JP2022089978A - Drain monitoring method, device for the same, and water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To determine drain remaining on the basis of water filling after drain discharge, and prompt a user to discharge drain.

SOLUTION: A drain monitoring method for monitoring remaining of drain (D) that is discharged through a bathtub (14) in the bathtub includes processes of: monitoring drain discharge; monitoring water filling amount to the bathtub after completion of the drain discharge; and outputting a determination result indicating that drain remains in the bathtub when the water filling amount is reference water amount or smaller and part or all of a circulation port of the bathtub is submerged in water.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a technique for discharging drain generated in a heat exchanger when heat of combustion of fuel gas is exchanged for water supply or the like.

Drain is generated in the heat exchanger when the combustion heat of the fuel gas is exchanged for water supply, etc., but the drain is remarkable in the high efficiency hot water supply device equipped with the secondary heat exchanger that recovers the latent heat of the combustion heat. be. After neutralizing this drain with a neutralizer, it is stored in a drain tank, and when the bathtub plug is opened, it is discharged through the bathtub.
Regarding this drainage, it is known that the drainage in the drain tank is diluted or neutralized and then drained through a bathtub (for example, Patent Document 1). It is known that the drain of the drain tank is drained by the reheating pipeline at a predetermined drainage timing (for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-265228 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-270798

By the way, when the drain of the drain tank is drained through the bathtub, only the bathtub is used for the drainage route, and the drain is not mixed in the bathtub water. For this reason, when draining the drain of the drain tank from the circulation path to the bathtub and draining it from the drain port of the bathtub to the drain pan, after draining the drain, water is supplied to the bathtub through the circulation path to drain the piping of the circulation path and the bathtub. Measures are taken to prevent residual water.
Such drain discharge is based on the premise that the bathtub plug is opened, and if the bathtub plug is accidentally closed, the draining drain will remain in the circulation path or the bathtub, and the drain will be mixed into the bathtub water. There is a problem that it will end up. Even if a predetermined amount of water or hot water is supplied for cleaning, drainage cannot be discharged from the bathtub if it is closed. If the user closes the bathtub plug and switches to automatic hot water supply without noticing this drain discharge, there is a risk of such drain remaining, and if the drain is mixed in the bath water, the drain is colorless and transparent, so the bathtub. There is a problem that it is not possible to determine whether or not drain is mixed in the water.
By the way, the inventor of the present application injects a certain amount of water when draining the drain into the bathtub, also for cleaning the pipeline through which the drain has passed. We have obtained the knowledge that the residual drainage can be confirmed depending on whether or not it exceeds the circulation port. However, based on such knowledge, it was found that when a certain amount of water is supplied, the water level differs depending on the volume of the bathtub and the shape of the inside of the bathtub, so that the judgment result is different and it may not be possible to confirm the residual drainage. ..

Therefore, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to determine the residual drainage by injecting water after draining the drain and to encourage the user to drain the drain.
Further, in view of the above problems, another object of the present invention is to determine the remaining amount of drain by submerging a part or all of the circulation port with a certain amount of water injection, so that the volume of the bathtub and the shape inside the bathtub are not affected. The purpose is to improve the drain discharge accuracy.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the drain monitoring method of the present invention, it is a drain monitoring method for monitoring the residual of the drain discharged through the bathtub in the bathtub, the step of monitoring the drain discharge, and the drain. After the completion of discharge, the step of monitoring the amount of water injected into the bathtub and the determination result indicating that the bathtub has residual drainage when a part or all of the circulation port of the bathtub is submerged when the amount of water injected is equal to or less than the reference water amount. Includes the process of output.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the drain monitoring device of the present invention, a drain discharge unit that discharges drain through a bathtub and a drain discharge portion are monitored, and after the drain discharge is completed, the amount of water injected into the bathtub. It includes a determination unit that outputs a determination result indicating that there is drain residue in the bathtub when a part or all of the circulation port of the bathtub is submerged when the water injection amount is equal to or less than the reference water amount.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the hot water supply device of the present invention, the drain monitoring device is included.

According to the present invention, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By injecting water after draining the drain, it is possible to determine the residual drain, and by notifying or stopping the injection of water, the user can be encouraged to drain the drain.
(2) When the bathtub plug is closed, if the user opens the bathtub plug with the alert output as a trigger, the drain can be discharged from the bathtub in which a certain amount of water is injected.
(3) Since the drain remaining in the bathtub is diluted by the initial water injection, the drain can be discharged by opening the bathtub plug, which also purifies the bathtub.

It is a figure which shows the drain discharge apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the processing process of drain discharge. A is a diagram showing the water level setting of the bathtub according to the first embodiment, and B is a diagram showing a bathtub data table. A is a front view showing a drain tank, and B is a side view showing a drain tank. It is a figure which shows the hot water supply reheating apparatus which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the control part of the hot water supply reheating apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure 1 of drain discharge. A is a diagram showing the operation of initial water injection, and B is a diagram showing a state before water injection. A is a diagram showing a state immediately before water injection, and B is a diagram showing a residual state of bathtub water. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure 1 of fully automatic operation. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure 2 of fully automatic operation. A is a diagram showing a normal drainage state, and B is a diagram showing an abnormal state of drainage. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of drain discharge which concerns on Example 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the hot water supply reheating apparatus which concerns on Example 3. FIG.

[One Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a drain discharge device according to an embodiment. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
The drain discharge device 2 is provided with a drain discharge unit 4, a water injection unit 6, and an alert output unit 8, and drain D generated by heat exchange is stored in the drain tank 10 and discharged from the bathtub 14 through the circulation path 12.

In the drain discharge unit 4, for example, the drainage timing of the bathtub 14 in which the bathtub plug 16 is opened, or the drain D exceeds the reference level Dreff, which is an example of the drain tank 10, and the water flow is generated by the circulation of the bathtub water BW by the circulation pump 18. Drain drainage at any of the drainage timings confirmed to be nonexistent. The presence or absence of water flow generation is detected by the water flow switch 20 which is an example of the water flow detecting means.
After draining the drain D, the water injection unit 6 injects a certain amount of water. A certain amount of water is injected into an empty bathtub 14 with the bathtub plug 16 closed, and the initial amount of water injection is less than the amount of water that submerges a part or all of the circulation port 22 for cleaning the drain discharge circuit described later. Even if water is injected, it is the amount of water that submerges a part or all of the circulation port 22 when a certain amount of water is added. This water injection may be either water supply before heating or hot water after heating.
The alert output unit 8 is the bathtub 14 if a part or all of the circulation port 22 is submerged by the initial water injection into the bathtub 14 by the water injection unit 6, that is, if a water flow is generated by the circulation of the bathtub water BW by the circulation pump 18. Alert information indicating that the drain D remains inside is output. The presence or absence of water flow may be confirmed by the output of the water flow switch 20.

<Drain discharge process>
FIG. 2 includes a drain discharge and discharge abnormality detection step according to the embodiment. This treatment procedure is an example of a drain discharge method in which the drain D generated by heat exchange is stored in the drain tank 10 and discharged from the bathtub 14 through the circulation path 12, and the drain D is discharged, the drain D is discharged, the water is injected, and the bathtub 14 is discharged. Water level judgment and alert information output are included.
It is determined whether the drain D is discharged at the first discharge timing or the second discharge timing (S11). The first discharge timing is the drainage timing of the bathtub 14 in which the bathtub plug 16 is opened. The second discharge timing is the timing at which it is confirmed that the drain D exceeds the above-mentioned reference level Dref of the drain tank 10 and no water flow is generated in the pump circulation of the bathtub water BW. This timing comes, for example, when the drain D exceeds the upper level Href (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the reference level Dref.

If it is the first or second discharge timing (YES in S12), the drain D of the drain tank 10 is discharged to the bathtub 14 from the drain discharge circuit including the circulation path 12 (S13). In this case, a drain discharge circuit is established from the drain tank 10 to the circulation port 22 through the circulation path 12, and drain discharge is executed. The drain discharge circuit is a drain D discharge path from the drain tank 10 to the bathtub 14, or from the drain tank 10 to the outside of the bathtub 14 in which the bathtub plug 16 is opened.
If it is determined whether the drain D has been drained (S14) and the drain D has been drained from the drain tank 10 (YES in S14), the amount equivalent to, for example, 3 [cm] of the bathtub water level is set as a constant amount from the water injection unit 6. Water is injected with a water volume of W1 to clean the drain discharge circuit including the circulation path 12 (S15). This completes the drain discharge.

At the time of water injection after draining the drain, a certain amount of initial water is injected from the water injection unit 6 into the bathtub 14 (S16). This initial water injection amount is less than the amount of water that submerges a part or all of the circulation port 22 by the amount of water W2 corresponding to, for example, 2 [cm] of the bathtub water level. At the time of this water injection, the bathtub plug 16 is in the closed state.

It is determined whether a part or all of the circulation port 22 is submerged by this water injection (S17). This determination may be made, for example, by the presence or absence of water flow due to the circulation of the bathtub water BW by the circulation pump 18.
If a part or all of the circulation port 22 is not submerged (NO in S17), the drain D is discharged from the bathtub 14, and the alert information is not output (S18). Further, if a part or all of the circulation port 22 is submerged (YES in S17), an alert indicating that the drain D remains in the bathtub 14 or an alert indicating that water injection is stopped is output (S19). This alert can prompt the user to open the bathtub plug 16, that is, to drain the bathtub.

<Effect of one embodiment>
According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) At the time of the next water injection, that is, at the time of filling with hot water, at the initial hot water supply, the residual drainage of the previous discharge can be known by an alarm.
(2) If there is an alarm indicating that water injection has stopped or an alarm indicating drain residual, the bathtub drainage may be performed at that point, and drain residual can be prevented.

<Bathtub water level setting>
A in FIG. 3 shows the water level setting of the bathtub according to the first embodiment. In A of FIG. 3, the same parts as those of FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals.
A circulation port 22 to which the circulation path 12 (FIG. 1) is connected is provided on the side surface portion of the bathtub 14 on the bottom side. The height of the circulation port 22 is set so that the center thereof is at a constant height from the bottom surface 26 of the bathtub, for example, about 15 [cm].

In the bathtub 14, the initial water level Lini, the reference water level Lst, and a plurality of set water levels Ln, for example, L1, L2, L3 ... L11, are set from the bottom surface 26 of the bathtub.
The initial water level Lini is the water level near the center of the circulation port 22, and is such that the return pipe 12-1 of the circulation path 12 is submerged.
The reference water level Lst is set to a constant height from the initial water level Lini, for example, a height of about 8 [cm].
The set water level L1 is set to a constant height, for example, about 3 [cm] from the reference water level Lst, and each set water level L1, L2, L3 ... L11 is a width in a constant height direction, for example, 3. It is about [cm]. The bathtub water level may be selected from the set water levels L1, L2, L3 ... L11.

The height from the bottom of the bathtub 26 to the set water level L1 is
Height of set water level L1 = 15 [cm] + 8 [cm] + 3 [cm]
= 26 [cm] ・ ・ ・ (1)
The height from the bottom of the bathtub 26 to the set water level L11 is
Height of set water level L11 = 15 [cm] + 8 [cm] + 3 [cm] x 11
= 56 [cm] ・ ・ ・ (2)
Is.

Assuming that the resolution of the bathtub water level sensor 24 is 1 Bit = 0.2125 [cm], the height per step of the set water levels L1 to L11 is 3 [cm], so 14 Bit = 2.975 [cm]. ..
The initial amount of water from the bottom surface 26 of the bathtub including the amount of water in the pipe to the initial water level Lini is Vini, the reference water amount from the initial water level Lini to the reference water level Lst is Vst, and the water amount from the reference water level Lst to the set water level L1 (= Ld) is Vd. do. These water amounts are different values depending on the piping and the bathtub 14.

<Bathtub data table 28>
B in FIG. 3 shows a bathtub data table. The bathtub data table 28 is a database of bathtub data, and stores installation information, water level information, and the like of the bathtub 14.
The bathtub data table 28 stores the bathtub information 30 and the water level information 32, and the water level information 32 stores the initial water level information 32-1, the reference water level information 32-2, and the set water level information 32-3.
Information such as the installation status and size of the bathtub 14 is stored in the bathtub information 30.

The initial water level information 32-1 stores the water amount Vini from the bathtub bottom surface 26 including the water amount in the pipe to the initial water level Lini. The water volume Vini is a measured value of the bathtub water level sensor 24.
The reference water level information 32-2 stores the reference water amount Vst from the initial water level Lini to the reference water level Lst. This reference water amount Vst is a measured value of the bathtub water level sensor 24.
The set water level information 32-3 stores the water amount Vd, which is the unit water amount for each set water level from the reference water level Lst to the set water level L11.
This information is used to control fully automatic hot water supply, including drainage.

<Drain tank 10>
A in FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross section of the drain tank 10, and B in FIG. 4 shows an IVB-IVB line cross section of A in FIG. In the first embodiment, the upper level Href and the lower level Lref are set as the above-mentioned reference level Dref.
The drain tank 10 is provided with an introduction port 34, a discharge port 36, an overflow port 38, and a drain level sensor 40. The neutralized drain D is guided from the introduction port 34 to the drain tank 10 and stored, and is discharged from the discharge port 36. When the drain D exceeds the upper limit level (overflow level) U, the drain D is discharged from the overflow port 38 to the outside of the drain tank 10.
The drain level sensor 40 is a sensor that detects the water level of the drain D accumulated in the drain tank 10. The drain level sensor 40 is provided with a common electrode 40-1, a lower level detection electrode 40-2, an upper level detection electrode 40-3, and an upper limit level detection electrode 40-4. The common electrode 40-1 is set at the submerged position of the drain D. In the drain tank 10, the lower level Lref of the drain D is detected by the common electrode 40-1 and the lower level detection electrode 40-2, and the upper level Href of the drain D is detected by the common electrode 40-1 and the upper level detection electrode 40-3. To. The upper limit level detection electrode 40-4 detects an upper limit level U higher than the upper level Href, and the upper limit level U is, for example, an overflow level.

<Hot water heater reheating device 42>
FIG. 5 shows a hot water supply reheating device 42 according to the first embodiment including the above-mentioned drain discharge device 2. This hot water supply reheating device 42 is an example of a hot water supply device. The hot water reheating device 42 is provided with a general hot water supply function to other than the bathtub 14, a hot water supply function for pouring hot water into the bathtub 14, and a reheating function of the bathtub water BW.

The hot water supply reheating device 42 is provided with a hot water supply combustion chamber 44-1 and a reheating combustion chamber 44-2. The hot water supply combustion chamber 44-1 is provided with a primary heat exchanger 48 and a secondary heat exchanger 50. The primary heat exchanger 48 exchanges mainly the apparent heat of the combustion exhaust 54 obtained by the combustion of the burner 52 with the water supply W, and the secondary heat exchanger 50 mainly exchanges the latent heat of the combustion exhaust 54 that has passed through the primary heat exchanger 48. Heat is exchanged for water supply W.
The reheating combustion chamber 44-2 is provided with a heat exchanger 56. The heat exchanger 56 exchanges heat of the sensible heat of the combustion exhaust 60 obtained by the combustion of the burner 58 with the bath water BW. The heat exchangers 48, 50, and 56 can be operated in either bidirectional operation or independent operation, and can be used to obtain hot water HW obtained by heat exchange between the primary heat exchanger 48 for hot water supply and the secondary heat exchanger 50. It is possible to pour hot water into the bathtub 14.

A fuel gas supply pipe 62 is connected to the burners 52 and 58, and the fuel gas G is supplied. A source gas solenoid valve 64 and a gas proportional valve 66 are installed in the fuel gas supply pipe 62, and a switching solenoid valve 68, a gas solenoid valve 70, and a switching solenoid valve 72 are installed on the burner 52 side, and the burner 58 side. A gas solenoid valve 74 is installed in the vehicle. An air supply fan 76-1 is provided on the burner 52 side as an air supply means, and an air supply fan 76-2 is provided on the burner 58 side to supply air necessary for burner combustion. Therefore, regarding the reheating of hot water supply, pouring water or bath water BW, the gas combustion amount of the burners 52 and 58 necessary for controlling the hot water supply temperature, the pouring temperature and the reheating temperature is controlled by the opening degree of the gas proportional valve 66 and the like. Will be done.

The water supply W is supplied from the water supply pipe 80 to the secondary heat exchanger 50, passes through the secondary heat exchanger 50, and then is guided to the primary heat exchanger 48. The hot water HW after heat exchange of the heat exchangers 48 and 50 is guided to the hot water supply pipe 82. A bypass pipe 86 is provided between the water supply pipe 80 and the hot water supply pipe 82, and the water supply W can be mixed with the hot water HW. The bypass pipe 86 mixes the water supply W with the hot water HW after heat exchange in order to enhance the responsiveness to the set temperature at the time of hot water supply. The hot water HW is injected into the bathtub 14 through the circulation path 12 by the water injection pipe 88 which is an example of the water injection unit 6 (FIG. 1). The water injection pipe 88 is used as water injection into the bathtub 14 for both the hot water HW after heat exchange and the water supply W before heat exchange.
The water supply pipe 80 is provided with a water supply temperature sensor 90 and a water amount sensor 92, and the hot water supply pipe 82 is provided with a hot water temperature sensor 96, a water control valve 98, and a mixing temperature sensor 100. The bypass tube 86 is provided with a bypass solenoid valve 102.

The water supply temperature sensor 90 detects the water supply temperature. The water amount sensor 92 detects the amount of water supplied to the water supply pipe 80. The hot water temperature sensor 96 detects the hot water temperature after heat exchange. The bypass solenoid valve 102 controls the amount of water supplied to the water supply W to be mixed with the hot water HW. The water control valve 98 is used to control the amount of water supply and the amount of hot water supplied. The mixed temperature sensor 100 detects the mixed water temperature of the hot water HW and the water supply W.
The water injection pipe 88 is provided with a hot water injection solenoid valve 104, a hot water injection amount sensor 106, and a check valve 108. The hot water pouring solenoid valve 104 is used for adjusting the amount of hot water poured into the bathtub 14. The pouring amount sensor 106 measures the pouring amount. The check valve 108 is a means for cutting off the water supply pipe 80 and the hot water supply pipe 82 from the bathtub water BW.

A drain receiver 110 is provided on the secondary heat exchanger 50 side, and the drain D generated by heat exchange is collected in the drain receiver 110. The drain D of the drain receiver 110 is guided to the neutralizer 113 through the drain pipe 112 to be neutralized, and then stored in the drain tank 10. The drain D of the drain tank 10 is guided to the return pipe 12-1 of the circulation path 12 through the drain pipe 114. The drain pipe 114 is provided with a check valve 116. The check valve 116 is a means for cutting the edge between the circulation path 12 and the drain pipe 114.

The circulation path 12 is provided with temperature sensors 118 and 120, a two-way valve 122, a three-way valve 124, a circulation pump 18, and a bathtub water level sensor 24. The temperature sensor 118 detects the temperature of the bathtub water BW coming out of the bathtub 14 of the bathtub water BW. The temperature sensor 120 detects the temperature of the bathtub water BW entering the bathtub 14. The two-way valve 122 is used to open and close the circulation path 12. The three-way valve 124 is used when the drain D from the drain pipe 114 is poured into the return pipe 12-1 of the circulation path 12. The circulation pump 18 is driven when the bathtub water BW is reheated, the hot water HW is poured into the bathtub 14, or the drain D is discharged. The bathtub water level sensor 24 is used to detect the water level of the bathtub water BW of the bathtub 14.
The hot water reheating device 42 is provided with a control unit 128, and is provided with a bathroom remote control device and a kitchen remote control device (not shown) as means for operation control and operation instruction.
In this hot water reheating device 42, the drain discharge unit 4 is composed of a drain pipe 114, a circulation path 12, and a bathtub 14 as an example, but is not limited thereto.

<Control unit 128>
FIG. 6 shows an example of the control unit 128. The control unit 128 includes a hot water supply control unit 130 configured by a computer, a bathroom remote control unit 132 installed in the bathroom remote control device, and a kitchen remote control control unit 134 installed in the kitchen remote control device.
The hot water supply control unit 130 includes a processor 136, a memory unit 138, a communication unit 140, and an input / output unit (I / O) 142. The processor 136 executes an OS (Operating System), a hot water supply reheating program, a drain discharge program, etc. stored in the memory unit 138. The memory unit 138 is composed of storage elements such as ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random-Access Memory), and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). In addition to the drain discharge program, the bathtub data table 28 is stored as the bathtub database described above.

The communication unit 140 is controlled by the processor 136 and is used for data communication with the communication unit 166 of the kitchen remote controller control unit 134 and the communication unit 150 of the bathroom remote controller control unit 132.
The I / O 142 includes a water flow switch 20, a bath water level sensor 24, a drain level sensor 40, a pouring amount sensor 106, a drainage timer 144, and other outputs, a circulation pump 18, a water control valve 98, a pouring electromagnetic valve 104, and two. It is used to take out the control output to the square valve 122, the three-way valve 124, and the like.
The drain timer 144 is used as a standby time for draining the drain D for a certain period of time, for example, a clock of 3 minutes.

Like the hot water supply control unit 130, the bathroom remote controller control unit 132 includes a processor 146, a memory unit 148, a communication unit 150, and an I / O 152. The processor 146 performs automatic operation start and presentation thereof, display of control information, alert output of drain discharge abnormality, and the like, as well as linked control with the hot water supply control unit 130.
The I / O 152 is used for input input from the automatic operation switch 154, lighting or extinguishing of the LED (Light Emitting Diode) 156 as an indicator, display output of the liquid crystal display 158, and extraction of audio output from the speaker 160.

The kitchen remote controller control unit 134 is provided with a processor 162, a memory unit 164, a communication unit 166, and an I / O 168, similarly to the hot water supply control unit 130. The processor 162 performs automatic operation start and presentation thereof, display of control information, alert output of drain discharge abnormality, and the like, as well as linked control with the hot water supply control unit 130.
The I / O 168 is used for taking in an input from the automatic operation switch 170, turning on or off the LED 172 as an indicator, displaying an output of the liquid crystal display 174, and taking out an audio output from the speaker 176.

<Drain D discharge treatment>
FIG. 7 shows the discharge treatment of the drain D of the hot water supply reheating device 42. Hot water HW after heat exchange is used for this wastewater treatment. In this processing procedure, the drain discharge timing is detected and the drain is discharged. It is determined whether the drain level DL is higher level Href or higher (DL ≧ Href) (S200). This drain level DL may be detected by the drain level sensor 40. If the drain level DL is higher level Href or higher (YES in S200), it is the drain discharge timing, so that S201 to S204 are skipped and the transition to S205 is performed, and the process proceeds to the drain discharge process. If the drain level DL is less than the upper level Href (NO in S200), the bathtub water level is monitored by the bathtub water level sensor 24 in order to detect the drain discharge timing by opening the bathtub plug 16 (S201). It is determined whether the bathtub tap 16 is opened and the bathtub water level is lower than the reference water level (bathtub water level <reference water level) due to drainage of the bathtub water BW or the like (S202). If the bathtub water level is less than the reference water level (YES in S202), the time counting of the drainage timer 144 is started (S203). The drain timer 144 time-ups for a certain period of time, for example, 3 minutes, which is sufficient for the remaining bath water BW to be drained. It is determined whether the drainage timer 144 has timed up (S204). It waits until 3 minutes have elapsed, and after 3 minutes have elapsed, the circulation pump 18 is driven and the presence or absence of the remaining hot water in the bathtub 14 is confirmed (S205). The presence or absence of the remaining hot water may be determined by the output of the water flow switch 20, which is an example of the water flow detecting means, whether or not the remaining hot water flows in the circulation path 12.

It is determined whether or not the remaining hot water is in the bathtub 14 (S206), and if there is remaining hot water in the bathtub 14 (NO in S206), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S207), and S208 to S215 are skipped for this process. Is completed, and drain D is not discharged.
If there is no bathtub water BW (remaining hot water) in the bathtub 14 (YES in S206), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S208) and a drain discharge circuit is established (S209). The drain discharge circuit is a drain D discharge path from the drain tank 10 to the bathtub 14, or from the drain tank 10 to the outside of the bathtub 14 in which the bathtub plug 16 is opened.
A in FIG. 8 shows the amount of water at the initial water level, and B in FIG. 8 shows the state in which the bathtub 14 is empty. At the timing of S209, as shown in B of FIG. 8, the bathtub 14, the circulation path 12, and the like are empty.
After the drain discharge circuit is established, the circulation pump 18 is driven (S210), and the drain D is discharged from the drain tank 10 to the bathtub 14 through the drain discharge circuit. During the operation of the circulation pump 18, it is determined whether the drain D has been discharged (S211). The determination of the end of discharge may be the measurement of the time during which the discharge can be completed even when the drain D in the drain tank 10 is full, or the lower level detection electrode 40-2 of the drain tank 10 in FIG. It may be detected that the level is below the lower level Lref. If the drain D is completely discharged (YES in S211), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S212) and the pouring circuit is established (S213). The hot water injection circuit is a hot water supply path from the hot water supply pipe 82 to the bathtub 14 through the water injection pipe 88 and the circulation path 12. The establishment of this pouring circuit is to open the pouring solenoid valve 104 of the water pouring pipe 88 and establish a state in which the hot water HW can pour hot water into the bathtub 14. From this pouring circuit, pouring a certain amount of water into the bathtub 14 also for cleaning the circulation path 12, for example, pouring a water amount W1 corresponding to the bathtub water level 3 [cm] (S214), and then a circulation pump for a predetermined time. 18 is driven to discharge the residual water in the circulation path 12 (S215), and this process is completed.
If the bathtub plug 16 is opened while 3 minutes of S204 has elapsed, the bathtub 14 becomes empty as shown in FIG. 9A. While the 3 minutes of S204 have elapsed, drainage is considered to be completed in this state, and when the bathtub plug 16 is closed, the drainage becomes incomplete. That is, as shown in the state B of FIG. 9, the pouring water (S214) of the drain D and the water amount W1 corresponding to the bathtub water level 3 [cm] remains in the bathtub 14 or the like.

<Fully automatic operation [1]>
FIG. 10 shows a processing procedure of the fully automatic operation [1] of the hot water supply reheating device 42. The processing procedure of this automatic operation [1] is a processing for acquiring the water level information 32 (B in FIG. 3) of the bathtub 14 when the hot water supply reheating device 42 is installed.
In this processing procedure, it is necessary to turn on the automatic operation switch 154 or the automatic operation switch 170, and ON of the automatic operation switch 154 or the automatic operation switch 170 is a condition for executing data storage. It is determined whether the automatic operation switch 154 or 170 is ON (S301), and if the automatic operation switch 154 or 170 is ON (YES in S301), a predetermined amount, for example, 10 [liters] of hot water is poured (S302). ).
The circulation pump 18 is driven, and the presence or absence of remaining hot water is confirmed (S303). If there is remaining hot water (NO in S304), S307 to S317 are skipped, the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S305), and after drainage, a re-execution instruction is output from the remote controller (S306), and this process is terminated.
If there is no remaining hot water (YES in S304), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S307), a predetermined amount of hot water is poured again to fill the circulation passage 12 with water, the two-way valve 122 is closed, and the outgoing pipe 12 is used. Start pouring from -2 (S308).

The treatments of S309 to S314 are performed during the pouring. It is determined whether the initial water level is detected by the bathtub water level sensor 24 (S309). If the initial water level is detected (YES in S309), the sensor value Lini and the water amount Vini are stored as the initial water level (S310).
At this timing, as shown in FIG. 8A, the bathtub 14 is filled with water up to the initial water level, and the circulation passage 12 and the like are filled with water. That is, the amount of water Vini also includes the amount of water in the pipe.
It is determined whether the water level sensor value has reached the Lini + predetermined level, for example, 8 [cm] or more (water level sensor value ≧ Lini + 8 [cm]) (S311).
If the water level sensor value ≧ Lini + 8 [cm] (YES in S311), the sensor value (Lst = measured value-Lini) and the water amount (Vst = measured value-Vini) are stored as the reference water level (S312).
Here, the water amount W1 corresponding to the water level 3 [cm] and the water amount W2 corresponding to 2 [cm] in the bathtub 14 are calculated and stored.
The following methods can be considered for the calculation of W1 and W2.
Pattern 1: The standard height of the circulation port is 15 [cm]. Therefore, from the initial water volume Vini stored in S310,
W1 = Vini / 15 × 3 ・ ・ ・ (3)
W2 = Vini / 15 × 2 ・ ・ ・ (4)
And.
Pattern 2: The initial water level Lini + 3 [cm] is detected before the reference water level Lst (initial water level Lini + 8 [cm]) is detected in S311. Let the amount of hot water be W1. The amount of water W2 is determined by the calculated W1.
W2 = W1 / 3 × 2 ・ ・ ・ (5)
And.
Not limited to the above calculation method, the water amount W1 corresponding to the water level 3 [cm] and the water amount W2 corresponding to 2 [cm] in each bathtub 14 may be obtained.
The pouring is continued, and it is determined whether the water level sensor value is equal to or higher than the set water level (water level sensor value ≥ set water level) (S314). If the water level sensor value ≥ the set water level (YES in S314), the water amount Vd per stage is stored as the set water level (S315).
After storing the amount of water Vd, pouring is stopped, the two-way valve is opened (S316), the circulation pump 18 is driven, and reheating is performed until the set temperature is reached (S317), and this process is completed.

<Fully automatic operation [2]>
FIG. 11 shows a processing procedure of the fully automatic operation [2] of the hot water supply reheating device 42. The processing procedure of this automatic operation [2] is the operation after data storage by the automatic operation [1] (FIG. 8).
In this processing procedure, it is determined whether the automatic operation switch 154 or 170 is ON (S401), and if the automatic operation switch 154 or 170 is ON (YES in S401), it is determined whether the drain is discharged last time (YES). S402). This is a confirmation that the discharge treatment of FIG. 7 has been carried out most recently on the bathtub 14, and the treatment after S208 has been carried out. If there is no drain discharge last time (NO in S402), S403 to S409 are skipped and the process proceeds to S410.
If there was drainage drainage last time (YES in S402), the presence or absence of remaining hot water is confirmed by the bathtub water level sensor 24 (S403).

If there is remaining hot water (NO in S404), it is determined that water injection has been performed without passing through the hot water supply reheating device 42 after draining, skipping S405 to S409, and transitioning to S410.
If there is no remaining hot water (YES in S404), it is in the state shown in A of FIG. 9 or B of FIG. 9, which is the final state of the discharge treatment of FIG. Is poured (S405).
As a result, in the case of A in FIG. 9, the state shown in A in FIG. 12 is reached, and the initial water level does not reach Lini. Further, in the case of B in FIG. 9, the state shown in B in FIG. 12 is obtained, which exceeds the initial water level Lini.
If the circulation pump 18 is driven (S406), it is determined whether or not the water flow switch 20 is turned on (S407), and if the water flow switch 20 is turned on (YES in S407), the state is shown in B of FIG. Either or both of the warning sound and the warning display are output as the drainage abnormality (S408), and this process is terminated.
If the water flow switch 20 is not turned on (NO in S407), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S409), the amount of water up to the set water level is poured (S410), and the water is boiled to the set temperature (S411).
It should be noted that the re-execution of the pouring after drainage may be performed after the alert is released after the drain is discharged together with the alert output.

<Effect of Example 1>
According to this Example 1, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Even if the bathtub plug 16 of the bathtub 14 is accidentally closed when the drain D is discharged, the abnormality is automatically determined from the water level after the initial pouring of the bathtub 14 at the next hot water filling, and the abnormality is alerted. It can be announced by the output.
(2) This alert can be notified by voice or display from the bathroom remote controller or the kitchen remote controller, and the user can easily recognize the abnormality of the drain discharge.

(3) If the abnormality of the drain discharge is recognized, the bathtub plug 16 may be opened at that time and the bathtub 14 may be emptied.
(4) Abnormality of drain discharge can be determined by pouring the initial amount of hot water, and if this is discharged at the time of abnormality, the drain D can be discharged to the outside of the bathtub, and the bathtub 14 can be washed at the same time with the initial amount of hot water poured.
(5) If there is an abnormality in the drain discharge, the pouring after the alert is output is stopped, so the waste of pouring can be prevented.
(6) In Example 1, after draining the drain D, a certain amount of water is injected as a washing pouring water, so that the detection accuracy of the drainage abnormality can be improved when the remaining drain D is small, and the residual drain D can be prevented. can do.
(7) If the volume of the bathtub is large, the water level will be about 1 [cm] or less if the pouring amount is 15 [liters], for example, and the bathtub for half-body bathing, etc. In a bathtub with a small area near the circulation port, a certain amount of hot water is poured, for example, 15 [liters] is too large and the water level is much higher than the circulation port. Since the determined water amount is determined according to the above, such inconvenience can be eliminated. For example, the water injection amount after draining is set to the water amount W1 corresponding to the water level 3 [cm] based on the bathtub area at the height near the circulation port, and the water amount W2 corresponding to the water level = 2 [cm] is smaller than the initial water amount. Since hot water is poured, the accuracy of water level determination can be improved. That is, the amount of water corresponding to the water level of 3 [cm] is injected after the drain is discharged, and at the next automatic hot water filling, the water is poured to a water level 2 [cm] lower than the position of the circulation port 22, and then the water is circulated. If the mouth 22 is submerged, it may be determined that the drain drain water remains.
(8) The bathtub water level can be measured by the water level sensor, and the water amount can be measured by the water amount sensor 92 or the pouring amount sensor 106. .. In this embodiment, the following patterns 1 and 2 can be assumed as an example of the method of calculating the amount of water.
In pattern 1, assuming the standard height of the circulation port 22 = 15 [cm], when the initial water level is detected, the amount of water per 1 [cm] is calculated from the "water injection amount up to that point / 15". Thereby, the amount of water of 2 [cm] = W2, 3 [cm] = W1 can be calculated.
In pattern 2, between the detection of the initial water level and the detection of the reference water level (initial water level +8 [cm]), the amount of water up to the initial water level +3 [cm] is connected to the circulation port 22 for draining when the drain is discharged. It is detected by the bathtub water level sensor 24. The amount from the detected water level to the rise of the water level by 3 [cm] is defined as the water injection amount W1 after draining, and 2/3 of the water injection amount is defined as the water amount W2 which is smaller than the initial water amount. By any of such patterns 1 and 2, the accuracy of determining the residual drain D can be improved.

<Drain D discharge treatment>
FIG. 13 shows a processing procedure for discharging drain D according to the second embodiment.
In the treatment procedure of the second embodiment, the drain discharge timing is detected and the drain is discharged as in the discharge treatment of the first embodiment. It is determined whether the drain level DL is higher level Href or higher (DL ≧ Href) (S500). This drain level DL may be detected by the drain level sensor 40. If the drain level DL is higher level Href or higher (YES in S500), it is the drain discharge timing, so that S501 to S504 are skipped and the transition to S505 is performed, and the drain discharge process is started. If the drain level DL is less than the upper level Href (NO in S500), the bathtub water level is monitored (S501) and the bathtub water level <reference water level is determined (S502) in order to detect the drain discharge timing by opening the bathtub plug 16. If the bathtub water level is less than the reference water level, the time measurement of the drainage timer 144 is started (S503), the time-up judgment of the drainage timer 144 (S504), the drive of the circulation pump 18, the confirmation of the remaining hot water (S505), and the rest of the bathtub 14. After the determination of hot water (S506), if there is remaining hot water in the bathtub 14 (NO in S506), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S507), S508 to S516 are skipped and the process ends, and drain D is not discharged. ..

If there is no bathtub water BW (remaining hot water) in the bathtub 14 (YES in S506), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S508), and it is determined whether the drain level DL is less than the lower level Lref (DL <Lref) (S509). This drain level DL may be detected by the drain level sensor 40.
If DL <Lref (YES in S509), there is no drain D to be discharged, so S510 to S513 are skipped and the transition to S514 is performed in order to perform normal piping clean. In this case, the amount of hot water poured in S515 may be a predetermined amount capable of cleaning the circulation path 12, for example, 10 [liters].
If DL <Lref (NO in S509), a drain discharge circuit is established (S510), a circulation pump 18 is driven (S511), and drain D is discharged from the drain tank 10 to the bathtub 14 through the drain discharge circuit.
It is determined whether the drain level DL is less than the lower level Lref (DL <Lref) (S512).
If DL <Lref (NO in S512), drain D will continue to be discharged. If DL <Lref (YES in S512), the circulation pump 18 is stopped (S513), and the pouring circuit is established (S514).
A fixed amount of hot water is poured from the hot water filling circuit into the bathtub 14 to clean the circulation path 12, for example, a water amount W1 corresponding to the bathtub water level 3 [cm] is poured (S515), and then the circulation pump 18 is used for a predetermined time. Is driven to discharge the residual water in the circulation path 12 (S516), and this process is completed.

<Effect of Example 2>
According to this Example 2, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When the drain is not accumulated, the drain discharge process can be omitted, and the drain discharge process can be performed only when the drain D is accumulated, and the efficiency of the process can be improved.
(2) The drain level DL of the drain tank 10 can be monitored, and the drain D stored in the drain tank 10 can be reliably discharged.
(3) The drain level DL of the drain tank 10 is monitored, and the circulation pump 18 is driven only until the drain D stored in the drain tank 10 becomes lower than the lower level Lref, which is the reference level. The pump drive time can be minimized.

FIG. 14 shows the hot water supply reheating device 42 according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the hot water supply reheating device 42 of the first embodiment is configured to a specific implementation level.
In the third embodiment, the combustion chambers 44-1 and 44-2 and the air supply fans 76-1 and 76-2 of the first embodiment are configured as a single combustion chamber 44 and a single air supply fan 76 to be compact. ing.
An exhaust port 178 is provided on the burner 52 side, and an exhaust port 180 is provided on the burner 58 side to ventilate the inside of the device.
Since the other configurations are the same as those in FIG. 5, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of each member is omitted.

<Effect of Example 3>
According to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of one embodiment, the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above can be obtained, and in addition to making the device compact, the drain D can be prevented from remaining in the bathtub 14. In the hot water reheating device capable of fully automatic operation, the inside of the bathtub 14 can be cleaned.

[Other embodiments]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the first and second embodiments are described individually for the discharge of the drain D, but the configuration may include both of them.
(2) In the above embodiment, the hot water supply and the reheating function are described, but the present invention may be applied to a hot water supply / reheating / heating device having a heating function, or may be applied to a heat medium heating device. May be good.
(3) In the drain discharge treatment (FIG. 7), pouring is illustrated in S214, but pouring may be used instead of pouring without burner combustion and heat exchange.

As described above, the drain discharge method, the most preferable embodiment of the drain discharge device and the hot water supply device, and the like have been described. The present invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the form for carrying out the invention. Needless to say, such modifications and modifications are included in the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, even if the bathtub plug is accidentally closed when the drain D is discharged to the bathtub, the drain D discharge abnormality can be determined by the water injection operation, and the abnormality is notified by an alert, which is inconvenient for the residual drain. Can be avoided in advance, which is beneficial.

D Drain W Water supply HW Hot water BW Bath water 2 Drain discharge device 4 Drain discharge part 6 Water injection part 8 Alert output part 10 Drain tank 12 Circulation route 14 Bath 16 Bath plug 18 Circulation pump 20 Water flow switch 22 Circulation port 24 Bath water level sensor 26 Bath Bottom 28 Bath data table 30 Bath information 32 Water level information 32-1 Initial water level information 32-2 Standard water level information 32-3 Set water level information 34 Introduction port 36 Discharge port 38 Overflow port 40 Drain level sensor 42 Hot water reheating device 44 Combustion chamber 44-1 Hot water supply combustion chamber 44-2 Reheating combustion chamber 48 Primary heat exchanger 50 Secondary heat exchanger 52 Burner 54 Combustion exhaust 56 Heat exchanger 58 Burner 60 Combustion exhaust 62 Fuel gas supply pipe 64 Original gas electromagnetic valve 66 Gas proportional valve 68 Switching electromagnetic valve 70 Gas electromagnetic valve 72 Switching electromagnetic valve 74 Gas electromagnetic valve 76-1, 76-2 Air supply fan 80 Water supply pipe 82 Hot water supply pipe 86 Bypass pipe 88 Water injection pipe 90 Water supply temperature sensor 92 Water volume sensor 96 Hot water temperature sensor 98 Water control valve 100 Mixing temperature sensor 102 Bypass electromagnetic valve 104 Hot water injection electromagnetic valve 106 Hot water injection amount sensor 108 Check valve 110 Drain receiver 112, 114 Drain pipe 113 Neutralizer 116 Check valve 118, 120 Temperature sensor 122 Two-way valve 124 Three-way valve 128 Control unit 130 Hot water supply control unit 132 Bathroom remote control unit 134 Kitchen remote control control unit 136, 146, 162 Processor 138, 148, 164 Memory unit 140, 150, 166 Communication unit 142, 152, 168 Input / output Part 154, 170 Automatic operation switch 156, 172 LED
158, 174 LCD display 160, 176 Speaker 178, 180 Exhaust port

By the way, when the drain of the drain tank is drained through the bathtub, only the bathtub is used for the drainage route, and the drain is not mixed in the bathtub water. For this reason, when draining the drain of the drain tank from the circulation path to the bathtub and draining it from the drain port of the bathtub to the drain pan, after draining the drain, water is supplied to the bathtub through the circulation path to drain the piping of the circulation path and the bathtub. Measures are taken to prevent residual water.
Such drain discharge is based on the premise that the bathtub plug is opened, and if the bathtub plug is accidentally closed, the draining drain will remain in the circulation path or the bathtub, and the drain will be mixed into the bathtub water. There is a problem that it will end up. Even if a predetermined amount of water or hot water is supplied for cleaning, drainage cannot be discharged from the bathtub if it is closed. If the user closes the bathtub plug and switches to automatic hot water supply without noticing this drain discharge, there is a risk of such drain remaining, and if the drain is mixed in the bath water, the drain is colorless and transparent, so the bathtub. There is a problem that it is not possible to determine whether or not drain is mixed in the water.
By the way, the inventor of the present application injects a certain amount of water when draining the drain into the bathtub, also for cleaning the pipeline through which the drain has passed. We have obtained the knowledge that the residual drainage can be confirmed depending on whether or not it exceeds the circulation port .

Therefore, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to determine the residual drainage by injecting water after draining the drain and to encourage the user to drain the drain .

Claims (3)

It is a drain monitoring method that monitors the residue of drain discharged through the bathtub in the bathtub.
The process of monitoring drain discharge and
After the drainage is completed, the step of monitoring the amount of water injected into the bathtub and the process of monitoring the amount of water injected into the bathtub.
A step of outputting a determination result indicating that there is drain residue in the bathtub when a part or all of the circulation port of the bathtub is submerged when the water injection amount is equal to or less than the reference water amount.
Drain monitoring methods, including. A drain discharge part that drains drain through the bathtub,
The drain discharge is monitored, and after the drain discharge is completed, the amount of water injected into the bathtub is monitored, and when the amount of water injected is equal to or less than the reference water amount and a part or all of the circulation port of the bathtub is submerged, the drain is drained into the bathtub. A judgment unit that outputs a judgment result indicating that there is a residue,
A drain monitoring device. A hot water supply device including the drain monitoring device according to claim 2.

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