JPH102606A - Automatic bath boiler apparatus with heat insulating function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To always maintain a best heat insulation mode by eliminating resetting of an interval time after the time when person's bathing is detected during the time. SOLUTION: When an interval time is elapsed, a circulation pump 17 is turned on to circulate water in a circulation passage of a bath. A temperature of bathtub is detected by a bath thermistor 16. If the temperature of the bathtub is lower than a set temperature, a bath burner 11 is burned to reheat it until the temperature of the bathtub arrives at a set temperature. Resetting of the time is executed in response to a difference between the bathtub temperature at the time of elapsing the time and the set temperature. The larger the temperature difference is, the shorter the time is set, while the smaller the difference is, the longer the time is reset. However, if a bathing flat is '1', the resetting of the time means that bathing occurs during the time. In this case, the resetting of the time is canceled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an automatic bath-cooker having an automatic heat-retaining function for reheating the bath so as to keep the bath water temperature at a set temperature at regular intervals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic warming function having an automatic warming function of detecting a bathtub hot water temperature at regular intervals set by a warming timer and, when the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature, performing additional heating and raising the temperature to the set temperature. Bath kettle devices are well known.

[0003] The interval time is set to, for example, about 30 minutes, but it depends on the length of the exposed portion of the pair tube connecting the bathtub and the bathtub, the temperature of the outside air, and the like. The temperature of the bathtub that drops during the interval time is different. Therefore, it is preferable to change the interval time according to the difference between the bathtub temperature at the end of the interval time and the set temperature, which fluctuates in accordance with the installed environment, the season, and the like, in order to provide an optimal heat retaining function. .
Such an appropriate change of the interval time is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-350453 or the like.

[0004]

However, the difference between the bathtub temperature after the interval time and the set temperature is not always determined only by the installation environment of the bathtub and the outside air temperature. Most typically, there is a human bath. The body temperature is about 37 ° C. with respect to the normal set temperature of 42 to 44 ° C., and it is clear that bathing greatly reduces the bathtub temperature. Other causes include, for example, a collecting switch for forcibly increasing the temperature of the bathtub from a remote controller during an interval time and a lug switch for decreasing the temperature of the bathtub. Further, there is an act of changing the set temperature itself. These actions are all performed artificially, which is contrary to the above-mentioned purpose of setting an optimal interval time according to the installation environment, the outside air temperature, and the like.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic bath apparatus which does not change the setting of the interval time according to the difference between the set temperature and the bathtub temperature when a person takes a bath during the interval time. Is to do.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for changing the set temperature and forcibly increasing or decreasing the bathtub temperature during the interval time according to the difference between the set temperature and the bathtub temperature. The present invention is to provide an automatic bath kettle device which does not change the setting of the bath.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic bath pot having an automatic heat retention function of detecting a bathtub temperature at set intervals and performing additional heating to reach a set temperature. The apparatus has a function of setting the interval time again according to the difference between the bathtub temperature detected at the elapse of the interval time and the set temperature, and when a bathing of a person is detected during the interval time, after the interval time, This is achieved by providing an automatic bath apparatus with a heat retaining function, characterized in that the interval time is not reset.

If a person takes a bath during the interval time, the temperature of the bathtub drops due to a reason not depending on the installation environment and the temperature of the outside air. In such a case, the step of resetting the interval time is canceled. Whether or not a bath is taken can be detected by a water level sensor provided for detecting the water level in the bathtub.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an automatic bath apparatus having an automatic heat retention function of detecting a bathtub temperature at set intervals and performing additional heating to reach a set temperature. It has a function to set the interval time again according to the difference between the bathtub temperature and the set temperature detected when the time has elapsed, and to change the set temperature or forcibly raise or lower the bathtub temperature during the interval time. This is achieved by providing an automatic bath kettle device with a heat retention function, wherein the interval time after the interval time is not reset when the instruction is given.

[0010] Even when an instruction to change the set temperature or forcibly raise or lower the bath tub temperature is issued from a remote controller or the like during the interval time, the process of resetting the interval time is similarly canceled. By monitoring a command signal from the remote controller, it is possible to detect whether or not such a command has been issued.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the entire structure of an automatic bath apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Automatic bath kettle 100
Is provided with a bath combustion chamber 1 and a hot water supply combustion chamber 2, and each of the combustion chambers has a bath heat exchanger 10 and a hot water supply heat exchanger 2.
0 is provided. Further, in the combustion chamber, a bath burner 11 and a hot water supply burner 21 (three ports are provided in FIG. 1) as a heat input means, a bath igniter 13 and a hot water igniter 23, a bath frame rod 14 and a hot water supply frame rod 24 are provided. Have been. Also, both combustion chambers 1,
2 is provided with a common combustion fan 30, and the air burned by each is exhausted through an exhaust port.

A bath solenoid valve 12, a bath solenoid valve 12 for controlling the supply of gas to the hot water supply burner 21 and a hot water supply solenoid valve 22 are provided, and a proportional valve 31, common to the solenoid valves 12, 22 is provided. An original gas solenoid valve 32 is provided. The solenoid valve, the proportional valve, the igniter, the frame rod, the combustion fan, and various sensors are controlled by a control device 43 such as a microcomputer mounted on the electrical board 41. The control device 43 is connected to a remote controller 40 in a bathroom or a kitchen, receives an operation signal according to a program stored in a memory, and outputs a control signal.

Although not shown, various control switches such as an automatic warming mode switch, a temperature setting switch, a lubricating mode switch, and a collecting mode switch are mounted on the remote controller 40, and control in the control device 43 is performed based on instructions from these switches. Control is performed according to the program.

An outline of the operation of the water heater is as follows. First, when the hot-water tap is opened, the water quantity sensor 25 senses the flow rate of the hot-water supply 28, and after the pre-purge by the combustion fan 30, the original gas solenoid valve 32, the proportional valve 31, and the hot-water supply solenoid valve 22 are opened together with the discharge of the hot-water igniter 23. Then, hot water of a predetermined temperature is supplied from the hot water supply port 29. In order to keep the hot water supply temperature at the set temperature, the water input thermistor 26 and the hot water thermistor 27
The solenoid valve drive current of the proportional valve 31 is controlled to a value calculated from the output of the water amount sensor 25 and the output of the water amount sensor 25.

On the other hand, on the bath side, the bath gas burner 11 is burned by opening the original gas solenoid valve 32, the proportional valve 31, and the bath solenoid valve 12, and the circulation pipe 17 is used to send the paired pipe, the forward pipe 18 and the return pipe 19. The reheating operation is performed while circulating the hot water in the bathtub 47 via the circulation fitting 46. In the storage mode operation or the automatic hot water operation, the hot water obtained by the combustion on the hot water supply side is supplied to the circulation circuit on the bath side by opening the pouring solenoid valve 34, and the set amount of hot water is supplied at the set temperature. Is performed in a bathtub, and then, if necessary, a reburning operation is performed to a set temperature by burning the bath side. The check valve 35 is for preventing water in the bathtub from flowing into the pouring side.

In the circulation circuit on the bath side, a pressure sensor 45 for detecting the water level in the bathtub 47, a bath water flow switch 15 for detecting whether water is circulating in the circulation circuit, and a switch in the circulation circuit. A bath thermistor 16 for detecting the temperature of the bath is provided.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the above-mentioned automatic bath apparatus in the warming mode, and explains that the interval time is not reset when a bath is taken. Prior to the warming mode, in a normal operation, the hot water is supplied or reheated so that the temperature of the bathtub becomes the set temperature Ts (S1). Then, the setting of the heat retention mode is performed automatically or from the remote controller (S2),
The temperature detection and reheating for each set interval time and resetting of the interval time are repeated.

In the warming mode, it is determined whether or not a person has taken a bath while the interval time has elapsed (S3). The determination of bathing is detected by a sharp increase in the output of the pressure sensor 45 connected to the bath circulation path. If bathing is detected, the bathing flag is set to 1 and stored in the memory in the microcomputer (S4).

When the interval time elapses (S5), the circulation pump 17 is turned on to circulate in the circulation path of the bath, and the temperature Tc of the bathtub is detected by the bath thermistor 16 (S6). If the temperature Tc of the bathtub is lower than the set temperature Ts (S7), the bath burner 11 is burned and reheating is performed until the temperature of the bathtub reaches the set temperature Ts (S8). Then, the interval time is reset according to the difference ΔT between the bathtub temperature Tc at the time when the interval time has elapsed and the set temperature Ts (S10). Reset is performed so that the interval time becomes shorter as the temperature difference ΔT becomes larger, and becomes longer as the temperature difference ΔT becomes smaller.

However, resetting the interval time means that when the bathing flag is 1, it means that there was bathing during the interval time, in which case step S10
Reset of the interval time is canceled (S
9). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the interval time from being changed depending on the presence or absence of bathing regardless of the installation environment or the outside air temperature.

Finally, the interval time is reset (S11), and if the heat retention mode is continuing, step S3
Return to If the warming mode has ended, this flowchart ends.

FIG. 3 is another flow chart of the automatic bath apparatus in the warming mode, in which the interval time is not reset when a bath is taken, as in FIG. When the bathing of a person is detected after the warming mode is started (S13), the process goes through the interval loop and waits until the bathing is completed. When it is detected that the bathing is completed (S13), the temperature of the bathtub is usually lowered by the bathing, so that reheating is performed to the set temperature Ts (S14). Of course, if the bathtub temperature is equal to or higher than the set temperature, this additional heating is not performed. Then, after the reheating, the interval time is reset without resetting the interval time in step 10 (S11).

In this flowchart example, there is no need to store a bathing flag indicating that there is a bath in the microcomputer. The remaining part is the same as that of the flowchart of FIG. 2, and the description is omitted here.

FIG. 4 is a further flowchart diagram of the automatic bath apparatus in the heat retaining mode. Basically Figure 2
Is the same as that of the flowchart of FIG. 1, except that the remote controller 4 is connected to the bath kettle device through a communication line during the interval period.
The difference is that it is monitored from S0 whether a command to change the set temperature Ts, a command to raise or lower the current temperature of the bathtub, such as a collecting command or a lubricating command, is issued (S31). And when such a command is issued,
The command flag is stored as 1 in the memory in the microcomputer (S41). Then, it is determined whether or not to reset the interval time according to the state of the command flag (S9).

The above-mentioned gathering command is, for example, a command to perform reheating with the current bathtub temperature raised by 2 ° C. when the command is issued. When a command is issued, the command is to inject a predetermined amount of water so as to lower the current bathtub temperature by 2 ° C. Therefore, the command flag referred to here is the set temperature Ts
Alternatively, when a command is issued to forcibly change the bathtub temperature Tc for some reason, this flag is changed to 1 in that state. As a result, it is possible to prevent the interval time from being changed due to factors unrelated to the installation environment of the bath kettle device and the outside air temperature at that time.

The control sequence shown in the flow charts of FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 is executed by a program stored in a microcomputer mounted on the electric board 41, for example.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the heat retention mode in accordance with the difference between the set temperature that changes according to the installation environment of the bath kettle device and the outside air temperature at that time and the bathtub temperature at the end of the interval period. Since the interval time is always variably set to the optimum value, the best heat retaining mode can always be provided. The interval time is not changed by factors that are not related to the installation environment or the outside air temperature at that time, such as a person bathing, a change in set temperature, and a forced change in bathtub temperature.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the entire structure of an automatic bath apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart in the heat retaining mode of the automatic bath apparatus.

FIG. 3 is another flow chart of the automatic bath apparatus in a warming mode.

FIG. 4 is another flow chart of the automatic bath apparatus in a warming mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bath combustion chamber 2 Hot-water supply combustion chamber 16 Bath thermistor 17 Circulation pump 40 Remote control 41 Electrical board 45 Pressure sensor 47 Bathtub

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic bath apparatus having an automatic warming function for detecting a bathtub temperature at each set interval time and performing additional heating so as to reach a set temperature, wherein the bathtub temperature detected when the interval time elapses and the setting are set. Having a function of setting the interval time again in accordance with the difference from the temperature, wherein when a bathing of a person is detected during the interval time, the interval time after the interval time is not reset. Automatic bath kettle device with function. 2. An automatic bath apparatus having an automatic heat retention function for detecting a bathtub temperature at each set interval time and performing additional heating to reach a set temperature, wherein the bathtub temperature detected when the interval time elapses and the setting are set. It has a function to set the interval time again according to the difference from the temperature, and when an instruction to change the set temperature or forcibly raise or lower the bathtub temperature is given during the interval time, after the interval time Automatic bath kettle device with heat retention function, characterized in that the interval time is not reset.