JPH0722567Y2 - Steam generator - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the device] [Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a steam generator used for supplying steam to a steam sauna bath.

[Prior art]

In a steam generator that has a heater inside the tank and uses this heater to heat the water stored in the tank to generate steam, is it possible to generate steam for as long as the amount of water in the tank? It is desirable to be able to know. For example, when the steam generated by this steam generator is jetted into a steam sauna bath for bathing, it is unclear how long steam can be generated from the steam generator, and the remaining steam generation There is a risk that the spouting of steam will stop during the bathing despite the short time.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, a water level sensor 8 is provided in the tank 2 to detect the amount of water in the tank 2. However, as shown in FIG. 5, only by providing two water level sensors 8, it is possible to detect only the water amount when the water level is in the upper part and the water amount when it is in the lower part, and steam is generated by detecting the water amount in the tank 2. If you try to calculate the remaining time,
A large number of water level sensors 8 must be provided to detect the amount of water in the tank 2 in detail, which is not practical. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steam generation device capable of knowing the remaining steam generation time without using a water level sensor.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The present invention relates to a steam generator including a tank 2 for storing water and a heater 1 built in the tank 2 to generate steam by heating water in the tank 2, and a temperature sensor provided in the tank 2. 3 and the time when the water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 3 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature at which steam is generated, and the accumulated time is calculated from the time at which steam can be generated with the amount of water when the tank is full. It is characterized by comprising a calculation means for performing a subtraction calculation and a display means for displaying this time calculated by the calculation means as the remaining steam generation time.

[Action]

In the present invention, the temperature sensor 3 provided in the tank 2
It is possible to detect the water temperature in the tank 2 and integrate the time when the detected water temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature for generating steam to generate steam with the amount of water when the tank 2 is full. By displaying the time obtained by subtracting this integrated time from the time as the remaining steam generation time, the remaining steam generation time can be known without the need to use a large number of water level sensors.

【Example】

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, which is a tank 2
An electric heater 1 is provided in the lower end of the. One end of the steam supply pipe 9 is connected to the side wall of the upper end of the tank 2, and the other end of the steam supply pipe 9 is the wall of the steam sauna bath.
It is connected to the steam nozzle 11 provided in 10. Further, one end of a drain pipe 12 provided with an electromagnetic valve 13 in the middle is connected to the lower end of the tank 2, and the other end of the drain pipe 12 is connected to a drain port 14. A cistern 15 provided with a water tap with float 16 is arranged on the upper side of the tank 2, and one end of a water supply pipe 17 is connected to the lower part of the cistern 15 and the other end of the water supply pipe 17 is connected to the solenoid valve 13 more than the tank. It is connected to the drain pipe 12 at a position near the second side. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 18 denotes an overflow pipe, one end of which is opened in the upper end portion of the cistern 15, and the other end is connected to the drain pipe 12 at a position closer to the drain port 14 side than the solenoid valve 13. . A bypass pipe 19 is connected between the water supply pipe 17 and the overflow pipe 18 at the same height as the highest water level in the tank 2. Bypass pipe
Reference numeral 19 is connected to the water supply pipe 17 at a position closer to the tank 2 than the solenoid valve 20 provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 17.
Further, a temperature sensor 3 for measuring the water temperature in the tank 2 is provided in the lower portion of the tank 2. Then, in the steam generating device formed as described above, a fixed amount of water is always stored in the cistern 15 by the water tap with float 16, and the solenoid valve 13 opens the solenoid valve 20 in the closed state. As a result, the water in the cistern 15 can be supplied from the water supply pipe 17 to the inside of the tank 2 through the upper end portion of the drainage pipe 12, and the water level in the tank 2 reaches the height position of the bypass pipe 19 become. Water exceeding the full state enters the overflow pipe 18 through the bypass pipe 19 and is drained from the drain port 14 through the drain pipe 12. Then, the heater 1 is energized to heat the water in the tank 2 to generate steam, and the generated steam is supplied to the steam nozzle 11 of the steam sauna bath through the steam supply pipe 9 to thereby generate steam in the steam sauna bath. At you can warm your body with steam and take a bath. The residual water in the tank 2 can be discharged by operating the drain lever 49 to open the solenoid valve 13, causing the drain pipe 12 to drain the drain port 14 to the drain trap 44, and the drain pipe 45 to drain the residual water. I can do it. Since the water in the tank 2 is high temperature water, the solenoid valve 20 is also opened at the same time to mix the water in the cistern 15 with the high temperature water from the tank 2 in the drain pipe 12 to lower the water temperature. It is drainable. When this mixing is insufficient, a solenoid valve 50 is provided between the water supply pipe 17 and the overflow pipe 18 to connect both pipes 17 and 18, and the water in the systern 15 flows to the drain pipe 12 through the overflow pipe 18. It is preferable that the water is mixed with hot water from the inside of the tank 2. Here, if the water level drops to such an extent that the heater 1 is exposed, there is a risk of overheating, so the amount of water vaporized as steam is the amount of water stored in the tank 2 that fills the tank 2 (first It is the water amount obtained by subtracting the water amount of the water level (the water level is shown by LL in FIG. 1) from which the heater 1 is not exposed from the water level shown by HL in FIG. When the amount of water is 5.5 l, for example, the time T ₀ required for all 5.5 l of water to evaporate as steam after rising to a water temperature of 90 ° C. or higher at which steam is generated is 75
Minutes. On the other hand, the temperature sensor 3 provided in the tank 2 constantly detects the water temperature in the tank 2, and the water temperature is, for example, 90
It can be known that steam is generated when the temperature is ℃ or higher. Therefore, when the water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 3 is 90 ° C. or higher, the time during which the heater 1 is energized is measured by a timer, and when this timer measurement time is integrated, the remaining time T at which steam can be generated is ,
It is calculated as T = T ₀ −T _{1 which} is the time obtained by subtracting the integrated time T ₁ from the time T ₀ at which steam can be generated with the amount of water when the tank 2 is full. Therefore, the remaining time of steam generation can be calculated continuously instead of stepwise. FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing the configuration of means for calculating and displaying the remaining time of steam generation, which is shown in FIG.
Temperature sensor 3 provided in the lower part of the water, and the water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 3 is a reference temperature (90
(° C) or higher, a steam generation determination unit 30 that outputs a steam generation signal, a heater energization detection unit 31 that outputs a signal when the energization state of the heater 1 is detected, and an energization detection signal to the heater 1 And the steam generation signal are both obtained, the operation time integrating unit 32 that counts the time and the tank 2
The operable time setting unit 33 that sets the steam generation time T ₀ when the water is full and the accumulated time T ₁ output from the operating time accumulating unit 32 is subtracted from the time T ₀ output from the operable time setting unit 33. The subtraction processing unit 34 calculates the remaining steam generation time T and the remaining time display unit 35 that displays the remaining steam generation time output from the subtraction processing unit 34.
Here, the operating time integrating unit 32 is formed of a stopwatch circuit that performs a timekeeping operation when a steam generation signal is output, and this stopwatch circuit is a tank in which a button 28 of a water supply switch 29 described later is pressed. When the water supply to 2 is completed, the accumulated time is cleared by the water supply completion signal output from the water supply end detection unit 36. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 described above, the steam generation determination unit 30, the heater energization detection unit 31, the operation time integration unit 32, the operable time setting unit 33, and the subtraction processing unit 34 constitute a calculation means. There is. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the remaining time display portion 35 for displaying the remaining steam generation time is formed on the display plate 21 outside the steam sauna bath as lamps 35a to 35d.
The figure shows an example in which the remaining time display portion 35 is formed as lamp lamps 35e to 35g on the display plate 22 inside the steam sauna bath. Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the display means is constituted by the lamps 35a to 35g of the remaining time display section 35. Next, the procedure for bathing in the steam sauna bath will be described. First, in the outdoor, when the button 27 of the power switch of the outdoor display panel 21 is pressed to turn it on, the remaining steam generation time calculated as described above is displayed on the display panel 21. The display of the remaining steam generation time on the display board 21 is, for example, when the remaining steam generation time is 40 minutes or more, the "steam remaining time 40 minutes" lamp 35a is turned on, and when the remaining steam generation time is less than 40 minutes, the lamp is turned on. 35a is turned off and the lamp 35b for "steam remaining time 30 minutes" is turned on. When the remaining steam generation time is less than 30 minutes, the lamp 35b is turned off and the lamp 35c for "steam remaining time 20 minutes" is turned on. When the remaining steam generation time is less than 20 minutes, "Steam remaining time 20
The "minute" lamp 35c is made to blink, and the warning lamp 35d is made to blink when the remaining steam generation time becomes zero. When the remaining steam generation time displayed in this way is shorter than the time required for bathing, the button 28 of the water supply switch 29 is pressed to open the solenoid valve 20, and the water in the cistern 15 is supplied to the tank 2 Fill with water. Also, when the remaining steam generation time is longer than the time required for bathing, it is necessary to preheat the room of the steam sauna bath before bathing, press the preheat button 39 to select the preheat time, and during the selected preheat time Eject steam into the steam sauna bath room. For example, preheat button 39
When is pressed, the heater 1 is energized, the temperature of the water in the tank 2 rises to 90 ° C. or more, and the heater 1 is kept energized for a preset preheating time so that steam is ejected. . In the example of Fig. 3, the preheating time is 5 minutes, 10 minutes,
20 minutes can be selected and the lamp is selected according to the selection.
38a, 38b, 38c are turned on. The preheating time may be selected according to the season (temperature), and the buzzer or the like will notify you 2 minutes before the completion of preheating, so that you can take a bath before the preheating is completed and the inside of the steam sauna bath cools. I can do it. Next, after entering the room of the steam sauna bath, first, the steam spray button 40 on the display plate 22 in the room is pressed to energize the heater 1 of the tank 2 to spray steam.
At this time, the lamps 35e, 35f, and 35g are lit to display the remaining time for steam generation.Therefore, after confirming that the remaining time for steam generation is sufficient, press the steam spout button 40 to generate steam. When the remaining time is low, the outdoor display board 21 is operated again. For example, when the remaining steam generation time is 10 minutes or more, the "steam remaining time 10 minutes" lamp 35e is turned on, and when the remaining steam generation time is less than 10 minutes, the lamp 35e is turned off. "Steam remaining time 5 minutes" turns on lamp 35f, and when steam generation remaining time is less than 5 minutes, lamp 35f goes out and "Steam remaining time 1
Turn on the lamp 35g for "minute", and if the remaining steam generation time is less than 1 minute, the lamp for "steam remaining time 1 minute"
35c is made to blink so that it can be done in stages. Also, the amount of steam generated can be adjusted by pressing the steam amount button 41, and when the steam amount is large, the "amount of steam" lamp 42a lights up,
When the steam amount is medium, the lamp 42a goes off and the "medium steam amount" lamp 42b lights up. When the steam amount is small, the lamp 42b goes off and the "steam amount small" lamp 42c.
Is turned on. In this way, you can generate steam in the steam sauna bath to take a bath, but it is dangerous if steam continues to occur for a long time when you fall asleep or fall in the steam sauna bath. . For this, the steam squirt button 40
When a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) has passed after pressing to start the energization of the heater 1 and start steam ejection, the energization of the heater 1 is automatically stopped. A warning such as a buzzer sounds at the same time when the heater 1 is de-energized, and when the bath is further continued, the steam spout button 40 may be pressed again to re-energize the heater 1. After bathing is completed,
Press the steam squirt button 40 to turn it off, and leave the heater 1 powered off so that it exits the steam room. If there is no other person planning to take a bath in the steam sauna bath, the power button 43 should be pressed to turn off the power. still,
In the figure, 46 and 47 are indicator lamps that are turned on when the power is ON, 4
Reference numeral 8 is an indicator lamp which is lit while the steam spout button 40 is pressed to energize the heater 1. In the above embodiment, the water supply pipe 17 is connected to the cistern 15 to supply the water stored in the cistern 15 to the tank 2. However, the water supply pipe 17 is directly connected to the water supply pipe 17 to supply water. You may do it. Further, in the above embodiment, the remaining operation time display section 35 for displaying the remaining steam generation time is displayed.
Is formed by the lamp system with the lamps 35a to 35g, but the display can be performed by any other method such as the digital system.

[Effect of device]

As described above, in the present invention, the temperature sensor provided in the tank detects the water temperature in the tank, and the time when the detected water temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature at which steam is generated is integrated, By displaying the time obtained by subtracting this accumulated time from the time that steam can be generated with the amount of water when the tank is full, as the remaining steam generation time, it is not necessary to use many water level sensors,
It is possible to know the remaining steam generation time by using only one temperature sensor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing the constitution of means for displaying the remaining steam generation time, and FIG. 3 is a front view of an outdoor display board. Fourth
The figure is a front view of an outdoor display panel, and FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a conventional example. 1 is a heater, 2 is a tank, and 3 is a temperature sensor.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Tadashi Hirose, 3-6-1, Shintaka, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture Meiji National Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Noriaki Izumi, 3-6, Shintaka, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture No. 1 in Meiji National Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Satoshi Kawaguchi 3-6-1, Shintaka, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, Japan Meiji National Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A steam generator comprising a tank for storing water and a heater which is built in the tank and generates steam by heating water in the tank. A temperature sensor provided in the tank, and a temperature sensor. A calculating means for adding up the time when the water temperature detected by the water is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature for generating steam and subtracting this integrated time from the time when steam can be generated with the amount of water when the tank is full And a display unit for displaying this time calculated by the calculation unit as the remaining steam generation time.