JP2006288815A - Mist sauna system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent low temperature residual water from getting ejected from a spray head when a mist operation is started without providing a drainage mechanism to drain water remaining in a portion of a spray channel which is on the downstream side of a liquid/liquid heat exchanger in a mist sauna system equipped with a heat source machine 5, a bathroom heating machine 3, a spray head 2 arranged in a bathroom 1, a liquid/liquid heat exchanger 10 interposed in a spray channel 9 leading to the spray head and which heats water supplied to the spray head by a heating medium supplied from the heat source machine and in which a spray valve 14 is interposed in the spray channel. <P>SOLUTION: A portion 9a of the spray channel which is on the downstream side of the liquid/liquid heat exchanger 10 is made to thermally contact the heating medium circulating route 6 which supplies the heating medium from the heat source machine 5 to the bathroom heating machine 3. A temperature sensor 17 to detect the temperature of the portion 9a is provided, and after the supply of the heating medium to the bathroom heating machine 3 and the liquid/liquid heat exchanger 10 is started by a start command for the mist operation, the system opens a spray valve 14 at the time when the detection temperature of the temperature sensor 17 reaches a prescribed temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mist sauna apparatus in which hot water is ejected in a mist form from a spray head arranged in a bathroom so as to obtain a sauna effect.

  Conventionally, as this type of mist sauna apparatus, a heat source machine, a bathroom heater that heats a bathroom using a heat medium supplied from the heat source machine, a spray head disposed in the bathroom, and a spray flow connected to the spray head And a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger interposed in the passage, where a heat medium is supplied from the heat source unit to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and water supplied to the spray head is heated with the heat medium. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). In addition, it is difficult to sufficiently warm the bathroom only by spraying hot water from the spray head. Therefore, generally, the bathroom is heated by the bathroom heater in conjunction with the hot water spray from the spray head. .

  In addition, a spray valve that shuts off the water supply to the spray head by closing the valve is interposed in the spray flow path, and heat to the liquid-to-heat heat exchanger is received by a mist operation start command for spraying from the spray head. After starting the supply of the medium, the spray valve is opened after the water remaining in the spray channel in the liquid-liquid heat exchanger is heated to an appropriate temperature, and spray from the spray head is started. I am doing so. Here, after the spray valve is closed and the mist operation is finished, if water remains in the spray channel portion on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger, the next mist operation start command is issued. Even when the spray valve is opened after the start of supply of the heat medium to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, the water remaining in the spray channel on the downstream side of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger Since it cannot heat, this residual water will be ejected from a spray head with low temperature. Therefore, in the above-described conventional example, a drainage mechanism is provided that can drain water remaining in the spray channel downstream of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger when the spray valve is closed. The remaining water is prevented from being ejected from the spray head.

However, providing such a drainage mechanism causes various problems. One of the problems is that a solenoid valve for the drainage mechanism is required and the cost is increased. In addition, it is necessary to secure the difference in pipe height and drainage location for drainage at the installation site, but it is a troublesome work for an unfamiliar contractor, and sometimes the pipe height difference cannot be secured well, resulting in poor drainage. May occur.
JP 2003-334230 A

  In view of the above points, the present invention is capable of preventing low-temperature residual water from being ejected from a spray head at the start of mist operation without providing a drainage mechanism, and is a low-cost and easy-to-install mist sauna device. The challenge is to provide

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a heat source machine, a bathroom heater that heats a bathroom using a heat medium supplied from the heat source machine, a spray head disposed in the bathroom, and a spray connected to the spray head. A mist sauna apparatus provided with a liquid heat exchanger that is provided in a flow path for heating and that heats water supplied to a spray head with a heat medium supplied from a heat source device, and is provided in the flow path for spraying , Provided with a spray valve that shuts off the water supply to the spray head by closing the valve, in the heat medium circuit for the bathroom heater that supplies the heat medium from the heat source machine to the bathroom heater, on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger The spraying channel portion is brought into thermal contact, and water is left in the spraying channel portion downstream of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger when the spray valve is closed.

  According to the above configuration, before the spray valve is opened and spraying from the spray head is started, water remaining in the spray channel on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger is supplied to the bathroom heater. It can heat with the heat medium which flows into a heat medium circuit. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the residual water from being ejected from the spray head at the low temperature at the start of spraying without providing a drainage mechanism. As a result, the solenoid valve for the drainage mechanism is not required and the cost is reduced, and it is not necessary to secure the height difference of the pipe for drainage and the drainage place, and the installation work is facilitated.

  Here, spray control means for starting supply of the heat medium to the bathroom heater and the liquid-liquid heat exchanger in response to a mist operation start command for spraying from the spray head and opening the spray valve at a predetermined time thereafter If water is provided, water including residual water can be heated to an appropriate temperature from the beginning of spraying and ejected from the spray head.

  The predetermined time may be determined by an elapsed time after the start instruction for the mist operation is issued. However, since the temperature of the residual water and the heat medium at the time when the mist operation start command is issued changes depending on the air temperature and the operation status of the heat source machine, the time required for the residual water to be heated to an appropriate temperature also changes. It cannot be correctly determined whether the residual water has been heated to an appropriate temperature based on the elapsed time. On the other hand, there is provided a spray temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the portion of the spray channel that is in thermal contact with the heat medium circuit for the bathroom heater, and when the detected temperature of the spray temperature sensor rises to a predetermined temperature If the predetermined time is reached, when the residual water is heated to an appropriate temperature, the spray valve can be surely opened to start spraying, the spray start is too early and cold water is ejected, or the spray start is too late. This can advantageously prevent the residual water from being overheated.

  Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a bathroom. In the bathroom 1, a spray head 2 and a bathroom heater 3 are arranged. The bathroom heater 3 includes a circulation fan (not shown) that circulates the air in the bathroom 1 and a radiator 4. The radiator 4 is connected to a heat source device 5 disposed outside the bathroom 1 (outdoors or the like) via a heat medium circulation path 6. Then, by the operation of the heat source device 5, the heat medium (water, antifreeze liquid, etc.) heated by the heat source device 5 is supplied to the radiator 4 through the heat medium circulation path 6, and the air heated by the radiator 4 circulates. The fan 1 circulates in the bathroom 1 and the bathroom 1 is heated. The heat medium circulation path 6 includes an outward passage 6a for sending the heat medium heated by the heat source device 5 to the bathroom heater 3, and a return passage 6b for returning the heat medium from the bathroom heater 3 to the heat source device 5. The In addition, a heating terminal other than the bathroom heater 3 is also connected to the heat source unit 5 via a separate heat medium circulation path as necessary.

  Water is supplied to the spraying head 2 through a spraying channel 9 connected to the water pipe 7 through a check valve 8. A liquid heat exchanger 10 is interposed in the spraying channel 9. And the heat medium circulation path 11 for the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger 10 which consists of the return path 11a and the return path 11b which branched the heat medium heated with the heat source apparatus 5 from the heat medium circulation path 6 for the bathroom heater 3 is provided. Thus, the water supplied to the liquid-liquid heat exchanger 10 and the water supplied to the spray head 2 can be heated by the heat medium in the liquid-liquid heat exchanger 10. A heat medium valve 12 capable of adjusting the flow rate of the heat medium is interposed in the heat medium circulation path 11. In addition, a pressure reducing valve 13 is interposed in the spray passage 9 upstream of the liquid heat exchanger 10, and a spray valve 14 is positioned downstream of the liquid heat exchanger 12. The water supply to the spray head 2 is shut off by closing the spray valve 14.

  The liquid heat exchanger 10, the heat medium valve 12, the pressure reducing valve 13, and the spray valve 14 are built in a spray unit 15 separately from the heat source unit 5. The spray unit 15 is provided with a spray unit controller 16 as spray control means, and the heat medium valve 12 and the spray valve 14 are controlled by the controller 16.

  Here, in this embodiment, instead of providing a drainage mechanism for draining water remaining in the portion 9a of the spray channel 9 on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger 10 when the spray valve 14 is closed, the spray valve 14 is used. The flow path portion 9a is brought into thermal contact with the heat medium circulation path 6 for the bathroom heater 3, and the spray flow path section 9a and the heat medium circulation path 6 are entangled with each other and covered with a heat insulating cover (not shown). ing. Here, the term “thermally contacting” means that the spraying channel portion 9a and the heat medium circulation channel 6 are brought into contact with each other in a state where heat conduction is possible between them. Both of them may be brought into contact with each other through a high thermal conductive member. In the present embodiment, the spray passage portion 9a is sandwiched between the return passage 6a and the return passage 6b of the heating medium circulation passage 6 for the bathroom heater 3, and this spray passage portion 9a is connected to the return passage 6a. The return passage 6b is in thermal contact with the spray passage portion 9a, but the spray passage portion 9a can be in thermal contact with only one of the forward passage 6a and the return passage 6b. Further, in the present embodiment, it is interposed in one of the forward passage 6a and the return passage 6b of the heat medium circulation passage 6 so as to surround the bent connection portion 9b with respect to the spray head 2 at the downstream end of the spray passage 9. The jacket portion 6c is provided so that the spray flow passage portion 9a on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger 10 can be heated by the heat medium flowing in the heat medium circulation passage 6 over the connection portion 9b.

  A spraying temperature sensor 17 composed of a thermistor is provided in the spraying channel portion 9 a that is in thermal contact with the heating medium circulation channel 6. The detection signal of the spray temperature sensor 17 is input to the spray unit controller 16. Here, the spray unit controller 16 is communicably connected to a heat source machine controller and a bathroom heater controller (not shown). Further, a remote controller (not shown) is communicably connected to the spray unit controller 16, and spray control by the spray unit controller 16 is performed in accordance with an operation of a spray switch provided on the remote controller.

  Details of the spray control are as shown in FIG. 2. First, it is determined whether or not the spray switch is turned on in step S1, that is, whether or not a mist operation start command is issued. When the spray switch is turned on, the process proceeds to step S2, where the heat medium valve 12 is opened and an operation command is transmitted to the heat source machine controller and the bathroom heater controller. Thereby, the operation of the heat source device 5 and the operation of the bathroom heater 3 are started, and the heat medium heated by the heat source device 5 is radiated from the bathroom heater 3 via the heat medium circulation path 6 for the bathroom heater 3. In addition to being supplied to the vessel 4, it is supplied to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger 10 via the heat medium circulation path 11 for the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger 10.

  Next, in step S3, it is determined whether or not the detected temperature Tf of the spray temperature sensor 17 has risen to a predetermined temperature YT. When Tf ≧ YT, the spray valve 14 is opened in step S4. Then, spraying from the spray head 2 is started. Here, although water remains in the spraying channel portion 9a on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger 10, this residual water is for the bathroom heater 3 that is in thermal contact with the spraying channel portion 9a. It is heated by the heat medium flowing through the heat medium circulation path 6. And the temperature detected by the spray temperature sensor 17 when the residual water in the spray flow passage portion 9a is heated to a temperature suitable for spraying and can be ejected from the spray head 2 is measured in advance and adjusted accordingly. By setting the predetermined temperature YT, water including residual water is ejected from the spray head 2 in a state of being heated to an appropriate temperature from the beginning of spraying. Of the downstream portion of the liquid heat exchanger 10 in the spray channel 9, the portion located in the spray unit 15 and the lead-out portion from the spray unit 15 are the heat medium circulation path 6 for the bathroom heater 3. However, the water remaining in this portion is heated by heat conduction from the liquid heat exchanger 10 and the spray passage portion 9a contacting the heat medium circulation passage 6, and further, the spray valve 14 is opened. Therefore, the residual water is also ejected from the spray head 2 at an appropriate temperature.

  After spraying starts, the process proceeds to step S5, and temperature control based on the detected temperature Tf of the spray temperature sensor 17 is performed so that the temperature of the hot water ejected from the spray head 2 is maintained at the set temperature. In the temperature control, the flow rate of the heat medium flowing through the liquid heat exchanger 10 is varied by the heat medium valve 12 according to the detected temperature Tf of the spray temperature sensor 17. Further, the spray valve 14 can be constituted by a valve whose flow rate can be adjusted, and the temperature control can be performed by varying the amount of water flowing through the spray passage 9 according to the detected temperature Tf of the spray temperature sensor 17.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the spray switch is turned off in step S6. If it is turned off, the spray valve 14 and the heat transfer valve 12 are closed in step S7, and a series of spray control ends. To do. In step S7, although not shown, an operation stop command is transmitted to the bathroom heater controller, and a signal indicating the end of the mist operation is transmitted to the heat source controller. If the operation of the heating terminal is stopped, the operation of the heat source unit 5 is stopped.

  As described above, in this embodiment, even when water is left in the spray flow passage portion 9a on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger 10 when the spray valve 14 is closed, the residual water is sprayed at a low temperature at the start of spraying. The ejection from the head 2 can be prevented. Therefore, when the spray valve 14 is closed, there is no need to provide a drainage mechanism for draining water remaining in the spray flow passage portion 9a on the downstream side of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger 10, and an electromagnetic valve for the drainage mechanism becomes unnecessary. In addition, the cost can be reduced, and it is not necessary to secure the height of the piping for drainage and to secure the drainage place, so that the installation work of the mist sauna device becomes easy.

  It is also possible to open the spray valve 14 when the elapsed time since the start instruction for the mist operation has reached a predetermined time. However, since the temperature of the residual water and the heat medium at the time when the mist operation start command is issued changes depending on the air temperature and the operating condition of the heat source unit 5, the time required for the residual water to be heated to an appropriate temperature also changes. Based on the elapsed time, it cannot be correctly determined whether the residual water has been heated to an appropriate temperature. As a result, there is a possibility that the spraying starts too early and cold water is ejected, and conversely, the spraying starts too late and the residual water is heated excessively. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the spray valve 14 is opened based on the detected temperature Tf of the spray temperature sensor 17 provided in the spray passage portion 9a that is in thermal contact with the heating medium circulation passage 6 for the bathroom heater 3. Since the time is determined, even if the time required for the residual water to be heated to the appropriate temperature changes, the spray valve 14 is surely opened when the residual water is heated to the appropriate temperature to start spraying. Can be advantageous.

  In the above embodiment, the spray valve 14 is provided downstream of the liquid heat exchanger 10 in the spray passage 9, but the spray valve 14 is provided upstream of the liquid heat exchanger 10. You may do it. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the heat-medium circulation path 11 for the liquid-liquid heat exchanger 10 is branched from the heat-medium circulation path 6 for the bathroom heater 3, the heat-medium circulation for the liquid-liquid heat exchanger 10 is carried out. It is also possible to directly connect the path 11 to the heat source unit 5. Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the spray unit 15 is set apart from the heat source machine 5, it is also possible to incorporate the spray unit 15 in the heat source machine 5. FIG.

Explanatory drawing which shows the whole structure of the mist sauna apparatus of embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the content of the spray control performed with the mist sauna apparatus of embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bathroom, 2 ... Spray head, 3 ... Bathroom heater, 5 ... Heat source machine, 6 ... Heat-medium circulation path for bathroom heaters, 9 ... Flow path for spraying, 9a ... Heat to heat-medium circulation path for bathroom heaters The part of the flow path for spraying which comes into contact, 10 ... the liquid heat exchanger, 14 ... the spray valve, 17 ... the spray temperature sensor, 16 ... the controller for the spray unit (spray control means).

Claims (3)

Heat source machine, bathroom heater that heats the bathroom using the heat medium supplied from the heat source machine, spray head arranged in the bathroom, and spray passage connected to the spray head, and supplied to the spray head A mist sauna device comprising a liquid heat exchanger that heats water to be heated with a heat medium supplied from a heat source device, and shuts off water supply to the spray head by a valve that is interposed in the spray channel In what has a spray valve,
When the spray valve is closed, the spray channel on the downstream side of the liquid heat exchanger is brought into thermal contact with the heat medium circuit for the bathroom heater that supplies the heat medium from the heat source to the bathroom heater. A mist sauna apparatus characterized in that water remains in a portion of a spraying channel on the downstream side of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.   Spray control that starts supply of a heat medium to the bathroom heater and the liquid heat exchanger in response to a mist operation start command for spraying from the spray head and then opens the spray valve at a predetermined time thereafter The mist sauna apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means.   A spray temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the spray channel that is in thermal contact with the heating medium circuit for the bathroom heater, and the temperature detected by the spray temperature sensor has increased to a predetermined temperature at the predetermined time; The mist sauna apparatus according to claim 2, which is a time.

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