JP3822689B2 - Temperature control device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a combustion apparatus used for a water heater, a bath tub, or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There are paid repairs and free repairs for normal product repairs, and the warranty period begins when the final user (hereinafter referred to as “user”) purchases the product, but it is installed in condominiums such as water heaters in advance. For example, in the case of residential equipment, the “2-year warranty” means that the manufacturer will repair the product free of charge for two years from the start of use by the user of the combustion device, but will repair it for a fee after two years. I'm waiting.
[0003]
In this regard, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-256446 discloses a configuration for determining the life of a combustion device by accumulating the combustion time and the number of combustions. Since it is required to specify the use start date, the warranty period cannot be specified only by using such conventional technology.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In other words, the combustion device is installed in a detached house or public building, or an apartment building, etc., but if the combustion device is installed in a detached house or public building where a person already lives or has a manager, Since the installation date of the apparatus and the use start date are almost the same, the use start date of the combustion apparatus can be grasped relatively clearly. However, there are the following problems when setting a combustion device in a general apartment house. In the case of apartment houses, such as apartments, the time to move into each unit varies, and residents who move in after a considerable amount of time has passed since construction of the apartment house and the actual installation of the combustion device. If the start date of use of the combustion apparatus is unclear because the start date of use of the apparatus is unclear, and the start date of use of the combustion apparatus is declared, for example, half a year after the actual installation of the combustion apparatus, the warranty period is 2 Even if it is a year, there is a problem that even if two years have passed since the combustion apparatus was actually installed, there is a case in which the manufacturer has to perform a free repair.
[0005]
From this, the actual start date of use of the combustor is specified on the combustor side, and it is clearly informed to the user of the combustor how much time has passed since the start date of use, and thus the combustor It is necessary to clearly and objectively inform the user whether the repair is paid or free.
[0006]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a combustion apparatus that can objectively perform the determination of whether the repair of the combustion apparatus is paid or free of charge by elucidating how much has elapsed from the start date of use. .
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 includes a use start date specifying means for specifying a start date of use for a combustion section that burns combustion gas, and an energization time from the specified use start date. And an energization time measuring means for measuring the combustor, and based on the energization time measured by the energization time measuring means, the use period of the combustion section is specified from the use start date. According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, the user and the operator clearly and objectively determine how much the combustor has been repaired from the start date of use. It is possible to specify the repair time, to reliably check the repair time, and to check the life of each part. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an accident associated with the passage of the repair deadline of the combustion device in advance.
[0008]
In the first aspect of the present invention, the use start date specifying means sets the use start date when the number of times of detection of the current generated by the combustion detecting means reaches a predetermined number by detecting a flame in the combustion section. It is characterized by this.
[0009]
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the use start date specifying means sets the use start date when the number of times of opening the supply valve for supplying combustion gas to the combustion section reaches a predetermined number. To do.
[0010]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the use start date specifying means sets the use start date when the cumulative combustion gas combustion time reaches a predetermined time.
[0011]
According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, the use start date of the original combustion device can be easily and objectively specified except for the trial operation period of the combustion device.
[0012]
The invention according to any one of claims 4 to 6 is characterized in that the use start date is specified by the use start date specifying means according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and the accumulated combustion time from the use start date for the combustion section that burns the combustion gas. Is used to identify the period of use of the combustion section from the use start date, and when the use period reaches a predetermined period, the end of the compensation period is displayed. According to the inventions described in claims 4 to 6 , objectively displaying to the user and the worker how much has passed since the start date of use when the combustor is repaired and charged. It can be used to confirm the repair time, and can be used to check the life of each part. In addition, it is possible to prevent accidents associated with the passage of the repair deadline of the combustion apparatus in advance.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. A combustion apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is, for example, a water heater. As shown in FIG. 1, the water heater 10 includes a combustion unit 12, a control unit 14, and a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) 16. .
[0014]
The combustor 12 includes a heat exchanger 20, a burner 22, a flame rod 24 as combustion detection means, a gas valve 26, and an igniter (igniter) 28. When water is supplied to the water pipe 21 of the heat exchanger 20 and passes through the heat exchanger 20, it is heated by the flame of the burner 22 to become hot water.
[0015]
The burner 22 is connected to a gas valve 26. When the gas valve 26 is opened by a command from the microcomputer 31 of the control unit 14, an appropriate amount of combustion gas is supplied to the burner 22. When the igniter 28 sparks according to a command from the microcomputer 31, the combustion gas in the burner 22 is ignited, and the burner 22 forms a flame 23. Since the flame rod 24 detects the presence or absence of the flame 23 of the burner 22 and the flame rod 23 generates the flame rod current FRC, the microcomputer 31 detects the presence or absence of the flame 23 by the generation of the flame rod current FRC. Can be recognized.
[0016]
Next, the microcomputer 31 of the control unit 14 performs opening / closing and opening command of the gas valve 26, detection of ignition based on the frame rod current FRC of the frame rod 24, operation of the igniter 28, and the like. And connected to the life storage element 34. The microcomputer 31 functions as a use start date specifying unit, specifies the use start date by the following method, and has a memory for storing the “use start date” of the water heater 12 shown in FIG. The timer 32 counts the time from the “use start date”.
[0017]
The lifetime storage element 34 is an element that stores the usage period from the “use start date” in advance, and is not a volatile memory such as a RAM, and the stored content does not disappear even if the power cord is removed. EPROM (erasable programmable ROM) ) And EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable ROM).
[0018]
Next, the remote controller 16 includes an operation unit 40 and a display unit 50. The operation unit 40 includes an on / off button, a hot water temperature setting button, and the like. The temperature can be set remotely.
[0019]
On the other hand, the display unit 50 includes a repair / payment display unit 52 for repair, a display unit 54 for specifying a use start date, and a use period display unit 56. The repair / payment display unit 52 for repair is a portion that clearly displays to the user whether the repair request time of the user or the like is within the free repair period or the repair period.
[0020]
The display unit 54 for specifying the start date of use includes a display unit 57 for the number of detections (times) of the flame rod current FRC, a display unit 58 for the number of times the gas valve is opened (times), and a combustion time display unit (time hr) 59. I have.
[0021]
The number-of-detections display section 57 of the frame rod current FRC displays the number of detections of the frame rod current FRC of the frame rod 24 recognized by the microcomputer 31 with numbers. The gas valve opening number display unit 58 displays the number of times that the user operates the operation unit 40 of the remote controller 16 to instruct the microcomputer 31 to open the gas valve 26 and supply combustion gas to the burner 22. Further, the combustion time display unit 59 displays the time from the “use start date” by the timer 32 and the life storage element 34 in numbers.
[0022]
Next, the operation of the water heater 10 will be described. For example, the water heater 10 performs an ignition test at a manufacturing factory, and supplies a combustion gas to the burner 22 by opening the gas valve 26 according to a command from the microcomputer 31 in order to perform an ignition test even when shipped from the factory. A combustion gas is ignited by an (igniter) 28 to form a flame 23 in the burner 22. As a result, the frame rod 24 detects the flame 23 and the microcomputer 31 recognizes the frame rod current FRC.
[0023]
When the water heater 10 is installed in each dwelling unit of the apartment house, the gas valve 26 is opened by the command of the microcomputer 31 at the time of completion inspection or construction inspection of the apartment house, and the combustion gas is supplied to the burner 22 and the igniter ( The combustion gas is ignited by an igniter 28 to form a flame 23 in the burner 22. As a result, the frame rod 24 detects the flame 23 and the microcomputer 31 recognizes the frame rod current FRC.
[0024]
When a resident enters the dwelling unit and the resident uses the water heater 10 to supply hot water, the operation unit 40 of the remote controller 16 is operated to open the gas valve 26 according to an instruction from the microcomputer 31 to burn the burner. Combustion gas is supplied to 22, and the combustion gas is ignited by an igniter (igniter) 28 to form a flame 23 in the burner 22. As a result, the frame rod 24 detects the flame 23 and the microcomputer 31 recognizes the frame rod current FRC.
[0025]
Next, identification of the use start date and identification of the passage of the warranty period will be described with reference to FIG. In the operation of the above-described combustion apparatus, when the control unit 14 opens the gas valve 26 for example 30 times as in step S1, the microcomputer 31 serving as the use start date specifying means at that time, The “use start date” of the device 10 is recognized, and the timer 32 measures the time from the use start date.
[0026]
In order to specify the “use start date”, the number N of opening (turning on) of the gas valve 26 is used in step S1, but instead the number of detections of the frame rod current is a predetermined number, for example, N = 30. It is possible to employ the time when the number of times has reached or when the cumulative combustion time has reached, for example, 5 hours.
[0027]
The cumulative combustion time for specifying the “use start date” can be set to 5 hours, for example, as described above, but the cumulative combustion time is the cumulative on-time of the flame rod current or the gas valve. A cumulative total of 26 on-times can be used.
[0028]
As described above, as a method of specifying the “use start date”, as described above, when the number of detections of the frame rod current reaches a predetermined number, when the number of times the gas valve 26 opens reaches a predetermined number, The reason for specifying the date of use disclosure in this way is selected when the cumulative total reaches a predetermined time. The reason for specifying the use disclosure date is as follows: water heaters at factory inspection, shipping, dwelling completion, construction inspection, etc. This is because the user wants to capture the actual start date of use, except for the trial run.
[0029]
The number of detections of the flame rod current can be displayed on the display unit 57 of the remote controller 16, the number N of opening of the gas valve 26 can be displayed on the display unit 58 of the remote controller 16, and the combustion time can be displayed on the display unit 59. The usage period of the water heater 10 from the “start date” is displayed on the display unit 56. The user can objectively recognize these items visually.
[0030]
Then, the microcomputer 31 determines whether or not the time counted by the timer 32 coincides with the period previously stored in the life detection element 34, for example, two years, as in step S3. That is, when the usage period of the water heater 10 from the “use start date” exceeds a predetermined time, for example, two years, the display on the display unit 52 displays the life storage element 34 that is free of repair as in step S4. The display is changed from the display of the period stored in the display to a chargeable display.
[0031]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the combustion apparatus can be applied not only to a water heater but also to a bathing pot. Further, a flash memory or the like can be used as a timer for specifying the usage period. In FIG. 1, both the timer 32 and the life storage element 34 are provided in the control unit 14, but only one of them may be provided. When the lifetime storage element 34 is used for specifying the use period, the use period can be continuously measured even during a power failure. However, when the user unplugs the power cord of the water heater 10 from the power outlet for some reason, the water heater 10 cannot be operated. In these cases, it may be excluded from the period of use.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, it is possible to clearly and objectively specify how much the combustor has been repaired for a fee and free of charge from the start date of use of the combustor. As a result, the repair time can be confirmed reliably, and the service life of each component can be confirmed. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an accident associated with the passage of the repair deadline of the combustion device in advance.
[0033]
Moreover, the combustion apparatus can catch the original use start date of the combustion apparatus except for the trial operation period of the combustion apparatus.
[0034]
According to the invention described in claims 4 to 6 , objectively by displaying to the user or the operator how much it has passed from the start date of use for a chargeable or gratuitous judgment for repairing the combustion apparatus. I can inform you. As a result, the repair time can be confirmed reliably, and the service life of each component can be confirmed. In addition, it is possible to prevent accidents associated with the passage of the repair deadline of the combustion device in advance.
[0035]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a combustion apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control unit that specifies the use start date and the passage of a guarantee period.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Water heater (combustion device)
12 Combustion part 23 Flame 24 Flame rod (combustion detection means)
26 Gas valve (combustion gas supply valve)
31 Microcomputer (use start date specifying means)
32 Timer (Measuring time measurement means)
34 Life storage means

Claims (6)

A use start date specifying means for specifying a use start date for a combustion section that burns combustion gas; and an energization time measuring means for measuring an energization time from the specified use start date. A combustion apparatus for identifying a use period of a combustion unit from a use start date based on a measured energization time, wherein the use start date specifying unit detects a flame in the combustion unit to generate a current generated by the combustion detection unit. combustion device number of detected upon reaching a predetermined number of times, and sets the date of use. A use start date specifying means for specifying a use start date for a combustion section that burns combustion gas; and an energization time measuring means for measuring an energization time from the specified use start date. A combustion apparatus for identifying a use period of a combustion unit from a use start date based on a measured energization time, wherein the use start date specifying means is configured to open a supply valve for supplying combustion gas to the combustion unit. A combustion apparatus characterized by setting a use start date when a predetermined number of times is reached. A use start date specifying means for specifying a use start date for a combustion section that burns combustion gas; and an energization time measuring means for measuring an energization time from the specified use start date. Based on the measured energization time, the combustion device for specifying the use period of the combustion unit from the use start date, the use start date specifying means, when the cumulative combustion time of the combustion gas reaches a predetermined time, A combustion apparatus characterized by setting a use start date. After identifying the start date of use for the combustion part that burns combustion gas, measure the accumulated combustion time to determine the use period of the combustor part from the start date of use, and compensate when the use period reaches the specified period A combustion apparatus for displaying that the period has ended , wherein the use start date specifying means is used when the number of times of detection of current generated by the combustion detection means reaches a predetermined number by detecting a flame in the combustion section. A combustion apparatus characterized by setting a start date . After identifying the start date of use for the combustion part that burns combustion gas, measure the accumulated combustion time to determine the use period of the combustor part from the start date of use, and compensate when the use period reaches the specified period The use start date specifying means sets the use start date when the number of times of opening the supply valve for supplying combustion gas to the combustion section reaches a predetermined number. A combustion apparatus characterized by: After identifying the start date of use for the combustion part that burns combustion gas, measure the accumulated combustion time to determine the use period of the combustor part from the start date of use, and compensate when the use period reaches the specified period A combustion apparatus for displaying that the period has ended , wherein the use start date specifying means sets the use start date when the cumulative combustion time of the combustion gas reaches a predetermined time. apparatus.

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