JP3144583B2 - Water supply control device - 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 supply control device for automatically detecting the presence of a user based on reflected light of intermittently projected light and automatically supplying water to a toilet, and in particular, water supply with reduced power consumption. It relates to improvement of a control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to reduce power consumption required for sensing a user, a technique for intermittently emitting infrared light at intervals of several seconds from a light emitting element of a sensing unit to reduce the number of times of light emission has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-1986. 2
No. 94032.

Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-156446 discloses that the light emitting cycle when sensing a human body is made shorter than the light emitting cycle when no human body is sensed to reduce the number of times of light emission. A technique for reducing power consumption by the amount is disclosed.

[0004]

However, flush toilets installed in companies, factories and the like may not be used for a long time at night or on holidays.

In such a period, it has been desired to stop the light projection and to switch to an operation mode in which washing and water supply is performed at predetermined time intervals to reduce power consumption. However, the mode is switched manually. There was a problem that it was very troublesome. The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a water supply that can automatically switch operation modes to reduce power consumption when a state in which a user is not sensed continues for a long time. It is to provide a control device.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a water supply control device according to the present invention is provided with a non-sensing state continuation timer means for monitoring the continuation time of a state in which a user is not sensed, and a non-sensing state is provided. An intermittent light emission stop means for stopping the light emission for a preset light emission stop time from a point in time when the preset time is continued is provided.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the operation mode can be automatically switched when the state in which the user is not sensed continues for a long time.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a water supply control device according to the present invention.

The water supply control device 1 comprises a sensing unit 2 for sensing a user of the washing machine to be sensed, and a water supply control unit 3 for controlling water supply based on a signal from the sensing unit.

The sensing unit 2 includes a light emitting unit 4, a light receiving unit 5, a determination circuit 7, a flip-flop 8, a non-sensing state continuation timer unit 9, and an intermittent light stop unit 10.

The light emitting section 4 includes a clock generating circuit 41, a selecting circuit 42 for selecting an intermittent light emitting cycle, and an AND circuit 43.
And a light emitting circuit 44. FIG. 2 is a time chart showing the operation of the sensing unit.

A clock generation circuit 41 divides the frequency of a master clock generated by using a crystal oscillator or the like and divides the frequency of the master clock as shown in FIGS.
A frequency dividing circuit (not shown) for generating the carrier clock signal 41a shown in FIG. 4C, the intermittent light emitting clock signal 41b at the time of non-sensing, and the intermittent light emitting clock signal 41c at the time of sensing is provided.

In this embodiment, the frequency of the carrier clock signal 41a is about 38 kHz, the intermittent light emission cycle at the time of non-sensing is about 2 seconds, and the intermittent light emitting cycle at the time of sensing is about 1 second. The selecting circuit 42 selects the intermittent light clock signal 41b at the time of non-sensing in the non-sensing state and the intermittent light clock signal 41c at the time of sensing in the non-sensing state based on the reflected light sensing state signal 8a supplied from the flip-flop 8. . The selected intermittent light emission clock signal 42 a is supplied to one input terminal of the AND circuit 43 and the comparison reference signal input terminal 7 a of the determination circuit 7.

A carrier clock signal 41a is supplied to the other input terminal of the AND circuit 43, and the intermittent light emitting clock signal 43a modulated by the carrier clock signal 41a.
Is supplied to the light emitting circuit 44 (FIG. 2d or e). The light emitting circuit 44 includes a light emitting element 45 such as an infrared light emitting diode and np.
A constant current driver including an n-transistor 46 and an emitter resistor 47 for determining a light emission current in a non-sensing state is provided.

The light receiving section 5 includes a light receiving element 51 such as a PIN photodiode or a phototransistor, a first-stage amplifier 52 as a current-voltage conversion circuit, a limiter circuit 53, a band-pass filter (BPF) 54, a detection circuit 55, This is a conventionally known configuration in which a waveform shaping circuit 56 is combined.
That is, the light receiving current of the light receiving element 51 is converted into a voltage by the first-stage amplifier 52, and the amplitude of the output voltage is limited by the limiter circuit 53.
After that, the signal of the carrier frequency component is extracted by the band pass filter (BPF) 54. Further, the detection circuit 5
After demodulation at 5, a received signal 5a of a predetermined logic level is output via the waveform shaping circuit 56.

The judgment circuit 7 has a comparison reference signal input terminal 7a
Is compared with the reception signal 5a supplied to the reception signal input terminal 7b, and the input reception signal 5a is synchronized with the intermittent light transmission clock signal 42a corresponding to the projection signal. When the pulse width of the received signal 5a is substantially equal to the pulse width of the intermittent light clock signal 42a, for example, the carrier clock signal 41a is provided a predetermined time after the rise of the intermittent light clock signal 42a.
At a timing similar to that of FIG.
e), and outputs a non-sensing output 7d (see FIG. 2d) at the same timing at other times.

The flip-flop 8 uses a set / reset type flip-flop (hereinafter referred to as an RS flip-flop), and the RS flip-flop is used while the user 6 or the like is sensed.
The set output terminal S of the flip-flop 8 has a sense output 7
c, and a non-sensing state determination signal 32a, which will be described later, is supplied to the reset input terminal R to output a reflected light sensing state signal 8a from the output terminal Q of the RS flip-flop 8.

The non-sensing state continuation timer means 9 receives the intermittent light-emitter clock signal 42a supplied to the input terminal 9a, starts counting by a counter (not shown), and inputs the non-sensing output 7d to the reset terminal 9b. At this point, the counter is reset and the next count is started.

The intermittent light emission stop means 10 receives the signal 9c from the non-sensing state continuation timer means 9 and generates a clock stop signal 10a when the count number has continued for a predetermined value (predetermined time) or more. The clock generation circuit 41 is stopped only for a preset light emission stop time (for example, 5 hours) so that no clock signal is generated and the light emission operation mode is stopped. Note that the clock signal is generated by resetting after a preset light emission stop time has elapsed.

After the elapse of the preset light-emission stop time, the clock generation circuit 41 generates a clock signal, returns to the light-emission operation mode, and resumes sensing by the user.

The water supply control section 3 includes a water supply control means 31 for controlling water supply to a flushing device such as a urinal based on a sensing output 7c and a non-sensing output 7d from the sensing section 2, and an on-off valve 32. The on-off valve 32 has one end connected to a water supply pipe 33 and the other end connected to a flusher (not shown) such as a urinal via a flush water supply pipe 34. The water supply control unit 3 further includes a forced cleaning control unit 35 for generating a valve opening pulse and a valve closing pulse based on the non-sensing state continuation timer unit 9. Is generated.

The on-off valve 32 is constituted by an electromagnetic valve using a so-called latching solenoid as an actuator, which energizes pulses when the valve is opened and closed and maintains the open or closed state by a spring force or a magnetic force of a permanent magnet otherwise. I do. In addition, an actuator using a piezoelectric element is provided instead of the solenoid valve using a latching solenoid, and the valve opening is changed every time an open or close pulse is applied, and the valve opening at that time is maintained in a non-energized state. A valve having a structure may be used.

FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the operation of the water supply control unit. As shown in FIGS.
Numeral 1 is configured to judge that there is a user when the sensing output 7c output from the judging circuit 7 continues for a certain period of time, and to judge that there is no user when the non-sensing output 7d continues for a certain period of time.

When the water supply control means 31 determines that there is a user, as shown in FIGS.
After the occurrence of b, the on-off valve 32 is opened and a predetermined minute time elapses, a valve-closing pulse 31c is generated, and pre-wash water supply before use of the water washer is performed during this period.

Thereafter, when the judgment changes from the presence of the user to the absence of the user, the water supply control means 31 starts the valve opening pulse 31.
After b is generated to open the on-off valve 32 for a predetermined time, a valve-closing pulse 31c is generated to perform post-wash water supply. At the same time, the water supply control means 31 outputs the non-sensing state determination signal 31a shown in FIG. 3D.

With the above configuration, the water supply control device operates as follows. R- when no user is detected
The reflected light sensing state signal 8a, which is the Q output of the S flip-flop 8, is at the L level, and based on this reflected light sensing state signal 8a, the selection circuit 42 selects the intermittent light emitting clock signal 41b at the time of non-sensing. Light emission modulated by the carrier clock signal 41a is performed for each of the selected intermittent light emission periods T.

When the light receiving section 5 receives the reflected light and senses the presence of the user 6 or the like, it outputs a sensing output 7c to set the input terminal S of the RS flip-flop 8, and outputs a Q output reflected light sensing state signal. 8a goes to the H level. Thereby, the selection circuit 42 switches to the intermittent light emission clock signal 41c at the time of sensing, and the sensing interval is shortened to T / 2.

The water supply control section 3 performs pre-cleaning water supply when it senses that the user 6 or the like has approached by the sensing output 7c, and performs post-washing when it senses that the user 6 or the like has left by the non-sensing output 7d. Supply water. In addition, the structure which does not perform pre-wash water supply may be sufficient.

The non-sensing state continuation timer means 9 is reset by the non-sensing output 7d and counts the intermittent light emitting clock signal 41b at the time of non-sensing. When a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the user has left, that is, when the timer of the non-sensing state continuation timer means 9 has reached a preset value, the operation mode is switched to emit light for a predetermined time from that point. To stop.

In the light emission stop period, the open / close valve 3 is controlled by the forced cleaning control means 35 provided in the water supply control section 3.
1 is controlled to supply a predetermined flushing water every predetermined time to clean the urinal or the like regardless of the presence of the user 6 or the like.

In the above embodiment, the light emitting operation is stopped by not generating a clock signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the power of the light emitting element may be turned off. Of course.

Although this embodiment has shown an example of a configuration using individual components, the generation of various clock signals and the reception signal 5
The determination circuit 7 and the water supply control means 31 of a may implement their functions by stored program control using, for example, a 4-bit one-chip microcomputer.

In the above embodiment, an example in which infrared light is used has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and similar effects can be obtained by using other means such as ultrasonic waves.

[0034]

As described above, according to the water supply control apparatus of the present invention, when the state in which the user is not sensed continues for a long time, the operation mode is automatically switched to stop the light emission and reduce the power consumption. I do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a water supply control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart illustrating an operation of a sensing unit.

FIG. 3 is a time chart showing an operation of a water supply control unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Water supply control device, 2 ... Sensing part, 3 ... Water supply control part, 4 ...
Light emitting unit, 5 ... Light receiving unit, 6 ... User, 7 ... Judgment circuit, 8 ...
Set / reset type flip-flop (RS flip-flop), 9: non-sensing state continuation timer, 10: intermittent light emission stop means, 31: water supply control means, 32: open / close valve, 33
... water supply pipe, 34 ... cleaning water supply pipe, 41 ... clock generation circuit, 42 ... selection circuit, 43 ... AND circuit, 44 ... light emitting circuit, 45 ... light emitting element, 46,83 ... transistor, 4
7, 82, 84: resistor, 51: light receiving element, 52: first-stage amplifier, 53: limiter circuit, 54: band-pass filter (BPF), 55: detection circuit, 56: waveform shaping circuit.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Tomohiro Nishi 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka Prefecture Totoki Co., Ltd. (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) E03D 5/10 E03D 13/00 G01V 9/04

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sensor for detecting the presence of a user of a toilet by detecting reflected light of light intermittently emitted at a predetermined cycle, and for supplying flush water to the toilet based on a detection signal from the sensor. A water supply control unit comprising a water supply control unit for performing a non-sensing state continuation timer means for monitoring a continuation time of a state in which a user is not sensed, and a preset time from when the non-sensing state has continued for a preset time. A water supply control device comprising intermittent light emission stop means for stopping the light emission during the light emission stop time. 2. The water supply control according to claim 1, further comprising a forced cleaning control unit for performing cleaning water supply to the toilet during a preset forced cleaning time while the intermittent light emission is stopped. apparatus.