger 4 → Bath outfall pipe 5
→ Bath going pipe 6 → Discharge port 7 → Bath 1 flows to form a circulation circuit. At this time, the bath water 2 pressurized by the circulation pump 11a enters the heat exchanger 4 and is heated to a high temperature. By returning the hot circulating water to the bathtub 1, the bath can be heated and boiled. At that time, the gas burner 14 is heated by the action of the main controller 15a when the bath thermistor 12 detects that the temperature of the bath water 2 is low and when the water flow switch 10 detects that the circulating water has flowed over a predetermined amount. Operate. At this time, the circulation pump 11a starts operating at a predetermined output,
When the water flow switch 10 is not turned on, the output of the circulation pump 11a is increased by a predetermined amount by the action of the main controller 15a.

When the water flow switch 10 is turned on, the operation is continued in that state and the operation proceeds to the next sequence such as the operation of the gas burner 14. However, when the water flow switch 10 is still not turned on even if the output is increased by a predetermined amount, the output of the circulation pump 11a is further increased by a predetermined amount. This is repeated until the water flow switch 10 is turned on. When the water flow switch 10 is turned on, the operation is continued in the output state and the operation proceeds to the next sequence such as the operation of the gas burner 14.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the bath pipes 6 and 9 are long, that is, when the circulation flow rate is low due to the pipe resistance (the water flow switch 10 does not turn on) as shown in FIG. The operation can be automatically continued by automatically increasing the output of the pump 11a. When the output of the circulation pump 11a is set to be high from the beginning in order to prevent the insufficient circulating flow rate, useless power is consumed when the bath pipes 6 and 9 are short. Circulation pump 11a
By making the output appropriate for the case, it is possible to save energy and at the same time suppress operating noise to a low level.

(Embodiment 2) The difference from Embodiment 1 is that FIG.
In the above, until the water flow switch 10 turns on the main controller 15a, the output of the circulation pump 11a is in a high output operation, and when the water flow switch 10 is turned on, the main controller 15b is configured to switch to a predetermined low output operation. Especially.

Next, the operation and action will be described. Normal
Once the bath water 2 is drained, the water in the bath pipes 6 and 9 also drains. In many cases, the water in the bath pipes 6 and 9 remains drained even if the bathtub 1 is filled with water to boil the bath the next day. At this time, even if the operation is started, it may take some time before the water flow switch 10 is turned on, or it may not be turned on. That is, in order to perform the air bleeding operation in the bath pipes 6 and 9, a force for pushing up water is required in addition to the pipe resistance. In such a case, until the water flow switch 10 is turned on, the circulation pump 11a is operated at a high output to perform the air bleeding operation in the bath pipes 6 and 9, and if the air is released and water begins to flow,
The operation can be continued even if the output of the circulation pump 11a is reduced to a predetermined low output.

As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the water in the bath pipes 6 and 9 is drained, quick reheating /
In addition to the boiling operation being possible, once the water flow switch 10 is turned on, energy saving and low noise operation can be realized.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 4 is different from the first embodiment.
In addition to the water flow switch 10, a second water flow switch 16 is connected in series, and the second water flow switch 16 is
This is because the main controller 15c is configured to reduce the output of the circulation pump 11a by a predetermined value when N is reached.

Next, the operation and action will be described. After the operation is started, the circulation pump 11a operates and the water flow switch 1
When 0 detects that the circulating water of a predetermined amount or more has flowed, the main controller 15c operates and the gas burner 14 operates to heat the heat exchanger 4. At that time, it is set so as to detect the upper limit circulation flow rate which is higher than that of the water flow switch 10 and which does not generate unsafe suction force at the suction port 8 of the bathtub 1.
When the water flow switch 16 is activated, the main controller 15c acts to reduce the output of the circulation pump 11a by a predetermined value.
At this time, the circulation pump 11a does not consume more power than necessary, and the suction force of the suction port 8 is suppressed, so that a safer bath device can be easily realized.

In this embodiment, two water flow switches are connected in series, but it is also possible to replace them with a water amount sensor capable of linearly detecting the water amount.

(Embodiment 4) A difference from Embodiment 1 is that in FIG. 5, an outside air temperature detector 17 is provided, and if the detector detects a predetermined value or less, only the circulation pump 11a is operated. 11a is that the main controller 15d is configured to reduce the output to the limit at which the water flow switch 10 is turned off.

Next, the operation and action will be described. This type of device is equipped with an outside air temperature detector to protect it from damage caused by freezing of bath pipes in the winter, and if the detector detects a temperature below a specified value, only the circulation pump operates and the water in the bath pipe is removed. It is known to prevent freezing by moving.
In the present invention, the main controller 15d is configured to reduce the output of the circulation pump 11a whose output is variable at this time to the limit at which the water flow switch 10 is turned off. That is, when the outside air temperature detector 17 detects a predetermined value (normally about 4 ° C.) or less, only the circulation pump 11a starts operation and the water flow switch 10 is turned on to continue the operation.

After a lapse of a predetermined time, the circulation pump 1
The output of 1a is decreased by a predetermined amount. If the water flow switch 10 still does not turn off, the output of the circulation pump 11a is further reduced by a predetermined amount. This is repeated until the water flow switch 10 is turned off. Eventually, the water flow switch 10 turns off.
At this time, the output of the circulation pump 11a is increased by an amount reduced just before the water flow switch 10 is turned off, and the operation is continued in a state where the water flow switch 10 is turned on. It is generally known that even if a small amount of water moves, it does not freeze if the outside air temperature is at -10 ° C level. Therefore, by operating the circulation pump 11a with the minimum required output, it is possible to realize an energy-saving, low-noise bath device capable of preventing freeze. In particular, the operation is often performed at midnight for a long time, and the effect is great.

(Embodiment 5) The difference from Embodiment 1 is that in FIG. 5, when the detected value of the bath thermistor 12 provided in the bath return pipe 9 upstream of the heat exchanger 4 is below a predetermined value, the circulation pump 11a The main controller 15e is configured to operate at high output and to operate at low output when the value is above a predetermined value.

Next, the operation and action will be described. Normally, there are two ways to boil a bath with this type of device. That is, there are a case of boiling from the remaining hot water of the previous day to a set temperature and a case of the user heating while bathing in the bathtub. In the former case, there is a large temperature difference from the bath water temperature to the set temperature at present, and it is usually necessary to boil at about 20 to 30 ° C.

In the latter case, it is almost the case that the temperature is a little higher, usually about 2 to 3 ° C. In the present invention, the circulation pump 11a is started to operate at a predetermined output, and the bath thermistor 12 determines the former or the latter. For example, if the temperature is lower than 35 ° C, the circulation pump 11a is determined to be the former and the circulation pump 11a has a high output. By switching to the operation and increasing the circulation flow rate, the heating capacity of the heat exchanger 4 and the gas burner 14 can be enhanced, and the bath water 2 can be quickly boiled. On the other hand.
When the bath thermistor 12 detects a temperature of 35 ° C. or higher, the circulation pump 11a is switched to a low output operation to reduce the circulation flow rate, thereby reducing the heating capacity of the heat exchanger 4 and the gas burner 14 and gradually increasing the temperature. Fire. This can be a comfortable heating for the bather.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the bath water 2 is low, that is, when the temperature difference from the current bath water temperature to the set temperature is large, the water is heated to a high output to boil quickly, while the user bathes. However, in the case of additional heating, that is, when the boiling temperature difference is small, the bath apparatus having a comfortable additional heating function can be easily realized by slowly raising the temperature of the bath water 2 by heating with a small output.

(Sixth Embodiment) A different point from the first embodiment is that a main controller 15f capable of manually switching the output of the output variable circulation pump 11a is configured in FIG. Normally, in this kind of bath device, the lengths of the bath pipes 6 and 9 are fixed and the magnitude of the suction force of the suction port 8 of the bathtub 1 can be confirmed at the stage of installation work and trial operation. In addition, it is possible to understand the impact of driving noise on the surroundings. In view of this point, in the present invention, the main controller 15f is provided with a setting switch or a setting volume with which the output of the circulation pump 11a can be manually switched according to the situation at the installation site. That is, the bath pipe 6,
When 9 is short, the suction force of the suction port 8 is too large, or in the environment where the influence of operation noise is great, the output of the circulation pump 11a is switched to a low setting and the bath pipes 6 and 9 are If it is thin or long and the circulation flow rate is too low to perform its function sufficiently, set the output to a high value. Then, it is carried out while confirming by trial operation that each setting does not hinder operation.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the bath device which is energy-saving, low-noise, safe, and highly versatile can be installed by changing the setting on site according to the installation condition of the bath device. Easy to implement.

[0036]

As is apparent from the above description, the bath device of the present invention has the following effects.

The circulating pump is a variable output pump, and the main control is configured to increase the circulating pump output by a predetermined value when the water flow switch is not turned on. Operation can be continued.

Further, until the water flow switch is turned on, the output of the circulation pump is set to a high output operation, and when the water flow switch is turned on, the main controller is configured to switch to a predetermined low output operation. You can continue to operate with the power required at any time.

Furthermore, in addition to a normal water flow switch, a water flow switch is connected in series, and when the water flow switch is turned on, the output of the circulation pump is lowered by a predetermined value, thereby saving power and reducing noise. In addition, the suction force of the suction port of the bath pipe connected to the bathtub can be suppressed to provide a safe device.

By providing an outside air temperature detector, the main controller is configured to operate only the circulation pump when it detects a predetermined value or less, and the output of the circulation pump is reduced to a limit flow rate at which the water flow switch is turned off. It is possible to realize low power consumption and low noise during freeze prevention operation.

Further, when the detected value of the temperature sensor provided in the upstream pipe of the heat exchanger is below a predetermined value, the circulation pump is operated at high output, and when it is above the predetermined value, it is operated at low output. With this configuration, when the temperature of the bath water is low, that is, during the boiling operation from the remaining hot water, the boiling time can be shortened by operating the circulation pump at a high output to increase the circulation flow rate. On the other hand, when heating is performed when the bath water temperature is relatively high, the circulation pump is operated at a low output to reduce the flow rate at the discharge port of the bath pipe connected to the bath, thereby adding heat while entering the bath. The discomfort sometimes felt from high flow rates can be eliminated.

Further, the output of the circulation pump whose output is variable is
With the configuration that can be manually switched, the output of the circulation pump can be artificially lowered to perform silent operation when the operation noise is annoying at midnight. If the bath piping is short,
By lowering the output of the circulation pump in advance, it is possible to easily make an energy-saving route that does not hinder the operation at the discretion of the installation site.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a gas bath device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an output-flow rate characteristic diagram of the circulation pump in the device.

FIG. 3 is a piping length-circulation flow rate characteristic diagram when the output of the circulation pump is used as a parameter in the device.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a gas bath device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a gas bath device according to Examples 3, 4 and 5 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 Heat Exchanger 6 Bath Outlet Pipe 7 Discharge Port 8 Suction Port 9 Bath Return Pipe 10 Water Flow Switch 11 Circulation Pump 12 Bath Thermistor 14 Gas Burner 15 Main Controller (Add a, b, ... Depending on Each Example) 16 Second water flow switch 17 Ambient temperature detector

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A variable output circulation pump for circulating water through a bath pipe communicating with a bathtub, a heat exchanger connected to the bath pipe, a heating device for heating the heat exchanger, A bath device that includes a water flow switch that detects that a predetermined amount or more of water flowing in a bath output variable type pipe flows, and increases the output of the circulation pump by a predetermined value when the water flow switch is not turned on. 2. The bath apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output of the circulation pump is set to a high output operation until the water flow switch is turned on, and the output is switched to a predetermined low output operation when the water flow switch is turned on. 3. The bath apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second water flow switch is arranged in series with the water flow switch, and when the second water flow switch is turned on, the output of the circulation pump is lowered by a predetermined value. . 4. An outside air temperature detector is provided, and when the outside air temperature detector falls below a predetermined value, only the circulation pump is operated and the output of the circulation pump is lowered to the limit at which the water flow switch is turned off. The bath device according to item 1. 5. A temperature sensor for detecting the water temperature is provided in the bath pipe upstream of the heat exchanger. When the detected value of the temperature sensor is below a predetermined value, the circulation pump is operated at a high output to reach a predetermined value or above. In the case of, the bath device according to claim 1, which is operated at a low output. 6. The hot water heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output of the circulation pump can be manually switched.