JPH07319477A - Buzzer sound volume control device and hot water supply system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control the sound volume of a buzzer without using a vaiable resistor at the time of driving the buzzer with a driving signal generated by a microcomputer. CONSTITUTION:A microcomputer 10 generates the driving signal Sd having the frequency corresponding to the frequency value written in an EEPROM 20 to drive a buzzer 12. A buzzer whose sound volume P is changed according to the change of an impressed driving frequency (f) is used as the buzzer 12. When a sound volume adjusting means 22 is operated, the microcomputer 10 changes the frequency (f) of the driving signal Sd and rewrites the frequency value written in the EEPROM 20 with a changed frequency value.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention controls the volume of a buzzer used as an informing means for informing a user of various hot water supply control breaks in a hot water supply system or as an informing means for informing an abnormality of the hot water supply system. The present invention relates to a device and a hot water supply system equipped with the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, not only a simple hot water supply function of heating water supplied from a water pipe to a preset temperature set by a user by a heat exchanger and discharging hot water from a hot water supply port such as a faucet, but also a microcomputer ( (Hereafter, simply microcomputer)
With the data processing and control function using, the so-called automatic water filling function that automatically supplies a predetermined amount of hot water set by the user into the bathtub, and the hot water in the bathtub can be set to the set temperature according to the user's preference. BACKGROUND ART A hot water supply system having a reheating function of reheating the hot water in a bathtub for heating up to or maintaining a set temperature (for keeping heat) is widely used.

In such a hot water supply system,
Separation of various hot water supply controls, for example, as a notification means to notify the user of boiling water in the bath, or also to notify of an abnormality in the hot water supply system, such as abnormal heating or incomplete combustion of the heating part for heating water supply or reheating. As a notification means, a buzzer composed of an inexpensive and small piezoelectric sounding body is generally used, which is also selectively driven by a microcomputer.

FIG. 2 shows the essential structure of such a conventional buzzer driving device. Explaining, microcomputer 10
Generates a drive signal Sd selectively when the buzzer 12 should be driven, such as when the hot water supply control is interrupted or when an abnormality occurs. Drive signal
In the case of the conventional device, Sd has a certain drive frequency f _O , is amplified to the required power through the voltage-to-power conversion circuit 11, and drives the buzzer 12. In addition, an upward opening arrow in the drawing indicates that the power supply is connected to a power source (not shown). Therefore, in the illustrated voltage-to-power conversion circuit 11, the driving power from the power supply is periodically applied to the buzzer 12 at a predetermined frequency by substantially dropping the output terminal to the ground according to the frequency of the input signal. It is composed of an inverter type buffer amplifier that allows the operation.

However, especially when the inexpensive and small piezoelectric sounding body is used as the buzzer 12 as described above, the frequency characteristic is not flat, and rather, it is shown in FIG. As described above, the change in the volume P is considerably large with respect to the applied drive frequency f. Therefore, in the illustrated conventional device, the standard volume P _O
Was fixed empirically to a certain constant value, and the microcomputer 10 was configured to generate a drive signal Sd having a fixed frequency value f _O to obtain this.

[0006]

However, there have been many requests to change the buzzer volume from the standard volume P _O depending on the installation conditions of the hot water supply system and the wishes of the user. for that reason,
As an idea, there has been a proposal, for example, that the protective resistance 13 in series with the driving power source line of the buzzer 12 is a variable resistance 13 'as shown in FIG. However, this is not desirable for the following reasons.

First, the variable resistor as a component has a fairly high price, which increases the product cost. In addition, a space for mounting the device is also required, which impairs downsizing of a device, particularly a remote controller (hereinafter simply referred to as a remote controller) provided for the user to perform various setting operations for hot water supply control. The operating knob for operating the variable resistor must be considerably large considering the convenience of the user. Furthermore, since it is an electromechanical means, it is poor in reliability over a long period of time, and when incorporated in a remote controller provided in the bathroom, a means for ensuring water tightness is also required.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a device capable of actively controlling the frequency characteristic of the buzzer itself and controlling the buzzer volume without using a variable resistor, and a hot water supply system using the same. It was done.

[0009]

The present invention achieves the above object and provides a device for controlling the volume of a buzzer driven based on a drive signal selectively issued by a microcomputer. A buzzer is used in which the frequency characteristic of the volume with respect to the frequency of the drive signal is not flat. Then, the microcomputer is configured to emit a signal of a frequency corresponding to the frequency value written in the electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory means as a drive signal, and
When the buzzer volume adjusting operation means is operated by the user, the frequency value previously written in the non-volatile memory means is rewritten by the frequency value corresponding to the set volume. .

In the case of using only the above basic structure,
The microcomputer includes a case where it always functions to rewrite the frequency value written in the nonvolatile memory means whenever the buzzer volume adjusting operation means is operated. In some cases, this is not the case, but according to a particular aspect of the present invention, only when the buzzer volume change command operating means is operated, the microcomputer for adjusting the buzzer volume is set. A device is also proposed which is arranged to allow rewriting of the frequency values based on the operation of the operating means.

In this case, further, the microcomputer enters the buzzer sound volume change mode when the operation means for the buzzer sound volume change command is operated in the first manner, and in this mode, the change is made based on the operation of the sound volume adjustment operation means. By issuing a drive signal with a frequency according to the frequency value that is set, the user can actually adjust the buzzer volume while hearing the buzzer volume by ear, while the user determines the volume. If you want to set it, you can operate the buzzer volume change command operation means in the second way, so that the microcomputer stops the drive signal and responds to the volume set by the volume adjustment operation means at that time. Depending on the frequency value,
It is also possible to propose a device configured to rewrite the frequency value of the non-volatile memory means and release the buzzer volume change mode. However, the above-mentioned first method and second method are the same operation as the operation of the user (for example, operation of pressing a specific switch or simultaneously pressing a plurality of switches in a predetermined combination). May be different or different.

The buzzer usable in the present invention is not required to have a flat frequency characteristic of the output sound pressure with respect to the input drive frequency as described above, but a piezoelectric sounding body is particularly desirable. This is cheap and small, and the originally undesired characteristic of the output sound pressure frequency characteristic (the degree of non-flatness) adversely works for the present invention, and within a small frequency variation range. However, this is because a large volume change can be obtained (although the tone also changes because the frequency changes).

From the above, according to the present invention, not only the buzzer sound volume control device for a device utilizing a microcomputer is generally developed, but also the above-mentioned buzzer informs a user of a break of hot water supply control in a hot water supply system. We propose a hot water supply system used as a hot water supply system as well as a hot water supply system also used as an alarm means for notifying an abnormality of the hot water supply system.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 which have already been described for the conventional example indicate the same or similar components. The device to which the present invention is applied is a microcomputer.
This is a hot water supply system in which various controls as described above in 10 are performed.

However, in this type of hot water supply system, the user has a set temperature related to hot water supply, a set temperature related to reheating in a hot water supply model having a reheating function, and a set temperature related to hot water filling in a model having automatic hot water filling. A switch group for setting and operating various setting information to be transmitted from the user side to the microcomputer 10 such as temperature and amount of water filling (in the case shown, switches S1 to S1 connected to a power source by pull-up resistors R, respectively). In general, the switches S1 to S3 are rationalized as the volume change command operating means 21 and the volume adjusting operating means 22 because a remote controller (not shown) is provided with S3). We are trying to divert it.

For example, without limitation, when raising the set temperature for hot water supply, the switch S1 is kept pressed until the desired set temperature is displayed on the display section of the remote controller, and when it is lowered, the switch S2 is kept pressed. If the switch S3 is a switch provided for further control, the volume change command operating means 21 can be composed of, for example, the switch S1 and the switch S3. That is, the microcomputer 10 enters the buzzer volume change mode by pressing these two switches S1 and S3 at the same time. For convenience, this operation will be referred to as the "first method" in this embodiment.

Once the buzzer volume change mode is entered, the microcomputer 10 reads the frequency value written in the nonvolatile memory means (EEPROM) 20 which is externally electrically rewritable to the microcomputer 10 and the frequency value is read. A buzzer 12 is driven by issuing a drive signal Sd having a value. Here, as the initial value, for example, the frequency value f _{O at} which the standard sound volume P _O is obtained in the sound pressure frequency characteristic of the buzzer 12 shown in FIG. If the operation to select the buzzer volume change mode by S3 was the first operation after the hot water system was installed, the buzzer
12 starts ringing at standard volume P _O.

While listening to this, the user can then operate the volume adjusting operation means 22 to obtain a desired volume. For example, this is also not a limitation, but the volume adjusting operation means 22 includes the up switch S1 that is originally operated to raise the set temperature related to hot water supply and the down switch S2 that is operated to lower the set temperature as described above. When the user wants to raise the volume, the up switch S1 is held down until the volume reaches a desired level, and when the user wants to lower the volume, the down switch S2 is held down. In other words, the microcomputer 10 detects the operation of the up switch S1 or the down switch S2, increases the frequency f from the initial frequency value f _O in a predetermined cycle when the up switch S1 is pressed, and presses the down switch S2. If it is, lower it.

However, of course, upper and lower limit values which are considered to be appropriate in terms of design may be determined with respect to the range of change of the frequency f, and the upper limit is indicated by f _max and the lower limit is indicated by f _min in FIG. is there. This frequency change range may be determined in advance by the program of the microcomputer 10, and specific upper and lower limit values
f _max and f _min may be written in the EEPROM 20. Of course, the upper and lower limit values P _max and P _min also occur in the sound volume P corresponding to these upper and lower limit frequency values, but in any case, the user operates the switch S1 or S2 to set the desired buzzer sound volume. If decided, the operations of those switches S1 and S2 are stopped, and then the operations of releasing the buzzer volume change mode, for example, switches S1 and S3 as the volume change command operating means 21 assumed in this embodiment are again set. Press simultaneously. This operation is the same as the above-mentioned "first method" as an operation, but here, for convenience, it will be referred to as "second method".

In this way, when the volume change command operating means 21 is operated by the second method, the microcomputer 10 releases the volume change mode, stops the transmission of the buzzer drive signal Sd, and sets the volume set at this point. Rewrite the initial frequency value written in EEPROM 20 with the frequency value corresponding to. After that, when it is necessary to ring the buzzer 12 when the hot water supply control is interrupted or when an abnormality occurs, the microcomputer 10 sets the EEPR
The drive signal Sd having the frequency f corresponding to the frequency value written in the OM 20 is emitted to drive the buzzer 12 at the corresponding volume P.

When the user wants to change the buzzer volume again, the user may repeat the same operation as before, whereby the frequency value previously written in the EEPROM 20 is updated again. In other words, the frequency value, which is the volume information once set, remains in EEPROM20 until it is rewritten.
Since it is held inside, even if there is a power failure, for example, there is no need to newly rewrite the frequency value after the recovery.

The buzzer 12 used in the present invention should have a rather poor frequency characteristic as shown in FIG. 1 (B). This is because the volume can be changed greatly even if the change width of the drive frequency f is small. Therefore, also in that sense, it is preferable to use a small-sized and inexpensive piezoelectric speaker as the buzzer 12.

In the above embodiment, the microcomputer 10 has the buzzer volume changing mode as a unique mode. However, this does not have to be the case, and operation means for volume adjustment
Whenever the 21 is operated, after the drive signal Sd having a frequency based on the frequency value written in the EEPROM 20 at that time is started to drive the buzzer 12, the frequency value is operated based on the operation of the volume adjusting operation means 21. Up or down,
When the user stops operating the operating means 21, the frequency value in the EEPROM 20 may be updated with the frequency value at that time.

Also, when the volume change mode setting and cancellation operations are required, the above-mentioned "first method" and "second method" may be different, and in the first place, for example, When the switch S3 is a mode changeover switch for various modes including the buzzer volume adjustment mode according to the present invention, the operation of pressing the switch S3 until the volume change mode corresponds to the "first way", and again. The operation of pressing to select another mode corresponds to the "second method". Of course, as described above, it is rational to divert the switch groups S1 to S3, etc., which are provided for other setting operations related to hot water supply control, to the present invention, but in principle, to the present invention. A dedicated switch group may be provided.

Although the embodiments for implementing the present invention in a hot water supply system have been described above, the buzzer volume control device of the present invention can be applied to other control systems as long as it utilizes a microcomputer. .

[0026]

According to the present invention, the buzzer volume can be controlled according to the user's preference without using a variable resistor. Also, even if there is a power failure, the set buzzer volume information is maintained, and there is no inconvenience to reset the buzzer volume information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration of a main part of a buzzer volume control device or a hot water supply system having the buzzer volume control device configured according to the present invention, and a frequency characteristic example of a buzzer that can be used in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a circuit that conventionally drives a buzzer by a microcomputer.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 microcomputer, 12 buzzer, 20 electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory means (EEPR
OM), 21 Volume change command operating means, 22 Volume adjusting operating means, Sd buzzer drive signal, f buzzer drive frequency.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A device for controlling the volume of a buzzer driven based on a drive signal selectively emitted by a microcomputer; as the buzzer, a buzzer in which the frequency characteristic of the volume with respect to the frequency of the drive signal is not flat. The microcomputer outputs a signal having a frequency corresponding to the frequency value written in the electrically rewritable non-volatile memory means as the drive signal, while operating the buzzer volume adjusting operation means. At this time, the frequency value previously written in the nonvolatile memory means is rewritten with the frequency value corresponding to the volume set by the operation of the buzzer volume adjusting operation means; apparatus. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a frequency value corresponding to a standard volume is written in the nonvolatile memory means as an initial value. 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2;
The microcomputer further includes a buzzer sound volume change command operating means; the microcomputer rewrites the frequency value based on the operation of the buzzer sound volume adjusting operation means only when the buzzer sound volume change command operating means is operated. What is possible; 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the buzzer sound volume adjusting operation means is operated, the microcomputer has a frequency corresponding to a frequency value changed based on the operation. Emitting a drive signal;
A device characterized by. 5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the microcomputer enters a buzzer volume change mode when the buzzer volume change command operating means is operated in the first way, and the volume adjusting operation is performed. The drive signal having a frequency corresponding to the frequency value changed based on the operation of the means is emitted, and when the buzzer sound volume change command operation means is subsequently operated in the second manner, the drive signal is stopped and At that time, the buzzer volume change mode is released after the frequency value of the nonvolatile memory means is rewritten with the frequency value corresponding to the volume set by the volume adjusting operation means. And the device. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first method and the second method are the same operations as operations performed by the user. 7. A device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the buzzer is a piezoelectric sounding body. 8. The method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.
A hot water supply system using the described device; wherein the buzzer is used as an informing means for informing a user of a break in hot water supply control in the hot water supply system;
Hot water supply system characterized by. 9. The hot water supply system according to claim 8, wherein
The buzzer is also used as an alarm means for notifying an abnormality of the hot water supply system;