JPH10339434A - Gas apparatus safety system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure safety by closing the flow of a gas by a gas meter with a gas closing function by an indication from gas apparatus when the abnormality of the gas apparatus occurs. SOLUTION: A gas meter 2 with a gas closing function is so arranged as to close the flow of a gas by closing a valve 2a inside at a general home while a transmission is made to a gas apparatus on the downstream of the flow of the gas with a communicator 2b using a radio wave. With the occurrence of abnormality, a gas hot water heater stops the gas and thereafter, it is checked that the gas is not stopped by a judgment on disability in the stoppage of the gas. At this point, as the gas hot water heater 3 itself required to stop the gas at emergency and quickly is unable to stop the gas, the communication of indicating the stoppage of the gas is transmitted to a gas meter 2 with a gas closing function to accomplish the display of abnormality and disability in the stoppage of the gas. Receiving the communication of indicating the closing of the gas from gas equipment, the gas meter 2 with a gas closing function closes a gas valve 2a. This enables avoiding of a danger as caused by the outflow of the gas from the gas hot water heater 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to improving the safety of gas appliances such as general houses using a gas meter with a gas shut-off function and gas combustion appliances.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this kind of gas appliance safety system has
Each gas meter or gas appliance with a gas shut-off function has its own safety device, and performs safety operations individually at each judgment. As shown in FIG. 5, a gas meter 2 with a gas shut-off function in a general house 1 shuts off a gas flow by closing a valve 2a inside the gas meter. Whether the water heater 3, the gas cooker 4, or the gas heater 5 is using gas or leaking gas is determined in accordance with a unique algorithm using the result of gas flow measurement. When the gas meter 2 with the gas closing function determines that the gas leaks, the valve 2a
Is closed.

Further, each gas appliance such as the gas water heater 3, the gas cooker 4, and the gas heater 5 stops the combustion of each gas appliance itself when an unsafe operation occurs.

[0004]

However, the conventional safety device for a gas appliance is a gas meter 2 with a gas shut-off function, or the gas appliance operates the safety device independently by each judgment. In this case, when each of the gas appliances cannot stop its own combustion, the gas meter 2 with the gas shut-off function does not judge that there is an abnormal situation such as gas leakage and does not shut off the gas. If they continue, there is a possibility that they lack sufficient security.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a gas meter with a gas shut-off function, or a gas appliance, which communicates with each other by radio waves and controls the operation of the appliance according to the contents of the communication. It is something that secures the nature.

According to the above invention, when the gas appliance cannot stop its own combustion, it instructs the gas meter with the gas shut-off function by radio communication to shut off the gas. It can be closed to ensure safety. By using communication by radio waves, a new safety system can be easily constructed simply by replacing a gas meter with a gas shut-off function or a gas appliance with respect to existing equipment without installing a new communication line.

Further, when a gas appliance instructs a gas meter having a gas closing function to close a gas by radio communication,
When the gas meter with the gas closing function measures the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate is not 0, the communication instruction is legitimate and the gas is closed and all the gas appliances are instructed to close the gas by radio communication, The supported gas appliance is in a stopped state while the gas is closed, so that the gas appliance can wait for the gas to be opened in a safe state.

Further, when the gas appliance instructs the gas meter having the gas closing function to close the gas by radio wave communication, the gas meter having the gas closing function measures the flow rate of the gas. Since the content is not valid, the gas equipment is instructed by radio wave communication,
The gas appliance uses this communication instruction to analyze the abnormal location of the gas appliance itself, and the gas shutoff function is working but the gas shutoff has not been confirmed. Repair time can be reduced by performing an accurate failure analysis and specifying an abnormal part and indicating it to a repair worker. In this case, since the gas meter with the gas shut-off function does not shut off the gas, the other gas appliances are not obstructed from continuing to operate normally, and the comfort of the gas appliance user can be maintained.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a gas meter having a gas shut-off function having a communication device for communicating with gas equipment by radio waves, and a gas pipe having a gas shut-off function having a gas shut-off function having the radio wave communication device. Downstream of the flow of gas, and further comprises a gas device having a radio communication device for communicating with the gas meter with a gas shut-off function. Shut off the flow. According to the invention described above, when the gas appliance cannot stop its own combustion, it instructs the gas meter with the gas shutoff function to communicate by radio waves to the gas meter with the gas shutoff function, and instructs the gas meter with the gas shutoff function by radio wave communication. A gas meter with a closing function closes the gas to ensure safety. By using communication by radio waves, it is not necessary to install a new communication line, and a new safety system can be easily constructed simply by replacing a gas meter with a gas closing function or gas equipment with existing equipment.

Further, when the gas appliance instructs the gas meter having the gas closing function to close the gas by radio communication,
When the gas meter with the gas closing function measures the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate is not 0, the communication instruction is legitimate and the gas is closed and all the gas appliances are instructed to close the gas by radio communication, The gas appliance that has received the instruction is in a stopped state while the gas is being closed, so that the gas appliance can wait for the gas to be opened in a safe state.

Further, when the gas appliance instructs the gas meter with the gas closing function to close the gas by radio communication, the gas meter with the gas closing function measures the flow rate of the gas. Since the contents are not valid, the fact is instructed to the gas appliance by radio wave communication.
Then, the gas equipment uses this communication instruction to analyze the abnormal part of the gas equipment itself, so that the gas closing function is working but the closing of the gas has not been confirmed, so that it is an abnormality of this checking device, The repair time can be reduced by performing a more accurate failure analysis and identifying the abnormal part and indicating it to the repair worker. In this case, since the gas meter with the gas shut-off function does not shut off the gas, the other gas appliances are not hindered from continuing the clean operation, and the comfort of the gas appliance user can be maintained.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a gas appliance safety system of the present invention. In a general house 1, there is a gas meter 2 with a gas closing function that can close a gas flow by closing an internal valve 2a and can communicate with a gas appliance downstream of the gas flow by a communication device 2b using radio waves.

A gas appliance located downstream of the gas meter 2 with the gas shutoff function in the gas flow and having a communication device 3a using radio waves, and a gas water heater / heater 3 downstream of the gas meter 2 with the gas shutoff function. Gas equipment,
A gas cooker 4 having a radio communication device 4a and a gas appliance downstream of the gas flow from the gas meter 2 with a gas closing function, and a gas heater 5 having a radio communication device 5a is connected by a gas pipe 6. I have.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the gas appliance safety system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the gas water heater stops the gas due to the occurrence of an abnormality (STEP 7), and thereafter confirms that the gas has not been stopped in the gas stop impossible determination (STEP 8). Since it is necessary to stop the gas but the gas water heater itself cannot stop the gas, a gas stop instruction communication is transmitted to the gas meter with the gas closing function (STEP 9), and an abnormal display and a gas stop impossible display (STEP 10) are performed. Next, the gas meter with the gas closing function that has received the gas closing instruction communication from the gas appliance (STEP 11) closes the gas valve 2a (ST11).
EP12). Thereby, danger due to outflow of gas from the gas water heater is avoided.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a gas appliance safety system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

The components having the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have the same contents, and the description is omitted. The difference from the first embodiment in the figure is that when the gas meter with the gas closing function receives the gas closing instruction communication (STEP 11), it is determined whether or not there is a gas flow rate to be closed (STEP 13).
Then, when there is a gas flow rate, the gas valve 2a is closed (STEP 1).
2) Then, after the gas is closed, the fact that the gas is in the gas closed state is transmitted to all the gas appliances during the gas closed state (STEP 14).

Further, the gas cooker or the gas heater which has received the gas closing communication from the gas meter having the gas closing function (STEP 15) is immediately shut down (STEP 16).
It is to become. As a result, when the gas shut-off valve of the gas meter with the gas shut-off function is released after the abnormal state of the gas hot water is resolved and the gas flows, the danger of the gas flowing out of the gas cooker or the gas heater may occur. Is avoided.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a gas appliance safety system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The components having the same reference numerals as those in the first and second embodiments have the same contents, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

In the drawing, the difference from the first and second embodiments is that it is determined whether or not there is a gas flow rate at which the gas meter with the gas closing function must be closed (STEP 13).
When it is confirmed that there is no gas flow, the fact that the previously received gas closing instruction communication is erroneous communication is transmitted as communication transmission with erroneous communication of gas closing instruction (STEP 17).

Further, the gas water heater that has received the communication with the erroneous communication of the gas closing instruction (STEP 18) has a problem in the circuit that has determined that the gas can not be stopped, and the gas water heater has been closed. Because it was confirmed that it was done,
The display indicating that gas cannot be closed is turned off (STEP 19), and a new abnormality display of the gas stop impossible detection circuit is performed (STEP 20).

[0021] In this way, it is possible to shorten the repair time by specifying the abnormal part in more detail and to indicate this to a repair contractor, and it is not hindered that other gas equipment continues to operate normally. The user can maintain comfort.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in a gas appliance, the gas meter with the gas shut-off function shuts off the gas flow in place of the gas appliance in response to an instruction from the gas appliance. Safety can be ensured.

Further, when the closed state of the gas shut-off valve of the gas meter with the gas shut-off function is released after the abnormal state of the gas equipment is resolved and gas flows, a secondary disaster occurs because the other gas equipment is stopped. It is a system for avoiding the danger of gas spill.

Furthermore, it is easy to respond to existing equipment, and a gas meter with a gas shut-off function and a gas appliance can communicate with each other and use each other's functions, thereby enabling quick repair of a problematic gas appliance. And can provide greater comfort to the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a gas appliance safety system according to first to third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the gas appliance safety system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a gas appliance safety system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a gas appliance safety system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional gas appliance safety system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Gas meter with gas shut-off function 2a Gas shut-off valve of gas meter with gas shut-off function 2b Communication device of gas meter with gas shut-off function 3 Gas water heater 3a Communication device of gas water heater 4 Gas cooker 4a Communication device of gas cooker 5 Gas heating 5a Gas heater communication device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A gas meter having a communication device using radio waves and a gas closing function, and a gas device having a device-side communication device provided downstream of the gas meter and communicating with the communication device. A gas appliance safety system that shuts off gas flow in response to a signal from the appliance-side communication device. 2. A gas meter judges the validity of a gas shut-off signal from a gas appliance, and when judged valid, shuts off the gas and transmits a gas shut-off signal to the gas appliance. The gas appliance safety system according to claim 1, wherein the gas appliance that has received the signal is in a stop state while the gas is closed. 3. A gas meter judges the validity of a gas shut-off signal from a gas appliance, and transmits an information signal indicating that there is no validity to the gas appliance without shutting down the gas when judging that the signal is not valid. 3. The gas appliance safety system according to claim 2, wherein the gas appliance uses the information signal to identify an abnormal location and shorten the repair time. 4. A gas appliance safety system according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is a communication device using sound waves instead of the communication device using radio waves according to claim 1.