JPH0459540B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic bath device that automatically supplies hot water to a desired water level.

(Prior Art) In recent years, there has been a high demand for automatic bath devices that automatically supply hot water to a desired water level in a bathtub, and devices with various configurations have been developed.

The present applicant also previously proposed an automatic bath device in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-29140 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-197847). Automatic bath device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-29140 (hereinafter referred to as “prior art automatic bath device”)
In this type, hot water is poured into a bathtub via a reheating circuit, and the water level in the bathtub is detected by a pressure sensor.

Although the conventional automatic bath system is no different from this type of known system in terms of the piping circuit itself, it has a major feature in its control circuit.

That is, in the conventional automatic bath device, hot water or the like is once passed through the piping on the pressure sensor side, air is purged from the piping on the pressure sensor side, and then the hot water supply is started. When the pressure sensor detects the desired water level in the bathtub, the piping route is switched and the piping on the pressure sensor side is once again air-purged for a short period of time. Then, the air that did not escape during the first air purge or the air that got mixed in for some reason during hot water supply is completely removed, and the water level in the bathtub is measured again with high reliability.

If the pressure detected by the pressure sensor is still higher than the desired water level in the bathtub even after air purging the piping on the pressure sensor side again, it is assumed that there is definitely hot water up to the desired water level. Stop the drop-in hot water supply.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The conventional automatic bath device performs another air purge when detecting the water level with a pressure sensor, and the accuracy of the water level detected by the pressure sensor is high. Therefore, empty heating of the bath and overflow can be prevented, which is very preferable.

However, the conventional automatic bath apparatus still leaves room for improvement in that the bath user can supply hot water to a water level that completely matches the desired water level.

In other words, in the conventional automatic bath system, after the pressure sensor detects the pressure corresponding to the desired water level, the piping on the pressure sensor side is air-purged again. The amount of water increases by the amount of hot water.

The second air purge performed in the conventional automatic bath equipment does not replace all of the piping on the pressure sensor side with hot water, as is done in the early stage of drop-in hot water supply, so the amount of hot water required for the second air purge is relatively small. However, with conventional automatic bath systems, it is inevitable that hot water is supplied at a level higher than the desired water level.

In addition, in the conventional technology, the air purge must be performed again for a certain period of time, so the water pressure
There was a problem in that the rise in the water level from the set water level varied greatly depending on the size of the bathtub, the length of the piping, etc. Therefore, in the conventional automatic bath equipment, it is necessary to adjust the air purge time again one by one at the time of construction, and the adjustment at the time of construction is complicated.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to further develop the conventional technology previously proposed by the present applicant, and to propose an automatic bath device capable of supplying hot water by dropping the bath to a water level that completely matches the desired water level.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A feature of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is that in a device that supplies hot water by dropping hot water from a main body located remote from the bathtub via a reheating circulation path, the reheating circulation path A pressure sensor provided on one side of the reciprocating piping constituting the bathtub, a setting means for setting the bath water level, and a first set value set based on the setting means and a detected value of the pressure sensor are compared, a first comparing means that outputs an air purge start signal when a detected value corresponding to the set value is detected, and compares the first set value and the detected value of the pressure sensor again after the air purge; This automatic bath apparatus is provided with a second comparing means that compares a second setting value set to a large value with a detected value of the pressure sensor and outputs a drop-down stop signal.

(Function) Similar to known bath devices, the automatic bath device of the present invention supplies hot water by dropping hot water into the bathtub from the main body located remote from the bathtub via the reheating circulation path. At this time, the water level in the bathtub is measured based on the pressure detected by a pressure sensor provided on one side of the reciprocating piping that constitutes the reheating circulation path.

When a certain amount of hot water is poured into the bathtub and the pressure sensor detects a detection value corresponding to the first set value, the first comparison means outputs an air purge start signal. Then, the valves in the reheating circuit are switched at appropriate times to flow hot water or the like into the piping to which the pressure sensor is attached, thereby purging the piping with air. That is, after the pressure sensor outputs a detected value corresponding to the first set value, the inside of the pipe is purged with air.

Subsequently, the first comparing means again compares the detected value of the pressure sensor and the first set value. If the pressure sensor maintains a detection value equal to or higher than the first set value, it may be determined that all the air in the pipe to which the pressure sensor is attached has been replaced with hot water or the like. If hot water or the like is subsequently poured into the bathtub, there is a very low possibility that new air will enter the pipe to which the pressure sensor is attached. Therefore, when hot water is supplied following air purge, the detection value of the pressure sensor has very high accuracy.

In the present invention, following the air purge, hot water is supplied by dropping into the bathtub, and a second set value set larger than the first set value described above is compared with the detected value of the pressure sensor. Note that this second set value is set to the bathtub water level desired by the user.

When the detected value of the pressure sensor exceeds the second set value, a dropping stop signal is output.

As a result, the bathtub is filled with hot water in an amount very close to the second set value.

(Example) Specific examples of the present invention will be further described below.

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operational flowchart of the embodiment.

In Fig. 1, 1 is the appliance body, 2 is the water heater,
Reference numeral 3 denotes a bathing device, which is provided within the main body 1. 4 is a bathtub located at a remote location from the main body 1. 5 is a bath hot water supply pipe branched from the hot water outlet pipe 7 of the water heater 2, and is provided with a drop valve 6. Reference numerals 8 and 9 denote reheating circulation paths of the bath device 3, which are composed of an outgoing pipe 8 connected from the pump 10 to the bathtub 4 via a heat exchanger, and a return pipe 9 returning from the bathtub 4 to the pump 10. A pressure sensor 11 is installed in the return pipe 9 in the main body 1, and is used to detect the water level difference from the bathtub water level. Reference numeral 12 denotes a three-way valve connected to the suction side of the pump 10, one side of which is connected to the return pipe 9, and the other side connected to a hopper 13, which will be described later. The hopper 13 is open to the atmosphere and is used to cut off hot water from the bath hot water supply pipe 5. By switching the three-way valve 12, the hot water from the outgoing pipe 8 can be removed.
Hot water can be poured into the bathtub 4 from the bathtub.
A bypass pipe 14 is connected from the outgoing pipe 8 to the return pipe 9 downstream of the pressure sensor 11, and a three-way valve 16 is provided at the branch point with the bypass pipe 14. 17
is a water flow switch provided in the return pipe 9. 18 is a setting device for setting the water level of the bathtub. 19 is a voltage set based on the setting device 18 (first set value
A first comparator that compares the detected value HB of the pressure sensor 11 with the detected value HB of the pressure sensor 11, and outputs it to the air purge control circuit 21. 20 is the second comparator, the first set value
A second set value H2 set based on H1 (for example, H2 = H1 + α, α is a constant value) and the pressure sensor 11
It compares the detected value with the detected value and outputs a drop-in stop signal to close the drop-in valve 6.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained. First, when the automatic operation switch (not shown) is turned on (F1)
The dropping valve 6 is opened to supply hot water from the water heater 2 to the hopper 13, and the three-way valve 12 is switched to the hopper side. Furthermore, the three-way valve 16 is switched to the bypass side, and a circuit is formed from the hopper 13 to the bathtub 4 via the three-way valve 12, pump 10, three-way valve 16, bypass pipe 14, and return pipe 9. When hot water accumulates in the hopper 13, it is detected by the water level switch 22, and the pump 10 is operated in response to this detection signal to flow the hot water into the bypass pipe 14 and the return pipe 9 for air purging (F2). When the air purge is completed after a certain period of time, the three-way valve 16 is switched to the outgoing pipe side and the bathtub 4 is opened from the outgoing pipe 8.
Water is supplied by pouring water into the tank (F3). The return pipe 9 is a pipe dedicated to water pressure detection, and is used to sample water pressure. When the dropping progresses and the pressure sensor 11 detects the first set value H1 (F4), the three-way valve 16 is switched again to purge the inside of the return pipe 9 with air (F5). The purpose of this air purge is to prevent erroneous detection since the inside of the return pipe 9 may be replaced with air depending on the installation position of the bathtub 4 or the piping of the reheating circuit. And after air purge three-way valve 16
, read the water pressure HB again (F6), and if the first set value H1 is detected, it is determined that the set water level (L) has been reached, and the water pressure is compared with the second set value H2 (F7). If the predetermined value is not detected, it is determined that air is present in the return pipe 9 and the pressure sensor 11 has erroneously detected it, and the process returns to dropping from the outgoing pipe 8 (F3). In this way, every time the pressure sensor 11 detects a predetermined value (F4), air purge is performed in the return pipe 9 (F5),
If the water pressure is sampled again by the pressure sensor 11 (F6) and the first set value H1 is not detected, the process returns to dropping from the outgoing pipe 8 (F3). 1st
When it is certain that the hot water has reached the set value H1, the water continues to be lowered to the second set value H2, which is a certain level higher than the first set value H1, that is, the desired water level (F7, F8). And the detected value of pressure sensor 11
When HB becomes HB>H2, the dropping valve 6 is closed to stop dropping. After that, when the hot water in the bathtub 4 decreases and reaches the first set value H1, the above (F2) is applied.
It repeats the sequence from

(Effects of the Invention) Since the automatic bathing device of the present invention performs air purging after the pressure sensor detects the first set value, air mixed in during bathing can be completely replaced with hot water, etc. effective.

In addition, in the present invention, since the first set value and the detected value of the pressure sensor are compared again after air purge, if a pressure equal to or higher than the first set value is detected again,
It can be determined that the inside of the piping has been completely air purged. Therefore, the detection value of the pressure sensor after this step has the effect of being extremely accurate. In the present invention, the water level judgment points are set to two points, so that after completely air purging the inside of the piping with the first setting, hot water, etc. can be reliably filled to the second setting value without excess or deficiency. be.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the final water level in the bathtub is determined only by the second setting, and is not affected by the length of air purge time, water pressure, length of piping, size of the bathtub, etc. This has the effect of always stably filling the bathtub with hot water to the desired water level. Therefore, the automatic bath system of the present invention has the advantage that adjustment during construction is extremely easy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operational flowchart of the embodiment. 1... Main body, 4... Bathtub, 8... Outgoing pipe (reheating circulation path), 9... Return pipe (additional heating circulation path), 10... Pump, 11... Pressure sensor, 18... Setting means ,1
9...first comparison means, 20...second comparison means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a device that supplies hot water by dropping it from a main body located remote from the bathtub via a reheating circulation path, a pressure sensor provided on one side of the reciprocating piping that constitutes the reheating circulation path, and a setting means for setting the bathtub water level; The first set value set based on the setting means and the detected value of the pressure sensor are compared, and when the detected value corresponding to the first set value is detected, an air purge start signal is output, and the air purge starts again after the air purge. a first comparing means for comparing the set value of the pressure sensor and the detected value of the pressure sensor;
1. An automatic bath device comprising: second comparison means for comparing a second set value set larger than the set value with a detected value of the pressure sensor and outputting a drop stop signal.