JPH02106658A - Hot water feeding bath device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a cheap and high accurate water level sensor device to be used by a method wherein when hot water is fed to a bath tub through a return pipe and a going pipe, an additional boiling three-way valve is intermittently changed over from the going pipe to the water level detector device during hot water feeding, a signal from the water level sensor is received to detect a water level of a bath tub and the hot water is fed to a set water level. CONSTITUTION:Opening or closing valve 11 is opened, hot water heated by a hot water feeder 7 passes through a hot water feeding three-way valve 22 and a pump 14 and flows in a going pipe 16, branches to a branch pipe 20a, an additional-heating three-way valve 20 and a return pipe 15 and then hot water is fed from an additional-heating circuit 17 to a bath tub 18 by the additional-boiling circuit 17 through the return pipe 15 and the going pipe 16. Then, the additional-boiling three-way valve 20 is intermittently operated under a control of a control device 23 and then the return pipe 15 and the water level sensor device 21 are communicated to each other. The water level sensor device 21 detects a water level in the bath tub 18 through the return pipe 15 and then the control device 23 receives its signal. In case that a water level in the bath tub 18 does not reach a set level, the additional-boiling three-way valve 21 is operated again to communicate the return pipe 15 with the going pipe 16 so as to feed hot water. That is, under operation of the additional-boiling three-way valve 20, the pump 14 and the water level detector device 21 are not always communicated with each other and a discharging pressure of the pump 14 is prevented from being applied directly to the water level detector 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hot water bath apparatus having a function of automatically supplying hot water to a bathtub.

Conventional technology Generally, this type of hot water supply bath equipment detects the water level in the bathtub with a water level detection device and automatically stops the hot water supply, but recently, in order to shorten the hot water supply time, as shown in Figure 4, A water level detection device 3 is provided in the return pipe 2 of the bathtub 1, and a bypass passage 6 is provided in the return pipe 2 through an on-off valve 5 from the outgoing pipe 4 of the bathtub 1. tube 2
It can be seen that hot water is supplied to the bathtub 1 from both of the outgoing pipes 4.

In the figure, 7 is a pump for hot water supply, and 8 is a three-way valve.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in this type of water supply, the discharge pressure of the pump 7 is applied to the water level detection device 3 during hot water supply. In general, the water level detection device 3 detects minute pressure changes due to the water level in the bathtub via a detection section such as a diaphragm, and converts it into an electrical signal. Therefore, for devices that are directly exposed to high pressure such as the discharge pressure of a pump, the mechanical strength and rigidity of the detection part such as the diaphragm must be increased, resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of the water level detection device. Minute pressure changes due to changes in the water level in the bathtub cannot be detected, making it inconvenient to use and leading to malfunctions of the hot water bath equipment.

The present invention solves this conventional problem. When hot water is supplied to a bathtub via a return pipe and an outgoing pipe, the present invention prevents the discharge pressure of the pump from being applied directly to the water level detection device, thereby providing an inexpensive and highly accurate water level detection device. The purpose is to enable the use of a detection device and improve the accuracy of water level detection in bathtubs.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the hot water bath apparatus of the present invention includes a reheating circuit that includes a water heater, a reheating heat exchanger, and a pump, and is connected to the bathtub by an outgoing pipe and a return pipe. Further, a reheating three-way valve, a water level detection device, and a hot water supply three-way valve are interposed in the return pipe in order from the bathtub side, and the other connection port of the reheating three-way valve is connected to the outgoing pipe. , the other connection port of the hot water supply three-way valve is connected to the hot water supply path of the water heater to supply hot water to the bathtub via the reheating circuit, and the reheating three-way valve is intermittently connected to the outgoing pipe during hot water supply. This configuration includes a control device that switches to a water level detection device, receives a signal from the water level detection device, detects the water level in the bathtub, and supplies hot water to a set water level.

Effect of the Invention With the above configuration, the present invention can prevent the discharge pressure of the pump from being directly applied to the water level detection device when hot water is supplied to the bathtub via the return pipe and the outflow pipe, so that an inexpensive and highly accurate water level detection device can be used. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of water level detection in the bathtub.

Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of a hot water bath apparatus described in claim 1 of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 7 is a water heater, 8 is a hot water heat exchanger, 9 is a hot water burner that heats the hot water heat exchanger 8, 10 is a hot water supply path of the hot water heat exchanger 8, and 11 is an on-off valve that opens and closes the water heater 9. It is. 12 is a bath device, 13 is a reheating heat exchanger, 14 is a pump, 15 is a return pipe, 16 is an outgoing pipe, 17 is a reheating circuit, 1
8 is a bathtub, and 19 is a reheating burner that heats the reheating heat exchanger 13.

20 is a reheating three-way valve, 21 is a water level detection device, and 22 is a hot water supply three-way valve, which are interposed in the return pipe 15 from the bathtub 18 side in the order shown. The other connection port of the reheating three-way valve 20 is the outgoing pipe 1
6 and performs switching between the outgoing pipe 16 and the water level detection device 21. The other connection port of the hot water supply three-way valve 22 is connected to the hot water supply path 10 of the water heater 7 and the water level detection device 21
Switching between the return pipe 15 and the hot water supply path 10 is performed via the reheating three-way valve 20. 23 is a control device that is supplying hot water to the bathtub 18;
The reheating three-way valve 20 is intermittently switched from the outgoing pipe 16 to the water level detecting device 21, and receiving a signal from the water level detecting device 21, the bathtub 1
8 water level is detected and hot water is supplied up to the set water level.

The operation of the hot water bath apparatus configured as described above will be explained.

When hot water is supplied to the bathtub 18, the reheating three-way valve 20 is operated and the return pipe 15 and the outgoing pipe 16 are brought into communication. Next, hot water supply three-way valve 2
2 is activated, the pump 14 and the hot water supply path 10 are communicated with each other, and the pump 14 is activated. Furthermore, the on-off valve 11 opens, and the hot water heated by the water heater 7 flows through the hot water supply three-way valve 22, the pump 14, the outgoing pipe 16, and from the middle, a branch path 20a,
Hot water branches to the reheating three-way valve 20 and a return pipe 15, flows, and is supplied to the bathtub 18 from the reheating circuit 17 via the return pipe 15 and the outgoing pipe 16.

Next, the reheating three-way valve 20 is operated intermittently by the control device 23, and the return pipe 15 and the water level detection device 21 come into communication. At this time, the water level detection device 21 detects the water level in the bathtub 18 via the return pipe 15, and the control device 23 receives the signal.

When the water level in the bathtub 18 is less than the set water level, the reheating three-way valve 21 operates again to connect the return pipe 15 and the outgoing pipe 16 to continue supplying hot water. Repeating this operation, when the daily water level of the bathtub reaches the set water level, the on-off valve 11 closes and the water heater 7 stops, and the hot water supply three-way valve 22 operates to connect the return pipe 15 and the pump 14, and then the pump 14 stops. and completes the hot water supply operation.

As mentioned above, hot water is supplied to the bathtub 18 using the return pipe 15 and the outgoing pipe 16, but due to the function of the reheating three-way valve 20, the pump 14 and the water level detection device 21 are not always in communication. The discharge pressure of the pump 14 is directly detected by the water level detection device 21
It is possible to prevent this from occurring.

Further, as described in the third claim, the control device 23 is provided with a function of not receiving a signal from the water level detecting device 21 for a certain period of time after switching the reheating three-way valve 20 to the water level detecting device 21. This allows the water level of the bathtub 18 to be determined only by the signal from the water level detection device 21 in a stable state, leading to improved accuracy in detecting the water level of the bathtub 18.

Furthermore, as described in the fourth aspect of the claims, after the control device 23 receives a signal from the water level detection device 21 that the water level of the bathtub 18 has become a certain level or more below the set water level, the reheating three-way valve 20 is activated. By adding the function of constantly detecting the water level and supplying hot water up to the set water level, hot water supply can be stopped exactly at the set water level, and the accuracy of water level detection in the bathtub I8 can be improved.

Next, it is a sectional view of the reheating three-way valve of the second embodiment of the hot water bath apparatus described in the second claim.

In Fig. 2, 24 is the body, 25 is the switching ball, and 26
is a shaft, and 27 is an electric motor for driving the shaft 26.

28 is connected to the return pipework 5 at the connection port A. 29 is a connection port B, and the outgoing pipes 16 and 30 are connected to a water level detection device 21 at a connection port C, respectively. 31 is a sealing material. When switching the reheating three-way valve 20, the electric motor 26 operates to drive the shaft 23 and rotate the switching hole 25. FIG. 3 is a sectional view when the reheating three-way valve is switched. As can be seen from this figure, this three-way reheating valve can be switched without communication between the connection port B29 and the connection port C30 at the time of switching. Therefore, even when the reheating three-way valve is switched intermittently and a signal is received from the water level detection device, the pump discharge pressure is not applied to the water level detection device, making it possible to use an inexpensive and highly accurate water level detection device to detect the water level in the bathtub. Accuracy can be improved.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the hot water bath device of the present invention, when hot water is supplied to the bathtub via the return pipe and the outgoing pipe, the discharge of the pump is prevented from directly hitting the water level detection device, thereby achieving low cost and accuracy. This makes it possible to use a high water level detection device and improve the accuracy of water level detection in the bathtub.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the hot water bath device of the present invention, Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views of essential parts of the reheating three-way valve of the same hot water bath device, and Fig. 4 is a conventional hot water bath device. FIG. 7...Water heater, 10...Hot water supply path, 12
... Bath device, 13 ... Reheating heat exchanger, 14 ... Pump, 15 ... Return pipe,
16...Outgoing pipe, 17...Additional firing circuit,
18... Bathtub, 20... Reheating three-way valve,
21...Water level detection device, 22...Hot water supply three-way valve, 23...Control device. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) Equipped with a bath device having a water heater, a reheating circuit in which a reheating heat exchanger and a pump are interposed and connected to the bathtub through an outgoing pipe and a return pipe, and furthermore, the reheating circuit is connected to the return pipe in order from the bathtub side. A three-way valve, a water level detection device, and a hot water supply three-way valve are interposed, the other connection port of the reheating three-way valve is connected to the outgoing pipe, and the other connection port of the hot water supply three-way valve is connected to the hot water supply path of the water heater. In a device that supplies hot water to a bathtub through the reheating circuit, the reheating three-way valve is intermittently switched from the outgoing pipe to the water level detection device during hot water supply, and the bathtub receives a signal from the water level detection device. A hot water bath equipment equipped with a control device that detects the water level and supplies hot water to the set water level. (2) The hot water bath device according to claim 1, wherein the three-way reheating valve is configured so that the outgoing pipe and the water level detection device do not communicate with each other when switching. (3) The hot water bath device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device has a function of not taking in a signal from the water level detection device for a certain period of time after switching the reheating three-way valve to the water level detection device. . (4) After receiving a signal from the water level detection device that the water level in the bathtub has reached a certain level below the set water level, the control device has a function that constantly detects the water level and supplies hot water up to the set water level without switching the reheating three-way valve. A hot water bath apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.