JP2022096871A - Hot water supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

To use hot water stored in a bathtub at a hot temperature for a longer time when disaster forecast information is acquired and hot water filling in the bathtub is performed.SOLUTION: A hot water supply system 1 includes a water heater 10 for performing hot water filling in a bathtub, an information acquiring unit 72 for acquiring disaster forecast information through a communication network, and a control unit 71 which makes the water heater 10 perform hot water filling in the bathtub at a higher temperature when the information acquiring unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information than a temperature of hot water filling performed when the information acquiring unit 72 does not acquire the disaster forecast information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a hot water supply system.

In a hot water supply system having a function of supplying hot water to a hot water supply target, a system for storing water in a bathtub in the event of a disaster is known. For example, Patent Document 1 includes a tub provided with an automatic drain plug, a bath hot water supply device having a hot water filling function for the tub, and a remote controller with a television function that enables remote control of the bath hot water supply device and viewing of television broadcasting. In addition, the remote controller with a TV function describes an automatic water filling system in the event of a disaster that activates a bath hot water supply device to fill the bathtub with water when an emergency warning broadcast from a broadcasting station is received.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-45839 (paragraph 0012, FIG. 1)

In the conventional automatic water filling system in the event of a disaster, even if an emergency warning broadcast, which is information such as a disaster notice, is received and the bathtub is filled with hot water, the user does not immediately use the hot water in the bathtub. When the hot water was tried to be used, the temperature of the hot water had already dropped, which could make the user's usability worse.

This disclosure is made to solve the above problems, and when disaster forecast information is acquired and hot water is poured into the bathtub, the hot water stored in the bathtub can be used at high temperature for a longer period of time. A hot water supply system is obtained.

The hot water supply system according to the present disclosure includes a hot water supply machine that fills a bathtub, an information acquisition unit that acquires disaster forecast information via a communication network, and a hot water supply unit when the information acquisition unit acquires disaster forecast information. It is provided with a control unit for executing the hot water beam to the bathtub at a temperature higher than the temperature of the hot water beam, which is executed when the information acquisition unit does not acquire the disaster forecast information.

According to the present disclosure, when disaster forecast information is acquired and hot water is poured into a bathtub, the hot water stored in the bathtub can be used at a high temperature for a longer period of time.

It is an overall block diagram of the hot water supply system which shows Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of the water heater of the hot water supply system which shows Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front view of the kitchen remote controller of the hot water supply system which shows Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart of the control procedure of the hot water beam at the time of a disaster of the hot water supply system which shows Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart of the control procedure of the hot water beam at the time of a disaster of the hot water supply system which shows embodiment 2.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the hot water supply system 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply system 1 includes a water heater 10, a control unit 71, and an information acquisition unit 72. In the present embodiment, the control device 70 provided in the water heater 10 has a control unit 71 and an information acquisition unit 72.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the water heater 10. The water heater 10 fills the bathtub 60 with hot water. In the present embodiment, the water heater 10 is a hot water storage type water heater. As shown in FIG. 2, the water heater 10 includes a heat pump unit 11 and a tank unit 20. The heat pump unit 11 and the tank unit 20 are connected to each other by piping and electrical wiring (not shown). The heat pump unit 11 is a device for heating water. The tank unit 20 is a device having a hot water storage tank 21 for storing water inside. The heat pump unit 11 in the present embodiment is an example of a heating means for heating low-temperature water led from the hot water storage tank 21.

The heat pump unit 11 includes a compressor 12, a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13, an expansion valve 14, and an air heat exchanger 15. The compressor 12, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 13, the expansion valve 14, and the air heat exchanger 15 are connected in an annular shape in this order by the refrigerant pipe 16 to form a heat pump cycle. The heat pump unit 11 uses this heat pump cycle to heat water.

The water refrigerant heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing on the primary side and the water flowing on the secondary side. A high-temperature refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is guided to the primary side of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13 via the refrigerant pipe 16. Low-temperature water is guided from the hot water storage tank 21 to the secondary side of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13. The low-temperature water guided to the secondary side of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13 is heated by the high-temperature refrigerant flowing on the primary side. The heat pump unit 11 heats the low temperature water led from the hot water storage tank 21 of the tank unit 20 in this way.

The tank unit 20 includes a hot water storage tank 21, a pressure reducing valve 22, a bath heat exchanger 26, a bath circulation pump 27, a three-way valve 33, a four-way valve 34, a pump 35, an electromagnetic valve 36, and a hot water supply. It has a mixing valve 37 and a bath mixing valve 38.

The hot water storage tank 21 is a device for storing hot water inside. A water inlet 21a and a water outlet 21b are provided at the lower part of the hot water storage tank 21. A hot water introduction port 21c is provided between the central portion and the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 21. A hot water introduction outlet 21d is provided above the hot water storage tank 21.

One end of the first water supply pipe 23a is connected to the water introduction port 21a of the hot water storage tank 21. The other end of the first water supply pipe 23a is connected to the pressure reducing valve 22. The pressure reducing valve 22 is a device for adjusting the pressure of water flowing through the pipe. Further, one end of the second water supply pipe 23b is connected to the pressure reducing valve 22. The other end of the second water supply pipe 23b is connected to an external water source of the water heater 10. The water source is, for example, water services. Therefore, low temperature water is supplied to the second water supply pipe 23b from the water source. The low-temperature water supplied from the water source to the second water supply pipe 23b is adjusted to a predetermined pressure by the pressure reducing valve 22. The low-temperature water regulated by the pressure reducing valve 22 flows through the first water supply pipe 23a and flows into the hot water storage tank 21 from the water introduction port 21a. In this way, low-temperature water is supplied from the water source to the lower part of the hot water storage tank 21 via the second water supply pipe 23b, the pressure reducing valve 22, and the first water supply pipe 23a.

High-temperature water heated by the heat pump unit 11 flows into the upper part of the hot water storage tank 21 from the hot water introduction outlet 21d. That is, high-temperature water flows into the hot water storage tank 21 from the hot water introduction outlet 21d, and low-temperature water flows into the hot water storage tank 21 from the water introduction port 21a. In this way, water is stored in the hot water storage tank 21 so that a temperature difference occurs between the upper part and the lower part. For example, water at 80 ° C. is stored in the upper part of the hot water storage tank 21, and water at 10 ° C. is stored in the lower part in the hot water storage tank 21.

A plurality of temperature sensors are attached to the surface of the hot water storage tank 21 at different heights. In the present embodiment, the first hot water storage temperature sensor 24 and the second hot water storage temperature sensor 25 are attached to the surface of the hot water storage tank 21. The first hot water storage temperature sensor 24 is attached to the upper surface of the hot water storage tank 21. The second hot water storage temperature sensor 25 is attached to the lower surface of the hot water storage tank 21. By detecting the temperature distribution of the hot water in the hot water storage tank 21 using these plurality of temperature sensors, the amount of remaining hot water in the hot water storage tank 21 can be grasped. The number of temperature sensors is not limited to the above, and three or more temperature sensors may be attached to the surface of the hot water storage tank 21.

The bath heat exchanger 26 is a heat exchanger for heating the heating target water flowing on the secondary side of the bath heat exchanger 26 by the high temperature water flowing on the primary side of the bath heat exchanger 26. In the present embodiment, high-temperature water is supplied from the hot water storage tank 21 or the heat pump unit 11 to the primary side of the bath heat exchanger 26. The water in the bathtub 60 is supplied to the secondary side of the bath heat exchanger 26 as the water to be heated. One end of the bath return pipe 28 is connected to the inflow port on the secondary side of the bath heat exchanger 26. The other end of the bath return pipe 28 is connected to the bathtub 60 via the bathtub adapter 61. The bathtub adapter 61 is attached to the wall surface of the bathtub 60. One end of the bath going pipe 29 is connected to the outlet on the secondary side of the bath heat exchanger 26. The other end of the bath going pipe 29 is connected to the bathtub 60 via the bathtub adapter 61.

The bath circulation pump 27 is provided in the bath return pipe 28. The bath circulation pump 27 is a pump for circulating the water in the bathtub 60 to the bath return pipe 28, the secondary side of the bath heat exchanger 26, and the bath going pipe 29. By driving the bath circulation pump 27, water circulates in the bathtub 60, the bathtub adapter 61, the bath return pipe 28, the secondary side of the bath heat exchanger 26, and the bath going pipe 29. In this way, the water in the bathtub 60 is supplied to the secondary side of the bath heat exchanger 26.

In the bath return pipe 28, a bath return temperature sensor 30 is installed between the bath circulation pump 27 and the bathtub 60. The bath return temperature sensor 30 detects the temperature of the water flowing out from the bathtub 60 to the bath return pipe 28. A bath going temperature sensor 31 is installed in the bath going pipe 29. The bath temperature sensor 31 detects the temperature of water after heat exchange through the bath heat exchanger 26. Further, a water flow sensor 53 is provided in the bath going pipe 29. The water flow sensor 53 detects the presence or absence of water flow in the bath going pipe 29. The water flow sensor 53 is an example of the residual hot water detecting means described later.

The three-way valve 33 functions as a flow path switching means and has an a port and a b port which are inlets and a c port which is an outlet. One end of the water outlet pipe 39 is connected to the a port of the three-way valve 33. The other end of the water outlet pipe 39 is connected to the water outlet 21b of the hot water storage tank 21. The water outlet pipe 39 is a pipe that guides the low-temperature water stored in the lower part of the hot water storage tank 21 from the water outlet 21b to the three-way valve 33. One end of the water outlet pipe 40 is connected to the b port of the three-way valve 33. The other end of the water outlet pipe 40 is connected to the outlet on the primary side of the bath heat exchanger 26. The water outlet pipe 40 is a pipe that guides the water flowing out from the primary side of the bath heat exchanger 26 to the three-way valve 33. One end of the heat pump going pipe 41 is connected to the c port of the three-way valve 33. The other end of the heat pump going pipe 41 is connected to the inflow port on the secondary side of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13 of the heat pump unit 11. The heat pump going pipe 41 is a pipe that guides water from the tank unit 20 to the heat pump unit 11.

With such a configuration, the three-way valve 33 switches the flow path between the two flow path forms. The first flow path form is a flow path form in which the water outlet 21b of the hot water storage tank 21 and the water refrigerant heat exchanger 13 communicate with each other via the water outlet pipe 39 and the heat pump forward pipe 41. The second flow path form is a flow path form in which the bath heat exchanger 26 and the water refrigerant heat exchanger 13 communicate with each other via the water outlet pipe 40 and the heat pump going pipe 41.

The pump 35 is a device for flowing water through various pipes of the water heater 10. In the present embodiment, the pump 35 is provided in the heat pump going pipe 41. Further, in the heat pump going pipe 41, a cooling circulation temperature sensor 54 is provided on the downstream side of the pump 35. The cooling circulation temperature sensor 54 detects the temperature of the water flowing through the heat pump going pipe 41.

The four-way valve 34 functions as a flow path switching means and has an a port and a b port which are inlets and a c port and d port which are outlets. One end of the heat pump return pipe 42 is connected to the a port of the four-way valve 34. The other end of the heat pump return pipe 42 is connected to the outlet on the secondary side of the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13. The heat pump return pipe 42 is a pipe that guides water from the heat pump unit 11 to the tank unit 20. The heat pump unit 11 and the tank unit 20 are connected to each other by a heat pump forward pipe 41 and a heat pump return pipe 42. One end of the first bypass pipe 43 is connected to the b port of the four-way valve 34. The other end of the first bypass pipe 43 is connected to the heat pump going pipe 41 between the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13 and the pump 35. One end of the second bypass pipe 44 is connected to the c port of the four-way valve 34. The other end of the second bypass pipe 44 is connected to the hot water introduction port 21c of the hot water storage tank 21. One end of the hot water supply pipe 45 is connected to the d port of the four-way valve 34. The other end of the hot water supply pipe 45 is connected to the hot water introduction outlet 21d of the hot water storage tank 21. The hot water supply pipe 45 is a pipe for sending the high-temperature water heated by the heat pump unit 11 to the primary side of the hot water storage tank 21 and the bath heat exchanger 26.

With such a configuration, the four-way valve 34 switches the flow path between the four flow path forms. The first flow path form is a flow path form in which the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13 and the hot water supply pipe 45 communicate with each other via the heat pump return pipe 42. The second flow path form is a flow path form in which the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 13 and the second bypass pipe 44 communicate with each other via the heat pump return pipe 42. The third flow path form is a flow path form in which the first bypass pipe 43 and the second bypass pipe 44 communicate with each other. The fourth flow path form is a flow path form in which the first bypass pipe 43 and the hot water supply pipe 45 communicate with each other.

One end of the water introduction pipe 46 is connected in the middle of the hot water supply pipe 45. The connection portion between the hot water supply pipe 45 and the water introduction pipe 46 is the first connection portion 45a. The other end of the water introduction pipe 46 is connected to the inlet on the primary side of the bath heat exchanger 26. The water introduction pipe 46 is a pipe for allowing high-temperature water to flow into the primary side of the bath heat exchanger 26. Further, one end of the first hot water supply pipe 47 is connected between the first connection portion 45a of the hot water supply pipe 45 and the other end of the hot water supply pipe 45 connected to the hot water introduction outlet 21d. The connection portion between the hot water supply pipe 45 and the first hot water supply pipe 47 is a second connection portion 45b. The first hot water supply pipe 47 is a pipe for supplying the high temperature water heated by the heat pump unit 11 or the high temperature water stored in the hot water storage tank 21 to the outside of the water heater 10.

The hot water supply mixing valve 37 has a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet. The bath mixing valve 38 has a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet. The other end of the first hot water supply pipe 47 is branched into two. One of the other ends of the first hot water supply pipe 47 branched into two is connected to the first inlet of the hot water supply mixing valve 37, and the other is connected to the first inlet of the bath mixing valve 38.

One end of the third water supply pipe 23c is connected to the pressure reducing valve 22. Therefore, the other end of the first water supply pipe 23a, one end of the second water supply pipe 23b, and one end of the third water supply pipe 23c are connected to the pressure reducing valve 22. The other end of the third water supply pipe 23c is branched into two. One of the other ends of the third water supply pipe 23c branched into two is connected to the second inlet of the hot water supply mixing valve 37, and the other is connected to the second inlet of the bath mixing valve 38. The third water supply pipe 23c is a pipe for supplying low-temperature water from the water source to the hot water supply mixing valve 37 and the bath mixing valve 38. In the present embodiment, the pressure reducing valve 22, the first water supply pipe 23a, the second water supply pipe 23b, and the third water supply pipe 23c constitute a water supply pipe for supplying low-temperature water from the water source to the water supply machine 10. There is.

One end of the second hot water supply pipe 48 is connected to the outlet of the hot water supply mixing valve 37. The other end of the second hot water supply pipe 48 is connected to the faucet 50 outside the water heater 10 via the hot water tap 49. The faucet 50 is an example of a hot water outlet terminal used by a user. The faucet 50 is provided in, for example, a shower or a curan. The hot water supply mixing valve 37 supplies high-temperature hot water supplied from the hot water storage tank 21 via the first hot water supply pipe 47 and low-temperature water supplied from the water source via the second water supply pipe 23b and the third water supply pipe 23c. The mixture is mixed at an appropriate temperature, and hot water having an appropriate temperature is supplied to the faucet 50 via the second hot water supply pipe 48.

One end of the third hot water supply pipe 51 is connected to the outlet of the bath mixing valve 38. The other end of the third hot water supply pipe 51 is connected to, for example, the bath going pipe 29 between the bath heat exchanger 26 and the bath going temperature sensor 31.

The solenoid valve 36 is a device that opens or closes a flow path in a pipe provided with the solenoid valve 36. In the present embodiment, the solenoid valve 36 is provided in the third hot water supply pipe 51 in order to control the supply of water from the tank unit 20 to the bathtub 60. The solenoid valve 36 opens and closes the flow path in the third hot water supply pipe 51.

The third hot water supply pipe 51 is provided with a flow rate sensor 52 between the solenoid valve 36 and the bath mixing valve 38. The flow rate sensor 52 is a device that detects the flow rate of water flowing in the third hot water supply pipe 51.

The bath mixing valve 38 connects high-temperature hot water supplied from the hot water storage tank 21 via the first hot water supply pipe 47 and low-temperature water supplied from the water source via the second water supply pipe 23b and the third water supply pipe 23c. It is mixed at an appropriate temperature, and hot water having an appropriate temperature is supplied to the bathtub 60 via the third hot water supply pipe 51 and the bath going pipe 29. By stopping the supply of hot water by the solenoid valve 36 when the amount of hot water in the bathtub 60 becomes appropriate, the hot water in the bathtub 60 can be filled.

The bottom of the bathtub 60 is provided with a drainage port connected to a drainage pipe (not shown). The drain port of the bathtub 60 is provided with an automatic drain plug 62 that opens and closes the drain port. When the automatic drain plug 62 is closed, hot water can be stored in the bathtub 60. By opening the automatic drain plug 62, the hot water in the bathtub 60 can be drained to the outside from the drain port. The automatic drain plug 62 is opened and closed by being driven by a driving means such as an electric motor.

Further, the hot water supply system 1 is provided with a residual hot water detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60. In the present embodiment, the above-mentioned water flow sensor 53 is provided as the residual hot water detecting means. When there is hot water in the bathtub 60, the hot water circulates in the bath return pipe 28 and the bath going pipe 29 by operating the bath circulation pump 27, so that the water flow in the bath going pipe 29 is caused by the water flow sensor 53. Detected. As a result, it is detected that there is hot water in the bathtub 60. On the other hand, when there is no hot water in the bathtub 60, even if the bath circulation pump 27 is operated, the hot water does not circulate in the bath return pipe 28 and the bath going pipe 29, so that the water flow sensor 53 uses the water in the bath going pipe 29. Does not detect the flow of. As a result, it is detected that there is no hot water in the bathtub 60.

The control device 70 is electrically connected to each device of the water heater 10 and each sensor, and controls each device of the water heater 10. That is, the control device 70 electrically includes the compressor 12, the expansion valve 14, the bath circulation pump 27, the three-way valve 33, the four-way valve 34, the pump 35, the solenoid valve 36, the hot water supply mixing valve 37, and the bath mixing valve 38. It is connected. Further, the control device 70 electrically includes a first hot water storage temperature sensor 24, a second hot water storage temperature sensor 25, a bath return temperature sensor 30, a bath going temperature sensor 31, a flow rate sensor 52, a water flow sensor 53, and a cooling circulation temperature sensor 54. It is connected. Further, the control device 70 is electrically connected to the automatic drain plug 62 and controls the operation of the automatic drain plug 62. The control device 70 detects whether the automatic drain plug 62 is closed or open, for example, based on a signal from the electric motor.

The control device 70 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer having an arithmetic processing device and a storage circuit. In this embodiment, the control device 70 is provided in the tank unit 20. Further, the control device 70 has a control unit 71, an information acquisition unit 72, and a storage unit 73. Various set values, programs, and the like for controlling the hot water supply system 1 are stored in advance in the storage unit 73. The control unit 71 controls various devices constituting the hot water supply system 1 based on the settings and programs stored in the storage unit 73. The information acquisition unit 72 acquires disaster forecast information, which will be described later.

The control device 70 is connected to a remote controller that accepts user operations related to operation operation commands and changes in set values. In the present embodiment, as an example, two remote controllers, a kitchen remote controller 81 arranged in the kitchen of a house and a bathroom remote controller 82 arranged in the bathroom, are provided. The kitchen remote controller 81 and the bathroom remote controller 82 are examples of operation terminals on which the user can change the setting and operating state of the hot water supply system 1. Each of the kitchen remote controller 81 and the bathroom remote controller 82 is bidirectionally connected to the control device 70.

The kitchen remote controller 81 and the bathroom remote controller 82 have the same configuration, and an example of the configuration is shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the kitchen remote controller 81. The kitchen remote controller 81 has a display unit 81a, an audio output unit 81b, and an operation unit 81c. The display unit 81a displays information and the like regarding the hot water supply system 1. For example, the display unit 81a displays the operating state of the water heater 10 and various settings (hot water supply temperature, hot water beam temperature, hot water amount of hot water beam, etc.). The display unit 81a is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL display panel. By displaying the information about the hot water supply system 1 on the display unit 81a, the information can be notified to the user. The voice output unit 81b is composed of, for example, a speaker, and outputs information about the hot water supply system 1 or the like by voice. This makes it possible to notify the user of the information. The operation unit 81c has a button or the like that accepts a user's operation.

Further, an interface unit 83 is connected to the control device 70. The interface unit 83 is connected to the communication control device 84 by wire or wirelessly. In the example of FIG. 1, the interface unit 83 and the communication control device 84 are wirelessly connected to each other. As a result, the control device 70 is bidirectionally connected to the communication control device 84 via the interface unit 83. The communication control device 84 is connected to the Internet IN. The communication control device 84 is configured by, for example, a broadband router that connects a home network such as a LAN and an Internet IN. The home network and the Internet IN are examples of communication networks.

The tablet terminal 85 may be wirelessly connected to the communication control device 84. Further, a mobile terminal 86 such as a smartphone may be connected to the communication control device 84 via the Internet IN. The tablet terminal 85 and the mobile terminal 86 are examples of operation terminals. The tablet terminal 85 is connected to the communication control device 84 by the home network, and is bidirectionally connected to the control device 70 via the communication control device 84. The mobile terminal 86 is connected to the communication control device 84 via the Internet IN, and is bidirectionally connected to the control device 70 via the communication control device 84. The tablet terminal 85 and the mobile terminal 86 can function as operation terminals in the same manner as the kitchen remote controller 81 and the bathroom remote controller 82 by using a dedicated application.

The water heater 10 is individually identified and registered in the external server 87 on the Internet IN. The user manually inputs the identification information (name, address, postal code, device model name, serial number, MAC address, ID, etc.) into the dedicated application provided in the tablet terminal 85 or the mobile terminal 86. , The identification information is transmitted to the external server 87 via the Internet IN. This completes the individual identification registration of the water heater 10. After that, communication services such as individual operation commands and information provision are started between each of the external server 87, the tablet terminal 85, and the mobile terminal 86 and the hot water supply system 1.

Next, the operation of the hot water supply system 1 will be described. The control unit 71 controls the water heater 10 by driving each device based on the output from each sensor and the setting by the kitchen remote controller 81 or the like, and performs boiling operation, hot water supply operation, hot water filling operation, and the like. .. The boiling operation is an operation in which high-temperature hot water heated by the heat pump unit 11 is stored in the hot water storage tank 21. In the boiling operation, the heat pump unit 11 and the pump 35 are operated. The water led out from the lower part of the hot water storage tank 21 through the water outlet 21b is sent to the heat pump unit 11 through the water outlet pipe 39 and the heat pump going pipe 41 and is boiled. The hot water boiled by the heat pump unit 11 is returned to the upper part of the hot water storage tank 21 from the hot water introduction outlet 21d through the heat pump return pipe 42 and the hot water supply pipe 45.

The hot water supply operation is an operation in which hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 21 is used to supply hot water having a target hot water supply temperature set by the user to a hot water outlet terminal such as a faucet 50. The target hot water supply temperature is set by the kitchen remote controller 81, the bathroom remote controller 82, the tablet terminal 85, or the mobile terminal 86. The setting content of the target hot water supply temperature is transmitted to the control device 70 as an operation command from the kitchen remote controller 81 or the like operated by the user, and is stored in the storage unit 73. In the hot water supply operation, the high-temperature water stored in the upper part of the hot water storage tank 21 is taken out from the hot water introduction outlet 21d and supplied to the hot water supply mixing valve 37 via the first hot water supply pipe 47. Further, low-temperature water from the water source is supplied from the second water supply pipe 23b to the hot water supply mixing valve 37 through the pressure reducing valve 22 and the third water supply pipe 23c. In the hot water supply mixing valve 37, the high temperature water and the low temperature water supplied to the hot water supply mixing valve 37 are mixed and adjusted to the target hot water supply temperature. The water mixed by the hot water supply mixing valve 37 is supplied to the faucet 50 via the second hot water supply pipe 48 and the hot water supply tap 49. At this time, the control unit 71 feedback-controls the hot water supply temperature by driving the hot water supply mixing valve 37 while detecting the actual hot water supply temperature by, for example, a temperature sensor or the like.

The hot water beam operation is an operation in which hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 21 is used to fill the bathtub 60 with hot water. In the hot water beam operation, the electromagnetic valve 36 is opened, and the temperature detected by the bath going temperature sensor 31 is equal to the target hot water beam temperature, which is the hot water beam temperature set by the user with the kitchen remote control 81 or the like. The mixing ratio of the hot water supplied from the hot water supply pipe 47 and the low temperature water supplied from the third water supply pipe 23c is controlled by the bath mixing valve 38. The hot water whose temperature is controlled by the bath mixing valve 38 is supplied to the bathtub 60 through the third hot water supply pipe 51, the bath going pipe 29, and the bath returning pipe 28. Then, based on the information detected by the flow rate sensor 52, the control unit 71 has reached the target amount of hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60, which is the amount of hot water set by the user with the kitchen remote controller 81 or the like. If it is determined whether or not the target amount of hot water has been reached, the solenoid valve 36 is closed and the hot water filling operation is terminated.

The hot water supply system 1 has a function of preliminarily applying hot water in case of a power outage or water outage. Specifically, when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information, the control unit 71 causes the water heater 10 to perform hot water filling to the bathtub 60. Here, the disaster forecast information is information on forecasts of disasters such as power outages or water outages, information on warnings of disasters such as typhoons, heavy rains, and floods, and information on notices of power outages and water outages. include. The control of the hot water beam (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as “disaster hot water beam”) prepared for the water outage will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the control procedure of the hot water beam in the event of a disaster of the hot water supply system 1.

In the hot water supply system 1, control is started when the power is turned on. First, the information acquisition unit 72 determines whether or not the disaster forecast information has been acquired (step ST1). When the disaster forecast information is output to the area including the address of the registered user, the disaster forecast information is transmitted from the external server 87 to the control device 70 via the Internet IN. As a result, the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information. When the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information (step ST1, YES), the process proceeds to step ST2. When the information acquisition unit 72 does not acquire the disaster forecast information (step ST1, NO), this step ST1 is repeated.

In steps ST2 to ST5, it is determined that the remaining hot water in the bathtub 60 is drained. First, in step ST2, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the remaining hot water detecting means has detected the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60. In this embodiment, as described above, the water flow sensor 53 is used as the residual hot water detecting means. When the remaining hot water detecting means detects the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60 (step ST2, YES), the process proceeds to step ST3. If the remaining hot water detecting means does not detect the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60 (steps ST2 and NO), the process proceeds to step ST5.

In step ST3, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the drainage operation by the automatic drain plug 62 is permitted when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information. The user can set in advance whether to allow or prohibit this drainage operation by using the kitchen remote controller 81 or the like. If the drainage operation by the automatic drain plug 62 is permitted (step ST3, YES), the process proceeds to step ST4. If the drainage operation by the automatic drain plug 62 is not permitted, that is, prohibited (step ST3, NO), the process proceeds to step ST5.

In step ST4, the control unit 71 opens the automatic drain plug 62. After the preset drainage time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step ST5. In step ST5, the control unit 71 closes the automatic drain plug 62.

Subsequently, in step ST6, the control unit 71 sets the temperature and the amount of hot water to be carried out in the hot water in the event of a disaster. The setting of the temperature and the amount of hot water at the time of a disaster is stored in the storage unit 73 in advance. Further, the temperature and the amount of hot water in the event of a disaster may be set in advance by the user using an operation terminal such as a kitchen remote controller 81. The temperature and amount of hot water at the time of a disaster are set differently from the temperature and amount of normal hot water, that is, the temperature and amount of hot water implemented when the information acquisition unit 72 has not acquired the disaster forecast information. Specifically, the temperature of the hot water beam at the time of a disaster is set to a temperature higher than the temperature of a normal hot water beam. For example, a normal hot water beam is set to 41 ° C, but a disaster hot water beam is set to 45 ° C. In addition, the amount of hot water in a disaster is set to be larger than the amount of normal hot water. For example, the amount of hot water in a hot water beam at the time of a disaster is set to the maximum volume of the bathtub 60.

Subsequently, in steps ST7 to ST9, the user is notified of the implementation of the hot water beam in the event of a disaster. First, in step ST7, whether or not the control unit 71 is permitted to notify the kitchen remote controller 81, the bathroom remote controller 82, the tablet terminal 85, and the mobile terminal 86, which are the operation terminals, of the implementation of the hot water in the event of a disaster by voice. To judge. The user can set in advance whether to allow or prohibit the voice notification of the implementation of the hot water beam in the event of a disaster by using the kitchen remote controller 81 or the like. If the voice notification of the implementation of the hot spring in the event of a disaster is permitted (step ST7, YES), the process proceeds to step ST8. If the voice notification of the implementation of the hot spring in the event of a disaster is not permitted, that is, prohibited (steps ST7, NO), the process proceeds to step ST9.

In step ST8, the control unit 71 causes each of the kitchen remote controller 81, the bathroom remote controller 82, the tablet terminal 85, and the mobile terminal 86, which are the operation terminals, to indicate on each display unit that the hot water is to be performed in the event of a disaster, and each voice is displayed. It is output by voice from the output unit and notified to the user. In step ST9, the control unit 71 causes each of the kitchen remote controller 81, the bathroom remote controller 82, the tablet terminal 85, and the mobile terminal 86, which are operation terminals, to display on each display unit that the hot water is to be performed during a disaster, and the user. Notify to. After performing step ST8 or step ST9, the process proceeds to step ST10.

In step ST10, the control unit 71 stores the disaster forecast information and various setting information related to the implementation of the hot water beam at the time of a disaster in the storage unit 73. Then, the process proceeds to step ST11, and the control unit 71 causes the water heater 10 to start hot water filling the bathtub 60.

Subsequently, in step ST12, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the hot water beam at the time of a disaster has been completed. For example, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the amount of hot water in the hot water in the event of a disaster has been supplied to the bathtub 60 based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 52, and determines whether or not the hot water has been completed. If it is determined that the hot water beam at the time of a disaster is completed (step ST12, YES), the process proceeds to step ST13. If it is not determined that the hot water beam at the time of disaster is completed (step ST12, NO), step ST12 is repeated. In step ST13, the control unit 71 causes the water heater 10 to stop the hot water from the bathtub 60.

As described above, the hot water supply system 1 according to the present embodiment has a hot water supply machine 10 for hot water filling the bathtub 60 and an information acquisition unit 72 for acquiring disaster forecast information via a communication network. When the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information, the hot water beam to the bathtub 60 is sent to the water supply machine 10, and the temperature of the hot water beam is higher than the temperature of the hot water beam when the information acquisition unit 72 does not acquire the disaster forecast information. It includes a control unit 71 for carrying out the operation at a high temperature.

With such a configuration, the temperature of the hot water beam that is carried out when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information is the hot water beam that is normally carried out when the information acquisition unit 72 does not acquire the disaster forecast information. Higher than the temperature of. Therefore, the time until the hot water stored in the bathtub 60 cools is longer than that of a normal hot water beam, so that the hot water stored in the bathtub 60 can be used at a high temperature for a longer period of time.

Further, the control unit 71 has a larger amount of hot water than the amount of hot water in the water heater 10 when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information and the information acquisition unit does not acquire the disaster forecast information. The amount of hot water is used to fill the bathtub 60 with hot water. With such a configuration, a larger amount of hot water than a normal hot water beam can be stored in the bathtub 60, and a larger amount of hot water can be used when water is cut off or the like.

The hot water supply system 1 further includes an automatic drain plug 62 that opens and closes the drain port of the bathtub 60, and a residual hot water detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60. When the residual hot water detecting means detects the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60 when the disaster forecast information is acquired, the automatic drain plug 62 is opened, the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60 is discharged, and then the automatic drain plug 62 is closed. , The water heater 10 is made to carry out hot water filling to the bathtub 60. With such a configuration, even if the remaining hot water in the bathtub 60 is forgotten to be drained, when the remaining hot water detecting means detects the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60, the automatic drain plug 62 is opened and the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60 is opened. Since the automatic drain plug 62 is closed and then the hot water is poured into the bathtub 60, fresh and clean hot water can be stored in the bathtub 60. When water is cut off, this clean hot water can be used as drinking water or cooking water, and the usability of the user can be improved.

In the control unit 71, whether or not to perform the drainage operation by the automatic drain plug 62 when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information is set in advance. With such a configuration, when the drainage operation by the automatic drain plug 62 is set to be performed, fresh and clean hot water can be stored in the bathtub 60 as described above. Further, for example, when the hot water stored in the bathtub 60 is not used as drinking water or cooking water, and the drainage operation by the automatic drainage plug 62 is set not to be performed, the drainage time by the automatic drainage plug 62 is eliminated. , The time until the hot water filling to the bathtub 60 is completed can be shortened.

The hot water supply system 1 is further provided with an operation terminal that is communicably connected to the control unit 71 and allows the user to change the setting and operating state of the hot water supply system 1. In the present embodiment, a kitchen remote controller 81, a bathroom remote controller 82, a tablet terminal 85, and a mobile terminal 86 are provided as operation terminals. With such a configuration, it is possible to change the settings such as the temperature of the hot water beam and the amount of hot water according to the preference of the user, so that the convenience can be improved.

The operation terminal notifies the user of the execution of hot water filling in the bathtub 60 by the water heater 10 when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information by at least one of voice and display. With such a configuration, the user can know that the hot water is being carried out by acquiring the disaster forecast information. Further, this can prevent the user from misunderstanding that the hot water supply system 1 is malfunctioning. Further, by notifying the user by voice, the user can recognize that the hot water is performed without the user looking at the screen of the display unit of the operation terminal. In addition, by performing the notification on all the operation terminals connected to the control unit 71, it is possible to more reliably notify the user of the execution of the hot water.

The operation terminal has a means for prohibiting the voice notification of the execution of the hot water to the bathtub 60 by the water heater 10 when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information. With such a configuration, it is possible to eliminate the annoyance of the user who is suddenly notified by voice that the hot water is being carried out by acquiring the disaster forecast information. However, even in this case, the notification by the display is carried out, so that the user can know that the hot water is being carried out.

The water heater 10 is provided with a storage unit 73 that stores the disaster forecast information and the setting information regarding the execution of hot water in the bathtub 60 by the water heater 10 when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information. There is. In the present embodiment, the control device 70 provided with the storage unit 73 is provided in the water heater 10. With such a configuration, even if a power failure occurs while hot water is being applied due to the acquisition of disaster forecast information, the device can be quickly reconfigured without communicating with the outside when returning. be able to.

In the present embodiment, the storage unit 73 provided in the control device 70 stores the disaster forecast information and the setting information regarding the execution of the hot water in the bathtub 60 by the water heater 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. .. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a storage unit 81d is provided in the kitchen remote controller 81, which is an operation terminal, and the storage unit 81d contains disaster forecast information and setting information regarding the execution of hot water in the bathtub 60 by the water heater 10. It may be remembered. With such a configuration, even if the water heater 10 is damaged by a disaster and the control device 70 fails, the hot water supply system 1 is reconfigured using the information stored in the storage unit of the operation terminal after restoration. be able to.

Further, the control device 70 has a control unit 71, an information acquisition unit 72, and a storage unit 73, but the control device 70 is not limited to this. For example, the kitchen remote controller 81, which is an operation terminal, may have the functions of the control unit 71, the information acquisition unit 72, and the storage unit 73, or the control device 70 and the kitchen remote controller 81 are jointly controlled. It may have the functions of the unit 71, the information acquisition unit 72, and the storage unit 73.

The control device 70 is connected to the communication control device 84 via the interface unit 83, but the control device 70 is not limited to this. For example, by providing a communication adapter in the kitchen remote controller 81 which is an operation terminal and connecting the kitchen remote controller 81 and the communication control device 84 so as to be able to communicate in both directions, the control device 70 controls communication via the kitchen remote controller 81. It may be connected to the device 84.

The tablet terminal 85 used in the home is connected to the control device 70 via the communication control device 84 and the interface unit 83, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the interface unit 83 may be configured to be directly connected to the tablet terminal 85 in the home via the home network so as to be communicable.

The water flow sensor 53 is used as the residual hot water detecting means, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as the remaining hot water detecting means, a water level sensor that detects the water level of the hot water accumulated in the bathtub 60 may be used.

The hot water supply system 1 performs hot water filling when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires disaster forecast information, but the user may selectively perform water filling by operating the operation terminal. This can save the use of unnecessary hot water.

Embodiment 2.
Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the control procedure of the hot water beam at the time of a disaster of the hot water supply system 101 in the present embodiment. It should be noted that the description of the part of the present embodiment similar to that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

The hot water supply system 101 has the same configuration as the hot water supply system 1 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but the control procedure is different from that of the hot water supply system 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the control procedure of the hot water supply system 101 is a control procedure of the hot water supply system 1 shown in FIG. 4 with a control step added between steps ST1 and ST2.

After step ST1, the control unit 71 transmits a notification requesting permission to carry out the hot water beam in the event of a disaster to the kitchen remote controller 81, the bathroom remote controller 82, the tablet terminal 85, and the mobile terminal 86, which are operation terminals (step ST21). Subsequently, in step ST22, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the user has permitted the implementation of the hot water beam during a disaster. Specifically, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the notification of permission has been received from the operation terminal such as the kitchen remote controller 81 in response to the notification requesting permission to carry out the hot water beam in the event of a disaster. When the notification of permission is received (step ST22, YES), the process proceeds to step ST2, and the subsequent steps are the same as the control procedure in the first embodiment. When the notification of permission is not received, that is, when the notification of disapproval is received (step ST22, NO), this flow is terminated without performing the hot water beam at the time of disaster.

In step ST21, the control unit 71 sends a notification requesting permission to carry out the hot water in the event of a disaster to all the operation terminals connected to the control unit 71. Further, in step ST22, when the control unit 71 receives the permission notification from one of the operation terminals connected to the control unit 71, the process proceeds to step ST2.

In the hot water supply system 101 of the present embodiment, when the information acquisition unit 72 acquires the disaster forecast information, the control unit 71 notifies the operation terminal of a notification requesting permission for the hot water supply machine 10 to execute hot water to the bathtub 60. When the notification of permission is received from the operation terminal in response to the notification requesting permission for the implementation, the water heater 10 is made to perform hot water filling to the bathtub 60. With such a configuration, the user can confirm whether or not the disaster hot water beam can be carried out before the disaster hot water beam is carried out, so that the disaster hot water beam can be carried out according to the user's situation, and the usability is improved. Can be made to.

In addition, it is included in the scope of the technical idea shown in the embodiment that each embodiment is appropriately combined, modified or omitted.

1, 101 Hot water supply system, 10 hot water supply machine, 11 heat pump unit, 12 compressor, 13 water refrigerant heat exchanger, 14 expansion valve, 15 air heat exchanger, 16 refrigerant piping, 20 tank unit, 21 hot water storage tank, 21a water introduction Port, 21b water outlet, 21c hot water inlet, 21d hot water inlet, 22 pressure reducing valve, 23a 1st water supply pipe, 23b 2nd water supply pipe, 23c 3rd water supply pipe, 24 1st hot water storage temperature sensor, 25 2nd hot water storage Temperature sensor, 26 Bath heat exchanger, 27 Bath circulation pump, 28 Bath return piping, 29 Bath return piping, 30 Bath return temperature sensor, 31 Bath return temperature sensor, 33 Three-way valve, 34 Four-way valve, 35 Pump, 36 Electromagnetic Valve, 37 Hot water supply mixing valve, 38 Bath mixing valve, 39 Water outlet piping, 40 Water outlet piping, 41 Heat pump outbound piping, 42 Heat pump return piping, 43 1st bypass piping, 44 2nd bypass piping, 45 Hot water supply Piping, 45a 1st connection, 45b 2nd connection, 46 water introduction pipe, 47 1st hot water supply pipe, 48 2nd hot water supply pipe, 49 hot water tap, 50 faucet, 51 3rd hot water supply pipe, 52 flow sensor, 53 water flow Sensor, 54 Cooling circulation temperature sensor, 60 tub, 61 tub adapter, 62 automatic drain plug, 70 control device, 71 control unit, 72 information acquisition unit, 73 storage unit, 81 kitchen remote control, 81a display unit, 81b audio output unit, 81c operation unit, 81d storage unit, 82 bathroom remote control, 83 interface unit, 84 communication control device, 85 tablet terminal, 86 mobile terminal, 87 external server, IN Internet.

Claims (10)

A water heater that fills the bathtub with hot water,
The information acquisition department that acquires disaster forecast information via the communication network,
When the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information, the hot water beam to the bathtub is applied to the water supply machine, and the temperature of the hot water beam is executed when the information acquisition unit does not acquire the disaster forecast information. A control unit that operates at a higher temperature,
A hot water supply system equipped with. The control unit is more than the amount of hot water in the hot water beam that is executed when the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information and the information acquisition unit does not acquire the disaster forecast information to the water heater. The hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein hot water is applied to the bathtub with a large amount of hot water. An automatic drain plug that opens and closes the drain of the bathtub,
Remaining hot water detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of hot water accumulated in the bathtub,
Further prepare
When the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information, the control unit opens the automatic drain plug when the residual hot water detecting means detects the hot water accumulated in the bathtub, and the information is accumulated in the bathtub. The hot water supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the automatic drain plug is closed after the hot water is discharged, and the water heater is allowed to perform hot water filling into the bathtub. The hot water supply system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is preset with whether or not to perform a drainage operation by the automatic drain plug when the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information. The hot water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an operation terminal that is communicably connected to the control unit and allows a user to change the setting and operating state of the hot water supply system. According to claim 5, the operation terminal notifies the user of the execution of hot water in the bathtub by the water heater when the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information by at least one of voice and display. The hot water supply system described. The hot water supply system according to claim 6, wherein the operation terminal has means for prohibiting the voice notification of the execution of hot water to the bathtub by the water heater when the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information. .. When the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information, the control unit sends a notification requesting permission for the water heater to execute hot water in the bathtub to the operation terminal, and grants the permission for the implementation. The hot water supply system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein when a notification of permission is received from the operation terminal in response to the requested notification, the water heater is made to perform hot water filling in the bathtub. The operation terminal is provided with a storage unit that stores the disaster forecast information and the setting information regarding the execution of hot water in the bathtub by the water heater when the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information. The hot water supply system according to any one of claims 5 to 8. The water heater is provided with a storage unit that stores the disaster forecast information and the setting information regarding the execution of hot water in the bathtub by the water heater when the information acquisition unit acquires the disaster forecast information. The hot water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images