JP7004954B2 - Electronic faucet device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic faucet device that controls discharge water stoppage by controlling a motor valve.

Conventionally, an electronic faucet device that controls spouting water stop by controlling a motor valve has been developed. The motor valve is a valve that can finely adjust the opening degree of the flow path by a motor, and is used, for example, for analog adjustment of the temperature and flow rate of a faucet device.

The electronic faucet device that controls the water discharge stop by controlling the motor valve is a type that controls only the opening and closing in a binary manner (the binary value of whether to discharge a certain amount of water or completely stop the water). Unlike electronic faucet devices that use valves, it is possible to finely control the temperature and flow rate, and unlike simple hand washing in toilets, it is particularly effective in kitchens and vanities where faucets have a wide variety of uses. be.

Here, the type of valve that controls only opening and closing consumes only the power required for the change between the open state and the closed state, and therefore has relatively low power consumption. Therefore, it is relatively easy to construct a backup power source in case of a power failure of the commercial power source.

On the other hand, a valve that controls a motor (motor valve) opens and closes the valve by driving and rotating the motor, so the energization time is longer than that of a valve that controls only opening and closing. It is long and consumes a lot of power. Therefore, it is necessary to back up a larger amount of electrical energy for the construction of a backup power source in case of a power failure of the commercial power source, and it is necessary to devise it. If the backup power supply is not sufficiently constructed, there may be a problem that it cannot operate in the event of a power failure. Specifically, it is possible that "a power outage occurs during use (water discharge) and water is left out" or "water does not come out due to a power outage".

Against this background, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a spare battery is provided in advance. Further, a configuration using an electric double layer capacitor is disclosed in Patent Document 2.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-122282 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-101359

A configuration in which a spare battery (primary battery or secondary battery) is provided as a backup power source is functionally sufficient, but has a problem of high cost. Further, although the operation guarantee of the faucet device is desired for about 10 years, there is a problem that the spare battery deteriorates in about several years.

A configuration using an electric double layer capacitor has the advantages of being cheaper than a spare battery and less likely to deteriorate. However, electric double layer capacitors generally have a large output resistance (several Ω to several tens of Ω), so if you try to drive a motor valve directly and output a large current, the power utilization rate will be very high. It gets worse.

Specifically, assuming that the operating conditions of the motor valve are a drive voltage of 12 V, a load current of 100 mA, and a charging voltage of the electric double layer capacitor of 3 V, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is quadrupled to 12 V. Since it is necessary to boost the voltage, if the boost efficiency of the booster circuit is 80%, an output current of 100 mA × 12 V ÷ 3 V ÷ 80% = 500 mA is required from the electric double layer capacitor.

Here, if the output resistance (internal equivalent resistance) of the electric double layer capacitor is 5Ω, the power consumed by this 5Ω output resistance is 5Ω × 500mA × 500mA = 1.25W, and the power consumed by the motor (12V ×). It means that a power loss equivalent to 100 mA = 1.2 W) occurs. That is, since only about half of the energy of the electric double layer capacitor can be supplied to the motor, conversely, it is necessary to store about twice the energy required to drive the motor in the event of a power failure. be.

The present invention has been made based on the above findings. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic faucet device which does not cause any trouble in the event of a power failure and has excellent power efficiency.

The present invention is an electronic faucet device that controls discharge water stop by controlling a motor valve, and detects a power failure between a control unit that controls the motor valve using a commercial power source as a power source and a power failure of the commercial power source. A power failure detection unit, an electric double layer capacitor that stores in advance the power supplied to the motor valve in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply, a booster unit for boosting the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor, and the booster unit. The control unit is provided with a motor valve driving capacitor for further storing the output of the motor valve, and the control unit intermittently supplies the electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor to the motor valve in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply. It is an electronic faucet device characterized by being designed to be used.

According to the present invention, by using an electric double layer capacitor as a backup power supply system, it is possible to enjoy the advantages of low cost and less deterioration. Then, in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is boosted and further stored in the motor valve driving capacitor, and the electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor is intermittently supplied to the motor valve. The degree of power loss that occurs inside the electric double layer capacitor can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the boosting unit has an output suppressing unit for suppressing the output current after boosting to a first predetermined value or less.

In this case, the degree of power loss can be effectively suppressed by suppressing the output current.

Further, it is preferable that the output suppressing unit has a resistance provided on the output side of the boosting unit so that the output current after being boosted by the boosting unit is equal to or less than the first predetermined value.

In this case, since the output current is effectively suppressed by an inexpensive resistance, the degree of power loss can be effectively suppressed at low cost.

Further, the booster unit has an output suppression unit for suppressing the output current after boosting to a first predetermined value or less, and the electronic faucet device is a battery that operates in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply. Further, the commercial power supply is further provided with a battery detection unit for determining the presence or absence of the battery, and a short-circuiting means which is connected in parallel with the output suppression unit and can select whether to enable / disable the function of short-circuiting the output suppression unit. When the battery detection unit determines that the battery is absent during a power failure, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is boosted by the booster, and at this time, the short-circuit means is invalidated and boosted. The output current of the motor valve is suppressed to a value equal to or lower than the first predetermined value by the output suppression unit, the output of the booster unit is stored in the motor valve driving capacitor, and the electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor is intermittently stored in the motor. On the other hand, when the battery detection unit determines that there is a battery in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply, the voltage of the battery is boosted by the booster unit, and at this time, It is preferable that the short-circuiting means is effective, the output current after boosting is not suppressed by the output suppressing section, and the output by the boosting section is continuously supplied to the motor valve.

When a battery is used in combination as described above, it is preferable that control according to the capacity of the battery is adopted.

Specifically, when the battery detection unit determines that the battery is absent during a power failure of the commercial power supply, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is boosted by the booster, and at this time, after being boosted. The output current of the motor valve is suppressed to a value equal to or lower than the first predetermined value by the output suppression unit, the output of the booster unit is stored in the motor valve driving capacitor, and the electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor is intermittently stored in the motor. On the other hand, when the battery detection unit determines that a battery is present in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply, the voltage of the battery is boosted by the booster unit, and at this time, the voltage of the battery is boosted by the booster unit. It is preferable that the output current after boosting is not suppressed by the output suppression section, and the output by the boosting section is continuously supplied to the motor valve.

If there is a battery, the high output capacity of the battery can be used to continuously supply voltage to the motor valve to stop water at an early stage. On the other hand, if there is no battery, an electric double layer capacitor is used, but its output capacity is low, and if voltage is continuously supplied to the motor valve, a lot of energy is consumed inside the electric double layer capacitor. , You lose the energy needed to stop the water. In this case, priority is given to the power efficiency of the system from the electric double layer capacitor to the drive of the motor valve, and the intermittent voltage supply to the motor valve increases the time until closing, but the water is surely stopped. can do.

Further, the electronic faucet device includes a plurality of motor valves, and the control unit is adapted to supply electric power to the plurality of motor valves at the same time during a non-power failure of the commercial power source. The control unit is adapted to selectively supply power to any of the plurality of motor valves when the battery detection unit determines that the battery is present in the event of a power failure of the commercial power source. Is preferable.

That is, by selecting one of the plurality of motor valves and supplying (driving) the electric power one by one, the output current of the booster circuit is limited to the current of one motor valve at the maximum. Therefore, the output capacity of the booster circuit can be designed to be low, and the size can be reduced. In addition, even if a non-new, exhausted battery is used, there is a high possibility that the motor valve can be driven stably. Furthermore, the time required for opening and closing as a faucet device is longer by the number of motor valves to be driven when driving one by one rather than driving multiple motor valves at the same time to open and close in a short time. A more reliable opening and closing operation can be realized.

Further, the control unit continuously controls the opening degree of the motor valve during a non-power failure of the commercial power supply, and the control unit continuously controls the opening degree of the motor valve during a power failure of the commercial power supply. When the detection unit determines that the battery is present, it is preferable that the opening degree of the motor valve is controlled stepwise.

According to this, in the case of battery-powered operation, the frequency of finely moving the motor valve is reduced, and as a result, power consumption is reduced and the battery lasts longer. Further, the user can notice from the movement of the motor valve that the operating state is in response to a power failure when the change in flow rate or temperature is gradual. As a result, for example, it is possible to notice a situation in which the outlet is unplugged due to the user's negligence, avoid unnecessary battery consumption, and effectively prevent the occurrence of battery exhaustion in the event of a power failure.

According to the present invention, by using an electric double layer capacitor as a backup power supply system, it is possible to enjoy the advantages of low cost and less deterioration. Then, in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is boosted and further stored in the motor valve driving capacitor, and the electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor is intermittently supplied to the motor valve. The degree of power loss can be suppressed.

It is a structural schematic diagram of the electronic faucet apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the electronic faucet device of FIG. It is a schematic circuit diagram of the electronic faucet device of FIG. This is an example of a non-power failure table for valve opening. This is an example of a power failure table for valve opening. It is an example of the timing chart in the case of the capacitor power supply of the electronic faucet device of FIG. It is an example of the timing chart in the case of the dry cell power supply of the electronic faucet device of FIG. It is an example of the flowchart of the electronic faucet device of FIG. It is an example of the flowchart of the electronic faucet device of FIG. It is an example of the flowchart of the electronic faucet device of FIG.

Next, an electronic faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Basic configuration)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the electronic faucet device of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electronic faucet device 1 of the present embodiment is a faucet device for mixing hot and cold water, and the amount of hot water supplied from the hot water conduit 8 is adjusted by the hot water motor valve 12. The amount of water supplied from the water conduit 10 is adjusted by the water motor valve 14. Then, the hot water supplied from the hot water conduit 8 and the water supplied from the water conduit 10 are mixed and discharged from the spout 24.

Both the hot water motor valve 12 and the water motor valve 14 are controlled by the control unit 20. An operation lever 22 that allows the user to manually adjust the supply amounts of hot water and water is connected to the control unit 20. The operation lever 22 uses a rotation sensor, a tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor for detecting the gravity acceleration with respect to the ground axis, or the like as a means for detecting the operation amount, converts the operation angle of the lever into an electric signal, and operates the control unit 20. It is output as information. For example, with respect to the electronic faucet faucet device 1 of FIG. 1, when the operation lever 22 is tilted in the left-right direction on the drawing in parallel with the drawing, the mixing ratio of hot water and water changes, and the front and back on the drawing are perpendicular to the drawing. The same operation as a general mechanical single-lever faucet, in which the amount of mixed water changes when the operation lever 22 is tilted in the direction, is realized by combining the information output of the operation lever 22 and the control of the control unit 20. can.

Subsequently, FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a circuit unit that performs electrical control of the electronic faucet device 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, a 100V commercial power supply (alternating current) is converted into a direct current by the power supply circuit 101 to generate a direct current voltage of 12V, and the direct current voltage is supplied to the control unit 20 as a power supply. .. Further, a motor valve driving capacitor 105 is connected to the power supply of the control unit 20. The motor valve driving capacitor 105 acts to stabilize the power supply of 12V, and has the role of a so-called smoothing capacitor that suppresses the fluctuation of 12V when the motor valves 12 and 14 are energized. In the present embodiment, the control unit 20 is composed of a so-called microcomputer chip.

The control unit 20 is connected to the hot water motor valve 12 and the water motor valve 14 via dedicated motor drivers 12d and 14d, respectively. Further, a DC voltage of 12 V is supplied to the motor drivers 12d and 14d. That is, a drive command is output from the control unit 20, and the motor drivers 12d and 14d supply energizing energy to the hot water motor valve 12 and the water motor valve 14 using a DC voltage of 12V. Here, the motor of the motor valve is assumed to be a stepping motor (abbreviation: STPM), but the motor may be another type, for example, a brush motor.

Further, the input port P03 of the control unit 20 functions as a power failure detection unit for detecting a power failure of the commercial power supply. When a power failure occurs, a power failure signal is supplied to the input port P03 from the power supply circuit 101.

The output section of the power supply circuit 101 is provided with an electric double layer capacitor 103 via a step-down section 102 that steps down the DC voltage of 12V to 5V. The electric double layer capacitor 103 is a capacitor for storing in advance the electric power supplied to the motor valves 12 and 14 when the commercial power supply fails. For example, one on the 1st floor (Farad) is suitable.

The electric double layer capacitor 103 is connected to a boosting unit 104 for boosting the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 103. The booster unit 104 has a configuration of a conventionally known booster switching regulator including a booster IC 104a, and boosts a voltage of about 1 to 5 V (the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 103 varies depending on the operating state) to 12 V. It is designed to do.

The booster IC 104a is designed to control ON / OFF of the operation of the switching operation based on the command signal from the output port P02 of the control unit 20. Further, the voltage signal after boosting is fed back to the boosting IC 104a.

At the time of a power failure, the 12V voltage signal boosted by the booster 104 can be used as a power source for the control unit 20 or the control unit 20 instead of the 12V DC voltage that would have been obtained from the commercial power supply by the power supply circuit 101 if there was no power failure. It is supplied to the motor drivers 12d, 14d and the like. However, in order to suppress power loss (described in detail later), a resistor 104b (for example, a resistor of about 50 to 200Ω) is inserted as an output suppression unit of the booster unit 104. The short-circuit means 104c is connected in parallel to the resistor 104b. The short-circuit means 104c is a transistor, and ON / OFF is controlled by the output port P01 of the control unit 20, that is, the validity / invalidity of the output suppression action of the resistor 104b is controlled. Then, the boosted voltage charges the motor valve driving capacitor 105 (for example, about 2200 to 4700 uF), and then is intermittently supplied to the motor valves 12 and 14 via the motor drivers 12d and 14d. It has become like.

(Basic action during a power outage)
When a power failure occurs, the voltage of 5V of the electric double layer capacitor 103 is boosted by the booster unit 104 and supplied to the control unit 20 as a power source. However, when the electric double layer capacitor 103 is used as a power source, the control unit 20 turns off the transistor of the shunt means 104c by the port P01 and opens it. Therefore, due to the presence of the resistance 104b, the current of the booster 104 is suppressed to be small, and the output current of the electric double layer capacitor 103 is also suppressed in proportion to it. As a result, the power loss due to the internal resistance of the electric double layer capacitor 103 is reduced, and the power loss of the 12V power supply generation circuit using the electric double layer capacitor 103 as an energy source is suppressed, but the motor valves 12 and 14 are used as they are. It's difficult to drive. For example, if the current required to drive the motor valves 12 and 14 is 100 mA and the resistance 104b is 100 Ω, the voltage of 100 Ω × 100 mA = 10 V drops due to the resistance 104 b even if only one motor valve 12 or 14 is driven. However, the drive voltage becomes insufficient. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the boosted voltage is charged to the motor valve driving capacitor 105 with a small current via the resistor 104b, and then the motor valves 12 and 14 are driven by discharging the motor valve driving capacitor 105. This operation is repeated.

By such an operation, the motor valves 12 and 14 that were in the valve open state at the time of a power failure can be returned to the valve closed state by efficiently utilizing the electric power stored in the electric double layer capacitor 103. As a result, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a situation in which water discharge continues in the event of a power failure.

The timing of the storage of the motor valve drive capacitor 105 by the booster 104 and the subsequent discharge (power supply to the motor-valves 12 and 14) is charged by suspending the drive of the motor valves 12 and 14 for a relatively long predetermined time. The discharge time is limited by securing time and driving the motor valves 12 and 14 for a relatively short time. In this way, the motor valve drive capacitor 105 is driven intermittently while maintaining the voltage at which the motor valves 12 and 14 can be driven.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the electric double layer capacitor 103 is used as the backup power supply system, the device configuration is inexpensive and deterioration is unlikely to occur. Then, in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 103 is boosted to charge the motor valve driving capacitor 105, and the electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor 105 is intermittently transferred to the motor valves 12 and 14. By supplying the capacitor 103 to an electric double-layer capacitor 103, which has a large internal resistance, the degree of power loss can be suppressed.

In particular, since the booster unit 104 has a resistance 104b (output suppression unit) for suppressing the output current after boosting to a predetermined value or less (for example, about 10 mA), the degree of power loss can be effectively reduced. It can be suppressed.
(Structure related to power supply by dry battery)

Returning to FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the dry battery 201 for operation during a power failure may be provided in parallel with the electric double layer capacitor 103.

The input port AD of the control unit 20 functions as a dry battery detection unit for determining the presence or absence of the dry battery 201. A voltage signal of the dry battery 201 is supplied to the input port AD, and the presence or absence of a battery (primary battery or secondary battery) can be determined by A / D converting this voltage.

In the control unit 20, when the dry battery 201 is present, the voltage of the dry battery 201 is boosted by the boosting unit 104. Specifically, the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 103 is maintained at 5V in a state where there is no power failure, but when a power failure occurs and the voltage is used to generate a 12V power supply, the voltage gradually decreases. Assuming that the voltage of the dry cell 201 is 3 V, when the voltage drops below that, power is supplied from the dry cell to the booster unit 104.

Here, a short-circuiting means 104c for short-circuiting the resistance 104b is provided in parallel with the resistance 104b, and ON / OFF of the operation of the short-circuiting means 104c is controlled by the control unit 20. As a result, when it is determined that the dry cell 201 is present, the short-circuiting means 104c short-circuits the resistance 104b, so that the resistance is theoretically 0Ω (substantially, the resistance component is finite due to the capacity of the transistor of the short-circuiting means 104c). It does not act as an output suppression unit.

(Basic action when power is supplied by dry batteries)
When a power failure occurs, the 5V voltage signal of the dry battery 201 is boosted by the boosting unit 104 and supplied to the control unit 20 as a power source. In this case, the short-circuiting means 104c is effective (that is, short-circuited), the current suppression function by the resistance 104b is invalidated, and the motor valves 12 and 14 can be continuously driven as they are.

As described above, when the power supply by the dry battery 201 is also used, the voltage can be continuously supplied to the motor valves 12 and 14 by utilizing the high output capacity of the dry battery, and the water can be stopped earlier. It can be realized. On the other hand, when there is no dry battery, or when the power of the dry battery is consumed and the voltage drops, the electric double layer capacitor 103 is used. In this case, since the voltage supply to the motor valves 12 and 14 is intermittent, the time until closing is long, but the water can be stopped reliably.

(Spare batteries other than dry batteries)
In the description of the present specification, the dry battery 201 may be replaced by another type of secondary battery or spare battery.

(Alternate operation of motor valves)
In the non-power failure of the commercial power source, the control unit 20 generally supplies electric power to the two motor valves 12 and 14 at the same time. However, in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply, it is preferable that the control unit 20 alternately supplies electric power to the two motor valves 12 and 14.

By supplying (driving) electric power to the motor valves 12 and 14 one by one, the booster unit 104 can be downsized. Further, even if the dry battery 201 is exhausted, there is a high possibility that the motor valves 12 and 14 can be stably driven. Further, rather than driving the two motor valves 12 and 14 at the same time to open and close them in a hurry, it is possible to realize a more reliable opening and closing operation by driving them one by one.

(Stepwise drive of motor valve)
Further, the control unit 20 continuously controls the opening degrees of the motor valves 12 and 14 during a non-power failure of the commercial power supply, and the control unit 20 of the motor valves 12 and 14 during a power failure of the commercial power supply. It is preferable that the opening degree is controlled stepwise.

That is, an example of a non-power failure table for the valve opening is shown in FIG. 4, and an example of a power failure table for the valve opening is shown in FIG. It is preferable to use.

According to this, the frequency of finely moving the motor valves 12 and 14 in the event of a power failure of the commercial power source is reduced, and as a result, the power consumption is reduced and the dry battery 201 lasts longer. Further, the user can notice from the movements of the motor valves 12 and 14 that the operating state corresponds to a power failure when the change in flow rate or temperature is gradual. As a result, for example, it is possible to notice a situation in which the outlet is unplugged, and it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of battery exhaustion in the event of a power failure.

(Timing chart in Fig. 6: Capacitor power supply)
FIG. 6 is an example of a timing chart in the case of capacitor feeding of the electronic faucet device 1 of the present embodiment. In this case, the input port AD of the control unit 20 determines the absence of the dry battery 201 (without the dry battery), and the control unit 20 does not operate the short-circuit means 104c (limit resistance ON).

If a power failure does not occur, the motor valves 12 and 14 are appropriately driven by a commercial power source. That is, the output of the power supply circuit 101 supplies a voltage of 12 V to the control unit 20 and the motor valve driving capacitor 105. Further, in the present embodiment, an operation input device (for example, an acceleration sensor fixed to the operation lever 22) for converting the inclination (operation angle) of the operation lever 22 into an electric signal is provided, and the control unit is provided with a predetermined cycle. In order to communicate with 20, the control unit 20 continuously recognizes the operation state of the operation lever 22 by the user. The control unit 20 calculates the amount of hot water and water discharged according to the state of the operating lever 22, and drives the motor valves 12 and 14. Further, if a power failure does not occur, the control unit 20 does not operate the booster unit 104 (step-up OFF), so that the output potential of the booster unit 104 is equal to the output potential of the electric double layer capacitor 103.

When a power failure occurs, the input port P03 of the control unit 20 detects a power failure of the commercial power supply as a power failure detection unit. Then, the control unit 20 operates the step-up unit 104 (boost-up ON) and supplies electric power to the motor valve driving capacitor 105 and the control unit 20 via the resistor 104b. When the charging of the motor valve driving capacitor 105 is completed, the motor valves 12 and 14 are driven to the closed state, respectively. At that time, as shown in FIG. 6, the motor valves 12 and 14 are alternately operated, and the motor drive is continued while the charging time (the pause time of the motor drive) is interposed. The booster 104 continues to operate. The time when the motor valves 12 and 14 are not driven is the charge timing of the motor valve drive capacitor 105, and the time when any of the motor valves 12 and 14 is driven is the discharge timing. By appropriately controlling the charging / discharging timing by the control unit 20, the voltage of the motor valve driving capacitor 105 is in the voltage range in which the motor valves 12 and 14 can be driven (there is a predetermined margin for the rated 12V). The output current of the electric double layer capacitor 103 is also limited to a low value so that unnecessary loss does not occur.

By such an operation, the motor valves 12 and 14 that were in the valve open state at the time of the power failure are surely closed even if it takes a long time by using the electric power stored in the electric double layer capacitor 103. Can be returned. As a result, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a situation in which water discharge continues in the event of a power failure.

In the example of FIG. 6, communication with the operation input device (built into the operation lever 22) is stopped after the power failure occurs. This is because the energy stored in the electric double layer capacitor 103 completely stops the faucet and stops it, and then does not discharge water.

(Timing chart in Fig. 7: Battery power supply)
FIG. 7 is an example of a timing chart in the case of the dry battery power supply of the electronic faucet device 1 of the present embodiment. In this case, the input port AD of the control unit 20 determines the presence or absence of the dry battery 201 (with the dry battery), and the control unit 20 operates the short-circuit means 104c (limit resistance OFF) when a power failure occurs.

If a power failure does not occur, the motor valves 12 and 14 are appropriately driven by a commercial power source. In the present embodiment, the operation in the state where there is no power failure is the same as that in FIG. 6 described above.

When a power failure occurs, the input port P03 of the control unit 20 detects a power failure of the commercial power supply as a power failure detection unit. Then, the control unit 20 operates the step-up unit 104 (boost-up ON) to boost the power of the dry battery and supply it to the motor valves 12 and 14.

In the example of FIG. 7, after a power failure occurs, power is supplied to the two motor valves 12 and 14 alternately by a predetermined amount, and water is temporarily stopped. In addition, after a power failure occurs, the cycle of communication to the operation input device becomes longer in order to save power.

(Flow chart of FIGS. 8 to 10)
8 to 10 are flowchart examples of the electronic faucet device 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the presence / absence of a power failure and the presence / absence of a dry battery are detected by the input port P03 of the control unit 20 and the input port AD of the control unit 20 (STEP01, STEP02).

<During non-power failure (mode 1)>
If no power failure has occurred (STEP 03 No), first, "mode 1" is set as the operation mode for determining the state. Next, set the status flag that "automatic closure is incomplete". This is the information required for operation after a power outage occurs. Next, the operation of the booster 104 is turned off by the port P02 (STEP04). Next, for example, the operation input information (operation state of the operation lever 22) is read in accordance with the operation input information reading timing of 100 Hz (STEP05, STEP06).

The read operation input information is information on how much water and hot water the faucet user wants to discharge, that is, how much (0 to 100% range) the water and hot water valves want to open. .. Therefore, based on the non-power failure table (see FIG. 4), the operation input information (valve opening 0 to 100%) is converted into the number of drive steps (range of 0 to 256 steps) of the motor valves 12 and 14. This is set as the target valve position for water and hot water (STEP08, STEP09).

In the table at the time of non-power failure, the target valve position continuously corresponds to the operation input information. In FIG. 4, the two are in a proportional relationship, but this may be a curve. By continuously responding, the motor valves 12 and 14 can be finely operated in response to the delicate movement of the operating lever 22, and the power consumption for driving the motor valves 12 and 14 increases, but the electronic faucet The operation of the device 1 smoothly reflects the intention of the user in detail.

In FIG. 10, the motor valves 12 and 14 are driven to the target valve position set in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, if the current position of the water motor valve 14 does not match the target valve position, the water motor valve 14 is driven by one step (STEP 11 and STEP 12).

Similarly, if the current position of the hot water motor valve 12 does not match the target valve position, the hot water motor valve 12 is driven by one step (STEP13, STEP14). In STEP 15, it is confirmed whether the operation mode is "mode 3". Since it is "mode 1" when there is no power failure, the operations of STEP 16 and STEP 17 are skipped (non-executed).

After that, it returns to STEP01. All the operations up to this point are carried out using the electric power of the commercial power source. In this way, while reading the operation input information at 100 Hz, the target valve position is set according to the operation state of the operation lever 22, and the operation of driving the motor valves 12 and 14 to this target valve position is repeated and continued, and the electron is electronic. As the faucet device 1, an operation in which hot water and water discharge are controlled is realized.

<When power is supplied from dry batteries (mode 2)>
If a power failure has occurred (Yes in STEP03) and there is a dry battery (Yes in STEP21), the operation mode is set to "mode 2", and the step-up unit 104 and the short-circuit means 104c are turned on (STEP24). For example, the operation input information is read at the timing of reading the operation input information at 10 Hz (STEP 25, STEP 26). The operation input information read timing (STEP05) at the time of non-power failure was 100 Hz, but the reason why it is slower (10 Hz) than this is the response of the faucet because it is operated by the battery. This is because the power saving operation is achieved by giving priority to extending the operation period by the battery rather than the sex.

Then, it is determined whether or not the water is temporarily stopped (whether the automatic closing is completed) after the power failure occurs (STEP 27).

Once the water stop (automatic closure) has been performed (Yes in STEP27), the target valve position between water and hot water is determined based on the read operation input information and the power failure table (see Fig. 5). It is set (STEP28, STEP29).

Here, in the table at the time of a power failure, the relationship between the operation input information and the target valve position is stepwise (stepped). Due to this relationship, the motor valves 12 and 14 are driven only when the operating lever 22 is moved to a certain extent. Although it is not possible to handle a slight operation of the operating lever 22, the motor valves 12 and 14 react when the user clearly wants to change the amount of water discharged, that is, when the operating lever 22 is greatly moved. As a result, the chances of energization of the motor valves 12 and 14 are reduced, the power consumption is reduced, and the operating period of the dry battery is lengthened.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the water motor valve 14 and the hot water motor valve 12 are alternately driven one step at a time as necessary (STEP 11 to STEP 14), as in the case of non-power failure.

On the other hand, if the water stop (automatic closing) confirmation has not been performed even once after the power failure occurs (STEP 27 No), the automatic water stop operation or the water stop confirmation operation is performed.

That is, if the water is stopped when a power failure occurs (Yes in STEP 41), the confirmation of water stop (automatic closing) is stored (STEP 43), and the next determination in STEP 27 is Yes.

If both the hot and cold water are not stopped (the hot and cold valve positions are in the 0 step state) at the time of the power failure (No in STEP 41), the difference from the target valve position is determined (STEP 46). If the current valve positions of hot water and water do not match the target valve position (No in STEP 46), the process proceeds to STEP 11 in FIG. 10 to drive the valve to the target valve position.

When STEP46 is Yes, the magnitude of the opening degree of the hot water motor valve 12 and the hot water motor valve 14 is compared, and when the opening degree of the hot water motor valve 12 is larger, the target valve position of the hot water motor valve 12 is set. It is reduced by 16 steps from the current valve position (STEP47, STEP48). When the opening degree of the water motor valve 14 is larger, the target valve position of the water motor valve 14 is reduced by 16 steps from the current valve position (STEP 47, STEP 49).

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, while the current position of the water motor valve 14 does not match the target valve position, only the water motor valve 14 is driven step by step (STEP 11 and STEP 12).

Alternatively, while the current position of the hot water motor valve 12 does not match the target valve position, only the hot water motor valve 12 is driven one step at a time (STEP13, STEP14).

As a result, power is supplied to the water motor valve 14 and the hot water motor valve 12 having the larger opening first for the closing operation, and after the opening of both becomes about the same, they are alternately supplied. It will be closed and driven for 16 steps at a time.

Since the operation mode is "mode 2", the operations of STEP 16 and STEP 17 are skipped.

This operation is repeated, and when the motor valves 12 and 14 of both hot and cold water reach the water stop position (both are 0 steps or less), Yes is set in STEP 41 and "automatic closing is completed" is memorized (STEP 43). That is, even if the dry battery 201 is present, if a power failure occurs, the faucet is temporarily stopped.

After that, STEP27 determines Yes, and the above-mentioned operation is executed.

<When power is supplied to the capacitor (mode 3)>
If a power failure has occurred (Yes in STEP03) and there is no dry battery (No in STEP21), the operation mode is set to "mode 3", the operation of the booster 104 is turned on, and the short-circuit means 104c is operated. Is turned off (STEP34), and the operation input information is (forced) set to the water stop position (STEP36).

Then, it joins STEP 41 in mode 2. In the capacitor feeding mode 3, there is no operation of reading the operation input information, that is, the motor valves 12 and 14 are not energized according to the operation lever 22.

As a result, as in mode 2, power is supplied to the water motor valve 14 and the hot water motor valve 12 having the larger opening first for the closing operation, and the opening of both becomes about the same. From now on, it will be closed and driven alternately by 16 steps.

In mode 3, the timer is activated every time the current valve position reaches the target valve position that is ticked every 16 steps (STEP 15 to STEP 17).
By providing a waiting time timer (here, 1 second) in STEP 17, the energization of the motor valve 12 or 14 is stopped. That is, the power consumption of the motor valve is stopped. During this time, the output of the booster 104 is current-limited by the resistor 104b, while charging the motor valve driving capacitor 105. Then, the motor valve 12 or 14 is driven again in 16 steps, during which the motor valve driving capacitor 105 is discharged. In this way, the "operation of closing the motor valve of hot water or water for 16 steps (driving period)" and the "pause time of 1 second (charging period)" are repeated to suppress the output current of the booster 104, that is, the electric double layer. The water stop operation is executed while suppressing the power loss of the internal resistance of the capacitor.

1 Electronic faucet device 8 Hot water conduit 10 Hot water conduit 12 Hot water motor valve 12d Dedicated motor driver 14 Water motor valve 14d Dedicated motor driver 20 Control unit (microcomputer)
22 Operation lever 24 Water spout 101 Power supply circuit 102 Step-down section 103 Electric double layer capacitor 104 Boost section 104a Boosting IC
104b resistance (output suppression part)
104c Short circuit means 105 Motor valve drive capacitor 201 Dry cell

Claims (6)

An electronic faucet device that controls spouting water by controlling a motor valve.
A control unit that controls the motor valve using a commercial power source as a power source,
A power failure detection unit that detects a power failure of the commercial power supply, and
An electric double layer capacitor that stores in advance the power supplied to the motor valve when the commercial power supply fails.
A booster for boosting the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor,
A capacitor for driving a motor valve for further storing the output of the booster, and a capacitor for driving the motor valve.
Equipped with
The control unit is an electronic faucet device characterized in that, in the event of a power failure of the commercial power source, the electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor is intermittently supplied to the motor valve. The electronic faucet device according to claim 1, wherein the boosting unit has an output suppressing unit for suppressing the output current after boosting to a first predetermined value or less. The claim is characterized in that the output suppression unit has a resistance provided on the output side of the booster unit so that the output current after being boosted by the booster unit is equal to or less than a first predetermined value. Item 2. The electronic faucet device according to item 2. The boosting unit has an output suppressing unit for suppressing the output current after boosting to a first predetermined value or less.
The electronic faucet device is
Batteries that operate during a power outage of the commercial power supply
A battery detector that determines the presence or absence of the battery, and
A short-circuiting means that is connected in parallel with the output suppression unit and can be selected to enable / disable the function of short-circuiting the output suppression unit.
Further prepare
When the battery detector determines that the battery is absent during a power outage of the commercial power supply,
The voltage of the electric double layer capacitor is boosted by the booster, and at this time, the short-circuit means is invalidated, and the output current after boosting is suppressed to the first predetermined value or less by the output suppression section.
The output from the booster is stored in the motor valve drive capacitor,
The electric power stored in the motor valve driving capacitor is intermittently supplied to the motor valve.
On the other hand, when it is determined by the battery detection unit that there is a battery in the event of a power failure of the commercial power supply,
The voltage of the battery is boosted by the booster, and at this time, the short-circuit means is enabled, and the output current after boosting is not suppressed by the output suppressor.
The electronic faucet device according to claim 1, wherein the output from the booster unit is continuously supplied to the motor valve. The electronic faucet device is equipped with multiple motor valves.
The control unit is adapted to supply electric power to the plurality of motor valves at the same time during non-power failure of the commercial power source.
The control unit is adapted to selectively supply power to any of the plurality of motor valves when the battery detection unit determines that the battery is present in the event of a power failure of the commercial power source. The electronic faucet device according to claim 4. The control unit continuously controls the opening degree of the motor valve during non-power failure of the commercial power source.
The control unit is characterized in that when the battery detection unit determines that the battery is present in the event of a power failure of the commercial power source, the opening degree of the motor valve is controlled stepwise. The electronic faucet device according to claim 4.

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