JP6326718B2 - Faucet device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water faucet device, and more particularly, to a water faucet device provided with a generator that generates electricity with a water flow in a flow path.

  Conventionally, a faucet system with a power generation function including a power generation circuit for generating part or all of the driving power of the faucet control device is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the power generation circuit used in the faucet system with a power generation function, the battery or the power of the generator is temporarily charged in the large capacity capacitor.

  If the faucet control device is fed from only the battery, the large-capacity capacitor can be omitted. However, in the faucet control device including the generator, the large-capacity capacitor is essential to store the generated power. As a large-capacity capacitor used in the faucet control device, an electric double layer capacitor is suitable from the viewpoint of cost, size, and durability.

  In the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the voltage stored in the electric double layer capacitor is boosted or stepped down to generate a voltage having a required value and applied to a load such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a solenoid valve. Supply.

JP 2001-207498 A JP 2003-70297 A

  As described above, in the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in order to step up or step down the voltage stored in the electric double layer capacitor, one of the step-up circuit and the step-down circuit is provided as a voltage conversion circuit.

  When a step-down circuit is provided as a voltage conversion circuit, if the voltage stored in the electric double layer capacitor falls below the operation guarantee voltage of the load, the electric double layer capacitor cannot be used even though energy remains. For example, if the load is a 3V drive type, it can be used if the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is 3V or more, but if it is less than 3V, it is used even though the electric double layer capacitor has a charge of nearly 3V. I can't.

  In addition, when a booster circuit is provided as a voltage conversion circuit, the upper limit of the voltage that can be charged to the electric double layer capacitor is the guaranteed operation voltage of the load. Therefore, the electric double layer capacitor is charged with the electric energy that exceeds the guaranteed operation voltage. It can't be wasted. For example, if the load is a 3V drive type, applying a voltage of 3V or more exceeding the operation guarantee voltage to the load will destroy the load due to over-operation guarantee, so the voltage that can be charged to the electric double layer capacitor is limited to 3V or less Therefore, the electric double layer capacitor can be charged only at a voltage as low as 3 V or less.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a water faucet device that improves the use efficiency of electrical energy generated by a generator as compared with the prior art, and the operation time of a voltage conversion circuit as compared with the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to realize at least one of the provision of a water faucet device that further reduces power consumption through improvement.

  One aspect of the present invention includes a power generation unit that generates electrical energy from non-electric energy, a power storage unit that is charged by power supply from the power generation unit, and a load that is operated by power supply from the power storage unit. And a second voltage converter for stepping up the input voltage to the operation guarantee voltage, and from the power storage unit to the load. The feeding is performed through at least one of the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit.

  Moreover, in one of the selective aspects of the present invention, a voltage obtained by stepping down a charging voltage of the power storage unit by the first voltage conversion unit is supplied from the power storage unit to the load by the second voltage conversion unit. A boosted voltage is supplied.

  In this aspect, since the power supply to the load is a voltage stepped down by the first voltage conversion unit, the capacity selection of the power storage unit is not limited by the operation guarantee voltage range of the load. That is, the power storage unit can be charged with a voltage higher than the operation guarantee voltage of the load, and the amount of charge electric energy can be increased.

  Moreover, in one of the selective aspects of the present invention, the battery further includes a primary battery, and the power supply from the primary battery to the load is not performed through the power storage unit, and the first voltage conversion unit and the This is done via at least one of the second voltage converters.

  In this aspect, since the electric power from the primary battery does not pass through the power storage unit, time for charging the power storage unit is not required. For this reason, it becomes possible to start an operation | movement quickly also at the time of the first time starting which the charge amount of an electrical storage part is empty.

  Moreover, in one of the selective aspects of the present invention, the power supply from the primary battery to the load is performed without passing through the power storage unit and the first voltage conversion unit, and the second voltage conversion unit. Done through.

  In this aspect, if the voltage of the primary battery is kept below the guaranteed operation voltage range of the load, it is not necessary to step down the voltage by the first voltage converter. For this reason, by not passing through the first voltage conversion unit, it is possible to suppress power consumption in the first voltage conversion unit, and it is possible to more effectively use the power stored in the power storage unit. It becomes.

  Moreover, in one of the selective aspects of the present invention, the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit are connected in parallel, and as a power feeding path from the power storage unit to the load, A first power supply path through the first voltage converter and not through the second voltage converter; a second power supply path through the second voltage converter and not through the first voltage converter; And a selection unit that alternatively selects any one of the above.

  In this aspect, it is possible to reduce power consumption by selectively passing only one of the voltage conversion units. Thereby, it becomes possible to use the electric power stored in the power storage unit more effectively.

  Moreover, in one of the selective aspects of the present invention, a primary battery is further provided, and an output of the primary battery is input to the selection unit without passing through the power storage unit.

  In this aspect, since the electric power from the primary battery is supplied to the load without passing through the power storage unit, time for charging the power storage unit is not required. For this reason, it becomes possible to start an operation | movement quickly also at the time of the first time starting which the charge amount of an electrical storage part is empty.

  In one of the selective aspects of the present invention, the voltage input to the first voltage converter or the voltage input to the second voltage converter is not less than the operation guarantee voltage of the load. When the load is in the power saving operation, at least one of the step-down operation of the first voltage converter and the step-up operation of the second voltage converter is stopped.

  In this aspect, since the boosting operation is not performed during the power saving operation, the power consumption can be reduced. When the load is in a power saving operation, the voltage supplied to the load is small even without performing the boosting operation, and does not fall below the guaranteed operating voltage range.

  Further, in one of the selective aspects of the present invention, the first voltage conversion unit according to a voltage input to the first voltage conversion unit or a voltage input to the second voltage conversion unit. And at least one of the operation time of the second voltage converter is changed.

  In this aspect, the time for operating the booster circuit is optimized, and wasteful power consumption of the booster circuit can be suppressed. The time required for boosting varies depending on the voltage value input to the second voltage converter, and if the voltage before boosting is low, the time required for boosting is long, and if the voltage before boosting is high, the time required for boosting is short. This is to help.

  The faucet device described above includes various aspects such as being implemented in a state of being incorporated in another device or being implemented together with another method. The present invention can also be realized as a faucet system including the faucet device.

  According to the present invention, in the faucet device provided with the generator, the use efficiency of the electric energy generated by the generator is improved as compared with the conventional one, and the operation time of the voltage conversion circuit is improved as compared with the conventional one. At least one of reducing power consumption can be realized.

It is the figure which showed the outline of the faucet device concerning a 1st embodiment in section. It is a figure which shows the structure of the power supply circuit which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of the power supply circuit which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is an example of a step-down regulator circuit . It is a figure which shows the relationship of the voltage of each part of the power supply circuit which concerns on 1st Embodiment . It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of the power supply circuit which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of the power supply circuit which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of the power supply circuit which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of the power supply circuit which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the circuit structure of the power supply circuit which concerns on 6th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in the following order.
(1) First embodiment:
(2) Second embodiment:
(3) Third embodiment:
(4) Fourth embodiment:
(5) Fifth embodiment:
(6) Sixth embodiment:
(7) Summary:

(1) First embodiment:
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a faucet device 100 according to the present embodiment. The faucet device 100 detects an object (such as a human body or an object) and automatically discharges water, and discharges water to the basin 1 provided in the washstand.

  The basin 1 is provided on the upper surface of the basin counter 2. A faucet 3 constituting a spout for discharging water to the ball surface 1 a of the basin 1 is provided on the basin counter 2. The faucet 3 has a water discharge port 3 a that discharges water, and is provided so that water discharged from the water discharge port 3 a is discharged into the ball surface 1 a of the basin 1.

  The water discharged from the water faucet 3 a by the faucet 3 is supplied by the water supply channel 4. The water supply channel 4 guides water supplied from a water supply source such as a water pipe to the water outlet 3a. A drainage channel 5 is connected to the basin 1. The drainage channel 5 discharges water discharged from the water outlet 3a into the ball surface 1a of the basin 1.

  The faucet device 100 includes an electromagnetic valve 6, a sensor unit 8, and a controller unit 9. The sensor unit 8 and the controller unit 9 are separated, the sensor unit 8 is accommodated in the faucet 3, and the electromagnetic valve 6 and the controller unit 9 are accommodated below the washstand.

  The sensor unit 8 and the controller unit 9 are connected by a connection cable 7. The controller unit 9 supplies a power supply voltage to the sensor unit 8 via the connection cable 7 and controls the sensor unit 8 via the connection cable 7.

  The electromagnetic valve 6 is provided in the water supply channel 4 and opens and closes the water supply channel 4. When the electromagnetic valve 6 is opened, the water supplied from the water supply path 4 is discharged from the water outlet 3a. When the electromagnetic valve 6 is closed, the water supplied from the water supply path 4 is not discharged from the water outlet 3a. It becomes a water state.

  The electromagnetic valve 6 is connected to the controller unit 9, and the controller unit 9 drives the electromagnetic valve 6 to control the opening / closing operation. The solenoid valve 6 is electrically controlled in accordance with a control signal from the controller unit 9 to open and close the water supply channel 4. Thus, the electromagnetic valve 6 functions as a water supply valve that opens and closes the water supply path 4 of water discharged from the water outlet 3a.

  The solenoid valve 6 is a self-holding solenoid valve called a so-called latching solenoid valve. The solenoid valve 6 operates from a closed state to an open state (opening operation) by energizing the solenoid coil in one direction, and then energizes the solenoid coil. Even if the power is cut off, the open state is maintained and the solenoid coil is operated from the open state to the closed state by energizing the solenoid coil in the other direction (closed operation). .

  The sensor unit 8 detects an object (such as a hand) that approaches the water outlet 3a. The water discharge destination of the water discharge port 3 a becomes a detection region of the sensor unit 8. The sensor unit 8 detects the position, movement, and the like of the object by transmitting the propagation wave and receiving the reflected wave reflected from the object such as a human body that has received the transmitted propagation wave.

  In addition, as a propagation wave used by the sensor unit 8, for example, infrared, microwave, millimeter wave, ultrasonic wave, light, or the like can be used. Radio waves may be used for propagating waves. In the case of using a microwave, a microwave Doppler sensor may be used as the sensor unit 8.

  The sensor unit 8 is provided inside the faucet 3 near the water outlet 3a, and is arranged to transmit a propagation wave toward the user side (left side in FIG. 1) of the washstand. Thereby, the sensor part 8 can detect that a human body has approached the spout 3a, that a hand has been pushed out toward the spout 3a from a human body that has approached the spout 3a, and the like.

  The sensor unit 8 is connected to the controller unit 9. The controller unit 9 receives a signal output from the sensor unit 8 and detects the position, movement, and the like of the object based on this signal. And the solenoid valve 6 is controlled based on the detection result.

  The controller unit 9 controls the opening / closing operation of the electromagnetic valve 6 based on the signal output from the sensor unit 8. For this reason, an output signal from the sensor unit 8 is input to the controller unit 9. The controller unit 9 outputs a control signal to the electromagnetic valve 6 to control the sensing operation of the sensor unit 8.

  As described above, the faucet device 100 of the present embodiment includes the electromagnetic valve 6, the sensor unit 8, and the controller unit 9, and is controlled by the controller unit 9 based on the detection signal of the sensor unit 8. The opening / closing operation of the solenoid valve 6 is controlled. Thereby, the water discharge according to the detection result (movement of the user of a washstand, etc.) of the target object which approaches the water discharge port 3a is performed.

  The sensor unit 8 is not always operating, but the controller unit 9 controls so as to operate only at a timing that requires sensing. Thereby, the power consumption of the sensor unit 8 is reduced. Hereinafter, a state in which the controller unit 9 performs control for causing the sensor unit 8 to perform a sensing operation is referred to as a non-power-saving operation state, and a state in which the controller unit 9 performs control for causing the sensor unit 8 to stop the sensing operation. Will be referred to as a power saving operation state. The controller unit 9 can increase the ratio of the power saving operation state by reducing the frequency of the sensing operation of the sensor unit 8 to such an extent that the user does not feel inconvenience, thereby reducing the power consumption of the faucet device 100. be able to.

  The controller unit 9 and the sensor unit 8 can operate with less power consumption in the power saving operation state than in the non-power saving operation state. For example, when the current consumption in the non-power-saving operation state is 10 mA, the current consumption in the power-saving operation state is 10 μA. The controller unit 9 and the sensor unit 8 can operate within the guaranteed operation voltage range in the power saving operation state.

[Power supply circuit]
The faucet device 100 described above includes a power supply circuit 10, and power is supplied from the power supply circuit 10 to various loads. Hereinafter, the power supply circuit 10 will be described with reference to FIG 2-5.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a power supply circuit 10 to the water faucet device 100 according to this embodiment is provided, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the power supply circuit 10, FIG. 5, the power supply circuit It is a figure which shows the relationship of the voltage of each part of 10. The power supply voltage generated by the power supply circuit 10 is supplied to a load 30 such as the controller unit 9 or the electromagnetic valve 6. Of course, the load 30 is not limited to these, and various electric / electronic components that operate by feeding can be used as the load 30.

  The power supply circuit 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes a generator 11 as a power generation unit, a rectifier circuit 12, backflow prevention circuits 13 and 14, a storage circuit 15, a step-down circuit 16 as a first voltage conversion unit, and a second voltage conversion unit. As a booster circuit 17 and a primary battery 18.

  The generator 11 generates AC electric energy from water current energy as non-electric energy generated in the flow path. For example, the generator 11 is installed in a flow channel such as a water supply channel or a drainage channel, and the AC power source is generated when the rotor of the generator 11 is rotated by a water flow when supplying water to the water supply channel or draining water to the drainage channel. AC is generated. The generator 11 outputs the generated AC power supply AC to the rectifier circuit 12.

  Non-electric energy is not limited to water energy, and various types of energy can be used. The energy converter from non-electric energy to electric energy is not limited to a generator equipped with a rotor, It selects suitably according to an aspect.

  The rectifier circuit 12 rectifies the AC power supply AC generated by the generator 11 to generate a DC power supply DC. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the rectifier circuit 12 is configured by a diode bridge circuit D1 that generates a direct current power source DC by full-wave rectification of an alternating current power source AC and outputs it.

  The storage circuit 15 is charged by a DC power source DC output from the rectifier circuit 12 with an upper limit of a constant voltage determined by its capacity. The electrical energy generated by the generator 11 and once stored in the power storage circuit 15 is supplied to the load 30 through the step-down circuit 16 and the step-up circuit 17.

  The power storage circuit 15 is configured by an electric double layer capacitor C1 as shown in FIG. 3, for example. In the electric double layer capacitor C1, the DC power source DC output from the rectifier circuit 12 is input to the positive electrode, and the negative electrode is connected to the ground. The electric double layer capacitor C1 has a low internal resistance and can be charged / discharged in a short time. Since the deterioration due to charging / discharging is small, the product life is long and the voltage changes linearly during charging / discharging.

  The rectifier circuit 12 (and the generator 11) and the storage circuit 15 are connected via a backflow prevention circuit 13. The backflow prevention circuit 13 allows a current flowing from the rectifier circuit 12 to the power storage circuit 15 and blocks a current flowing from the power storage circuit 15 to the rectifier circuit 12 (and the generator 11).

  The backflow prevention circuit 13 is configured by a backflow prevention diode D2 as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The diode D2 is connected with the anode directed toward the rectifier circuit 12 and the cathode directed toward the storage circuit 15 side.

  The primary battery 18 is connected with the negative electrode facing the ground, and the positive electrode is connected with the storage circuit 15. The primary battery 18 charges the power storage circuit 15 when the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is less than the charge amount of the primary battery 18, and when the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is greater than or equal to the charge amount of the primary battery 18. The power storage circuit 15 is not charged.

  The positive electrode of the primary battery 18 and the storage circuit 15 are connected via the backflow prevention circuit 14. The backflow prevention circuit 14 allows the current flowing from the primary battery 18 to the power storage circuit 15 and blocks the current flowing from the power storage circuit 15 to the primary battery 18.

  The backflow prevention circuit 14 is configured by a backflow prevention diode D3, for example, as shown in FIG. The diode D3 is connected with the anode directed toward the positive electrode of the primary battery 18 and the cathode directed toward the storage circuit 15 side.

  In this way, the direct current DC generated by the rectifier circuit 12 is input to the power storage circuit 15 via the backflow prevention circuit 13, and the direct current output from the primary battery 18 is also stored via the backflow prevention circuit 14. Is input. For this reason, current does not flow between the rectifier circuit 12 (and the generator 11) and the primary battery 18.

  The step-down circuit 16 steps down and outputs an input voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined value Vt1 (see FIG. 5) to a predetermined value Vt1 or less, and outputs an input voltage as it is for an input voltage lower than the predetermined value Vt1. In the present embodiment, the input voltage to the step-down circuit 16 is the charging voltage of the storage circuit 15, and the voltage output destination is the step-up circuit 17.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the step-down circuit 16 includes a constant voltage circuit including an NPN bipolar transistor T (hereinafter abbreviated as a transistor T), a resistor R1, and a Zener diode ZD. In the example shown in the figure, a value defined by the sum of the breakdown voltage of the Zener diode ZD and the voltage applied to the resistor R1 corresponds to the predetermined value Vt1.

  The transistor T has a collector connected to the positive electrode of the electric double layer capacitor C1, and a base connected to the ground via a Zener diode ZD. The Zener diode ZD is connected with the cathode facing the base of the transistor T and the anode facing the ground. The resistor R1 connects between the collector and base of the transistor T. A voltage V1 determined according to the charge amount of the storage circuit 15 is input to the collector of the transistor T, and a voltage V2 obtained by stepping down the voltage V1 is output from the emitter of the transistor T.

  The Zener diode ZD does not breakdown when the applied voltage is less than the breakdown voltage Vth (not shown), and breaks down when the applied voltage is equal to or higher than the breakdown voltage Vth. When the Zener diode ZD breaks down, the transistor T is turned on, so that the collector-emitter of the transistor T becomes conductive. On the other hand, when the Zener diode ZD is not broken down, the transistor T is turned off, so that the collector-emitter of the transistor T is not conducted, and the storage circuit 15 is applied until the voltage applied to the Zener diode ZD becomes less than the breakdown voltage Vth. The electric charge stored in is discharged to the ground through the Zener diode ZD.

  Of course, the step-down circuit 16 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and for example, a step-down regulator circuit as shown in FIG. 4 can be adopted. FIG. 4 illustrates a series regulator circuit. Further, a step-down DC-DC converter (not shown) may be employed.

  Thus, since the power supply circuit 10 according to the present embodiment supplies power to the load 30 through the step-down circuit 16, it does not depend on the power generation state of the generator 11 (and / or the amount of charge of the power storage circuit 15). A voltage equal to or lower than the predetermined value Vt1 can be supplied to the load 30 without fail.

  In addition, since power is supplied to the load 30 through the step-down circuit 16, the selection of the capacity of the power storage circuit 15 is not limited to the operation guarantee voltage range of the load 30. That is, the capacity of the storage circuit 15 is the amount of charge that can be supplied to the load 30 when power is supplied directly from the storage circuit 15 (the product of the capacitance of the storage circuit 15 and the operation guarantee voltage of the load 30). In the following description, it is not necessary to be limited by “equivalent charging capacity”), and the capacity can be made larger than the equivalent charging capacity. This is because the storage circuit 15 can be charged with a voltage higher than the operation guarantee voltage.

  For this reason, the power supply circuit 10 according to the present embodiment cannot charge the power storage circuit in spite of the power generation by the generator in the conventional power supply circuit in which the capacity of the power storage circuit is designed under the limit of the equivalent charge capacity. The electric energy (electric energy generated at a voltage exceeding the operation guaranteed voltage range) that has been wasted can be charged in the power storage circuit 15 according to the present embodiment, and the electric energy generated by the generator 11 is used. Efficiency can be improved.

  The booster circuit 17 outputs the input voltage equal to or higher than the predetermined value Vt2 (see FIG. 5) as it is, and boosts the input voltage equal to or lower than the predetermined value Vt2 to a voltage equal to or higher than the predetermined value Vt2 and lower than the predetermined value Vt1.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the booster circuit 17 is configured by a DC-DC converter that boosts an input voltage by switching control. This DC-DC converter includes a coil L, a switch circuit SW, and a diode D3.

  One end of the coil L is connected to the step-down circuit 16, the voltage V2 is input from the step-down circuit 16, and the other end is connected to one end of the switch circuit SW. The other end of the switch circuit SW is connected to the ground. The other end of the coil L is also connected to the load 30 via the diode D3, and a voltage V3 obtained by boosting the voltage V2 is output to the load 30 via the diode D3. The diode D3 is connected with the anode directed toward the coil L and the cathode directed toward the load 30.

  The switch circuit SW is chopper-controlled by the control signal S1. The control signal S1 is a signal indicating the on / off ratio (duty ratio) of the switch circuit SW. The control signal S1 is generated by an external control unit and input to the switch circuit SW. The control unit may be, for example, the controller unit 9 or may be separately provided with a control circuit, a control IC, or the like. The duty ratio of the control signal S1 is adjusted so that the voltage V3 supplied to the load 30 falls within the operation guarantee voltage range of the load 30. In this sense, the predetermined value Vt2 described above is a value determined by a duty ratio related to chopper control of the switch circuit SW.

  The control unit of the switch circuit SW monitors the voltage V1 or the voltage V2, and when the voltage V1 or the voltage V2 is lower than the operation guarantee voltage of the load 30, the control circuit SW causes the booster circuit 17 to perform a boost operation. When the voltage V2 is higher than the operation guarantee voltage of the load 30, control is performed so that the booster circuit 17 does not perform the boost operation.

  Note that the booster circuit 17 is not limited to the configuration in which switching control is performed using an inductor as shown in FIG. That is, various circuits can be employed as long as the input voltage can be boosted and output, and an inductor boost system or a charge pump system may be used.

  As described above, in the power supply circuit 10 according to the present embodiment, since power is supplied to the load 30 through the booster circuit 17, it depends on the power generation state of the generator 11 (and / or the charge amount of the storage circuit 15). Instead, a voltage equal to or higher than the predetermined value Vt2 can be supplied to the load 30. Including the operation of the step-down circuit 16 described above, a voltage not lower than the predetermined value Vt2 and not higher than the predetermined value Vt1 can be supplied to the load 30.

  In addition, since power is supplied to the load 30 through the booster circuit 17, the operation guarantee voltage can be supplied to the load 30 even when the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 falls below the lower limit of the operation guarantee voltage range of the load 30. Therefore, the power supply circuit 10 according to the present embodiment can also use a small amount of electric energy that is insufficient for guaranteeing the operation of the load in the conventional power supply circuit.

  When the load 30 is the controller unit 9 or the sensor unit 8, the booster circuit 17 performs a boost operation that boosts the input voltage when the sensor unit 8 is in a non-power-saving operation state in which a sensing operation is performed. When the unit 8 is in the power saving operation state in which the sensing operation is not performed, it can be configured not to perform the boosting operation for boosting the input voltage. This is because the power consumption is remarkably low in the power saving operation state, and even if the boosting operation is not performed, a voltage drop of the supplied voltage V3 hardly occurs. Thereby, the control of the booster circuit 17 can be made efficient, and the power consumption related to the control of the booster circuit 17 in the power saving operation state can be suppressed.

  Further, similarly, when the step-down circuit 16 is also in the power saving operation state, power consumption related to the control of the step-down circuit 16 can be suppressed by stopping the step-down operation. Both of the step-down circuit 16 and the step-up circuit 17 may be stopped, or only one of them may be stopped. The former can achieve lower power consumption than the latter, and the latter can simplify the control more than the former.

  In addition, a power storage circuit (not shown; for example, an electrolytic capacitor) having a smaller capacity than the power storage circuit 15 may be disposed between the booster circuit 17 and the load 30. In this way, since the power consumed in the power saving operation state can be supplied from the small-capacity storage circuit, the operation time of the booster circuit 17 can be further reduced, and the power consumption related to the control of the booster circuit 17 can be reduced. Can be further suppressed.

  Further, when returning from the power saving operation state to the non-power saving operation state, the operation of the booster circuit 17 is started to supply power necessary for causing the sensor unit 8 to perform the sensing operation. Alternatively, the operation time of the booster circuit 17 in the period until the load 30 returns from the power saving operation state to the non-power saving operation state is changed according to the voltage V2.

  That is, the operation time of the booster circuit 17 is lengthened as the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is small, and the operation time of the booster circuit 17 is shortened as the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is large. As a result, the operation time of the booster circuit 17 need only be a time necessary and sufficient to restore the voltage level required for driving the load 30, and therefore, the operation is not performed in a state where an appropriate voltage is supplied to the load 30. Transition to the power-saving operating state. This is because the boosting efficiency of the booster circuit 17 is higher as the input voltage before boosting is higher. That is, the higher the input voltage before boosting, the shorter the boosting operation time.

  Furthermore, similarly, the step-down circuit 16 may change the operation time in the period until the load 30 returns from the power saving operation state to the non-power saving operation state according to the voltage V1 or the voltage V2. That is, the operation time of the step-down circuit 16 is lengthened as the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is small, and the operation time of the step-down circuit 16 is shortened as the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is large.

  As a result, the operation time of the step-down circuit 16 need only be a time that is necessary and sufficient to restore the voltage level required for driving the load 30, so that it is not necessary when an appropriate voltage is supplied to the load 30. Transition to the power-saving operating state. This is because the step-down characteristic of the step-down circuit 16 is shorter as the input voltage before step-down is higher.

  Regarding the control of the operation time of the step-down circuit 16 and the step-up circuit 17, the operation time of both the step-down circuit 16 and the step-up circuit 17 may be controlled, or one of the operation times may be controlled. The former has the merit of lower power consumption than the latter, and the latter has the merit that the control is simplified compared to the former.

  Next, the operation of the power supply circuit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the power storage circuit 15 can charge a voltage range from a minimum value Vmin to a maximum value Vmax (> Vmin). It is assumed that the maximum value Vmax is larger than the predetermined value Vt1, and the minimum value Vmin is smaller than the predetermined value Vt2 (<Vt1).

  As shown in the figure, when the voltage V1 is in the range from the predetermined value Vt1 to the maximum value Vmax, the step-down circuit 16 outputs a voltage obtained by stepping down the voltage V1 to the predetermined value Vt1 or less as the voltage V2. On the other hand, when the voltage V1 is in the range from the minimum value Vmin to the predetermined value Vt1, the step-down circuit 16 outputs the voltage V1 as it is as the voltage V2. For this reason, the voltage V2 becomes a voltage value in the range from the minimum value Vmin to the predetermined value Vt1.

  Next, when the voltage V2 is in the range from the minimum value Vmin to the predetermined value Vt2, the booster circuit 17 outputs a voltage obtained by boosting the voltage V2 to the predetermined value Vt2 or more and to the predetermined value Vt1 or less as the voltage V3. On the other hand, when the voltage V2 is in the range from the predetermined value Vt2 to the maximum value Vmax, the booster circuit 17 outputs the voltage V2 as it is as the voltage V3.

  Therefore, the voltage V3 is a voltage value in a range of ΔV that is not less than the predetermined value Vt2 and not more than the predetermined value Vt1. This ΔV is set so that the load 30 corresponds to the operation guarantee voltage. That is, the guaranteed operation voltage range encompasses this range of ΔV. In this embodiment, since the case where the operation guarantee voltage of the load 30 has a certain allowable range (operation guarantee voltage range) is described as an example, “Vt1 ≠ Vt2” is assumed, but the operation guarantee of the load 30 is assumed. If the voltage has no allowable range, “Vt1 = Vt2” is set.

  In other words, regardless of the amount of charge of the power storage circuit 15, the power supply circuit 10 does not matter whether the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 exceeds the equivalent charge capacity of the load 30 or less than the equivalent charge capacity of the load 30. As long as it is charged, the operation guarantee voltage can be supplied to the load 30.

  Therefore, the power supply circuit 10 charges the power storage circuit 15 to the highest possible voltage (upper limit of the capacity of the power storage circuit 15), and continues the operation of the load to the lowest possible voltage (the operation lower limit voltage of the booster circuit 17). Can be made. That is, the electrical energy generated by the generator 11 can be charged to the storage circuit 15 without being left over, and the electrical energy stored in the storage circuit 15 can be used up without being left over.

  Further, since the voltage of the primary battery 18 is stepped down or boosted as necessary and supplied to the load 30, even if an inappropriate voltage primary battery is erroneously connected, it is stepped down or boosted to the operation guarantee voltage. Is supplied to the load 30. Thereby, component destruction of the load 30 can be prevented.

(2) Second embodiment:
Next, a faucet device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the circuit configuration of the power supply circuit 210 according to the second embodiment. Since the configuration other than the power supply circuit is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted below. In addition, components common to the power supply circuit 210 and the power supply circuit 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply circuit 210 includes a step-up / down IC (Integrated Circuit) 216 instead of the step-down circuit 16 and the step-up circuit 17. The step-up / step-down IC 216 can both increase and decrease the input voltage, and this step-up / step-down operation is controlled by a control signal S 2 input from a control unit outside the power supply circuit 210.

  The controller of the step-up / step-down IC 216 may be the controller unit 9 as in the case of the control of the booster circuit 17 described above, or a dedicated control circuit may be provided separately. Further, the step-up / step-down IC 216 may include a control unit that performs control related to voltage conversion.

  Thus, by integrating the step-down circuit 16 and the step-down circuit into one IC, the power supply circuit can be reduced in size and can be easily designed and mounted.

(3) Third embodiment:
Next, a faucet device according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the power supply circuit 310 according to the third embodiment. In addition, since the structure of the water faucet apparatus except a power supply circuit is the same as that of 1st Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted below. Also, with regard to the power supply circuit 310, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those of the power supply circuit 10, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the power supply circuit 310 includes a power storage circuit 315 instead of the power storage circuit 15. The power storage circuit 315 is disposed between the rectifier circuit 12 and the diode D2. Therefore, a current flows from the rectifier circuit 12 (the generator 11) to the power storage circuit 315, but no current flows from the primary battery 18 to the power storage circuit 315. That is, the power storage circuit 315 charges the electric energy generated and output by the generator 11, while the electric energy of the primary battery 18 is blocked by the diode D <b> 2 and is not charged.

  Specifically, the power storage circuit 315 can be configured by an electric double layer capacitor C1 in the same manner as the power storage circuit 15. The positive electrode of the electric double layer capacitor C1 is connected to a line connecting the output terminal of the rectifier circuit 12 and the anode of the diode D2, and the negative electrode is connected to the ground.

  As described above, by disposing the power storage circuit 315 at the subsequent stage of the rectifier circuit 12, the start-up of the power supply circuit 310, and thus the start-up of the entire faucet device, is accelerated. That is, in the faucet device 100 according to the first embodiment, it is necessary to wait for the charging voltage of the power storage circuit 15 to reach a voltage at which the booster circuit 17 can stably operate. In the case of performing from the above, the boosting operation cannot be started until the charging of the power storage circuit 15 is completed, and it takes time until the faucet device 100 can stably operate. However, since the faucet device including the power supply circuit 310 according to the present embodiment has no charging path from the primary battery 18 to the power storage circuit 315, the booster circuit does not wait for charging from the primary battery 18 to the power storage circuit 315. 17 can be operated, and as a result, the faucet device 100 can be started quickly.

(4) Fourth embodiment:
Next, a faucet device according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the circuit configuration of the power supply circuit 410 according to the fourth embodiment. In addition, since the structure of the water faucet apparatus except a power supply circuit is the same as that of 3rd Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted below. Also, with regard to the power supply circuit 410, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the power supply circuit 310, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the power supply circuit 410 includes a step-down circuit 416 instead of the step-down circuit 16. The step-down circuit 416 is disposed between the power storage circuit 315 and the diode D2. Therefore, a current flows from the primary battery 18 to the load 30 without passing through the power storage circuit 315 or the step-down circuit 416.

  For this reason, the electrical energy of the primary battery 18 can be efficiently supplied to the load 30. That is, the electric energy of the primary battery 18 can be supplied to the load without loss in the power storage circuit 315 or the step-down circuit 416. Further, since there is no charging time for the power storage circuit 315, the operation of the faucet device can be started quickly, as in the third embodiment described above.

(5) Fifth embodiment:
Next, a faucet device according to a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the power supply circuit 510 according to the fifth embodiment. In addition, since the structure of the water faucet apparatus except a power supply circuit is the same as that of 1st Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted below. Also, with regard to the power supply circuit 510, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the power supply circuit 10, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the power supply circuit 510 includes a step-down circuit 516 having the same configuration and function as the step-down circuit 16 in place of the step-down circuit 16, and has the same configuration as the step-up circuit 17 in place of the step-up circuit 17. And a booster circuit 517 having a function, and switch circuits 519 and 520 as selection units.

  The step-down circuit 516 and the booster circuit 517 are connected in parallel between the power storage circuit 15 and the load 30, and the power storage circuit 15 and the step-down circuit 516 are connected via the switch circuit 519, and the power storage circuit 15 and the step-up circuit 517 are connected. Are connected via a switch circuit 520.

  Switch circuit 519 switches on / off of connection between power storage circuit 15 and step-down circuit 516, and switch circuit 520 switches on / off of connection between power storage circuit 15 and booster circuit 517. The switch circuit 519 and the switch circuit 520 are exclusively turned on. When the switch circuit 519 is turned on, the switch circuit 520 is turned off. When the switch circuit 519 is turned on, the switch circuit 520 is turned off.

  The switch circuit 519 is controlled to be turned on / off by a control signal S3 input from a control unit outside the power supply circuit 510, and the switch circuit 520 is also turned on / off by a control signal S4 input from the control unit. Is controlled. For example, the control unit may be the controller unit 9 or may be provided with a control circuit, a control IC, or the like.

  The control units of the switch circuits 519 and 520 monitor the charge amount (for example, the voltage V1) of the power storage circuit 15, and when the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is equal to or higher than the operation guarantee voltage, the switch circuit 519 is turned on and the switch circuit When 520 is turned off and the charge amount of the power storage circuit 15 is lower than the operation guarantee voltage, the switch circuit 519 is turned off and the switch circuit 520 is turned on.

  As described above, in the power supply circuit 510, the power supply path from the power storage circuit 15 to the load 30 includes the first power supply path that passes through the step-down circuit 16 but does not pass through the step-up circuit 17 and the step-down circuit 16 through the step-up circuit 17. Any one of the second power supply paths that are not interposed can be selected. For this reason, electrical energy is supplied from the power storage circuit 15 to the load 30 via only one of the step-down circuit 516 and the step-up circuit 517. Thereby, the conversion efficiency of a voltage improves and the loss of the electrical energy which concerns on voltage conversion can be decreased.

  The voltage of the primary battery 18 is also stepped down and boosted and supplied to the load 30. Thereby, even when a primary battery having an inappropriate voltage is erroneously connected, a voltage that has been stepped down or boosted to an appropriate voltage is supplied to the load 30, so that damage to the components of the load 30 can be prevented. Is the same as in the first embodiment described above.

(6) Sixth embodiment:
Next, a faucet device according to a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a power supply circuit 610 according to the sixth embodiment. In addition, since the structure of the water faucet apparatus except a power supply circuit is the same as that of 5th Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted below. In the power supply circuit 610 as well, the same components as those of the power supply circuit 510 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the power supply circuit 610 includes a storage circuit 615 instead of the storage circuit 15. The power storage circuit 615 is disposed between the rectifier circuit 12 and the diode D2. For this reason, a current flows from the rectifier circuit 12 (the generator 11) to the power storage circuit 615, but no current flows from the primary battery 18 to the power storage circuit 615. That is, the storage circuit 615 charges the electric energy generated and output by the generator 11, while the electric energy of the primary battery 18 is not blocked by the diode D <b> 2 and charged.

  The power storage circuit 615 can be configured by an electric double layer capacitor C <b> 1 in the same manner as the power storage circuit 15. The positive electrode of the electric double layer capacitor C1 is connected to a line connecting the output terminal of the rectifier circuit 12 and the anode of the diode D2, and the negative electrode is connected to the ground.

  As described above, by disposing the power storage circuit 615 in the subsequent stage of the rectifier circuit 12, the start-up of the power supply circuit 610, and hence the entire faucet device, is accelerated. That is, in the faucet device 100 according to the first embodiment described above, it is necessary to wait for the charging voltage of the power storage circuit 15 to reach a voltage at which the booster circuit 17 can stably operate. When the first power supply is performed from a primary battery or the like, the boosting operation cannot be started until charging of the power storage circuit 15 is completed, and it takes time until the faucet device 100 can operate stably. However, since the faucet device including the power supply circuit 610 according to the present embodiment does not have a charging path from the primary battery 18 to the power storage circuit 615, the booster circuit does not wait for charging from the primary battery 18 to the power storage circuit 615. 17 can be operated, and as a result, the faucet device 100 can be started quickly.

(7) Summary:
According to each embodiment described above, the generator 11 that generates electrical energy from non-electric energy, the power storage unit (power storage circuits 15, 315, 615) that is charged by power feeding from the generator 11, and the power storage unit , The step-down circuit (step-down circuits 16, 416, 516) for stepping down the input voltage to the operation guarantee voltage of the load 30, and the step-up voltage to the operation guarantee voltage of the load 30. A booster circuit (boost circuits 17, 517), and power is supplied from the power storage unit to the load 30 via at least one of the step-down circuit and the booster circuit. Since both the step-up circuit and the step-down circuit are provided, both step-up and step-down can be performed as necessary, and the use efficiency of the electric energy generated by the generator can be improved as compared with the conventional faucet device.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and the structures disclosed in the above-described embodiments and modifications are mutually replaced, the combinations are changed, the known technique, and the above-described implementations. Configurations in which the configurations disclosed in the embodiments and modifications are mutually replaced or the combinations are changed are also included. Further, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but extends to the matters described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Basin, 1a ... Ball surface, 2 ... Wash counter, 3 ... Water faucet, 3a ... Water outlet, 4 ... Water supply channel, 5 ... Drainage channel, 6 ... Solenoid valve, 7 ... Connection cable, 8 ... Sensor part, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Controller part, 10 ... Power supply circuit, 11 ... Generator, 12 ... Rectifier circuit, 13 ... Backflow prevention circuit, 14 ... Backflow prevention circuit, 15 ... Power storage circuit, 16 ... Step-down circuit, 17 ... Step-up circuit, 18 ... 1 Secondary battery, 30 ... load, 100 ... faucet device, 210 ... power supply circuit, 216 ... step-up / down IC, 310 ... power supply circuit, 315 ... power storage circuit, 410 ... power supply circuit, 416 ... step-down circuit, 510 ... power supply circuit, 516 ... Step-down circuit, 517 ... Step-up circuit, 519 ... Switch circuit, 520 ... Switch circuit, 610 ... Power supply circuit, 615 ... Power storage circuit, AC ... AC current, C1 ... Electric double layer capacitor, D1 ... Diode bridge circuit, D2 ... Die Over de, D3 ... diode, DC ... DC current, L ... coil, R1 ... resistors, SW ... switching circuit, T ... transistors, V1 ... voltage, V2 ... voltage, V3 ... voltage, ZD ... Zener diode

Claims (6)

A power generation unit that generates electrical energy from non- electrical energy;
A power storage unit that is charged by feeding from the power generation unit;
A load that operates by feeding from the power storage unit;
A first voltage converter that steps down an input voltage to an operation guarantee voltage of the load;
A second voltage converter that boosts an input voltage to an operation guarantee voltage of the load;
With
The feed from the power storage unit to the load is a front Symbol first voltage conversion unit performed via at least one of the second voltage converter,
A primary battery,
Power from the primary battery to the load, without going through the power storage unit, and wherein the Rukoto conducted through at least one of the said second voltage conversion unit and the first voltage conversion unit water Stopper device. A power generation unit that generates electrical energy from non-electrical energy;
A power storage unit that is charged by feeding from the power generation unit;
A load that operates by feeding from the power storage unit;
A first voltage converter that steps down an input voltage to an operation guarantee voltage of the load;
A second voltage converter that boosts an input voltage to an operation guarantee voltage of the load;
With
Power supply from the power storage unit to the load is performed via at least one of the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit,
A primary battery,
The power from the primary battery to the load, without going through the power storage unit and the first voltage converter, before Symbol second voltage conversion unit faucet device you characterized by being performed via the .   The voltage obtained by boosting the voltage obtained by stepping down the charging voltage of the power storage unit by the first voltage conversion unit from the second voltage conversion unit is supplied from the power storage unit to the load. The faucet device according to claim 1 or 2. A power generation unit that generates electrical energy from non-electrical energy;
A power storage unit that is charged by feeding from the power generation unit;
A load that operates by feeding from the power storage unit;
A first voltage converter that steps down an input voltage to an operation guarantee voltage of the load;
A second voltage converter that boosts an input voltage to an operation guarantee voltage of the load;
With
Power supply from the power storage unit to the load is performed via at least one of the first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit,
The first voltage conversion unit and the second voltage conversion unit are connected in parallel,
As a power feeding path from the power storage unit to the load, a first power feeding path that passes through the first voltage converter and does not pass through the second voltage converter, and a second power converter that passes through the second voltage converter. A selection unit that alternatively selects one of the second power supply paths that do not pass through one voltage conversion unit;
Further comprising a primary battery, a
The faucet device according to claim 1 , wherein an output of the primary battery is input to the selection unit without passing through the power storage unit . If pre-SL load is in the power saving operation, claim 1, wherein the operation stop abolish Rukoto at least one of the step-up operation of the second voltage converter and the step-down operation of the first voltage converter The faucet device according to any one of claims 4 to 5. Depending on the voltage input to the first voltage converter or the voltage input to the second voltage converter, the operating time of the first voltage converter and the operating time of the second voltage converter The faucet device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein at least one of them is changed.

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