JP4249379B2 - Hot water temperature controller for electric water heater - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hot water supply temperature control device in an electric water heater that can stably control a hot water supply temperature and realize a high degree of safety.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The electric water heater combines a hot water mixing valve that mixes hot water with hot water and a hot water mixing valve to provide hot water for showers and kitchens, and hot water for bathtubs. And may be executed together.
[0003]
That is, each mixing valve is combined with a common control circuit, and the control circuit is connected to a hot water mixing valve and a hot water mixing valve, and the hot water temperature from each mixing valve is set to a set temperature set from the outside. Control the temperature so that The control circuit can individually adjust each mixing valve at the same driving speed and control each hot water supply temperature independently of each other.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a conventional technique, if the control circuit executes the hot water supply operation and the hot water filling operation at the same time, the mixing valves may affect each other to cause hunting, and the hot water supply temperature may not be stably controlled. There was a problem.
[0005]
Therefore, in view of the problems of the prior art, the object of the present invention is to control each mixing valve according to the priority, thereby stably controlling the hot water supply temperature without causing harmful hunting and realizing high safety. An object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supply temperature control device in an electric water heater that can be used.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve this object, the configuration of the first invention according to the present application includes a plurality of mixing valves for supplying hot water by mixing water into hot water from an electric water heater, and a control circuit for controlling the hot water supply temperature for each mixing valve. The control circuit comprises a low priority mixing valve as compared to a high priority mixing valve by switching the low priority mixing valve to a low speed mode when two or more mixing valves operate simultaneously. The gist of this is to reduce the responsiveness.
[0007]
The mixing valve includes a hot water mixing valve, and a hot water opening / closing valve can be interposed between the hot water mixing valve and the bathtub.
[0008]
Further, the control circuit can adjust the opening degree of the hot water mixing valve to the opening degree of the highest priority mixing valve in operation when the hot water opening / closing valve is opened.
[0009]
The configuration of the second invention comprises a plurality of mixing valves for mixing hot water from the electric water heater and supplying hot water, and a control circuit for controlling the hot water temperature for each mixing valve. While the filling circuit includes a filling valve and a hot water on / off valve is interposed between the hot water mixing valve and the bathtub, the control circuit opens the hot water opening / closing valve when the hot water opening / closing valve is opened. The gist is to adjust the opening of the mixing valve to the opening of the highest priority mixing valve in operation.
[0010]
In the first and second aspects of the invention, the control circuit adjusts the opening degree of the hot water mixing valve to the opening degree of the highest priority mixing valve when closing the hot water opening / closing valve. And the opening on the high temperature side of the highest priority mixing valve in operation can be temporarily reduced.
[0011]
[Action]
According to the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, the control circuit switches the low priority mixing valve to the low speed mode when two or more mixing valves are operated simultaneously, for example, high priority for supplying hot water to a shower or a kitchen. The responsiveness of the low-priority hot water mixing valve is lower than that of the hot water mixing valve, and the hot water temperature from each mixing valve is stably controlled by each mixing valve while avoiding the interference between the two. be able to. However, the control circuit sets the driving speed of the mixing valve in the low speed mode to 1/2 to 1/4 of the normal mode, and when the high priority hot water mixing valve is not operating, the low priority The hot water filling mixing valve is switched to the normal mode, and the hot water temperature for hot water filling is controlled at the same drive speed as the hot water mixing valve.
[0012]
In addition, the priority of each mixing valve shall be preset in the control circuit. In addition, the term “water bathing” as used herein refers to the operation of adding hot water to the hot water in the bathtub, adding hot water to the hot water in the bathtub, and adding hot water to the hot water in the bathtub. It includes sushi water operation and water operation that adds water to the hot water in the bathtub.
[0013]
The on / off valve for hot water filling, which is interposed between the hot water mixing valve and the bathtub, can be opened and closed to start and end the hot water filling. The same structure as the other mixing valve for hot water supply can be used.
[0014]
When the control circuit opens the filling valve, it adjusts the opening of the filling valve to the opening of the highest-priority mixing valve prior to that operation. Thus, the fluctuation of the mixing ratio of hot water and water in the mixing valve can be kept small, and the change in the hot water supply temperature from the mixing valve can be minimized. For example, by setting the mixing valve for hot water supply for showers to the highest priority, there is no danger of unexpectedly hot water being released from the shower in use by the start of hot water filling. By adjusting the opening of the hot water mixing valve in this way, the hot water supply temperature from the hot water supply mixing valve inadvertently overshoots to the high temperature side, particularly at the start of the feed water operation. There is nothing.
[0015]
According to the second aspect of the invention, the control circuit adjusts the opening of the hot water mixing valve when opening the hot water on / off valve, and starts the hot water filling from the highest priority mixing valve in use. It is possible to prevent the hot water supply temperature from changing suddenly.
[0016]
Prior to closing the filling valve, the control circuit adjusts the opening of the filling valve to the opening of the highest priority mixing valve. For example, at the end of the feed water operation, the hot water temperature from the hot water supply mixing valve is prevented from inadvertently overshooting to the high temperature side. To do.
[0017]
When the control circuit closes the on-off valve for hot water filling, the opening temperature of the highest priority mixing valve is temporarily reduced prior to that so that the hot water supply temperature from the operating mixing valve is reduced. The hot water temperature can be effectively prevented from overshooting to a high temperature side by forcibly lowering the temperature. In addition, this operation | movement is good to perform with the opening degree adjustment of the mixing valve for hot water filling, for example in the case of completion | finish of a pouring hot water operation.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0019]
The hot water supply temperature control apparatus in the electric water heater includes a hot water mixing valve 21, a hot water mixing valve 31, a hot water opening / closing valve 32, and a control circuit 41 (FIG. 1). The mixing valves 21 and 31 are combined with the electric water heater 10.
[0020]
The electric water heater 10 is configured by incorporating a heater 12 in a lower portion of a tank 11. The lower part of the tank 11 is connected to the water source W via the pressure reducing valve 13, and the upper part of the tank 11 is branched and connected to the high temperature side of the mixing valves 21 and 31 in addition to the relief valve 14.
[0021]
The mixing valve 21 is configured by incorporating a valve body 21b, which forms an opening 21c on the peripheral surface, into a housing 21a (FIG. 2). However, FIGS. 2B and 2C are operation explanatory diagrams corresponding to the arrows XX in FIG. The housing 21a has a high temperature side port 21a1, a low temperature side port 21a2, and a hot water supply side port 21a3. The low temperature side port 21a2 is provided with a check valve 21e. The valve body 21b is rotatably incorporated in a joining portion of the ports 21a1, 21a2, 21a3, and is connected to, for example, a step motor type drive motor 21d mounted on the housing 21a.
[0022]
The mixing valve 21 has a high temperature side port 21a1 connected to the upper portion of the electric water heater 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2), and a low temperature side port 21a2 is connected to the outlet side of the pressure reducing valve 13 via a check valve 21e. It is connected. The port 21a3 on the hot water supply side of the mixing valve 21 is branched and connected to the high temperature side of the mixing tap A with the faucet A1 and the mixing tap B for the shower B1, and the low temperature side of the mixing taps A and B. Is connected to a water source W. On the hot water supply side of the mixing valve 21, a flow rate sensor 22 for detecting the hot water flow rate Q1 from the hot water supply side port 21a3 and a temperature sensor 23 for detecting the hot water supply temperature T1 are provided.
[0023]
Therefore, the mixing valve 21 continuously rotates the valve body 21b via the drive motor 21d so that the low temperature side port 21a2 and the high temperature side port 21a1 are connected to the hot water supply side port 21a3 via the opening 21c. (Figs. 2B and 2C). That is, the valve body 21b fully opens the low temperature side port 21a2 and fully closes the high temperature side port 21a1 to achieve a high temperature side opening θ = 0% (FIG. 5B). 21a2 is fully closed, the high temperature side port 21a1 is fully opened and the opening degree θ = 100% is realized ((C) in the figure). it can. Therefore, the mixing valve 21 can mix hot water from the electric water heater 10 and water from the water source W to supply hot water having an arbitrary hot water supply temperature T1 to the mixing taps A and B.
[0024]
The mixing valve 31 for hot water filling has the same structure as the mixing valve 21 for hot water supply (FIG. 1). The check valve 31e is housed in a port 31a2 on the low temperature side of the housing 31a (not shown), and the drive motor 31d drives the valve body 31b (not shown) in the housing 31a to rotate forward and backward. The mixing valve 31 has a high temperature side connected to the electric water heater 10 and a low temperature side connected to the outlet side of the pressure reducing valve 13 via a check valve 31e. The hot water supply side of the mixing valve 31 is connected to the lower part of the bathtub C through a hot water on / off valve 32 and a check valve 34. A flow rate sensor 33 for detecting the flow rate Q2 of hot water from the mixing valve 31 is provided on the outlet side of the open / close valve 32, and a hot water supply temperature T2 for hot water filling is detected on the outlet side of the check valve 34. A temperature sensor 35 is provided.
[0025]
The control circuit 41 receives a flow rate Q1 from the flow rate sensor 22, a hot water supply temperature T1 from the temperature sensor 23, a flow rate Q2 from the flow rate sensor 33, and a hot water supply temperature T2 from the temperature sensor 35. The control circuit 41 also receives a set hot water supply temperature Ts1 from the main controller CL1 installed near the mixing taps A and B and a set hot water supply temperature Ts2 from the sub controller CL2 installed near the bathtub C. Has been. The output of the control circuit 41 is individually connected to the operation end of the on-off valve 32 in addition to the drive motors 21d and 31d of the mixing valves 21 and 31.
[0026]
When the control circuit 41 detects that one or both of the mixing faucets A and B are opened and the flow rate Q1 from the flow sensor 22 is> 0 and the hot water mixing valve 21 starts hot water supply, the hot water supply temperature T1. = Mixing valve 21 for hot water supply is driven and controlled so that = Ts1. That is, during the hot water supply, the control circuit 41 controls the hot water supply temperature T1 via the hot water supply mixing valve 21. At this time, the hot water supply mixing valve 21 is operating. Further, when the hot water supply is stopped, the control circuit 41 stops the temperature control operation by the mixing valve 21 and stops the operation of the mixing valve 21.
[0027]
The control circuit 41 operates, for example, according to the program flowchart of FIG.
[0028]
The program is started by any of the hot water operation command, the additional hot water operation command, the feed water operation command, and the hot water operation command from the main controller CL1 or the sub controller CL2, and the flow rate Q1 from the flow sensor 22 is 0. When recognizing that the mixing valve 21 for hot water supply is not in operation (program step (1) in FIG. 3; hereinafter simply referred to as (1)), the on-off valve 32 is opened and the filling of the bathtub C is started. (4). On the other hand, if the flow rate Q1 from the flow sensor 22 is> 0 and the hot water mixing valve 21 is operating (1), the program sets the opening θ of the hot water mixing valve 31 to the hot water mixing valve. (2), the driving speed of the drive motor 31d of the mixing valve 31 for hot water filling is set to the low speed mode (3), and the hot water filling is performed by opening the on-off valve 32. Starts (4). Thereafter, the program keeps the hot water supply temperature T2 = Ts2 through the hot water filling mixing valve 31 until the integrated value of the flow rate Q2 from the flow rate sensor 33 reaches the set amount and the hot water filling is completed (9). The temperature control is continued at (5) to (9).
[0029]
In this manner, by adjusting the opening degree θ of the mixing valve 31 to the opening degree θ of the mixing valve 21 prior to opening the on-off valve 32 (2), for example, when the water operation is performed and Ts2 << Ts1 (FIG. 4 (A)), or when the hot water operation is Ts2 >> Ts1 (FIG. 4 (B)), the hot water in the mixing valve 21 is opened by opening the on-off valve 32. The mixing ratio of water and water does not fluctuate excessively, and the hot water supply temperature T1 does not change excessively. The control circuit 41 opens the on-off valve 32 (4) and shifts to temperature control by the mixing valve 31 in the low speed mode (8), and can realize the hot water supply temperature T2 = Ts2 ( FIG. 4). That is, the hot water supply temperature T2 for filling is set to T2 = Ts1 by adjusting the opening θ of the mixing valve 31 to the opening θ of the mixing valve 21 prior to opening of the opening / closing valve 32. After opening, T2 = Ts2.
[0030]
In addition, when the mixing valve 21 stops operating and the hot water supply stops during hot water filling (5), the program returns the mixing valve 31 to the normal mode (7), and the mixing valve 21 operates to supply hot water. When it is detected again (5), the mixing valve 31 is reset to the low speed mode (6). However, the set hot water supply temperature Ts2 is set to, for example, 35 to 45 ° C. during the filling operation and the adding hot water operation, is set to, for example, 10 to 25 ° C. during the filling water operation, and is set to, for example, 60 to 80 during the filling hot water operation It shall be set to ° C. However, during the feed water operation, the opening degree θ = 0% of the mixing valve 31 may be forcibly realized regardless of the set hot water supply temperature Ts2. The set hot water supply temperature Ts2 for the hot water operation and the additional hot water operation should be settable by the sub-controller CL2. It is good to keep.
[0031]
When the hot water filling is completed (9), the program confirms that the mixing valve 21 is not in operation and not hot water supply (10), closes the on-off valve 32 (14), and ends the process. On the other hand, when hot water is being supplied by the mixing valve 21 (10), the opening θ of the hot water mixing valve 31 is adjusted to be the same as the opening θ of the hot water mixing valve 21 (11), When it is confirmed that the operation is not the hot water operation (12), the on-off valve 32 is closed (14) and the process is terminated. In the case of the hot water operation (12), the opening degree θ of the mixing valve 21 for hot water supply is temporarily reduced (13), and the on-off valve 32 is closed (14). Note that the program forcibly ends the hot water filling operation, the adding hot water operation, the running water operation, and the running hot water operation in accordance with an end command from the main controller CL1 or the sub controller CL2 ((10) to (14)).
[0032]
In this manner, by adjusting the opening degree of the hot water filling mixing valve 31 prior to closing the on-off valve 32 (11), for example, at the end of the feed water operation (FIG. 4A), the hot water operation is performed. At the end of the operation (FIG. 5B), the disturbance applied to the hot water mixing valve 21 can be reduced and the change in the hot water temperature T1 can be reduced. Further, at the end of the hot water operation (12), the peak generated in the hot water supply temperature T1 can be positively cut by forcibly reducing the opening degree θ of the mixing valve 21 (13) (FIG. 5). (B)).
[0033]
[Other embodiments]
The program step (2) in FIG. 3 may be executed only at the start of the filling water operation or only at the start of the filling water operation or the hot water operation. The program step (11) may be executed only at the end of the hot water operation or only at the end of the hot water operation or the hot water operation. This is because the start and end of the hot water filling operation and the additional hot water operation are less likely to cause an excessive disturbance to the hot water mixing valve 21. Further, all of the program steps (12) and (13) may be omitted. In the program step (9), the set amount of hot water for filling, hot water for adding water, water for filling water, and hot water for filling water may be set individually. Further, in order to determine the program steps (1), (5) and (10), an on / off sensor for detecting the flow rate Q1> 0 may be provided in place of the flow rate sensor 22.
[0034]
On the other hand, all the program steps (2) and (10) to (13) may be deleted in FIG. The control circuit 41 at this time realizes only the operation of switching the low-priority hot water mixing valve 31 to the low speed mode when the mixing valves 21 and 31 operate simultaneously. In FIG. 3, all of the program steps (3), (5) to (7) may be deleted. At this time, the control circuit 41 does not set the low priority mixing valve 31 to the low speed mode. Note that the control circuit 41 replaces the program steps (2) and (11) with a low priority mixing valve provided that only the high priority hot water mixing valve 21 is operating. The opening degree θ of 31 may always follow the opening degree θ of the mixing valve 21 with high priority.
[0035]
In the above description, the hot water mixing valve 21 and the hot water mixing valve 31 may have the same diameter or different diameters. Moreover, the mixing valves 21 and 31 can use arbitrary formats including those that do not incorporate the check valves 21e and 31e, respectively.
[0036]
In FIG. 1, a total of three or more mixing valves 21 and 31 may be provided. At this time, the control circuit 41 determines the priority of the mixing valves 21 and 31, and when a plurality of the valves are operated simultaneously, it is only necessary to set one of the lower priority to the low speed mode ((3), ( 6)), adjusting the opening degree θ of the hot water filling mixing valve 31 to the highest-priority mixing valve 21 or the opening degree θ of the mixing valve 31 ((2), (11)) The opening degree θ of the highest priority mixing valve 21 or mixing valve 31 may be temporarily reduced (13). At this time, it is preferable to set the hot water mixing valve 21 for the shower B1 to the highest priority.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first invention of this application, by switching the low-priority mixing valves that operate at the same time to the low-speed mode, the mixing valves influence each other and cause hunting. Therefore, it is possible to stably control the hot water supply temperature from each mixing valve. For example, when hot water filling starts, unexpected hot water is discharged from the shower in use. There is an excellent effect that it is possible to prevent and realize a high degree of safety.
[0038]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the temperature of the hot water supply from the operating mixing valve is adjusted by adjusting the opening of the mixing valve for hot water filling to the opening of the highest priority mixing valve at the start of hot water filling. The change can be suppressed to the minimum, and an effect equivalent to that of the first invention can be realized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
[Fig. 1] Overall block system diagram [Fig. 2] Mixing valve configuration diagram [Fig. 3] Program flowchart [Fig. 4] Operation explanation diagram [Code explanation]
C ... Bathtub T1, T2 ... Hot water supply temperature θ ... Opening 10 ... Electric water heater 21, 31 ... Mixing valve 32 ... Open / close valve 41 ... Control circuit

Claims (6)

A plurality of mixing valves for mixing hot water from hot water from an electric water heater and supplying hot water; and a control circuit for controlling the hot water supply temperature for each of the mixing valves, the control circuit comprising two or more mixing valves In an electric water heater characterized by lowering the responsiveness of the low priority mixing valve compared to the high priority mixing valve by switching the low priority mixing valve to low speed mode when Hot water temperature controller. 2. The electric water heater according to claim 1, wherein the mixing valve includes a hot water filling mixing valve, and a hot water opening / closing valve is interposed between the hot water filling mixing valve and the bathtub. Hot water temperature control device. The control circuit adjusts the opening degree of the hot water mixing valve to the opening degree of the highest priority mixing valve in operation when the hot water opening / closing valve is opened. The hot-water supply temperature control apparatus in the electric water heater of description. A plurality of mixing valves for supplying hot water by mixing water into hot water from an electric water heater, and a control circuit for controlling the hot water supply temperature for each of the mixing valves, the mixing valve being a mixing valve for filling water A hot water on / off valve is interposed between the hot water mixing valve and the bathtub, while the control circuit opens the hot water on / off valve when opening the hot water on / off valve. A hot water supply temperature control device for an electric water heater, wherein the opening degree of the valve is adjusted to the opening degree of the highest priority mixing valve in operation. 3. The control circuit according to claim 2, wherein when the hot water on / off valve is closed, the opening of the hot water mixing valve is adjusted to the opening of the highest priority mixing valve in operation. The hot water supply temperature control apparatus in the electric water heater in any one of thru | or 4. 6. The electric water heater according to claim 5, wherein when the hot water on / off valve is closed, the control circuit temporarily reduces the opening on the high temperature side of the highest priority mixing valve in operation. Hot water temperature control device.

Images