JPH06315690A - Cleaning method for bathtub water - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the cleaning device for bathtub water which exactly detects the water deficiency in a hot water circulating line and clogging of filter media in a filter tank without malfuctions and is safe and easy to maintain. CONSTITUTION:A circulating pump 22 is equipped with a suction pressure sensor 36 and a delivery pressure sensor 38. The differential pressure of the pump is computed in accordance with the suction and delivery pressures detected with these sensors by CPU 43 of controller 42. This differential pressure is compared with the water deficiency threshold value stored in a memory device 44, by which the water deficiency is discriminated. Further, the suction pressure, the delivery pressure, the differential pressure, etc., are compared with the threshold value of the clogging stored in the memory device 44, by which the clogging is discriminated. As a result, the water deficiency is exactly detected by the suction pressure and delivery pressure exactly detected by the sensors which are not directly disposed in the hot water circulating path and are free from the malfunctions. The idle running of the pump and the no-water heating of the heater are thus prevented and the safety is maintained. The clogging of the filter media is simultaneously exactly recognized.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bath device, and more particularly, to a bath pump cleaning device for cleaning the bath water by forcibly circulating the hot water in the bathtub, such as filtration, heat retention and sterilization. The present invention relates to a device that detects an abnormality in the device such as a so-called water shortage condition in which the hot water circulation stops when running idle, or a condition in which the filter medium is clogged and the flow rate of the hot water decreases.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a bathtub hot water purifying device has been actively used, which keeps the hot water in the bathtub clean and at an appropriate temperature constantly, allows a comfortable bathing 24 hours a day and saves water. .

This bath water purifying apparatus is equipped with a filter tank for removing suspended solids, an activation tank filled with activated stones for activating the hot water, or a filter, activated stone, activated carbon, or the like. Tanks for filtration such as mixed filtration tanks, heaters for keeping warm water at an appropriate temperature, ozone sterilizer for sterilizing hot water, and various devices are provided by circulating pumps in the bath. Then, it is installed in the forced circulation line for hot water to be forcibly pumped up and discharged again into the bathtub.

In such a bath water cleaning device,
For example, there is a so-called water shortage in which the hot water in the bathtub drains out, or air is sucked into the pipeline due to damage to the device or other reasons, and the hot water pumping capacity of the circulation pump decreases, causing no hot water to flow in the circulation path. It may be in a state.

When a water shortage occurs in the circulation path, naturally, the circulation pump runs dry and breaks, and there is a risk that the heater for heating may be dry-burned to damage the device or even cause a fire. .

Further, as the operation of the apparatus is continued, the filter material becomes clogged with dirt and the amount of circulating hot water decreases and the cleaning ability deteriorates. Therefore, the filter material should be washed at an appropriate time. Or it needs to be replaced.

Conventionally, in order to prevent the above-mentioned accident from occurring due to lack of water and to detect clogging of the filter medium, a float switch as shown in FIG. It was equipped with a water flow sensor that directly detects changes.

This water flow sensor has a cylindrical case 1 to which a horizontal water inlet 2 and a vertical water outlet 3 are attached.
The float switch 4 is mounted vertically in the inside of the float switch 4. The float switch 4 has a magnet 8 and a float 8 with a magnet 9 mounted on a shaft 7 extending from a lead switch 5 from which two signal lines 6 extend. The lead switch is fitted in a vertically movable manner while being pushed in the direction of 5.

In such a water flow sensor, hot water is introduced into the water inlet 2.
After entering the case 1 to which the float switch 4 is attached, it goes out through the outlet 3, but when a large amount of hot water is flowing, the float 8 is the force that pushes the hot water downward. Since 9 is stronger than the pushing force, it is lowered and the lead switch 5 is not pushed, so the float switch 4 is in the ON state.

On the other hand, when the water becomes scarce and the hot water hardly flows, the force of pushing the hot water downward in the float 8 is weakened or disappears at all, so the float 8 is pushed upward by the spring 9 to push the reed switch 5 and the float switch. 4 is turned off, and this is sent to the control device through the signal line 6 to detect a water shortage, and the device can be automatically stopped for safety.

The water flow sensor is also used for detecting clogging of the filter medium by adjusting the pressure of the spring 9 of the float switch 4.

That is, as described above, the water flow sensor for detecting the water shortage makes the pressure of the spring 9 weak so that the float switch 4 does not operate until the hot water hardly flows, but the pressure of the spring 9 is strong. If a water flow sensor is provided separately so that the float switch 4 operates when the amount of hot water decreases to some extent, it can be detected that the flow rate of hot water has decreased due to clogging of the filter medium.

Further, in order to detect the water shortage, there may be a case where a differential pressure sensor which operates by the differential pressure between the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the circulation pump is provided as shown in FIG.

In this differential pressure sensor, the center of the main body case 10 is partitioned by a diaphragm 11 into a suction side provided with a connection port 12 and a discharge side provided with a connection port 13, and the suction side is internally centered with a magnet. The slider 14 containing 15 is the spring 1
6, a lead switch 17 that is slidably accommodated while being pushed toward the discharge side and that is operated by a magnetic force is attached to the outside.

In the differential pressure sensor constructed as described above, when the pump is operating normally and a differential pressure is generated between the suction side and the discharge side, as shown in FIG. The lead switch 17 is turned on because the lead switch 17 receives the magnetic force of the magnet 15 when the slider 14 approaches, as a result of being pulled toward the suction side against the force of 16.

On the other hand, when the function of the pump is lost due to lack of water and the pressure difference between the suction side and the discharge side is not generated, the slider 14 is pushed toward the discharge side by the spring 16, and as a result, the reed switch 17 is moved to the slider 14 by the spring. Away from the magnet 1
Since it does not receive the magnetic force of 5, it is turned off, and a water shortage is detected.

[0017]

However, when detecting a water shortage or clogging of the filter medium using the conventional water flow sensor or differential pressure sensor, the water flow sensor often malfunctions.
Further, since the sensor is operated on the safety side, the device is often stopped by mistake, and the differential pressure sensor has a drawback that it cannot detect the clogging of the filter medium even if it can detect the lack of water.

That is, the water flow sensor must be installed directly in the hot water circulation path in order to detect changes in the flow rate of the hot water.
In this case, if the operation of the device is continued for a long time, the sensor is contaminated in the hot water and is apt to malfunction.

When a water flow sensor whose spring pressure is adjusted to be strong or weak is used to distinguish between water shortage and clogging, the spring pressure cannot be adjusted with high accuracy, so that the OF is blocked due to clogging of the filter medium.
It is difficult to distinguish whether it is F or OFF due to lack of water, and the sensor is operated on the safe side, and even if the filter medium is slightly clogged, it is judged to be insufficient and the operation of the device is stopped. There was also a drawback that it would end up.

Since the differential pressure sensor is not directly arranged in the hot water circulation path, there is no fear of malfunction due to dirt in the hot water unlike the water flow sensor, but the amount of hot water circulated due to clogging of the filter medium is reduced. It cannot be detected.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, accurately detects water shortage and clogging of the filter medium without causing malfunctions, and provides a safe and easy-maintenance bathtub cleaning device. It is intended to be provided.

[0022]

That is, according to the present invention, the hot water in the bathtub is forcibly circulated by a circulation pump, and a cleaning process such as filtration of dirt in a filtration tank in a circulation path, heat retention by a heater, and sterilization by ozone is performed. In the bath water purifier to be performed, pressure sensors for detecting the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the pump are respectively provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the circulation pump, and the control device is provided with a difference of the pump based on a signal from the pressure sensor. A pressure difference calculating means for obtaining a pressure, a water shortage determining means for comparing the calculated pressure difference with a water shortage limit value stored in a storage device to determine whether or not the pump is in a water shortage state for idle operation, and a suction pressure A bathtub characterized in that the discharge pressure, the differential pressure, etc. are compared with a clogging limit value stored in a storage device to determine whether or not the filter medium is in a clogging state, and a clogging determination means is provided. Of hot water A purifying device.

[0023]

The present invention is constructed as described above, and pressure sensors for detecting suction pressure and discharge pressure are provided upstream and downstream of the circulation pump, respectively, and the discharge and suction detected by the pressure sensor by the control device are arranged. The water shortage can be easily determined by calculating the pressure difference between and and comparing this pressure difference with the limit value stored in the storage device.

That is, when a water shortage occurs in the circulation path, the differential pressure becomes close to 0. Therefore, when it is lower than the predetermined differential pressure indicating the water shortage, when it is lower than this, the water shortage is easily determined. it can.

Furthermore, by comparing the suction pressure, the discharge pressure itself, and the differential pressure with the limit values stored in the storage device, the clogging state of the filter medium can be identified by discriminating the individual clogging state of the installed filtering device.

That is, when the differential pressure exceeds the limit value and becomes abnormally high, it means that the circulation path is totally clogged, so that it can be determined that all the filter media of a plurality of filtering devices are clogged. , If the suction pressure exceeds the limit value and becomes high,
It can be determined that the filter material of the filtration device arranged upstream of the circulation pump is clogged, and when the discharge pressure is high, it can be determined that the filter material of the filtration device arranged downstream of the circulation pump is clogged.

Further, the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the circulation pump can be detected without directly providing the detection means in the circulation path of the hot water, so that there is no concern that the sensor will malfunction due to dirt in the hot water, so that it can be accurately detected.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described first with reference to the piping diagram of FIG.

Reference numeral 18 is a bath containing hot water 19, 20 is a cleaning device, and inside the cleaning device 20, a first filtration tank 21 equipped with a filter for filtering dirt, for forcibly circulating hot water. Circulation pump 22 and heater 2 for heat retention
3. A second filtration tank 24 filled with activated stones for activation treatment, activated carbon for adsorbing organic substances, etc. is connected in series by connecting pipes 25, 26, 27.

Reference numeral 28 denotes a hot water suction pipe connected to a first filtration tank 21 for pumping up the hot water 19 in the bath tub 18, and a prefilter 29 for filtering large dust is provided at the tip of the hot water suction pipe 28. It is installed.

Numeral 30 is a bathtub 1 for hot water which has been cleaned.
8, a jet nozzle 31 for ejecting hot water as a jet flow is attached to the tip of the spout tube 30.

Reference numeral 32 denotes an air supply pipe connected to the jet nozzle 31 for ejecting air together with hot water. A high-pressure discharge type ozonizer 33 is attached to the air supply pipe 32 to ozone the air sent to the jet nozzle 31. The hot water 19 in the bathtub 18 can be sterilized with ozone, and 34 is a solenoid valve for opening and closing the intake port of the air supply pipe 32.

Reference numeral 35 is a hot water temperature sensor such as a thermistor for detecting the hot water temperature for controlling the hot water so as to keep the hot water at a set temperature, and 36 is a suction pressure sensor for detecting the suction pressure of the circulation pump 22. And is attached to a branch pipe 37 connected to the connecting pipe 25 upstream of the circulation pump 22.

Reference numeral 38 is a second pressure sensor as a discharge pressure sensor for detecting the discharge pressure of the circulation pump 22, and is attached to a branch pipe 39 connected to the connecting pipe 26 downstream of the circulation pump 22.

As the first and second pressure sensors 36 and 38 as sensors for detecting the suction and discharge pressures of the circulation pump 22, the diaphragm moves according to the pressure, and the momentum of the diaphragm is detected by the pressure sensitive element. A sensor for detecting the pressure of a normal gas, which is then output as current or voltage, is used.

Next, the first and second pressure sensors 36 and 3
A control device for determining water shortage and clogging based on the suction and discharge pressures of the circulation pump 22 detected by No. 8 will be described with reference to the basic block diagram of FIG.

Reference numeral 40 denotes an input key device. The input key device 40 is used to operate / stop the device.
A stop key and keys for setting operating conditions of various devices such as hot water temperature and ozone sterilization conditions are provided.

Reference numeral 41 is a first pressure sensor 36 as a suction pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor 3 as a discharge pressure sensor.
A / D that converts 8 analog data to digital data
It is a converter.

Reference numeral 42 is a control device for controlling the entire apparatus, including a CPU 43 as a central processing unit, a ROM 44 as a storage device for storing data and programs for control, and a data for arithmetic processing in the CPU 42. A display device 46 is composed of a RAM 45 for temporary storage, and 46 displays the operating states of various devices including water shortage and clogging.

In the control device 42, the CPU 43 as a central processing unit functions as a differential pressure calculating means for obtaining a differential pressure of the pump, a water shortage judging means and a clogging judging means, and a ROM44 as a memory device stores a water shortage limit value. Also, the clogging limit value is stored as data for determining water shortage and clogging by the water shortage determination means and the clogging determination means.

Therefore, the suction pressure detected by the first pressure sensor 36 as the suction pressure sensor and the discharge pressure detected by the second pressure sensor 38 as the discharge pressure sensor are A
After the data is converted by the / D converter 41, it is sent to the control device 42, and the differential pressure is calculated by the CPU 43 as the differential pressure calculating means.

The water shortage determination based on the calculated differential pressure is performed by the CPU 43 as the water shortage determination means by comparing whether it is lower than the data of the lower limit value of the differential pressure stored in the ROM 44 and indicating the water shortage limit. When the differential pressure is lower than the lower limit value and it is determined that the water is insufficient, this is displayed on the display device 46, and the heater 2 is passed through the step described in detail later.
3. The operations of the ozonizer 35 and the circulation pump 22 are stopped.

Next, the discrimination of clogging will be explained. Since there are two filtration tanks in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, when clogging occurs in both the first and second filtration tanks 21 and 24, There are three cases where only the first filtration tank 21 is clogged and when only the second filtration tank 24 is clogged.

First, when the two filtration tanks 21 and 24 are both clogged, the head of the pump increases as the flow rate of the hot water decreases due to the clogging of the filter medium, and the head or the differential pressure causes the clogging. The pressure difference increases as it progresses.

Therefore, the CPU 43 determines the clogging.
Then, it is performed by comparing whether the calculated differential pressure is higher than the upper limit data of the differential pressure indicating the limit of clogging of the ROM 44,
When the differential pressure is higher than the upper limit value and it is determined that clogging has occurred, the display device 46 displays that the two filtration tanks 21 and 24 are both clogged.

Next, in the case where only one of the filtration tanks is clogged, if only the first filtration tank 21 is clogged, the suction pressure becomes high and the discharge pressure becomes low although the differential pressure does not change. If only 24 is clogged, the differential pressure does not change as in the case where only the first filtration tank 21 is clogged, but the suction pressure becomes low and the discharge pressure becomes high.

Therefore, the determination of the clogging of one of the first filtration tank 21 and the second filtration tank 24 is input by the CPU 43 from the first and second pressure sensors 36 and 38 to the control device 42. The suction pressure and the discharge pressure are compared with the upper limit values of the suction pressure and the discharge pressure, which are stored in the ROM 44 by the CPU 43 and indicate the limit of the clogging, and the suction pressure or the discharge pressure exceeds the upper limit value to determine the clogging. If it is, the display device 46 displays that the first filtration tank 21 or the second filtration tank 24 is clogged.

The control for detecting water shortage and clogging by the control device 42 as described above is performed according to a program stored in the ROM 44, and this program will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

With the power source being input, first, as the first step S1, the input state of the run / stop key is read and the second step is performed.
In step S2, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in operation. If it is determined that the vehicle is in operation, the pump is operated in the third step S3.

Next, as a fourth step S4, the heater and the ozonizer are not operated by the pump in the initial forced operation as described later, but after the differential pressure is judged to be normal when the lower limit value is exceeded, the normal operation state is started. Since the operation is performed after the operation is performed for a predetermined time t and the safety is confirmed, the timer 3 for measuring the time after the differential pressure exceeds the lower limit value is cleared and the operation is continued.

At the beginning of operation, the circulation of hot water by the circulation pump is not sufficient and the differential pressure does not exceed the lower limit value. Therefore, the pump is forcibly operated by ignoring the differential pressure determination for a predetermined time. I have to let you.

Therefore, in a fifth step S5, it is determined whether or not the time measured by the timer 1 for measuring the time after the operation key is pressed has reached the predetermined forced operation time t of about 10 seconds. .

When the time has not reached the predetermined forced operation time from the start of operation, the time is waited, and if the time from the start of operation has reached the forced operation time, the differential pressure is set to the lower limit as the sixth step S6. It is determined whether the value is greater than or equal to.

In order to avoid erroneously determining that the differential pressure is less than or equal to the lower limit value due to a malfunction of the sensor, the time during which the differential pressure is less than or equal to the lower limit value is measured, and this time is continued for a predetermined time t. It is necessary to judge it as abnormal for the first time.

Therefore, when the differential pressure is determined to be equal to or more than the lower limit value in the sixth step S6, the timer 2 for measuring the time during which the differential pressure does not exceed the lower limit value is cleared in the seventh step S7. And continue driving.

Then, as the eighth step S8, the timer 3
It is judged whether or not the time after the differential pressure exceeds the lower limit value and the pump is in the normal operating state, which has been measured in, has passed the safety confirmation time t of about 60 seconds, and the safety confirmation time has been reached. If the safety confirmation time has not been reached, if the safety confirmation time has elapsed, the heater and the ozonizer are actuated in the ninth step S9, and the operation for cleaning the hot water is started.

If the cleaning operation is started, the first
At 0 step S10, it is determined whether or not the differential pressure exceeds the upper limit value. If the differential pressure exceeds the upper limit value, both filter tanks are clogged as described above. This is displayed on the display device as the eleventh step S11.

Although omitted in this flow chart, of course, the clogging of the first filtration tank by the suction pressure and the clogging of the second filtration tank by the discharge pressure are also detected.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the sixth step S6 that the differential pressure is less than or equal to the lower limit value, the twelfth step S12 is performed.
Immediately turn off the heater and the ozonizer, and
At 3 steps S13, the time after the differential pressure falls below the lower limit value is measured by the timer 2, and whether the state after the differential pressure falls below the lower limit value continues for a sensor error detection time t of about 5 seconds or more. Determine whether.

If it is determined in the 13th step S11 that the state where the differential pressure becomes equal to or lower than the lower limit value does not continue for the sensor error detection time t or longer, it is a malfunction of the sensor and it is not determined that water is insufficient, and the operation is continued as it is. Then, when it is determined that the state where the differential pressure becomes equal to or lower than the lower limit value continues for the sensor error detection time t or more, it is determined that the water is insufficient.

When it is determined that water is insufficient in the 13th step S13, the circulation pump is turned off in the 14th step S14, and at the same time, a water shortage warning is displayed on the display device in the 15th step S15.

If it is determined in the second step S2 that the pump is not in operation, the pump is turned off in the 16th step S16, and then in the 17th step S17, the determination of the differential pressure is ignored in the initial stage of the operation. The timer 1 for measuring the forced operation time when performing the forced operation for t hours is cleared, and the operation is waited for.

[0063]

The present invention has the above-described configuration and operation. When the pump runs idle due to water shortage in the hot water circulation path due to some abnormality in the device, the circulation pump detected by the pressure sensor A water shortage is detected by the differential pressure between the suction pressure and the discharge pressure, which prevents accidents due to idle operation of the pump and empty heating of the heater.

Further, since the position of the clogging state of the circulation path can be detected by the values of the differential pressure, the suction pressure and the discharge pressure, when one filtration tank is provided, this clogging can of course be detected, and a plurality of clogging can be provided. If so, it is possible to accurately detect which of the filtration tanks is clogged, which facilitates maintenance of the device.

Further, since the pressure sensor is not directly arranged in the hot water circulation path, there is no malfunction due to dirt in the hot water as in the conventional case, the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the pump are accurately detected, and the device is Accurate control based on the sensed pressure data.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Fig. 1] Device piping diagram,

FIG. 2 is a basic block diagram of the control device,

FIG. 3 is a control flow chart,

[Fig. 4] Water flow sensor,

FIG. 5 is a differential pressure sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

18 Bathtub 19 Hot Water 20 Purification Device 21 First Filtration Tank 22 Circulation Pump 23 Heater 24 Second Filtration Tank 28 Hot Water Pipe 30 Hot Melt Pipe 31 Jet Nozzle 32 Air Supply Pipe 33 Ozonizer 36 First Pressure Sensor (Suction Pressure Sensor) 38 Second Pressure sensor (discharge pressure sensor) 42 Control device 43 CPU (differential pressure calculation, water shortage and clogging determination, each means) 44 Storage device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bath water purifying device for forcibly circulating hot water in a bath by a circulation pump to clean dirt in a filtration tank in a circulation path, heat retention by a heater, sterilization by ozone, etc. Pressure sensors for detecting the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the pump are respectively provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the circulation pump, and the control device has a differential pressure calculating means for obtaining a differential pressure of the pump based on a signal from the pressure sensor, This calculated differential pressure is compared with the water shortage limit value stored in the storage device, and a water shortage determination means for determining whether or not the water is in a water shortage state in which the pump is idle, and suction pressure, discharge pressure, differential pressure, etc. are stored. An apparatus for cleaning bathtub hot water, comprising: means for determining whether a filter medium is in a clogging state by comparing with a clogging limit value stored in the apparatus, and a clogging determination means.