JPH02300425A - Hot bathwater supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To securely detect a person's bathing and to make the control of a hot bathwater supply device easy by detecting the sudden rise of water level that is brought about when the person has a bath. CONSTITUTION:A bath tub 14 is filled with hot water supplied through a forwarding pipe 13, and a water level sensor 16 is installed at the inside of a hot water returning pipe 15. A bath remote controller 18, capable of doing variable controls for setting hot water temperature and water level, is installed. After supply of hot water, the water level sensor 16 detects whether the level reaches the preset level. After the bath water is heated, taking of the bath by a user is detected by the bath remote controller 18 composed of a device 18c for deciding the rise of output within the prescribed hours or the like with devices 18a for reading the output of the water level sensor at every set hours and 18b for comparing and deciding the output of the water level sensor. Thereby sure decision can be made to determine whether the bath is taken by the user and, at the same time, controls for operating a pump or the like in the hot water supply device can be made easy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to the automation of hot water supply for baths in a water heater, and in particular to an apparatus that is capable of detecting that a person has taken a bath.

Conventional Technology Conventionally, automation of bath water heaters generally involved the following items.

(1) Automatically fill with hot water at the set water temperature up to the set water level.

(2) After filling with hot water, keep the water warm for about 4 hours.

(3) When the water level of the hot water goes down, what is called "filling up" so that it returns to the original water level.

A so-called automatic bath that satisfies the above three items has come to be valued for its ability to save housewives' housework labor. On the other hand, in recent years, as the idea of selling entire bathrooms as a unit has come to be considered, there has been a demand for automatic baths that go beyond the conventional concept of automatic baths. For example, one example is to detect whether a person has taken a bath to further increase the effectiveness of the bathroom unit as a comfortable space.

As the above-mentioned conventional example, the configuration shown in FIG. 7 is temporary. Further details will be explained with reference to the drawings. 10
1 is a bath sanitary unit, which consists of a bathroom 102 and a sanitary room 103;
There is a washstand 104, etc. Bathroom 102 has a bathtub 105
The bathroom 102 is accessed from the sanitary room 103 by opening the bathroom door 106. On the other hand, the bath sanitary room lot is entered by opening the sanitary room door 107. 108 is a transmitter of a phototube; 1
09 is a receiving section of a phototube. Now, there is a person at the bathroom door 106
When the user opens the door and enters the bathroom, the person enters the bathroom 102 because, for example, infrared rays or other signals from the phototube transmitter 108 are blocked by the human body and do not reach the receiver 109. It is. Furthermore, there is a method of detecting that a person enters the bathroom 102 by flipping a tactile switch 110 provided on the bathroom door 106 from a lock portion 111 on the wall.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with the above configuration, it is not possible to detect whether a person has entered the bathtub, rather than whether or not a person has entered the bathroom. Considering that even if a person enters the bathtub, they may also enter to clean the bathtub, it is unavoidable that it is insufficient as a method to detect that a person is entering the bathtub and taking a bath, leading to incorrect judgments. .

In contrast to such conventional techniques, the present invention has the first objective of using the output of a water level sensor built into a bath water heater or a water level sensor installed near the bathtub or on a return pipe to the bathtub as a human signal. When a person takes a bath in a bathtub filled with hot water, it is detected that the water level in the bathtub rises rapidly.
To provide a bath water supply device that can detect that a person has taken a bath.

The second purpose is to detect when a person leaves the bathtub.

The third purpose is to take a bath and get out of the bathtub as described above.
The purpose is to prevent false detections due to disturbances in the water level.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned first object, the first means of the present invention provides a bathtub, a water level sensor connected to the bathtub to detect the water level in the bathtub, and a water level sensor that controls the output of the water level sensor at a set time. It consists of a water level sensor output reading means that reads the water level sensor output at each time, and a water level sensor output comparison and judgment means that compares and judges the water level sensor output, and has a water level sensor output rise judgment means within a predetermined time after the water has risen to the set water level.

The second means of the present invention is for determining whether a person has gotten out of the bathtub, and uses the water level sensor output increase determination means as water level sensor output decrease determination means.

A third means of the present invention is to use a moving average of multiple data readings when comparing and determining the water level sensor outputs in order to prevent false detections due to disturbances in the sensor outputs when a person takes a bath or leaves the bathtub. It is equipped with means for comparing and determining the output of a water level sensor.

Effects In order to achieve the above object, the present invention focuses on the fact that the water level in the bathtub rises rapidly when a person takes a bath after the bathtub is filled with hot water, and the water level rise value is determined within a predetermined time. To provide a bath water supply device that can determine that a person has taken a bath or has come out of a bathtub when the water level rises or falls above a predetermined level.

Example Examples thereof will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, ■ is an overall configuration diagram of a bath water heater. The supplied water is heated in a hot water heat exchanger 3 via a water flow rate sensor 2, and is heated at one end through a water flow control valve 4, such as a kitchen. It is guided to the hot water tap 5. The other end is led to the three-way valve 1o via the hot water supply valve 6, a first check valve 7, a vacuum breaker 8, and a second check valve 9. When automatically supplying hot water to the bath,
The water passes through the flow switch 11, passes through the bath heat exchanger 12, and is led to the bathtub 14 via the outgoing pipe 13, passing through the arrow a of the volume system.

A water level sensor 16 provided in the return pipe 15 detects whether the set water level has been reached. Furthermore, when in the differential firing mode, the three-way valve lO becomes the arrow mark, and the bath is heated by the bath heat exchanger 12 and circulated by the pump 17. Reference numeral 18 is a bath remote control, which allows the set water temperature and water level to be varied, and a boiling indicator lamp 19.
There is.

After boiling, the water level sensor output reading means 18a at each set time, the water level sensor output comparison and determination means 18b, and the output increase determination means 18c at a predetermined sowing interval detect whether a person is taking a bath.

FIG. 2 shows an overall configuration diagram in which a bath water supply device is provided close to the bathtub 14. Identical parts are given the same reference numerals. Reference numeral 21 denotes a hopper, in which the hot water discharged from the hot water supply valve 6 is once separated from the tap water, and the hot water is dropped into the bathtub 14 to a set water level and temperature, and when the water temperature drops, the pump 17 is operated. , reheating is performed by a bath heat exchanger 12.

FIG. 3 shows an explanatory diagram of a person taking a bath. If the water level after boiling is ho, it is expressed as the water level after a person takes a bath. For example, in a bathtub with a length of 60 cm, a width of 10 cIn, and a depth of 60 cm, the body weight is approximately 65 kg when the water is bubbling up at the set water level h0.
When g people take a bath, the water level rises rapidly and rises by about 18 ci. That is, it shows that h+ho=about 18 cm. This is shown in the water level sensor output change characteristic diagram of FIG. 4. In other words, when a person takes a bath, the water level sensor output changes from V0 to V1.
It shows that the temperature rises to .

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the water level when a person gets out of the bathtub. If the water level when a person is taking a bath is hl, then the water level when the person leaves the bathtub is ho. Similarly, FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram of the change in water level sensor output when a person gets out of the bathtub.

Here, the case where a person takes a bath will be described in more detail.

For example, it is assumed that the microcomputer reads the output of the water level sensor every 1.6 seconds, and that the water level sensor output is 1 bit = 2.5 mmHgO. When a person takes a bath here, 1
8 cm corresponds to 72 bits.

Now, if we read the data 4 times, 1.6 seconds x 4 =
This will take 6.4 seconds. That is, if the predetermined time is 6.4 seconds, and if a person takes a bath when the water level rises by 36 bisots = 9 cm or more, the water level can be detected with a safety factor of 2 and fewer malfunctions. On the other hand, when a person takes a bath, the water surface is disturbed, so if we compare the read data directly as the output of the water level sensor, the disturbance on the water surface becomes disturbance in the water level, so for example, the data is replaced with a moving average and compared. This allows for more stable comparisons. For example, data is read every 1.6 seconds, but for the fourth data, add the current fourth data to the previous three values, divide by 4, and compare as the current moving average water level output. It is something.

In addition, as an example, the output increase determination means 18c within a predetermined time
The output signal is displayed on a display installed at an appropriate location to make it easier to manage.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the bath water supply device of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

In the first claim, (1) It is possible to reliably determine whether a person is taking a bath.

(2) Providing a detection section in the bath water heater makes it easier to control the pump, etc. of the bath water heater.

In the second claim: (1) It can be reliably determined that a person has left the bathtub.

In the third claim, it is possible to prevent malfunctions due to turbulence of the water surface and more reliably determine whether a person is taking a bath or leaving the bathtub.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a bath hot water supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the same device, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the same device when a person is taking a bath, and FIG. 4 is the same diagram. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the water level when a person gets out of the bathtub, Figure 6 is a diagram showing the output changes of the water level sensor when a person gets out of the bathtub, FIG. 7 is a conventional overall configuration diagram. 14...Bathtub, 17...Water level sensor, 18a...Water level sensor output reading means for each set time, 18b...Water level sensor output comparison and determination means, 18c... Output increase determination means within a predetermined time. Name of agent Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano Idiot 14・-ji 1 Part l Figure 17-* * 1nee y
M - Figure 3, etc. 4 z 竔 ■ Construction Figure 5 14 = -Night Expansion Figure 6 Time

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A bathtub, a water level sensor that is connected to the bathtub and detects the water level in the bathtub, a water level sensor output reading means that reads the output of the water level sensor at set time intervals, and a water level sensor output comparison and judgment means that compares and determines the water level sensor output. and means for determining a water level sensor output rise within a predetermined time after the water reaches a set water level. (2) The bath hot water supply apparatus according to claim (1), wherein the water level sensor output increase determination means is a water level sensor output decrease determination means. (3) The bath hot water supply device according to claim (1) or (2), further comprising a water level sensor output comparison and determination means that compares and determines the water level sensor output using a moving average of a plurality of data readings when comparing and determining the water level sensor output. .