JP6187911B2 - Water discharge device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water discharge device, and more particularly to a water discharge device including a member for adjusting a discharge flow rate.

  The discharge flow rate is generally adjusted by manually adjusting the opening amount of the water stop valve. In this case, it takes time and effort to adjust the discharge flow rate per unit time to the flow rate desired by the user. In addition, there is a problem in terms of water saving because water having a flow rate higher than necessary is often discharged.

  If the stop valve can be electrically adjusted to adjust the flow rate per unit time, or if an electric type flow rate control valve is added separately to set the preset opening amount with a single touch, the above problems are reduced. However, the supply water pressure of the city water supplied to the water discharge device varies considerably depending on the region and the use environment, and the actual discharge flow rate also varies due to this influence.

  As shown in Patent Document 1, it is assumed that a flow meter is provided and feedback control of flow rate adjustment with the detected flow rate is not affected by variations in feed water pressure, but the discharge water amount is maximized. Can not do.

JP 2010-229765 A

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said problem, and makes it a subject to provide the water discharging apparatus which is advantageous also in the point of water-saving, while the convenience of flow control is good.

The water discharge device according to the present invention is
A flow rate measurement unit for measuring the discharge water amount, a flow rate adjustment unit for adjusting the discharge water amount, and a controller for controlling the flow rate adjustment unit so as to be a flow rate per unit time specified by the operation unit, The controller corresponds to the normal water discharge mode for discharging water by adjusting the flow rate control valve to the opening amount set in advance corresponding to the flow level set in the operation unit, and the flow level set in the operation unit. It is possible to switch between a metering water discharge mode that adjusts the flow rate per unit time and discharges water, and in the metering water discharge mode that adjusts the discharge flow rate by feeding back the flow rate per unit time measured by the flow rate measurement unit. The actual discharge flow rate per unit time with respect to the flow level set by the operation unit is characterized by being smaller than that in the normal water discharge mode.

  Further, it is desirable that the controller restricts the flow rate per unit time to a predetermined flow rate or less in the metering water discharge mode.

  Furthermore, the controller stores a value corresponding to the opening area of the flow rate adjustment unit when water is discharged at the flow rate level set in the operation unit in the metering water discharge mode, and the flow rate at the time of starting water discharge in the next metering water discharge mode It is preferable that the opening area of the adjustment unit is in accordance with the stored value.

  According to the present invention, in the normal water discharge mode, the discharge water amount per unit time can be increased up to the maximum water amount corresponding to the water supply pressure, and in the metering water discharge mode, the flow rate per unit time desired by the user can be obtained regardless of variations in the water supply pressure. Water can be discharged easily and water can be saved.

It is a block diagram of an example of an embodiment of the invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow volume characteristic per unit time in metering water discharge same as the above, and normal water discharge. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow volume characteristic per unit time at the time of the water discharge from the shower head in metering water discharge and normal water discharge same as the above.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiment. The illustrated example is an electronic faucet type water discharge device of a hot and cold water mixing type, in which a water supply pipe 11 and a hot water supply pipe 21 are mixed via a mixing unit 3. The mixing tube 4 is connected to the water outlet 6 and the shower head 7 via the flow path switching valve 5.

  The water supply pipe 1 is provided with a manually open / close stop valve 11, a check valve 12 and a flow rate adjustment valve 13, and the hot water supply pipe 2 has a manually open / close stop valve 21, a check valve 22, and A flow rate adjusting valve 23 is provided. The water supply pipe 1 and the hot water supply pipe 2 are provided with flow rate sensors 14 and 24, respectively.

  The mixing pipe 4 is provided with an electromagnetic water stop valve 41 and a flow rate sensor 42, and a high cut valve that prevents passage of hot water above a predetermined temperature between the flow path switching valve 5 and the shower head 7. 70 is provided.

Here, each operation | movement of the said flow regulating valves 13 and 23, the water stop valve 41, and the flow-path switching valve 5 is controlled by the controller 8 comprised with the microcomputer etc. FIG. The thermistor 15 for measuring the temperature of the water flowing through the water supply pipe 1, the thermistor 25 for measuring the temperature of the hot water flowing through the hot water supply pipe 2, and the thermistor 55 for measuring the temperature of the hot water flowing through the mixing pipe 5 are connected to the controller 8. Has been. For this purpose, the controller 8 determines the temperature of the water supplied through the water supply pipe 1,
The temperature of hot water supplied through the hot water supply pipe 2 and the temperature of hot water discharged through the mixing pipe 4 can be recognized. The controller 8 can recognize the amount of water and the amount of hot water supplied through the water supply pipe 1 and the hot water supply pipe 2 by the flow rate sensors 14 and 24, and can recognize the amount of hot water discharged by the flow rate sensor 42. be able to.

  In the figure, 9 is a power supply circuit, and 80 is an operation unit connected to the controller 81. The operation unit 80 displays the set hot water temperature and whether to discharge from the water outlet 6 side or from the shower head 7 side. A display unit for displaying is provided.

  A pipe 18 directly connecting between the water stop valve 11 and the shower head 7 provided in the water supply pipe 1 is for emergency water discharge at the time of a power failure, and is provided with a manually open / close type water stop valve 19 in the middle. In the figure, 17 and 27 are drain plugs.

  The water discharge device discharges hot water having a temperature and a flow rate selected by the operation unit 80 of the controller 8 from the water outlet 6 or the shower head 7 selected by the operation unit 80. At this time, the controller 8 starts the water discharge by opening the water stop valve 41 and switches the flow path switching valve 5 according to the selection of the discharge from the water discharge port 6 or the shower head 7. Further, the controller 8 controls the flow rate adjusting valves 13 and 23 from the output values of the thermistors 15 and 25, respectively, and adjusts the flow rate of water and the flow rate of hot water, so that the hot water having hot water temperature set in the operation unit 80 is obtained. In addition, feedback control of the hot water temperature is performed from the output value of the thermistor 55. When a water stop operation is performed on the operation unit 80, the controller 80 closes the water stop valve 41 to stop the water.

  For adjusting the discharge water amount to the flow rate selected by the operation unit 80, the controller 8 performs the following two types of operations in accordance with instructions from the user. One is a normal water discharge mode in which water is discharged by adjusting the flow rate control valves 13 and 23 to a preset opening amount corresponding to the flow level set by the operation unit 80, and the other is set by the operation unit 80. This is a metered water discharge mode for discharging water by adjusting to a flow rate per unit time set in advance corresponding to the flow rate level. These two modes can be switched by the user selecting on the operation unit 80.

  The latter metered water discharge mode is a mode in which the flow rate sensor 42 measures the amount of discharged water per unit time and feedback controls the flow rate control valves 13 and 23. The flow rate is set low. That is, in FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the flow rate setting level in the operation unit 80, the vertical axis represents the actual flow rate per unit time, and the actual flow rate for the flow rate setting is N in the drawing in the normal water discharge mode. On the other hand, in the metering water discharge mode, M is shown in the figure, which is about 20% water saving. Note that the flow rate per unit time in the normal water discharge mode varies according to the water supply pressure.

  When the metering water discharge mode is set and the shower head 7 is selected as the discharge destination, the controller 8 controls the flow rate adjusting valves 13 and 23 so as not to exceed the flow rate per unit time set in advance. To do. That is, in the normal water discharge mode, as indicated by N in FIG. 3, the flow rate per unit time increases as the flow rate level is changed to increase the opening amount of the flow rate adjustment valves 13 and 23. However, in the metering water discharge mode, as shown by M in FIG. 3, the above-mentioned water saving is performed and at the same time, the flow rate per unit time does not exceed a predetermined flow rate (for example, 8 liters / min). There is a comfortable amount of water per unit time when taking a shower, but this comfortable amount of water can be maintained regardless of the water supply pressure, and water can be saved.

  The flow rate restriction that prevents the flow rate per unit time from exceeding a predetermined flow rate can be applied not only when discharging from the shower head 7 but also when discharging from the water discharge port 6. Further, the flow rate limit value may be made different between when discharging from the shower head 7 and when discharging from the water outlet 6.

  Furthermore, the water saving rate in the metering water discharge mode relative to the normal water discharge mode may be different between when discharging from the shower head 7 and when discharging from the water discharge port 6. When the discharge destination that can be switched by the flow path switching valve 5 exists in addition to the shower head 7 and the water discharge port 6, the same applies to the discharge from the discharge destination.

  By the way, when water discharge is performed in the metering water discharge mode, there is a time lag from the start of water discharge until the flow rate sensor 42 outputs a flow rate measurement value. For this purpose, the controller 8 sets the opening areas of the flow rate adjusting units 13 and 23 as follows, and starts water discharge in the metering water discharge mode. That is, a value corresponding to the opening area of the flow rate adjusting units 13 and 23 with respect to the flow rate level set by the operation unit 80 when water is discharged by performing flow rate feedback control in the metered water discharge mode is stored. Then, at the start of water discharge in the next metering water discharge mode, water discharge is started in a state where the opening area of the flow rate adjusting unit is set according to the stored value, and thereafter, the control shifts to feedback control from the flow rate sensor 42. For this reason, water discharge at a flow rate per unit time almost corresponding to the flow rate level set by the operation unit 80 is performed from the beginning.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Water supply pipe 2 Hot water supply pipe 3 Mixing part 4 Mixing pipe 5 Flow path switching valve 6 Outlet 7 Shower head 8 Controller 13 Flow rate adjustment valve 14 Flow rate sensor 23 Flow rate adjustment valve 24 Flow rate sensor 41 Water stop valve 42 Flow rate sensor

Claims (3)

  A water discharge device comprising a flow rate measurement unit for measuring the discharge water amount, a flow rate adjustment unit for adjusting the discharge water amount, and a controller for controlling the flow rate adjustment unit so as to be a flow rate per unit time specified by the operation unit, The controller corresponds to a normal water discharge mode in which water is discharged by adjusting the flow rate control valve to a predetermined opening amount corresponding to the flow level set in the operation unit, and the flow level set in the operation unit. The metering water discharge mode that adjusts the discharge flow rate by feeding back the flow rate per unit time measured by the flow rate measurement unit can be switched between the metering water discharge mode for adjusting the flow rate per unit time and discharging water. Then, the discharge apparatus characterized by making the actual discharge flow rate per unit time with respect to the flow volume level set by the operation part smaller than the said normal water discharge mode.   2. The water discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the controller limits the flow rate per unit time to a predetermined flow rate or less in a metered water discharge mode.   The controller stores a value corresponding to the opening area of the flow rate adjustment unit when water is discharged at the flow rate level set by the operation unit in the metering water discharge mode, and the flow rate at the start of water discharge in the next metering water discharge mode The water discharge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an opening area of the adjustment unit is set according to the stored value.

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