JP2005043009A - Snow melting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a snow melting device capable of carrying out effective power saving by preventing wasteful power consumption during a non-operational period. <P>SOLUTION: The snow melting device 1 melting snow by circulating a heating medium heated by a heat source unit 2 to a snow melting terminal 9 is provided with a control means 8 for carrying out control of each part, an information output means 17 for outputting information relevant to operation, and an operation state distinguishing means 81 for distinguishing an operation unnecessary state or an operation stoppage state of the snow melting device. It is composed so that when the operation state distinguishing means 81 continuously distinguishes the operation unnecessary state or the operation stoppage state for a predetermined time, the control means 8 carries out power saving signaling promoting a cutoff of energization of an AC power supply by the information output means 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a snow melting device, and more particularly to a device that enables power saving during a period when the snow melting device is not operated.

  In heavy snow areas, snow must be scraped along with snow accumulation, and recently, snow melting devices that melt and remove snow have been put to practical use in order to reduce the trouble of snow scraping. Such a snow melting device, for example, heats a heat medium by a heat source device installed outdoors, and circulates the heated heat medium to a snow melting terminal provided on a ground or a roof to be melted to perform snow melting.

  Such a conventional snow melting device has an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode, and in the automatic operation mode, the snow melting device automatically detects snowfall and performs the snow melting operation. It can be carried out. On the other hand, in the manual operation mode, the user operates the snow melting operation as necessary, and it is possible to minimize the operation time and reduce the cost required for the snow melting.

  In addition, some conventional snow melting devices include a remote controller for operating a heat source unit installed outdoors. By installing the remote controller indoors, it is possible to melt snow while staying indoors. .

  By the way, unlike a hot water supply apparatus etc., a snow melting apparatus is not used throughout the year and is used only during the snowy season. Moreover, in the snow melting apparatus provided with the remote controller, when the operation switch is turned off, no display is performed on the remote controller. For this reason, when the operation switch of the remote controller is in the OFF state, it is easy to misunderstand that the power supply to the snow melting device is completely cut off. For this reason, the conventional snow melting apparatus is often left with the AC plug connected after the winter snowfall period is over.

However, in the conventional snow melting device, if the AC plug is left connected, a small amount of power is consumed even if the operation switch is off. In other words, when the AC plug remains connected, the operation program for turning on the operation switch is always in operation, and accompanying this, power consumption due to energization of the control circuit unit (CPU) and its surroundings. Always occurred. Moreover, the conversion loss to direct current in the power supply circuit provided inside has been a factor of further increase in power consumption.
For this reason, if the AC plug is left connected to the AC outlet in the summertime when the snow melting device is not operated at all, wasteful power consumption increases, and an improvement in power saving has been desired.

  This invention is proposed in view of the said situation, and it aims at providing the snow melting apparatus which saves power effectively by preventing the wasteful power consumption in the period which does not use a snow melting apparatus effectively. To do.

  The invention according to claim 1 proposed to achieve the above object is a snow melting device that circulates a heat medium heated by a heat source machine to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors and melts the snow. A control means for controlling each part including the control, an information output means for outputting information relating to the operation, and an operating state determining means for determining whether the snow melting apparatus is in an operation unnecessary state or an operation stop state. When the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state is continuously determined, the control unit is configured to perform power saving notification that prompts the information output unit to cut off the energization of the AC power supply.

  Although there are some differences depending on the area where the snow melting device is installed, the frequency of operating the snow melting device is high in the severe winter season, and the frequency of operating the snow melting device decreases as it goes to the warm season. In other words, during the severe winter season, the time during which the operation of the snow melting device is not required or stopped is short, and the time during which the operation of the snow melting device is not required or is stopped becomes longer as it goes to the warm season.

  According to the present invention, when the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state is determined continuously for a predetermined time, the power saving notification is performed assuming that the snow accumulation period requiring the operation of the snow melting device has ended. In other words, the snow melting device itself determines the end of the snow season and notifies the user of power saving. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the AC plug from being left until the start of the next snowy season, and it is possible to save power without wasteful power consumption.

In the present invention, the determination time (predetermined time) for continuously determining the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state is not necessarily fixed as long as it is possible to detect the end of the time (season) in which the snow melting device needs to be operated. It is not necessary to take the set value.
For example, when the snow melting device has a function of measuring the date, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the determination time is changed according to the measured date. In other words, for example, when the timekeeping month is April, the necessity of operation of the snow melting device is high, so the determination time is set longer, and when the timekeeping month is June, the necessity of operation of the snow melting device is low. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the determination time is set short.

Also, when the outside air temperature is slightly higher than the temperature at which the snow melting operation is started, the necessity of operation of the snow melting device is high, so the determination time is set longer and the outside air temperature is equivalent to the temperature at which the snow melting operation is started. When it is high, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the determination time is set short because the necessity of operation of the snow melting device is low.
This makes it possible to accurately determine the end of the time when the snow melting device needs to be operated.

  In the present invention, the power saving notification can be performed by, for example, a display, an alarm sound, a voice message, or the like, and can also be performed by combining these. The power saving notification may be continuously performed until the AC plug is removed, or may be periodically performed until the AC plug is removed.

In the present invention, various configurations can be adopted for the configuration in which the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state is determined by the operation state determining means.
For example, an outside air temperature sensor that detects the outside air temperature is provided, and the operation state discriminating means discriminates a state where the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, and the discriminated state does not require operation of the snow melting device. It is possible to be in a state.

In addition, a flame sensor that detects a flame is provided, and a state in which flame detection by the flame sensor is not performed by the operation state determination unit can be determined as an operation stop state.
Further, it is possible to provide a circulation pump for circulating the heat medium to the snow melting terminal, and to determine the state where the circulation pump is not driven by the operation state determination unit as the operation stop state.
Furthermore, it is possible to provide an operation switch for operating the snow melting device, and to determine a state where the operation switch is not turned on by the operation state determination means as the operation stop state.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a snow melting device for melting snow by circulating a heat medium heated by a heat source device to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors, and controls each part including control of the heat source device And an energization cut-off unit that partially cuts off the energization of the snow melting device, and an operation state discriminating unit that discriminates the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state of the snow melting device. When the state or the operation stop state is determined, the control means is configured to perform power saving control that partially interrupts energization of the snow melting device by the energization interruption unit.

In the present invention, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which energization is continued only to the minimum circuit necessary for resuming the operation of the snow melting device, and the energization to other circuits is intermittently controlled by the energization interrupting unit.
In the present invention, the operation state determination means for determining the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state can adopt various configurations in the same manner as the snow melting device of the first aspect.

  According to the present invention, when the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state is determined by the operation state determining unit continuously for a predetermined time, the energization to the snow melting device is partially interrupted by the energization interrupting unit. As a result, energization is continued only for the part necessary for restarting the operation of the snow melting device, and the energization to the other parts is interrupted. Therefore, power consumption during a period when the snow melting device is not operated can be greatly reduced, and power saving control can be automatically performed without requiring the trouble of removing the AC plug.

Further, according to the present invention, even when the power saving control is being performed, the energization to the portion necessary for restarting the operation is continued. It is possible to return to normal operation by releasing the interruption.
In the present invention, the determination time (predetermined time) for continuously determining the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state can be set fixedly or variably as in the first aspect of the invention.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the snow melting device according to the first or second aspect, a determination time setting unit that sets a determination time by the operating state determination unit is provided.

  The determination time of the operation unnecessary state or the operation stop state by the operation state determination means may be fixedly set by the manufacturer or may be configured to be set by the user. With a configuration that allows the user to set the discrimination time, it can be set according to the weather conditions in the area where the snow melting equipment is installed, and the end of the snow season can be accurately determined according to the weather conditions It becomes.

  Invention of Claim 4 is the snow melting apparatus which circulates the heat medium heated with the heat source machine to the snow melting terminal arranged outdoors, and melts snow, Comprising: Control means which controls each part including control of a heat source machine And at least a time measuring means for measuring the month or date and an information output means for outputting information related to the operation, and the control is performed when the month or month and time measured by the time measuring means is after a predetermined power saving start time. The means is configured to perform power saving notification that prompts the AC power supply to be cut off by the information output means.

  According to the present invention, for example, assuming that the power saving start time is June, the power saving notification is performed when the time measuring month of the time measuring means reaches June. In other words, according to the present invention, if the power saving start time is set to June, power saving notification is performed after June when the snow melting device will not be operated. Therefore, by removing the AC plug in response to the power saving notification, the user can be prevented from leaving the AC plug connected while the snow melting device is not used, and the power can be effectively saved. .

In the present invention, the time measured by the time measuring means may be only the month, or may measure the month and day. By adopting a configuration in which the date is measured by the time measuring means, by specifying the power saving start time up to the date, the power saving notification can be performed after the date and the power saving according to the weather conditions becomes possible.
Also in the present invention, the power saving notification may be continuously performed until the AC plug is removed, or may be periodically performed until the AC plug is removed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the snow melting device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the snow melting device has a temperature switch for intermittently supplying an AC power source for energizing the snow melting device in accordance with the outside air temperature. The AC power supply is closed when the current supply temperature is lower than the current supply start temperature, and the AC power supply is turned off when the outside air temperature is higher than the predetermined power supply stop temperature higher than the current supply start temperature. Has been.

  According to the present invention, when the outside air temperature becomes equal to or higher than the energization stop temperature, the energization of the AC power supply to the snow melting device is interrupted, and the AC plug is equivalently removed from the outlet. When the outside air temperature becomes equal to or lower than the energization start temperature, energization of the AC power source to the snow melting device is started, and the AC plug is equivalently connected to the outlet. In other words, according to the present invention, the AC plug can be detachably attached according to the outside air temperature, and power can be effectively saved while the AC plug is connected without bothering the user. Become.

  The invention according to claim 6 is a snow melting device for circulating a heat medium heated by a heat source machine to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors to melt snow, and a control means for controlling each part including control of the heat source machine And a timing means for timing at least one of the month and the month and a current cut-off section that partially cuts off the power supply to the snow melting device, and the month or month to be counted by the timing means is predetermined. In a period determined by the power saving start time and the power saving end time, the control means is configured to perform power saving control in which the power supply to the snow melting device is partially cut off by the power cut-off unit.

  According to the present invention, as in the second aspect of the present invention, energization is continued only to the minimum circuit necessary for resuming the operation of the snow melting device, and energization to other circuits is energized. Can be controlled intermittently. Therefore, according to the present invention, for example, when the power saving start time and the power saving end time are set to June and October, respectively, the energization cut-off unit supplies power to the snow melting device when the time measuring month is within the period. It is possible to automatically save power by being partially cut off.

  In addition, according to the present invention, even when the power saving control is performed, the energization to the portion necessary for resuming the operation is continued. It is possible to return to normal operation by releasing the interruption.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is the snow melting device according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, further comprising period setting means for setting at least one of the power saving start time and the power saving end time. Yes.

  The power saving start time and power saving end time may be fixedly set by the manufacturer or may be configured by the user. By adopting a configuration that allows the user to set the power saving start time and power saving end time, it is possible to accurately limit the period when there is no snow accumulation according to the weather conditions in the area where the snow melting equipment is installed. It becomes possible to save power effectively during an unnecessary period of operation.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the snow melting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a remote controller that is installed at a location distant from the heat source machine and performs an operation of the heat source machine. The remote controller has at least one of a display unit that displays and outputs information related to driving and a voice output unit that outputs information related to driving by voice, and an information output unit is formed by the display unit or the voice output unit of the remote controller. It is set as the structure.

Here, the display section referred to in the present invention refers to a display capable of displaying characters, codes, still images, moving images, and the like. The voice output unit refers to a unit that can output an alarm sound, a melody, a voice message, or the like.
According to the present invention, for example, by displaying a message such as “Please unplug the AC plug” on the display unit of the remote controller, the power saving notification can be performed. Further, for example, the power saving notification can be performed by outputting a voice message such as “please unplug the AC plug” by the voice output unit of the remote controller. Further, in addition to the display by the display unit, it is also possible to perform power saving notification more effectively by outputting a voice or a warning sound by the voice output unit.

  The invention according to claim 9 is a snow melting device that circulates a heat medium heated by a heat source device to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors and melts the snow, and an AC power source that energizes the snow melting device according to the outside air temperature The temperature switch is closed when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined energization start temperature to allow energization of the AC power supply, and the outside air temperature is higher than the energization start temperature. It is configured to be opened when the energization stop temperature is exceeded, and to cut off the energization of the AC power supply.

In the present invention, the configuration according to claim 5 is employed alone in a snow melting device.
According to the present invention, similarly to the fifth aspect, the AC plug can be detachably attached according to the outside air temperature, and power can be effectively saved while the AC plug is connected without bothering the user. Can be performed.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when it is determined that the snow melting device is not in operation, the power saving notification is automatically performed. Therefore, the AC plug remains connected until the next snow accumulation period. Therefore, it is possible to provide a snow melting device that can be prevented and can save power effectively.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when it is determined that the snow melting device is not operated, partial energization is automatically cut off to save power, and power can be saved without bothering the user. Can provide a snow melting device.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine the state in which the snow melting device is not continuously operated by appropriately setting the determination time according to the installation area of the snow melting device.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the power saving notification is automatically performed when the snow melting device is not operated, it is possible to prevent the AC plug from being left until the next snow accumulation period. Therefore, it is possible to provide a snow melting device that can effectively save power.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a snow melting device that can automatically save power without being aware of the user by a simple configuration.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the snow melting apparatus is not operated, partial energization is automatically cut off to save power, and power can be saved without bothering the user. Equipment can be provided.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily perform power saving in a period when the snow melting device is not operated by appropriately setting a timing for performing power saving notification and a period for performing power saving control according to the installation area of the snow melting device. It becomes possible.
According to the invention described in claim 8, by providing the remote controller in the room, it is possible to perform power saving notification by the information output means, and it is possible to further improve the notification effect.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a snow melting device that can automatically save power without being aware of the user by a simple configuration.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a snow melting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a remote controller employed in the snow melting device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the remote controller shown in FIG.
The present invention is characterized by power saving notification or power saving control in the snow melting device. Prior to detailed description thereof, the configuration and basic operation of the snow melting device will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment is formed by connecting a snow melting terminal 9 to a heat source device 2, and circulating the heat medium heated by the heat source device 2 to the snow melting terminal 9 to heat the snow melting device. Is to do. The heat source device 2 includes a main body unit 3, a combustion unit 4, a power supply circuit unit 7, a control circuit unit (control means) 8, a main controller 6, and a remote controller 10. The main body 3 is largely divided into a combustion space 30, a storage 31, and an exhaust cylinder 32, and forms a storage-type combustor.

  The main body portion 3 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, has a double structure, and has a storage portion 31 formed therein. More specifically, the main body 3 has an outer cylinder 20 and an inner cylinder 21, and has a structure for storing a heat medium therein. In particular, a large-capacity heat medium chamber 24 surrounded by an upper end plate 22 and a lower end plate 23 is formed in the upper half of the main body 3. In the storage unit 31, an antifreeze liquid is stored as a heat medium.

  A plurality of combustion gas passages 25 are formed in the heat medium chamber 24, and the combustion gas passages 25 penetrate the heat medium chamber 24 of the storage portion 31 in the axial direction. The combustion unit 4 includes a burner that burns liquid fuel such as kerosene, incorporates a fuel injection nozzle 40 and a blower 41, and is connected to a combustion space 30 positioned below the main body 3. The combustion space part 30 functions as a combustion chamber of the combustion part 4. The combustion unit 4 includes a flame rod (flame sensor) 43 that detects the occurrence of a flame and outputs a flame detection signal.

An exhaust cylinder 32 is provided on the upper part of the main body 3. The exhaust cylinder 32 has a cylindrical or rectangular parallelepiped appearance, and has a labyrinth structure inside, and exhausts combustion gas while reducing gas pressure and suppressing generation of combustion noise. In FIG. 1, the labyrinth structure of the exhaust cylinder 32 is omitted.
In addition, a temperature sensor 26 that detects the temperature of the stored heat medium is provided at the upper part of the storage unit 31, and a temperature sensor 27 for preventing airing is provided at the uppermost part of the storage unit 31. In the present embodiment, thermistors are used for these temperature sensors 26 and 27.

When the combustion operation is started, the fuel gas injected from the fuel injection nozzle 40 of the combustion unit 4 burns while generating a flame in the combustion space 30 to generate a high-temperature combustion gas. The generated combustion gas flows through the combustion gas passage 25 in the heat medium chamber 24, passes through the exhaust pipe 32, and is discharged to the outside. At this time, the heat medium in the heat medium chamber 24 is heated and heated by exchanging heat with the high-temperature combustion gas flowing through the combustion gas passage 25.
In addition, a level detector 28 for detecting the amount of heat medium stored and a reserve tank 29 for the heat medium are provided in the upper part of the storage unit 31 to prevent air-blowing associated with a decrease in the heat medium in the storage unit 31. It is configured.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 3 of the heat source device 2 and the snow melting terminal 9 are connected by a circulation forward path 51 and a circulation return path 52 to form a circulation circuit 50. More specifically, a circulation pump 53 and an outward solenoid valve 54 are arranged on the circulation forward path 51 extending from the upper part of the storage unit 31, and a header that connects one end of the snow melting terminal 9 to the end of the circulation forward path 51. 56 is provided. A return solenoid valve 55 is disposed on a circulation return path 52 extending from a lower portion of the storage portion 31, that is, from a portion located around the combustion space portion 30, and a snow melting terminal is provided at an end of the circulation return path 52. A header 57 for connecting the other end of 9 is provided. Further, in the middle of the circulation outward path 51 and the circulation return path 52, an outward path temperature sensor 58 and a return path temperature sensor 59 for detecting the temperature of the flowing heat medium are provided. In the present embodiment, a thermistor temperature sensor is used for these temperature sensors 58 and 59.

  The headers 56 and 57 provided at the ends of the circulation forward path 51 and the circulation return path 52 are adapters capable of connecting a plurality of pipes in parallel. The snow melting pipe 91 is embedded in the ground where snow melting is to be performed. Are connected to headers 56 and 57, respectively. As a result, the heat medium pumped from the reservoir 31 by the circulation pump 53 through the circulation path 51 flows through the snow melting pipe 91 from the header 56 to the header 57 and returns to the reservoir 31 via the circulation return path 52. Flow 50.

  In the present embodiment, five pipes can be connected in parallel to the headers 56 and 57, and a maximum of five snow melting pipes 91 are embedded in the area where snow melting is to be performed, and both ends of each snow melting pipe 91 are connected to the headers 56 and 57. Can be connected to. Therefore, for example, by burying three snow melting pipes 91 in the passage from the parking lot at home to the road and burying two snow melting pipes 91 in the passage from the entrance to the road, It is possible to melt snow on both sides simultaneously. In addition, it is possible to melt snow by embedding five snow melting tubes 91 in the same region. In FIG. 1, the snow melting pipes 91 are shown as straight pipes for convenience of explanation, but in reality, each of the snow melting pipes 91 is formed by embedding a bent pipe in the ground.

In the present embodiment, a configuration is provided in which each of the snow melting tubes 91 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 90 in series, and the electromagnetic valves 90 are simultaneously controlled to open and close to simultaneously flow or stop the flow of the heat medium in the snow melting tubes 91 connected in parallel. It is said.
In this embodiment, the outward solenoid valve 54, the return solenoid valve 55, and the solenoid valve 90 are thermally operated valves that perform open / close control gently, and the pressure of the heat medium that accompanies the opening / closing of the solenoid valves 54, 55, 90 is used. Fluctuating to prevent pipe deterioration.

The control circuit unit 8 has a function of supervising control of the heat source device 2, and the main controller 6 and the remote controller 10 are connected to the control circuit unit 8. The control circuit unit 8 controls the combustion unit 4, the circulation pump 53, and the electromagnetic valve provided in each unit while referring to the detection signal of the sensor provided in each unit according to the settings of the main controller 6 and the remote controller 10. I do.
The main controller 6 and the remote controller 10 are operation terminals for performing driving operations and various settings. The main controller 6 is fixedly provided in the vicinity of the control circuit unit 8. In this embodiment, the remote controller 10 is installed indoors via the cable C.

A snowfall sensor 82 and a ground temperature sensor 86 are connected to the control circuit unit 8. The snowfall sensor 82 is installed in a portion where snow can be snowed outdoors, and the ground temperature sensor 86 is embedded in the outdoor ground.
The snowfall sensor 82 includes an outside air temperature sensor 85, a moisture sensor 84, and a snow melting heater 83, and has a sensor function for detecting snowfall in cooperation with the control circuit unit 8. In other words, when the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 85 becomes a predetermined value or less, the control circuit unit 8 starts energizing the snow melting heater 83. As a result of energizing the snow melting heater 83, when the moisture sensor 84 detects moisture, the control circuit unit 8 determines that it is snowing. On the other hand, when the moisture sensor 84 does not detect moisture even when the snow melting heater 83 is energized, the control circuit unit 8 performs an operation for determining that there is no snow.

  Further, the temperature sensor 26 provided in the storage part 31 of the main body part 3 and the temperature sensor 27 for detecting airing are each connected to the control circuit part 8, and the forward path provided in the circulation circuit 50. The temperature sensor 58 and the return path temperature sensor 59 are also connected to the control circuit unit 8. Then, the control circuit unit 8 performs the snow melting operation by driving the combustion unit 4, the circulation pump 53, the electromagnetic valve, and the like based on the detection signals of these temperature sensors and the detection signals of the snowfall sensor 82 and the ground temperature sensor 86. .

  Next, the configuration of the remote controller 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the remote controller 10 is an operation terminal having a substantially square outer shape, and can perform the operation and various settings of the snow melting device 1 in the same manner as the main controller 6. As described above, the main controller 6 is fixed near the main body 3 of the heat source unit 2 laid outdoors, but the remote controller 10 can be installed indoors by drawing the cable C indoors. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the remote controller 10 includes an operation unit 12, a setting unit 13, a display unit 14, an audio output unit 15, and a memory 16 with a microcomputer (CPU) 11 as a center. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 12 includes an operation switch 12a, an automatic / manual switch 12b, and a timer switch 12c. The setting unit 13 includes a setting switch 13a, an up key 13b, and a down key 13c. The display unit 14 includes a liquid crystal display 14a, and the audio output unit 15 includes a speaker 15a. The display unit 14 and the audio output unit 15 form an information output unit 17.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an operation switch 12a is arranged at the upper part of the remote controller 10, a liquid crystal display 14a, a setting switch 13a, an up key 13b, and a down key 13c are arranged at the center, and an automatic / automatic switch is arranged at the lower part. A manual changeover switch 12b, a timer switch 12c, and a speaker 15a are provided.

  The operation switch 12a is used to operate the snow melting device 1 and stop the operation. During operation, the operation switch 12a is lit in red by the built-in LED. The automatic / manual changeover switch 12b is a switch for switching between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode, and incorporates an LED that lights the word “automatic / manual” in red. The timer switch 12c is a switch for setting the timer operation, and includes an LED for lighting the letters “timer” in red.

The speaker 15a outputs the voice signal generated by the voice output unit 15 as a voice message during various settings and driving. The liquid crystal display 14a is a dot matrix liquid crystal display that displays display data generated by the display unit 14, and can display figures in addition to characters and numbers.
The setting switch 13a, the up key 13b, and the down key 13c of the setting unit 13 are operation keys for performing a setting operation described later. The setting unit 13 has a function of setting a delay timer at the time of automatic operation, an on / off timer at the time of manual operation, and an off timer.
In the block configuration diagram of FIG. 3, a RAM, a ROM, and the like provided in association with the microcomputer (CPU) 11 are shown as the memory 16.

Next, the basic operation of manual operation and automatic operation performed by the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
When the operation switch 12a of the remote controller 10 is in the “OFF” state, when the “manual” display is performed on the liquid crystal display 14a by operating the automatic / manual switch 12b, the manual operation mode is set and the “automatic” display is performed. (See FIG. 2), the automatic operation mode is set. Further, by operating the up key 13b or the down key 13c, the temperature adjustment level displayed on the liquid crystal display 14a can be changed and set to “3”, “4”, etc. as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, when the temperature adjustment level is set to the lowest “1”, the combustion unit 4 is controlled so that the temperature of the heat medium flowing in the circulation forward path 51 becomes approximately 40 ° C., and the temperature adjustment level is increased. As the temperature of the heat medium rises and the temperature adjustment level is set to the maximum “7”, the combustion section 4 is controlled so that the temperature of the heat medium flowing in the circulation forward path 51 becomes approximately 80 ° C. Is called.

(Operation and operation during manual operation)
When the operation switch 12a is pressed while the manual operation mode is set by the remote controller 10, the control circuit unit 8 lights the operation switch 12a in red, starts combustion of the combustion unit 4, and starts driving of the circulation pump 53. . At this time, the control circuit unit 8 opens the forward electromagnetic valve 54 and the return electromagnetic valve 55 and opens the electromagnetic valve 90 provided in the snow melting tube 91.

  The combustion unit 4 heats the heat medium in the storage unit 31, and the heated heat medium is pumped by the circulation pump 53 and flows from the storage unit 31 through the circulation forward path 51, the header 56, the snow melting pipe 91, and the header 57, and the circulation return path The snow melting operation is started by circulating through the circulation circuit 50 returning to the storage unit 31 via 52. When the snow melting operation is started, the control circuit unit 8 monitors the detection temperatures of the forward path temperature sensor 58, the return path temperature sensor 59, and the temperature sensor 26 at the upper part of the storage unit, and the detected temperature of the forward path temperature sensor 58 corresponds to the temperature adjustment level. The combustion unit 4 is controlled so as to be a value. In the present embodiment, the combustion unit 4 is intermittently controlled by the control circuit unit 8, but the combustion amount of the combustion unit 4 can also be controlled.

  In this way, when the operation switch 12a of the remote controller 10 is pressed again while the snow melting operation is being performed, the control circuit unit 8 releases the red lighting of the operation switch 12a, and the combustion unit 4 is driven to burn. While stopping, the drive of the circulation pump 53 is stopped. At this time, the control circuit unit 8 closes the outward solenoid valve 54 and the return solenoid valve 55 and closes the solenoid valve 90 provided in the snow melting tube 91 to end the snow melting operation.

  In the present embodiment, an off timer and an on / off timer can be set by the remote controller 10. In other words, when the off-timer time is set by the remote controller 10 during manual operation, the operation can be stopped after the off-timer time set from the start of operation elapses. Further, when the operation start time and the operation end time are set by the remote controller 10 in the state set to the manual operation mode, the operation can be performed only during this period. The details of the setting of the off timer and the on / off timer are omitted.

(Operation and operation during automatic operation)
After setting to the automatic operation mode, the operation shifts to automatic operation under the control of the control circuit unit 8 thereafter. In addition, about the drive control of the combustion part 4 and the circulation operation of a heat medium in automatic operation mode, since it is the same as that of the case of manual operation, the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  When the operation switch 12a of the remote controller 10 is in the “OFF” state, the automatic / manual switch 12b is operated to display “AUTO” on the liquid crystal display 14a as shown in FIG. . In FIG. 2, the temperature adjustment level is set to “4” by operating the up key 13b or the down key 13c.

  In the automatic operation mode, if the snowfall sensor 82 detects snowfall (on state) or the detected temperature of the ground temperature sensor 86 is lower than the operation start threshold (on state), the control circuit unit 8 performs snowmelt operation. Start automatically. When the snowfall sensor 82 does not detect snowfall (off state) and the detected temperature of the ground temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the operation end threshold value (off state), the control circuit unit 8 has a predetermined value defined by the delay timer. The snow melting operation is ended after the operation is continued for the time.

  That is, in the automatic operation mode, even when the temperature detected by the ground temperature sensor 86 is 5 ° C. or higher, when the snowfall sensor 82 detects snowfall, the control circuit unit 8 starts the snow melting operation. When the detected temperature of the ground temperature sensor 86 is 7 ° C. or higher and the snowfall sensor 82 no longer detects snowfall, the control circuit unit 8 is set with a delay timer from the time when the snowfall sensor 82 no longer detects snowfall. The operation is terminated after the operation is continued for the time.

  Further, in the automatic operation mode, even when the snowfall sensor 82 has not detected snowfall, the control circuit unit 8 starts the snowmelt operation when the temperature detected by the ground temperature sensor 86 becomes 5 ° C. or lower. When the detected temperature of the ground temperature sensor 86 is 7 ° C. or higher and the snowfall sensor 82 no longer detects snowfall, the control circuit unit 8 is set with a delay timer from the time when the snowfall sensor 82 no longer detects snowfall. The operation to end the operation is performed after continuing the operation for the time.

The configuration and basic operation of the snow melting device 1 according to the present embodiment have been described above. The power saving notification and the power saving control according to the present invention will be sequentially described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing power saving notification control in the snow melting device of the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing power saving notification performed by the control shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a principal part of the snow melting device of the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing power saving control of the snow melting device shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a remote controller employed in the snow melting device of the third embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing power saving notification and power saving control performed by the snow melting device of the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a main part of the snow melting device according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing power saving control of the snow melting device shown in FIG.
Hereinafter, the configuration and control of each embodiment will be described in detail.

(First embodiment)
The snow melting device 1 according to the first embodiment is configured such that the control circuit unit 8 also has the function of the operating state determination means 81 in the snow melting device 1 shown in FIG. By referring to the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor 85 of the snowfall sensor 82 by the operating state determining means 81, the operation unnecessary state is determined. Further, in the present embodiment, the remote controller 10 is provided with a determination time setting means 19 for manually setting a time (time-up time of a timer described later) for determining the operation state by the operation state determination means 81. .

In the following description, the detection flag is a flag that is turned on when the operation unnecessary state is determined for a predetermined time by the operation state determination unit 81 and is executed by the program processing of the control circuit unit 8. Flag.
The timer is a timer that is executed by a program process of the control circuit unit 8, and the time-up time can be variably set in units of hours and days by the discrimination time setting means 19 of the remote controller 10.

  First, the timer time-up time is set by the discrimination time setting means 19. In other words, the setting switch 13a of the remote controller 10 is operated to switch to the discrimination time setting mode. When the discrimination time setting mode is entered, a default discrimination time is displayed on the display unit 14. Then, by operating the up key 13b and the down key 13c to select and set the discrimination time, the set discrimination time (discrimination days) is stored in the memory 16 (in this embodiment, an EEPROM is adopted).

During a period in which the AC plug 70 is connected to an AC outlet (not shown), the operating state determination means (control circuit unit) 81 constantly monitors the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 85. When the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor 85 is lower than the predetermined temperature (5 ° C.), the timer is reset, and the snow melting operation is executed according to the automatic operation or manual operation set by the remote controller 10 or the main controller 6 (above). , See steps 200, 201, and 207 in FIG.
This state is a state in which the outside air temperature is low and snow is generated, and the operation state determining unit 81 is a state in which the operation unnecessary state is not determined based on the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 85.

  On the other hand, when the outside air temperature rises and the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 85 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (5 ° C.), the driving state discriminating means 81 discriminates the driving unnecessary state, and the control circuit unit 8 starts a timer. In this embodiment, the timer time is set to about 7 days, for example. When the timer is started, the control circuit unit 8 circulates the processing of steps 200 to 203 and monitors the continuation of the determination of the operation unnecessary state until the timer expires (see steps 200 to 203 and 206 in FIG. 4 above). ). This state is a period in which the continuation of the state where the outside air temperature rises and it is not necessary to operate the snow melting device 1 (operation unnecessary state) is monitored.

  When the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor 85 drops below 5 ° C. again from the start of the timer and the time is up and the operation state determination unit 81 stops determining the operation unnecessary state, the control circuit unit 8 sets the timer. Reset. Then, a normal snow melting operation is performed (see steps 200, 201, and 207 in FIG. 4).

On the other hand, if the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor 85 is kept at 5 ° C. or more and the timer expires while the operation state determination unit 81 continues to determine the operation unnecessary state, the control circuit unit 8 turns on the detection flag, Power saving notification is performed by the remote controller 10 (see steps 200 to 205 in FIG. 4).
This state is a state in which power saving notification is performed assuming that the outside air temperature rises and the operation of the snow melting device 1 is continued for a predetermined time (7 days), and the snowy season has ended.

  When the detection flag is turned on, the control circuit unit 8 repeats the processing of steps 200 and 205 and performs power saving notification using the remote controller 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the power saving notification continues to display “Please unplug the AC plug” on the liquid crystal display 14a of the remote controller 10 and periodically sends the same voice message from the speaker 15a. Output is done. For example, the voice message can be output every hour, every few hours, or several times a day, and the output interval can be variably set by the remote controller 10 or the main controller 6. It is also possible.

After the power saving notification is started by the remote controller 10, when the user sees and listens to the power saving notification and removes the AC plug from the outlet, the power supply to the snow melting device 1 is cut off and a series of control is completed.
As described above, according to the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, the operation state determination unit 81 terminates the snow accumulation period based on the operation unnecessary state, that is, the state where the outside air temperature is a predetermined temperature or more continues for a predetermined period. It is possible to accurately determine and perform power saving notification. As a result, it is possible to prevent wasteful power consumption by leaving the AC plug connected to the outlet until the next snow season begins.

Here, in the said 1st Embodiment, although the structure which monitors the detection temperature of the external temperature sensor 85 by the driving | running state discrimination | determination means 81 and discriminate | determines the driving | running | working unnecessary state was employ | adopted, another structure for performing power saving alerting | reporting is taken. It is also possible. That is, instead of the configuration for monitoring the operation unnecessary state, it is also possible to adopt a configuration for determining the end of the snow accumulation period based on the continued operation stop state of the snow melting device 1.
Hereinafter, three modified examples in which power saving notification is performed by monitoring the operation stop state will be described. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  In Modification 1, the operation stop state is determined by referring to the detection signal of the frame rod 43 of the combustion section 4 by the operation state determination means 81 in the snow melting device 1 shown in FIG. In the first modification, instead of step 201 in FIG. 4, power saving notification is performed by control to execute the process of step 201a. In other words, the period in which the flame is not detected by the frame rod 43 is the snow melting operation stop state, and the power saving notification is made by determining the end of the snow season based on the fact that the operation stop state continues for the timer time. Is adopted.

  Further, in the second modification, the operation stop state is determined by referring to the drive signal of the circulation pump 53 provided in the circulation forward path 51 by the operation state determination unit 81 in the snow melting device 1 shown in FIG. In the second modification, power saving notification is performed by control for executing the processing of step 201b instead of step 201 of FIG. In other words, when the drive signal is not transmitted to the circulation pump 53, the snow melting operation is in a stopped state, and the end of the snowy period is determined based on the fact that the operation stopped state continues for a timer time, and the power saving notification is performed. It is.

  Further, in the third modification, the operation stop state is determined by referring to the operation state of the operation switch 12a provided in the remote controller 10 by the operation state determination unit 81 in the snow melting device 1 shown in FIG. In the third modification, power saving notification is performed by control for executing the process of step 201c instead of step 201 of FIG. In other words, when the operation switch 12a is turned off, the snow melting operation is stopped, and the end of the snowy period is determined based on the fact that the operation stop state continues for a timer time, so that power saving notification is performed. It is.

  As described above, also in the first to third modifications of the first embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, by monitoring the operation stop state with an extremely simple configuration, it is possible to accurately determine the end of the snowy season and save power. Notification can be performed, and wasteful power consumption during a period when snow melting operation is not performed can be prevented in advance.

(Second Embodiment)
The snow melting device 1 according to the second embodiment is characterized by the supply form of DC power supplied from the power circuit unit 7 of the heat source device 2 to each unit in the snow melting device 1 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the power supply circuit unit 7 includes a main power supply circuit 71 and an auxiliary power supply circuit 72. Each of these power supply circuits 71 and 72 has a function of converting an AC voltage supplied via the AC plug 70 into a stabilized DC voltage and supplying it to each part. The auxiliary power supply circuit 72 is connected to the main power supply circuit 71. In comparison, the output current capacity is extremely small. Further, the power supply circuit unit 7 includes an energization cutoff circuit (energization cutoff unit) 73 and an energization cutoff relay 74, and the energization cutoff circuit 73 stops driving the energization cutoff relay 74 to supply to the main power supply circuit 71. The AC voltage is cut off.

The auxiliary power supply circuit 72 is connected to the microcomputer (CPU) 87 of the control circuit unit 8 and its peripheral circuits, and to the microcomputer 11 of the remote controller 10 and its peripheral circuits, and supplies a DC voltage when the AC plug 70 is connected. To do.
Further, the main power supply circuit 71 is configured to supply power to each part except for the part to which power is supplied by the auxiliary power supply circuit 72.

  In addition, as in the first embodiment, the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment has a control circuit unit 8 (in the present embodiment, the microcomputer 87) as shown in FIGS. It has a configuration that also has functions. By referring to the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor 85 of the snowfall sensor 82 by the operating state determining means 81, the operation unnecessary state is determined.

In the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, the control for determining the operation unnecessary state by the operation state determining means 81 is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 7 is the same as the control (see FIG. 4) shown in the first embodiment except for step 210, and the same step number is assigned and redundant description is omitted.
However, in this embodiment, when the operation unnecessary state is continuously determined until the timer expires, the control circuit unit 8 turns on the detection flag in step 204 and then proceeds to step 210 to perform power saving notification. Perform power saving control instead.

The power saving control is performed by the following control. That is, when the process of step 210 in FIG. 7 is entered, the microcomputer 87 (operating state discriminating means 81) of the control circuit unit 8 sends a cut-off signal to the energization cut-off circuit of the power supply circuit unit 7. Then, the energization of the drive coil 74a is interrupted, the normally open contact 74b that has been closed by the energization of the drive coil 74a is opened, and the supply of AC power from the AC plug 70 to the main power supply circuit 71 is interrupted. .
Accordingly, the power supply by the main power supply circuit 71 to the control circuit unit 8, the main controller 6, the remote controller 10, and the heat source unit 2 is shut off.

  That is, the power supply by the main power supply circuit 71 is cut off by the power saving control, and the microcomputer (CPU) 87 and its peripheral circuit of the control circuit unit 8 from the auxiliary power supply circuit 72 and the microcomputer 11 and its peripheral circuit of the remote controller 10. Power is supplied only to Since the supply current to these parts is very small, the power consumption is very small. Thereby, it becomes possible to automatically perform power saving of the snow melting device 2.

  On the other hand, when the next snowfall period is reached in a state where the power saving control is continued and the operation unit 12 of the remote controller 10 is operated, an operation signal is transmitted from the microcomputer 11 of the remote controller 10 to the control circuit unit 8. The microcomputer 87 of the control circuit unit 8 receives the transmitted operation signal and stops sending the cutoff signal to the energization cutoff circuit 73, and the energization cutoff circuit 73 sends a drive signal to the drive coil 74 a of the energization cutoff relay 74. Thus, the normally open contact 74b is closed. As a result, the supply of AC power to the main power supply circuit 71 is resumed, and the snow melting device 2 ends the power saving control and returns to the normal control.

  As described above, according to the snow melting device 1 of the second embodiment, it is not necessary to remove the AC plug as in the snow melting device shown in the first embodiment and the modified example. Therefore, it is possible to perform power saving control and reduce wasteful power consumption without the user being aware of it.

Here, in the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, the operation unnecessary state is determined by referring to the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor 85 by the operation state determining unit 81. Instead of such a configuration, the detection signal of the frame rod 43, the drive signal of the circulation pump 53, or the turning-off operation of the operation switch 12a of the remote controller 10 is performed similarly to the three modified examples shown in the first embodiment. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the state is referred to by the operation determination unit 81 to determine the operation stop state, and the power saving control described above is performed when the operation stop state continues for a predetermined time.
In the case of adopting such a configuration, power saving control can be performed by performing the processing of step 201a, step 201b, or step 201c, respectively, instead of step 201 in the flowchart of FIG.

(Third embodiment)
In the snow melting device 1 of the third embodiment, in the snow melting device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the remote controller 10 includes a time measuring means 18 and a period setting means 19 (see FIG. 8).
In this embodiment, a clock having a calendar function capable of measuring the month is employed as the time measuring means 18. Moreover, the period setting means 19 is formed by the setting unit 13 and the display unit 14, and can manually set a power saving start time (power saving start month) and a power saving end time (power saving end month) described later.

  In the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, first, the power saving start month and the power saving end month are set by the period setting means 19. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the setting switch 13a of the remote controller 10 is operated to switch to the period setting mode. When the period setting mode is entered, a display prompting input of a power saving start time and a power saving end time is performed on the display unit 14. Then, by operating the up key 13b and the down key 13c to select and set the power saving start time and the power saving end time, the data of the set power saving start month and power saving end month is stored in the memory 16 (in this embodiment, the EEPROM is used). Is memorized).

When the power saving start time and the power saving end time are set by the period setting means 19, whether or not the remote controller 10 thereafter falls within the period determined by the power saving start time and the power saving end time set by the time measuring means 18. Is monitored.
That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the microcomputer 11 reads the data of the timing month of the timing means 18 and the power saving start timing and the power saving end timing stored in the memory 16. Then, it is determined whether or not the timing month is a power saving start time (for example, June) or more, and whether or not the timing month is a power saving end time (for example, October) or not is determined (steps in FIG. 9). 230-232).

As a result of the determination, when the timekeeping month of the timekeeping means 18 is less than the power saving start time (June), or when the timekeeping month of the timekeeping means 18 exceeds the power saving end time (October), normal snow melting operation is performed ( (See steps 220 to 222 in FIG. 9).
On the other hand, as a result of the determination, when the time measured by the time measuring means 18 is not less than the power saving start time (June) and the time measured by the time measuring means 18 is not more than the power saving end time (October), the microcomputer 11 outputs the information output means. 17 performs power saving notification (see steps 220 to 223 in FIG. 9).
The power saving notification control is the same as that shown in the first embodiment, and a duplicate description is omitted.

As described above, according to the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, the period during which the snow melting device 1 will not be operated is set by the remote controller 10 in advance, and the power saving notification is automatically performed when the period starts. The user can be prompted to remove the AC plug. As a result, it is possible to prevent the AC plug from being left connected to the outlet until the next snow cover period, and it is possible to reduce wasteful power consumption.
In the present embodiment, the period setting means 19 has been described as a configuration in which both the power saving start time and the power saving end time are set. However, in view of the user pulling out the AC plug by the power saving notification, only the power saving start time is set. It is also possible to adopt a configuration.

  By the way, in this embodiment, when it entered into the period when the snow melting apparatus 1 does not drive | operate, the structure which performs power saving notification was employ | adopted, but it replaces with power saving notification and employ | adopts the structure which performs power saving control shown in the said 2nd Embodiment. Is also possible. That is, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the power saving control is automatically performed during a period when the snow melting apparatus 1 is not operated by adopting the configuration of FIG. 6 and changing step 233 of FIG. 9 to step 233a. . According to this configuration, it is possible to save power effectively without requiring the user to remove the AC plug.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the remote controller 10 is provided with the time measuring means 18 and the period setting means 19. However, the control circuit unit of the heat source device 2 is used instead of the remote controller 10. 8 or the main controller 6 may be configured to have these functions.
In the above embodiment, the power saving start month and the power saving end month are set. However, the power saving start date and the power saving end date may be set.

(Fourth embodiment)
The snow melting device 1 of the fourth embodiment has a configuration in which a temperature switch 75 is provided in series between the AC plug 70 and the power supply circuit unit 7 in the snow melting device 1 shown in FIG. Therefore, when the contact point 75a of the temperature switch 75 is closed, energization of the AC power supply to the power supply circuit unit 7 is permitted, and the snow melting apparatus 1 performs a normal operation. On the other hand, when the contact point 75a of the temperature switch 75 is opened, the energization of the AC power supply to the power supply circuit unit 7 is cut off, which is equivalent to the state where the AC plug 70 is removed from the outlet.

  Here, the temperature switch 75 closes the contact 75a when the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than the energization start temperature Ts (set to 5 ° C. in the present embodiment), and the energization stop temperature Te is higher than the energization start temperature Ts. (In this embodiment, it is set to 10 ° C.) It has a characteristic of opening the contact 75a at the above time. Further, when the ambient temperature exceeds the energization start temperature Ts and is lower than the energization stop temperature Te, the contact 75a has a characteristic of maintaining the open state or the closed state as it is. In the present embodiment, a thermostat using a bimetal is adopted for the temperature switch 75, and the thermostat is provided in a portion exposed to the outside air in the vicinity of the heat source unit 2.

  That is, in the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than the energization start temperature Ts (5 ° C.), the contact point 75a of the temperature switch 75 is closed, and the control circuit unit 8 as shown in FIG. In addition, power is supplied to the inside of the heat source device 2 including the main controller 6, and power is supplied to the remote controller 10. As a result, the snow melting device 1 performs a normal operation (see steps 230, 231 and 233 in FIG. 11). This state is a time when the outside air temperature is low and snow is generated, and the snow melting apparatus 1 performs a normal operation.

  Even if the outside air temperature rises and exceeds the energization start temperature Ts (5 ° C.), the contact point 75a continues to be closed, and when the ambient temperature further rises and exceeds the energization stop temperature Te (10 ° C.), the contact point 75a Establish. Thereby, energization of the AC power supply to the power supply circuit unit 7 is cut off, and the power supply to each part of the snow melting device 1 is stopped. This state is equivalent to a state in which the AC plug 70 is removed, and the energization of the remote controller 10 and the main controller 6 is also cut off, and the operation of the snow melting device 1 is prohibited (steps 230, 231, FIG. 11 above). 234). In other words, this state is a time when snow accumulation does not occur as the outside air temperature increases, and the operation of the snow melting device 1 is prohibited.

On the other hand, even if the outside air temperature falls again and becomes lower than the energization stop temperature Te (10 ° C.), the contact point 75a continues to be opened, and when the outside air temperature further falls and becomes the energization start temperature Ts (5 ° C.) or less, The contact 75a is closed (see steps 230 to 234 in FIG. 11 above).
Thereby, energization of the AC power supply to the power supply circuit unit 7 is allowed, and the power supply to each part of the snow melting device 1 is resumed. This state is equivalent to a state in which the AC plug 70 is reconnected to the outlet, and energization of the remote controller 10 and the main controller 6 is also resumed, so that the snow melting device 1 is in a state where normal operation is possible.

  That is, according to the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, when the ambient temperature is raised, the power supply is cut off with the energization stop temperature Te (10 ° C.) as a threshold, and when the ambient temperature is lowered, the energization start temperature Ts (5 The control for starting the power supply is performed with the temperature (° C.) as a threshold value. By providing such a hysteresis characteristic to the temperature switch 75, the problem that the contact 75a repeatedly opens and closes when the ambient temperature fluctuates up and down with respect to a specific threshold is eliminated.

As described above, according to the snow melting device 1 of the present embodiment, the power supply can be effectively saved by automatically shutting off the power supply during the period when the snow melting operation is not performed, with a very simple configuration in which the temperature switch 75 is provided. Can be performed.
In this embodiment, a thermostat is used for the temperature switch 75, but a temperature switch with a low power consumption combining a thermistor and an electronic circuit can be used.

  Moreover, it is also possible to take the structure which integrated the structure of 4th Embodiment in the snow melting apparatus 1 of the said 3rd Embodiment. According to this configuration, even before the power saving start time described in the third embodiment, power saving can be automatically performed when the ambient temperature is raised, and power saving can be further promoted.

1 is a configuration diagram of a snow melting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the remote controller employ | adopted as the snow melting apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block block diagram of the remote controller shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows control of the power saving notification implemented with the snow melting apparatus (snow melting apparatus of 1st Embodiment) shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the content of the power saving alert | report performed with a remote controller by control shown in FIG. It is a block block diagram which shows the power supply system of the snow melting apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the power saving control implemented with the snow melting apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block block diagram of the remote controller employ | adopted as the snow melting apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the power saving alerting and power saving control which are implemented with the snow melting apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. It is a block block diagram which shows the power supply system of the snow melting apparatus of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the power saving control implemented with the snow melting apparatus of 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Snow melting apparatus 2 Heat source machine 8 Control means (control circuit part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Snow melting terminal 10 Remote controller 14 Display part 15 Audio | voice output part 17 Information output means 18 Time measuring means 19 Discrimination time setting means 19 Period setting means 73 Energization interruption part (energization interruption circuit)
75 Temperature switch 81 Operating state discrimination means (control means)

Claims (9)

  A snow melting device that circulates a heat medium heated by a heat source machine to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors and melts snow, and outputs control information for controlling each part including control of the heat source machine, and information on operation. An information output means and an operation state determination means for determining an operation unnecessary state or an operation stop state of the snow melting device, and when the operation state determination means determines an operation unnecessary state or an operation stop state continuously for a predetermined time, The control means performs a power saving notification that prompts to cut off the energization of the AC power source by the information output means.   A snow melting device that circulates a heat medium heated by a heat source device to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors and melts snow, and includes control means for controlling each part including control of the heat source device, and energization of the snow melting device. A power cut-off unit that partially cuts off and an operation state determination unit that determines whether or not the snow melting device is in an operation unnecessary state or an operation stop state are provided. In this case, the control means performs power saving control in which the energization to the snow melting device is partially interrupted by the energization interruption unit.   The snow melting device according to claim 1, further comprising a determination time setting unit that sets a determination time by the operating state determination unit.   A snow melting device that circulates a heat medium heated by a heat source machine to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors and melts snow, and includes a control unit that controls each part including control of the heat source machine, and at least a month or a month and day. A timing means for timing, and an information output means for outputting information relating to the operation, and when the month or month to be timed by the timing means is after a predetermined power saving start time, the previous period control means is an information output means. A snow-melting device that performs power-saving notification for urging the AC power supply to be cut off.   5. The snow melting device according to claim 4, further comprising a temperature switch for intermittently connecting an AC power supply for energizing the snow melting device in accordance with an outside air temperature, the temperature switch being closed when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined energization start temperature. The snow melting device is configured to permit energization of the AC power supply and to open when the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined energization stop temperature higher than the energization start temperature, thereby interrupting the energization of the AC power supply.   A snow melting device that circulates a heat medium heated by a heat source machine to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors and melts snow, and includes a control unit that controls each part including control of the heat source machine, and at least a month or a month and day. Provided with a timing means for timing and an energization cut-off unit for partially interrupting energization to the snow melting device, and the month or month and day to be timed by the timing means is within a period determined by a predetermined power saving start time and power saving end time In this case, the first-stage control means performs power-saving control that partially cuts off the power supply to the snowmelt device by the current cut-off unit.   The snow melting device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a period setting unit that sets at least one of the power saving start time and the power saving end time.   A remote controller that is installed at a location away from the heat source unit and performs an operation of the heat source unit is provided, and the remote controller is a display unit that displays and outputs information about the operation, or an audio output that outputs information about the operation by voice The snow melting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the information output means is formed by a display unit or an audio output unit of the remote controller. A snow melting device that circulates a heat medium heated by a heat source machine to a snow melting terminal arranged outdoors and melts snow, and has a temperature switch that intermittently turns on an AC power source that energizes the snow melting device according to the outside temperature, The temperature switch is closed when the outside air temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined energization start temperature and allows energization of the AC power supply, and is opened when the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined energization stop temperature higher than the energization start temperature. The snow melting device is characterized in that the AC power supply is cut off.

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