JP2010169271A - Storage type water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a storage type water heater of high usability capable of suppressing the unnecessary lowering of a temperature of a bath, and optimally setting a temperature of hot water/water in a bathtub according to the entering of a person into a bathroom. <P>SOLUTION: The storage type water heater includes a hot water storage tank 3 for storing hot water/water, a heating means 2 producing high-temperature water stored in the hot water storage tank 3, the bathtub 5, a reheating heat exchanger 6 exchanging heat between the hot water/water in the hot water storage tank 3 and the hot water/water in the bathtub 5, a human body detecting means 93 detecting the entering of a person into the bathroom, and a water level detecting means 66 for detecting a level of the hot water/water in the bathtub 5. When a human body is detected by the human body detecting means 93, a hot water supply operation for supplying the hot water/water from the hot water storage tank 3 to the bathtub 5 on the basis of the water level detected by the water level detecting means 66 and/or a reheating operation by heat exchange between the water of high temperature in the hot water storage tank 3 and the hot water/water in the bathtub 5 are performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hot water storage type hot water heater having a function of filling a bathtub with hot water.

  Conventionally, there are various types of hot water supply devices of this type, such as those that instantaneously heat using the combustion heat of gas or oil, those that have a hot water storage tank and that are heated by an electric heater, heat pump unit, waste heat recovery, etc. Although there are some types, many of them have an automatic hot water filling function that automatically pours a preset temperature and amount of hot water into the bathtub and then keeps the bath temperature constant. Yes.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration diagram of a conventional hot water storage type water heater with a reheating function. As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional hot water supply apparatus has a pouring means for a bathtub and a reheating means for replenishing the bathtub water (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The hot water pouring means supplies the hot water mixed by the mixing valve 121 to the bathtub 108 and the mixing valve 121 capable of mixing the cold water supplied from the water pipe and the hot water in the hot water storage tank 120 at a predetermined ratio. And a thermistor 123 that detects the temperature of the hot water, and a flow rate sensor 122 that detects the amount of pouring water into the bathtub 108.

  The control means 105 performs operation control for adjusting the mixing ratio of water and hot water of the mixing valve 121 so that the temperature of hot water detected by the thermistor 123 becomes a preset desired temperature. When the amount of pouring water into the bathtub 108 reaches a preset desired amount, the control means 105 performs operation control to close the pouring electromagnetic valve 111 and finishes the filling.

  Further, the reheating means includes a water level detecting means 116 for grasping the water level by detecting the water pressure in the bathtub 108, a bath circulation pump 115 for circulating the bath water, and a thermistor 117 for detecting the bath water temperature. A reheating heat exchanger 124 for heating the bath water is provided. The reheating heating heat exchanger 124 is configured as a liquid-liquid heat exchanger typified by a plate heat exchanger, and includes a primary side circuit through which hot water on the high temperature side of the hot water storage tank 120 flows, and a low temperature side of the bath water. A secondary circuit through which hot water flows exchanges heat via the heat transfer plate.

  A reheating pump 125 is provided in the primary circuit, and the hot water in the hot water storage tank 120 is circulated in the primary circuit. Heat exchange is performed between the primary side circuit and the secondary side circuit, and it is possible to perform reheating that heats the bathtub water. When the temperature detected by the thermistor 117 reaches a preset desired temperature, the control means 105 stops driving the reheating pump 125 and the bath circulation pump 115 and stops the reheating operation.

  As described above, the conventional hot water supply apparatus can reheat the bath water until it reaches a preset desired temperature.

In such a conventional hot water supply apparatus, there is a heat retaining operation for automatically retaining hot water in the bathtub 108. As the method, the control means 105 drives the bath circulation pump 115 at a predetermined time interval (for example, every 30 minutes) to circulate the bath water after the completion of the hot water filling, and the temperature detected by the thermistor 117 is set in advance. If the temperature drop from the desired temperature is within a predetermined temperature (for example, 2 ° C.), the bath circulation pump 115 is stopped as it is, and if the temperature drop is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature (for example, 2 ° C.), a reheating operation is performed. If the hot water supply device is configured to have a water level detecting means 116, the detected water level is lower than the preset desired water level by a predetermined amount (for example, a water level of 50 mm) or more. If the water level is less than the desired water level calculated from the water level learned in advance and the shape of the bathtub, the hot water is supplied.
JP 2008-82635 A

  However, in the conventional hot water storage type water heater, the bath circulation pump 115 is driven to detect the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 108 in order to automatically carry out the chasing operation regardless of whether or not there is a person. Therefore, every time the bath circulation pump 115 is driven, the hot water in the hot water supply pipes 107a and 107b connecting the bathtub 108 and the reheating heat exchanger 124 enters the bathtub 108, which is unnecessary. The problem was that the temperature of the bath would be lowered.

  And if the bath temperature does not drop to the boiling start temperature, the chasing operation will not be performed, so if the user takes a bath just before the chasing operation starts, it will feel very warm and uncomfortable Could give.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and suppresses unnecessary temperature drop of the bath, and has a high usability hot water storage type hot water heater that optimally sets the temperature of hot water in the bathtub according to a person entering the room. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a hot water storage type water heater of the present invention includes a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, a heating means for generating high temperature water stored in the hot water storage tank, a bathtub, and hot water in the hot water storage tank. A reheating heat exchanger for exchanging heat with hot water in the bathtub, human body detecting means for detecting a person entering the bathroom, and a water level detecting means for detecting the level of hot water in the bathtub, When a human body is detected by the human body detection means, a hot water pouring operation for pouring hot water from the hot water storage tank to the bathtub based on the water level detected by the water level detection means and / or hot water in the hot water storage tank By performing a chasing operation performed by exchanging heat with the hot water in the bathtub, the hot water in the bathtub is set to a comfortable setting according to the person entering the room, so the timing of bathing matches the timing of the chasing operation It is possible Without giving an unpleasant feeling to a bather, reducing the timing of detecting the bath temperature can be performed very energy-saving reheating operation for suppressing reduction in unnecessary bath temperature.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide a hot water storage type hot water heater that suppresses unnecessary temperature drop of a bath and that sets the temperature of hot water in a bathtub optimally according to a person entering the room.

  The hot water storage type hot water heater of the first invention comprises a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, heating means for generating high temperature water stored in the hot water storage tank, a bathtub, hot water in the hot water storage tank, and hot water in the bathtub. A reheating heat exchanger that performs heat exchange, a human body detecting unit that detects a person entering the bathroom, and a water level detecting unit that detects a level of hot water in the bathtub, and the human body detecting unit detects the human body. Then, based on the water level detected by the water level detecting means, a hot water pouring operation for pouring hot water from the hot water storage tank to the bathtub and / or hot water in the hot water storage tank and hot water in the bathtub are heated. By exchanging the chasing operation, the hot water in the bathtub is set to a comfortable setting according to the person entering the room, so the timing of bathing can be matched with the timing of chasing operation. Giving pleasure Without reducing the timing of detecting the bath temperature can be performed very energy-saving reheating operation for suppressing reduction in unnecessary bath temperature.

  The hot water storage type hot water heater of the second invention is the first invention, particularly when the water level detected by the water level detecting means is less than the first predetermined value when the human body detecting means detects the human body. By performing the pouring operation, the hot water generated in the reheating operation and returning to the hot water storage tank can be reduced, and hot water that does not cause direct burns is put in faster than the reheating operation. It can be set as the bathtub water of the preset temperature. Reducing intermediate temperature water in the hot water storage tank can improve heating efficiency when a heat pump is used as the heating means. In addition, since the water level can be secured up to the first predetermined value, the water level is low for the bather, and there is no discomfort.

  The hot water storage type water heater of the third invention is the water level detected by the water level detecting means when the human body detecting means is detected by the human body detecting means, particularly in the first or second invention, If it is less than the second predetermined value, by performing the pouring operation and / or the chasing operation, the pouring operation is permitted until the hot water filling to the bathtub does not overflow. The hot water in the bathtub can be chased to the temperature of.

  In the hot water storage type water heater of the fourth invention, particularly in any of the first to third inventions, when the human body is detected by the human body detecting means, the water level detected by the water level detecting means is a second predetermined level. When the value is equal to or greater than the value, it is possible to realize an energy-saving reheating operation without overflowing hot water from the bathtub by performing the reheating operation.

  The hot water storage type water heater according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is, in particular, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, wherein the human body detecting means detects a human body by detecting vibration generated when entering a bathroom. Thus, the presence or absence of a bather can be reliably detected by detecting the vibration of the floor when a person enters the bathroom and the vibration of opening and closing the door.

  In the hot water storage type water heater of the sixth aspect of the invention, particularly in any of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, the human body detecting means detects the human body by detecting the lighting of the bathroom, so that the lighting is turned on.・ Human body detection can be performed with OFF.

  In the hot water storage type water heater of the seventh invention, particularly in any of the first to fourth inventions, the human body detecting means is a switch for turning on / off the lighting of the bathroom, so that the lighting switch is turned on / off. Human body detection can be performed with OFF.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a hot-water storage type water heater with a bath reheating function according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, the hot water storage type hot water heater of the present embodiment includes a tank unit 1 and a heat pump unit 2, and heat pump unit 2 stores high temperature water stored in a hot water storage tank 3 disposed in the tank unit 1. It is generated by. In the present embodiment, a heat pump is used as the heating means. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, there is no problem even if an electric heater is provided in the tank and heated. Moreover, the solid line arrow has shown the direction through which the fluid flows.

Next, the configuration of the heat pump unit 2 will be described. The heat pump unit 2 is configured by sequentially connecting a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 24, a compressor 25, an evaporator 26, and an expansion valve 27 in an annular manner through a refrigerant pipe, and uses carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. Since the high pressure side exceeds the critical pressure, the water flowing through the water / refrigerant heat exchanger 24 is deprived of heat and does not condense even if the temperature is lowered. A difference can be easily formed, high-temperature hot water can be obtained, and heat exchange efficiency can be increased.

  In addition, since carbon dioxide, which is relatively inexpensive and stable, is used as the refrigerant, the product cost can be reduced and the reliability can be improved. In addition, carbon dioxide has an ozone depletion coefficient of zero and a global warming coefficient of about 1/700 of the alternative refrigerant HFC-407C, which is very small.

  Further, in the heat pump unit 2, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 25, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 25 radiates heat by the water refrigerant heat exchanger 24, is decompressed by the expansion valve 27, and then is discharged from the air by the evaporator 26. The heat is absorbed and sucked into the compressor 25 again in a gas state. The compressor capacity control and the expansion valve 27 opening control are performed so that the temperature of the discharged refrigerant detected by a thermistor (not shown) provided on the discharge side of the compressor 25 is maintained at a preset temperature. Controlled. The hot water in the hot water storage tank 3 flows into the water / refrigerant heat exchanger 24 by the operation of the water pump 28, exchanges heat with the refrigerant, returns to the hot water storage tank 3 again, and in the stacked state, Hot water is stored at the top.

  Next, the configuration of the tank unit 1 will be described. As described above, the tank unit 1 has the hot water storage tank 3, and a water supply pipe 31 for supplying low temperature water from a water supply source is connected to the bottom of the hot water storage tank 3, so that the water supply pressure is constantly in the tank. It is in a hanging state. In addition, a hot water discharge pipe 32 for discharging hot water in the hot water storage tank 3 is connected to an upper portion of the hot water storage tank 3 so that high temperature water can be supplied to a hot water supply terminal and a bathtub.

  Next, a hot water supply circuit for supplying hot water to the hot water supply terminal will be described.

  The hot water supply circuit in the present embodiment is configured such that hot water having a desired temperature can be generated by connecting the terminal water supply pipe 33 branched from the water supply pipe 31 and the hot water discharge pipe 32 with the electric mixing valve 4. The mixing ratio of the electric mixing valve 4 is changed so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 41 provided on the downstream side of the electric mixing valve 4 becomes the temperature set by the remote control device provided in the kitchen or bathroom. Is done. Then, the hot water mixed at a desired temperature is supplied to the hot water supply terminal 42.

  Next, a hot water filling circuit and a reheating circuit for the bathtub 5 will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the hot water in the bathtub 5 and the high-temperature water in the hot water storage tank 3 exchange heat with the heat exchanger 6 and have a reheating function for reheating the hot water in the bathtub. . Therefore, the high temperature side circuit of the reheating heat exchanger 6 is configured to be supplied with the high temperature water in the hot water storage tank 3, and is configured to return the hot water after heat exchange to the lower part of the hot water storage tank 3. Has been. Moreover, the low temperature side circuit of the reheating heat exchanger 6 is configured to be supplied with hot water in the bathtub 5, and is configured to return the bathtub water after the heat exchange to the bathtub 5 again. .

  In the high temperature side circuit, a reheating pump 7 is provided. When the reheating pump 7 is driven, high temperature water in the hot water storage tank 3 is conveyed to the reheating heat exchanger 6.

  And the adapter 51 of the bathtub 5 and the tank unit 1 are connected by the return connection pipe 61 and the forward connection pipe 62 in the connection parts 60a-60d. The return connection pipe 61 and the forward connection pipe 62 are connected to the reheating heat exchanger 6 by a return pipe 63 and a forward pipe 64, respectively. The bathtub 5, the return connection pipe 61, the return pipe 63, The reheating heat exchanger 6, the outgoing pipe 64, and the outgoing connecting pipe 62 are sequentially connected to constitute a reheating circuit.

Further, the hot water filling circuit for supplying hot water from the hot water storage tank 3 to the bathtub 5 includes a bath hot water supply pipe 34 branched from the hot water supply pipe 32 and a bath water supply pipe 35 branched from the water supply pipe 31 as the electric mixing valve 8. And hot water having a desired temperature can be generated. Then, the mixing ratio of the electric mixing valve 8 is changed so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 81 provided on the downstream side of the electric mixing valve 8 becomes the temperature set by the remote control device provided in the kitchen or bathroom. Is done. Then, the hot and cold water mixed at a desired temperature is supplied to the bathtub 5.

  Moreover, the flow rate sensor 82 is provided in the hot water filling circuit, and the amount of hot water supplied to the bathtub 5 is measured. Further, a two-way electromagnetic valve 83 is provided, and at the start of hot water filling, the supply of hot water to the bathtub 5 is started simultaneously with opening of the electromagnetic valve 83. After the electromagnetic valve 83 is opened, hot water filling is performed from two directions of the return pipe 63 and the forward pipe 64 to the bathtub 5. In addition, a check means 84 is provided for preventing the backflow of sewage.

  The return pipe 63 includes a bath pump 65 that is a conveying means for circulating hot water in the bathtub 5, a water level sensor 66 that detects the water level in the bathtub 5, and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of hot water in the bathtub 5. 67 is provided, and when the bath pump 65 is driven, hot water in the bathtub 5 is sucked into the return pipe 63, flows into the forward pipe 64 through the reheating heat exchanger 6, and is returned to the bathtub 5 again. . In addition, a flow switch 68 is provided between the bath pump 65 and the reheating heat exchanger 6 so that the flow of water can be detected when turned on.

  In addition, a remote control device 9 which is an operation means capable of operating a hot water storage type water heater is installed in the bathroom, and the remote control device 9 is operated to set the temperature of the hot water, fill the bath, or after installation work. Perform the trial run operation. The remote control device 9 has a display unit 91 for displaying information and an operation unit 92 for performing operations. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the hot water storage type water heater of the present embodiment also includes a control device 94 that receives an instruction from the remote control device 9 and commands each control device. The control device 94 is composed of a microcomputer and its electronic control parts, and sends commands to the devices constituting the tank unit 1.

  Furthermore, the remote control device 9 of the present invention is provided with a human body detection means 93 so that it can detect that a person has entered the bathroom. The human body detecting means 93 can be various sensors such as an infrared sensor, an illuminance sensor that detects the illuminance in the bathroom, and an impact (vibration) sensor that detects the vibration of the occupant and the opening and closing of the door. Is not specified.

  For example, in the case of an infrared sensor, it is recognized that a person has been detected if there is a temperature change from the surrounding temperature situation, and in the case of an illuminance sensor, if the illuminance of bathroom lighting is detected, the person In the case of an impact sensor, if an output from the impact sensor is detected for a predetermined time, it is determined that there is a person entering the room. It is also possible to combine a plurality of these sensors.

  Further, in the case of the present embodiment, the human body detecting means 93 is provided in the remote control device 9, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the case of an impact sensor, a dressing room adjacent to the bathroom. When it is installed behind the floor or installed on the door surface of the bathroom to detect vibrations, and when the bathroom lighting switch is used as a human body detection means, the bathroom lighting switch is turned on. It is good also as what detects a human body when it makes it.

  In the hot water storage type water heater configured as described above, first, the hot water filling operation of the hot water storage type water heater will be described.

When the user operates the remote control device 9 to start the hot water filling operation, or when the hot water filling operation is reserved in advance, the hot water filling operation is started at the set time. When the hot water filling operation is started, the electromagnetic valve 83 is opened, and high temperature water from the hot water storage tank 3 is mixed by the electric mixing valve 8 so as to reach a set temperature, and supplied to the bathtub 5.

  Hot water discharged from the electric mixing valve 8 is branched in two directions, a return pipe 63 and an outgoing pipe 64, and hot water is supplied to the bathtub 5. Further, the amount of hot water filling is detected by the flow rate sensor 82, and when the set amount of hot water is detected by the flow rate sensor 82, the electromagnetic valve 83 is closed and the hot water filling operation is terminated.

  Note that the temperature of the hot water mixed by the electric mixing valve 8 during the hot water filling operation may be several degrees higher than the temperature of the hot water set by the remote control device 9. This is because the hot water mixed by the electric mixing valve 8 dissipates heat when flowing through the hot water supply pipe until it goes to the bathtub 5, and when the hot water is poured into the bathtub 5, the temperature may decrease. It is. For this reason, by setting the temperature of the hot water mixed by the electric mixing valve 8 to be higher than the set temperature, it is possible to perform a hot water filling operation in consideration of heat radiation in the piping.

  Next, the remote control device 9 of the hot water storage type hot water heater of the present invention is provided with the human body detecting means 93, and after the hot water filling operation is completed, when the automatic chasing operation using the human body detecting means 93 is performed, There are cases in which the function of the detecting means 93 is turned off to perform an automatic chasing operation. First, the automatic chasing operation in which the function of the human body detecting means 93 is turned off will be described.

  In the present embodiment, after the hot water filling operation is completed, an automatic reheating operation and an automatic hot water supply operation are performed. In the automatic reheating operation, the bath pump 65 is driven and the hot water in the bathtub 5 is circulated in the return pipe 63 and the forward pipe 64 every time the predetermined time L1 has elapsed since the end of the hot water filling operation. The temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 5 is detected. For example, if the predetermined time L1 is set to 15 minutes, the bath pump 65 is driven every 15 minutes from the end of the hot water filling operation to detect the temperature.

  Then, when the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 5 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature α (reheating start temperature), the reheating operation is started and the reheating pump 7 and the bath pump 65 are driven to reheat the heat exchanger. At 6, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 3 and the hot water in the bathtub 5 exchange heat, and the hot water in the bathtub 5 is replenished. Then, when the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 5 reaches the set temperature (reheating stop temperature), the reheating operation is stopped and the reheating operation is completed.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the reheating operation at the normal time. As shown in FIG. 2, the bath pump 65 is driven every time the time L4 elapses, and the bath temperature is detected. However, as shown in FIG. 2, in the normal automatic chasing operation, every time the bath pump 65 is driven, cold water cooled by the return pipe 63 and the forward pipe 64 enters the bathtub 5 while the time L1 elapses. The bath temperature is lowered.

  Regardless of whether the function of the human body detecting means 93 is turned on or off, the hot water storage type hot water heater of the present invention has an automatic hot water supply operation function. In the automatic hot water operation, the water level sensor 66 always detects the water level in the bathtub 5. When it is detected that the water level detected by the water level sensor 66 is lower than the set water level by β, hot water is supplied into the bathtub 5 so that the set water level is reached. For example, if β is set to 25 mm, hot water of a set temperature is automatically poured into the bathtub 5 when it is detected that the temperature has dropped 25 mm from the set water level.

Next, the automatic chasing operation function when the function of the human body detection means 93 is turned on will be described. The function of the human body detecting means 93 can be switched on and off by performing a predetermined operation with the remote control device 9. Further, during normal automatic chasing operation, the bath pump 65 is driven every predetermined time L1 to detect the temperature of hot water in the bathtub, but when the function of the human body detection means 93 is turned on, the predetermined time is Instead of driving the bath pump 65 every L1, when the human body detecting means 93 detects a human body, the bath pump 65 is driven so as to achieve the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub, thereby driving the bath pump 65. The fall of the hot water temperature in the bathtub by this can be prevented.

  However, if the human body detecting means 93 does not detect the human body for many hours, there is no chasing operation. If the hot water temperature in the bathtub falls too low, the human body detecting means 93 will detect the human body. Even if the operation of raising the hot water temperature of the bath water immediately is performed, there is a possibility that the chasing time is short and the bather cannot raise the hot water temperature before entering the bath.

  Therefore, in the present invention, even if the human body detecting means 93 is turned on, if the bath pump 65 is driven every predetermined time L2 and it is detected that the temperature has dropped to the predetermined temperature, it is automatically followed even if the person is absent. I'm trying to whisper. However, the predetermined time L2 is set to be longer than the predetermined time L1 during the normal automatic chasing operation in which the human body detecting means 93 is turned off, and the number of times the bath pump 65 is driven is reduced.

  Next, a desired temperature and a desired amount of hot water are poured into the bathtub 5 at the time of automatic hot water filling operation that starts when the user starts hot water filling or at a predetermined time. Then, it is assumed that the controller 94 detects the presence of a bather by the human body detection means 93 after the pouring is completed. At this time, the control device 94 measures the elapsed time from the completion of pouring, and performs operation control of A1, A2, and A3 according to the elapsed time T. However, the elapsed time T is cleared when the hot water storage type water heater of the present invention performs a bath-related operation such as a chasing operation or an additional hot water operation by a person, and the elapsed time T is calculated when the operation is completed. Measurement shall be resumed.

  First, in the case of A1: elapsed time T <T1, it is assumed that not much time has elapsed since pouring is completed, and for example, T1 = about 0.5 hours. In this case, the control device 94 does nothing. Since this is immediately after the pouring is completed, it is estimated that there is no or little temperature drop in the bath water. Moreover, it is because it is estimated that it is just after the bather or the user performed some bath-related operation even if it is not immediately after pouring completion. Usually, in order to detect the temperature of hot water in the bathtub 5, the bath pump 65 must be driven and the temperature sensor 67 must detect the temperature, but at the time of A1, the bath pump 65 is driven to reverse the bathtub. Since there is a possibility of lowering the temperature of the hot water inside, the bath pump 65 is not driven.

  Next, when A2: T1 ≦ T <T2 when more time has passed, a certain amount of time has elapsed since the completion of pouring or after some bath-related operation, and the bath pump 65 is driven to set the temperature of the bath water. After confirming, it is necessary to confirm whether or not there is a need for an operation that raises the temperature of the bath water, for example, about 3 hours.

  In the case of A2, when the presence of a bather is detected by the human body detection means 93, the control device 94 drives the bath pump 65 to circulate the bath water, and the temperature sensor 67 detects the temperature of the bath water. As a result, when the detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor 67 is t, the control device 94 calculates a difference (denoted as Δt) from a preset temperature t1, and Δt is a predetermined value tc (for example, 2). C) and the following B1 or B2 operation control is performed according to the result.

  First, in the case of B1: t1−t = Δt ≦ tc (= 2 ° C.), the control device 94 stops driving the bath pump 65 and does not perform a reheating operation.

  Next, in the case of B2: t1−t = Δt> tc (= 2 ° C.), the control device 94 performs an operation for increasing the temperature of the bath water. The operation for raising the temperature of the bath water will be described in detail later.

  Next, in the case of A3: T2 ≦ T, it has passed for a long time after the completion of the pouring operation or the end of the bath-related operation, and the drop in the bath water temperature or the return connection pipe 61 and the forward connection pipe 62 It is a case where it is assumed that the hot water temperature in the piping is lowered due to heat dissipation. Therefore, in the case of A3, the hot water pouring operation is always performed first.

  Specifically, an operation of pouring hot water at a predetermined temperature (for example, 60 ° C.) into the bathtub 5 by a predetermined amount (for example, 10 L) (high temperature hot water) is performed. This is because hot water in the return connection pipe 61 and the forward connection pipe 62 is pushed out to the bathtub 5 by a predetermined amount of hot water to be poured, and the amount of heat radiated from the return connection pipe 61 and the forward connection pipe 62 is compensated. The purpose is. When this pouring operation is completed, an operation for increasing the temperature of the bath water is performed.

  In the hot water storage type hot water heater of the present invention, two boundary lines for the water level are provided: a first predetermined value H1 (set water level) and a second predetermined value H2 (upper limit water level). In the case of A2 and A3, before performing the pouring operation, the water level sensor 66 always confirms that the water level in the bathtub 5 is less than the second predetermined value set in advance. When the temperature is equal to or higher than a second predetermined value (upper limit water level) that may overflow when hot water is added to the bathtub 5, the hot water pouring operation is not performed.

  Specifically, there are two methods of reheating operation: a method of performing a reheating operation using a pouring operation together and a method of performing a retreating operation without using a pouring operation.

  First, when the reheating operation is performed, the bath pump 65 is driven to detect the temperature of hot water in the bathtub, and the current water level is confirmed by the water level sensor 66. As a result of detecting the current water level H, if “current water level H <first predetermined value H1”, the hot water pouring operation is performed.

  In the present invention, when it is detected that it is lower than the set water level by β, it has an automatic hot water operation function for supplying hot water into the bathtub 5 so that the set water level is reached, but the current water level is the set water level. Even in the following water levels, when “set water level−β <current water level <set water level”, the automatic hot water supply operation function does not work and hot water is not automatically supplied. However, the detection of the human body means that the bather is expected to enter the bathtub soon, so even if the automatic hot water operation function is not lowered to the working water level, the water level is restored to the set water level. It is easy to use and can eliminate discomfort for bathers.

  Next, the pouring operation will be described. It is assumed that the bath water state when the presence of a bather is detected by the human body detection means 93 is a bath temperature of 38 ° C. and a remaining hot water amount of 180 L. At this time, after pouring a predetermined amount (for example, 20 L) of a predetermined temperature (for example, 60 ° C.) into the bathtub 5, the bath water temperature is (38 × 180 + 60 × 20) by driving the bath pump 65 and stirring the bath water. ) / (180 + 20) = 40.2 ° C. The rise in the water level of the bathtub water by pouring 20 L will increase the water surface by about 2.8 cm if the local cross section of the 180 L portion of the bathtub is 65 cm × 110 cm. That is, in this case, the bath water is changed by about + 2 ° C. and the water level is changed by about +2.8 cm by performing a hot hot water of 60 ° C. and 20 L.

  Therefore, assuming that the bath water condition is about 180 L, t1 = 40 ° C., and t = 38 ° C., an operation that raises the desired bath water temperature when a 20 L hot hot water bath is performed once at 60 ° C. Can be realized. However, if the pouring operation is performed, the water level rises, so that hot water may overflow from the bathtub 5. In other words, the water level after pouring should not exceed the second predetermined value H2.

For example, in a bathtub with a full bath capacity of 400L, the state of the bath water when the presence of a bather is detected by the human body detection means 93 is Δt = 10 ° C. (t = 30 ° C.) and the remaining amount of hot water in the bath water is 350L.
In this case, the amount of hot water to be hot poured in order to realize a rise to the desired bath water temperature (40 ° C.) is (40 × 350−30 × 350) / (60−40) = 175 L, and bath water Overflows. When 175 L is poured into 350 L, hot water overflows from the bathtub.

  Therefore, the operation of raising the bath water temperature in accordance with the bath water state detected by the water level sensor 67 is flexibly realized by combining one or both of the hot water supply and the hot water.

  Moreover, the amount of bathtub water can be expressed by the function of a water level by learning the bathtub shape performed at the time of the trial run at the time of installation of the hot water storage type water heater. During this trial operation, the control means 5 learns the water level at that time by the water level detection means 16 every time a predetermined amount of pouring is performed a plurality of times. For example, it is assumed that the i-th pouring amount is V (i), the water level detected by the water level detection means 16 at the end of the i-th pouring is h (i), and total n times of pouring are performed. At this time, since the water level is changed from h (i-1) to h (i) by pouring V (i), the bathtub shape of the section is approximated as a rectangular parallelepiped and the bathtub shape is learned. That is, the bathtub shape of the V (i) pouring part learns the bathtub shape as the cross-sectional area is V (i) / (h (i-1) -h (i)). By performing this a total of n times, the control means 5 recognizes that the bathtub shape is a collection of n divided rectangular parallelepipeds. That is, if the water level h is known, the bathtub water amount V at that time can be estimated.

  In other words, the bath water state (the bath water temperature t (k), the water level h (k)) when the presence of a bather is detected by the human body detection means 93 is known, and if the temperature after temperature rise is desired to be t1, From this value, the controller 94 can calculate how much (V3) hot water of a predetermined temperature t3 (for example, 60 ° C.) should be poured in order to realize this rise in bath water temperature. it can.

  Then, when the pouring amount V3 obtained by the calculation is poured, it is possible to calculate how much the water level in the bathtub 5 is, so that the control device 94 can determine whether or not the hot water overflows from the bathtub 5.

  Therefore, in the case of “current water level H <first predetermined value H1”, the current water level H is in a low state. . Then, after performing the pouring operation to the first predetermined value H1, when the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 5 is not the set temperature, the pouring operation is enabled with the second predetermined value H2 as the upper limit. . If the bath water at a predetermined temperature cannot be obtained even after the end of the pouring operation, the hot water is heated by the reheating heat exchanger 6 to raise the hot water temperature to the set temperature.

  In addition, it is assumed that the pouring temperature during the pouring operation after detecting the human body is always a predetermined temperature, and the predetermined temperature is set to a temperature that does not cause burns even when touched by the human body (for example, 60 ° C. ). This is because the temperature in the bathtub 5 is increased more quickly because the human body is detected after the human body is detected.

  In addition, the amount of hot water to be poured during the pouring operation is calculated based on the retained heat amount of the remaining hot water in the bathtub 5 at that time and the retained heat amount when hot water of a set temperature is put in the bathtub 5 by a set amount of hot water, As a result of pouring the calculated amount of hot water into the bathtub 5, if the water level exceeds the upper limit set at that time, the hot water is poured to the upper limit water level.

  Next, in the case of “first predetermined value H1 (set water level) <current water level H ≦ second predetermined value H2 (upper limit water level)”, first, the hot water pouring operation is enabled with the second predetermined value as an upper limit. . If bath water of a predetermined temperature cannot be obtained even after performing the pouring operation to the second predetermined value H2, the operation of heating the hot water with the reheating heat exchanger 6 is performed, and the hot water temperature is reduced to the set temperature. Raise.

  The amount of hot water to be poured is calculated based on the current amount of heat stored in the bathtub water and the amount of heat necessary to reach the set water level and temperature, and the calculated amount of heat is calculated from the amount of heat and the shape of the bathtub. After calculating how much the water level rises, if the second predetermined value H2 is not exceeded, the calculated amount is poured, and if it exceeds the second predetermined value H2, the second predetermined value Pour water to H2.

  If “second predetermined value H2 <current water level H”, the hot water may overflow from the bathtub 5 by pouring, so the hot water operation is not performed and only the reheating operation is performed. The temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 5 is raised to the temperature.

  Further, since it is possible to detect the human body by the human body detection means 93, it is not only associated with the bathing operation, but may be linked with the on / off of the display unit 91 of the remote control device 9. In particular, the frequency of entry into the bathroom and the time of day, depending on the individual lifestyle, are often concentrated in a limited time of 24 hours a day (from evening to night). In this case, even if the remote control device 9 in the bathroom is forgotten to be turned off, if the absence of a person can be confirmed by the human body detection means 93, the display unit 91 is turned off, thereby further reducing power consumption.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the heat pump unit is used as a heating means. As described above, this can be efficiently boiled, but on the other hand, when medium-temperature water or the like is boiled, the efficiency is lowered. However, by using the pouring operation together during the reheating operation, the medium-temperature water generated during the reheating operation can be reduced, and by performing the pouring operation, cold water can be introduced into the lower part of the hot water storage tank 3. The boiling efficiency can be increased.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the hot water in the bathtub is adjusted to the set water level and the set temperature by performing the reheating operation of the bath, the pouring operation, or both operations based on the human body detection. The number of times cold water collected in the pipe is put into the bathtub because the usability is good and the bath pump is not driven as often as the conventional hot water heater even when the human body is not detected. This can reduce the decrease in bath temperature.

  The hot water storage type hot water heater according to the present invention includes an integrated heat pump type hot water heater in which a heat pump cycle and a hot water supply cycle are integrated, a separate type heat pump type hot water heater configured separately, and hot water heated by a heat exchanger for hot water supply. It can be applied to various heat pump water heaters such as a direct hot water heat pump type hot water heater that can discharge hot water as it is.

The block diagram of the hot water storage type water heater in embodiment of this invention Flowing operation flowchart when the human body detection function is off in the same form Configuration diagram of conventional hot water supply equipment

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tank unit 2 Heat pump unit 3 Hot water storage tank 5 Bathtub 6 Reheating heat exchanger 7 Reheating pump 9 Remote control device 28 Water pump 60a-60d Connection part 61 Return connection pipe 62 Outward connection pipe 63 Return piping 64 Outward pipe 65 Bath pump 93 Human body detection means

Claims (7)

A hot water storage tank for storing hot water, heating means for generating high temperature water stored in the hot water storage tank, a bathtub, a reheating heat exchanger in which hot water in the hot water storage tank and hot water in the bathtub exchange heat, A human body detecting means for detecting a person entering the bathroom and a water level detecting means for detecting the water level of the hot water in the bathtub, and when the human body is detected by the human body detecting means, the water level detected by the water level detecting means A hot water pouring operation for pouring hot water from the hot water storage tank to the bathtub and / or a reheating operation performed by exchanging heat between the hot water in the hot water storage tank and the hot water in the bathtub. A hot water storage hot water supply machine. When a human body is detected by the human body detection means, if the water level detected by the water level detection means is less than a first predetermined value, the hot water pouring operation is performed up to the first predetermined value. The hot water storage type water heater according to claim 1. When a human body is detected by the human body detection means, if the water level detected by the water level detection means is not less than a first predetermined value and less than a second predetermined value, a pouring operation and / or a chasing operation are performed. The hot water storage type water heater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hot water storage type water heater is used. 4. When the human body is detected by the human body detecting means, if the water level detected by the water level detecting means is equal to or higher than a second predetermined value, a chasing operation is performed. The hot water storage type water heater according to claim 1. The hot water storage type hot water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the human body detecting means detects a human body by detecting a vibration generated when entering a bathroom. The hot water storage type hot water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the human body detection means detects a human body by detecting lighting in a bathroom. The hot water storage type hot water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the human body detecting means is a switch for turning on / off a lighting in a bathroom.