JPH0894182A - Controller for amount of water in bathtub - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a controller for the amount of water in a bathtub, which realizes the automation of control of amount of hot-water in the bathtub by detecting the amount of hot-water in the bathtub remotely from the rise of hot-water temperature in the bathtub. CONSTITUTION: A controller for the amount of water in a bathtub is constituted of a bathtub 20, a heating means (heat exchanger for additional heating) 22 for hot-water, a circulation passage (additional heating circulation passage) 60 for circulating hot-water inside and outside of the bathtub, a pump 56, agitating the hot-water in the bathtub through the circulating passage, a city water passage 11 for supplying city water, a flow rate detecting means (water flow rate sensor) 47 for detecting the flow rate of city water supplied to the side of the circulation passage, a temperature detecting means (temperature sensor) 70 for detecting the temperature of hot-water in the bathtub and a control means. A time necessary for temperature rise by the heating means is measured to operate the amount of remaining water in the bathtub employing the amount of heat added to the hot-water and the measured time, then a difference between the amount of remaining water and the set amount of water is obtained, then, city water is supplied into the bathtub from the city water passage through the circulation passage by an amount corresponding to the amount of shortage with respect to the set amount of water whereby the amount of hot-water in the bathtub is controlled so as to be the set amount of water.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

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

[0006] For this reason, in such a bath kettle, it is impossible to automatically add an appropriate amount of water, and there is no control function. There was a disadvantage that it had to be compensated by operation.

Therefore, the present invention provides a bathtub water amount control device which realizes automation of the 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. To aim.

[0008]

As shown in FIG. 1, a bathtub water amount control apparatus of the present invention includes a bathtub (20) for storing hot water (water 4c) and a heating means for heating the hot water in the bathtub. (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 a circulation path installed in the circulation path A pump (5) for pumping the hot and cold water into the bathtub through the circulation path to stir the hot and cold water in the bathtub (5
6), a water supply channel (11) to which water is supplied to the circulation path, and a flow rate detection unit (water which is installed in the water supply channel and detects the flow rate of the water supplied to the circulation path side). A flow rate sensor 47), a temperature detecting means (temperature sensor 70) provided in the circulation path for detecting the temperature of the hot water in the bath, and the pump is driven to supply the water before the water is supplied to the bath. The hot water in the bathtub is slightly higher than the set temperature through the circulation path by the heating means while the hot water in the bathtub is pressure-fed into the bathtub through the circulation path to stir the hot water in the bathtub. Only the temperature is raised, the time required for the temperature rise is measured, the residual water amount in the bathtub is calculated using this time and the amount of heat added to the hot water by the heating means, and the difference between this water amount and the set water amount is calculated. And calculate the above Supplying the clean water to the bathtub from the clean water passage through the circulation path by an amount of water shortage with respect to the amount of water, and controlling means (hot water supply controller, main device 72) for controlling the water quantity in the bathtub to the set water quantity. It is characterized by having.

Hot water in the bathtub can be circulated through a 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 water quantity Q represents the current water quantity and the remaining water quantity in the bathtub. When this water quantity Q and the set water quantity Qo of the bathtub are compared, the difference is the insufficient water quantity ΔQ, and this insufficient water quantity ΔO.
Q 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.

As described above, in the bathtub water quantity control device of the present invention, the hot and cold 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 and cold water with respect to the heating time is detected. Based on this, the current amount of water in the bathtub, that is, the remaining amount of water before hot water supply is calculated. It is possible to calculate the difference between the residual water amount and the set water amount, that is, the insufficient water amount, supply the insufficient water amount from the upper water channel to the bathtub through the circulation path, and control the set water amount as quickly as possible.

[0014]

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 a bath water quantity 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 the clean water that has been heated by passing through the heat exchanger 28 is a hot water supply temperature sensor 42 including 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 is electrically switched between a hot water supply and a hot water supply.
4, the supply to the hot water supply port 46 a and the pouring to the bathtub 20 b are switched by the hot water / hot water switching signal Sh 1. 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 a water flow sensor 47 for electrically detecting 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 line 52 directly connected to the bath 20 is passed through the pump 56 that electrically circulates the 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 additional heating 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.

A reheating heat exchanger 22 and a reburning burner 24 are installed as second heating means in the reheating circulation line 60, 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.

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

This hot water supply controller comprises a main unit 72 and a remote controller 74. The main unit 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 analog-digital conversion circuit 72 is alternately arranged by time division by the multiplexer 724 installed in the input section.
C, after being added to 3 and converted from analog to digital
It is taken into PU722.

The CPU 722 performs arithmetic processing in accordance with 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 additional heating control is performed by operating a switch of the remote controller 74, and the command signal is added to the remote control transmitting / receiving 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 water amount control apparatus of the present invention, the control of the water amount 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 hot water changeover valve 50 is switched to the additional heating side d, and the additional heating circulation line 60 is set as a closed loop to set the additional heating mode. 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 an appropriate temperature T, that is, a temperature ΔT slightly higher than the set temperature, by additional combustion. Together with temperature T to ΔT
The time required t to write 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 and stored in the ROM 725 in advance, the water amount Q in the bathtub 20 is 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 bath 20, the set amount of water is set in the remote controller 74 and the set amount of water Qo and the detected amount of water in the bath 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 hot water 4b in the bath 20 to the proper temperature T. Then, pouring and reheating to a proper amount and temperature is completed.

When performing heat retention and addition hot water control by using the steps (a) to (h), the pouring and reheating of 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 the factors that lower the thermal efficiency include the material of the bathtub, the additional heating pipe, the outside 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 capacity 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.

[0045]

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 hot water amount 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 the bather can comfortably take a bath 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 water amount control device of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing a hot water supply control unit of the bathtub water 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 Bathtub 22 Heat exchanger for heating (heating means) 44 Hot water supply / pouring changeover valve (water injection valve) 47 Water flow rate sensor (flow rate detection means) 50 Heating / pouring changeover valve ( Water injection valve) 56 Pump 60 Reheating circulation pipe line (circulation line) 70 Temperature sensor (temperature detection means) 72 Main device (control means)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location G05D 23/19 J

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 through the circulation path into the bathtub to agitate the hot and cold water in the bathtub; a water supply channel for supplying clean water to the circulation path; A flow rate detecting means installed in a water channel for detecting a flow rate of the clean water supplied to the circulation path side; a temperature detecting means provided in the circulation path for detecting a temperature of the hot water in the bathtub; Prior to water supply to the bath, the pump is driven to pump 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 while the circulation means is provided by the heating means. Through the The hot and cold water in the bath is raised by a temperature slightly higher than the set temperature, the time required for the temperature rise is measured, and the amount of residual water in the bath is calculated using this time and the amount of heat added to the hot and cold water by the heating means. By calculating the difference between the water amount and the set water amount, by supplying the clean water to the bath tub from the clean water channel through the circulation path by the shortage water amount with respect to the set water amount, the water amount in the bath A bathtub water volume control device comprising: a control unit for controlling the set water volume.