JPH06142001A - Shower device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a shower device having a function of setting an optional temperature of shower water and capable of spouting always warm water having a temperature giving little stimus to the body in the beginning of the use. CONSTITUTION:In a shower device composed of a mixing valve 1 for changing the ratio of hot water to water by an operation of a drive device, a main valve MV1 provided downstream of the mixing valve, a temperature detector 6, water spouting valves SV1-SV6, shower sprinklers 17-22 and a controller 12, a drain port is provided through a drain valve SV7 downstream of the temperature detector and a controller section 15 is provided with an initial spouting water temperature memory 35. Further, a timer 36 for measuring a passage time after cut-off operation is provided. When the water spouting operation is carried out after a predetermined time passage from the cut-off operation, the main valve is opened. The ratio of hot water to water is controlled to provide an initial spouting water temperature set to the initial spouting water temperature memory 35 regardless of a desired spouting water temperature set to an optional spouting water temperature setter 34. When the desired spouting water temperature is reached, the drain valve is closed and after the water spouting valve is opened, the mixing ratio is controlled to the desired spouting water temperature.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a shower device in which a water discharge temperature can be arbitrarily set and shower water can be sprayed at the set temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A desired water discharge temperature is set in advance in a setting device, a hot water / water mixing valve is driven in accordance with the water discharge temperature to adjust a mixing ratio, and the temperature of the water discharge is detected by a temperature sensor. A shower device has been conventionally known in which the information is fed back to the mixing valve and the mixing valve is corrected and controlled so that the mixed water having the set temperature can always be accurately discharged.

[0003]

However, in the conventional shower device having the temperature setting function as described above, if the user sets the discharge water temperature to a considerably high value or conversely to a low value according to his or her preference, the following problem will occur. When another user uses the shower device, hot water or cold water may suddenly be discharged, which may cause discomfort. In addition, even if the user does not change, if the user is not accustomed to the previous set temperature and is suddenly exposed to hot water or cold water, the body will be tense and the blood vessels will contract, which imposes a burden on the heart, which may be harmful to health and even dangerous.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, according to the present invention, there is no unpleasant or dangerous start of water sprinkling at an unfamiliar temperature as described above, and the mixing ratio can be changed by the operation of the drive device. A valve, a main valve and a temperature detector provided downstream of the mixing valve, a water discharge valve and a shower sprinkler provided further downstream thereof, and a controller that operates the drive unit, the main valve, and the water discharge valve,
In a shower device in which an arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device is provided in the controller of the controller, a drain outlet is provided downstream of the temperature detector via a drain valve, and an initial water discharge temperature memory is provided in the controller. A timer for measuring the elapsed time after the water stop operation is provided, and when the water discharge operation is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed from the water stop operation, the original valve is opened and the desired water discharge temperature set in the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device is taken into consideration. The initial water discharge temperature is set so that the hot water / water mixture ratio is controlled to reach the initial water discharge temperature.When the desired water discharge temperature is reached, the drain valve is closed and the water discharge valve is opened, and then mixed to the desired water discharge temperature. It is characterized in that the ratio is controlled.

[0005]

If the initial water discharge temperature is set to, for example, a temperature of about 40 ° C. that is less irritating to the human body, the initial water discharge temperature is always set when the water discharge operation is performed after a predetermined time has elapsed after the water stopping operation. Shower sprinkling is started with the mixed water of, and discomfort and danger can be eliminated.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings of a multifunctional shower device. This device is installed on the inner wall surface of a bathroom, shower room, etc., and it is a mist shower (which sprays hot water into a mist), a top shower (which showers like a squall on the whole body), and a waterfall (waterfall). Like a massage that can be enjoyed by stimulating the falling water), a hand shower (where you can freely enjoy the shower by holding the shower head in your hand), and a body shower (where a fan-shaped shower is applied from the upper half of the body to the lower half of the body for comfortable stimulation). ), And a floor spa shower (which warms the floor with hot water before use to make it comfortable to use in cold weather), and so on.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a mixing valve M, which is connected to a hot water supply pipe 2 and a water supply pipe 3 so that the mixing ratio of hot water and water can be changed by the operation of a drive device 4 such as a stepping motor.
V1 is an electromagnetic opening / closing type main valve provided downstream of the mixing valve 1, and 6 is a temperature detector. SV7 is an electromagnetic drain valve provided further downstream of the temperature detector 6, and 8 is a drain hose provided at the secondary drain port of the drain valve SV7.
A supply pipe 9 is further provided downstream of the temperature detector 6 and a branch pipe 11 that distributes the mixed water into six systems is connected to the supply pipe 9. Electromagnetic water discharge valves SV1 to SV6 are provided at the ends thereof.

The mist showers 17, 17 are provided on the secondary side of the water discharge valve SV1, the top shower 18 is provided on the secondary side of the water discharge valve SV2, and the pouring gate 19 and the water discharge valve SV4 are provided on the secondary side of the water discharge valve SV3. A hand shower 20 is connected to the secondary side, a body shower 21, 21 is connected to the secondary side of the water discharge valve SV5, and a shower sprinkler such as a floor sprinkling nozzle 22 is connected to the secondary side of the water discharge valve SV6.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the shower sprinklers has a vertical box-like waterproof case 1 provided on a wall surface of a bathroom or the like.
It is set to 0. That is, the mist shower 17, 17
Are provided with front faces at two upper portions of the front face of the case 10. In the top shower 18, a shower head 24 is connected to a mounting base 23 fixed to the front surface of the case 10 via a universal joint, and a bellows 25 is provided on the outer periphery of the connecting portion.
Is formed so that the water supply passage can be bent and the air outlet at the tip thereof can freely rotate in a desired direction.

Further, the pouring gate 19 is formed by fitting a flanged cylinder 26 from the outside into a front mounting hole of the case 10 below the top shower 18. In the hand shower 20, a flexible hose 28 is connected to an elbow 27 protruding from the side wall of the case 10, and a shower head 29 is continued at the tip of the flexible hose 28, and the shower head 29 is fixed to a bathroom wall surface. It is designed so that it can be hooked at 30.

The body showers 21 and 21 are screwed into mounting holes formed at two lower portions of the front surface of the case 10.

The supply pipe 9 is provided on the lower end wall of the case 10. Reference numeral 31 denotes a water supply port provided to continue the flexible hose 32 of the floor spraying nozzle 22, and 33 denotes a hanger that supports the floor spraying nozzle 22 on the wall surface of the bathroom.

Reference numeral 12 is the drive unit 4, the main valve MV1,
The operation unit 13, the display unit 14, the control unit 15, and the drive unit 1 for operating the drain valve SV7, the water discharge valves SV1 to SV6, and the like.
6 is a controller. Reference numeral 5 is a control box accommodating the controller 12, and 7 is a battery box integrally formed with the control box 5. The control box 5 and the battery box 7 are housed in a vertical rectangular window hole formed in the front surface of the case 10.

The front of the control box 5 is shown in FIG.
Switch SW1 labeled "Mist" as shown in
And a push button switch SW2 labeled "top",
Push button switch SW3 labeled "Pour hot water", push button switch SW4 labeled "Hand", and "body"
Is provided, a push button switch SW6 indicated as "floating water", a push button switch SW7 indicated as "drainage", and a push button switch SW8 indicated as "stop", The push button switches SW1 to SW7 are respectively provided with light emitting diodes LED1 to LED7 for displaying the operation thereof.
In addition to the above, a light emitting diode LED8 is provided above the push button switch SW8 for displaying battery replacement and high temperature cut. The push button switches SW1 to SW8 are included in the operation unit 13 in the controller 12, and the light emitting diodes LED1 to LED8 form the display unit 14.

Further, the controller 15 of the controller 12 is provided with an arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device 34, an initial water discharge temperature memory 35 and a timer 36. And the temperature setting switch 3 with high and low displayed on the front of the control box 5
7 and 38, a temperature indicator 39 including a 7-segment display is provided, and the temperature setting switches 37 and 38 are provided.
By operating, the desired water discharge temperature is stepped up or down by 1 ° C. and displayed on the temperature display 39, and the temperature is stored in the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device 34.

Next, the operation of this shower device will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 4 and the timing charts of FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, first, the switch S
When W1 is pressed, the light emitting diode LED1 is turned on, the original valve MV1 is opened, and the light emitting diode LED1 is turned off after 5 seconds. When the original valve MV1 is opened, the mixed water flows out from the mixing valve 1, and the mixed water is discharged to the drain hose 8 through the temperature detector 6 and the drain valve SV7 in the open state. Then, the temperature information of the mixed water detected by the temperature detector 6 is input to the control unit 15 of the controller 12, and the control unit 15 sets an initial temperature preset in the initial discharge water temperature memory 35 (a sensation of about 40 ° C.). (A temperature at which no stimulation is given to the temperature) and the detected temperature are compared, and the mixing is detected by the temperature detector 6 by feedback-controlling the mixing valve 1 through the driving unit 16 and the driving device 4 to adjust the mixing ratio. The water temperature is automatically adjusted to the initial temperature, and when the water temperature is adjusted, the drain valve SV7 is closed and the water discharge valve SV1 is opened. In addition, this flow shows steps a → b → c in FIG.
→ d → e → f → h → i. When the water discharge valve SV1 is opened, the mist shower 17,
The mixed water adjusted to the initial temperature from 17 is blown out in a mist state. Then, by carrying out steps j → k → l, the temperature of the mixed water is gradually readjusted by the mixing valve 1 so that the water discharge temperature set in the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device 34 is reached. Therefore, in this state, the user operates the temperature setting switches 37 and 38 according to his / her preference to change the set temperature of the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device 34 to blow out the mixed water of a desired temperature from the mist showers 17 and 17. be able to. In addition, by pressing the push button switch SW8 to stop the water, the main valve MV1 and the water discharge valve SV1 are closed and the drain valve SV7 is opened to stop the water as shown in steps o → p → q → r.

Further, when the push button switch SW2 is pressed, the light emitting diode LED2 is turned on, the water discharge valve SV2 is opened through the steps similar to those described above, the mixed water is jetted from the top shower 18, and it is stopped by pressing the push button switch SW8. it can. Similarly, by operating the push button switch SW3, the light emitting diode LED3 and the water discharge valve SV3 are operated, the mixed water can be discharged from the pouring hot water spout 19, and the water discharge can be stopped by operating the push button switch SW8.

Further, the light emitting diode LED4 is turned on by the operation of the push button switch SW4, the water discharge valve SV4 is operated through the same steps, the mixed water can be discharged from the hand shower 20, and the light emitting diode LED5, the water discharge depending on the operation of the push button switch SW5. The valve SV5 operates, water can be discharged from the body showers 21 and 21, and the push button switch SW8
Water can be stopped by. If the battery voltage for the power supply is low during the above operation, the light emitting diode LED8 similarly blinks. Further, the push button switches SW1 to SW
When 5 is operated, the process moves to step m and the water discharge state can be switched. Note that duplicate operations on the same switch are invalid.

Incidentally, as described above, the push button switch SW8 is pressed to stop the water, and at the same time, the timer 36 is started as shown in step s. When the push button switch SW1 to the push button switch SW5 are pushed again within a predetermined time (for example, within 7 minutes) from the water stop operation, and the water discharge operation is performed, as shown in FIG. 5 for the case of the push button switch SW5, the original valve MV1 is used. Opens step c → g → h
By shifting from → i → k, the drain valve SV7 is immediately closed, and the mixed water is discharged from the body showers 21 and 21 at the discharge temperature set in the arbitrary discharge temperature setting device 34.
It should be noted that the light emitting diode LED8 has a maximum of 1 when the water discharge operation is performed when the battery voltage is low and needs to be replaced.
Flashes for 0 minutes and displays the status.

Further, a predetermined time or more (for example, 7
If the push button switches SW1 to SW5 are operated after a lapse of more than (minutes) or the temperature setting switches 37 and 38 are operated within a predetermined time to change the set water discharge temperature of the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device 34, the process shown in FIG. Steps d → e → f
As described above, the mixed water having the initial water discharge temperature preset in the initial water discharge temperature memory 35 is discharged first, and then gradually changes to the water discharge temperature set in the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device 34. FIG. 5 exemplifies the operation of the water discharge valve SV5 and the drain valve SV7 when the push button switch SW5 is operated within a predetermined time after the water stop operation as described above.
Illustrates an operation of the water discharge valve SV5 and the drainage valve SV7 when the setting of the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device 34 is changed within a predetermined time after the water stop operation and the push button switch SW5 is operated.

FIG. 6 shows a timing chart when the push button switch SW6 is operated. When the push button switch SW6 is pressed, the light emitting diode LED6 is turned on, and 5 seconds after that, the water discharge valve SV6 is opened, and the floor hot water shower 2
Hot water is sprinkled from 2. This floor sparing shower 22 is for warming the floor surface with sparing water before using it in the bathroom. Therefore, in order to prevent the operator's clothes and feet from getting wet with a sudden sparge, There is a grace period. In addition to automatically stopping the water of the floor hot water in 10 minutes, it is possible to stop the water arbitrarily by operating the push button switch SW8.
Further, when the push button switch SW6 is operated while the water discharge valve SV1 to the water discharge valve SV5 are in the opening operation, this hot water spraying is prioritized.

FIG. 7 shows a timing chart when an abnormal signal is obtained from the temperature detector 6. For example, when the temperature detector 6 outputs a signal such as a high temperature detection or a disconnection during the opening operation of the water discharge valve SV1, the abnormal signal continues for 3 seconds (instantaneous things due to the pulsation of the hot and cold water temperature can be eliminated. In order to determine the continuity of the abnormal state), the light emitting diode LED8 is turned on to display the occurrence of the abnormality and the water discharge valve SV1 is closed. At this time, the push button switches SW1 to S
W7 does not accept any input. Then, when the abnormal signal is stopped, the light emitting diode LED8 is turned off after the continuity thereof is confirmed for 5 seconds. If the abnormal signal is not generated for 3 seconds or more and the abnormal signal is stopped for 5 seconds or more, the current state is continued. As described above, after the continuity of the abnormal signal obtained from the temperature detector 6 is confirmed by the timer count, the abnormal signal is displayed and the emergency closed or released.

FIG. 8 shows a push button switch SW for draining water.
7 is pressed to operate all the water discharge valves SV1 to S
The timing chart at the time of opening V6 is shown. When the push button switch SW7 is operated, the water discharge valve SV1 is first opened, 50 ms later, the water discharge valve SV2 is opened, 50 ms later, the water discharge valve SV3 is opened, and 50 ms later. SV4, 5 more
The water discharge valve SV5 is opened after 0 milliseconds, and the water discharge valve SV6 is opened after 50 milliseconds. Then, the light emitting diode LED7 blinks to indicate that the water is being drained, and after that, for example, 10 minutes necessary for draining the water, the water discharge valve SV1 to the water discharge valve SV6 are automatically arranged at intervals of 20 milliseconds after each. Close the valve.
This closing operation can be arbitrarily performed by the push button switch SW8. Further, even if the other water discharge valves SV1 to SV6 are opened, this drainage is prioritized. Then, while the water is being drained, the operation of other switches is not accepted. In this way, all water discharge valves SV1 to SV for draining water
When issuing a command signal for opening or closing the valve to 6, the respective water discharge valves are sequentially operated with a time difference of a required operation time or more so that an excessive load is not applied to the power battery at one time. ing.

The light emitting diodes LED1 to LED5
Since the switches SW1 to SW5 are displayed to facilitate confirmation that the push button operation has been performed, the lighting time is suppressed to 5 seconds, respectively, and unnecessary battery consumption is prevented. The lighting time of the light emitting diode LED6 when the push button switch SW6 is operated is set to 10 seconds. Further, the continuous lighting time and blinking time of the light emitting diode LED8 are set not to exceed 10 minutes, so that useless battery consumption is prevented. Although the multifunctional shower device shown in this embodiment is driven by a dry battery as a power source, it goes without saying that it may be driven by a commercial power source.

Although the drain valve SV7 and its drain hose 8 are provided in this embodiment, this may be used, for example, so that the above-mentioned floor water sprinkling water discharge valve SV6 or another water sprinkling water discharge valve also has a drainage function. If so, such a drain valve does not have to be provided independently. Further, in this embodiment, the multi-function shower device capable of obtaining various kinds of sprinkling states has been described, but it goes without saying that it can be applied to a single shower device.

[0026]

As described above, according to the shower device of the present invention, when the water discharge operation is performed again within a predetermined time after the water stop operation, the mixed water having the desired water discharge temperature set in the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device is discharged. However, if a spouting operation is performed after a lapse of a predetermined time from the water stop operation, the initial water discharge temperature is always adjusted and the mixed water that can be stored as a sensible temperature for everyone is discharged, so it is always high or low. You can safely take a shower without discharging hot water
Moreover, after the mixed water of the initial water discharge temperature is discharged, the water is discharged by being controlled to the arbitrarily set temperature sequentially, so the water discharge temperature naturally changes according to the user's preference, so it can be used comfortably without any discomfort. Has a beneficial effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a shower device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the entire shower device.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an essential part of the front of the shower device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the shower device.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart of basic functions by the controller.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart of the floor watering function by the controller.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart of a high temperature cut function by the controller.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart of the water draining function by the controller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 SW1 to SW8 Push button switches SV1 to SV6 Water discharge valve SV7 Drain valve MV1 Main valve 1 Mixing valve 2 Hot water supply pipe 3 Water supply pipe 4 Drive device 6 Temperature detector 8 Drain hose 12 Controller 15 Controller 17 Mist shower 18 Top shower 19 20 Hand Shower 21 Body Shower 22 Floor Sprinkling Nozzle 34 Arbitrary Water Discharge Temperature Setting Device 35 Initial Water Discharge Temperature Memory 36 Timer 37, 38 Temperature Setting Switch 39 Temperature Display

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A mixing valve capable of changing a mixing ratio of hot water and water by the operation of a drive device, a main valve and a temperature detector provided downstream of the mixing valve, and a water discharge valve further downstream thereof. And a shower sprinkler, and a controller that operates the drive device, the main valve, and the water discharge valve, and the controller of the controller is provided with an arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device. A drain outlet is provided through the drain valve, an initial water discharge temperature memory is provided in the control unit, a timer for measuring the elapsed time after the water stop operation is further provided, and the water discharge operation is performed after a predetermined time has passed from the water stop operation. When the original valve is opened, hot water / water is adjusted so that the initial water discharge temperature set in the initial water discharge temperature memory is reached regardless of the desired water discharge temperature set in the arbitrary water discharge temperature setting device. The shower device is configured such that when the mixing ratio is controlled to a desired water discharge temperature and the drain valve is closed and the water discharge valve is opened, the mixing ratio is controlled to a desired water discharge temperature.