JPH0783513A - Bathtub hot water rate controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a bathtub hot water quantity controller in which the control of hot water quantity in a bathtub is automated by remotely detecting the hot water quantity in the bathtub from a rise in a hot water temperature in the bathtub. CONSTITUTION:The bathtub hot water rate controller comprises a bathtub 20, a circulation passage (bath temperature keeping circulation passage) 60 for circulating hot water to hot water heating means and interior, exterior of the bathtub, a pump 56 for agitating the hot water in the bathtub through the passage, a potable water passage 11 for supplying potable water, a switching valve (hot water supply and poring switching valve) 44 for supplying potable water to the circulating passage side, flow rate detecting means (water flow rate sensor 47) for detecting a flow rate of the potable water supplied to the passage side, temperature sensing means (temperature sensor) 70 for sensing water of hot water in the bathtub, and control means. The hot water in the bathtub is heated, present hot water rate in the bathtub is calculated with its rising temperature and quantity of applied to the hot water as calculating data, the valve 44 is controlled to supply the potable water to the bathtub 20, thereby controlling the hot water rate in the bathtub to a set water rate.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bathtub hot water amount control device for controlling the amount of hot water in a bathtub, and more particularly to a hot water bath based on remote water amount detection utilizing the temperature rise due to heating of hot water in the bathtub. The present invention relates to a water amount control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automatic bath heater, when controlling the amount of water in a bathtub, it is essential to detect the amount of water in the bathtub.
In order to detect the amount of water, a water level detection device such as a pressure switch or a water level switch that directly detects the water level in the bathtub is required.

[0003]

By the way, in the automatic bathtub, a method of transferring hot water heated on the equipment main body side having a heating means or the like to the bathtub side by using a pump is further adopted. Some have a reheating function that returns the hot water in the bathtub to the body of the equipment and reheats it. In such an automatic bath kettle, there is a case where the appliance body having the heating means and the bathtub are separated from each other, for example, the appliance body is installed on the first floor of the house and the bathtub is installed on the second floor. In such a case, the control signal line connecting the water level detection device installed in the bathtub and the control device that controls the instrument body, the installation position of the control device, and the like are complicated, which requires labor.

In addition, in order to detect the water level on the bathtub side, there is an automatic bathtub in which the amount of water to be supplied to the bathtub is optimized by measuring the water amount on the instrument body side. With such a bath kettle, an appropriate amount of water can be supplied to the volume of the bathtub, but the water level in the bathtub is indirectly calculated on the instrument body side, so of course, the amount of water reduced by bathing, etc. Cannot be detected on the instrument body side.

In any of the bath pots, a water level detecting device must be installed, and wiring for that is required.

For this reason, in such a bath kettle, it is impossible to automatically add an appropriate amount of water, and since it does not have a control function for it, the bather can use an appropriate amount of water such as a water tap to control the insufficient amount of water. There was the inconvenience of having to make up for it by operation.

Therefore, the present invention provides a bathtub hot water amount control device which realizes automation of hot water amount control of the bathtub by remotely detecting the water amount in the bathtub from the temperature rise of the hot water in the bathtub by the heating means. The purpose is to

[0008]

As shown in FIG. 1, a bathtub hot water supply amount control device of the present invention includes a bathtub (20) for storing hot water (water 4c) and heating for heating the hot water in the bathtub. Means (heat exchanger 22 for reheating), a circulation path (reheating circulation pipeline 60) for taking out the hot and cold water from the bathtub and returning it to the bathtub through the heating means, and inside the bathtub A pump (56) for pumping the hot and cold water into the bathtub through the circulation path to agitate the hot and cold water in the bathtub, a clean water channel (11) to which clean water is supplied, and a clean water channel (11) installed in the clean water channel. And a water injection valve (hot water supply / pouring changeover valve 44, additional heating / pouring changeover valve 50) for supplying the clean water from the clean water passage to the circulation path side, and a water supply valve installed at the clean water passage to supply to the circulation path side. Flow rate detecting means (water flow rate sensor) for detecting the flow rate of the tap water 7), temperature detection means (temperature sensor 70) provided in the circulation path to detect the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub, and the pump to drive the hot water in the bathtub through the circulation path. The hot water in the bath is agitated by pressure feeding into the bath, and the hot water in the bath is heated by the heating means through the circulation path.
The temperature rise and the amount of heat added to the hot water are used as calculation data to calculate the current amount of water in the bathtub, the difference between this amount of water and the set amount of water is calculated, and the water injection valve is controlled to control the water from the water supply channel. It is characterized by comprising a control means (hot water supply control device, main device 72) for controlling the amount of water in the bathtub to the set amount of water by supplying the clean water to the bathtub through a circulation path.

[0009]

The hot and cold water in the bathtub can be circulated through the circulation path. That is, the hot and cold water in the bathtub is drawn out to the circulation path and then pumped to the bathtub side. As a result, the hot and cold water in the bathtub is agitated. The hot and cold water in the bathtub is heated by the heating means.

As a result of this heating, the temperature of the hot water in the bath is
If the temperature rises by the specific temperature ΔT, this specific temperature ΔT
Assuming that the heating time required for increasing the temperature is t, and the heating capacity of the heating means is No, which is the amount of heat added to the hot water, the water amount Q in the bathtub is Q = No.t / ΔT (1). From this equation (1), the water amount Q in the bathtub is indirectly calculated.

In this case, the amount Q of water in the bath can be calculated by measuring the rising temperature ΔT of the hot water in the unit time t.

This amount of water Q represents the current amount of water in the bathtub. When this amount of water Q is compared with the set amount of water Qo in the bathtub, the difference is the amount of insufficient water ΔQ, and this amount of insufficient water ΔQ is ΔQ = Qo − Q ... (2). Then, the clean water corresponding to the insufficient water amount ΔQ is supplied from the clean water channel to the bathtub through the circulation path.

A water injection valve is provided between the water supply channel and the circulation path. When water is supplied, the water injection valve is switched to the water side and the water supply is supplied to the bathtub side through the circulation path. To do. In this case, the supply amount of clean water is detected by the water amount detection means. Therefore, it is detected that the insufficient water amount ΔQ has been supplied to the bathtub through the circulation path, and the water injection valve is switched according to the detection result to shut off the upper water path side.

As described above, in the bathtub hot water quantity control device of the present invention, the hot water in the bathtub is circulated through the circulation path to be stirred and heated by the heating means, and the rising temperature of the hot water according to the heating time is detected. Based on this, the current amount of water in the bathtub is calculated. The difference between this water volume and the set water volume,
That is, the amount of insufficient water is calculated, and the amount of insufficient water is supplied from the upper water channel to the bathtub through the circulation path to control the set amount of water as quickly as possible.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the bathtub hot water supply amount control device of the present invention. The water 4a as the clean water supplied from the tap water or the like passes through the hot water supply water flow switch 26 installed in the clean water passage 11 to electrically detect the water flow, and Dw1 is obtained by the hot water supply water flow switch 26. It represents a hot water supply water flow detection signal. The water 4a is heated by the heat exchanger 28 and the hot water supply burner 30 as the first heating means.

A combustion gas 32 is supplied to the hot water supply burner 30.
It is supplied through a main valve 34 and a hot water supply valve 36 whose opening / closing is electrically controlled, Cv1 represents an open / close control signal of the main valve 34, and Cv2 represents an open / close control signal of the hot water supply valve 36. The gas 32 supplied to the hot water supply burner 30 is ignited by an igniter 38 which is electrically ignited as an ignition means, and Sf1 represents its ignition signal. The presence / absence of ignition of the gas 32 is detected by a flame detector 40 called a flame rod which electrically detects the presence / absence of a flame, and Df1 represents an ignition detection signal.

The hot water 4b as clean water that has been heated by passing through the heat exchanger 28 is provided with hot water supply temperature sensor 42 which is a thermistor for electrically detecting the hot water supply temperature installed as hot water supply temperature detecting means. And the temperature is detected. At1 represents the hot water supply temperature detection signal.
The hot water 4b that has passed through the hot water supply temperature sensor 42 has a hot water supply / pouring changeover valve 4 in which the hot water supply / pouring direction can be electrically switched.
4, the supply to the hot water supply port 46 side a and the pouring to the bathtub 20 side b are switched by the hot water supply / pouring switching signal Sh1. That is, the hot water supply / pouring changeover valve 44 constitutes a water injection valve for supplying clean water to the circulation path side.

The hot water 4b led to the pouring side b through the hot water / pouring changeover valve 44 is detected by the water flow rate sensor 47 which electrically detects the flow rate, and Dm is the water flow rate detection signal. Represent. The hot water 4b that has passed through the water flow rate sensor 47 is guided to a reheating / pouring switching valve 50 that electrically switches the hot water supply direction, through a hopper 48 as a disconnecting means that disconnects from the clean water side, and reheating. -The pouring side and pouring side are switched according to the pouring switching signal Sh2.

In this case, on the pouring side c, in the direction shown by arrow B, the hot water 4b from the pipe 52 directly connected to the bath 20 is passed through the pump 56 that electrically circulates water to the bath 20. Supplied. Dr represents a pump drive signal for driving the pump 56.

On the reheating side d, the reheating / pouring changeover valve 5
In addition to prohibiting pouring by 0, water 4c as hot water in the bathtub 20 for heating the bathtub 20 is reheated in the direction indicated by arrow A through the circulation port 54 in the bathtub 20. A reheating circulation pipe line 60, which is a circulation passage including a reheating side passage of the pouring changeover valve 50, is pumped by a pump 56 for circulation. That is, the reheating / pouring changeover valve 50 constitutes a water injection valve for supplying clean water to the circulation path side like the hot water supply / pouring changeover valve 44. Then, as a result of pumping the water 4c to the bath 20 side by the pump 56, a water flow is generated in the bath 20, and as a result, stirring is performed.

The water 4c passing through the reheating circulation line 60 is
It is detected by a water flow sensor 62 that electrically detects the presence or absence of a water flow, and Dw2 represents the detection signal.

The reheating circulation pipe 60 is provided with a reheating heat exchanger 22 and a reheating burner 24 as a second heating means, and the water 4c in the bath 20 is heated by the reheating.
In this case, the combustion gas 32 is supplied to the reheating burner 24 through the reheating gas valve 64 whose opening and closing is electrically controlled,
The opening / closing of the additional gas valve 64 is controlled by the opening / closing control signal Cv3. The gas 32 supplied to the additional heating burner 24 is ignited by an igniter 66 that is electrically ignited as an ignition means, as in the case of the hot water supply burner 30, and Sf2 represents the ignition signal. The presence or absence of ignition of the gas 32 is detected by a flame detector 68 that electrically detects the presence or absence of a flame, and Df2 represents an ignition detection signal.

Then, the bathtub 20 heated by additional heating
The water 4c therein is detected by a temperature sensor 70 such as a thermistor that electrically detects the water temperature on the side of the reheating circulation conduit 60, and At2 represents the temperature detection signal.

Further, the heating system of the water 4a, the supply system of the hot water 4b to the bath 20 or the reheating circulation path of the water 4c in the bath 20 is controlled by the hot water supply control device for heating, supplying or reheating as shown in FIG. Controlled.

This hot water supply control device is composed of a main device 72 and a remote controller 74. The main device 72 is installed on the equipment main body side where the heat exchangers 22 and 28 are installed, and the remote controller. 74 is installed in the bathtub 20 in the bathroom etc. which a bather can adjust arbitrarily.

Digital data of the hot water supply water flow detection signal Dw1, the hot water supply side ignition detection signal Df1, the hot water supply side water flow rate detection signal Dm, the additional heating water flow detection signal Dw2 and the additional heating side ignition detection signal Df2 are stored in the input circuit 721. Central processing unit (CP
U) 722. Also, the hot water supply temperature detection signal A
Since t1 and the additional heating temperature detection signal At2 are analog signals, the multiplexer 724 installed in the input section alternately divides the analog-digital conversion circuit 72.
C, after being added to 3 and converted from analog to digital
It is taken into PU722.

The CPU 722 performs arithmetic processing according to the heating, supply or reheating control program written in the write-only storage element (ROM) 725. In addition, the various data and the data for arithmetic processing that have been taken in are written in a storage element (RAM) 726 that can be freely written and read.

A command for heating, supply or reheating control is performed by a switch operation of the remote controller 74, and the command signal is added to the remote control transmission / reception circuit 727 and taken into the CPU 722.

Then, the hot water supply side ignition signal Sf1, the opening / closing control signal Cv1, the hot water supply side opening / closing control signal Cv2, and the additional heating side opening / closing control signal C which are various control outputs as the calculation result of the CPU 722.
The output circuit 728 applies the v3, the additional-side ignition signal Sf2, the hot water supply / pouring switching signal Sh1, the additional heating / pouring switching signal Sh2, and the pump drive signal Dr to the controlled objects.

In the bathtub hot water quantity control device of the present invention,
The water amount control during reheating in the bathtub 20 will be described in the order of steps.

(A) The hot water supply / pouring changeover valve 44 is switched to the hot water supply side a and the additional heating / pouring changeover valve 50 is switched to the additional heating side d, and the additional heating mode is set as a closed loop with the additional heating circulation pipe 60. To do.

(B) After setting this additional heating mode, the pump 56 is driven to bring the temperature of the water 4c in the bath 20 to a uniform temperature T. In that case, the water temperature T of the bathtub 20 is detected by the temperature sensor 70.

(C) The water temperature in the bath 20 is kept constant T
After that, the main valve 34 and the additional heating gas valve 64 are opened, and the ignition signal Sf2 is given to the igniter 66 to flow an electric current to generate heat to ignite the additional heating burner 24.

(D) While the water 4c is circulated by the pump 56, the temperature of the water 4c in the bathtub 20 is uniformly boiled by a temperature ΔT slightly higher than the proper temperature T by the additional heating, and the temperature T The time t required for ΔT is measured and written in the RAM 726.

(E) Then, assuming that the additional combustion capacity N due to the combustion of the additional combustion burner 24 is measured in advance and stored in the ROM 725, the amount Q of water in the bathtub 20 becomes CP.
In U722, Q = N · t / ΔT is calculated from the equation (1). For example, when ΔT = 1 ° C., the water amount Q in the bathtub 20 is Q = N · t.

The calculation of the amount of water Q in the bath 20 is
The rising temperature ΔT may be detected for a certain time t, and the rising temperature ΔT may be stored in the RAM 726 and calculated from the equation (1).

(F) Since the set amount of water Qo is determined in advance from the volume of the bathtub 20, the amount of insufficient water is set and set in the remote controller 74, and the set amount of water Qo and the detected amount of water in the bathtub 20 are set. The difference water amount ΔQ is calculated from Q and by the equation (2).

(G) Then, the warm water 4 of this difference water amount ΔQ
In order to supply b into the bathtub 20, the hot water supply / pouring changeover valve 44
Is switched to the pouring side b and the reheating / pouring switching valve 50 is switched to the pouring side c to supply the hot water 4b into the bath 20.

(H) Next, the hot water / pouring changeover valve 44 is switched to the hot water supply side a, and the additional heating / pouring changeover valve 50 is switched to the additional heating side d to boil the warm water 4b in the bath 20 to the proper temperature T. Then, pouring and reheating to a proper amount and temperature is completed.

When the steps (a) to (h) are used to control the heat retention and the addition of hot water, the pouring and reheating of the water into the bathtub 20 are automatically repeated at regular time intervals. As a result, the optimum control for keeping the water amount Q and the temperature T in the bathtub 20 constant can be performed.

Further, the boiling time t due to the additional heating combustion measured in the step (d) is affected by the thermal efficiency, and factors that lower the thermal efficiency include the material of the bathtub, the additional heating pipe, the outside air temperature, the equipment. There is an error in the specific gas pressure set value. Therefore, the thermal efficiency η is calculated by the following equation: η = Qo × (T2−T1) / S × to (3) by the CPU 722 at each additional heating time, and the RAM 72 is calculated.
It is stored in 6, and the value is updated every time it is fired. Here, Qo is the set amount of water (= the amount of pouring water), T1 is the uniform temperature of the water supplied to the bath 20 during the pouring operation, T2 is the uniform boiling temperature (= set boiling temperature), and to is the boiling time. , S is an additional input capability.

In this case, the additional heating input capability S is R in advance.
It is stored in the OM 725, and the additional combustion capacity N is given by the product of the additional input capacity S and the thermal efficiency η (N = S · η).

In detecting and controlling the amount of water in the bathtub 20, as shown in FIG. 3, when the water level hw is lower than the circulation port 54 in the bathtub 20, in the step (a), the water 4c is added. Since it does not circulate in the circulation conduit 60, it can be discriminated from the water flow detection signal Dw2 of the water flow sensor 62, and in this case, it does not shift to the additional heating mode.

In this case, the hot water supply / pouring changeover valve 44 is changed over to the pouring side b and the reheating / pouring changeover valve 50 is changed to the pouring side c, which corresponds to 1/2 of the set appropriate water level hwo of the bath 20. After the water level is raised above the circulation port 54 by supplying the water amount, the steps (a) to (h) are performed, but the water amount corresponding to 1/2 of the set appropriate water level hwo of the bath 20 is set. Even if you supply
When the additional heating water flow sensor 62 does not detect the water flow, 1/4 (= 1/2 × 1/2) of the set appropriate water level hwo is further supplied. Still, when the water flow sensor 62 does not detect the water flow, 1/8 (= 1/2 × 1/2) of the set appropriate water level hwo.
X 1/2) is supplied. Such supply operation is sequentially tried until the water flow sensor 62 detects the water flow.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, the water quantity detector and the signal line are not installed on the bathtub side,
The amount of hot water in the bathtub can be calculated remotely from the temperature rise of the hot water in the bathtub using the heating by the existing heating means, and the amount of hot water in the bathtub can be controlled as quickly as possible to the set water amount based on this calculation result. Even when the apparatus body and the bathtub are separated from each other, the amount of hot and cold water can be accurately controlled, and a comfortable bathing environment can be realized without the need for the bather to pour in the required hot and cold water.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a bathtub hot water supply amount control device of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing a hot water supply control unit of the bathtub hot water supply amount control device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between a circulation port of a bathtub and a water level.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4c Water (hot water) 11 Water channel 20 Bath 22 Heating means 44 Hot water supply / pouring changeover valve (water injection valve) 47 Water flow rate sensor (flow rate detection means) 50 Boiler / pouring changeover valve (water injection valve) 56 Pump 60 Reheating Circulation pipeline (circulation path) 70 Temperature sensor (temperature detection means) 72 Main device (control means)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bathtub for storing hot water, a heating means for heating the hot water in the bath, a circulation path for taking the hot water out of the bath and returning it to the bath through the heating means, and the circulation path is installed in the circulation path. A pump for pumping the hot and cold water in the bathtub into the bathtub through the circulation path to stir the hot and cold water in the bathtub, a clean water channel to which clean water is supplied, and a water tank installed in the clean water channel, A water injection valve that supplies the clean water from the clean water path to the circulation path side, a flow rate detection unit that is installed in the clean water path and detects the flow rate of the clean water supplied to the circulation path side, and provided in the circulation path Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the hot and cold water in the bathtub, and driving the pump to pump the hot and cold water in the bathtub into the bathtub through the circulation path to remove the hot and cold water in the bathtub. Stir the heating means Then, the hot water in the bathtub is heated through the circulation path, and the current water amount in the bathtub is calculated using the rising temperature and the amount of heat added to the hot water as the calculation data, and the difference between the water amount and the set water amount is calculated. And controlling the water injection valve to supply the clean water from the clean water passage to the bath through the circulation path, thereby controlling the amount of water in the bath to the preset amount of water. A bathtub hot water quantity control device characterized by the above.