JP2010231331A - Water volume management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily save water by preventing useless water discharge in a water volume management system. <P>SOLUTION: The water volume management system 1 includes: a setting and display section 3 which performs setting and display for each of a plurality of water supply pipes which are branched from one supply source; a flow rate detection section 4 which detects a flow rate; a flow rate adjustment section 5 which adjusts the flow rate; and a control section 6 which controls the flow rate adjustment section 5. The control section 6 is connected with all control sections 6 provided in other water supply pipes and receives the flow rate which the flow rate detection section 4 of the other water supply pipe has detected. The setting and display section 3 gets the flow rate of each water supply pipe and a total flow rate set by a user. The setting and display section 3 transmits the set value to the control section 6 of each water supply pipe. The control section 6 controls each flow rate adjustment section 5 so that the flow rate may become the set value. Since the flow rate and the total flow rate for each water supply pipe can be set, the useless water discharge can be prevented to save water. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a water volume management system that saves water by limiting the amount of water used for each water supply terminal.

  Conventionally, in a water supply system in which a water supply terminal is provided in each of a plurality of water supply pipes branched from one supply source, the flow rate is controlled by the opening degree of an on-off valve provided in each water supply terminal. Such a water supply system will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 shows the structure of the water supply system. The water supply system G has a water supply pipe G0 connected to the supply source and a plurality of water supply pipes G1 to Gn branched from the water supply pipe G0. Each of the water supply pipes G1 to Gn is connected to a water supply terminal J such as a sink or a toilet that is a water-using device. The water supply terminal J has an open / close valve K for opening and closing each water supply pipe, and the flow rate is adjusted by the opening degree of the open / close valve K. FIG. 9 shows the opening degree of each on-off valve of each water supply pipe and the transition of the corresponding flow rate. Here, for simplification of description, the water supply pipe branched from the water supply pipe G0 will be described as two pipes G1 and G2. At the time t1, the opening degree of both the on-off valves of the water supply pipes G1 and G2 is adjusted, and water at the flow rate L1 flows in the water supply pipes G1 and G2. From this state, when the open / close valve of the water supply pipe G2 is closed at time t2, the water supply pressure of the water supply pipe G0 increases, so the flow rate in the water supply pipe G1 increases to L2 and water is discharged unnecessarily.

  Moreover, the water supply management system which attaches a flow sensor and a flow control tool for every water pipe, and saves water is known (for example, refer patent document 1). However, in such a water supply management system, since the adjustment amount is fixed depending on the type of the flow adjustment tool to be attached, it is necessary to replace the flow adjustment tool in accordance with the use situation, and water saving cannot be easily performed.

JP 2000-105138 A

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a water amount management system that can prevent wasteful water discharge and can easily save water.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a water volume management system that manages the amount of water used at each of the water supply terminals provided in a plurality of water supply pipes branched from one supply source, and is provided for each of the water supply pipes. A flow rate detection unit for detecting the flow rate in the water supply pipe, a flow rate adjustment unit for adjusting the flow rate, and a control unit for controlling each flow rate adjustment unit, wherein the control unit is provided for an on-off valve of the water supply terminal. When the opening / closing operation is performed, each flow rate adjusting unit is controlled based on the flow rate detected by all the flow rate detecting units so that the flow rate in each water supply pipe becomes a predetermined value. The opening / closing valve of the water supply terminal includes not only a faucet attached to a water supply terminal but also an opening / closing opening for controlling water supply or hot water supply in a dishwasher or a toilet bowl attached to a water supply pipe or a hot water supply pipe.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the water amount management system according to the first aspect, the control unit is provided corresponding to each of the water supply pipes.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the water amount management system according to the first aspect, the number of the control units is one, and all the flow rate detection units and the flow rate adjustment units are centrally managed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the water amount management system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the control unit adjusts the flow rate so that the flow rate of the water supply pipe does not exceed a predetermined value. The part is controlled.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the water amount management system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, when the flow rate in one water supply pipe fluctuates, the control unit changes the amount of other fluctuations. When the flow rate in the water supply pipe is smaller than the fluctuation amount, the flow rate adjusting unit is controlled to return the flow rate in the one water supply pipe to the flow rate before the fluctuation.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the water volume management system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein when the flow rate in one water supply pipe fluctuates, the control unit changes the amount of fluctuation in the other. When the flow rate of the water supply pipe is greater than or equal to the fluctuation amount, the adjustment of the flow rate adjusting unit of the one water supply pipe is maintained as it is.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to control the flow rate and the total flow rate for each water supply pipe so as to be limited to a predetermined flow rate set in advance, thereby preventing unnecessary water discharge and saving water.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since a flow rate detection unit, a flow rate adjustment unit, and a control unit are provided for each water supply pipe, the construction of the water amount management system is facilitated by assuming that these are integrally set. Can do.

  According to invention of Claim 3, since there is one control part, a water quantity management system can be made low-cost.

  According to the invention of claim 4, since the maximum flow rate is set for each water supply pipe, useless water discharge can be prevented and water can be saved.

  According to the invention of claim 5, when there is a flow fluctuation of one water supply pipe and the amount of fluctuation is small compared with the flow fluctuation of the other water supply pipe, Since it is judged that the flow of one water supply pipe has fluctuated and the flow rate of one water supply pipe is returned to the flow rate before the fluctuation, discomfort due to fluctuations in the amount of water discharged during use of the water supply terminal can be reduced.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the flow fluctuation of one water supply pipe is larger than the flow fluctuation of the other water supply pipe, the control unit of the one water supply pipe opens and closes itself. Since it is determined that the valve has been operated, it is possible to distinguish between fluctuations in the water discharge amount due to its own intention and fluctuations due to the operation of other on-off valves of the water supply pipe. As a result, it is possible to prevent an erroneous determination that the water discharge amount has been changed by the operation of the other water supply pipe opening / closing valve and the own flow rate has been adjusted even though the water discharge amount has been changed by his / her own intention. it can.

The block diagram of the water supply system and the hot water supply system with which the water quantity management system which concerns on 1st Embodiment was attached. The block diagram of the same water quantity management system attached to the water supply system. The figure which shows transition of the flow volume accompanying opening and closing of an on-off valve, and the opening degree of a flow volume adjustment part in the 1st modification of the same water quantity management system. The figure which shows transition of the flow volume accompanying opening and closing of an on-off valve, and the opening degree of a flow volume adjustment part in the 2nd modification of the same water quantity management system. The figure which shows transition of the flow volume accompanying opening and closing of an on-off valve, and the opening degree of a flow volume adjustment part in the 3rd modification of the same water quantity management system. The block diagram of the water quantity management system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The block diagram of the water quantity management system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The block diagram of the conventional water supply system. Transition diagram of flow rate fluctuation in the water supply system.

(First embodiment)
A water volume management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a water supply system A and a hot water supply system B in which a water amount management system 1 according to the present embodiment is incorporated, and FIG. 2 shows a configuration of the water amount management system 1 incorporated in the water supply system A.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the water supply system A includes a water supply pipe A0 connected to the supply source and a plurality of water supply pipes A1 to An branched from the water supply pipe A0. The water supply pipes A1 to An are each connected to a water supply terminal J such as a sink or a toilet that is a water-using device. The hot water supply system B has a hot water supply pipe B0 connected to the supply source and a plurality of hot water supply pipes B1 to Bn branched from the hot water supply pipe B0. Each of the hot water supply pipes B1 to Bn is connected to a water supply terminal J such as a sink or a dishwasher that is a hot water using device. The water supply terminal J has an on-off valve K that opens and closes a water supply pipe or a hot water supply pipe. The water supply pipe described in the claims includes these water supply pipes (A0, A1, A2,... An) and hot water supply pipes (B0, B1, B2,... Bn).

  The water amount management system 1 includes a water amount adjustment unit 2 that adjusts the flow rate, and a setting / display unit 3 that sets and displays the flow rate. The water amount adjustment unit 2 is attached to the water supply pipes A1 to An and the hot water supply pipes B1 to Bn. As shown in FIG. 2, the water amount adjustment unit 2 includes a flow rate detection unit 4 that detects a flow rate, a flow rate adjustment unit 5 that adjusts the flow rate, and a control unit 6 that controls the flow rate adjustment unit 5. The flow rate detection unit 4 transmits the detected flow rate to the control unit 6. The flow rate adjusting unit 5 opens and closes the water supply pipe according to instructions from the control unit 6 to increase or decrease the flow rate. The control unit 6 is connected to all the control units 6 provided in the other water supply pipes, and receives the flow rate detected by the flow rate detection unit 4 of the other water supply pipes. The setting / display unit 3 is connected to all the control units 6 and displays the flow rate of each water supply pipe, the total flow rate of a plurality of water supply pipes, and the like. Further, the setting / display unit 3 sets the flow rate of each water supply pipe to an arbitrary value by a dial, a numeric keypad, or the like. In FIG. 2, only the water amount management system 1 attached to the water supply system A is shown, and the water amount management system 1 attached to the hot water supply system B is the same as the water supply system A and is not shown.

  Next, the operation of the hot water supply system 1 will be described. The setting / display unit 3 transmits the set flow rate of each water supply pipe to the control unit 6 of each water supply pipe. The control unit 6 controls each flow rate adjustment unit 5 so that the flow rate detected by the flow rate detection unit 4 becomes a set value. The setting / display unit 3 displays the flow rate of each water supply pipe, the total flow rate of all the water supply pipes, and the like. With this configuration, if the on-off valve K is sufficiently opened, the flow rate is maintained at the set value by the control by the control unit 6 even if the water pressure of the supply source fluctuates.

  Moreover, you may set the maximum flow rate of the total flow rate of all the water supply pipes to the setting / display unit 3 together with the flow rates of the respective water supply pipes. The set maximum flow rate is transmitted from the setting / display unit 3 to each control unit 6. The control unit 6 calculates the total flow rate of all the water supply pipes, and when the total flow rate exceeds the set maximum flow rate, the water supply pipe to which the control unit 6 is attached until the total flow rate reaches the set maximum flow rate. Are gradually closed. As a result, the total flow rate is reduced below the set value.

  According to the water amount management system 1 of the present embodiment, since the flow rate and total flow rate for each water supply pipe can be controlled to predetermined values, useless water discharge can be prevented and water can be saved. Moreover, since the flow rate for each water supply pipe and the set value of the total flow rate can be easily changed with a dial, a numeric keypad, etc., it becomes easy to take measures for saving water according to the water usage. Moreover, since the flow rate is displayed, it becomes easy to take water saving measures. Moreover, since the flow volume detection part 4, the flow volume adjustment part 5, and the control part 6 are provided for every water supply pipe, construction of the water quantity management system 1 can be made easy by setting these as integral.

  Hereinafter, various modifications of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. The configuration of the water amount management system of these various modifications is the same as that of the water amount management system of the first embodiment. Moreover, in FIG. 3 thru | or FIG. 6, in order to simplify description, the water supply pipe branched from the water supply pipe A0 is demonstrated as two, A1 and A2.

(First modification)
In the first modification, the maximum flow rate of each water supply pipe is set in the setting / display unit, and the control unit controls the flow rate adjustment unit so that the flow rate of each water supply pipe does not exceed the maximum flow rate. FIG. 3 shows changes in the flow rate associated with the opening and closing of the on-off valve and the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting unit in the water amount management system according to the first modification. Initially, when water is not flowing through the water supply pipe, the control unit sets the opening degree of each flow rate adjustment unit to, for example, 50% between full open and full close. At time t1, the open / close valves of the water supply pipes A1 and A2 are fully opened, and water having a flow rate L1 flows through each of them. This flow rate L1 is less than the maximum flow rate. When the on-off valve of the water supply pipe A2 is fully closed at time t2, the water pressure of the water supply pipe A0 increases, the flow rate of the water supply pipe A1 increases, and the flow rate L2 exceeds the maximum flow rate. Then, the control unit of the water supply pipe A1 gradually decreases the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting unit until the flow rate reaches the maximum flow rate. When the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting unit becomes W1 at time t3 and the flow rate is reduced to the maximum flow rate, the control unit maintains the flow rate adjusting unit at the opening degree W1. At time t4, when the on-off valve of the water supply pipe A1 is fully closed and the flow rate becomes 0, the control unit returns the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment unit to 50%.

  Thus, since the maximum flow rate is set for each water supply pipe, useless water discharge is prevented and water can be saved.

(Second modification)
In the second modification, the control unit controls the flow rate adjusting unit so as to prevent the flow rate in its own water supply pipe from fluctuating due to opening / closing of the opening / closing valve of another water supply pipe. In the plurality of water supply pipes branched from one supply source as in the first embodiment, when the on-off valve is operated to change the flow rate of one water supply pipe, the flow rates of the other water supply pipes also vary. At this time, the fluctuation amount in the other water supply pipes is smaller than the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe in which the on-off valve is operated. Therefore, the control unit compares the amount of fluctuation in the flow rate of the water supply pipe to which it is attached and the amount of fluctuation in the water supply pipe to which it is attached. It is determined that the flow rate has changed due to the operation of.

  FIG. 4 shows changes in the flow rate associated with the opening / closing of the on-off valve and the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting unit in the water amount management system according to the second modification. At the time point t1, the water supply pipe A1 has the on-off valve fully open and water at the flow rate L1 flows, and the flow rate adjustment unit is controlled to the opening degree W1. In the water supply pipe A2, the on-off valve is fully closed and no water flows. At this time, since water does not flow, the control unit of the water supply pipe A2 sets the opening of the flow rate adjustment unit to, for example, 50% between the fully open and fully closed states. At the time t2, when the opening / closing valve of the water supply pipe A2 is opened to the opening degree V1 and the water of the flow rate L2 flows, the water pressure of the water supply pipe A0 decreases and the flow rate of the water supply pipe A1 decreases to L3. At this time, the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ1 in the water supply pipe A1 is smaller than the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ2 in the water supply pipe A2. The control unit of the water supply pipe A1 calculates the fluctuation amount of the flow rate in the water supply pipes A1 and A2. Since the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A1 is smaller than the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A2, the water supply is performed by operating the on-off valve of the water supply pipe A2. It is determined that the flow rate of the pipe A1 has changed, and the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment unit is increased so that the flow rate in the water supply pipe A1 becomes the flow rate L1 before the change. At time t3, when the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment unit becomes W2 and the flow rate increases to L1, the control unit maintains the flow rate adjustment unit at the opening degree W2.

  Subsequently, when the open / close valve of the water supply pipe A2 is fully closed at time t4, the water pressure in the water supply pipe A0 increases and the flow rate in the water supply pipe A1 increases to L4. At this time, the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ3 in the water supply pipe A1 is smaller than the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ4 in the water supply pipe A2. The control unit of the water supply pipe A1 calculates the fluctuation amount of the flow rate in the water supply pipes A1 and A2. Since the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A1 is smaller than the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A2, the water supply is performed by operating the on-off valve of the water supply pipe A2. It is determined that the flow rate of the pipe A1 has changed, and the flow rate adjustment unit is adjusted so that the flow rate in the water supply pipe A1 becomes the flow rate L1 before the change. At time t5, when the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment unit becomes W3 and the flow rate decreases to L1, the control unit of the water supply pipe A1 maintains the flow rate adjustment unit at the opening degree W3. When the opening / closing valve of the water supply pipe A1 is fully closed at time t6 and the flow rate becomes zero, the control unit of the water supply pipe A1 returns the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment unit to 50%.

  According to this modification, when there is a flow fluctuation in one water supply pipe and the amount of fluctuation is small compared to the flow fluctuation in the other water supply pipe, Since it is judged that the flow of the water supply pipe has fluctuated and the flow rate of one water supply pipe is returned to the flow rate before the fluctuation, discomfort due to fluctuations in the water discharge amount during use of the water supply terminal can be reduced.

(Third Modification)
In the third modification, the control unit maintains the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting unit when the on-off valve of its own water supply pipe is opened and closed. FIG. 5 shows the transition of the flow rate and the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting unit when the on-off valve is opened and closed in the water amount management system. At time t1, the water supply pipe A1 is fully closed and no water is flowing. At this time, since the water is not flowing, the control unit of the water supply pipe A1 sets the opening of the flow rate adjusting unit to, for example, 50% between the fully open state and the fully closed state. In the water supply pipe A2, the on-off valve is opened to the opening degree V1, the water having the flow rate L1 flows, and the flow rate adjusting unit is controlled to the opening degree W1. When the open / close valve of the water supply pipe A1 is fully opened at time t2 and water of the flow rate L2 flows, the water pressure of the water supply pipe A0 decreases, and the flow rate in the water supply pipe A2 decreases to L3. At this time, the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ1 in the water supply pipe A1 is larger than the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ2 in the water supply pipe A2. The control unit of the water supply pipe A1 calculates the fluctuation amount of the flow rate in the water supply pipes A1 and A2. Since the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A1 is larger than the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A2, water is supplied by operating the on-off valve of the water supply pipe A1. It is determined that the flow rate in the pipe A1 has fluctuated, and the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment unit is maintained as it is.

  Subsequently, at time t3, when the opening / closing valve of the water supply pipe A1 is closed to the opening degree V2 and the flow rate is reduced to L4, the water pressure of the water supply pipe A0 increases and the flow rate of the water supply pipe A2 increases to L5. At this time, the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ3 in the water supply pipe A1 is larger than the flow amount fluctuation amount Δ4 in the water supply pipe A2. The control unit of the water supply pipe A1 calculates the fluctuation amount of the flow rate in the water supply pipes A1 and A2. Since the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A1 is larger than the fluctuation amount in the water supply pipe A2, water is supplied by operating the on-off valve of the water supply pipe A1. It is determined that the flow rate in the pipe A1 has fluctuated, and the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment unit is maintained as it is.

  According to this modification, when there is a flow fluctuation of one water supply pipe and the amount of fluctuation is larger than the flow fluctuation of another water supply pipe, the control unit of the one water supply pipe has its own on-off valve. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between fluctuations in the amount of water discharge due to its own intention and fluctuations due to the operation of other on-off valves of the water supply pipe. As a result, it is possible to prevent an erroneous determination that the water discharge amount has been changed by the operation of the other water supply pipe opening / closing valve and the own flow rate has been adjusted even though the water discharge amount has been changed by his / her own intention. it can.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a water volume management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The water amount management system 1 is different from the first embodiment in the arrangement of the control unit 6. The water amount adjustment unit 2 has a flow rate detection unit 4 and a flow rate adjustment unit 5, and one control unit 6 is provided separately from the water amount adjustment unit 2. The control unit 6 is connected to all the flow rate detection units 4 and the flow rate adjustment units 5, performs centralized control for controlling all the flow rate adjustment units 5 based on the flow rates detected by all the flow rate detection units 4, and the first The same operation as in the embodiment is performed. With such a configuration, since there is only one control unit 6, the water volume management system 1 can be reduced in cost.

  FIG. 7 shows a water volume management system 1 that only displays the flow rate. The water amount management system 1 includes a water amount measurement unit 21 that is attached to the water supply pipes A1 to An and measures a flow rate, and a display unit 31 that displays the flow rate. The water amount measurement unit 21 includes a flow rate detection unit 4 that detects a flow rate and a calculation unit 61 that calculates the flow rate detected by the flow rate detection unit 4. In this configuration, the flow rate detection unit 4 transmits the detected flow rate to the calculation unit 61. The calculation unit 61 calculates a time average flow rate and the like from the received flow rate, and transmits the calculation result together with the flow rate to the display unit 31. The display unit 31 is connected to all the calculation units 61, and calculates and displays the calculation results of the flow rate and time average flow rate of each water supply pipe, the total flow rate of a plurality of water supply pipes, and the like. The content to be displayed is selected by a dial or button switch provided on the display unit 31. According to this configuration, since the flow rate of each water supply pipe, the total amount of water, and the like are displayed, it is easy to save water. In addition, since the flow rate adjustment unit is not provided, the water amount management system 1 can be reduced in cost.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the structure of the said various embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not change the meaning of invention. For example, the setting / display unit may be eliminated and the setting unit may be used to set only the flow rate. Since the display unit is eliminated, the water volume management system can be reduced in cost.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water quantity management system 4 Flow rate detection part 5 Flow rate adjustment part 6 Control part A0, A1 thru | or Ann Water supply pipe B0, B1 thru | or Bn Hot water supply pipe (water supply pipe)
J Water supply terminal K Open / close valve

Claims (6)

In a water volume management system that manages the amount of water used at each of the water supply terminals provided in a plurality of water supply pipes branched from one supply source,
A flow rate detection unit that is provided for each water supply pipe and detects a flow rate in the water supply pipe; and a flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts the flow rate; and
A control unit for controlling each flow rate adjustment unit,
The control unit is configured so that the flow rate in each water supply pipe becomes a predetermined value based on the flow rate detected by all the flow rate detection units when the open / close operation of the water supply terminal is performed. A water volume management system characterized by controlling a flow rate adjusting unit.   The said control part is provided corresponding to each of the said water supply pipe | tube, The water quantity management system described in Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said control part is one, Centrally manages all the flow volume detection parts and flow volume adjustment parts, The water quantity management system described in Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said control part controls the said flow volume adjustment part so that the flow volume of the said water supply pipe may not become more than predetermined value, The water quantity management system as described in any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. .   When the flow rate in one water supply pipe fluctuates, and the fluctuation amount is smaller than the flow fluctuation amount in the other water supply pipe, the control unit changes the flow rate in the one water supply pipe to the flow rate before the fluctuation. The water volume management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flow rate adjusting unit is controlled to return.   When the flow rate in one water supply pipe fluctuates, and the fluctuation amount is greater than or equal to the flow fluctuation amount in the other water supply pipe, the control unit keeps the adjustment of the flow rate adjustment unit of the one water supply pipe as it is The water amount management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water amount management system is maintained.

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