JP3751798B2 - Judgment method for remaining water in bathtub - Google Patents

Description

【００４２】
この場合、第１及び第２残水有無判定時間Ｔａ，Ｔｂは、それぞれ後述するように残水が有ると判定する場合、残水が無いと判定する場合に用いられるものであり、いずれの残水有無判定時間Ｔａ，Ｔｂも、基本的には前記水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍが短い程（循環路３が短い程）、短い時間に設定される。
【００４３】
尚、これらの残水有無判定時間Ｔａ，Ｔｂは、前記ＳＴＥＰ６で水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍを確定した直後に上記表１により設定し、記憶保持しておくようにしてもよい。
【００４４】
次いで、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ３１において循環ポンプ１２を作動させると共に、タイマをスタートさせた後、ＳＴＥＰ３２にて水流スイッチ１３の状態を逐次監視する。そして、このとき水流スイッチ１３がＯＮ状態となっている場合には、さらに、ＳＴＥＰ３１で起動したタイマの現在のカウント時間をＳＴＥＰ３３にて前記第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａと比較し、該カウント時間（循環ポンプ１２の作動開始後の経過時間）が第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａ以上である場合には、浴槽１内に前記循環口１ａ以上のレベルの残水が有ると判定する（ＳＴＥＰ３４）。また、ＳＴＥＰ３３でタイマのカウント時間が第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａに満たない場合には、ＳＴＥＰ３２に戻り、水流スイッチ１３の出力の監視を継続する。
【００４５】
一方、ＳＴＥＰ３２で水流スイッチ１３がＯＦＦ状態となっている場合には、コントローラ１５は、タイマの現在のカウント時間をＳＴＥＰ３５にて前記第２残水有無判定時間Ｔｂと比較し、該カウント時間（循環ポンプ１２の作動開始後の経過時間）が第２残水有無判定時間Ｔｂ以上である場合には、浴槽１内に残水が無いと判定する（ＳＴＥＰ３６）。また、ＳＴＥＰ３５でタイマのカウント時間が第２残水有無判定時間Ｔｂに満たない場合には、ＳＴＥＰ３２に戻って、水流スイッチ１３の出力の監視を継続する。
【００４６】
尚、上述のように残水の有無の判定を行なった後には、ＳＴＥＰ３７にてコントローラ１５は、循環ポンプ１２の作動を停止させる。
【００４７】
以上のような処理により、循環ポンプ１２の作動を開始してから、第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａが経過したときに、水流スイッチ１３がＯＮ状態となっておれば、浴槽１内に循環口１ａ以上のレベルの残水が有ると判定される。また、循環ポンプ１２の作動を開始してから、第２残水有無判定時間Ｔｂが経過したときに、水流スイッチ１３がＯＦＦ状態となっておれば、浴槽１内に残水が無いと判定される。
【００４８】
このとき、第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａ及び第２残水有無判定時間Ｔｂは、前記水流ＯＦＦ時間が短い程、ひいては循環路３の長さが短いほど、短い時間に設定されるので、循環ポンプ１２の作動を開始してから、必要限の短い時間で残水有無の判定を行なうことができる。
【００４９】
また、本実施形態では、前記表１に示されるように、第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａは、第２残水有無判定時間Ｔｂよりも長い時間に設定される。このため、次のような効果がある。すなわち、浴槽１内に循環口１ａ以上のレベルの残水が有る場合であっても、循環路３内に部分的にエアが存在していることがあり、このような場合には、循環路３内のエアの影響で、水流スイッチ１３が一時的にＯＦＦ状態となることもある。しかるに、本実施形態では、残水有りの判定を行なう場合に係わる第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａを長めの時間に設定しているため、循環路３内のエアが循環路３から浴槽１側に排出されて該循環路３内を湯水のみが流れる状態で、残水有りの判定を行なうことができ、その判定を正確に行なうことができる。このように、残水有りの判定を正確に行なうようにするのは、その判定結果が風呂給湯装置の正常な運転を行なう上で大きな影響を及ぼすからである。
【００５０】
さらに、本実施形態では、前記表１に示されるように、第２残水判定時間Ｔｂには、下限値（本実施形態では３０秒）が定められ、該第２残水判定時間Ｔｂは、その下限値以上の時間で、前記水流ＯＦＦ時間に応じて設定されている。尚、本実施形態では、第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａは、第２残水有無判定時間Ｔｂよりも長い時間に設定しているので、結果的に第１残水有無判定時間Ｔａも上記下限値（３０秒）以上の時間に設定される。そして、このように第１及び第２残水有無判定時間Ｔａ，Ｔｂに下限値を設けておくことで、次のような効果がある。すなわち、特に浴槽１内に循環口１ａ以上のレベルの残水が無い場合には、循環路３内には、一般にエアと湯水とが混在していることが多いため、循環ポンプ１２の作動の初期段階では、水流スイッチ１３がＯＮ／ＯＦＦ状態が頻繁に切り換わる状態が多い。しかるに、本実施形態では、循環ポンプ１２の作動を開始してから上記下限値（３０秒）の時間が経過する前に残水有無の判定が行なわれることがないため、水流スイッチ１３の状態が安定した段階で残水有無の判定を行なうことができる。このため、その判定結果の信頼性を高めることができる。
【００５１】
図２のフローチャートの説明に戻って、上述のようにＳＴＥＰ９で残水の有無の判定処理を行なった後、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ１０において、その判定結果を確認する。このとき、残水が無いと判定した場合には、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ８の給水を開始してからの積算給水量があらかじめ定めた所定量（例えば５００リットル）に達したか否かをＳＴＥＰ１１にて判断する。このとき、積算給水量が５００リットルに満たない場合には、ＳＴＥＰ８に戻って、再び５０リットルの給水を浴槽１に対して行ない、さらに、ＳＴＥＰ９，１０にて、前述のように残水の有無の判定を行なう。また、ＳＴＥＰ１１において、ＳＴＥＰ８の給水を開始してからの浴槽１への積算給水量が５００リットルに達した場合には、浴槽１の排水口の栓（図示しない）が外れている等の不都合が生じている可能性があるので、図示しない表示器等にエラー情報を出力した後（ＳＴＥＰ１２）、風呂給湯装置の試運転を停止する。
【００５２】
以上のようにして、ＳＴＥＰ９〜１２では、浴槽１内に循環口１ａ以上のレベルの残水が有るという判定結果が得られるまで、浴槽１に５０リットルづつ間欠的に給水（給湯）されると共に、その給水の都度、残水の有無の判定が行なわれる。そして、残水が有るという判定結果が得られないまま、浴槽１への積算給水量（５０リットルの給水を開始してからの積算給水量）が５００リットルに達したときは、装置の試運転が停止される。
【００５３】
次に、ＳＴＥＰ９で残水が有るという判定結果が得られ、それがＳＴＥＰ１０で確認されると、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ１３にて、水位センサ１１の現在の出力（水位検出値）を基準水位として記憶保持すると共に、前記ＳＴＥＰ８の給水を開始してから現在までの積算給水量（これは浴槽１に基準水位までの湯はりを行なうために要する給水量である）を記憶保持する。尚、基準水位は、リモコン１６で設定される目標水位の基準値となるものである。また、該基準水位と、現在までの積算給水量とは、図示しないＥＥＰＲＯＭ等の不揮発性メモリに記憶保持される。
【００５４】
次いで、ＳＴＥＰ１４では、例えば２０リットルの給水（給湯）が浴槽１に対して行なわれる。すなわち、コントローラ１５が、前記ＳＴＥＰ１，８の場合と同様に、風呂用給水路２ａの電磁弁６を開弁して、給湯用熱交換器５側のガスバーナ４の燃焼運転を行なわせながら、給湯用熱交換器５で加熱された湯を循環路３を介して浴槽１に給水（給湯）する。そして、この給水を風呂用給水路２ａの流量センサ８で検出される流量の積算量が２０リットルに達するまで行なう。
【００５５】
そして、ＳＴＥＰ１５にて、浴槽１の残水の有無（循環口１ａ以上のレベルの湯水が浴槽１内に有るか否か）の判定が前記ＳＴＥＰ９の場合と全く同様のやり方でコントローラ１５により行なわれる。この場合、ＳＴＥＰ９の場合と同様に、残水の有無の判定を循環路３の長さに整合した必要限の短い時間で行なうことができると共に、信頼性の高い判定結果を得ることができる。
【００５６】
そして、ＳＴＥＰ１６にて、コントローラ１５が残水の有無の判定結果を確認する。このとき、残水が無いという判定結果である場合には、浴槽１の湯水の漏れ等が生じている虞れがあるので、コントローラ１５は、図示しない表示器等にエラー情報を出力した後（ＳＴＥＰ１７）、装置の試運転を停止する。
【００５７】
一方、残水が有るという判定結果が得られた場合には、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ１８にて、水位センサ１１の出力により浴槽１の現在の水位を検出すると共に、この検出水位と前記ＳＴＥＰ１３で得られた基準水位との偏差（＝ＳＴＥＰ１４の給水による浴槽１の水位の上昇量）と、ＳＴＥＰ１４における給水量（２０リットル）とから、浴槽１の断面積（給水量／水位上昇量）を算出する。尚、この算出された浴槽１の断面積は、図示しないＥＥＰＲＯＭ等の不揮発性メモリに記憶保持される。
【００５８】
次いで、ＳＴＥＰ１９において、コントローラ１５は、リモコン１６で設定されている浴槽１の目標水位とＳＴＥＰ１８で先に検出した浴槽１の現在水位との偏差（＝現在水位から目標水位までに必要な水位上昇量）と、ＳＴＥＰ１８で先に算出した浴槽１の断面積とから、現在水位から目標水位までの不足湯量を算出する。尚、該不足湯量は、浴槽１の断面積が深さ方向で一定である場合には、上記水位上昇量と断面積との積として不足湯量を求めればよいが、浴槽１の断面積が深さ方向で変化する場合には、例えば浴槽１の単位深さ当たりの断面積の変化率をあらかじめコントローラ１５に記憶保持しておき、その断面積変化率を考慮して目標水位までの不足湯量を求めるようにしてもよい。
【００５９】
次いで、ＳＴＥＰ２０において、上記のように算出された不足湯量の給水（給湯）が浴槽１に対して行なわれる。すなわち、コントローラ１５が、前記ＳＴＥＰ１，８の場合と同様に、風呂用給水路２ａの電磁弁６を開弁して、給湯用熱交換器５側のガスバーナ４の燃焼運転を行なわせながら、給湯用熱交換器５で加熱された湯を循環路３を介して浴槽１に給水（給湯）する。そして、この給水を風呂用給水路２ａの流量センサ８で検出される流量の積算量が上記不足湯量に達するまで行なう。これにより、浴槽１の湯はりが目標水位まで行なわれる。
【００６０】
次いで、ＳＴＥＰ２１において、コントローラ１５は、前記ＳＴＥＰ９，１５の場合と同様に残水の有無の判定処理を実行し、さらにＳＴＥＰ２２においてその判定結果を確認する。そして、このとき、残水が無いという判定結果が得られた場合には、浴槽１の湯水の漏れ等が生じている虞れがあるので、コントローラ１５は、図示しない表示器等にエラー情報を出力した後（ＳＴＥＰ２４）、風呂給湯装置の試運転を終了する。
【００６１】
また、ＳＴＥＰ２２で残水が有るという判定結果が得られた場合には、コントローラ１５は、浴槽１内の湯の沸き上げ運転を行なうための処理をＳＴＥＰ２３で実行した後、風呂給湯装置の試運転を終了する。
【００６２】
この沸き上げ運転の詳細な処理の説明及び図示は、ここでは省略するが、その概要は次の通りである。すなわち、温度センサ１４により検出される浴槽１の湯水の温度がリモコン１６で設定されている目標湯温よりも低い場合には、循環ポンプ１２により浴槽１の湯水を循環路３を介して循環させながら、風呂用熱交換器１０側のガスバーナ９の燃焼運転が行なわれる。そして、この燃焼運転によって、温度センサ１４により検出される浴槽１の湯の温度が上記目標湯温に上昇すると、ガスバーナ９の燃焼運転及び循環ポンプ１２の作動が停止され、風呂給湯装置の試運転が終了する。尚、沸き上げ運転の開始時に、浴槽１の湯温が目標湯温とほぼ同等の温度になっている場合には、ガスバーナ９の燃焼運転等を行うことなく、風呂給湯装置の試運転が終了する。
【００６３】
次に、以上説明したようにして風呂給湯装置の試運転を行なった後に、通常的な自動湯はり運転を行なう場合の作動を説明する。
【００６４】
前述のように風呂給湯装置の試運転を行なった後に、リモコン１６により自動湯はり運転モードの運転モードを選択して、それをコントローラ１５に指示すると、該コントローラ１５の制御処理によって、自動湯はり運転が図５のフローチャートに示すように行なわれる。
【００６５】
まず、ＳＴＥＰ４０において、前述した試運転におけるＳＴＥＰ１と同様に、循環路３に所定量（１０リットル）の給水が行なわれる。尚、このとき、循環路３の循環口１ａから循環ポンプ１２の吸入口側にかけての箇所に水が大略満たされればよいので、このときの給水量を、例えば前述の試運転で計測した前記水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍに応じた量に設定し（水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍが短い程、給水量を少なく設定する）、その設定量の給水を行なうようにしてもよい。
【００６６】
次いで、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ４１において、前述の試運転におけるＳＴＥＰ９，１５，２１の場合と全く同様に、浴槽１の残水の有無の判定処理を行ない、さらにＳＴＥＰ４２においてその判定結果を確認する。
【００６７】
このとき、残水が有るという判定結果が得られた場合、すなわち、浴槽１内に既に循環口１ａの水位以上の湯水が存在している場合には、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ４３において、前述の試運転におけるＳＴＥＰ２３の場合と全く同様に沸き上げ運転の処理を実行する。尚、この沸き上げ運転の処理の後には、後述のＳＴＥＰ４８からの処理が実行される。
【００６８】
また、ＳＴＥＰ４２で残水が無いという判定結果が得られた場合には、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ４４において、浴槽１内の水位が前記基準水位よりも例えば５ｃｍ上昇させた水位になるような水量の給水（給湯）を浴槽１に対して行なわしめる。この場合の給水量は、前述の試運転におけるＳＴＥＰ１３で、記憶保持した積算給水量（これは略空の浴槽１に基準水位まで湯はりするのに要する給水量である）と、基準水位から５ｃｍだけ水位を上昇させるのに要する水量（これは試運転における前記ＳＴＥＰ１８で算出される浴槽１の断面積と５ｃｍの水位上昇量とから求められる）との総和として算出される。そして、前記試運転におけるＳＴＥＰ８等の場合と同様に、コントローラ１５が、風呂用給水路２ａの電磁弁６を開弁して、前給湯用熱交換器５側のガスバーナ４の燃焼運転を行なわせながら、給湯用熱交換器５で加熱された湯を循環路３を介して浴槽１に給水（給湯）する。そして、この給水を、風呂用給水路２ａの流量センサ８で検出される流量の積算量が、上述のように求められる給水量に達するまで行なう。
【００６９】
次いで、ＳＴＥＰ４５において、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ９，１５，２１の場合と全く同様に、浴槽１の残水の有無の判定処理を行ない、さらにＳＴＥＰ４６においてその判定結果を確認する。このとき、残水が無いという判定結果が得られた場合には、浴槽１の排水口等から湯水が漏れている虞れがあるので、コントローラ１５は、図示しない表示器等にエラー情報を出力した後（ＳＴＥＰ４７）、自動湯はり運転を停止する。
【００７０】
また、ＳＴＥＰ４６で残水が有るという判定結果が得られた場合、あるいは、前記ＳＴＥＰ４２の沸き上げ運転の処理が終了した後には、コントローラ１５は、ＳＴＥＰ４８において、水位センサ１１により浴槽１の湯水の現在の水位を検出する。
【００７１】
そして、このＳＴＥＰ４８の処理の後には、前記試運転におけるＳＴＥＰ１９〜ＳＴＥＰ２４の処理と全く同じ処理がＳＴＥＰ４９〜５４で実行され、目標水位までの湯はりや、残水有無の判定処理、沸き上げ運転の処理が行なわれる。
【００７２】
以上説明したように本実施形態では、前記試運転で循環路３の長さに対応する水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍを計測した後の残水有無の判定処理では、循環ポンプ１２の作動を開始してから水位ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍに応じた残水有無判定時間Ｔａ，Ｔｂが経過したときの水流スイッチ１３のＯＮ／ＯＦＦ状態によって、浴槽１に残水が有るか否かを判定する。このため、循環路３が短い程、短時間で残水有無の判定を行なうことができる。つまり、循環路３の長さに対応した必要限の短い時間で、残水有無の判定を行なうことができる。そして、残水有無の判定は、前述のように試運転の際や、通常的な湯はり運転の際に複数回行なわれるが、上述のように残水有無の判定を必要限の短い時間で行なうことができるので、それらの運転に要する時間も短縮化することができる。
【００７３】
尚、以上説明した実施形態では、風呂給湯装置の設置直後の試運転の際に、水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍの計測処理（図２のＳＴＥＰ１〜７の処理）を行なうようにしたが、該水流ＯＦＦ時間の計測処理を行なうタイミングは、前述のような試運転の際に限られるものではなく、例えば第１回目の自動湯はり運転の際に行うようにしてもよく、水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍを計測するための専用的な運転モードで該水流ＯＦＦ時間Ｔｍの計測処理を行なうようにしてもよい。浴槽１が略空の状態から水流ＯＦＦ時間の計測処理を行なえば、その計測処理をどのようなタイミングで行なっても、以後の残水有無の判定の処理を必要限の短い時間で行なうことができる。
【００７４】
また、前記実施形態では浴槽１内の水位を検出する水位センサ１１を備えたものを示したが、例えば、循環ポンプ１２を作動させながらガスバーナ９の燃焼運転を行ない、このとき、所定時間内に浴槽１の湯水に与えられる熱量をガスバーナ９の発熱量等から把握すると共に、該所定時間内における浴槽１の湯水の温度上昇量を検出し、それらのデータから、浴槽１内の湯量を把握するような装置（水位センサを持たない装置）においても、本発明を適用することができる。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】 本発明の一実施形態を適用する装置の全体的システム構成図。
【図２】 図１の装置の作動を説明するためのフローチャート。
【図３】 図１の装置の作動を説明するためのフローチャート。
【図４】 図１の装置の作動を説明するためのフローチャート。
【図５】 図１の装置の作動を説明するためのフローチャート。
【符号の説明】
１…浴槽、１ａ…循環口、２…給水路、３…循環路、１２…循環ポンプ、１３…水流スイッチ（水流検出手段）。[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence or absence of residual water in a bathtub.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an apparatus that automatically fills and heats up a bathtub, a circulation path is connected to a circulation port established in the lower part of the side wall of the bathtub, and hot water in the bathtub is circulated through the circulation path. A circulation pump for heating, a heat exchanger for heating hot water in a bathtub circulating through the circulation path, and the like are interposed. Furthermore, a water supply path for supplying water (including hot water supply) to the bathtub is connected to the circulation path when hot water is filled or hot water is added.
[0003]
In this type of apparatus, in order to perform the hot water filling operation or the like, it is necessary to appropriately determine whether or not there is residual water in the bathtub. For example, when performing automatic hot water filling operation, the amount of water to be supplied to the bathtub and the method of water supply differ depending on whether there is residual water in the bathtub or not. It is necessary to determine the presence or absence of residual water at the stage. In addition, when performing a boiling operation, in order to avoid a situation where the boiling operation is performed in a state where there is not much residual water in the bathtub due to an erroneous operation by the user, the boiling operation is actually started. It is generally performed to determine the presence or absence of residual water in the bathtub before doing.
[0004]
Conventionally, for example, the following method is used as a method for determining the presence or absence of residual water.
[0005]
That is, a water flow switch that is turned ON / OFF according to the presence or absence of water flow is provided in the circulation path of the bathtub. And when determining the presence or absence of the residual water of a bathtub, the detection signal of the said water flow switch is observed, operating the circulation pump of a circulation path. At this time, when there is residual water in the bathtub (specifically, when there is residual water at a level higher than the circulation port), the circulation flow is continuously conducted by the circulation pump. After the operation of the circulation pump is started, it is continuously maintained in the ON state. On the other hand, when there is no remaining water beyond the circulation port in the bathtub, the water flow switch is turned on while hot water already present in the circulation path is flowing through the water flow switch by the operation of the circulation pump. When the hot water finally flows out into the bathtub and hot water does not flow through the location of the water flow switch, the water flow switch is turned off.
[0006]
Therefore, if the water flow switch is in an ON state after a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as “remaining water presence / absence determination time”) has elapsed since the operation of the circulation pump started, the remaining water in the bathtub If the water flow switch is in the OFF state when the predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined that there is no remaining water in the bathtub. Thereby, the presence or absence of the residual water of a bathtub can be determined.
[0007]
By the way, when there is no residual water in the bathtub, when hot water is almost filled in the circulation path, the time from the start of the circulation pump until the water flow switch is turned off is the length of the circulation path (details) Is different depending on the length of the circulation path from the circulation port to the suction port of the circulation pump. The longer the circulation path, the longer the time until the water flow switch is turned off. In addition, the length of the circulation path varies depending on the house structure and the like in the vicinity of the bathtub installation location.
[0008]
For this reason, conventionally, the remaining water presence / absence determination time has been set in consideration of the case where the length of the circulation path is the longest in the installation of the bathtub. That is, even when the circulation path is the longest and hot water is filled in the circulation path, when there is no remaining water in the bathtub, the remaining water presence / absence determination time has elapsed since the operation of the circulation pump was started. In some cases, the remaining water presence / absence determination time is preset in such a time that the water flow switch is surely turned off. If the remaining water presence / absence determination time is set in this way, even when the circulation path is short, when there is no remaining water in the bathtub, the water flow switch is turned off when the remaining water presence / absence determination time has elapsed. Therefore, the presence or absence of residual water in the bathtub can be determined without depending on the length of the circulation path.
[0009]
However, in the conventional technology in which the remaining water presence / absence determination time is set in this way, even if the length of the circulation path is relatively short, the determination of the presence or absence of residual water is performed after the start of operation of the circulation pump, This is not performed unless the remaining water presence / absence determination time has elapsed. Therefore, there is an inconvenience that it often takes a longer time than necessary to determine the presence or absence of residual water. And if it takes time to determine the presence or absence of residual water in this way, there is an inconvenience that the time required for various operations such as automatic hot water operation becomes long.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining the presence / absence of residual water in a bathtub, in which the determination of the presence / absence of residual water in the bathtub can be performed in a necessary short time.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve this object, the method for determining the presence or absence of residual water in a bathtub according to the present invention is connected to a circulation port established in a side wall of the bathtub, and circulates hot water in the bathtub by a circulation pump. In a bath apparatus comprising a water flow detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of a water flow, and a water supply passage connected to the circulation passage so that water can be supplied to the bathtub through the circulation passage, in a state where the circulation pump is operated. Based on the detection output of the water flow detection means, it is a method for determining whether or not there is residual water at a level higher than the circulation port in the bathtub, and the bathtub is substantially empty and at least the circulation path A first step of supplying a predetermined amount of water from the water supply path to the circulation path so as to substantially fill water from a circulation port to a suction port of the circulation pump; Open And a second step of measuring the time from when the water flow detecting means detects that there is no water flow in the circulation path, and after the second step, while the circulation pump is operated, When determining the presence / absence of water, based on the detection output of the water flow detection means when the remaining water presence / absence determination time set according to the time detected in the second step has elapsed since the start of the operation of the circulation pump. The presence or absence of the remaining water is determined.
[0012]
According to the present invention, after supplying a predetermined amount of water to the circulation path in the first step, the circulation pump is operated in the second step, and the operation is started, and then the water flow detecting means circulates the circulation pump. When measuring the time until it is detected that there is no water flow in the road, the measurement time is the length of the circulation path (specifically, the length of the part from the circulation port of the circulation path to the suction port side of the circulation pump). ), And the longer the circulation path, the longer the measurement time. And in this invention, after the said 2nd process, the said residual water presence-and-absence determination time for determining the presence or absence of the residual water of a bathtub, ie, the determination of the presence or absence of the residual water of a bathtub, after starting the operation | movement of the said circulation pump. Since the time to perform is set according to the above measurement time, the remaining water presence / absence determination time corresponding to the length of the circulation path can be set, and the length of the remaining water presence / absence determination time is limited to the necessary limit. Can do. Specifically, the shorter the time measured in the second step is, the shorter the remaining water presence / absence determination time is set to a shorter time. The presence / absence of residual water can be determined in a short time.
[0013]
Therefore, according to the present invention, the presence / absence of remaining water in the bathtub can be determined in the shortest necessary time.
[0014]
In the present invention, the predetermined amount of water supplied to the circulation path in the first step is basically at least a part from the circulation port of the circulation path to the suction port of the circulation pump even in the circulation path considered to be the longest. It is preferable that the amount of water supply be such that it can be substantially satisfied. Moreover, although it is suitable to perform the said 1st process and 2nd process immediately after installation of a bathtub, for example, it is made to perform at arbitrary timings (for example, in the case of a certain hot water filling operation etc.) after bathtub installation. It may be.
[0015]
In the present invention, preferably, the remaining water presence / absence determination time is a first remaining water presence / absence determination time corresponding to a case where it is determined that there is residual water in the bathtub, and a case where it is determined that there is no residual water in the bathtub. There is a second remaining water presence / absence determination time corresponding to, and the first remaining water presence / absence determination time is set to a time longer than the second presence / absence determination time.
[0016]
In other words, in a device that automatically fills the bathtub, etc., if it is determined that there is residual water in the bathtub, the bathtub may be automatically reheated or heated, etc. It is required to ensure that there is residual water. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no remaining water in the bathtub, the hot water filling is usually performed by supplying water to the bathtub. It is required to determine that there is no such item. For this reason, in the present invention, the remaining water presence / absence determination time when it is determined that there is residual water in the bathtub is set to a longer time, and conversely the remaining water presence / absence determination time when it is determined that there is no residual water in the bathtub. Set a shorter time. By doing in this way, the determination when there is residual water in the bathtub can be performed more accurately, and the determination when there is no residual water in the bathtub can be performed more quickly.
[0017]
Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable to set the said residual water presence-and-absence determination time to time more than the predetermined lower limit.
[0018]
That is, if air remains in the circulation path, even if there is residual water in the bathtub, the circulation path water detected by the water flow detection means is temporarily interrupted at a relatively early stage after the operation of the circulation pump is started. Sometimes. In such a case, if the remaining water presence / absence determination time is too short, the water flow detecting means temporarily determines that there is no residual water when it is detected that there is no water flow in the circulation path. There is a risk of it. For this reason, in this invention, the lower limit of the said remaining water presence / absence determination time is provided, and the presence / absence determination of remaining water is not performed in the time shorter than this lower limit. This avoids a situation in which the presence or absence of residual water is erroneously determined due to the influence of air or the like remaining in the circulation path. Can And the reliability of the determination result of the presence or absence of residual water can be increased.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall system configuration diagram of an apparatus to which the method of the present invention is applied, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the apparatus of FIG.
[0020]
Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus in the present embodiment is a bath water heater, and includes a water supply path 2 that supplies water (including hot water supply) to a bathtub 1 and the like, and a circulation path 3 that circulates hot water in the bathtub 1. ing.
The water supply path 2 is provided via a hot water supply heat exchanger 5 heated by a gas burner 4, and its upstream side is connected to a water pipe (not shown). In addition, the water supply channel 2 is divided into a bath water supply channel 2a for supplying water to the bathtub 1 and a regular water supply channel 2b for supplying water to the kitchen, washroom, etc., downstream of the hot water supply heat exchanger 5. ing. The water supply path 2a for the bath has an electromagnetic valve 6 that opens and closes it, a check valve 7 that prevents the backflow of hot water from the circulation path 3 to the water supply path 2a for the bath, and the water flow rate (flow through the water supply path 2a for the bath). It is connected to the circulation path 3 via a flow rate sensor 8 that detects the flow rate of water). The regular water supply channel 2b is connected to a hot water tap (not shown) such as a kitchen or a washroom.
[0021]
The circulation path 3 is connected to a circulation port 1 a provided at the lower part of the side wall of the bathtub 1 and is provided via a bath heat exchanger 10 heated by a gas burner 9. And the water level sensor 11 for detecting the water level of the hot water of the bathtub 1 and the hot water of the bathtub 1 are circulated in the location from the circulation port 1a of the circulation path 3 to the inflow side of the heat exchanger 10 for baths. 3 detects the temperature of hot water in the bathtub 1 flowing into the heat exchanger 10 for bath, and a water flow switch 13 as water flow detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of water flow in the circulation path 3. The temperature sensor 14 is provided in order from the bathtub 1 side. Here, the water level sensor 11 is a sensor that generates an output signal corresponding to the hydrostatic pressure of the portion including the water level sensor 11 as an output signal indicating the water level of the hot water in the bathtub 1. Further, the water flow switch 13 is a sensor that is turned on when there is water flow (water flow) at a location provided with the water switch 13 and turned off when there is no water flow.
[0022]
In addition, the apparatus of the present embodiment includes a controller 15 responsible for operation control of the entire bath water heater including a determination process for the presence or absence of residual water in the bathtub 1, which will be described later, and the operation mode of the apparatus by the user. A remote controller 16 for instructing is provided.
[0023]
The controller 15 is configured by using a microcomputer. Detection data of various sensors such as the water level sensor 11, the water flow switch 13, the temperature sensor 14, and the flow rate sensor 8, predetermined programs, and instruction data from the remote controller 16 are used. Based on the above, control of the combustion operation of the circulation pump 12, the electromagnetic valve 6, and the gas burners 4 and 9 is performed.
[0024]
In this case, the remote controller 16 is operated by a switch (not shown), for example, in an automatic hot water operation mode for automatically hot water filling the bathtub 1 or immediately after installation of the bath water heater of the present embodiment. However, it is possible to select an operation mode such as a test operation mode for confirming the operation of the apparatus. Furthermore, for example, the target water level and target hot water temperature of the bathtub 1 and the target hot water temperature of the water supply channel 2 can be set.
[0025]
In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, in relation to each gas burner 4 and 9, the gas proportional solenoid valve and gas supply path for adjusting a gas supply amount are opened and closed to the gas supply path to these gas burners 4 and 9. And an open / close solenoid valve for igniting each gas burner 4, 9, a flame detector for detecting the combustion flame of each gas burner 4, 9, and supplying combustion air to each gas burner 4, 9 A blower fan or the like is provided. And the combustion operation of each gas burner 4 and 9 is controlled via these devices.
[0026]
Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
[0027]
For example, immediately after the installation of the apparatus of the present embodiment (including the bathtub 1), when the operation mode of the test operation mode is selected by the remote controller 16 and instructed to the controller 15, the bath water heater is controlled by the control process of the controller 15. The trial run is performed as shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.
[0028]
That is, first, in STEP 1, a predetermined amount (for example, 10 liters) of water is supplied to the bathtub 1 side in order to substantially fill water in a portion from the circulation port 1 a of the circulation path 3 to the suction port side of the circulation pump 12. Done. That is, the controller 15 opens the solenoid valve 6 of the bath water supply passage 2a and performs the combustion operation of the gas burner 4 on the hot water supply heat exchanger 5 side, while the hot water heated by the hot water supply heat exchanger 5 is operated. Is supplied to the circulation path 3 (hot water supply). And this water supply is performed until the integrated amount of the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 8 of the hot water supply channel 2a for bath reaches 10 liters.
[0029]
At this time, the bathtub 1 and the circulation path 3 are basically empty immediately after the installation of the bath water heater. Further, the amount of water supply (10 liters) in STEP 1 is the maximum length that the circulation path 3 can allow in the bath water heater of the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the allowable maximum length of the circulation path 3). However, the amount of water supply is determined in advance so that at least a portion from the circulation port 1a of the circulation path 3 to the suction port side of the circulation pump 12 can be filled with water.
[0030]
In STEP 1, water supply to the circulation path 3 may be performed without performing the combustion operation of the gas burner 4.
[0031]
Next, in STEP 2, the controller 15 controls the circulation pump 12 to start the operation of the circulation pump 12, and starts a timer that measures the elapsed time from the start of the operation of the circulation pump 12.
[0032]
Then, the controller 15 monitors the output of the water flow switch 13 in STEP 3 while operating the circulation pump 12 and the timer as described above, and determines whether or not the water flow switch 13 has been turned off.
[0033]
At this time, when the bathtub 1 is almost empty (specifically, there is no amount of water in the bathtub 1 that exceeds the level of the circulation port 1a), the circulation path 3 The internal hot water is circulated by the operation of the circulation pump 12. 3 While flowing in, it is sent into the bathtub 1. At this time, the circulation path in STEP 1 3 The hot water in the circuit is circulated by the operation of the circulation pump 12. 3 The water flow switch 13 is turned on while the 3 The hot water in the inside is sent into the bathtub 1 and the circulation path 3 When hot water stops flowing inside, the water flow switch 13 is turned off.
[0034]
Then, when the water flow switch 13 is turned off in STEP 3, the controller 15 counts the timer started in STEP 2, that is, the elapsed time until the water flow switch 13 is turned off after the operation of the circulation pump 12 is started (hereinafter referred to as water flow OFF). The time is referred to as a predetermined time (for example, 60 seconds) in STEP 4.
[0035]
In this case, in the apparatus of this embodiment, even if the length of the circulation path 3 is the allowable maximum length, the water flow OFF time is basically the predetermined time (60) when the bathtub 1 is almost empty. It has been confirmed in advance through experiments and the like that it does not exceed (second). For this reason, when the water flow OFF time exceeds 60 seconds in STEP 4, the controller 15 outputs error information to an indicator (not shown) or the like in STEP 5, and then stops the trial operation of the bath water heater.
[0036]
On the other hand, if the water flow OFF time is 60 seconds or less in STEP 4, the water flow OFF time (time count time of the timer when the water flow switch 13 is OFF in STEP 3) is stored and held in STEP 6 as the value of the parameter Tm. Thereafter, in STEP 7, the operation of the circulation pump 12 is stopped. In this case, the water flow OFF time Tm stored and retained in STEP 6 basically corresponds to the length from the circulation port 1a of the circulation path 3 to the suction port side of the circulation pump 12, and as a result, the circulation path 3 Depending on the overall length of the. That is, the longer the circulation path 3 is, the longer the water flow OFF time Tm is. The value of the water flow OFF time Tm is stored and held in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM so that data is not lost even during a power failure.
[0037]
Next, in STEP 8, for example, 50 liters of water (hot water) is supplied to the bathtub 1. That is, as in the case of STEP 1, the controller 15 opens the solenoid valve 6 of the bath water supply channel 2a and performs the combustion operation of the gas burner 4 on the hot water supply heat exchanger 5 side while heating the hot water supply water. Hot water heated by the exchanger 5 is supplied to the bathtub 1 through the circulation path 3 (hot water supply). And this water supply is performed until the integrated amount of the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 8 of the hot water supply channel 2a for bath reaches 50 liters.
[0038]
Then, in STEP 9, the controller 15 determines whether or not there is residual water in the bathtub 1 (whether there is hot water at a level higher than the circulation port 1 a in the bathtub 1).
[0039]
This determination is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
[0040]
That is, the controller 15 first determines whether or not there are two types of residual water according to the water flow OFF time Tm stored and retained in STEP 6 according to a predetermined data table as shown in Table 1, for example. Set time Ta and Tb ( (STEP 30).
[0041]
[Table 1]

[0042]
In this case, the first and second remaining water presence / absence determination times Ta and Tb are used when it is determined that there is residual water, as described later, respectively, and when there is no residual water. The water presence / absence determination times Ta and Tb are basically set to shorter times as the water flow OFF time Tm is shorter (the shorter the circulation path 3 is).
[0043]
The remaining water presence / absence determination times Ta and Tb may be set according to Table 1 immediately after the water flow OFF time Tm is determined in STEP 6 and stored.
[0044]
Next, the controller 15 activates the circulation pump 12 in STEP 31 and starts a timer, and then sequentially monitors the state of the water flow switch 13 in STEP 32. If the water flow switch 13 is in the ON state at this time, the current count time of the timer started in STEP 31 is further compared with the first remaining water presence / absence determination time Ta in STEP 33, and the count time When (the elapsed time after the start of operation of the circulation pump 12) is equal to or longer than the first residual water presence / absence determination time Ta, it is determined that there is residual water at a level higher than the circulation port 1a in the bathtub 1 (STEP 34). . If the count time of the timer is less than the first remaining water presence / absence determination time Ta in STEP 33, the process returns to STEP 32 and monitoring of the output of the water flow switch 13 is continued.
[0045]
On the other hand, when the water flow switch 13 is in the OFF state in STEP 32, the controller 15 compares the current count time of the timer with the second remaining water presence / absence determination time Tb in STEP 35, and calculates the count time (circulation). When the elapsed time after the start of the operation of the pump 12 is equal to or longer than the second residual water presence / absence determination time Tb, it is determined that there is no residual water in the bathtub 1 (STEP 36). If the count time of the timer is less than the second remaining water presence / absence determination time Tb in STEP 35, the process returns to STEP 32 and the monitoring of the output of the water flow switch 13 is continued.
[0046]
Note that after determining whether or not there is residual water as described above, the controller 15 stops the operation of the circulation pump 12 in STEP 37.
[0047]
If the water flow switch 13 is in the ON state when the first residual water presence / absence determination time Ta has elapsed after the operation of the circulation pump 12 is started by the processing as described above, the circulation port is provided in the bathtub 1. It is determined that there is residual water at a level of 1a or higher. Further, if the water flow switch 13 is in the OFF state when the second remaining water presence / absence determination time Tb has elapsed after the operation of the circulation pump 12 is started, it is determined that there is no remaining water in the bathtub 1. The
[0048]
At this time, the first remaining water presence / absence determination time Ta and the second remaining water presence / absence determination time Tb are set to a shorter time as the water flow OFF time is shorter and as a result, the shorter the length of the circulation path 3 is, the shorter the circulation time is. After starting the operation of the pump 12, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of residual water in a short time as necessary.
[0049]
In the present embodiment, as shown in Table 1, the first remaining water presence / absence determination time Ta is set to be longer than the second remaining water presence / absence determination time Tb. For this reason, there are the following effects. That is, even if there is residual water at a level higher than the circulation port 1a in the bathtub 1, air may partially exist in the circulation path 3, and in such a case, the circulation path 3 may cause the water flow switch 13 to be temporarily turned off. However, in this embodiment, since the first remaining water presence / absence determination time Ta related to the determination of the presence of remaining water is set to a longer time, the air in the circulation path 3 is moved from the circulation path 3 to the bathtub 1 side. In the state where only hot water flows through the circulation path 3, it can be determined that there is residual water, and the determination can be made accurately. In this way, the determination of the presence of residual water is made accurately because the determination result has a great influence on the normal operation of the bath water heater.
[0050]
Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in Table 1, a lower limit value (30 seconds in the present embodiment) is set for the second remaining water determination time Tb, and the second remaining water determination time Tb is It is set according to the water flow OFF time at a time equal to or greater than the lower limit value. In the present embodiment, the first residual water presence / absence determination time Ta is set to be longer than the second residual water presence / absence determination time Tb. It is set to a time longer than the value (30 seconds). And providing the lower limit in the first and second residual water presence / absence determination times Ta and Tb in this way has the following effects. That is, particularly when there is no residual water at a level higher than the circulation port 1a in the bathtub 1, air and hot water are generally mixed in the circulation path 3, so that the circulation pump 12 is activated. In the initial stage, the water flow switch 13 often switches between ON / OFF states. However, in this embodiment, since the presence or absence of residual water is not determined before the time of the lower limit (30 seconds) has elapsed since the operation of the circulation pump 12 was started, the state of the water flow switch 13 is The presence or absence of residual water can be determined at a stable stage. For this reason, the reliability of the determination result can be improved.
[0051]
Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG. 2, after performing the process for determining the presence or absence of residual water in STEP 9 as described above, the controller 15 confirms the determination result in STEP 10. At this time, if it is determined that there is no remaining water, the controller 15 determines in STEP 11 whether or not the accumulated water supply amount after starting the water supply in STEP 8 has reached a predetermined amount (for example, 500 liters). Judgment. At this time, if the integrated water supply amount is less than 500 liters, the process returns to STEP 8 to supply 50 liters of water to the bathtub 1 again, and in STEPs 9 and 10, the presence or absence of residual water as described above. Judgment is made. Moreover, in STEP11, when the integrated water supply amount to the bathtub 1 after starting the water supply in STEP8 reaches 500 liters, there is an inconvenience such as a drain plug (not shown) of the bathtub 1 being removed. Since there is a possibility that the error has occurred, error information is output to a display (not shown) or the like (STEP 12), and the trial operation of the bath water heater is stopped.
[0052]
As described above, in STEPs 9 to 12, 50 liters of water is intermittently supplied (hot water supply) to the bathtub 1 until a determination result is obtained that there is residual water at a level higher than the circulation port 1 a in the bathtub 1. Each time the water is supplied, the presence / absence of remaining water is determined. And when the integrated water supply amount to the bathtub 1 (the integrated water supply amount after starting 50 liters of water supply) reaches 500 liters without obtaining the determination result that there is residual water, the trial run of the device is performed. Stopped.
[0053]
Next, when the determination result that there is residual water is obtained in STEP 9 and confirmed in STEP 10, the controller 15 stores the current output (water level detection value) of the water level sensor 11 as a reference water level in STEP 13. At the same time, the accumulated water supply amount from the start of the water supply of STEP 8 to the present (this is the water supply amount required for hot water filling to the bathtub 1 to the reference water level) is stored and held. The reference water level is a reference value for the target water level set by the remote controller 16. The reference water level and the accumulated water supply amount up to the present are stored and held in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (not shown).
[0054]
Next, in STEP 14, for example, 20 liters of water supply (hot water supply) is performed on the bathtub 1. That is, as in the case of STEP 1 and STEP 8, the controller 15 opens the solenoid valve 6 of the bath water supply channel 2a and performs the combustion operation of the gas burner 4 on the hot water supply heat exchanger 5 side. Hot water heated by the heat exchanger 5 is supplied to the bathtub 1 through the circulation path 3 (hot water supply). And this water supply for bath Water supply This is performed until the integrated amount of the flow detected by the flow sensor 8 of 2a reaches 20 liters.
[0055]
At STEP 15, the controller 15 determines whether or not there is residual water in the bathtub 1 (whether there is hot water at a level higher than the circulation port 1a in the bathtub 1) in the same manner as in STEP 9. . In this case, as in STEP 9, the presence / absence of residual water can be determined in a short time as necessary consistent with the length of the circulation path 3, and a highly reliable determination result can be obtained.
[0056]
And in STEP16, the controller 15 confirms the determination result of the presence or absence of residual water. At this time, if the determination result indicates that there is no remaining water, there is a possibility that the hot water in the bathtub 1 may leak, so the controller 15 outputs error information to a display (not shown) ( (STEP 17), the trial operation of the apparatus is stopped.
[0057]
On the other hand, if a determination result indicating that there is residual water is obtained, the controller 15 detects the current water level of the bathtub 1 based on the output of the water level sensor 11 at STEP 18 and obtains the detected water level and STEP 13 above. The cross-sectional area of the bathtub 1 (water supply amount / water level increase amount) is calculated from the deviation from the calculated reference water level (= the increase amount of the water level of the bathtub 1 due to the supply of STEP 14) and the supply amount of water (20 liters) in STEP 14. . The calculated sectional area of the bathtub 1 is stored and held in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (not shown).
[0058]
Next, in STEP 19, the controller 15 causes the deviation between the target water level of the bathtub 1 set by the remote controller 16 and the current water level of the bathtub 1 previously detected in STEP 18 (= the amount of increase in water level required from the current water level to the target water level). ) And the cross-sectional area of the bathtub 1 previously calculated in STEP 18, the amount of insufficient hot water from the current water level to the target water level is calculated. In addition, when the cross-sectional area of the bathtub 1 is constant in the depth direction, the shortage of hot water may be obtained as the product of the above-mentioned water level rise amount and the cross-sectional area, but the cross-sectional area of the bathtub 1 is deep. When changing in the vertical direction, for example, the rate of change of the cross-sectional area per unit depth of the bathtub 1 is stored in the controller 15 in advance, and the amount of hot water up to the target water level is calculated in consideration of the rate of change of the cross-sectional area. You may make it ask.
[0059]
Next, in STEP 20, water supply (hot water supply) for the insufficient amount of hot water calculated as described above is performed on the bathtub 1. That is, as in the case of STEP 1 and STEP 8, the controller 15 opens the solenoid valve 6 of the bath water supply channel 2a and performs the combustion operation of the gas burner 4 on the hot water supply heat exchanger 5 side. Hot water heated by the heat exchanger 5 is supplied to the bathtub 1 through the circulation path 3 (hot water supply). And this water supply for bath Water supply This is performed until the integrated amount of the flow detected by the flow sensor 8 of 2a reaches the above shortage of hot water. Thereby, the hot water of the bathtub 1 is performed to the target water level.
[0060]
Next, in STEP 21, the controller 15 executes a process for determining the presence or absence of residual water in the same manner as in STEP 9 and STEP 15, and further confirms the determination result in STEP 22. At this time, if a determination result indicating that there is no remaining water is obtained, there is a risk of leakage of hot water in the bathtub 1, so the controller 15 displays error information on a display (not shown). After outputting (STEP 24), the trial operation of the bath water heater is terminated.
[0061]
If the determination result that there is residual water is obtained in STEP 22, the controller 15 executes the process for performing the boiling-up operation of the hot water in the bathtub 1 in STEP 23, and then performs a trial operation of the bath water heater. finish.
[0062]
The detailed explanation and illustration of this boiling operation are omitted here, but the outline is as follows. That is, when the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 1 detected by the temperature sensor 14 is lower than the target hot water temperature set by the remote controller 16, the hot water in the bathtub 1 is circulated through the circulation path 3 by the circulation pump 12. However, the combustion operation of the gas burner 9 on the side of the heat exchanger for bath 10 is performed. When the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 1 detected by the temperature sensor 14 rises to the target hot water temperature by this combustion operation, the combustion operation of the gas burner 9 and the operation of the circulation pump 12 are stopped, and the test operation of the bath water heater is performed. finish. If the hot water temperature of the bathtub 1 is substantially equal to the target hot water temperature at the start of the boiling operation, the test operation of the bath hot water supply device is completed without performing the combustion operation of the gas burner 9 or the like. .
[0063]
Next, the operation in the case of performing a normal automatic hot water operation after performing the trial operation of the bath water heater as described above will be described.
[0064]
After performing the trial operation of the bath water heater as described above, when the operation mode of the automatic hot water operation mode is selected by the remote controller 16 and instructed to the controller 15, the automatic hot water operation is performed by the control processing of the controller 15. Is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
[0065]
First, in STEP 40, a predetermined amount (10 liters) of water is supplied to the circulation path 3 as in STEP 1 in the trial operation described above. At this time, it is only necessary that the water from the circulation port 1a of the circulation path 3 to the suction port side of the circulation pump 12 is substantially filled with water. The amount may be set according to the time Tm (the water supply amount is set to be smaller as the water flow OFF time Tm is shorter), and the set amount of water may be supplied.
[0066]
Next, the controller 15 determines whether or not there is residual water in the bathtub 1 in STEP 41, just as in STEP 9, 15, and 21 in the above-described trial operation, and further confirms the determination result in STEP 42.
[0067]
At this time, when the determination result that there is residual water is obtained, that is, when hot water at the water level of the circulation port 1a already exists in the bathtub 1, the controller 15 performs the above-described trial operation in STEP43. The boiling operation process is executed in the same manner as in STEP23. In addition, the process from STEP48 mentioned later is performed after the process of this boiling operation.
[0068]
When the determination result that there is no residual water is obtained in STEP 42, the controller 15 supplies the water in such a way that the water level in the bathtub 1 becomes a water level that is raised by, for example, 5 cm from the reference water level in STEP 44. (Hot water supply) is performed on bathtub 1. In this case, the water supply amount is the accumulated water supply amount stored in STEP 13 in the above-described test operation (this is the water supply amount required to fill the substantially empty bathtub 1 to the reference water level) and 5 cm from the reference water level. It is calculated as the sum of the amount of water required to raise the water level (this is obtained from the cross-sectional area of the bathtub 1 calculated in STEP 18 in the trial run and the water level rise amount of 5 cm). As in the case of STEP 8 in the trial operation, the controller 15 opens the electromagnetic valve 6 of the bath water supply channel 2a and performs the combustion operation of the gas burner 4 on the pre-hot water supply heat exchanger 5 side. The hot water heated by the hot water supply heat exchanger 5 is supplied to the bathtub 1 through the circulation path 3 (hot water supply). And this water supply is for bath Water supply This is performed until the integrated amount of the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 8 of 2a reaches the water supply amount obtained as described above.
[0069]
Next, in STEP 45, the controller 15 performs a process for determining the presence or absence of residual water in the bathtub 1 in the same manner as in STEP 9, 15, and 21, and further confirms the determination result in STEP 46. At this time, if the determination result that there is no remaining water is obtained, the controller 15 outputs error information to a display (not shown) or the like because hot water may leak from the drain of the bathtub 1 or the like. (STEP 47), the automatic hot water operation is stopped.
[0070]
Further, when the determination result that there is residual water is obtained in STEP 46, or after the processing of the boiling operation in STEP 42 is completed, the controller 15 in STEP 48 uses the water level sensor 11 to indicate the current hot water in the bathtub 1. Detect the water level.
[0071]
After the processing of STEP 48, the same processing as the processing of STEP 19 to STEP 24 in the trial operation is executed in STEP 49 to 54, and the hot water filling up to the target water level, the determination processing of the presence or absence of residual water, the processing of the boiling operation Is done.
[0072]
As described above, in the present embodiment, in the determination process for the presence or absence of residual water after measuring the water flow OFF time Tm corresponding to the length of the circulation path 3 in the trial operation, the water level is started after the operation of the circulation pump 12 is started. It is determined whether or not there is residual water in the bathtub 1 based on the ON / OFF state of the water flow switch 13 when the remaining water presence / absence determination times Ta and Tb corresponding to the OFF time Tm have elapsed. For this reason, the shorter the circulation path 3, the shorter the presence or absence of remaining water can be determined. That is, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of residual water in a short time necessary corresponding to the length of the circulation path 3. The determination of the presence / absence of residual water is performed a plurality of times during the trial operation and the normal hot water operation as described above, but the determination of the presence / absence of residual water is performed in a short time as necessary. Therefore, the time required for these operations can be shortened.
[0073]
In the embodiment described above, the measurement process of the water flow OFF time Tm (the process of STEP 1 to 7 in FIG. 2) is performed during the trial operation immediately after the installation of the bath water heater. The timing for performing the measurement process is not limited to the trial operation as described above. For example, the measurement process may be performed at the time of the first automatic hot water operation, and is dedicated for measuring the water flow OFF time Tm. The water flow OFF time Tm may be measured in a typical operation mode. If the measurement process of the water flow OFF time is performed from the state in which the bathtub 1 is substantially empty, the subsequent determination process for the presence or absence of remaining water can be performed in a short time as necessary regardless of the timing of the measurement process. it can.
[0074]
Moreover, although the said embodiment showed what provided the water level sensor 11 which detects the water level in the bathtub 1, the combustion operation of the gas burner 9 is performed, for example, operating the circulation pump 12, At this time, within predetermined time The amount of heat given to the hot water of the bathtub 1 is grasped from the calorific value of the gas burner 9, etc., the temperature rise amount of the hot water of the bathtub 1 within the predetermined time is detected, and the amount of hot water in the bathtub 1 is grasped from those data The present invention can also be applied to such an apparatus (an apparatus having no water level sensor).
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall system configuration diagram of an apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Bathtub, 1a ... Circulation port, 2 ... Water supply path, 3 ... Circulation path, 12 ... Circulation pump, 13 ... Water flow switch (water flow detection means).

Claims (3)

A circulation path connected to a circulation port established on the side wall of the bathtub and circulating the hot water in the bathtub by a circulation pump; water flow detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a water flow in the circulation path; In the bath apparatus provided with a water supply path connected to the circulation path so that water can be supplied to the water, based on the detection output of the water flow detection means in a state in which the circulation pump is operated, A method for determining whether there is residual water at the water level,
In a state where the bathtub is substantially empty, a predetermined amount of water is supplied from the water supply path to the circulation path so that at least a portion of the circulation path from the circulation port to the suction port of the circulation pump is substantially filled with water. A first step, and then a second step of operating the circulation pump and measuring a time from when the operation is started until the water flow detecting means detects that there is no water flow in the circulation path,
When determining the presence or absence of residual water in the bath while operating the circulation pump after the second step, the residual water set according to the time detected in the second step after starting the operation of the circulation pump A method for determining the presence / absence of residual water in a bathtub, wherein the presence / absence of residual water is determined based on a detection output of the water flow detection means when the presence / absence determination time has elapsed.   The residual water presence / absence determination time corresponds to a first residual water presence / absence determination time corresponding to a case where it is determined that there is residual water in the bathtub and a second residual water presence / absence corresponding to a case where it is determined that there is no residual water in the bathtub. The method for determining the presence / absence of residual water in a bathtub according to claim 1, wherein the first remaining water presence / absence determination time is set to be longer than the second presence / absence determination time.   The residual water presence / absence determination method according to claim 1, wherein the remaining water presence / absence determination time is set to a time equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit value.

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