JP2021046965A - Water heater system - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve the problem in which, in a watching function, in the case where an in-bathroom remote controller and an outside-bathroom remote controller are always in communication for safety, when a state continues where a noise value such as shower is constant, a fixed load is continuously applied on a speaker amplifier of the outside-bathroom remote controller, and the speaker amplifier fails due to heat generation.SOLUTION: A control device 28 includes: body motion determination means 38 for determining the magnitude of a human motion on the basis of a detection value of a human detection sensor 35; and sound volume correction means 41 for correcting an amplification factor of at least one of a microphone amplifier of an in-bathroom remote controller 29 and a speaker amplifier of an outside-bathroom remote controller 36. In the case where the body motion determination means 38 has determined that the detection value of the human detection sensor 35 is larger than a first predetermined value, and also a hot water supply flow rate sensor 14 has detected a flow of hot water, the sound volume correction means 41 corrects so as to lower an amplification factor of at least one of the microphone amplifier of the in-bathroom remote controller 29 and the speaker amplifier of the outside-bathroom remote controller 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a water heater system in which remote controllers capable of making voice calls are provided inside and outside the bathroom.

Conventionally, in a bathroom hot water supply device equipped with an interphone function that enables mutual communication between a remote control device in the bathroom and a remote control device outside the bathroom, the remote control device in the bathroom is transmitted and the remote control device outside the bathroom is received. It has been known that a listening switch for fixing the state is provided in a remote control device outside the bathroom (see Patent Document 1).

In addition, today, when a child or an elderly person takes a bath alone, for safety, the remote control inside the bathroom and the remote control outside the bathroom are always in conversation to check whether the person taking a bath is taking a bath safely. There is a known water heater system.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-116830

However, in the monitoring function, when the in-bathroom remote control and the out-bathroom remote control are constantly talking for safety, if the noise value continues to be constant like a shower, the shower sound provided in the out-bathroom remote control is provided. There is a problem that a certain load is continuously applied to the speaker amplifier that amplifies the electric signal of the sound so that the speaker amplifier breaks down due to heat generation.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention detects a heating means for heating water, a hot water supply path for sending hot water heated by the heating means to a hot water tap, a flow rate flowing through the hot water supply path, and the presence or absence of hot water flow. The bathroom is provided with a hot water supply flow rate sensor, a control device for controlling the water heater, a remote controller in the bathroom provided in the bathroom and a remote controller outside the bathroom, which are communicably connected to the control device and are provided outside the bathroom. The internal remote controller is provided with a microphone that collects sounds generated in the bathroom, a microphone amplifier that amplifies the voice signal of the microphone and outputs the remote controller to the remote controller outside the bathroom, and a human sensor that detects the movement of a person. In the water heater system, the remote controller outside the bathroom is provided with a speaker amplifier that amplifies the audio signal output from the microphone amplifier and a speaker that transmits the audio signal output from the speaker amplifier as sound. The amplification factor of at least one of the body movement determination means for determining the magnitude of a person's movement based on the detection value of the human sensor and the microphone amplifier of the remote controller in the bathroom and the speaker amplifier of the remote controller outside the bathroom is used. The body movement determination means determines that the detection value of the human sensor is higher than the first predetermined value, and the hot water supply flow rate sensor detects the flow of hot water. In this case, the volume correction means is corrected so as to lower the amplification factor of at least one of the microphone amplifier of the remote controller in the bathroom and the speaker amplifier of the remote controller outside the bathroom.

Further, the control device is provided with an elapsed time during which the body movement determination means determines that the detection value of the motion sensor is lower than the second predetermined value, which is lower than the first predetermined value, and the movement of the person is small. A time-lapse means for counting is provided, and when the count of the time-lapse means reaches a predetermined time, the volume correction means of the microphone amplifier and the speaker amplifier returns the amplification factor of the lower amplification factor to the original value. I did it.

According to the present invention, when the detected value detected by the human sensor is equal to or higher than the predetermined first predetermined value and the hot water is supplied from the detected value of the hot water supply flow rate sensor, it is determined that the person is taking a shower. , The volume correction means is corrected so that the amplification factor of at least one of the microphone amplifier of the remote control in the bathroom and the speaker amplifier of the remote control outside the bathroom is lowered, so that the noise value like a shower continues to be constant, and the bathroom It is possible to prevent the speaker amplifier of the external remote controller from being continuously subjected to a constant load.

Schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention Flow chart showing the first embodiment of the present invention Time chart showing the first embodiment of the present invention

Next, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, 2 is a heat pump unit as a heating means for heating hot water, and 3 is a bathtub.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a heating circulation circuit that circulates the hot water storage tank 1 and the heat pump unit 2. The heat pump going pipe having the heating circulation pump 5 and connected to the lower part of the hot water storage tank 1 and the heat pump returning connected to the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1 The cold water in the lower part of the hot water storage tank 1 is heated by the heat pump unit 2 via the heat pump outbound pipe, and the heated high-temperature hot water is returned to the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1 by the heat pump return pipe to be warm water in the hot water storage tank 1. Is heated and stored. A hot water storage temperature sensor 6 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the hot water storage tank 1, and the hot water storage temperature sensor 6 detects a predetermined temperature or higher to detect the amount of hot water stored.

7 is a water supply pipe that supplies water to the hot water storage tank 1, 8 is a hot water supply pipe that discharges hot water in the hot water storage tank 1, 9 is a water supply bypass pipe that branches from the water supply pipe 7 and bypasses the hot water storage tank 1, and 10 is a water supply bypass. A hot water supply mixing valve that mixes cold water from the pipe 9 and hot water from the hot water outlet pipe 8 so as to reach a set temperature, 11 is a hot water supply pipe that supplies hot water of the mixed set temperature, and 12 is provided at the end of the hot water supply pipe 11. It is a hot water tap. Reference numeral 13 denotes a hot water supply temperature sensor provided downstream of the hot water supply mixing valve 10, and 14 is a hot water supply flow rate sensor that counts the amount of hot water supply and detects the presence or absence of hot water supply. Reference numeral 15 is a pressure reducing valve for reducing the water pressure to a predetermined pressure, and 16 is a pressure relief valve for releasing the overpressure caused by heating.

The hot water supply route includes a hot water outlet pipe 8 through which hot water flows from the hot water storage tank 1 to the hot water tap 12, a hot water supply mixing valve 10, and a hot water supply pipe 11.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a bath circulation circuit, in which the bath heat exchanger 18 and the bath 3 for heat exchange between the hot water in the hot water storage tank 1 and the hot water of the circulating bath are connected to the bath going pipe 17a from the bath 3 to the bath heat exchanger 18. It is circulatedly connected to the bath return pipe 17b from the bath heat exchanger 18 to the bath 3. Reference numeral 19 denotes a circulation port connecting the bathtub 3 and the bath circulation circuit 17.

20 is a bath circulation pump provided in the bath circulation circuit 17, 21 is a running water sensor for detecting the presence or absence of running water, 22 is a bath temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the bath flowing through the bath circulation circuit 16, and 23 is a bathtub from the water pressure of hot water. It is a water level sensor that detects the water level in 3, and is provided on the upstream side of the bath circulation pump 20 in the middle of the bath circulation circuit 17. Since the water level sensor 23 detects the water level in the bathtub 3 from the water pressure of the hot water, the water level cannot be detected if the circulation port 19 is exposed, so that the water level can be detected more than the circulation port 19. The water level needs to be high.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a hot water filling pipe that is branched from the middle of the hot water supply pipe 11 and connected to the bath circulation circuit 17 to fill the bathtub 3 with hot water. The hot water filling valve 26 for stopping is a bath flow rate sensor that counts the amount of hot water filled in the bathtub 3.

27 is a heating control unit that controls the heating of the heat pump unit 2, and 28 is a control device that controls hot water supply and bath. Hot water storage temperature sensor 6, hot water supply temperature sensor 13, hot water supply flow rate sensor 14, running water sensor 21, bath temperature sensor 22. , The water level sensor 23 and the bath flow sensor 26 are input to drive the heating circulation pump 5, the hot water supply mixing valve 10, the bath circulation pump 20, and the hot water filling valve 26.

Reference numeral 29 denotes an in-bathroom remote controller that can communicate with the control device 28 and is provided in the bathroom, and includes an operation unit 30, a display unit 31 that displays the setting contents, and a preset set volume level (here, 1 to 5). A speaker 32 that generates the sound of), a microphone 33 that collects the sound, a call switch 34 that talks with a remote controller other than the remote controller 29 in the bathroom, and a human sensor 35 that detects the movement of a person in the bathroom. Is provided.

Further, the in-bathroom remote controller 29 is provided with a microphone amplifier that amplifies the audio signal collected by the microphone 33 and outputs it to the out-of-bathroom remote controller 36.

And 36 is a remote control outside the bathroom which can communicate with the control device 28 and is provided outside the bathroom, and like the remote control 29 in the bathroom, the operation unit 30, the display unit 31, the speaker 32, the microphone 33, and the call switch 34 are connected. It has and can notify the information in the bathroom to the outside of the bathroom.

Further, the remote controller 36 outside the bathroom is provided with a speaker amplifier that amplifies the audio signal output from the microphone amplifier.

Specifically, when the sound in the bathroom is collected by the microphone 33 of the remote control 29 in the bathroom and the sound in the bathroom is played by the speaker 32 of the remote control 36 outside the bathroom, the sound in the bathroom is collected by the microphone 33 of the remote control 29 in the bathroom. , The voice signal is amplified by the microphone amplifier of the remote control 29 in the bathroom, and the voice signal is output to the remote control 36 outside the bathroom via the control device 28. Then, the audio signal output to the speaker amplifier of the remote controller 36 outside the bathroom is amplified, and the sound is played through the speaker 32 of the remote controller 36 outside the bathroom.

Further, the motion sensor 35 is a pyroelectric sensor that detects the amount of temperature change of the heat source in the detection area, and detects whether there is a person in the bathroom or whether there is movement. Specifically, the motion sensor 35 detects the temperature change in the detection area when a person moves or moves the limbs, so that both the person taking a bath and the person taking a shower in the washing place are equally detected. It is desirable to be able to detect at least the range in which the person's entry and exit and the body movement of the bather can be detected even if the person is immersed in the bathtub, and the control device is based on the detection result of the motion sensor 35. The room entry determination means 37 provided in 28 determines whether to enter the bathroom or leave the bathroom, and the body movement determination means 38 determines the body of a person in the bathroom based on the detection value of the motion sensor 35. The magnitude of the motion is judged.

Further, the control device 28 is provided with a bathing determination means 39 for determining whether a person has bathed in the bathtub 3 or a person has taken a bath from the bathtub 3. Specifically, the bathing determination means 39 detects with the water level sensor 23 the pressure change that occurs when a person takes a bath in the bathtub 3 or goes out of the bathtub 3 when the bath circulation pump 20 is stopped. Then, based on the detection result, a person's bathing or bathing is determined.

Further, the control device 28 includes at least one of the time-lapse means 40 for detecting the elapsed time during which the detection value of the motion sensor 35 continues to be low, the microphone amplifier of the in-bathroom remote controller 29, and the speaker amplifier of the out-bathroom remote controller 36. A volume correction means 41 for correcting one of the amplification factors is provided.

Specifically, during a conversation between the in-bathroom remote controller 29 and the out-of-bathroom remote controller 36, the body movement determination means 38 determines that the detection value of the human sensor 35 is larger than the first predetermined value, and the hot water supply flow rate sensor 14 determines. When it detects that there is hot water supply, the control device 28 determines that the user is taking a shower, and the volume correction means 41 determines the amplification factor of at least one of the microphone amplifier of the remote controller 29 in the bathroom and the speaker amplifier of the remote controller 36 outside the bathroom. Correct low.

Then, when the detection value of the motion sensor 35 becomes equal to or less than the second predetermined value, the time-lapse means 40 starts counting, and then, if there is a movement such that the detection value of the motion sensor 35 exceeds the first predetermined value. The count is reset, and when the detection value of the motion sensor 35 becomes equal to or less than the second predetermined value, the operation of starting the count is repeated. Then, when the time counted by the time-lapse means 40 exceeds a predetermined time, the volume correction means 41 of the microphone amplifier and the speaker amplifier corrects the amplification factor of the corrected amplifier to a high value and returns it to the original value.

Next, the boiling operation will be described.
When there is a boiling request, the control device 28 drives a heating circulation pump 5 in the middle of the pipe connecting the hot water storage tank 1 and the heat pump unit 2, draws water from the inner and lower parts of the hot water storage tank 1, and heats it with the heat pump unit 2. By continuing the operation of returning to the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1, the water in the hot water storage tank 1 gradually boils to high temperature water.

Next, the hot water supply operation will be described.
When the hot water supply tap 12 is opened, water is supplied from the water supply pipe 7, flows into the lower part of the hot water storage tank 1, passes through the water supply bypass pipe 9, and the high temperature water extruded from the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1 and the water supply of the water supply bypass pipe 9 are the hot water supply mixing valve. Hot water that is mixed at 10 and adjusted so that the set temperature for hot water supply and the temperature detected by the hot water supply thermista 13 are the same is supplied from the hot water tap 12.

In addition, the hot water filling operation will be described.
When the hot water filling switch of the in-bathroom remote control 29 and the out-of-bathroom remote control 36 is pressed, the control device 28 opens the hot water filling valve 25, supplies water from the water supply pipe 7, flows into the lower part of the hot water storage tank 1, and the water supply bypass pipe. The high-temperature water extruded from the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1 and the water supplied by the water supply bypass pipe 9 are mixed by the hot water supply mixing valve 10 and adjusted so that the bath set temperature and the temperature detected by the bath temperature sensor 22 are the same. The hot water filling is started by flowing the hot water into the bathtub 3. Then, the bath flow rate sensor 26 detects the flow rate, and when the total integrated value of the flow rates flows by the set amount of the hot water filling, the control device 28 closes the hot water filling valve 25 to complete the hot water filling. .. Further, although the bath circulation circuit 17 has two routes, an outward pipe and a return pipe, it is also possible to perform a high-speed hot water filling operation in which hot water is supplied from the two pipes at the same time and the hot water filling operation is performed.

Then, after the completion of the hot water filling operation, the control device 28 sets the automatic heat retention operation (here, about 3 hours) for boiling the hot water in the bathtub preset by the in-bathroom remote controller 29 and the out-of-bathroom remote controller 36 to a constant temperature. Repeat for a while.

Next, the control when the amplification factor of the out-of-bathroom remote controller 36 is corrected by the volume correction means 41 during a call between the in-bathroom remote controller 29 and the out-of-bathroom remote controller 36 is the first based on the flowchart of FIG. 2 and the time chart of FIG. The embodiment will be described in detail.
Further, in the present embodiment, from the viewpoint of watching over the prevention of abnormalities of the bather in the bathroom, when a person enters the bathroom, the call is automatically started and the voice call is continued until the bather leaves the room.

First, when it is determined by the entry determination means 37 that a person has entered the bathroom from the detection value of the motion sensor 35 (S1 is Yes), the control device 28 is set by connecting the in-bathroom remote controller 29 and the out-of-bathroom remote controller 36. The call is started with the voice of the set volume level (S2).

During a call, the body motion determination means 38 determines that the detection value detected by the motion sensor 35 is equal to or higher than a predetermined first predetermined value (S3 is Yes), and the detection value of the hot water supply flow rate sensor 14 is changed. When there is hot water supply (S4 is Yes), the volume correction means 41 corrects the amplification factor of the speaker amplifier of the remote controller 36 outside the bathroom to be low (S5).

In this way, when the detected value detected by the human sensor 35 is equal to or higher than the predetermined first predetermined value and the hot water is supplied from the detected value of the hot water supply flow rate sensor 14, it is determined that the person is taking a shower. By performing correction to lower the amplification factor of the speaker amplifier with the volume correction means 41, it is possible to prevent the noise value like a shower from continuing to be constant and the speaker amplifier of the remote control 36 outside the bathroom from being continuously subjected to a constant load. At the same time, it is possible to reduce the unpleasant feeling caused by the continuous sounding of a loud sound like a shower to a person in the vicinity of the remote control 36 outside the bathroom.

Then, when the detection value detected by the motion sensor 35 becomes lower than the second predetermined value (S6 is Yes) at the end of the shower, bathing, etc., the time-lapse means 40 starts counting (S7), and the motion sensor 35 starts counting (S7). The elapsed time when the detected value detected in is equal to or less than the second predetermined value is counted.

When the time-lapse means 40 counts the elapsed time when the detected value detected by the motion sensor 35 is equal to or less than the second predetermined value and the detected value of the motion sensor 35 becomes equal to or greater than the first predetermined value (S8 is No), The count is reset (S9), and the process returns to S6 to repeat the count.

Further, the time-lapse means 40 counts the elapsed time when the detection value detected by the motion sensor 35 is equal to or less than the second predetermined value, and when the count reaches the predetermined time (S10 is Yes), the volume correction means 41 is a remote controller outside the bathroom. The amplification factor of the 36 speaker amplifiers is corrected to a high value (S11), and the amplification factor of the amplifier is returned to the original value.

In this way, by counting the elapsed time when the detection value detected by the motion sensor 35 is equal to or less than the second predetermined value, it is determined that the person is taking a bath or leaving the room after the shower is finished, and the volume correction means 41 amplifies the speaker amplifier. By correcting the rate to a high value and returning it to the original value, it is possible to avoid applying a constant load to the speaker amplifier during the shower, and the detection value of the motion sensor 35 is low, and the movement of the bather is small. Therefore, by restoring the amplification factor of the speaker amplifier at a time when special caution is required from the viewpoint of watching, it is possible to provide a safe watching function.

Then, the room entry determination means 37 confirms whether or not the person has left the bathroom, and when it is determined that the person has not left the bathroom (S12 is No), it returns to S3 and determines that the person has left the bathroom. (S12 is Yes), the call between the in-bathroom remote controller 29 and the out-bathroom remote controller 36 is terminated (S13).

The present invention is not limited to the present embodiment and does not prevent modification without changing the gist. For example, although the heat pump type hot water storage water heater has been described this time, the hot water storage tank 1 A water heater with a heater inside or a water heater that heats hot water with a heat source such as a burner may be used, and a water heater having remote controls inside and outside the bathroom may be used as long as it has a function to make a call.

Further, in the first embodiment, the amplification factor of the amplifier is corrected based on the detection value detected by the motion sensor 35, but the amplification factor of the speaker amplifier is based on the detection value of the water level sensor 23. You may try to return it to the value. For example, if it is determined that a person has taken a bath based on the amount of water level increase detected by the water level sensor 23 after correcting the amplification factor of the speaker amplifier to a low level by a shower or the like, it is determined that the shower is not performed and the amplification factor of the speaker amplifier is adjusted. It may be corrected to a high value and returned to the original amplification factor.

Further, in the first embodiment, from the viewpoint of watching over to prevent abnormalities of the bather in the bathroom, when a person enters the bathroom, the call is automatically started and the voice call is continued until the bather leaves the room. However, it is also possible to automatically enter the call state by starting the automatic heat retention operation after the hot water filling operation is completed, and the call state is set when the call switch 34 is pressed. However, the user can arbitrarily set the timing from the start of the call to the end of the call.

Further, although the volume correction means 41 corrects the amplification factor of the speaker amplifier of the remote controller 36 outside the bathroom in the first embodiment, the amplification factor of the microphone amplifier of the remote controller 29 in the bathroom may be corrected to be low during the shower. .. By correcting the amplification factor of the microphone amplifier of the remote controller 29 in the bathroom to a low value, the load on the speaker amplifier can be reduced.

Further, in the first embodiment, the volume correction means 41 corrects the amplification factor of at least one of the microphone amplifier of the remote controller 29 in the bathroom and the speaker amplifier of the remote controller 36 outside the bathroom, and the sound from the speaker 32 is heard during the shower. Although it is smaller, the remote control display shows that the sound of the set volume level (for example, the set volume level is selected from 1 to 5) is playing.
The volume correction means 41 may correct this volume level to be low and play a sound (for example, when the set volume level is set to 4, the volume correction means 41 sets the volume level when it is determined that the shower is in progress. Correct to 2).

1 Hot water storage tank 3 Bathtub 17 Bath circulation circuit 18 Bath heat exchanger 19 Circulation port 20 Bath circulation pump 28 Control device 29 In-bathroom remote control 32 Speaker 33 Microphone 34 Call switch 35 Human sensor 36 Out-of-bathroom remote control 37 Body movement Judgment means 39 Bathing judgment means 30 Time-lapse means 41 Volume correction means

Claims (2)

A heating means to heat water and
A hot water supply route that sends hot water heated by the heating means to the hot water tap, and
A hot water supply flow rate sensor that detects the flow rate flowing through the hot water supply path and the presence or absence of hot water flow,
The control device responsible for controlling the water heater and
It is connected to the control device so as to be communicable, and has an in-bathroom remote controller provided in the bathroom and an out-bathroom remote controller provided outside the bathroom.
The bathroom remote controller is provided with a microphone that collects sounds generated in the bathroom, a microphone amplifier that amplifies the voice signal of the microphone and outputs it to the bathroom remote controller, and a motion sensor that detects the movement of a person. ,
The outside-bathroom remote control is provided with a speaker amplifier that amplifies the audio signal output from the microphone amplifier and a speaker that transmits the audio signal output from the speaker amplifier as sound.
In the water heater system
The control device includes at least one of a body movement determination means for determining the magnitude of a person's movement based on a detection value of a motion sensor, a microphone amplifier for the remote controller in the bathroom, and a speaker amplifier for the remote controller outside the bathroom. A volume correction means for correcting the amplification factor of
When the body movement determination means determines that the detection value of the human sensor is higher than the first predetermined value and the hot water supply flow rate sensor detects the flow of hot water, the volume correction means is in the bathroom. A water heater system characterized in that the amplification factor of at least one of the microphone amplifier of the remote controller and the speaker amplifier of the remote controller outside the bathroom is corrected to be low. The control device counts the elapsed time during which the body motion determination means determines that the detection value of the motion sensor is lower than the second predetermined value, which is lower than the first predetermined value, and the movement of the person is small. Provide a means of aging,
When the count of the time-lapse means reaches a predetermined time, the volume correction means of the microphone amplifier and the speaker amplifier is characterized in that the amplification factor of the lower amplification factor is returned to the original value. The water heater system according to claim 1.

Images