JP2635498B2 - Water heater - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water heater in which a shower head is provided with operating means for instructing start and stop of tapping.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a water heater in which an operation switch for instructing start or stop of hot water is disposed in both a water heater housing and a shower head (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 233940/1990).
No.). If the hot water temperature setting means is added to the water heater, the temperature of the hot water discharged from the shower head can be adjusted in a wide range from slightly hot water to hot water (about 100 ° C.).

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned water heater to which the tap water temperature setting means is added, the operation switch on the shower head side is operated while the tap water temperature setting means is set to a high temperature range. When the start is instructed, the operation switch on the shower head side and the discharge port are close to each other, so that the hand may erroneously cross the area below the discharge port and touch hot water after the operation, which may surprise the user.

An object of the present invention is to improve the safety of a water heater in which both shower head and water heater housing are provided with operating means for instructing start and stop of tapping.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a heat exchanger through which water passes, a water heater housing containing a combustor for heating the heat exchanger, and A tapping pipe connected to a heat exchanger and extending from the water heater housing, a shower head fitted to the tip of the tapping pipe, a fuel supply amount to the combustor, and passing through the heat exchanger. Hot water temperature setting means for instructing increase / decrease of water amount, housing-side operation means for instructing start or stop of hot water supply, which is arranged in the water heater housing, and arranged in the shower head for instructing start or stop of hot water supply. A head-side operating means, wherein when the tapping temperature setting means is set to a high temperature range, a tapping start instruction by the head-side operating means is invalidated.

[0006]

In the case where the tapping temperature setting means is set in the middle / low temperature range where relatively low-temperature hot water is discharged from the shower head, any of the tapping start instructions by the head-side operating means and the housing-side operating means is valid. When one of the operation means is operated, hot water having the temperature set by the hot water temperature setting means is discharged from the shower head. If the tapping temperature setting means is set in a high temperature region where the hot water is discharged from the shower head, the tapping start instruction by the head-side operating means is invalidated and the showering start instruction is issued by the head-side operating means. Hot water is not discharged from the head, and when a start of hot water is instructed by the housing-side operating means, hot water having the temperature set by the hot water temperature setting means is discharged from the shower head.

[0007]

When the tapping temperature setting means is set in a high temperature range where the hot water is discharged from the shower head, the hot water is discharged from the shower head even if the tapping operation is instructed by the head side operating means. Not safe.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in the figure, a gas water heater A includes a metal water heater housing 1, a hot water pipe 2 extending from the bottom of the water heater housing 1, and a shower fitted to a tip of the hot water pipe 2. A head 3 and a tap water temperature setting device 4 for adjusting the tap water temperature;
It has an operation switch 5 for instructing start and stop of tapping, and an optical sensor 6 for detecting a hand.

The water heater housing 1 has a viewing window 12 for confirming the combustion state of the gas burner 16 at the center of the front surface.
Depression 1 for sliding hot water temperature setting lever 41 left and right
3 is provided below the front surface. Further, inside the water heater housing 1, a heat exchanger 14 through which water passes, a water supply pipe 15 for supplying water to the heat exchanger 14, a gas burner 16 for heating the heat exchanger 14, and a gas burner 16 A gas line 17 for supplying gas to the fuel cell, a combustion controller 18 for controlling the combustion of the gas burner 16, and the like are provided.

The water supply pipe 15 is provided with a water stop valve 151 at the uppermost stream, a water governor valve 152 also functioning as a water pressure responsive member downstream thereof, and a water control valve 153 downstream of the water governor valve 152. It is arranged.

The gas burner 16 is ignited by a sparker 161, and the combustion state is monitored by a thermocouple 162 and a frame rod 163.

The gas pipeline 17 is provided with a water pressure responsive valve 17 connected to an electromagnetic safety valve 171 and a water governor valve 152 from the upstream side.
2. A gas governor valve 173 and a gas amount control valve 174 are arranged in this order. The gas amount adjusting valve 174 is connected to the hot water temperature setting lever 41 together with the water amount adjusting valve 153, and the gas amount and the water amount corresponding to the sliding amount of the hot water temperature setting lever 41 are supplied to the gas burner 16 and the heat exchanger 14, respectively. You.

The water flow switch 175 includes a water governor valve 152.
When the water governor valve 152 detects flowing water in the water supply pipe 15, the electric contact is closed.

The tapping pipe 2 is constructed by covering a metal flexible pipe with a resin pipe.

A shower head 3 having a discharge port 30 for hot water 32 formed on a lower surface thereof is formed of heat-resistant plastic and has a water flow switching device 3 for selecting either a shower or a straight water flow.
1 is assembled.

The hot water temperature setting device 4 is provided with a hot water temperature setting lever 41.
When the hot water temperature setting lever 41 is slid in the low temperature direction (left side in the figure), the gas amount control valve 174 is throttled, and the water amount control valve 153 is squeezed.
And a known connecting member (not shown) configured to increase the degree of opening of the gas amount control valve 174 and squeeze the water amount control valve 153 when the valve slides in a high temperature direction (right in the drawing). The temperature of the hot water 32 discharged from the head 3 can be continuously adjusted from slightly hot water to hot water.

Reference numeral 42 denotes a high-temperature position detecting switch (normally open type). When the hot water temperature setting lever 41 is in the high-temperature hot water discharge range 411, a stem (not shown) is pushed by the hot water temperature setting lever 41 and the contact is closed. Close.

The operation switch 5 disposed below the front surface of the water heater housing 1 is a normally open push button switch whose contacts are closed by a light pressing operation.
Is electrically connected to When the operation switch 5 is pressed while the tapping is stopped, the start of tapping is recognized and the combustion controller 18 is started.
Makes the water stop valve 151 open, so that water flows through the water supply pipe 15. Then, since the water governor valve 152 detects flowing water and the electrical contact of the water flow switch 175 is closed, the combustion controller 18 opens the electromagnetic safety valve 171 and the sparker 161
Is turned on to ignite the gas burner 16, and hot water having the temperature set by the hot water temperature setting device 4 is discharged from the shower head 3. Also, when the operation switch 5 is pressed during tapping, the stoppage of tapping is recognized by the combustion controller 18 and the water shutoff valve 151 is closed, so that water does not flow through the water supply pipe 15 and the discharge of hot water 32 is stopped. At the same time, the water governor valve 152 no longer detects flowing water, and the electrical contact of the water flow switch 175 is opened, so that the combustion controller 18 closes the electromagnetic safety valve 171 and extinguishes the gas burner 16.

The optical sensor 6 is composed of a light emitting diode for emitting infrared rays in the side direction of the shower head 3 and a phototransistor for receiving infrared rays reflected by a hand or the like.
The covered wire runs along the gap between the resin tube and the flexible tube and is electrically connected to the combustion controller 18. When the hand is put out of the shower head 3 while the hot water is stopped, the reflected infrared light is received by the phototransistor, and the combustion controller 18 recognizes the presence of the hand. At this time, if the contact point of the high-temperature position detection switch 42 is in the open state (outside the high-temperature hot-water discharge range 411), the combustion controller 18 sets the water shutoff valve 151 to the open state and sets the hot water temperature from the shower head 3 as described above. Hot water 32 of the temperature set by the vessel 4 is discharged. When the contact of the high-temperature position detection switch 42 is in the closed state (high-temperature hot water discharge range 411), the combustion controller 18 maintains the closed state of the water shutoff valve 151, so that the hot water 32 is not discharged. When the hand is put out to the side of the shower head 3 during tapping, the reflected infrared light is received by the phototransistor, the combustion controller 18 recognizes the presence of the hand, and the combustion controller 18 closes the water stop valve 151. In this state, the discharge of the hot water 32 stops and the gas burner 16 extinguishes as described above.

Hereinafter, the operation of the combustion controller 18 of the gas heater A will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step s1, the presence or absence of the pressing of the operation switch 5 is detected. If no pressing is detected (NO), the process proceeds to step s2. If the pressing is detected (YES), the process proceeds to step s9 to set the flag I to 1, and then to step s4. Proceed to. In step s2, the hand is detected by the optical sensor 6, and if the hand is not detected (NO), the process returns to step s1, and if the hand is detected (YES), the process proceeds to step s3 to set the flag I to 0, and then to step s4. Proceed to. At step s4, it is determined whether or not hot water is being supplied.
If it is not hot (NO), proceed to step s5; if it is hot (YES), proceed to step s8. Steps
At 5, it is determined whether or not the flag I = 0.
If it is 0 (YES), the process proceeds to step s6, and the flag I =
In the case of 1 (NO), the process proceeds to step s7. Step s6
Then, it is determined whether or not the contact of the high-temperature position detection switch 42 is in the closed state (high-temperature hot-water discharge range 411). If not (NO), the process proceeds to step s7, where the high-temperature hot-water discharge range is set. If it is 411 (YES),
It returns to step s1. In the case of YES at step s6, a buzzer may be sounded. In step s7,
The water stop valve 151 is opened, hot water having the temperature set by the hot water temperature setting device 4 is discharged from the shower head 3, and the process returns to step s1. In step s8, the water stop valve 151 is closed, the discharge of the hot water 32 is stopped, the gas burner 16 is extinguished, and the process returns to step s1.

Hereinafter, advantages of the gas water heater A of this embodiment will be described. (A) When the hot water temperature setting lever 41 is located in the hot water discharge range 411 where the hot water is discharged from the shower head 3, the water stop valve 151 is opened even if the optical sensor 6 detects a hand. No (YES in step s2 → step s3 → NO in step s4 → YES in step s5 → step s
6 is YES). For this reason, even if the user puts his hand on the side of the shower head 3 while the hot water is stopped, the hot water is not discharged from the discharge port 30, and the user may be surprised by touching the hot water. Excellent safety without.

(A) When hot water is required for cooking coffee or tea or for cooking, the hot water temperature setting lever 41 is slid to the hot water discharge range 411 and disposed on the water heater housing 1. When the operation switch 5 is pressed, high-temperature hot water can be obtained from the discharge port 30 of the shower head 3. In this case, since the operation switch 5 is separated from the shower head 3 from which the hot water is discharged, the hand does not touch the hot water, so that the operation switch 5 is safe.

(C) The use of the gas water heater A with the hand extended to the side of the shower head 3 is usually the hot water 32 at a non-high temperature.
Even if the automatic discharge of high-temperature hot water in 1 is prohibited, the usability does not deteriorate.

The present invention includes the following embodiments in addition to the above embodiment. a. In the above embodiment, the head-side operation means is the optical sensor 6 for detecting the hand inserted in the side direction of the shower head 3, but other principles (capacitance change, moving body detection by ultrasonic waves) are used. It may be a proximity switch or a contact switch for instructing start or stop of tapping by pressing. When the head-side operating means is this contact switch, the contact switch is operated by pressing the contact switch while holding the shower head 3 by hand. When 41 is located in the hot water discharge range 411, the hot water is not discharged even if the contact switch is operated, so that the hot water does not cause the shower head 3 to become hot and give the user discomfort. . b. When the tapping temperature setting means is set to the high temperature range, the tapping stop instruction by the head-side operation means may be invalidated. c. The hot water temperature setting lever 41 may be a rotary knob, or the knob may have the function of the operation switch 5 (push-push). d. By operating the hot water temperature setting lever 41, the gas amount control valve 1
74 or one of the water amount control valves 153 may be controlled. e. In the present embodiment, whether or not the tapping temperature setting means is set in the high temperature range is determined by closing and opening the contact of the high temperature position detection switch 42, but when the tapping temperature setting means is a variable resistor, The determination may be made based on the magnitude of the resistance value. f. The housing side operation means may be an optical sensor.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a gas water heater according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a structural explanatory view of the gas water heater.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the gas water heater.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List A gas water heater (water heater) 1 water heater housing 2 tapping tube 3 shower head 4 tapping temperature setting device (tapling temperature setting means) 5 operation switch (housing side operation means) 6 optical sensor (head side operation means) 14 Heat exchanger 16 Gas burner (combustor)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A water heater housing containing a heat exchanger through which water passes, and a combustor for heating the heat exchanger, connected to the heat exchanger and extending from the water heater housing. A hot water supply pipe, a shower head fitted to the tip of the hot water supply pipe, a hot water temperature setting means for instructing an increase or a decrease in the amount of fuel supplied to the combustor or the amount of water passing through the heat exchanger, A housing-side operating means arranged in the vessel housing and instructing start or stop of hot water; and a head-side operating means arranged in the shower head and instructing start or stop of hot water. A water heater that invalidates a tapping start instruction from the head-side operation means when the water heater is set in the range.