JP2914857B2 - Hot water supply temperature control device for fully automatic bath equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hot water supply temperature control device for a fully automatic bath apparatus, and more particularly to a fully automatic bath for automatically supplying hot water and reheating a bath tub based on a preset bath temperature and water level. The present invention relates to a hot water supply temperature control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a hot water supply / reheating unit of a fully automatic bath apparatus, when a hot water temperature and a water level of a bath tub are set by a remote controller or the like, and an automatic operation switch is turned on, hot water supply to the bath tub is first started and the set water level is reached. When it reaches, stop the hot water supply, start driving the circulation pump in the reheating circuit, ignite the reheating burner, stop the reheating combustion when the water in the bath reaches the set temperature, and end the operation. Like that.

[0003] In this case, in the conventional hot water supply / reheating apparatus, hot water supplied to the bathtub is heated to a predetermined temperature set by a remote controller by a water heater, and is then supplied to the bathtub. Since the length of the piping route from the hot water supply / reheating unit is long, it can be as long as 15m. The hot water passing through this piping route radiates heat due to the outside air temperature, and naturally radiates heat from the bath tub. Lower than the set temperature. Therefore, when the hot water in the bathtub reaches the set water level, reheating is started and the temperature is raised until the temperature reaches the set temperature.

However, when the outside air temperature is low, such as in winter, the difference between the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub and the set temperature increases, and the operation time for additional heating becomes longer. There has been a problem in that the consumption of fuel such as gas is increased, and the operation time of the entire fully automatic bath apparatus becomes extremely long.

As a technique for solving such a problem, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-169949 has been known. This is done by setting the water level and the temperature of the bathtub with a remote controller, etc., and starting the fully automatic operation, first supply hot water at the temperature set in the bathtub, and when the hot water reaches the set water level in the bathtub, add the reheating pump. To circulate the hot water in the bath tub and let the hot water in the bath tub adapt to the path from the bath tub to the hot water supply / reheating unit. The error temperature ΔT with respect to the hot water temperature is calculated and stored in the control unit. After that, re-fire the burner and reheat the water in the bathtub until the set temperature is reached.
When the temperature rises to the set temperature, the boiling is notified and the operation is terminated.

The control unit corrects the stored error temperature ΔT by adding it to the set temperature, and supplies hot water at the corrected temperature during the next fully automatic operation of hot water supply and reheating, thereby increasing the reheating time. Can be shortened.
The correction of the hot water supply temperature is performed for each fully automatic operation.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional fully automatic bath apparatus, the hot water supply / reheating circuit may be as long as 15 m depending on the location of the bathtub and the location of the hot water supply device. Therefore, when the circulation pump is driven to finish the hot water in the bathtub after the hot water supply, if the piping is cold on a cold day etc. 5 or more minutes are required, and as a result, there is a problem that the time from the start of operation of the fully automatic bath apparatus to the boiling becomes long.

In addition, the low-temperature hot water in the hot-water supply / reheating circuit flows into the bath tub due to the above-mentioned circulation, and the temperature of the hot water in the bath tub decreases. There is a problem that the temperature of hot water in the bathtub after hot water supply is lowered due to heat radiation from the heat exchanger for use.

As a result, the additional heating time becomes longer, and if the circulation time of the hot and cold water in the bathtub by the above-mentioned circulation pump is adjusted, the boiling time becomes significantly longer. Due to the heat loss from the heat exchanger for heating, fuel is consumed extra, and there is a problem that efficiency is low.

Also, at the start of reheating, hot water of low temperature in the hot water supply / reheating circuit flows into the bath tub, and the temperature of the hot water in the bath tub decreases, so that the correction value of the hot water supply temperature increases. It has the problem of poor efficiency.

Further, at the time of the next hot water supply / reheating, the hot water supply / reheating is performed in accordance with the corrected hot water temperature including the radiation loss corrected as described above, so that the amount of fuel used increases. It still has the problem of poor efficiency.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, and reduces heat loss from a reheating heat exchanger.
An object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supply temperature control device for a fully automatic bath apparatus, which can efficiently perform additional heating, thereby shortening the additional heating time and shortening the time from the start of fully automatic operation to boiling. It is assumed that.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot water supply temperature control apparatus for a fully automatic bath apparatus, comprising: means for setting a hot water temperature and a water level of a bath tub; A fully automatic apparatus having a hot water supply unit for supplying hot water, a unit for monitoring the water level in the bathtub, a unit for detecting the hot water temperature of the bathtub, and a reheating unit for boiling the hot water in the bathtub to a set hot water temperature. In the hot water supply temperature control device of the bath apparatus, when the water level of the bathtub reaches the set water level, the hot water in the bathtub is circulated to start reheating, and the reheating time until the hot water in the bathtub reaches the set temperature is measured, If this reheating time is less than the predetermined lower limit time,
A correction is made to reduce the hot water supply temperature by a predetermined temperature, and
The firing time is equal to or longer than the lower limit time and within a predetermined upper limit time.
In this case, maintain the current hot water supply temperature, and
If the time exceeds the upper limit time, the current hot water temperature is
It is characterized by comprising control means for making a correction to increase by a constant temperature .

Further, a hot water supply temperature control device for a fully automatic bath apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the same as that of the first aspect.
In the hot water supply temperature control device, the additional heating time is at the upper limit.
If the temperature exceeds the predetermined time, the correction of the hot water supply temperature is performed at the predetermined temperature.
Instead of the reheating time and the burner's combustion capacity.
This is characterized in that the correction is performed using the correction value obtained in this way.

[0015]

According to the hot water supply temperature control apparatus for a fully automatic bath apparatus according to the present invention, the hot water in the bathtub reaches the set temperature by reheating.
Water in the bathtub just before the start of reheating and reheating
Reflects the temperature of hot or cold water in the circuit or the burner combustion capacity
Paying attention to the fact that the hot water supply in the bathtub is at a set temperature if the reheating time is less than a predetermined lower limit time.
Reduced by the temperature, the reheating time is longer than the lower limit time, and the upper limit is specified
If it is less than an hour, maintain the current hot water temperature and reheat
If the time exceeds the upper limit time, the current hot water supply temperature is
Only , or, in particular, the reheating time
If it exceeds, the correction value calculated from the reheating time and the burning capacity of the burner until the water in the bathtub reaches the set temperature.
Is used to correct the hot water supply temperature so that the next time hot water is supplied to the bathtub, the appropriate hot water temperature will be obtained.
In addition to being able to correct the hot water supply temperature, it is possible to shorten the additional heating time.

After the hot water supply is completed, the additional heat exchanger is operated.
By that is, it is not necessary to circulate only in order that cause conventional manner fit the hot water of the bathtub to Tsui焚circulation path, the temperature drop decreases in the add-fired circulation path, as a result, the correction value smaller Hot water can be supplied efficiently.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a hot water supply temperature control device for a fully automatic bath apparatus according to the present invention. A hot water supply device 2 is provided in a bathtub 1 for storing predetermined hot and cold water. 3
The hot water supply device 2 is provided with a heat exchanger 4 for hot water supply, a heat exchanger 5 for additional heating, and a hopper 6.

At the water inlet side of the heat exchanger 4 for hot water supply,
A water supply pipe 7 for supplying water to the hot water supply apparatus 2 is connected via a water temperature sensor 8 and a water quantity sensor 9, and the water supply pipe 7 is branched in the middle and is provided with a water drop valve 10 through a water drop valve 10. Connected to hopper 6. A hot water inlet side of a hot and cold water mixing valve 12 is connected to a hot water outlet side of the hot water supply heat exchanger 4 via a hot water temperature sensor 11.

A branch pipe 13 branched from the water inlet side of the hot water supply heat exchanger 4 is provided at the water inlet side of the hot / water mixing valve 12.
Further, the outlet of the mixed hot water is connected to an external pipe 15 to which an external pouring tap (not shown) such as a faucet is attached via a mixed hot water temperature sensor 14, and is branched on the way to drop the hot water. It is connected to the hopper 6 via a filling valve 16.

On the other hand, a running water switch 30, a circulation pump 17, a return switching valve 18 comprising a four-way valve, a pressure sensor 19, and a temperature sensor 20 for reheating are provided on the hot water inlet side of the reheating heat exchanger 5 respectively. Return pipe 2 of reheating circuit 3
1 is connected, and the outflow pipe 23 of the reheating circuit 3 is connected to the tapping side of the reheating heat exchanger 5 via an outflow switching valve 22 composed of a three-way valve. The other opening of the forward switching valve 22 is connected to the hopper 6 via a pouring amount sensor 24, and is a three-way drainage switching valve 25.
Is connected to the return switching valve 18 of the return pipe 21 via the. Further, the other port of the drainage switching valve 25 is a hopper 6
It is connected to the.

Further, inside the hot water supply device 2, a control unit 26 which is constituted by a microprocessor or the like for controlling the operation of the whole hot water supply device 2 and performing predetermined control processing is provided. Further, a remote controller 27 of a wired system or a wireless system for exchanging various switch operation signals and setting operation signals with the control unit 26 is provided at an appropriate position such as a bathroom or a kitchen.

The remote controller 27 includes various operation buttons (not shown), an audio output circuit 28, a speaker 29, a buzzer (not shown), and the like. The audio output circuit 28 is composed of an artificial voice synthesis IC, an oscillator, and the like, generates a predetermined notification sound based on a notification command signal sent from the control unit 26, and outputs a predetermined notification sound to a speaker 29 or a buzzer (not shown). Sound).

Next, the operation of the first embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the water level and hot water temperature of the bathtub 1 (for example, 4
2 ° C.) (steps S1 and S2), and by turning on the automatic operation switch of the remote controller 27, the water heater 2 is turned on.
Is started (step S3). In the following, the set water level of the bathtub 1 is 40 cm, and the set temperature of the hot water is 4 cm.
Description will be made assuming that the temperature is set to 2 ° C.

When the hot water supply is started, the hot water supply burner (not shown) starts to burn and the hot water supply heat exchanger 4 operates to raise the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply pipe 7 so that the hot water is supplied at a predetermined temperature. age,
The hot water is supplied into the bathtub 1 from the return pipe 21 and / or the outflow pipe 23 via the hopper 6 and the pouring amount sensor 24.

At this time, a water temperature supplied to the hot water supply heat exchanger 4 or a water temperature discharged from the hot water supply heat exchanger 4 is measured by the incoming water temperature sensor 8, the outgoing water temperature sensor 11, and the mixed hot water temperature sensor 14, By adjusting the capacity of the hot water supply heat exchanger 4 in accordance with this temperature or by supplying water from the hot water mixing valve through the branch pipe 13, hot water at a predetermined temperature is supplied to the external pipe 15.
To be sent to.

When the hot water reaches the set water level of the bathtub 1 of 40 cm, the hot water supply is stopped (step S4). Then, after that, the circulation pump 17 is operated (Step S5), and the circulation of the hot and cold water in the bathtub 1 to the additional heating circulation path 3 is started.
The reheating burner (not shown) starts burning (step S6) and operates the reheating heat exchanger 5, whereby the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 1 is raised. From this time, the counting of the additional heating time Δt is started (step S7).

As described above, according to the present invention, the reheating heat exchanger 5 is operated immediately after the hot water supply is completed.
The temperature of the cooled hot water in the reheating circuit 3 is immediately increased by the burner of the reheating heat exchanger 5, and the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 1 does not decrease.

When it is detected that the temperature has reached the set temperature of 42 ° C. by the temperature sensor 20 for reheating, which is provided in the circulation path 3 for reheating, the reheating heat exchanger 5 and the circulation pump 17 are turned on. The reheating operation is stopped to end the reheating operation (step S9), and the time measurement of the reheating time Δt is also ended (step S9).
10).

When the reheating operation is completed, the control unit 26
Corrects the set hot water supply temperature based on the measured reheating time Δt and in consideration of the relationship between the reheating time and the length of the piping path. That is, for example, the reheating is 30 seconds.
( Stop at step S11)
Side) only heats the hot water in the additional heating circulation path 3 whose temperature has been lowered by the outside air, judges that the hot water in the bathtub 1 is higher than the set temperature, and sets the next hot water supply temperature to 0. 5 ℃
Correction for lowering is performed (step S12). Thus, the next hot water supply temperature becomes 41.5 ° C.

Also, for example, the reheating is 30 seconds (lower limit time)
If the operation is stopped for less than 90 seconds (upper limit time) (Y side in step S11 and N side in step S13), the temperature of hot water in bathtub 1 is lower than the set temperature by less than 0.4 ° C. Then, it is determined that the temperature of the hot water in bathtub 1 has reached the set temperature due to a slight temperature increase, and the hot water supply temperature is not corrected (step S).
14). Therefore, in this case, the hot water supply temperature is 42 ° C.
Remains.

Further, for example, 90 minutes (upper limit time)
If it takes longer than a second (Y side of step S13), it is determined that the hot water temperature of bathtub 1 is lower than the set temperature, and a correction is made to increase the next hot water supply temperature by 0.5 ° C (step S1).
5). Thus, the next hot water supply temperature becomes 42.5 ° C.

It should be noted that the temperature correction in the unit of 0.5 ° C. as described above is usually performed at 0.5 ° C. in consideration of the data accuracy of the temperature sensor, the conversion accuracy of the A / D conversion, the combustion control capability of the burner, and the like. Because it is difficult to control the precision less than 0.5 and the seasonal change of the day is gradual,
This is because the correction of ° C can sufficiently cope.

When the processing is completed as described above, a signal is sent from the control unit 26 to the remote controller 27 to notify that the boiling of the water in the bathtub 1 is completed, and the signal is sent from the speaker 29 via the audio output circuit 28 of the remote controller 27. A predetermined boiling completion sound is emitted (step S16), and the fully automatic operation ends.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The configuration of the apparatus according to the second embodiment is exactly the same as that of FIG.

In the case of the second embodiment, the amount of hot water supplied into the bathtub 1 is measured in addition to the water level of the bathtub 1 in advance. The water level and the hot water amount may be measured independently of each other. However, if the volume of the bathtub 1 is known, one from the other can be obtained by calculation. Therefore, only one of the water level and the hot water amount is measured, and the calculation is performed. The other may be determined.

The steps (steps S1 to S10) from the start to the end of the fully automatic operation and the notification of the completion of the reheating (step S16) are exactly the same as those in the first embodiment. Further, when the reheating is stopped in less than 30 seconds (N side of step SS11), a process of performing a correction for lowering the hot water supply temperature by 0.5 ° C. assuming that the hot water temperature in the bathtub 1 is higher than the set temperature (step S11). S12) is exactly the same as in the first embodiment.

The difference of the second embodiment from the first embodiment in the control operation is that if the reheating is continued for 30 seconds or more (Y side of step S11), the processing shifts to step S20,
From the time Δt required for the additional heating, the capacity of the burner of the heat exchanger 5 for additional heating, and the amount of hot water in the bathtub 1, a correction value Δ of the hot water temperature according to the following equation:
T is calculated, and the next hot water supply temperature is corrected by the calculated correction value ΔT. ΔT = (a · b · Δt) / (3600 · V) [° C.] a: Capacity of reburning burner [kcal / h] b: Heat exchange efficiency [%] Δt: Reheating time [sec] V: Bathtub Hot water (liter)

As described above, the temperature control by the control unit 26 is limited to a unit of 0.5 ° C. Therefore, for example, when the correction value ΔT is calculated as 0.4 ° C., no correction is performed, and when the correction value ΔT is calculated as 0.8 ° C., the actual correction value is 0.5 ° C. If the value ΔT is calculated as 1.3 ° C., the actual correction value is 1.0 ° C., and the correction value ΔT calculated from the above equation is rounded down to the nearest 0.5 ° C. To do.

In the case of the second embodiment described above, the optimum correction value ΔT corresponding to the reheating time Δt is calculated by the above equation,
Since the correction of the hot water supply temperature is performed using the correction value ΔT, finer correction can be performed as compared with the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified as needed.

[0041]

As described above, the hot water supply temperature control device of the fully automatic bath apparatus according to the present invention immediately operates the additional heat exchanger after the hot water supply is completed, and the additional heating time at this time is a predetermined time.
Less than lower limit time, range from lower limit time to upper limit time and upper limit time
In the case of over time, decrease, maintain and increase of hot water temperature
Since to carry out each order to be corrected Rukoto without hot water temperature lowers the hot water temperature in the bathtub
As a result, it becomes possible to shorten the reheating time. Only
Also measures the time until the water in the bathtub reaches the set temperature.
The reburning time obtained by taking the time width into the lower limit time
And the correction of increase or decrease of hot water temperature in comparison with the upper limit time.
Therefore, ultimately, a relatively narrow time between the lower limit time and the upper limit time
By reheating for a short period of time within the
Adjust the hot water supply temperature so that the water in the bathtub will reach the set temperature.
I will be able to.

Further, since the temperature drop in the reheating circuit is small, the correction value can be reduced and the hot water can be supplied efficiently, and the time from the start of the fully automatic operation to the boiling can be remarkably reduced. Can be. Therefore, the fuel consumption can be reduced, and the efficiency of fully automatic operation can be significantly increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a hot water supply temperature control device for a fully automatic bath apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 bath tub 2 hot water supply device 3 reheating circuit 4 reheating heat exchanger 5 reheating heat exchanger 6 hopper 7 water supply pipe 13 branch pipe 15 external pipe 17 circulation pump 21 return pipe 23 outgoing pipe 26 control unit 27 remote controller 28 voice Output circuit 29 Speaker

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A means for setting a hot water temperature and a water level of a bath tub, a hot water supply means for supplying hot and cold water to the bath tub, a means for monitoring a water level of the bath tub, and a means for detecting a hot water temperature of the bath tub. In a hot water supply temperature control device of a fully automatic bath apparatus having a reheating means for boiling water in a bathtub to a set hot water temperature, when the water level in the bathtub reaches a set water level, the hot water in the bathtub is circulated and refired. Start the reheating time until the water in the bathtub reaches the set temperature, and the reheating time is less than the predetermined lower limit time.
In the case of, a correction to reduce the hot water supply temperature by a predetermined temperature
And the reheating time is equal to or longer than the lower limit time and a predetermined upper limit.
If it is within the time, maintain the current hot water supply temperature, and
If the reheating time exceeds the upper limit time, the current
A control means for correcting the hot water temperature by a predetermined temperature
Hot water temperature control system for fully automatic bath apparatus, characterized in that it comprises. 2. When the reheating time exceeds the upper limit time.
In this case, the correction of the hot water supply temperature is performed in place of the predetermined temperature,
Correction calculated from the additional firing time and burner combustion capacity
The hot water supply temperature control device for a fully automatic bath apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed using a value .