JP2023114871A - Hot water supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

To recommend a bathing method that is more suitable according to a bathroom temperature and a water temperature of bath water.SOLUTION: A hot water supply system according to the present disclosure comprises: a water heater; a thermopile sensor that outputs a detection value according to a temperature of each of multiple locations in a bathroom where the water heater is used; and a controller configured to be able to acquire the detection value and to control the operation of the water heater. The controller acquires a wall temperature of the bathroom and a bath water temperature in a bathtub, based on the detection value, and changes a recommended bathing time, which is a standard for a bathing time, based on the wall temperature and the water temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to hot water supply systems.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a bath system. In the bath system of Patent Document 1, the bather leaves the bath based on the bather's physical condition information obtained by a thermometer that contacts the skin or an infrared non-contact thermometer, the temperature of the hot water, and the temperature of the bathroom. It has the function of determining the timing and sleep onset time to start sleep. Then, when the bather starts bathing, the timing of leaving the bath and the time of falling asleep are advised.

JP 2021-120604 A

In the bath system of Patent Literature 1, bather information is acquired using a skin-contacting thermometer or an infrared non-contact thermometer. However, the information provided by thermometers is scanty and offers only limited health appeal functionality.

In addition, some conventional hot water supply systems have a function to watch over bathers by human detection. A method is used to determine whether or not there is a person in the bathroom. However, this method is likely to produce an erroneous determination due to sudden temperature changes in the bathroom or the effects of solar radiation.

In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides an improved hot water supply system capable of recommending a more suitable bathing method according to the temperature of the bathroom and the temperature of bath water.

A hot water supply system according to the present disclosure includes a hot water heater, a thermopile sensor that outputs a detection value corresponding to the temperature of each of a plurality of locations in a bathroom where the hot water heater is used, and is configured to be able to acquire the detection value, a control device configured to be able to control the operation of the water heater, wherein the control device acquires the wall temperature of the bathroom and the water temperature of bath water in the bathtub based on the detected values, Based on the temperature and water temperature, change the recommended bathing time as a basis for bathing time.

According to the present disclosure, the thermopile sensor can acquire the wall surface temperature and bath water temperature, and thereby the recommended bathing time can be changed so that the bathing time corresponds to the bathroom environment. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of hot flashes, heat shock, heat stroke in the bathroom, and other discomforts of the bather due to bathing, and to provide a more comfortable bathing environment.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a hot water supply system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a projection view illustrating a state of looking inside a bathroom from a thermopile sensor used in the hot water supply system according to Embodiment 1; 4 is a diagram showing an example of temperature image data output by a thermopile sensor used in the hot water supply system according to Embodiment 1; FIG.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present disclosure, expressions such as “water”, “hot water”, and “hot water” are used, but these do not strictly limit the temperature of water. liquid water of any temperature, from hot to hot water.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a hot water supply system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. Hot water supply system 100 according to the present embodiment includes water heater 1 . The water heater 1 may be, for example, a hot water storage type water heater having a hot water storage tank, or may be an instantaneous water heater that generates hot water by burning fuel. A water heater 1 is provided with a control device 2 . The control device 2 includes a microcomputer or the like having a memory and a processor. The control device 2 has a function of controlling the operation of the water heater 1 to adjust the bathing environment to the bathing environment setting, which is the set condition. Specifically, for example, the control device 2 adjusts the temperature of the hot water supplied from the water heater 1 to the set temperature, and supplies the hot water to the bathtub 4 or the hot water supply destination such as a faucet and a shower.

The hot water supply system 100 includes a living room remote controller 5 and a bathroom remote controller 8 . A bathroom remote controller 8 is installed in a bathroom 3 in which a bathtub 4 is installed and can be operated from the bathtub 4. - 特許庁The room remote controller 5 is installed outside the bathroom 3, for example, in the kitchen where the bathroom 3 is installed, or in the living room. A plurality of room remote controllers 5 may be installed. In the following description, when there is no particular need to distinguish between the living room remote controller 5 and the bathroom remote controller 8, they are simply referred to as "remote controllers." The control device 2 and each remote controller are connected by wire or wirelessly so as to be bidirectionally communicable. The control device 2 and each remote control may be able to communicate via a network.

A remote control is an example of a user interface. The living room remote controller 5 has a display unit 7 for displaying information on a screen and an audio unit 6 for announcing information by voice. The display unit 7 and the audio unit 6 function as external notification means. The bathroom remote controller 8 also has a display section 11 for displaying information and an audio section 9 for announcing information by voice. The display unit 11 and the audio unit 9 function as notification means. Each remote controller also has an operation unit that can be operated by the user. The operation unit of the remote control functions as input means for receiving operation inputs of commands relating to the operation of the water heater 1 and setting values. By operating the operation unit, the user can remotely control the water heater 1 and perform various settings. Each remote control may have a touch screen that functions as both a display and an operation unit.

Instead of the living room remote controller 5 or separately from the living room remote controller 5, for example, an external communication device such as a smartphone may be configured to function as a user interface of the hot water heater 1. In this case, the external communication device is communicably connected to the control device 2 via, for example, a home network. Thereby, the user can operate the water heater 1 by inputting a command from the external communication device.

A thermopile sensor 10 is attached to the bathroom remote control 8. - 特許庁The thermopile sensor 10 is an array sensor in which infrared sensors are arranged in an array, and is capable of detecting the surface temperature within a visual field in a matrix.

FIG. 2 is a projection view schematically showing a state in which the interior of the bathroom 3 is viewed from the thermopile sensor 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the thermopile sensor 10 is installed so that its field of view includes the bathtub 4 and the bathroom wall surface 14 . Also, FIG. 2 shows an example in which the bathtub 4 is filled with bath water 12 and a bather 13 is taking a bath. As shown in FIG. 2, the thermopile sensor 10 captures a grid-like plane on which the visual range in the bathroom 3 is projected.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing temperature image data of the viewing range in the bathroom 3 acquired based on the output of the thermopile sensor 10. As shown in FIG. The thermopile sensor 10 outputs a detection value corresponding to the temperature of each of multiple locations in the bathroom 3 . More specifically, the thermopile sensor 10 converts a signal based on the temperature of the light-receiving part that has absorbed infrared rays from an object or person within the visual field range into detection values corresponding to each of a plurality of sections, as shown in FIG. Output. That is, the detected value of the thermopile sensor 10 is a value indicating the temperature of each section or a value correlated with the temperature.

The control device 2 is configured to be able to acquire the detection values of the thermopile sensor 10, and based on the detection values, it is possible to acquire the temperature parameter corresponding to the temperature of each section of the viewing range and the distribution of the temperature parameters of the viewing range. Specifically, as shown in the example of FIG. 3, the control device 2 controls the temperature of the wall surface of the bathroom 3, the temperature of bath water (hereinafter also referred to as "hot water temperature"), and the temperature corresponding to the bather's skin temperature. Parameters can be obtained. In addition, the control device 2 can perform various detections and determinations based on the acquired temperature parameters and their changes. Items detected or determined by the control device 2 will be specifically described below.

The control device 2 determines whether or not the bathtub 4 is filled with hot water based on the temperature parameter. Specifically, when the bathtub 4 is filled with hot water, as shown in FIG. rise to Therefore, for example, when the number of sections whose temperature parameter is higher than the first reference temperature out of all sections in the viewing range exceeds the first reference number, the control device 2 determines that the hot water is being filled. can judge. Here, the first reference temperature is a threshold that can detect the presence or absence of bath water. Therefore, the first reference temperature can be set in advance based on the value of the temperature parameter when the control device 2 acquires the temperature of the bath water refilled at the set refilling temperature, for example. Also, the first reference number is a value set in advance based on the number of sections corresponding to the installation location of the bathtub 4 within the viewing range.

The control device 2 also detects whether or not the bather 13 is bathing in the bathtub 4 based on the temperature parameters of each section. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the temperature parameter corresponding to the section 16 where the bather 13 exists is the temperature corresponding to the skin temperature of the bather 13 . Therefore, the control device 2 determines that, among the sections whose temperature parameter indicates the bathroom wall surface temperature, among the sections corresponding to the bathtub 4, the number of sections whose temperature parameter has risen to a temperature higher than the second reference temperature is When it is detected that the number exceeds the second reference number, the start of bathing by the bather 13 is detected. Here, the second reference temperature is a temperature lower than the first reference temperature, and is a threshold value for determining whether it is a human skin temperature. Therefore, for example, the second reference temperature can be set in advance based on the value of the temperature parameter when the control device 2 acquires the human skin temperature. The second reference number is set in advance based on, for example, a section corresponding to the bathtub 4 and a section corresponding to the size of the portion where the bather 13 protrudes from the bath water 12 when the bather 13 takes a bath. value. Further, the control device 2 determines that the bather 13 is taking a bath while the number of sections whose temperature parameter is higher than the second reference temperature in the section corresponding to the bathtub 4 continues to be greater than the second reference number. I judge.

Alternatively, the control device 2 may be configured to detect the start of bathing when the temperature parameters of more than a predetermined number of all sections become higher than a predetermined temperature such as the second reference temperature. Alternatively, the control device 2 detects the start of bathing when it detects that the temperature parameter in a predetermined number or more of the sections 17 in which the wall surface temperature of the bathroom 3 has been detected has significantly increased within a specific time period. may be configured.

Water heater 1 may include a sensor other than thermopile sensor 10 as means for detecting the start of bathing. For example, water heater 1 or bathtub 4 may include a water level sensor that detects the water level of bathtub 4 . In this case, the control device 2 can detect the start of bathing by the bather 13 based on the fact that the water level detected by the water level sensor has risen by a certain amount. In addition, among the sections whose temperature parameter indicates the wall surface temperature, among the sections corresponding to the bathtub 4, the number of sections whose temperature parameter has risen to a temperature higher than the second reference temperature is greater than the second reference number. The start of bathing by the bather 13 may be detected when it is detected that the water level has risen and that the water level detected by the water level sensor has risen by a certain amount. In addition, a human sensor or the like may be provided in the bathroom 3 to detect a bather. By combining the detections by these sensors, it is possible to more accurately determine whether to start bathing or leave the bath.

The control device 2 determines the position of the bather 13 in the bathtub 4 based on the temperature distribution indicated by the temperature parameter. As shown in FIG. 3, the temperature distribution in the bathroom 3 consists of a relatively low temperature portion corresponding to the wall surface temperature, a relatively high temperature portion near the first reference temperature corresponding to the temperature of the bath water, and It is divided into 13 intermediate temperature parts about the second reference temperature corresponding to the skin temperature. Therefore, the control device 2 can detect the bathing position of the bather 13 by identifying the section where the temperature parameter indicates the intermediate temperature.

In the present embodiment, the control device 2 further controls the operation of the water heater 1 or the notification by the remote control based on the above detection or determination. This will be explained below.

The control device 2 calculates a recommended bathing time, which serves as a bathing time reference, based on the wall surface temperature, hot water temperature, and skin temperature calculated based on the temperature parameters. There are no restrictions on how to calculate the recommended bathing time.

When the obtained wall surface temperature of the bathroom 3 is lower than the third reference temperature and the hot water temperature is higher than the fourth reference temperature, the controller 2 adjusts the recommended bathing time to be shorter. When the wall surface temperature is low and the hot water temperature is high, there is a risk of heat shock due to a sudden rise and fall in blood pressure due to a large temperature difference between bathing and leaving. Bathing for a long time not only lowers blood pressure but also increases blood concentration due to sweating, which can cause cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. Therefore, in an environment where the wall surface temperature is low and the hot water temperature is high, the recommended bathing time is adjusted to be short.

Further, when the wall surface temperature is higher than the third reference temperature and the hot water temperature is lower than the fourth reference temperature, the controller 2 adjusts the recommended bathing time to be longer. This is because, if the difference between the wall surface temperature and the water temperature of the bathing water is small, the bathing stimulates the parasympathetic nerves and provides fatigue recovery and relaxation effects.

There is no limitation on the method of shortening or lengthening the recommended bathing time. For example, it may be a method of uniformly shortening or lengthening the fixed time, or shortening or lengthening the time corresponding to the temperature difference. may be multiplied by a coefficient set by When the recommended bathing time is changed by the above control, the control device 2 notifies that the recommended bathing time has been shortened or lengthened through the voice units 6 and 9 or the display units 7 and 11 of the remote controller.

Further, the criteria for determining whether the recommended bathing time should be extended or shortened by the control device 2 are not limited to the comparison result between the wall surface temperature and the third reference temperature and the comparison result between the hot water temperature and the fourth reference temperature. For example, when the difference between the hot water temperature minus the wall surface temperature is greater than a predetermined first threshold, the control device 2 shortens the recommended bathing time, and the difference between the hot water temperature minus the wall surface temperature reaches a predetermined second threshold. It may be configured to extend the recommended bathing time if less than the threshold.

The control device 2 determines the time after the recommended bathing time (or the recommended bathing time after adjustment, if adjusted) from the time when the start of bathing of the bather 13 is detected as the time to leave the bath. The decided timing for leaving the bath is notified from the voice section 9 or the display section 11 of the bathroom remote control 8.例文帳に追加As a result, the bather 13 can know the bathing time suitable for recovery from fatigue and relaxation, and can leave the bath at an appropriate timing without causing hot flashes during bathing.

The controller 2 monitors the skin temperature of the bather 13 based on the temperature parameter while the bather 13 is bathing. When the skin temperature of the bather 13 rises above the fifth reference temperature during bathing, the operation of the water heater 1 is controlled to lower the hot water temperature. A rise in body temperature during bathing reduces the blood flow in the brain due to perspiration, and there is a risk of developing heatstroke in the bathroom, which causes consciousness disturbance. Therefore, when the skin temperature of the bather 13 is high, by lowering the temperature of the hot water, the body temperature rise of the bather is suppressed and the onset of heat stroke in the bathroom is suppressed. When the temperature of the hot water is lowered, the control device 2 notifies the skin temperature of the bather 13 and notifies that the temperature of the hot water has been lowered from the audio unit 9 or the display unit 11 of the bathroom remote controller 8 . The method for lowering the hot water temperature is not limited, but examples thereof include heat exchange and water injection.

If the amount of change in the temperature parameter according to the skin temperature of the bather 13 during the period from the detection of the start of bathing to the elapse of the first reference time is greater than the sixth reference temperature, the control device 2 controls the bathroom remote controller 8 It may be configured to notify that the user is recommended to leave the bath by the voice unit 9 or the display unit 11 of the above. By this notification, the bather 13 can choose to leave the bath or lower the temperature of the hot water to avoid heatstroke in the bathroom.

When the wall surface temperature at the start of hot water filling is lower than the seventh reference temperature, the control device 2 turns on the bathroom heater (or bath dryer) (not shown) via the bathroom remote controller 8, the living room remote controller 5, or an external communication device. It may be configured to notify that driving is recommended. One of the causes of heat shock is that blood vessels constrict and blood pressure rises in a cold bathroom, and then bathing causes blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to drop sharply. Therefore, if the difference between the wall surface temperature and the hot water temperature is reduced by operating the bathroom heater or the like, the occurrence of heat shock to the bather 13 can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the control device 2 uses the remote controller 5 or the external notification means of the external communication device to control the start of bathing of the bather 13, the presence or absence of the bather 13, the recommended time to leave the bather 13, the time when the bather 13 and information such as whether or not the bather 13 has left the bath. Further, the control device 2 determines that an abnormality has occurred when the bather's withdrawal from the bath is not detected for the second reference time after detecting the bathing start of the bather. Here, the case where leaving the bath is not detected is, for example, the case where the temperature parameter does not show an effective change and the water level sensor does not detect a change for the second reference time after detecting the start of bathing. Alternatively, there may be a case where there is no response to the bathroom remote controller 8 for a predetermined time after the bather 13 is recommended to leave the bath. When the control device 2 determines that an abnormality has occurred, it notifies the occurrence of the abnormality through at least one of the room remote controller 5 and the external communication device. By informing the outside of the abnormality, early detection can be made even when heat shock occurs.

As described above, according to the hot water supply system 100 of the present embodiment, the thermopile sensor 10 can acquire changes in the bather's 13 skin temperature, wall surface temperature, and hot water temperature. And the bathing method according to the condition of the bather can be recommended.

In the present embodiment, the case where various controls are executed based on the wall surface temperature, skin temperature, and hot water temperature calculated based on the output of thermopile sensor 10 and changes in temperature distribution has been described. However, the hot water supply system according to the present disclosure is not limited to having the function of executing all the controls described above, and may be configured to execute any one or more of the controls.

In the above embodiments, when referring to numbers such as the number, quantity, amount, range, etc. of each element, unless otherwise specified or clearly specified by the number in principle, the reference The number is not intended to limit the invention. Also, the structures, steps, etc. described in this embodiment are not necessarily essential to the present invention, unless otherwise specified or clearly specified in principle.

1 hot water heater 2 control device 3 bathroom 4 bathtub 5 living room remote controller 6 audio unit 7 display unit 8 bathroom remote controller 9 audio unit 10 thermopile sensor 11 display unit 12 bath water 13 bather 14 bathroom wall surface, 15, 16, 17 compartments, 100 hot water supply system

Claims (15)

a water heater;
a thermopile sensor that outputs a detection value corresponding to the temperature of each of a plurality of locations in the bathroom where the water heater is used;
a control device configured to be able to acquire the detected value and configured to be able to control the operation of the water heater;
with
The control device acquires the wall surface temperature of the bathroom and the water temperature of bath water in the bathtub based on the detected values, and uses the wall surface temperature and the water temperature as a reference for bathing time. change the recommended bathing time,
A hot water supply system characterized by: a notifying means capable of notifying information about the operating state of the water heater,
The control device notifies, by the notifying means, the time to leave the bath according to the recommended bathing time, or information on a change in the recommended bathing time.
The hot water supply system according to claim 1, characterized by: The thermopile sensor outputs the detection value corresponding to each of a plurality of sections obtained by dividing a plane projected from the thermopile sensor into a bathroom into a grid,
The control device acquires the temperature of each of the plurality of compartments based on the detected values corresponding to each of the plurality of compartments.
The hot water supply system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: 3. The controller determines that the hot water is filled when the number of sections having a temperature higher than the first reference temperature among the plurality of sections is larger than the first reference number. The hot water supply system described in . The control device controls that, among the plurality of compartments corresponding to the portion where the bathtub is located, the temperature of the number of compartments larger than a second reference number is lower than the second reference temperature from the temperature corresponding to the wall surface temperature. 5. The hot water supply system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein when it detects that the temperature has changed to a high temperature, it detects that the bather starts bathing. Further comprising a water level sensor that detects the water level of the bathtub,
The control device is
Among the sections corresponding to the part where the bathtub is located among the plurality of sections, the temperature of a number of sections larger than a second reference number changed from the temperature corresponding to the wall surface temperature to a temperature higher than the second reference temperature. and when detecting that the water level of the bathing water has risen, detecting the start of bathing by the bather;
The hot water supply system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: 7. The hot water supply system according to claim 5, wherein the control device sets a time after the recommended bathing time elapses from the time when the start of bathing is detected, as the leaving time. 8. When the wall surface temperature is lower than a third reference temperature and the water temperature is higher than a fourth reference temperature, the control device shortens the recommended bathing time. The hot water supply system according to any one of 1. 9. When the wall surface temperature is higher than a third reference temperature and the water temperature is lower than a fourth reference temperature, the controller extends the recommended bathing time. The hot water supply system according to any one of 1. The control device is
Acquiring the bather's skin temperature based on the detected value of the thermopile sensor,
operating the water heater to lower the temperature of the bath water when the skin temperature rises above a fifth reference temperature;
The hot water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: a notifying means capable of notifying information about the operating state of the water heater,
The control device is
Acquiring the bather's skin temperature based on the detected value of the thermopile sensor,
When the amount of change in the skin temperature during the period from when the bather starts bathing to when the first reference time elapses is greater than a sixth reference temperature, the notification means recommends the bather to leave the bath. to inform
The hot water supply system according to claim 10, characterized by: a notifying means capable of notifying information about the operating state of the water heater,
4. The control device, when the wall surface temperature is lower than a seventh reference temperature at the start of filling hot water into the bathtub, the notification means notifies that operation of the bathroom heater is recommended. 12. The hot water supply system according to any one of 1 to 11. Further comprising an external notification means installed outside the bathroom and connected to the control device so as to be able to communicate with each other,
The external notification means provides at least one of a start of bathing by the bather, presence/absence of the bather, a recommended time for the bather to leave the bath, a time for the bather to leave the bath, and whether or not the bather leaves the bath. reporting information by the external reporting means;
The hot water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: The control device is characterized in that, when the detection value does not change during the second reference time and no change in the water level of the bathtub is detected, the external notification means notifies the occurrence of an abnormality. Item 14. The hot water supply system according to Item 13. a reporting means capable of reporting information about the operating state of the water heater;
input means installed in the bathroom for receiving an input of a command relating to operation of the water heater;
an external reporting means installed outside the bathroom and capable of reporting information about the operating state of the water heater;
with
After recommending the bather to leave the bath by the notification means, the control device notifies the bather of an abnormality by the external notification means if there is no input to the input means.
The hot water supply system according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that:

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