JP2948087B2 - Combustion 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 combustion device such as a gas stove.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, there is known a gas stove provided with a control circuit for controlling burner combustion using a battery as a power supply. The control circuit monitors, for example, the heating temperature of the food and the presence of a misfire or an ignition error of the burner using a sensor such as a thermistor or a thermocouple, and when the heating temperature of the food becomes abnormally high, When a misfire or misfire occurs in the burner, the solenoid valve provided in the gas supply path to the burner is closed, thereby shutting off the gas supply to the burner and extinguishing the burner. The control circuit keeps the solenoid valve open during normal combustion of the burner.

[0003] In this type of gas stove, when the battery voltage, which is the power supply of the control circuit, drops to some extent, the operation of the control circuit becomes unstable and the combustion control of the burner may not be performed properly. There is. For this reason,
In this type of gas stove, a battery voltage monitoring circuit that monitors a battery voltage and drives a notification device such as an indicator lamp or a buzzer provided on the main body of the gas stove when the battery voltage falls to a predetermined value. In addition, there is known an apparatus that drives a notification device to allow a user to recognize that the battery needs to be replaced or that the battery replacement time is near.

Incidentally, the battery voltage monitoring circuit uses the battery as a power supply similarly to the control circuit, and it is difficult to always supply power to these circuits from the battery if a circuit with low power consumption is used. However, the battery consumption is accelerated, which is not preferable. Therefore, for example, in the above-mentioned gas stove, the battery voltage monitoring circuit and the control circuit are linked to the ON / OFF operation (ignition operation) of the ignition / extinguishing button for the user to perform the ignition / extinguishing operation of the burner. And power off the ignition / extinguishing button
The power supply from the battery to the battery voltage monitoring circuit and the control circuit is cut off in conjunction with the operation (fire extinguishing operation), that is, power is supplied to the battery voltage monitoring circuit and the control circuit only when the gas stove is operating. By doing so, the consumption of the battery can be minimized.

However, if power is supplied to the battery voltage monitoring circuit only during operation of the gas stove as described above, when the battery voltage drops to the predetermined value during operation, the fact is reported by the notification device. afterwards,
When the operation is stopped, the power supply to the battery voltage monitoring circuit is stopped, and thus the above notification is also stopped. For this reason, if the user does not notice the above notification while operating the gas stove, the user cannot recognize that the battery needs to be replaced at least until the next operation, and Even if it is recognized that the battery needs to be replaced during the operation, if the spare battery is not prepared, the gas stove cannot be used until a new battery is purchased. In particular, when the battery voltage drops to the predetermined value immediately before the operation of the gas stove ends, the user often does not notice the notification because the generation time of the notification is short. Inconvenience was likely to occur.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve a combustion apparatus provided with control means using a battery as a power source and battery voltage monitoring means. It is an object of the present invention to provide a combustion device that allows a user to be surely notified that a battery is about to be replaced. Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a combustion device capable of performing such notification with a small and inexpensive configuration. It is another object of the present invention to provide a combustion device that can accurately perform such notification.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a control means for controlling the operation of a combustion unit using a battery as a power source, and a battery voltage monitoring method using the battery as a power source. when drops below a predetermined value, the battery voltage monitoring means for driving the informing device for informing to that effect, said during operation of the combustion section allowed power the control unit and the battery voltage monitoring means from said battery, and said in a combustion apparatus provided with a power supply means for stopping power supply to said control means and the battery voltage monitoring means during non-operation of the combustion section, before
It was detected by the battery voltage monitoring means that the battery voltage dropped below the predetermined value during operation of the combustion section .
Thereafter , power supply from the battery to the battery voltage monitoring means is continued regardless of whether the combustion unit is operating or not.
Characterized by comprising an auxiliary power supply means allowed to.

[0008] Further, the auxiliary power supply means is interposed between the power supply path of the battery voltage monitoring means and the battery, and a switch means for connecting the power supply path to the battery when a predetermined drive signal is applied. Power is supplied via the battery voltage monitoring means, and when the battery voltage drops below the predetermined value, the driving signal is generated and the switch driving means is provided to the switching means.

Further, the battery voltage monitoring means includes: a notification command means for generating and outputting a notification command signal for commanding a notification by the notification device when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined value; Notification drive means for driving the notification device in response to the notification command signal, wherein the switch drive means generates a drive signal for the switch means from the notification command signal.

The switch means is constituted by a semiconductor switch element such as a transistor. Further, the notification command means is constituted by, for example, a comparator for comparing the battery voltage with a predetermined value. At this time, the switch driving means is constituted by, for example, a buffer or an inverter using a semiconductor switch element such as a transistor.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined value is a battery voltage substantially equal to a operable limit value of the control means.

Further, in the power supply state, the battery voltage monitoring means, when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined value, continues to drive the notification device regardless of the battery voltage value thereafter. It is characterized by having.

Further, the battery voltage is monitored by the power supply means using the battery as a power supply, and when the battery voltage falls below a second predetermined value which is higher than the predetermined value, the fact is described. A second battery voltage monitoring means for notifying by a notification device in a form different from the battery voltage monitoring means is provided.

[0014]

According to the present invention, the battery voltage monitoring means is normally supplied with power from the battery by the power supply means only when the combustion section is operating, and the battery voltage monitoring means is normally operated only when the battery is operating. Monitor the voltage. Then, when the battery is consumed during the operation and the battery voltage becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value,
The battery voltage monitoring means drives the notification device to notify the user that the battery voltage has dropped below a predetermined value. At this time, the battery voltage monitoring unit is supplied with power from the battery by the auxiliary power supply unit regardless of whether the combustion unit is operating or not. For this reason, even if the operation of the combustion unit is stopped, the battery voltage monitoring unit is continuously supplied with power,
Therefore, the above-described notification is performed even after the operation of the combustion unit is stopped. This allows the user to recognize that the battery needs to be replaced and that the replacement time is near, not only during operation but also after the operation is stopped.

The auxiliary power supply means is constituted by, for example, the switch means and switch drive means.
The switch means is provided with the drive signal from the switch drive means when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined value,
In response, the power supply path of the battery voltage monitoring means is connected to the battery. As a result, the battery voltage monitoring means is directly supplied with power from the battery via the switch means. Then, the switch driving means is supplied with power via the battery voltage monitoring means, so that it is possible to generate a driving signal of the switch means even after the operation of the combustion unit is stopped, and accordingly,
Power supply to the battery voltage monitoring means is also continued.

In this case, when the battery voltage monitoring means includes the notification command means and the notification drive means, it is preferable to generate a drive signal for the switch means from the notification command signal generated by the notification command means. . With this configuration, the notification command unit of the battery voltage monitoring unit is used as a part of the switch driving unit for generating a driving signal of the switch unit, and the switch driving unit can be configured to have a simple configuration. It becomes possible.

Further, when the predetermined value is a battery voltage substantially equal to the operable limit value of the control means, the battery is sufficiently consumed within a range that does not hinder the control of the combustion unit by the control means. Since the notification is made by the battery voltage monitoring means at the stage, the battery can be used as much as possible as a power source for the control means and the like.

Further, when the predetermined value is set as described above, for example, when the sparker for igniting the combustion section is driven by the battery as a power source, the power consumption of the sparker is relatively large. When the sparker is driven, the battery voltage may temporarily drop significantly below the predetermined value, and the battery voltage may return to the predetermined value or more after driving the sparker is stopped. Such a state in which the battery voltage is lowered is not preferable in terms of ensuring the control by the control means even temporarily. Therefore, it is preferable that the notification by the battery voltage monitoring means be continued when the battery voltage drops below the predetermined value, regardless of the value of the battery voltage thereafter.

In the case where the predetermined value is set as described above, when the notification is made by the battery voltage monitoring means, the battery needs to be quickly replaced, so that the previous step is performed. It is preferable to notify the user that the battery replacement time is near. Therefore, the second battery voltage monitoring means is provided, and when the battery voltage falls below a second predetermined value higher than the predetermined value, a notification device notifies the fact in a different form from the battery voltage monitoring means. Is preferred. Thereby, the user can recognize that the battery replacement time is near by the notification of the second battery voltage monitoring means, and can make preparations such as purchasing a spare battery. Since the notification by the second battery voltage monitoring means is performed at a time when there is still enough time by the time when the battery needs to be replaced, the power supply to the second battery voltage monitoring means reduces the consumption of the battery. In order to suppress as much as possible, it is preferable to perform this operation only during operation of the combustion unit, similarly to the control circuit. However, like the power supply to the battery voltage monitoring means,
It is also possible to supply power even when the combustion unit is not operating.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the combustion apparatus of the present embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, a combustion apparatus according to the present embodiment is, for example, a gas stove.
Reference numeral 3 denotes an electromagnetic valve and a gas amount adjusting valve provided in a gas supply path 4 for supplying gas to the burner 1, and reference numeral 5 denotes an ignition / extinguishing provided in a main body (not shown) of a gas stove for performing an ignition / extinguishing operation of the burner 1. A button 6 is a temperature sensor constituted by a thermistor or the like for detecting a heating temperature of the cooking object (heated object) W, and 7 is a combustion detection sensor constituted by a thermocouple or the like for detecting a combustion state of the burner 1. Reference numeral 8 denotes an ignition electrode for igniting the burner 1, reference numeral 9 denotes a sparker for generating a spark discharge in the ignition electrode 8 when the burner 1 is ignited, and reference numeral 10 denotes an electronic circuit for performing various controls and the like described below using a battery 11 as a power supply. The control unit 12 is an LED lamp (notifying device) provided on the gas stove main body for notifying the user of the degree of consumption (voltage state) of the battery 11.

The temperature sensor 6 is provided at the center of the burner 1 such that the temperature sensor 6 contacts the object W when the object W is placed on the burner 1. Further, the combustion detection sensor 7
The ignition electrode 8 is provided near the burner 1.

The solenoid valve 2 is urged by a spring 13 toward the valve closing side. The solenoid valve 2 is provided with an ignition / extinguishing button 5
In conjunction with the ignition operation (push operation to the end position) of the spring 13
Is opened mechanically against the urging force of the solenoid valve. At this time, switches 21 and 22 described later are closed, and the solenoid 1 of the solenoid valve 2 is opened.
By energizing 4, the valve is held open even after the pressing operation of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is released (the state of the intermediate position by the heart cam mechanism not shown). Further, the solenoid valve 2 is closed by the urging force of the spring 13 by cutting off the power supply to the solenoid 14. The opening of the gas amount adjusting valve 3 is adjusted, for example, by operating an operation element 15 connected thereto.

The control unit 10 includes a control circuit 16 (control means) for controlling the combustion operation of the burner 1 via the solenoid valve 2 and a first battery voltage for monitoring the voltage of the battery 11 as its main circuit configurations. The monitoring circuit 17 (first battery voltage monitoring means) and the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18 (second battery voltage monitoring means)
Battery voltage monitoring means), and the battery 11 is connected to these circuits 16 to 18 during operation of the gas stove (burning operation of the burner 1).
A power supply circuit 19 (power supply means) for supplying power from the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 under predetermined conditions described later.
And an auxiliary power supply circuit 20 (auxiliary power supply means). The battery 11 serving as a power source for these circuits 16 to 18 has a rated voltage of 3 V, for example.

The power supply circuit 19 includes a microswitch 21 connected to the positive electrode of the battery 11 and the microswitch 21.
And a micro switch 22 connected at the subsequent stage. These switches 21 and 22 are switches which are closed at a certain time while the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is operated from the starting position to the intermediate position. -The ignition / extinguishing button 5 is closed in conjunction with the ignition operation (push operation) of the fire extinguishing button 5 and the ignition / extinguishing button 5 remains in the heart cam mechanism (not shown) even after the pushing operation is released.
Maintains the closed state by staying in the middle position,
The switches 21 and 22 are opened when the ignition / extinguishing tongue 5 is returned from the intermediate position to the start position by the extinguishing operation of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 (release after the re-pressing operation).

Further, constant voltage regulators 23 and 24 are connected to the subsequent stages of the micro switches 21 and 22, respectively. The regulator 23 receives the battery voltage VD1 generated at the subsequent stage when the switch 21 is closed, and
R1 (for example, 1.5 V, hereinafter referred to as a regulator voltage VR1). Similarly, the regulator 24 receives the battery voltage VD2 (= VD1) generated at the subsequent stage when the switch 22 is closed as an input and sets the constant voltage VR2 (= VR).
1, hereinafter referred to as a regulator voltage VR2).

The control circuit 16 is composed of a comparison circuit, a timer circuit, a solenoid valve drive circuit and the like (not shown). The input side of the control circuit 16 is connected to the temperature sensor 6, the combustion detection sensor 7, and the regulator 23. The solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2 is connected to the output side. The control circuit 16 has a power supply unit connected to a subsequent stage of the switch 21 via a power supply path (not shown). When the switch 21 is closed, a battery voltage VD1 generated in the subsequent stage is supplied as a power supply voltage.

In this case, the control circuit 16 determines that the battery voltage VD1
The solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2 is energized in response to the power supply.
When the burner 1 is operating, the control circuit 16 compares the signal level input from the combustion detection sensor 7 according to the combustion state of the burner 1 with a predetermined reference voltage generated from the regulator voltage VR1. The presence or absence of an ignition error, misfire, or poor combustion in 1 is monitored, and when an ignition error, misfire, or poor combustion occurs, the power supply to the solenoid 14 is cut off. When the burner 1 is operating, the control circuit 16 changes the signal level input from the temperature sensor 6 according to the heating temperature of the object to be heated W to the regulator voltage V.
By comparing with a predetermined reference voltage generated from R1, it is monitored whether the heating temperature of the object to be heated W is an abnormal overheating temperature or an arbitrary set temperature, and when overheating occurs, or The power supply to the solenoid 14 is also cut off when the temperature reaches an arbitrary set temperature.

Incidentally, such a control circuit 16 may be constituted by a microcomputer.

When the switches 21 and 22 are closed, the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 turns on the LED when the battery voltage VD2 generated at the subsequent stage of the switch 22 becomes lower than a predetermined judgment value.
A lighting command circuit 25 (notification command means) for generating and outputting a lighting command signal (notification command signal) for commanding the lighting of the lamp 12, and a lighting drive circuit 26 for lighting the LED lamp 12 in response to the lighting command signal ( Notification driving means).

The lighting command circuit 25 includes a pair of divided resistors 27 and 28 connected to the subsequent stage of the switch 22 and a pair of divided resistors 29 and 30 connected to the output side of the regulator 24.
And the midpoints of the split resistors 27 and 28 and the split resistors 29 and 30
Comparator 3 for comparing the voltages generated at the respective midpoints
1 is provided.

The split resistors 27 and 28 are connected to the switches 21 and
2, a voltage signal of a level corresponding to the battery voltage VD2 generated at the subsequent stage of the switch 22 is generated at the middle point between the divided resistors 27 and 28 when the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 is operated (details will be described later). Then, this is output to the comparator 31. Also,
The dividing resistors 29 and 30 generate a voltage signal of a constant level corresponding to the regulator voltage VR2 which is a constant voltage at the middle point, and a determination value for comparing this with the battery voltage VD2 (hereinafter, referred to as a first determination value). ) Is output to the comparator 31 as a reference voltage having a level corresponding to the above. Then, the comparator 31 determines the midpoint of the division resistors 27 and 28 and the division resistance 2
The battery voltage VD2 is compared with the first determination value according to signals input from the middle points of 9, 30 respectively, and a high / low binary level signal corresponding to the comparison result is generated and output. In this case, a pull-up resistor 32 to which a regulator voltage VR2 is applied via a power supply path (not shown) is connected to an output section of the comparator 31. The comparator 31 is grounded when its output section satisfies battery voltage VD2> first judgment value, and is opened when battery voltage VD2 ≦ first judgment value. Voltage V
When D2> the first determination value, a low-level signal is generated at the output of the comparator 31, and the battery voltage VD2 ≦ first
If it is the determination value, a high-level signal is generated at the output of the comparator 31 as a lighting command signal. The first determination value is equal to or higher than a limit value at which the control circuit 16 and the battery voltage monitoring circuits 17 and 18 of the present embodiment using the battery 11 as a power source can operate (for example, 1.9 V). ) Is set to Further, the battery voltage VD2 is supplied to the comparator 31 as a power supply voltage from a stage subsequent to the switch 22 via a power supply path (not shown).

The lighting command circuit 25 is provided with a battery voltage VD2
A latch circuit 33 is provided to keep the output of the lighting command signal (high-level signal) from the comparator 31 when the first determination value is satisfied regardless of the value of the battery voltage VD2 thereafter. The latch circuit 33 includes the comparator 31
And an NPN-type switching transistor 34 whose output is a base input.
Is connected to the input of the comparator 31 on the side of the divided resistors 27 and 28. In the latch circuit 33, when the output of the comparator 31 is at a low level (when the battery voltage VD2> the first determination value), the emitter-collector connection of the transistor 34 is cut off. Is once high (the level of the lighting command signal), the emitter-collector of the transistor 34 conducts, and the input of the comparator 31 on the side of the divided resistors 27 and 28 is forcibly grounded via the transistor 34. Is done. Thus, once the battery voltage VD2 ≦ the first determination value and the comparator 31 outputs the lighting command signal (high level signal), the output of the lighting command signal continues regardless of the value of the battery voltage VD2 thereafter. .

The lighting drive circuit 26 includes an NPN type switching transistor 35 having a base connected to the output of the comparator 31 and a PNP type switching transistor 36 having a base connected to the collector of the transistor 35 via a resistor. It has. Transistor 35
Has its emitter grounded, and the comparator 31
When a high-level lighting command signal is output from the controller, the emitter-collector is electrically connected to the ground. As a result, a ground level (low level) signal is applied to the base of the transistor 36.

The transistor 36 has its emitter supplied with the regulator voltage VR2 via a power supply path (not shown) and its collector connected to the LED lamp 12 via a resistor 37. As a result, the conduction between the emitter and the collector of the transistor 35 becomes
When a low level signal is applied to the base of the transistor 6, the transistor 36 conducts between the emitter and collector. Therefore, the LED lamp 12 is energized and the LED lamp 1 is turned on.
2 lights up.

The second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18 has a blinking command circuit 38 for commanding the LED lamp 12 to blink when the battery voltage VD1 generated at the subsequent stage when the switch 21 is closed becomes lower than a predetermined judgment value. And a blinking drive circuit 39 that drives the LED lamp 12 to blink in response to the blinking command.

The blinking command circuit 38 is provided by the lighting command circuit 2.
Similarly to 5, each pair of divided resistors 40, 41 and 4
2 and 43 and a comparator 44. The dividing resistors 40 and 41 are connected to the subsequent stage of the switch 21, and generate a voltage signal at a middle point thereof at a level corresponding to the battery voltage VD1. Further, the dividing resistors 42 and 43 are connected to the output side of the regulator 23, and generate a reference signal of a constant level corresponding to the regulator voltage VR1 at the middle point. The comparator 44 determines whether the divided resistors 40, 41 and 4
The battery voltage VD1 is compared with a predetermined determination value (hereinafter, referred to as a second determination value) by using a voltage signal generated at the middle point of each of the inputs 2 and 43 as an input, and an output corresponding to the comparison result is generated. In this case, similarly to the comparator 31, when the battery voltage VD1> the second determination value, the output unit is grounded to output a low-level signal when the battery voltage VD1> the second determination value. Open the output section. The second determination value is set to a value higher than the first determination value, for example, 2.65V. The battery voltage VD1 is supplied to the comparator 44 as a power supply voltage from a stage subsequent to the switch 21 via a power supply path (not shown).

The blinking drive circuit 39 includes an oscillation circuit 45 for generating a pulse signal having a constant period, an NPN type switching transistor 46 having a base connected to the output of the oscillation circuit 45, and a transistor of the lighting drive circuit 26. 36
And The oscillating circuit 45 has an input connected to the comparator 44, and when the output of the comparator 44 is a low-level signal, applies a low-level signal to the base of the transistor 46 without oscillating. When the output of the comparator 44 is opened as the second determination value, oscillation starts, and a pulse signal having a constant period is applied to the base of the transistor 46. The transistor 46 has an emitter grounded and a collector connected to the base of the transistor 36 of the lighting drive circuit 26. Therefore, when a pulse signal is applied from the oscillation circuit 45 to the base of the transistor 46, the emitter-collector of the transistor 46 is intermittently conductive to the ground side. Is intermittently given a low level signal.
As a result, the emitter-collector of the transistor 36 of the lighting drive circuit 26 becomes intermittently conductive, and the LED lamp 1
2 is intermittently energized, and the LED lamp 12 blinks.

The auxiliary power supply circuit 20 is a switch interposed between the battery 11 at the preceding stage of the switch 21 and the subsequent stage of the switch 22 for supplying power to the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17. A circuit 47 (switch means) and a switch drive circuit 48 for connecting the switch circuit 47 when the battery voltage VD2 generated downstream of the switch 22 when the switches 21 and 22 are closed becomes equal to or less than the first determination value.
(Switch driving means).

The switch circuit 47 comprises a PNP type switching transistor 49.
The emitter of 9 is directly connected to the positive electrode of the battery 11 before the switch 21, and the collector is connected to the stage after the switch 22.

The switch drive circuit 48 includes the lighting command circuit 25 as a part thereof, and includes an NPN type switching transistor 50 having a base connected to the output of the comparator 31 of the lighting command circuit 25. The emitter of the transistor 50 is grounded, and the collector is connected to the base of the transistor 49 via a resistor.

In the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 having such a configuration, when the battery voltage VD2 ≦ the first determination value, the comparator 3
When a high-level lighting command signal is output to the output unit 1,
The lighting command signal is applied to the base of the transistor 50, and the emitter-collector of the transistor 50 conducts to the ground side. As a result, conduction is established between the emitter and the collector of the transistor 49 of the switch circuit 47, so that the subsequent stage of the switch 22 that supplies power to the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 is directly connected without passing through the switches 21 and 22. Is connected to the battery 11.

The sparker 9 is connected to the battery 11 via a sparker switch 51. The sparker switch 51 is closed in conjunction with the ignition operation (push operation) of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 to supply power from the battery 11 to the sparker 9. Opened in conjunction with. The opening and closing of the sparker switch 51 and the switches 21 and 22 are as follows.
For example, this is performed using a heart cam mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-59498 by the present applicant.

Next, the operation of the gas stove of this embodiment will be described.

In the gas stove of the present embodiment, when the ignition operation of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is performed, the switches 21 and 22 of the power supply circuit 19 are closed in conjunction therewith. This allows
The control circuit 16 and the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18 supply the battery voltage VD1 and the regulator voltage V
R1 and the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17
The battery voltage VD2 (= VD1) and the regulator voltage VR2 (= VR1) are supplied from the subsequent stage of the switch 22, and these circuits 16 to 18 are started. Further, the ignition operation of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 (the pressing operation to the end position) causes the solenoid valve 2
Opens against the urging force of the spring 13, and gas is supplied to the burner 1.

At this time, the control circuit 16 energizes the solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2 at the same time as the power is supplied from the battery 11, so that the solenoid valve 2 operates after the release of the pressing operation of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 (intermediate). Position) is also held open. further,
While the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is being pushed to the end position, the sparker switch 5 is closed and the sparker 9
, And the sparker 9 is driven.
Then, the sparker 9 generates a spark discharge in the ignition electrode 8 by its driving, and thereby the burner 1 is ignited. When the pressing operation of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is released to the intermediate position, the sparker switch 5 is opened, the power supply to the sparker 9 is stopped, and the sparker 9 stops its operation.

If an ignition error occurs at the time of ignition of the burner 1, this is detected by the control circuit 16 via the combustion detection sensor 7. At this time, the control circuit 16 sends a signal to the solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2. Stop energization. As a result, the solenoid valve 2 is closed by the urging force of the spring 13, and the gas supply to the burner 1 is shut off.

If a misfire or poor combustion occurs after the normal ignition of the burner 1, this is detected by the control circuit 16 via the combustion detection sensor 7, and at this time, the control circuit 1
6 stops the energization of the solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2. As a result, the solenoid valve 2 is closed, the gas supply to the burner 1 is shut off, and the combustion of the burner 1 is stopped.

Further, during the normal combustion operation of the burner 1,
When the heating temperature of the object to be heated W becomes an abnormally high temperature or an arbitrary set temperature, this is transmitted to the control circuit 1 via the temperature sensor 6.
At this time, the control circuit 16 stops energizing the solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2. As a result, the combustion of the burner 1 is stopped as in the case of a misfire or the like.

When the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is extinguished (operation from the intermediate position to the starting position) to stop the above-described combustion operation of the burner 1, the switches 21 and 22 is opened. At this time, when the consumption of the battery 11 is small and the battery voltage VD2 is larger than the first determination value of the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17, the transistor 49 of the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 is in the cut-off state. When the switch 21 is opened, the power supply from the battery 11 to the control circuit 16 and the battery voltage monitoring circuits 17 and 18 is stopped. At this time, the power supply to the solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2 from the control circuit 16 is stopped and the solenoid valve 2 is closed, whereby the gas supply to the burner 1 is stopped, and the combustion operation of the burner 1 is started. Stops.

During the above-described combustion operation of the burner 1, the battery voltages VD1 and VD2 are controlled by the battery voltage monitoring circuit 1.
7 and 18, and these battery voltage monitoring circuits 1
7 and 18 operate as follows according to the values of the battery voltages VD1 and VD2.

That is, the consumption of the battery 11 is small, and the battery voltages VD1 and VD2 are 2.65 V (>) which is the second determination value.
If it is larger than the (first determination value), the comparator 44 of the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 and the comparator 31 of the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 output a low level signal as described above. In this case, the lighting drive circuit 26
Transistors 35 and 36 and the transistor 46 of the blinking drive circuit 39 are in a cut-off state, so that the LED lamp 12 is turned off without being energized.

When the battery 11 is consumed to some extent and the battery voltage VD1 ≦ the second determination value (2.65 V), as described above, the comparator 44 of the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 outputs Be released. Therefore, the oscillation circuit 45 of the blinking drive circuit 39 starts oscillating and applies a pulse signal to the base of the transistor 46. At this time, as described above, the emitter and the collector of the transistors 46 and 36 are intermittently conductive, whereby the LED lamp 12 is intermittently energized via the transistor 36.
The LED lamp 12 flashes. Then, the blinking of the LED lamp 12 informs the user that the battery 11 is about to be replaced, so that the user can purchase a spare battery before the battery 11 further depletes. Action can be taken.

In this case, when the fire extinguishing operation of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is performed, the switches 21 and 22 of the power supply circuit 19 are opened, so that the power supply to the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 is stopped, and the LED lamp 12 is turned off. Turns off. Therefore, the blinking of the LED lamp 12 is performed only during the combustion operation of the burner 1. For this reason, the user may overlook the blinking of the LED lamp 12, but at the stage where the blinking of the LED lamp 12 is performed, the battery voltage VD1 is equal to the control circuit 1.
6 is a voltage that can operate without any trouble.
For a while, the combustion operation of the burner 1 can be performed without any trouble. Further, the blinking of the LED lamp 12 is performed only during the combustion operation of the burner 1, so that the consumption of the battery 11 can be suppressed to a necessary limit.

Next, when the consumption of the battery 11 further progresses during the combustion operation of the burner 1 and the battery voltage VD2 ≦ the first determination value (1.9 V), as described above, the first battery voltage monitoring circuit is used. A high-level lighting command signal is generated at the output of the seventeenth comparator 31. In this case, the battery voltage VD2
If the state of ≦ the first determination value (1.9 V) continues, the generation of the lighting command signal by the comparator 31 will of course continue, but in the present embodiment, the comparator 31 is connected to the latch circuit 33. Is temporarily connected, the battery voltage VD2 ≦ the first determination value (1.9
V), the generation of the lighting command signal by the comparator 31 continues regardless of the subsequent value of the battery voltage VD2. That is, for example, the sparker 9 supplied from the battery 11 at the time of the ignition operation of the burner 1 (when the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is pressed) consumes relatively large power. Only when power is supplied to the power supply 9, the battery voltage VD2 drops below a first determination value (1.9 V) at which the operation of the control circuit 16 and the like may temporarily become unstable. When stopped, battery voltage V
D2 may recover to the first determination value (1.9 V) or more again. Such a state in which the battery voltage VD2 is reduced is not preferable, even temporarily, in order to ensure the operation of the control circuit 16 and the like. Therefore, even in such a case, the generation of the lighting command signal by the comparator 31 is continued.

As described above, when the comparator 31 generates and outputs a high-level lighting command signal, as described above, both the emitters and collectors of the transistors 35 and 36 of the lighting driving circuit 26 are continuously conductive. , The LED lamp 12 is continuously energized via the transistor 36 to light up. Then, the lighting of the LED lamp 12 informs the user that the battery 11 needs to be quickly replaced.

Further, the transistor 50 of the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 conducts between the emitter and the collector of the transistor 50 to the ground side, and a low level signal is applied to the base of the transistor 49 of the switch circuit 47 via the transistor 50. As a result, the emitter-collector of the transistor 49 conducts, so that the battery voltage VD2 is connected to the battery 1 downstream of the switch 22 that supplies power to the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17.
1 directly through the transistor 49.

Therefore, during operation of the burner 1, the battery voltage VD2
However, when the voltage drops to the first determination value (1.9 V) at which the operation of the control circuit 16 and the like may become unstable, regardless of whether it is continuous or temporary, The emitters of the transistors 49 and 50 of the auxiliary power supply circuit 20
The conduction between the collectors is maintained, and the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 is continuously supplied with power to the LED lamp 12.
Lights continuously. This state continues even after the ignition / extinguishing button 5 is extinguished to stop the burner 1 from burning.

Therefore, the user can recognize the lighting of the LED lamp 12 not only during the operation of the burner 1 but also when the burner 1 is not operating. Even if the lighting is overlooked or the LED lamp 12 is turned on just before the end of driving, it is possible to reliably notify the user that the battery 11 needs to be replaced. During the fire extinguishing operation, the switch 2
2 is opened, the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 to the control circuit 16
No power is supplied to the side.

In this embodiment, the control circuit 1
6 includes a comparator 3 of the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17.
1 is input (see FIG. 1).
The control circuit 16 determines from the comparator 31 that the battery voltage VD2 ≦ the first determination value (1.9 V) during the combustion operation of the burner 1.
When the lighting command signal indicating that has been output is output,
The energization of the solenoid 14 of the solenoid valve 2 is stopped, and the solenoid valve 2 is turned off.
Is closed.

As described above, in the gas stove according to the present embodiment, the LED lamp 12 indicating that the battery 11 needs to be replaced is lit even after the operation of the burner 1 is stopped. Can be recognized. In this case, since the first determination value that determines the timing at which the LED lamp 12 is turned on is a value close to the operable limit value of the control circuit 16 and the like, the first determination value does not hinder the operation of the control circuit 16 and the like. The above notification can be accurately performed at the stage when the battery 11 is sufficiently used.

The switch drive circuit 48 of the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 generates a drive signal (low level signal) for the switch circuit 47 based on the output of the comparator 31 of the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17, so that the The comparator 31 and the like of the voltage monitoring circuit 17 are used as a part of the auxiliary power supply circuit 20, and the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 can have a very simple configuration.

In the above-described embodiment, both the blinking of the LED lamp 12 indicating that the battery 11 is about to be replaced and the lighting of the LED lamp 12 indicating that the battery 11 needs to be replaced are used. Although the notification is performed, only one of the notification may be performed. In this case, when only the latter notification is performed, the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18 may be removed. When only the former notification is performed, the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 of the present embodiment is used. Instead, a battery voltage monitoring circuit similar to the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18 may be provided, and the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 may be connected thereto. Further, in the present embodiment, the LED lamp 12 is used as a notification device for notifying the user of the decrease in the battery voltages VD1 and VD2, but another type of light emitter may be used, or a buzzer may be used. Etc. may be used.
The reduction degree of the battery voltages VD1 and VD2 may be notified by changing the emission color, the volume, and the timbre.

In this embodiment, the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 is provided only on the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 side.
A similar auxiliary power supply circuit may be provided on the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18 side so that the LED lamp 12 blinks even after the combustion operation of the burner 1 is stopped. In this case, it is preferable that the second determination value of the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18 be set lower than in the case of the present embodiment in order to minimize consumption of the battery 11. Further, a latch circuit similar to the latch circuit 33 provided in the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17 may be provided in the second battery voltage monitoring circuit 18.

In the present embodiment, the switch circuit 47 of the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 is constituted by the transistor 49 which is a semiconductor switch element, but may be constituted by using a relay or the like.

In this embodiment, the switch drive circuit 48 of the auxiliary power supply circuit 20 is constituted by using the transistor 50. However, when the battery voltage VD2 ≦ the first determination value (1.9 V), for example, When a comparator that outputs a low-level lighting command signal (notification command signal) is provided, the transistor 49 can be directly driven by using the comparator as a switch driving circuit.

In this embodiment, the drive signal of the switch circuit 47 is generated from the lighting command signal of the comparator 31 of the first battery voltage monitoring circuit 17.
A circuit similar to the lighting command circuit 25 including the comparator 31 may be separately provided to generate a drive signal for the switch circuit 47.

Further, in this embodiment, a gas stove has been described as an example of a combustion device, but the present invention is not limited to this.
The present invention can be applied to other combustion devices such as a water heater or a heater using a battery as a power supply. Further, in this embodiment, the gas stove using the sparker 9 for igniting the burner 1 has been described as an example.
The present invention can be applied to a gas stove provided with a piezoelectric element for ignition or the like.

In this embodiment, the solenoid valve 2 is opened by pressing the ignition / extinguishing button 5, but an electromagnetic valve which opens electrically may be used. In this case, a lock-type switch or a changeover switch is used in place of the ignition / extinguishing button 5 and the switches 21 and 22.
The operation may be controlled by supplying power to the control circuit 16 or the like.

[0070]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when the battery voltage drops below a predetermined value during the operation of the combustion section, a battery voltage monitoring means for notifying that,
Normally, the control unit for controlling the operation of the combustion unit is supplied with power by the power supply unit only during operation of the combustion unit. On the other hand, when the battery voltage falls below a predetermined value, the auxiliary power supply unit supplies the battery voltage monitoring unit with the combustion unit. By supplying power regardless of the operation and non-operation of the, the notification by the battery voltage monitoring means can be performed even after the operation of the combustion unit is stopped,
The user can be reliably notified that the battery needs to be replaced or that the battery replacement is about to be completed while suppressing battery consumption.

Further, the auxiliary power supply means is constituted by switch means interposed between the power supply path of the battery voltage monitoring means and the battery, and switch drive means supplied with power via the battery voltage monitoring means. Thus, the above-described power supply to the battery voltage monitoring means can be accurately performed with a relatively simple configuration. In particular, by generating a drive signal for the switch means from the notification command signal of the notification command means provided in the battery voltage monitoring means, the notification command means can be used as a part of the auxiliary power supply means, and the auxiliary power supply means can be used. A very simple and compact configuration can be achieved using a simple switch element or the like.

Further, by setting the predetermined value of the battery voltage for performing the notification to a value close to the operable limit value of the control means, it is necessary to replace the battery without hindering the operation of the control means and the like. The notification to that effect can be made accurately when the battery is sufficiently consumed.

Further, in the power supply state of the battery voltage monitoring means, the battery voltage monitoring means is provided with means for continuing the notification when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined value, regardless of the subsequent battery voltage value. Accordingly, when the battery voltage drops to a certain degree even if the battery voltage is likely to hinder the operation of the control unit and the like even temporarily, the above-described notification is performed, so that the control unit and the like can be reliably operated, In addition, the above-described notification can be accurately performed when the battery is sufficiently consumed.

Further, a second value higher than the predetermined value is set.
When the battery voltage drops below a predetermined value, a second battery voltage monitoring unit that notifies the user of the fact in a form different from the battery voltage monitoring unit is provided, so that the user is notified that the battery replacement time is near. The user can be notified, and the user can be made to recognize the decrease in the battery voltage accurately according to the degree. In this case, power is supplied to the second battery voltage monitoring unit only when the combustion unit is operated, so that the consumption of the battery can be suppressed to a necessary level.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Burner (combustion part), 11 ... Battery, 12 ... LED lamp (alarm), 16 ... Control circuit (control means), 17 ...
A first battery voltage monitoring circuit (battery voltage monitoring means);
A second battery voltage monitoring circuit (second battery voltage monitoring means),
19 ... power supply circuit (power supply means), 20 ... auxiliary power supply circuit (auxiliary power supply means), 25 ... lighting command circuit (notification command means),
26 ... lighting drive circuit (notification drive means), 47 ... switch circuit (switch means), 48 ... switch drive circuit (switch drive means).

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A control means for controlling the operation of a combustion section using a battery as a power supply, and monitoring a battery voltage using the battery as a power supply.
When the battery voltage falls below a predetermined value, power supply to the control means and the battery voltage monitoring means from the battery and the battery voltage monitoring means for driving the informing device, during operation of the combustion section for notifying to that effect allowed, and in a combustion apparatus provided with a power supply means for stopping power supply to said control means and the battery voltage monitoring means during non-operation of the combustion unit, the combustion
During operation of the unit, the battery voltage has dropped below the predetermined value.
Is detected by the battery voltage monitoring means,
Thereafter , the power supply from the battery to the battery voltage monitoring means is continued regardless of whether the combustion section is operating or not.
Combustion apparatus characterized by comprising an auxiliary power supply means that. 2. The auxiliary power supply means is interposed between a power supply path of the battery voltage monitoring means and the battery, and a switch means for connecting the power supply path to the battery when a predetermined drive signal is applied. Power is supplied through the battery voltage monitoring means,
2. The combustion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: switch driving means for generating the driving signal when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined value and applying the driving signal to the switching means. 3. The notification command means for generating and outputting a notification command signal for instructing notification by the notification device when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined value, and the notification command signal. 3. The combustion apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: notification drive means for driving the notification device in response to the notification, wherein the switch drive means generates a drive signal for the switch means from the notification command signal. 4. The combustion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined value is a battery voltage substantially equal to a limit value at which said control means can operate. 5. The battery voltage monitoring means, in the power supply state, when the battery voltage falls below the predetermined value, irrespective of the battery voltage value thereafter, continues to drive the notification device. The combustion device according to claim 4, further comprising: 6. The battery is powered by the power supply means using the battery as a power supply, and monitors the battery voltage. When the battery voltage drops to a second predetermined value or higher that is higher than the predetermined value, the fact is notified to the battery. The combustion apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a second battery voltage monitoring unit that is notified by a notification device in a form different from the voltage monitoring unit.