JPH08184630A - Failure diagnostic method for apparatus including electric circuit and component - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To realize a failure diagnosis requiring no modification of an apparatus nor measurements at a plurality of measuring points by determining the failure state and operating state based on the measurements of current flowing into the apparatus. CONSTITUTION: A computer 8 is brought into operating state and the power plug of a hot water supply is inserted into a commercial power supply socket through a current sensor 7 thus operating the ho water supply. The hot water supply is set normally and the current is detected by means of the sensor 7 and fed to a CPU 9 through an A/D converter 10. The CPU 9 determines the failure mode or the operating state based on the current value while grasping the sequential operation of an apparatus. When a failure mode is specified, components for which a failure is apprehended under that failure mode are specified and displayed 11. With such arrangement, manual measurements are not required at individual measuring points thus realizing failure diagnosis requiring no modification of apparatus nor measurements at a plurality of points.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a failure diagnosis method for various devices having an electric circuit and electric parts, and more particularly,
The present invention relates to a device in which the quality of parts in the device is judged by a change in current flowing into the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method for diagnosing the quality of an electric component when, for example, a device such as a water heater having an electric circuit and an electric component fails, for example, a tester is used to check the voltage at major locations. By doing so, it is the most general to identify the faulty part and to judge the defective part.

[0003]

However, in the conventional failure diagnosis method using the tester, it is necessary to perform measurement at a plurality of measurement points, which makes trouble diagnosis troublesome and results in poor work efficiency. was there. Also,
In some cases, it has been necessary to disconnect the specified wiring from the plurality of electric wirings arranged in the apparatus for measurement, which further reduces the work efficiency.

Further, even if the wiring is disconnected and the measurement is performed, it may not always be easy to identify the defective part from the measurement result, which not only makes the diagnosis troublesome but also depends on the experience of the operator. There is also a problem that it is difficult to provide a smooth and reliable diagnosis all the time. Furthermore, there is a problem in that a connection error may occur when the wiring removed for measurement is restored, which is not a highly reliable diagnostic method.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an electric circuit capable of diagnosing a failure of an apparatus without making an operator's hand inside the apparatus or making measurements at a plurality of measurement points during diagnosis. It is to provide a method of diagnosing a failure of a device provided. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of diagnosing a failure of an apparatus including an electric circuit and an electric component, which is capable of performing a safe and reliable failure diagnosis without a malfunction or the like caused by a failure diagnosis work.

[0006]

A method of diagnosing a failure of an apparatus provided with an electric circuit and an electric component according to the present invention measures a current flowing into the apparatus and judges a failure state or an operating state based on the measured value. It is the one. In particular, it is preferable to measure the current flowing into the device by a current sensor attached to the power plug.

[0007]

In the apparatus provided with the electric circuit and the electric parts, the electric current values are different for each sequence because the electric parts are sequentially operated according to the sequence. Further, the current flowing into the device provided with the electric circuit and the electric component is different between the normal operation and the failure, and also the failure is different depending on the failure state. Therefore, if the inflow current to the device according to each failure state or operating state is known in advance, when measuring the current to the device, it is possible to compare the current with the current data that is known in advance. It is possible to judge a failure.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a method for diagnosing a failure of an apparatus including an electric circuit and an electric component according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Here, FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration example of a device for carrying out a failure diagnosis method of a device including an electric circuit and an electric component according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a computer used in the structure shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of FIG. The members, arrangements, and the like described below do not limit the present invention and can be variously modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

First, in the present embodiment, a case of performing a failure diagnosis of a water heater will be described as an example. This water heater 1 is configured to heat water by burning gas to obtain hot water, and has various electric circuits and electric parts for burning gas, and its configuration is already known. -It is well known. Although details of an electric circuit and electric parts included in the water heater 1 are omitted, various electric devices such as a fan motor 2, a controller 3 for adjusting combustion in a gas burner and a hot water supply amount, an overheat prevention device 4, an electric leakage safety device 5, and the like. A circuit and electric parts are provided (see FIG. 1).

The water heater 1 is a so-called commercial power source (AC10).
0 V) is used, and in this embodiment, the power plug 6 is inserted into a commercial power outlet (not shown) via a current sensor 7 described below. The current sensor 7 in this embodiment has an outlet (not shown) into which the power plug 6 of the water heater 1 is inserted, and a plug 7a to be inserted into a commercial power outlet (not shown). Is provided with a current transformer (not shown).

That is, the primary winding of a current transformer (not shown) is connected in series between one outlet (not shown) of this current sensor 7 and one plug 7a, and is connected to the water heater 1. The inflowing current is converted into an appropriate magnitude and obtained in the secondary winding.
The output terminal of the current sensor 7 is connected to the computer 8 so that failure diagnosis and operation confirmation of components such as a solenoid valve can be performed from the current value, as will be described later.

The computer 8 of this embodiment is, for example, as shown in FIG.
And an analog-digital converter (abbreviated as "A / D" in FIG. 2 and hereinafter referred to as "A / D converter") 10 for analog-digital converting the current detected by the current sensor 7. A display device (indicated as “DISP” in FIG. 2) 11 for visually displaying diagnosis results,
An interface circuit for interfacing the display 11 and the CPU (abbreviated as "I / F" in FIG. 2)
12, and the structure itself is not special and is generally well known.

To explain the failure diagnosis in such a configuration, first, while the computer 8 is in the operating state,
The power plug 6 of the water heater 1 is inserted into a commercial power outlet (not shown) via the current sensor 7, and a power switch (not shown) is turned on to operate the water heater 1. And
The water heater 1 is set to, for example, the same setting as during normal use, and the current in its operating state (through the power plug 6
Current flowing in) to the A / D
It is taken into the CPU 9 via the converter 10.

The water heater 1 does not perform all the operations at once, but sequentially operates the electric parts in accordance with a sequence, so that the inflow current value differs in each sequence order. In addition, the inflow current value of the water heater 1 is different between normal operation and failure, and even when failure occurs, the current value differs depending on the failure mode. Therefore, the failure mode can be determined by comparing the current values in various failure modes with the measured data in advance, and if the failure mode is known, the failed component can be easily specified.

In the present embodiment, the CPU 9 performs the above-mentioned failure diagnosis. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the current detected by the current sensor 7 is first read into the CPU (step 1 in FIG. 3).
00), while grasping the sequence operation of the appliance, it is determined what failure mode and operation state the current value is (step 102 in FIG. 3). When the failure mode is specified, the parts or the like expected to fail in the failure mode are specified (step 104 in FIG. 3), and these results are displayed on the display unit 11.

The operator performs necessary work based on the information obtained in this way, and in some cases, inputs necessary data from a keyboard (not shown), and then executes CP again.
By performing the failure diagnosis in U9, it becomes possible to perform necessary repairs safely and surely, unlike the conventional case, without identifying the failure location or the failed component based on experience.

In the above embodiment, the fault diagnosis of the water heater has been described as an example, but the target of the fault diagnosis is not limited to the water heater, and any device having an electric circuit and electric components can be used. Of course, other devices may be used.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the failure of the device is judged based on the magnitude of the current flowing into the device, unlike the conventional method, it is not necessary to measure each measurement point by so-called manual operation, so that the operator does not need to measure it inside the device. The failure diagnosis of the apparatus can be performed without any modification or measurement at a plurality of measurement points, and the efficiency of failure repair can be improved.

Further, unlike the prior art, since it is not necessary to attach or detach the electric wiring, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a failure or the like due to the work of restoring the wiring, and to provide an electric circuit and an electric component capable of performing a safe and reliable failure diagnosis. A failure diagnosis method for a device provided is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration example of a device for carrying out a failure diagnosis method of a device including an electric circuit and an electric component according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a computer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of failure diagnosis performed by the computer shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Water heater 6 ... Power plug 7 ... Current sensor 7a ... Plug 8 ... Computer 9 ... CPU 10 ... A / D converter 11 ... Display 12 ... Interface circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A failure of a device having an electric circuit and an electric component, characterized by measuring a current flowing into a device having an electric circuit and an electric component, and determining a failure state and an operating state from the measured value. Diagnostic method. 2. The current flowing into the device is measured by a current sensor attached to the power plug.
A method for diagnosing a failure of a device including the electric circuit and the electric component described above.