JP3548207B2 - Water heater - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a water heater having a connection terminal for communicating with an external control device fixed to a master station or a slave station having a communication function.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, a water heater is controlled in combustion by a burner controller provided in a main body of the water heater, and a remote controller is connected to the burner controller through a connection terminal for communication. In this case, the communication function is such that the burner controller is set to the master station and the remote controller is set to the slave station.
Further, in order to enable large-capacity hot water supply for business use, a plurality of the hot water heaters are arranged side by side, and the burner controller of each hot water heater is used as a hot water supply device connected to a number control device. In this case, the communication function is such that the number control device is set to the master station, the burner controller is set to the slave station, and the number control device starts or stops tapping water output from the number control device in order to simultaneously operate a plurality of water heaters. Each burner controller is controlled according to a command such as a set temperature, and conversely, information such as an operation state is transmitted from each burner controller to the number control device.
As described above, in the water heater, the external control device to be connected is either a remote controller fixed to the slave station of the communication function or a number control device fixed to the master station of the communication function, depending on the master station or slave station of the communication function. The settings are different.
For this reason, the water heater is provided with a communication connection terminal for each setting of the master station and the slave station of the communication function, and in a water heater having only one communication connection terminal, the master station of the communication function or the setting switch is used. The setting of the slave station was being changed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in construction work in which an external control device such as a remote control or a unit control device is connected to the water heater, the switching of the communication function setting switch may be forgotten, and the water heater may be used while the communication function setting is abnormal. . At this time, the water heater starts communication with the external control device after confirming the electrical connection, but the water heater may not operate or may operate abnormally.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a water heater according to the present invention, in that with a connection terminal for communicating with the unit count control device or a remote controller, a communication function of the water heater to the connecting terminal and temporary main station A request signal is transmitted to the connected number control device or the remote control, and it is determined whether the connected to the connection terminal is the number control device or the remote control based on the identification signal returned from the number control device or the remote control , The slave station or the master station of the communication function of the water heater is automatically selected according to the result.
[0005]
[Action]
In the water heater of the present invention having the above configuration, it is determined whether the external control device connected to the connection terminal is a unit control device or a remote controller , and the slave station or the master station of the communication function on the water heater side is automatically selected based on the result. Therefore, communication with the external control device can be performed, and the water heater can be normally operated.
[0006]
【Example】
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the water heater of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a water heater in which a water heater is connected to a number control device 5. The water heater 1 includes a plurality of n water heaters 2, 2,. .. are connected by a communication line to a water supply pipe 3 of water pipes connecting the water supply pipes in parallel, a water supply pipe 4 of a water supply pipe for commonly supplying hot water to the hot water side, and respective water heaters 2, 2,. In order to control the water supply individually, the number of operating water heaters that start operating according to the setting conditions such as the tap water temperature is summarized, and the unit control unit has a control function unit that controls the tap water temperature and tap water amount. It comprises a device 5 and remote controls 6 and 6 connected to the number control device 5 for inputting setting conditions such as tapping temperature. In this case, the water heater 2 is set as a slave station of the communication function, while the number control device 5 has a fixed setting at the master station of the communication function.
In the water heater 2, there is provided a burner controller 20 for controlling the water heating operation of each water heater 2 in accordance with a command from the number control device 5. The burner controller 20 is connected to a temperature sensor 21 for measuring the incoming water temperature of the supply water, a water amount sensor 22 for detecting the amount of hot water, an on-off valve 23 for opening and closing the flow path, and a flow control valve 25 for adjusting the amount of hot water.
The number control device 5 instructs each water heater to control the opening / closing valve 23 of each of the water heaters 2, 2,... For controlling the number of operating units, manages the set temperature from the remote controller 6, and transmits the temperature to each water heater. . The burner controller 20 of each water heater controls the opening / closing valve 23, and the set temperature, the temperature sensor 21 and the water amount sensor 22 sent from the number control device 5, and the proportional control valve 24 of the combustion burner and above the burner. A drive control of a gas supply unit and an air supply unit in the water heater is performed by a combustion sensor or the like that detects a combustion state. Reference numeral 26 denotes a main solenoid valve for opening and closing the gas passage.
It is to be noted that, although not shown, when the water heater is used alone and a remote controller is mainly used for home use, it is composed of the water heater 2 and the remote controller 6 as described above, and the setting is fixed to the slave station of the communication function. The water heater 2 is set as the main station of the communication function for the remote controller 6 that is operating.
[0007]
The burner controller 20 of the water heater 2, Ru a switching unit for automatically selecting a judging unit and a communication function to check the type of the external control devices. Hereinafter, the operation principle will be described based on FIG. 2 showing a flowchart.
First, when the power is supplied to the water heater 1, the determination unit of the water heater 2 checks the type of the external control device 5 connected in step S1.
Then, the switching unit automatically selects the communication function in step S2 based on the output of the determination unit as a result, and if the external control device 5 is a remote control, the communication function in the water heater 2 is set to the main station in step S3. Similarly, if the external control device 5 is not a remote control, the switching unit sets the water heater 2 to the slave station of the communication function in step S4 as the number control device .
[0008]
Then, based-out is described in detail in FIG. 3, the operation of the switching unit.
First, in step S11, a request signal to transmit an identification code to the external control device 5 to be connected is transmitted by the hot water heater 2 having the communication function temporarily provided in the main station, and is previously assigned to the external control device 5 in step S12. The identification code is returned. Here, the identification codes are 0, 1, and 2 for the three remote controllers, and the identification code of the number controller 5 is 3. Thereby, the determination unit can confirm the type of the external control device 5.
Then, in step S2, if the returned identification code which is the output of the determination unit is the identification code 0, 1, 2 of the remote controller, the switching unit sets the communication function of the water heater 2 to the main station in step S3. If the external control device 5 is not a remote controller, the switching unit sets the water heater 2 to the slave station of the communication function in step S4 as the number control device.
As described above, in the present embodiment in which automatic selection is performed based on the identification signal of the external control device, the connection can be performed when there is only one connection terminal attached to the water heater and it is difficult to physically identify the connection terminal. Minimizing the number of terminals is effective in reducing the size and cost of the water heater.
[0009]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, when the construction work the connection with the external control devices such as the number control system for the remote control or the water heater without external use water heater, water heater is an external control device the type automatically identified, so that the operation in a normal communication state switched to the main station or the slave station communication functions suitable for external control devices, adjustment of the setting switch as in the prior art communication function is not required, the teeth of maintenance An easy water heater can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a water heater as one embodiment of the present invention attached to a water heater.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of the water heater as one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the water heater as one embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1. Hot water supply device, 2. Hot water supply device, 3. Water supply pipe, 4. Hot water supply pipe, 5. Number control device, 6. Remote control.

Claims (1)

In a water heater having a connection terminal for communicating with the number control device or the remote controller, a request signal is transmitted to the number control device or the remote controller connected to the connection terminal by temporarily providing a communication function of the water heater with the main station , Based on the identification signal returned from the unit controller or the remote controller, it is determined whether the connection terminal is connected to the unit controller or the remote controller , and the slave or master station of the communication function of the water heater is automatically selected according to the result. Water heater characterized by doing.

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