JP7303432B2 - bath equipment - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bath apparatus, and more particularly to a bath apparatus that detects whether a person is entering or leaving the bath according to a change in the water level in the bathtub.

A bath apparatus is known that controls and maintains the water level in a bathtub at a set water level by providing a water level sensor. Furthermore, in Japanese Patent No. 3683938 (Patent Document 1), the current water level within a predetermined unit time (for example, 30 seconds) is a determination value (for example, , 3 cm) or more, control is described to detect bathing (that a person has entered the bathtub).

Japanese Patent No. 3683938

However, the water level change that occurs when entering and exiting the bathtub varies depending not only on the volume of the person entering and leaving the bathtub, but also on the area of the water surface of the bathtub. For this reason, if the determination value for bathing is set to a constant value for variations in the shape of the bathtub, there is a concern that detection of entering and exiting the bath may be overlooked. In particular, since the area of the water surface of the bathtub changes depending on the type of bathtub at the construction site, it is difficult to determine an appropriate judgment value at the factory shipment stage. For this reason, there is concern that the accuracy of detection of entering and exiting the bath based on changes in the water level in the bathtub will decrease.

The present invention was made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to accurately detect whether a person enters or leaves a bathtub based on the change in the water level in the bathtub. be.

In one aspect of the present invention, the bath apparatus includes a hot water supply apparatus including a bathtub as a hot water supply destination, a water level detector for detecting the bathtub water level in the bathtub, and a flow rate detector provided in a hot water pouring path from the hot water supply apparatus to the bathtub. and a controller. When the amount of water to be poured indicated by the integrated flow rate detected by the flow rate detector reaches a predetermined amount of water, the controller changes the water level calculated from the amount of change in the value detected by the water level detector before and after pouring the predetermined amount of water. A measurement mode is executed to calculate the bathtub area by dividing the predetermined amount of water by the amount of rise. Furthermore, the controller divides the standard volume corresponding to the bather's volume by the bathtub area calculated in the measurement mode, thereby preliminarily calculating a judgment value for bathing/leaving detection for the bathtub. The controller detects bathing when the water level detector detects that the bathtub water level has risen above the judgment value within a predetermined unit time. When the water level detector detects that the water level in the bathtub has dropped, it detects leaving the bath.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, in a bath apparatus equipped with a water level sensor, it is possible to accurately detect whether a person enters or leaves the bathtub based on the change in the water level in the bathtub.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a bath apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a state transition diagram relating to bathing/leaving detection in the bath apparatus according to the present embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram explaining main variations of a bathtub shape. 4 is a first flow chart for explaining a process of measuring a judgment value for bathing/leaving judgment of the bath apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a second flow chart for explaining a process of measuring a determination value for determining whether to enter or leave the bath in the bath apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the purpose of checking the calculated bathtub area for variation. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a process of adjusting a determination value for bathing/leaving determination;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Below, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts in the drawings, and the description thereof will not be repeated in principle.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a bath apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1 , bath apparatus 300 includes hot water supply apparatus 100 . Hot water supply apparatus 100 supplies hot water to bathtub 20 installed in bathroom 200 in addition to a hot water tap (not shown).

The water heater 100 includes a housing 1, a burner 2, a fan 3, a heat exchanger 4, a water inlet pipe 5, a hot water supply pipe 6, a bypass valve 7, a bypass pipe 7a, a circulation path 8, temperature sensors 9, 18, 19, and a circulation pump. 10, water level sensor 11, controller 12, bath pouring valve 13, electrical wiring 14, and remote controls 30, 50.

The housing 1 is provided so that the inside and outside of the housing 1 communicate with each other, and has an exhaust port 1a for exhausting combustion gas. The housing 1 includes a burner 2, a fan 3, a heat exchanger 4, a water inlet pipe 5, a hot water supply pipe 6, a bypass valve 7, a bypass pipe 7a, temperature sensors 9, 18, 19, a circulation pump 10, a water level sensor 11, and a controller 12. , and the bath pouring valve 13 can be accommodated. Further, the housing 1 accommodates part of the circulation path 8 .

The burner 2 is configured to receive fuel gas supplied from a fuel supply system (not shown) and perform a combustion operation. Burner 2 supplies combustion gas to heat exchanger 4 . The burner 2 has a hot water supply burner 2a and a reheating burner 2b.

A fan 3 supplies combustion air to the burner 2 . The fan 3 has a fan 3a that supplies combustion air to the burner 2a and a fan 3b that supplies combustion air to the burner 2b. Each of the fans 3a, 3b has blades and a motor for rotating the blades. When an electric current is applied to the motor, the vanes rotate to supply air for combustion. Fans 3a and 3b are arranged below burners 2a and 2b in the height direction of water heater 100, respectively. Regarding the fan 3, FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration in which one fan 3a and 3b is provided for each of the burners 2a and 2b, but one fan is commonly provided for the plurality of burners 2a and 2b. It is also possible to configure

The heat exchanger 4 has a hot water supply heat exchanger 4a and a reheating heat exchanger 4b. Heat exchangers 4a and 4b are arranged above burners 2a and 2b in the height direction of water heater 100, respectively. The heat exchangers 4a and 4b are arranged near the exhaust port 1a.

The heat exchanger 4a recovers the heat of the combustion gas supplied by the burner 2a. The heat exchanger 4b recovers the heat of the combustion gas supplied by the burner 2b. Each of the heat exchangers 4a and 4b is a primary heat exchanger that heats the incoming water by heat exchange with the sensible heat (combustion heat) of the combustion gas of the burner 2, and the latent heat of the combustion exhaust gas from the burner 2. A secondary heat exchanger may be included to heat the water by heat exchange.

The water inlet pipe 5 is connected to the water pipe at the water inlet 5a. When the hot water tap is opened and/or when the bath water filling valve 13 is opened, low-temperature water is introduced from the water inlet 5a into the hot water supply device 100 by the supply pressure of the tap water. A temperature sensor 18 provided in the water inlet pipe 5 detects the temperature Tw of water introduced from the water inlet 5a.

The water inlet pipe 5 is branched via a bypass valve 7 into a boiler pipe 5b and a bypass pipe 7a. The boiler pipe 5b is connected to one end of the heat exchanger 4a. The opening degree of the bypass valve 7 controls the flow rate ratio of the bypass pipe 7 a and the boiler body pipe 5 b to the total flow of the water inlet pipe 5 .

The other end of heat exchanger 4 a is connected to one end of hot water supply pipe 6 . Low-temperature water supplied from the water inlet pipe 5 to the boiler pipe 5 b is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heat exchanger 4 a and output to the hot water supply pipe 6 . A flow rate sensor 15 is arranged in the boiler pipe 5b. The flow rate sensor 15 can detect the flow rate (bottle body flow rate) of the heat exchanger 4a.

On the other hand, the bypass pipe 7a bypasses the heat exchanger 4a and is connected to the hot water supply pipe 6 . Therefore, the low-temperature water supplied from the water inlet pipe 5 to the bypass pipe 7a is output to the hot water supply pipe 6 without being heated by the heat exchanger 4a. Thus, in the hot water supply apparatus 100, the hot water output from the heat exchanger 4a is mixed with the low temperature water that has passed through the bypass pipe 7a, and the hot water at the appropriate temperature according to the set temperature is output from the hot water supply pipe 6. can do.

The other end of the hot water supply pipe 6 is connected to a hot water outlet 6a connected to a hot water tap (not shown) or the like. Therefore, in response to the opening of the hot water tap, hot water at a suitable temperature controlled to the set temperature is supplied from the hot water supply device 100 to the hot water tap via the hot water outlet 6a.

The hot water supply pipe 6 is further connected to a hot water supply pipe 13 a leading to the bathtub 20 . A bath pouring valve 13 is inserted and connected to the pouring pipe 13a. The bath pouring valve 13 can be configured by, for example, an electromagnetic valve that can be controlled to open and close. By opening the bath pouring valve 13, it is possible to form a path through which hot water is output from the hot water supply pipe 6 to the hot water pouring pipe 13a. Thereby, water heater 100 can include bathtub 20 as a hot water supply destination in addition to a hot water tap and the like. In this specification, the hot water supply from hot water supply device 100 to bathtub 20 is referred to as "hot water pouring" to distinguish it from hot water supply to hot water outlet 6a (such as a hot water tap). A flow rate sensor 16 is provided in the pouring pipe 13a. Flow rate sensor 16 can detect the flow rate of hot water poured from hot water supply apparatus 100 to bathtub 20 . In the present embodiment, regardless of the temperature of the discharged hot water in the hot water supply pipe 6, the operation of supplying hot water or cold water to the bathtub 20 via the hot water supply pipe 13a by opening the bath hot water supply valve 13 is referred to as " It is called pouring hot water.

Circulation path 8 is for circulating hot water 21 in bathtub 20 (hereinafter also referred to as bathtub water 21 ) within hot water supply apparatus 100 , and includes return pipe 8 a , outgoing pipe 8 b , and circulation pump 10 . One end of the return pipe 8a is connected to the circulation adapter 25 in the bathtub 20, and the other end is connected to the input side of the heat exchanger 4b. One end of the outgoing pipe 8b is connected to the output side of the heat exchanger 4b, and the other end is connected to the circulation adapter 25. As shown in FIG.

By the operation of the circulation pump 10, the bathtub water 21 sucked from the circulation adapter 25 is discharged from the circulation adapter 25 via the return pipe 8a, the heat exchanger 4b, and the forward pipe 8b (reheating circulation route) is formed. When the combustion operation of the burner 2b is turned on when the reheating circulation path is formed, the bathtub water 21 introduced from the return pipe 8a is heated by the heat exchanger 4b, and the heated bathtub water 21 flows through the outgoing pipe 8b into the bathtub 20. The temperature of the bath water 21 can be raised by supplying the water to the water.

A temperature sensor 9 and a water level sensor 11 are connected to the return pipe 8a. Temperature sensor 9 can detect the temperature of bathtub water 21 . Water level sensor 11 is composed of, for example, a pressure sensor, and detects the water level of bathtub water 21 in bathtub 20 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “bathtub water level”) based on the water pressure of bathtub water 21 . The temperature sensor 9 and the water level sensor 11 are arranged in a region where the bathtub water 21 enters inside the return pipe 8a even when the circulation pump 10 is stopped. The water level sensor 11 corresponds to an embodiment of a "water level detector".

The return pipe 8a is further connected to the pouring pipe 13a at a connection point 8c. As a result, a hot water pouring path from the hot water pouring pipe 13a to the bathtub 20 via the connection point 8c and the return pipe 8a, and from the hot water pouring pipe 13a, the connection point 8c, the return pipe 8a, the heat exchanger 4b, and , a pouring path leading to the bathtub 20 via the outgoing piping 8b can be formed. As a result, the bath filling operation can be performed by pouring hot water from the hot water supply apparatus 100 .

The controller 12 can be configured including, for example, a microcomputer. Controller 12 is electrically connected to burners 2a, 2b, fans 3a, 3b, temperature sensors 9, 18, 19, circulation pump 10, water level sensor 11, bath pouring valve 13, and electrical wiring . The electric wiring 14 is configured to supply power to the controller 12 by being connected to a power supply (not shown).

Detected values from the flow sensors 15 and 16 and the temperature sensors 9, 18 and 19 are input to the controller 12 . The flow sensors 15 and 16 can be configured by, for example, impeller-type flow meters. The temperature sensors 9, 18, 19 can be composed of, for example, thermistors.

The controller 12 can acquire the inlet water temperature Tw from the detection value of the temperature sensor 18 , the outlet hot water temperature Th from the detection value of the temperature sensor 19 , and the bathtub water temperature Tb from the detection value of the temperature sensor 9 . Also, the controller 12 can calculate the amount (volume) of water to be poured into the bathtub 20 by integrating the flow rate (flow rate of hot water to be poured) detected by the flow rate sensor 16 . That is, flow sensor 16 corresponds to an embodiment of a "flow detector."

Furthermore, the controller 12 is communicably connected to the remote control 30 and the remote control 50 . Communication between these devices may conform to any known standard, and may be wired or wireless.

Remote controller 30 is installed on the wall surface of bathroom 200 and is used to operate hot water supply apparatus 100 . Remote controller 30 includes a display unit 31 for displaying information, and an operation unit 32 for receiving input setting operations by a user or the like. The display unit 31 is typically composed of a liquid crystal panel, and is configured to be able to display the bathtub water level and temperature. The operation unit 32 is typically composed of push buttons and touch buttons, and is configured to be able to receive at least setting operations related to the water level and temperature of the bathtub.

Remote controller 50 is installed outside bathroom 200 and is used to operate hot water supply apparatus 100 . The remote control 50 is typically installed on the wall surface of the kitchen. Remote controller 50 includes a display unit 51 for displaying information, and an operation unit 52 for receiving input setting operations by a user or the like. Further, the remote control 50 is further provided with a lamp 53 whose lighting state is variably controlled.

The display unit 51 is typically composed of a liquid crystal panel, and is configured to be able to display the hot water supply set temperature, the bath set temperature, and the like. Operation unit 52 is typically composed of push buttons and touch buttons, and is configured to be able to accept setting operations related to the operation of hot water supply apparatus 100 . The lamp 53 can be configured by, for example, a light emitting diode (LED).

Controller 12 controls the operation of hot water supply apparatus 100 based on a user's input setting operation from remote controllers 30 and 50 so that bath apparatus 300 is operated in accordance with user instructions.

For example, when the remote control 30 or 50 is operated to instruct the bath trial operation or the automatic bath operation, the controller 12 executes the bath filling operation. The bath filling operation ends when the bath water level in the bathtub 20 reaches the set water level and the bath water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 9 reaches the bath set temperature.

In the hot water supply apparatus 100, it is possible to set an automatic mode in which the temperature and water level of the bath water 21 are maintained after completion of the bath filling operation. When the automatic mode is selected, if the bath water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 9 falls below a reference temperature set corresponding to the set temperature of the bath (for example, set 2 to 3° C. lower than the set temperature of the bath). Reheating operation is started. Furthermore, when the water level in the bathtub detected by the water level sensor 11 falls below the set water level, the hot water supply operation for additionally pouring hot water from the water heater 100 into the bathtub 21 is started.

Water heater 100 according to the present embodiment can further detect whether a person enters or leaves bathtub 20 based on the bathtub water level detected by water level sensor 11 .

FIG. 2 shows a state transition diagram relating to bathing/leaving determination in the bath apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the controller 12 initializes the state of "no bather" before starting the bath filling operation. In the state of "no bather", when a rise in the bathtub water level exceeding the judgment value Hth within a unit time (for example, within 30 seconds) is detected, it is detected that a person is bathing, and the "no bather" is changed. A state transition to "there is a bather" is executed. When the automatic bath operation is instructed, the bath filling operation may be executed from a state where hot water remains in the bathtub 20 . In this case, when "there is a bather" is detected before the start of the bath filling operation, the "bather is present" state is maintained even after the completion of the bath filling operation.

On the other hand, when a drop in the water level of the bathtub exceeding the judgment value Hth within the unit time is detected in the state of "there is a bather", it is detected that a person has left the bath, and the state is changed from "there is a bather". A state transition to "no bather" is executed.

It should be noted that the water level sensor 11 cannot detect the water level of the bathtub while the circulation pump 10 is operating due to the reheating operation or the like. Therefore, when the bathtub water level detected by the water level sensor 11 rises or falls beyond the judgment value Hth between before the operation of the circulation pump 10 and after the stop of the circulation pump 10, the unit Bathing or leaving the bath may be detected regardless of whether the water level fluctuates within a certain period of time.

For example, by controlling the lamp 53 of the remote controller 50 to be turned on in the state of "there is a bather", it is possible to realize a function of watching the bathing/leaving state of the elderly or the like from the outside of the bathroom 200.例文帳に追加Furthermore, as part of the monitoring function, when the "bath person is present" state continues even after a predetermined time (for example, about 20 minutes) has elapsed since the "bath person presence" state was started. It is also possible to output a message from the remote controller 50 to call the user's attention.

In the bathing/leaving determination shown in FIG. 2, it is important to appropriately set the determination value Hth related to the water level change. The water level change that occurs when bathing and leaving differs depending on the area of the water surface of the bathtub (hereinafter also simply referred to as "bathtub area"), and there are various variations in the shape of the bathtub.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram explaining main variations of the shape of the bathtub. A conceptual cross-sectional view of the bathtub 20 is shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3(a), a so-called Japanese-style bathtub 20 has a relatively small bathtub area, and is substantially constant regardless of the bathtub water level.

On the other hand, in the so-called Western-style bathtub 20 shown in FIG. 3B, the bathtub area is relatively large, and the bathtub area changes with the water level due to the shape of the slope. 3(a) and 3(b), the circulation adapter 25 is provided on the wall surface of the bathtub 20 in a region below the standard bathtub water level assumed during bathing.

Furthermore, the bathtub 20 shown in FIG. 3(c) is provided with a stepped portion 23 that can also be used as a seat for half-body bathing. In the bathtub 20 of FIG. 3(c), the bathtub area changes greatly with the bathtub water level H0 corresponding to the height of the stepped portion 23 interposed therebetween. Circulation adapter 25 is generally provided on the side surface of stepped portion 23 .

Common to FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), in order for the water level sensor 11 (FIG. 1) to detect the bathtub water level, the circulation adapter 25 must be submerged. It must be higher than the reference water level Hr corresponding to the position.

In the hot water supply apparatus according to the present embodiment, the determination value measurement mode for bathing/leaving determination is executed by control processing according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 . The measurement mode shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is executed by the controller 12, for example, when the remote controllers 30 and 50 are operated to instruct the startup of the bath trial operation after the construction of the bathtub 20. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4, controller 12 opens bath pouring valve 13 in step (hereinafter simply referred to as “S”) 110 to perform initial pouring of a predetermined amount of water (volume) Vini. do. The initial pouring in S110 is continued until the time integrated value (poured water amount) of the flow rate detected by the flow sensor 16 from the opening of the bath pouring valve 13 exceeds Vini.

Even if there is remaining hot water in the bathtub 20, the water level sensor 11 cannot detect the bathtub water level when the bathtub water level is lower than the reference water level Hr. , initial pouring is performed.

After the initial pouring (S110) is completed, the controller 12 executes circulation determination in S120. At S<b>120 , whether or not the circulation pump 10 is operated to generate a flow rate in the circulation path 8 is determined based on the detection value of a flow sensor or water flow switch (not shown) provided in the circulation path 8 . When the controller 12 detects the occurrence of a flow rate in the circulation path 8 (YES determination in S120), it starts the processing from S130 onwards. When the determination in S120 is YES and the circulation determination ends, the circulation pump 10 is stopped.

On the other hand, when no flow rate is detected in the circulation path 8 (NO determination in S120), additional pouring of a predetermined amount of water (volume) V0 is performed in S125. When the additional molten metal pouring is completed, the circulation determination is performed again in S120. The additional pouring in S110 is repeatedly performed until the circulation determination (S120) becomes a YES determination.

As a result, including the case where the bathtub water does not exist before the initial pouring (bathtub water level = 0), at the stage where the determination in S120 is YES, in any of the bathtubs 20 shown in Figs. , the bathtub water level can be detected by the water level sensor 11 . By performing the measurements after S130 after the water level in the bathtub reaches the reference water level Hr or higher, the water level sensor 11 for detecting the water level in the automatic bath operation is shared, and the determination value measurement process for bathing/leaving determination is executed. becomes possible.

Also, by performing the initial pouring (Vini) and the additional pouring (V0) in stages, excessive pouring of hot water can be prevented when the measurement mode is started from a state in which hot water remains in the bathtub 20. can be prevented.

In S130, the controller 12 initializes a parameter i (i: natural number) indicating the number of measurements (i=1) as initial processing for measurement. Furthermore, in S140, the controller 12 stores the bathtub water level Ha before stepwise pouring based on the detection value of the water level sensor 11 at the timing.

After storing the bathtub water level Ha in S140, the controller 12 executes stepwise pouring to raise the bathtub water level step by step in S150. In S150, the bath pouring valve 13 is closed when the time integrated value (poured water amount) of the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 16 from the opening of the bath pouring valve 13 reaches a predetermined water amount (volume) Vx.

In S160, the controller 12 stores the bathtub water level Hb after the stepwise pouring (S150) based on the detected value of the water level sensor 11 at the timing. Further, in S170, a water level rise amount ΔHi is calculated from the difference between the bathtub water level Ha (S140) and the bathtub water level Hb (S160) before and after the stepwise pouring.

In S180, the controller 12 calculates the bathtub area Si in the i-th measurement by dividing the pouring water amount Vx in the step pouring (S150) by the water level rise amount ΔHi (S170) (Si=Vx /ΔHi). At S190, upper and lower limits are checked to determine whether the bathtub area Si calculated at S180 is a normal value.

If the bathtub area Si is an abnormal value outside the range of the predetermined upper limit and lower limit (NO determination in S190), the process proceeds to step S140 without storing the bathtub area Si calculated in S180. Processing is returned. As a result, the i-th measurement is performed again by the processing of S140 to S180.

When the bathtub area Si is a normal value within the range of the predetermined upper limit and lower limit (when determined YES in S190), the i-th measured value is determined in S200 and calculated in S180. The bath area Si thus obtained is stored. Further, the controller 12 increments the parameter i by 1 in S210 and advances the process to S220 in FIG. In S220, it is determined whether or not the increased i has reached a predetermined value N (N: an integer equal to or greater than 2).

When i<N, that is, when the number of bathtub areas Si stored in S200 is less than N (NO determination in S220), the process returns to S140, and the next (i+1) A second measurement is performed.

When i≧N in S220 (YES in S220), at least N bathtub areas Si that have been normally measured are stored. Therefore, the controller 12 calculates the average value Sav of the stored plural bathtub areas (for example, N areas of S1 to SN) in S240.

In S250, the controller 12 divides a predetermined standard volume Vm corresponding to the bather's (human) volume by the average value Sav of the bathtub area calculated in S240 to calculate the reference judgment value Hta. do. For example, the standard volume Vm is preferably determined in consideration of the physique of a relatively small elderly person so that bathing and leaving can be detected. In S260, the controller 12 stores the reference judgment value Hta calculated in S250, and terminates the judgment value measurement mode.

In the measurement mode, the controller 12 can execute a variation check process of the calculated bathtub area Si in S230 indicated by a dotted line before executing S240.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the purpose of the bathtub area change check processing in S230.
In FIG. 6, in the bathtub 20 having the stepped portion 23 shown in FIG. A situation lower than the bathtub water level H0 is assumed. That is, in the state of the initial water surface 400, the circulation determination in S120 is YES.

Referring to FIG. 6, from the state where the initial pouring is completed (initial water surface 400), the processing of S140 to S220 is executed five times with i=1 to 5, and the water level rise amounts ΔH1 to ΔH5 are measured. Then, the bathtub areas S1 to S5 are calculated. By calculating the average value of a plurality of measurements, the bathtub area can be appropriately calculated even in a bathtub shape in which the bathtub area changes gently according to the bathtub water level, as shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c). be able to.

However, the water level rise amounts ΔH1 and ΔH2 that occur in the area below the bathtub water level H0 and the area including the bathtub water level H0 are larger than the water level rise amounts ΔH3 to ΔH5 that occur only in the area above the bathtub water level H0. big. Therefore, in order to accurately set the bathing/leaving judgment value, it is preferable to calculate the average value Sav (S240) by excluding the bathtub areas S1 and S2 corresponding to ΔH1 and ΔH2.

Therefore, in S230, for each of the bathtub areas S1 to SN calculated from the N water level rise amounts ΔH1 to ΔHN, a fluctuation check is performed to exclude those having a large difference value from other bathtub areas (calculated values). Processing is performed.

For example, in S230, for each of the bathtub areas S1 to SN, a difference value between the other (N−1) bathtub areas is calculated. As an example, for the bathtub area S1, (N-1) difference values of ΔS12=S2-S1, ΔS13=S3-S1, . . . , ΔS1N=SN-S1 are calculated.

Furthermore, by setting a reference value ΔSth for the difference value, the number of difference values exceeding the reference value ΔSth among the (N−1) difference values is obtained for each of the bathtub areas S1 to SN. Then, when the number Nf of difference values exceeding the reference value ΔSth is equal to or greater than a predetermined determination value, the bathtub water level can be excluded from the average value calculation target.

For example, in FIG. 6, it is assumed that Nf=4 for the bathtub areas S1 and S2, and Nf=2 for each of the bathtub areas S3 to S5. Therefore, for example, if the judgment value is 4 in this case, it is possible to calculate the average value Sav of the bathtub areas based on Nf, excluding the bathtub areas S1 and S2.

It should be noted that if the number of bathtub areas for which the average value Sav is to be calculated is insufficient after exclusion by the process of S230, the value of the determination value N in S220 is temporarily increased, and the process is returned to S140. good too. In this way, in the upper surface region above the bathtub water level H0, the amount of rise in the water surface accompanying the supply of the predetermined amount of hot water Vx is measured the number of times corresponding to the increment of the judgment value N, and the calculated value of the bathtub area is additionally calculated. Obtainable. As a result, it is possible to secure the calculated value of the bathtub area for which the average value Sav is calculated.

Further, when the number of bathtub areas for which the average value Sav is calculated is insufficient after exclusion by the process of S230, the average value Sav may be calculated only from a plurality of bathtub areas on the high water level side, or the average value Instead of the value calculation process, the bathtub area at the highest water level may be used as the average value Sav.

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart for explaining the process of adjusting the determination value of bathing/leaving determination.
Referring to FIG. 7, in S310, the controller 12 confirms whether or not the adjustment value α of the judgment value is set. For example, the adjustment value α can be input by a predetermined operation of the operation section 32 of the remote controller 30 or the operation section 52 of the remote controller 50 . The adjustment value α can be set to either a positive value (α>0) or a negative value (α<0). That is, at least one of remote controls 30 and 50 corresponds to one embodiment of an "input device." If a positive adjustment value α is input, it becomes difficult to detect bathing and leaving, so erroneous detection can be suppressed. On the other hand, if a negative adjustment value α is input, it becomes easier to detect bathing and leaving, so detection sensitivity can be increased.

If the adjustment value α is set (YES in S310), the controller 12 converts the judgment value Hth in bathing/leaving detection (FIG. 2) to the reference judgment value Hta (FIG. 5) in S320. It is set by addition with the adjustment value α (Hth=Hta+α). On the other hand, if the adjustment value α is not set (NO determination in S310), the reference determination value Hta (FIG. 5) is directly set to the determination value Hth (Hth=Hta) through S330. If the adjustment value α is assumed to be 0 when the adjustment value α is not set, the processing of S310 to S330 can be integrated by executing the calculation formula of Hth=Hta+α.

As described above, in addition to the configuration in which both positive and negative values can be input for the adjustment value α, only positive values or only negative values may be input. That is, at least one of a positive value and a negative value can be input as the adjustment value α.

As described above, in the bath apparatus according to the present embodiment, the determination value for bathing/leaving detection is determined according to the bathtub area obtained from the measurement result of the amount of water level rise associated with pouring a known amount of water during the bath test run. can be set appropriately. As a result, based on the output of the water level sensor, it is possible to accurately detect whether a person enters or leaves the bathtub. In particular, by executing the control processing in FIGS. 4 and 5 during trial operation, it is possible to automatically calculate the judgment value for bathing/leaving detection. Accurate bathing/leaving detection can be realized corresponding to various shapes of bathtubs 20 that are used.

Furthermore, by starting the above-described measurement after the initial pouring of hot water until the water level at which the circulation adapter 25 is submerged, the water level sensor 11 provided in the circulation path 8 can be used, that is, without requiring a dedicated sensor for measurement. It is possible to measure the amount of water level rise to calculate the area.

Further, by inputting the adjustment value α from the remote controllers 30, 50, etc., it is possible to finely adjust the determination value according to the physique of the user to be detected for entering and exiting the bath. Is possible.

As described above, during the control process of FIGS. 4 and 5, regardless of whether hot water or cold water is "poured" into the bathtub 20, the bathtub area can be calculated by measuring the water level rise amount. shall be described in a confirmatory manner. 4 and 5, the burner 2a may be in either a stopped state or an operating state. It is also possible to independently start the measurement mode according to the present embodiment separately from the bath test run.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning of equivalents of the scope of the claims.

1 housing, 1a exhaust port, 2, 2a, 2b burner, 3, 3a, 3b fan, 4, 4a, 4b heat exchanger, 5 water inlet pipe, 5a water inlet, 5b boiler pipe, 6 hot water supply pipe, 6a outlet Gate 7 bypass valve 7a bypass pipe 8 circulation path 8a return pipe 8b going pipe 8c connection point 9, 18, 19 temperature sensor 10 circulation pump 11 water level sensor 12 controller 13 bath pouring valve , 13a pouring hot water pipe, 14 electric wiring, 15, 16 flow rate sensor, 20 bathtub, 21 bathtub water, 23 step portion, 25 circulation adapter, 30, 50 remote controller, 31, 51 display unit, 32, 52 operation unit, 53 lamp , 100 hot water supply device, 200 bathroom, 300 bath device, 400 initial water surface, H0, Ha, Hb bathtub water level, ΔHi water level rise amount, Hr reference water level, Hta reference judgment value, Hth judgment value (bath entrance/exit detection), Vx water volume (staged pouring), Vini water volume (initial pouring).

Claims (5)

a hot water supply device including a bathtub as a hot water supply destination;
a water level detector for detecting a water level in the bathtub;
a flow rate detector provided in a hot water pouring path from the hot water supply device to the bathtub;
When the amount of water to be poured indicated by the integration of the flow rate detection value by the flow rate detector reaches a predetermined amount of water, the amount of water level rise calculated from the amount of change in the value detected by the water level detector before and after pouring the predetermined amount of water. a controller that executes a measurement mode for calculating the bathtub area by dividing the predetermined amount of water by
The controller divides a standard volume corresponding to a bather's volume by the bathtub area calculated in the measurement mode to calculate in advance a judgment value for bathing/leaving detection for the bathtub, and
Bathing is detected when the water level detector detects that the water level in the bathtub has risen beyond the determination value within a predetermined unit time. When the water level detector detects that the bathtub water level has fallen beyond
In the measurement mode, the controller calculates the bathtub area by pouring the predetermined amount of water a plurality of times, and calculates the predetermined amount of water by calculating an average value of the calculated values of the bathtub area for each of the plurality of measurements. A bath apparatus that calculates the judgment value by dividing the The controller calculates the average value by excluding, from the calculated values of the bathtub area for each of the plurality of measurements, a calculated value having a large difference value between the calculated values for other measurements. The bath apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a hot water supply device including a bathtub as a hot water supply destination;
a water level detector for detecting a water level in the bathtub;
a flow rate detector provided in a hot water pouring path from the hot water supply device to the bathtub;
When the amount of water to be poured indicated by the integration of the flow rate detection value by the flow rate detector reaches a predetermined amount of water, the amount of water level rise calculated from the amount of change in the value detected by the water level detector before and after pouring the predetermined amount of water. a controller that executes a measurement mode for calculating the bathtub area by dividing the predetermined amount of water by
The controller divides a standard volume corresponding to a bather's volume by the bathtub area calculated in the measurement mode to calculate in advance a judgment value for bathing/leaving detection for the bathtub, and
Bathing is detected when the water level detector detects that the water level in the bathtub has risen beyond the determination value within a predetermined unit time. When the water level detector detects that the bathtub water level has fallen beyond
further comprising an input device for inputting an adjustment value for the judgment value as at least one of a positive value and a negative value;
The bath apparatus, wherein when the adjustment value is input, the controller uses the judgment value to which the adjustment value is added to perform the bathing/leaving detection. Further comprising a circulation path formed including a circulation adapter provided in the bathtub and a heat exchanger for reheating operation when the circulation pump is in operation,
The water level detector is arranged in the circulation path at a position where the bathtub water flowing from the circulation adapter enters even when the circulation pump is stopped,
4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the measurement mode, the controller calculates the area of the bathtub by pouring the predetermined amount of hot water after pouring hot water until the bathtub water level becomes higher than the water level of the circulation adapter. The bath apparatus according to any one of items 1 and 2 . The bath apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said measurement mode is activated during a bath test run.

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