JP4310798B2 - Water supply control system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes an on-off valve that opens and closes a flow path toward the water discharge end side;
Wireless remote control means for transmitting a command signal instructing opening and closing of the on-off valve;
Comprising a control means for receiving a command signal from the remote control means and converting it into an operation command of the on-off valve;
The present invention relates to a water supply control system comprising means for distinguishing and notifying a user of a decrease in each battery voltage by a water discharge operation when the power supply voltage of each of the remote control means and the control means is a battery, and the respective power supply voltages are below a predetermined value. . In particular, it supports foot switch systems with kitchen faucets.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a conventional technique, an on-off valve that opens and closes a flow path toward the water discharge end side,
Wired operation means for instructing opening and closing of the on-off valve, and a control means for driving the on-off valve by an operation signal from the operation means,
There is a water supply control device in which the power of the control means is a battery, and the power of the operation means is also supplied from the control means by wire to notify the user of a decrease in battery voltage (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).
[0003]
In addition, as another conventional technique, a wireless faucet that allows a faucet already attached to a wash basin, a sink, etc. to be discharged and stopped by remote operation using a remote control switch in addition to manual operation by a handle. (For example, see Patent Document 2).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-217399 [0005]
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-160615
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the prior art, the battery voltage drop of the on-off valve control means in the battery built in the main body can be notified to the user, but the battery is used for both the main body (control means) and the remote device as in the present case. In the system, the main body (control means) cannot notify the user of the battery voltage drop of the wireless remote control means that is a remote control device. In addition, there is a means to notify by flashing the LED provided on the remote control when the battery voltage is low, etc. with a remote control operated by hand, but when operating with the foot on the operation means, even if the LED is flashing, the user Is likely to overlook the blinking LED.
In this way, in the system where there is no notification of the battery voltage drop on the remote control side on the remote control device side, the user will continue to use without noticing the battery voltage drop of the remote control means, and when the battery runs out, At that time, the on-off valve was left open or could not be operated in the closed state, and when it was closed, there was a problem that water could not be used at all until the battery was replaced.
Also, if the power source of the wireless remote control means and the open / close valve control means is a battery, the user cannot determine which battery is dead when the open / close operation cannot be performed, so both the remote control means and the control means It was necessary to replace the battery, and there was a problem that the battery was wasted.
Therefore, in order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a water supply control system that notifies the user of a decrease in battery voltage of each of the wireless remote control means and the on-off valve control means, and improves usability when the battery runs out. The purpose is to provide.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In claim 1 of the present invention, an on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path toward the water discharge end side;
Wireless remote control means for transmitting a command signal instructing opening and closing of the on-off valve;
Control means for receiving a command signal from the remote control means and converting it into an operation command for the on-off valve;
In the water supply control system using a battery as a power source of the remote control means,
When the remote control means detects a power supply voltage below a predetermined value, a voltage drop signal indicating that the voltage has dropped is transmitted from the remote control means to the control means,
Since the control means changes the transmission condition for issuing the operation command of the on-off valve according to the voltage drop signal,
When the battery is exhausted and the voltage drops, the on / off valve can be operated differently from normal, and the user can be notified of the battery voltage drop of the wireless remote control means in the water discharge state. Before the battery runs out, it becomes possible to give notice of running out of the battery. In addition, since it is a method of informing in the water discharge state, it is possible to notify the user more reliably than in the case of the method of informing by flashing the LED of the operation means so far, such as when the remote operation means is operated with a foot. Become. Thereby, the user can avoid a state in which water cannot be used while the on-off valve is closed due to battery exhaustion by replacing the battery before the battery is completely exhausted.
[0008]
In claim 2, in the water supply control system according to claim 1,
The control means is driven by a battery,
The control means issues an operation command for performing different water discharge operations depending on whether the power supply voltage of the control means is a predetermined value or less and when the power supply voltage of the remote control means is a predetermined value or less. So
The operation when the battery voltage of the remote control means is lowered and the operation when the battery voltage of the control means is lowered can be different from each other,
The user can easily determine whether the battery voltage of the remote control means or the control means has decreased in the water discharge state, and it becomes possible to replace only the battery whose voltage has decreased.
[0009]
In Claim 3, in the water supply control system according to Claims 1 to 2,
Since the control means issues an operation command after receiving a command signal from the remote control means a predetermined number of times,
In order for the user to start the water discharge operation, it is necessary to operate the remote control means a plurality of times, and when it is difficult to discharge water even if the operation control means is operated, the battery voltage on the remote control means side is lowered. You will be able to understand this intuitively.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011]
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a connection outline of a water supply control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The hot water supply pipe 1 and the water supply pipe 2 are connected to an on-off valve (hot water side) 3 and an on-off valve (water side) 4, respectively, and the on-off valves 3 and 4 are connected to a manual faucet 5.
The control means 8 for the on-off valves 3 and 4 has a built-in battery 9 for power supply, and the remote control means 10 has a built-in battery 11 for power supply. The battery 9 and the battery 10 are replaceable.
When the remote control means 10 is operated, a signal such as radio waves or infrared rays for opening and closing the on-off valves 3 and 4 is transmitted. When the control means 8 receives a signal from the remote control means 10, it drives the on-off valves 3 and 4. When the on-off valves 3 and 4 are opened, the hot water and water supplied from the hot water supply pipe 1 and the water supply pipe 2 pass through the on-off valves 3 and 4, and the temperature and flow rate are adjusted by operating the handle 6 of the user. The water is discharged from the water discharge end 7. When the remote control means 10 is operated again, a signal is similarly transmitted from the remote control means 10, and when the control means 8 receives the signal, the on-off valves 3 and 4 are closed and the water discharge from the water discharge end 7 is stopped. To do.
Such a system can be applied to a system that can operate the water faucet and water stop of the kitchen faucet performed while washing. The battery-operated remote control means (foot switches) placed at the feet are wireless, so they are not subject to location restrictions, so they can be placed on the floor of the feet or operated with the toes on the front door of the kitchen or pushed with the knees. Because it is wireless, it is easy to use regardless of installation location.
In addition, regarding the battery, there is no problem with a primary battery or a secondary battery. If a rechargeable battery is provided on the side of the kitchen, the secondary battery can be charged at night and used at any place during the day.
[0012]
FIG. 2 shows a time chart according to the water discharge mode B when the power supply voltage of the remote control means 10 is lowered.
When the voltage of the built-in battery 11 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the remote operation means 10 transmits an operation signal with a voltage drop signal indicating that the power supply voltage has dropped. When the control means 8 receives the voltage drop signal, it executes a predetermined water discharge mode B. Before the power supply voltage of the remote operation means 10 drops below a predetermined voltage, the opening / closing valve opening and closing operations are repeated each time the remote operation means 10 is operated. After the power supply voltage of the remote operation means 10 drops below a predetermined voltage, the control means 8 counts the number of times the voltage drop signal is received from the remote operation means 10 and the number of operations is multiple times (3 times in FIG. 2). When it reaches, it opens and then closes in the next single operation. Thus, it becomes possible to alert | report that the battery voltage of the remote control means 10 is falling to a user by requiring operation at the time of opening operation in multiple times. In addition, since the valve can be closed immediately by a single operation when the valve is closed, useless water discharge due to forgetting to stop water or delay of water stop can be prevented.
It should be noted that both the opening operation and the closing operation require a plurality of operations, and the user may be surely notified of the decrease in the battery voltage.
Further, the remote operation means 10 may count the number of operations, and a signal may be transmitted to the control means 8 when the predetermined number s is reached.
The voltage drop signal may be transmitted after being added to the operation signal when the remote operation means 10 is operated, or only the voltage drop signal may be transmitted when the battery voltage is lowered.
[0013]
FIG. 3 shows a time chart according to the water discharge mode A when the power supply voltage of the control means 8 is lowered.
The control means 8 executes the water discharge mode A when the voltage of the built-in battery 9 becomes a predetermined value or less. Before the power supply voltage of the control means 8 drops below a predetermined voltage, every time the remote control means 10 is operated, the open / close valve is repeatedly opened and closed. After the power supply voltage of the control means 8 drops below the predetermined voltage, The valve is automatically closed at a predetermined time T3 after the valve opening operation by the operation of the remote operation means 10.
During normal operation, the opening and closing valves 3 and 4 are repeatedly opened and closed every time the user operates the remote control means 10. When the user forgets to close the on-off valve, the control means 8 closes the on-off valves 3 and 4 after a predetermined time T2.
Here, the automatic closing time T2 during normal operation is set longer than the time T1 that the user normally uses, and the automatic closing time T3 after the transition to the water discharge mode A is set to be longer than the time T1 that the user normally uses. Set it short.
For example, assuming that the time T1 during which the user continuously uses normal water is 10 seconds to 10 minutes, the automatic closing time T2 during normal operation is set to 10 minutes or more, and the automatic closing time T3 after shifting to the water discharge mode A is set to 10 Set it to less than seconds. By setting the automatic closing time T3 after the transition to the water discharge mode A in this manner, the water discharge is automatically stopped in a short time, so that the user can easily notice a decrease in the battery voltage.
Further, the water discharge mode A is executed after the power supply voltage of the control means 8 becomes a predetermined value or less, and the water discharge mode B is executed after the power supply voltage of the remote control means 10 becomes a predetermined value or less. Since the water discharge mode A and the water discharge mode B are different operations, the user can easily determine in the water discharge state whether the battery voltage of the remote control means 10 or the control means 8 has decreased, and the voltage has decreased. Only one of the batteries can be replaced.
In addition, when the user stops water automatically during use (water discharge mode A), the control means 8, and when “it is difficult to discharge water even when the remote operation means is operated (water discharge mode B)”, the remote operation means It can be understood intuitively that the battery voltage of 10 is decreasing.
[0014]
FIG. 4 shows a flowchart according to the water discharge mode B which is an embodiment of the present invention.
When the power supply voltage of the remote operation means 10 is below a predetermined value, the water discharge mode B is executed and the number of water discharges in the water discharge mode B is counted by the control means 8. When the water discharge count reaches the predetermined number m, the subsequent closing operation of the on-off valves 3 and 4 is prohibited. When the power supply voltage of the remote operation means 10 is not less than or equal to the predetermined value, the normal operation is executed and the number of water discharges in the water discharge mode B is cleared.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart according to the water discharge mode A which is an embodiment of the present invention.
When the power supply voltage of the control means 8 is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the water discharge mode A is executed and the number of water discharges in the water discharge mode A is counted by the control means 8. When the water discharge count reaches the predetermined number n, the subsequent closing operation of the on-off valves 3 and 4 is prohibited. When the power supply voltage of the control means 8 is not less than or equal to the predetermined value, the normal operation is executed and the number of water discharges in the water discharge mode A is cleared.
The on-off valves 3 and 4 are self-maintained on-off valves that can be operated by energizing only when switching between open and closed, so that the open state is maintained even when the battery voltage of the control means 8 is lowered. be able to.
With the above operation, the on-off valves 3 and 4 can be kept open before the battery is completely exhausted, and it is possible to prevent the user from using the water.
Furthermore, if the method of automatically opening the on-off valves 3 and 4 when the battery runs out, there is a high possibility that the user will not be there, and a large amount of water will be wasted. When the remote control means 10 is operated, it opens and locks, so that the user is always present and can easily operate the handle of the manual faucet even if the on-off valves 3 and 4 do not close. It is possible to stop the water without wasting water. Even after the on-off valves 3 and 4 are held open, the user can use the hot water by operating the handle 6 of the manual faucet 5, and after the batteries of the control means 8 and the remote control means 10 have run out. But it can avoid the water becoming unusable.
[0015]
FIG. 6 shows another time chart according to the water discharge mode B which is one embodiment of the present invention.
The remote operation means 10 transmits a signal to which a voltage drop signal indicating that the power supply voltage has dropped is added after the voltage of the built-in battery 11 falls below a predetermined value.
When receiving the voltage drop signal, the control means 8 executes the opening operation with a delay of a predetermined time T4, and executes the closing operation without delay when the remote operation means 10 is operated next time.
The delay time T4 is set to about 0.5 to 10 seconds so that the user can understand that the operation is different from the normal operation and does not interfere with the actual use.
Thus, by delaying the execution timing at the time of the opening operation, the user does not need to operate the remote control means 10 many times, and can open the on-off valves 3 and 4 by one operation, And it becomes possible to alert | report reliably the fall of the battery voltage of the remote control means 10 by the delay of the water discharge operation | movement different from normal time.
Moreover, since the valve can be closed immediately after the operation of the remote control means 10 during the closing operation, useless water discharge due to a delay in water stop can be prevented.
In the above embodiment, the method of delaying only the opening operation has been described. However, both the opening operation and the closing operation may be delayed in order to delay only the closing operation or to notify the user of a decrease in battery voltage more reliably. Good.
When the battery of the control means 8 is replaced and the power supply voltage returns to a predetermined value or higher, the normal operation is restored from the water discharge mode A.
Further, when the battery of the remote operation means 10 is replaced and the power supply voltage returns to a predetermined value or more, the voltage drop signal is not added from the signal transmitted when the remote operation means 10 is operated next time, and the control means 8 When a signal to which no voltage drop signal is added is received, normal operation is resumed from the water discharge mode B.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows a connection outline of a water supply control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a time chart according to a water discharge mode B which is an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a time chart according to a water discharge mode A which is an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a flowchart according to a water discharge mode B which is an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart according to a water discharge mode A which is an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows another time chart according to the water discharge mode B which is an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Hot water supply pipe 2: Water supply pipe 3: On-off valve (hot water side)
4: On-off valve (water side)
5: Manual faucet 6: Handle 7: Discharge end 8: Control means 9: Battery (for control means)
10: Remote operation means 11: Battery (for remote operation means)

Claims (3)

An on-off valve that opens and closes the flow path toward the discharge end,
Wireless remote control means for transmitting a command signal instructing opening and closing of the on-off valve;
Control means for receiving a command signal from the remote control means and converting it into an operation command for the on-off valve;
In the water supply control system using a battery as a power source of the remote control means,
When the remote control means detects a power supply voltage below a predetermined value, a voltage drop signal indicating that the voltage has dropped is transmitted from the remote control means to the control means,
The water supply control system according to claim 1, wherein the control means changes a transmission condition for issuing an operation command for the on-off valve according to the voltage drop signal. The water supply control system according to claim 1,
The control means is driven by a battery,
The control means issues operation commands for performing different water discharge operations depending on whether the power supply voltage of the control means is a predetermined value or less and when the power supply voltage of the remote control means is a predetermined value or less. And water supply control system. The water supply control system according to claim 1 or 2,
The water supply control system characterized in that the control means issues an operation command after receiving a command signal from the remote operation means a predetermined number of times.

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