JPH04170923A - Control method for bathtub washing start - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the washing operation from being executed, when a washing button is pushed erroneously, when a person does not go into a bathtub at all after washing the bathtub and it is unnecessary to wash the bathtub by filling the bathtub with water or hot water by a hot water/water supply means, and thereafter, monitoring and storing whether bathing into the bathtub is executed or not, based on a water level detecting means of a water level detecting means. CONSTITUTION:When a full automatic button 46 is turned on again in the course of operation of a washing system, control of a bathtub washing start operation is executed. First of all, whether bathing into a bathtub 1 is executed or not after washing the bathtub of the previous full automatic operation is decided. This decision is executed by whether it is stored in a memory that bathing into the bathtub is executed or not. When bathing into the bathtub is executed even once, an operation which reaches warming through filling of hot water and additional heating from washing of the bathtub is executed. When bathing into the bathtub is not executed, whether T7 time of a set time elapses after the previous full automatic operation time or not is decided. When the T7 time does not elapse after the previous full automatic operation time, confirmation for whether the washing operation is started or not is urged. As for this confirmation for whether washing is executed or not, for instance, by displaying a message on a washing confirmation display part 38 of a remote control 45, or providing a buzzer on the remote control 45, and sounding this buzzer, confirmation for whether the washing operation is started or not is urged.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a bathtub cleaning start system that judges the situation and determines whether or not to actually start bathtub cleaning when a bathtub cleaning command is issued. The present invention relates to a control method.

[Conventional technology]

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-71869 is known as a device for cleaning a bathtub. This device is equipped with a cleaning nozzle that sprays cleaning liquid containing detergent onto the lid of the bathtub, and a water injection nozzle that sprays water such as tap water.When cleaning the bathtub, the cleaning nozzle pumps the cleaning liquid from the detergent tank. water is supplied to the bathtub, and the water is sprayed into the bathtub to remove dirt. After that, water is supplied from the water supply source to a water injection nozzle to be sprayed into the bathtub, and the dirt components of the bathtub removed by the cleaning solution are removed. The cleaning liquid is washed away and discharged from the drain hole.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

When driving the conventional cleaning device, it is conceivable to use a control device. When cleaning a bathtub using a control device, for example, a cleaning button is provided, and when the cleaning button is pressed, a pump is activated and cleaning liquid is sprayed from a cleaning nozzle toward the inner wall of the bathtub. do it.

However, even though the bathtub is not bathed even once after being filled with hot water or reheated after cleaning,
If the cleaning button is pressed even though the bathtub is not dirty, there is an inconvenience that cleaning of the bathtub will start even though the bathtub has been boiled.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to judge the state of the bath after cleaning the bathtub, so that a person does not have to enter the bathtub even once after cleaning the bathtub, and the bathtub does not need to be cleaned. To provide a control method for starting bathtub cleaning, which prevents a cleaning operation from being performed when a cleaning button is erroneously pressed.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, the present invention includes a bathtub cleaning means including a bathtub cleaning control section, a bathtub water level detection means, and a hot water supply means for filling the bathtub with water or hot water, and the bathtub is cleaned by the cleaning means. After filling the bathtub with water or hot water by the hot water supply means, the presence or absence of bathing in the bathtub is monitored and memorized based on the water level detection signal of the water level detection means, and a bathtub cleaning command is issued even though there has been no bathing. is configured so that it does not perform a cleaning operation when
In addition, as mentioned above, the presence or absence of bathing in the bathtub is monitored and stored,
A characteristic feature of the present invention is that when a bathtub cleaning command is given even though the bathtub has never been bathed, a confirmation is made as to whether or not to start the cleaning operation. A characteristic feature of the present invention is that it determines whether or not the time has elapsed, and if the set time has not elapsed, the cleaning operation is not performed, and if the set time has elapsed, the cleaning operation is started. has been done.

[Effect]

In the present invention, after the bathtub is cleaned, the water level detection means monitors whether or not a person is taking a bath while the bathtub is filled with water or hot water. In other words, the control unit receives the water level detection signal and determines that there has been a bath in the bathtub when a sudden rise in the water level is detected, and when there is no sudden rise in the water level, it judges that there has been no bathing in the bathtub. Monitors and stores whether or not a person takes a bath in the bathtub. After the bathtub is filled with water or hot water, if a command to clean the bathtub is given even though the bathtub has not been bathed even once, it is checked whether the cleaning operation is not performed or whether the cleaning operation can be started. For example, whether the bathtub will be cleaned when the cleaning command is applied again, or if the bathtub has not been bathed for a long time (for example, a week). To control the start of bathtub cleaning by carefully determining the bath situation, such as starting bathtub cleaning even if there is no one taking a bath.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. 1st
The figure shows an embodiment of a cleaning system to which the bathtub cleaning method of the present invention is applied. In the figure, a drain pipe 16 is connected to the bottom of the bathtub 1.
An automatic drain valve 17 such as a solenoid valve is provided in the drain valve. Further, cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b are attached to opposite side walls of the bathtub 1 with their injection holes facing the inner wall surface of the bathtub.

In this embodiment, the cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b have a built-in valve mechanism, and can open and close the flow path leading to the injection hole (valve opening and closing). The cleaning nozzle 18a is connected to the branch outgoing pipe 6.
The cleaning nozzle 18b is connected to the branch outgoing pipe 6b.

The inlet side of the outgoing pipe 6, which is formed by merging the branched outgoing pipes 6a and 6b into one, is connected to the discharge side of the pump 4 via the reheating heat exchanger lo. The outlet side of a return pipe 5 is connected to the suction side of the pump 4, and the return end side of the return pipe 5 is connected to a return pipe opening/closing valve 20.21 such as a solenoid valve for switching the flow path.
A first return branch pipe 22 and a second return branch pipe 23 are provided.
The return circulation port of the first return branch pipe 22 is connected to the bottom side of the bathtub l, in this embodiment, the drain pipe 16.

A pressure sensor 8 functioning as water level detection means is connected to the first return branch pipe 22, and the pressure sensor 8 can constantly detect the water level of the hot water in the bathtub l. . The return circulation port side of the second return branch pipe 23 is connected to the side wall of the bathtub 1 in communication. The pipes leading to the cleaning nozzles 18a, 18b via the first return branch pipe 22, return pipe 5, pump 4, reheating heat exchanger 10, outgoing pipe 6, and branched outgoing pipes 6a, 6b are cleaning liquid circulation pipes. Similarly, from the second return branch pipe 23, the return pipe 5,
A reheating circulation line 3 is formed by a pipe line that reaches the cleaning nozzles 18a, 18b via the pump 4, the reheating heat exchanger lO1, the outgoing pipe 6, and the branch outgoing pipes 6a, 6b.

The return pipe 5 is provided with a water flow sensor 24 that detects the flow of liquid flowing inside the pipe, and a temperature sensor 25 that detects the temperature of the liquid flowing inside the pipe.Furthermore, the return pipe 5 is provided with a detergent supply pipe 26. This detergent supply pipe 26
is connected to a detergent tank 28 via a detergent on/off valve 27 such as a solenoid valve, and liquid detergent is poured into the detergent tank 28 from an inlet 29 provided at the upper wet edge of the bathtub 1. The forward bent detergent supply pipe 26, the detergent on/off valve 27, and the detergent tank 28 constitute detergent charging means. and,
This detergent injection means, the return pipe opening/closing valve 20.21,
The pressure sensor 8 is integrated in the national body 30 and is installed in the cleaning unit 3.
1, and this cleaning unit 31 is installed in the bathroom.

A hot water heat exchanger 1 is installed on the side adjacent to the reheating heat exchanger 10.
2 is arranged in the water supply pipe 13 of the water heater 11 which functions as a hot water supply means, and a flow rate sensor 39 that detects the flow rate of water passing through this water supply pipe, and a water supply temperature sensor that detects the temperature of this water supply water. 40 is provided, and a hot water outlet temperature sensor 41 is provided on the outlet side of the hot water supply heat exchanger 12 to detect the outlet hot water temperature.

On the reheating side, the pump 4, the reheating heat exchanger 10,
Water flow sensor 24 and temperature sensor 25, flow rate sensor 39, water supply temperature sensor 40, and hot water heat exchanger 12 on the hot water supply side
The outlet hot water temperature sensor 41 and the hot water pouring on/off valve 15 such as a solenoid valve that opens and closes the communication pipe between the reheating side and the hot water supply side are the national body 4.
2 to form a combustion unit 43, and in this embodiment, this combustion unit 43 is installed at a location away from the bathroom.

Pipe opening/closing (valve opening/closing) control of the automatic drain valve 17, return pipe opening/closing valve 20.21, detergent opening/closing valve 27, and hot water pouring opening/closing valve 15, valve opening/closing of the cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b, and pump 4 and the combustion control I (burner combustion control?!ml) of the reheating heat exchanger 10 and the hot water supply heat exchanger 12 are performed by the control device 44. A remote control 45 is connected to this control device 44, and this remote control 45 includes a fully automatic button 46 for continuously performing cleaning operation, hot water filling operation, and reheating operation, and a reheating water temperature setting section 47.
A hot water filling water level setting section 48 and a cleaning confirmation display section 38 are provided. The remote controller 45, the control device 44, the cleaning unit 31, and the cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b constitute a cleaning means for the bathtub l.

The control device 44 has a signal input section 5 as shown in FIG.
0, judgment/instruction unit 51, timer 52, and calculation unit 53
and a memory 54. The signal input unit 50 receives a signal from the remote controller 45, a water level detection signal from the pressure sensor 8, a water flow detection signal from the water flow sensor 24, a temperature detection signal from each temperature sensor 25, 40, 41, and a flow rate sensor. 0 judgment/instruction section 51 receives the flow rate detection signal from 39 and adds these signals to judgment/instruction section 51. After receiving the information on the program that goes through heating and then reheating, it grasps the progress status of the program from bathtub cleaning operation to reheating operation, and sets timer 5 as necessary.
2 to operate the timer, the calculation section 53 to calculate the amount of water, etc., and various valves 15.1? , 20.21.2
7 and cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b, and also operates the pump 4 and controls the burner combustion of each of the heat exchangers 10 and 12 for reheating and hot water supply.

Furthermore, the judgment/instruction unit 51 receives a water level detection signal from the pressure sensor 8, and detects, for example, a rapid increase in the water level, and
This is determined to be a bathing state in the bathtub 1, and the fact that the bathtub 1 has been bathed is stored in the memory 54. After the bathtub has been cleaned and filled with water or hot water, if the fully automatic button 45 is pressed and a cleaning command is issued even though the bathtub has not been bathed within the set time, the system prompts for confirmation to start cleaning. , when it is confirmed that the bathtub has started, it starts cleaning the bathtub, and when it is not confirmed that the bathtub has started, the cleaning operation is not performed. Move to action. On the other hand, if a command to clean the bathtub is issued after the set time has elapsed, it is determined that there is a risk that the bathtub is dirty or the bathtub water has deteriorated, even if no one has taken a bath. and start cleaning the bathtub.

As mentioned above, the memory 54 has built-in programs for fully automatic operation from washing the bathtub to reheating the bath, and also stores the memory of filling the bathtub with water or taking a bath after filling the bathtub with water, and the results of calculations such as water volume calculation. or external input values (
time settings, etc.).

The system of this embodiment is configured as described above, and an example of fully automatic operation from cleaning the bathtub to reheating the bath will be described below based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, set the hot water temperature for reheating in the reheating hot water temperature setting section 47, set the water filling level in the hot water filling water level setting section 48, and then turn on the full automatic button 46 of the remote control 45. This on signal controls the The judgment/command section 51, which is added to the judgment/command section 51 via the signal input section 50 of the device 44, receives the command for the fully automatic operation mode and first performs the cleaning operation from step 101 to step 14B. In the cleaning operation, first, from steps 101 to 105, a detergent injection preparation operation is performed in which the inside of the reheating circulation pipe 3 is opened to the atmosphere.

That is, in step 101, a water level detection signal is received from the pressure sensor 8, and it is determined whether there is hot water in the bathtub 1. When the bathtub 1 is empty, the detergent on/off valve 27 is opened and detergent is added. Move on to action. On the other hand, when the water level is detected and it is determined that there is hot water in the bathtub, the cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b are opened, the return pipe closing valve 21 is opened at the same time, and the automatic drain valve 17 is then opened to drain the bathtub. Start draining the hot water inside.

As the hot water is drained, the water level of the hot water that has accumulated in the bathtub gradually decreases, and when the water level drops below the injection holes of the cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b, the cleaning nozzles 18a and tab
Air pressure acts on the pipe side from the injection hole, and hot water accumulated in the reheating circulation pipe 3 enters the bathtub from the return circulation port of the second return branch pipe 23 as the water level in the bathtub l decreases. Then, when the water level in the bathtub falls beyond this return circulation port, water is drained from the reheating circulation pipe 3 except for the first return branch pipe 22, and everything is opened to the atmosphere.

The lowering of the water level in the bathtub due to this drainage is detected moment by moment by the pressure sensor 8. Then, in step 104, the bathtub l
It is determined whether the inside is empty or not.

When the water level is detected by the pressure sensor 8, it is determined that the bathtub I is not empty, and when the detection signal of the pressure sensor 8 detects the reference pressure, which is the pressure that the bathtub is empty, the bathtub 1 is determined to be empty. It is determined that the automatic drain valve 17 is closed in step 105.

Through the operations of steps 101 to 105, the inside of the reheating circulation pipe 3 is opened to the atmosphere, and the detergent can easily enter the reheating circulation pipe 3. In this state, the detergent on/off valve 27 is opened in step 106, and the detergent is reheated from the detergent tank 28 into the circulation pipe 3, in this embodiment the return pipe 5.
It is put inside. At the same time, it is determined in step 107 whether a predetermined 18 hours have elapsed, that is,
After applying an open signal to the detergent on-off valve 27, the control device 44 counts the time using the timer 52, and keeps the detergent on-off valve 27 open until the time T3 has elapsed.
When time T1 has elapsed, it is determined that a predetermined amount (for example, 20 cc) of detergent has been supplied from the detergent tank 28 through the detergent supply pipe 26 into the return pipe 5, and the detergent on/off valve 27 is closed.

Next, the process moves to the cleaning operation from steps 109 to 148. In step 109, the hot water pouring on/off valve 15 is opened, and the burner combustion of the hot water heat exchanger 12 is performed. Then, the hot water at 31° C. is reheated and dropped into the circulation pipe 3. The dropped hot water passes through the outgoing pipe 6 and is supplied into the bathtub 1 from the cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b. On the other hand, the hot water passing through the return pipe 5 enters the bathtub along with the detergent through the second return branch pipe 23, so that a cleaning liquid containing a mixture of hot water and detergent accumulates in the bathtub 1.

In step 110, it is determined whether the amount of hot water supplied to the bathtub has reached a predetermined value Calculate the amount of water cumulatively. While the calculated amount of water does not reach X11, the pouring valve 15 is kept open, and when the calculated amount of water reaches X, Il, the pouring valve 15 is closed.

By supplying this wash water of X12 to the bath Nl, the minimum amount of washing liquid (mixed liquid of hot water and detergent) necessary for smoothly operating the pump 4 is stored at the bottom side of the bathtub l.

Said X,! After the hot water is supplied, the hot water pouring on/off valve 15 is closed and the hot water supply is stopped. Next, the washing nozzle 18b and the return pipe closing valve 21 are closed, and the return pipe closing valve 20 is opened. Then, the pump 4 is started. This pump 4
When activated, the cleaning liquid accumulated at the bottom of the bathtub 1 is sucked into the pump 4 through the first return branch pipe 22, and the sucked cleaning liquid is then transferred from the discharge side of the pump 4 to the reheating heat exchanger lO. where the cleaning solution is heated to a temperature suitable for exerting its chemical cleaning ability, in this example 50-50°C.
The heated hot water cleaning liquid is heated to 60° C. and is sprayed into the bathtub from the cleaning nozzle 18a through the outgoing pipe 6.

Then, this spouted cleaning liquid flows down to the bottom side of the bathtub 1, and the cleaning liquid that has fallen down to the bottom side is sucked into the pump 4 from the first return branch pipe 22 again, and similarly passes through the reheating heat exchanger lO. It is ejected into the bathtub from the post-cleaning nozzle 18a. During this circulating injection of the cleaning liquid, temperature control of the cleaning liquid is performed from step 114 to l17.

That is, the control device 44 determines in step 114 whether or not the temperature of the cleaning liquid is below Sz°C (for example, 60°C) based on the temperature detection signal obtained from the temperature sensor 25. When , combustion is performed in the gas burner of the reheating heat exchanger 10 in step 115,
Heat the cleaning solution. Then, in step 116, it is determined again whether the temperature of the cleaning liquid is equal to or higher than St°C, and if it is lower than 32°C, the burner of the reheating heat exchanger 10 continues to burn and heat the cleaning liquid until the temperature of the cleaning liquid reaches 32°C. When this happens, the burner combustion of the heat exchanger 10 is stopped.

Next, in step 118, pump 4 is started and
When 2 hours have elapsed, that is, 0 time T: time for determining whether 12 hours have elapsed since the injection of the cleaning liquid has elapsed, the pump 4 is stopped in step 119, the cleaning nozzle 18a is closed in step 120, and the cleaning nozzle is closed. Open 18b. Then, in step 121, the pump 4 is started again. Then, the cleaning liquid circulated from the bathtub 1 through the first return branch pipe 22 passes through the reheating heat exchanger lO and is then sent to another cleaning nozzle 18.
The cleaning liquid is sprayed into the bathtub from b, and this circulation spraying of the cleaning liquid is repeated. At this time, in steps 122 to 125, steps 114 to 117 are performed.
The temperature of the cleaning liquid is controlled in the same way as in the operation of 3.
It is maintained at a temperature of 3°C (for example, 60°C) and is injected into the bathtub l.

In step 126, it is determined in step 118 whether 13 hours have elapsed since the start of the pump in step 121.
After 13 hours, the pump 4 is stopped and the automatic drain valve 17 is opened. Next, the return pipe closing valve 20 is closed and the cleaning liquid in the bathtub 1 is drained. Next, the hot water pouring on/off valve 15 is opened and the hot water heat exchanger 1
Hot water of s and ``c'' is supplied from the 2 side to the cleaning nozzle 18b while cleaning the inside of the outgoing pipe 6, and the hot water is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 18b onto the inner wall of the bathtub, removing the cleaning liquid adhering to the inner wall of the bathtub and its The dirt components removed by the cleaning liquid are washed off to the bottom side of the bathtub 1 and discharged.In step 131, it is determined whether or not the cleaning time with this hot water has elapsed for T4 hours, and when 14 hours have elapsed, the hot water is poured. The on-off valve 15 is closed to stop the injection of hot water from the washing nozzle 18b.Then, in step 133, the washing nozzle 18a is opened and the washing nozzle 18b is closed.Next, in step 134, the hot water pouring on-off valve 5 is opened and the hot water is supplied. Nozzle 1 for cleaning hot water from heat exchanger I2
8a, and similarly injects hot water from the cleaning nozzle 18a toward the inner wall surface of the bathtub, thereby removing the cleaning liquid from the inner wall surface of the bathtub while washing the pipes. Then, when the injection of hot water from the cleaning nozzle 18a has elapsed for T1 time, in step 136, the hot water pouring valve 1
5 is closed to stop the injection of hot water, and in step 137, the cleaning nozzle 18a is closed.

Next, from steps 138 to 142, the inside of the second return branch pipe 23 is cleaned. That is, in step 138, the return pipe closing valve 21 is opened, and then the molten metal pouring on/off valve 15 is opened. As a result, the hot water in the 12 hot water heat exchangers passes through the return pipe 5 and enters the second return branch pipe 23 from the return pipe closing valve 21, and the cleaning liquid in the second return branch pipe 23 is washed while the hot water enters the bathtub. 1 and is ejected. When the hot water cleaning in the second return branch pipe 23 has been completed for T6 hours, the hot water pouring valve 15 is closed, the hot water cleaning in the second return branch pipe 23 is stopped, and the return valve 21 is closed. Similarly, from steps 143 to 147, the first return branch pipe 22
The interior will be washed with hot water. This hot water cleaning is done by closing the return pipe valve 20.
This is done by opening the hot water supply valve 15 and allowing hot water from the hot water supply heat exchanger 12 side to flow from the return pipe 5 to the first return branch pipe 22.

After the first return branch pipe 22 is washed with hot water, the automatic drain valve 17 is closed in step 148.

Next, the process moves to steps 149 to 152 for filling hot water.

First, in step 149, the cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b are opened, and at the same time, the return pipe closing valve 21 is opened. Next, in step 150, the hot water pouring on/off valve 15 is opened, and the hot water coming out from the hot water heat exchanger 12 side is supplied to the reheating circulation pipe 3 side, passes through both the return pipe 5 and the outgoing pipe 6, and enters the cleaning nozzle 18a, 1
8b and the return circulation port of the second return branch pipe 23 into the bathtub l. The water level of the hot water being filled is detected by a pressure sensor 8. In step 151, based on the water level detection signal from the pressure sensor 8, it is determined whether the detected water level has reached the water level set by the water filling level setting section 48 of the remote controller 45, and the detected water level has reached the set water level. At this time, the hot water filling operation is stopped by closing the hot water pouring on/off valve 15.

Next, a reheating operation is performed from steps 153 to 157. First, in step 153, the pump 4 is activated, and the hot water in the bathtub 1 is sucked into the pump 4 from the second return branch pipe 23 through the return pipe 5, and this sucked hot water is discharged from the pump 4. It passes through the reheating heat exchanger 10 and the outgoing pipe 6 from the side, and is discharged into the bathtub 1 from the cleaning nozzles 18a, 18b. After this circulation of hot water is started, in step 154, the detected temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 1 detected by the temperature sensor 25 is compared with the temperature set by the reheating hot water temperature setting section 47 of the remote control 45. When the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature, the burner combustion of the reheating heat exchanger 10 is started to reheat the circulating hot water. During this reheating, the detected temperature and the set temperature are constantly compared, and the Reheating continues until the temperature reaches the set temperature. When the detected temperature reaches the set temperature, the pump 4 is stopped in step 156, and if reheating is in progress, burner combustion of the reheating heat exchanger is further stopped.Next, in step 157, the cleaning nozzle 18a is stopped.

18b and further close the inter-return pipe closing valve 21 to complete the reheating operation and proceed to the heat retention operation in step 158.

In this heat-retaining operation, the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 1 is detected by the temperature sensor 25 while the hot water in the bathtub 1 is reheated and circulated through the circulation pipe 3 by starting the pump 4 as appropriate. When the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature, the reheating heat exchanger 10 heats the circulating hot water and the bath P! This is to keep the hot water in the room at a set temperature. During this warming operation, in step 159, it is determined using the timer 52 whether one hour has passed since the warming started, and when T time has passed, it is determined that no one will take a bath from now on. , the heat retention operation ends in step 160. On the other hand, until the time T has not elapsed since the start of keeping warm, the state of bathing in the bathtub l is detected in step 161. This bathing state is determined when a person receives a water level detection signal from the pressure sensor 8 and when the water level suddenly rises to a predetermined height, such as 2 cm or 3 cm in a few seconds, the person takes a bath.
1, and in step 162, the judgment/instruction unit 51 stores the fact that the bath took place in the memory 54.

When the fully automatic button 46 is turned on again while the system is in operation, the characteristic bathtub cleaning start operation of this embodiment is controlled according to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in step SIO, it is determined whether or not there has been no bathing in the bathtub 1 after the previous fully automatic bathtub cleaning. This determination is made based on whether or not the memory 54 stores that the user has taken a bath in the bathtub in step 162 of the flowchart shown in FIG. When the bathtub has been bathed even once, the operations from step 101 onwards in the flowchart of FIG. 3 carry out operations ranging from cleaning the bathtub to filling and reheating the bathtub to keeping it warm. When there is no bathing in the bathtub, it is determined in step Sll whether or not a set time T1 has elapsed since the last fully automatic operation. For example, this judgment is made by measuring the time using the timer 52 starting from the last time when the fully automatic button 46 was turned on, and if the elapsed time has exceeded the set 17 hours, even if no one is bathing in the bathtub l. Even if there is no such problem, it is determined that there is dirt attached to the inner wall of the bathtub or that the water stored in the bathtub 1 is old and deteriorated, and the operations from step 101 in the flowchart of FIG. 3 are performed. Start cleaning operation according to the instructions.

On the other hand, if 17 hours have not elapsed since the last fully automatic operation, a confirmation is prompted in step S12 to confirm whether or not to start the cleaning operation.

This confirmation of whether or not cleaning is possible can be done, for example, by displaying a message as shown in FIG. This prompts the user to confirm whether or not the cleaning operation can be started by making both a sound and a message display by the cleaning confirmation display section 38.

In step 513, after performing the operation to confirm whether or not the cleaning can be started, the fully automatic button 46 is pressed again within a predetermined time T1.
It is determined whether or not the button is turned on, and when the fully automatic button 46 is turned on again, it is determined that it is okay to start the cleaning operation, and the operation from step 101 onwards in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is performed at a predetermined Tm. Fully automatic button 46 within hours
is not turned on, the cleaning operation is not performed, and in step S14, it is determined whether the detected water level is higher than the set water level based on the water level detection signal from the pressure sensor 8, and the detected water level is lower than the set water level. is also low, the third
The operations from step 149 onward in the flowchart shown in the figure, that is, the operations from filling the water to reheating to keeping it warm, are performed.When the detected water level is higher than the set water level, step 315
The cleaning nozzles 18a and 18b are opened, and the return pipe closing valve 21 is opened, and step 15 of the flowchart in FIG.
From 3 onwards, the reheating will move to the heat retention operation.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the bathtub is filled with water or hot water after cleaning, even if no one takes a bath in the bathtub once within the set time, the cleaning command (turning on the fully automatic button 46) is issued. ), the cleaning operation will not be started even though the bathtub is not dirty, and the inconvenience of the cleaning operation being performed in vain can be prevented. Moreover, when a cleaning command is issued even though no one is in the bathtub, if the set time has passed since the last cleaning, there may be dirt attached to the inner wall of the bathtub or accumulated inside the bathtub. If there is a situation where it is desirable to clean the bathtub due to deterioration of the water quality, etc., in this case, the bathtub will be cleaned automatically, and a detailed and high-class bathtub cleaning process will be started depending on the bath situation. It becomes possible to perform control.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various ways. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiments,
Steps S12 and 513 of the flowchart of FIG.
As shown in , if a bathtub cleaning command is issued before the set time has elapsed since the last bathtub cleaning, the system prompts you to confirm whether or not to start cleaning, and after giving f1 approval to perform cleaning, proceed to the cleaning operation. However, the cleaning operation may be passed without performing this confirmation, and the process may proceed to filling with hot water or reheating to keep warm through steps S14 and S15.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the elapsed time since the last bathtub cleaning is directly specified in step Sll in FIG. 4, but this may be specified indirectly using the number of days.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a message prompting confirmation of whether or not the bathtub can be cleaned is performed by displaying a message on the cleaning confirmation display section 38 or by sounding a buzzer. Various other i-acknowledgement display modes can be adopted, such as display by speaking.

Furthermore, the cleaning system to which the method of the present invention is applied is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 1, and can have various system configurations. For example, in the above embodiment, the return side of the return pipe 5 is provided with inter-return valves 20 and 21 to branch into the first return branch pipe 22 and the second return branch pipe 23. The return pipe 5 may be connected directly to the bottom side of the bathtub l without branching. Alternatively, a conventional system that does not circulate cleaning fluid may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] The first invention is configured so that the bathtub cleaning operation is not performed when a bathtub cleaning command is applied even though there is no bathing in the bathtub after bathtub cleaning. Even if a cleaning command is issued by mistake even though no one enters the bathtub after cleaning and filling with water or hot water, the cleaning operation will not start again, which is convenient for use. This prevents wasteful bathtub cleaning.

Moreover, in the above-mentioned case, when the bathtub cleaning command is added, the second invention is configured to prompt confirmation of whether or not to start the cleaning operation, so that the operation can be performed in accordance with the user's will. This allows for very flexible and fine-grained control.

Furthermore, the third invention determines whether a set time has elapsed after cleaning the bathtub, and if the set time has not elapsed, no cleaning is performed, and if the set time has elapsed, the bathtub is not cleaned. Since the system is configured to start bathtub cleaning regardless of whether or not a person is taking a bath, the system automatically determines the necessity of bathtub cleaning and performs bathtub cleaning.For example, when the bathtub is filled with water after cleaning, When you've been out for a few days, it's very convenient because you can clean the bathtub and then boil it.

As mentioned above, each invention finely controls the start of bathtub cleaning according to the usage status of the bathtub, so that unnecessary cleaning is not performed, and moreover, when there is a need for cleaning, it is automatically started. Since the bathtub is cleaned based on the judgment, it is possible to create a more comfortable living environment than ever before.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of a cleaning device to which the method of the present invention is applied, Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of main parts of a control device constituting the system of the same embodiment, and Fig. 3 is an initial stage of the device of the same embodiment. Flowchart showing the operation of fully automatic operation at startup, No. 4
The figure is a flowchart showing the operation of the main part of the control method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display confirming whether or not cleaning can be started. 1... Bathtub, 3... Reheating circulation pipe, 4... Pump, 5... Return pipe, 6... Outgoing pipe, 6a, 6b...
- Branch outgoing pipe, 8... Pressure sensor, 10... Reheating heat exchanger, 11... Water heater, 12... Hot water heat exchanger, 13... Water supply pipe, 15... Note Hot water on/off valve, 16...
・Drain pipe, 17...Automatic drain valve, 18a, 18b...
・Cleaning nozzle, 20.21... Return pipe closing valve, 22.
...first return branch pipe, 23...second return branch pipe,
24... Water flow sensor, 25... Temperature sensor, 26...
... Detergent supply pipe, 27 ... Detergent on/off valve, 28 ... Detergent tank, 29 ... Inlet, 30 ... National polity, 31.
...Cleaning unit, 38...Cleaning confirmation display section, 39.
...Flow rate sensor, 40...Water supply temperature sensor, 41...
- Output hot water temperature sensor, 42...National body, 43-...Combustion unit, 44...Control device, 45...Remote control, 4
6... Fully automatic button, 47... Reheating hot water temperature setting section, 48... Hot water filling water level setting section, 50... Signal input section, 51... Judgment/instruction section, 52... Timer, 53・
...Arithmetic unit, 54...-Memory.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A bathtub cleaning means including a bathtub cleaning control unit, a bathtub water level detection means, and a hot water supply means for filling the bathtub with water or hot water, the cleaning means cleaning the bathtub and supplying the hot water. After filling the bathtub with water or hot water by the means, the presence or absence of bathing in the bathtub is monitored and memorized based on the water level detection signal of the water level detection means, and a bathtub cleaning command is added even though there has been no bathing. A method for controlling the start of bathtub cleaning, characterized in that the cleaning operation is not performed when the cleaning operation is stopped. (2) A bathtub cleaning means including a bathtub cleaning control unit, a bathtub water level detection means, and a hot water supply means for filling the bathtub with water or hot water, and the cleaning means cleans the bathtub and supplies the hot water. After filling the bathtub with water or hot water by the means, the presence or absence of bathing in the bathtub is monitored and memorized based on the water level detection signal of the water level detection means, and a bathtub cleaning command is added even though there has been no bathing. A method for controlling the start of bathtub cleaning, characterized in that the method prompts a user to confirm whether or not to start a cleaning operation when the cleaning operation is started. (3) A bathtub cleaning means including a bathtub cleaning control unit, a water level detection means for the bathtub, and a hot water supply means for filling the bathtub with water or hot water, and the cleaning means cleans the bathtub and supplies the hot water. After filling the bathtub with water or hot water by the means, the presence or absence of bathing in the bathtub is monitored and memorized based on the water level detection signal of the water level detection means, and a bathtub cleaning command is added even though there has been no bathing. If the set time has elapsed after cleaning the bathtub, it is determined whether or not a set time has elapsed, and if the set time has not elapsed, the cleaning operation is not performed, and when the set time has elapsed, the cleaning operation is started. Features: Control method for starting bathtub cleaning.