JPH11253714A - Bath water cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control the quantity of water needed at the time of back washing of a cleaning tank for cleaning bathtub water to be the optimum quantity corresponding to the dirty state of the cleaning tank. SOLUTION: This bath water cleaning apparatus comprises a pump 1 for circulating bathtub water, a purifying tank for filtering fine dust and impurities, which are dirt, from bathtub water, and a switching valve 9 for switching the flow routes for passing bathtub water in a prescribed direction. Bathtub water is cleaned by circulating bathtub water in the purifying tank in a right direction and the flow routes are switched by the switching valve and bathtub water is passed through the cleaning tank in the reverse direction to discharge impurities adhering to the purifying tank and to back-wash the cleaning tank. In this case, the apparatus is provided with a dirt detecting means 32 for detecting how much the bathtub water is polluted and also a back-washing completion determining means 45 for automatically finishing back washing of the cleaning tank when the detected polluted state of the wastewater discharged at the time of back-washing of the purifying tank meets prescribed conditions.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for purifying bath water and maintaining the water quality at a certain level or higher.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an apparatus for purifying bath water, a bath water purifying apparatus having a bath water purifying / heating function will be described as an example.

[0003] Such a bathtub water purifying apparatus includes a pump for circulating bathtub water, a purifying tank for purifying bathtub water by filtering fine dirt and impurities, and a sterilizing apparatus for sterilizing bacteria contained in bathtub water. The apparatus, a first thermistor for detecting the temperature of the bathtub water, a heater for keeping the bathtub water at a predetermined temperature, a second thermistor for detecting the temperature around the heater, and an abnormal rise in the temperature around the heater In the case, a temperature fuse that shuts off the power supply to the heater, a direction in which the bathtub water is purified by circulating the bathtub water in the forward direction with respect to the septic tank, and a direction in which the bathtub water is purified and circulated in the septic tank are opposite directions. And a switching valve for discharging impurities adhering to the septic tank using bath water in the bath and switching the direction to reverse cleaning of the septic tank.

[0004]

By the way, in the above-described bathtub water purifying apparatus, the backwashing time is usually a predetermined time without checking the progress of backwashing of the septic tank. Was common.

[0005] Therefore, the septic tank becomes more dirty than usual,
The reverse cleaning for a predetermined period of time is not sufficient for cleaning the septic tank, and as a result, the water quality of the bathtub water may be reduced.

[0006] Even if the septic tank is not very dirty,
Once the backwashing was started, even after the septic tank was sufficiently cleaned, the backwashing was performed and the bathtub water was drained until a predetermined time had elapsed.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A bathtub water purifying apparatus according to the present invention comprises a pump for circulating bathtub water, a purifying tank for filtering fine dirt and contaminating impurities from the bathtub water, and a bathtub water. A switching valve for switching a flow path of the bathtub in a predetermined direction, purifying the bathtub water by circulating the bathtub water in a forward direction with respect to the purification tank, switching the path of the switching valve, and switching the bathtub water to the purification tank. A bathtub water purification device that discharges impurities adhering to the septic tank by flowing in the opposite direction and reverse-cleans the septic tank is provided with a dirt detecting means for detecting the degree of dirt of the bathtub water. When the degree of contamination of the discharged water satisfies a predetermined condition, there is provided a backwashing completion determining means for automatically ending backwashing of the septic tank.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the progress of back washing of the septic tank is checked, and after it is confirmed that the washing is sufficient, the back washing is terminated. The discharge of bath water due to back washing can be reduced to the required amount.

Further, if a turbidity sensor for detecting the light transmittance of the bathtub water or a pump current detecting means is used as the means for detecting the contamination of the discharged water, it is possible to accurately confirm the progress of the back washing. Bath water discharge can be reliably reduced to the required amount.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a bathtub water purifying apparatus having a bathtub water purifying / heating function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a bathtub water purifying device includes a pump 1 for circulating bathtub water, a water flow switch 2 for detecting whether or not bathtub water is circulating at a predetermined flow rate or more due to clogging or the like, and a bathtub water purification device. A purifying tank 3 for purifying, a sterilizing device 4 for disinfecting bath water, a first thermistor 5 for detecting the temperature of bath water, a heater 6 for keeping the bath water at a predetermined temperature, and detecting a temperature around the heater. A second thermistor 7, a temperature fuse 8 for shutting off power supply to the heater when the temperature around the heater rises abnormally, a switching valve 9 for switching between a direction of circulating bath water and a direction of back washing of the septic tank, When the septic tank is back-washed, a drain port 10 for draining the washing water is provided.
Outgoing pipe 11 for sending purified / sterilized / heat-retained bathtub water to bathtub 16, return pipe 12 for sending bathtub water in the bathtub to functional unit 17, bus adapter 13, and air for sending foam into the bathtub. A solenoid valve 14, an operation unit 18 for operating these systems, a control unit 15 for controlling the entire system,
Consists of

The septic tank 3 is filled with an activated stone, activated carbon, or the like, and is used as an adsorptive filter, or is made of a filter material made of woven or non-woven fabric.
It removes fine dust and impurities that become dirty.

The sterilizer 4 includes an ozone sterilizer, an ultraviolet sterilizer, and the like. The ozone sterilizer includes an ozone generating unit and an ozone mixing unit that mixes ozone into water. The ultraviolet sterilizer is provided with an ultraviolet lamp in a water passage of the bathtub water, and is configured so that the bathtub water passes while being irradiated by the ultraviolet lamp. Each of them is for sterilizing various bacteria such as Escherichia coli contained in bath water.

The pump 1 for circulating bath water is configured so that the pump control means can control the ON / OFF and the rotation speed of the pump 1. That is, for example, even if the power supply voltage applied to the pump fluctuates or varies, the rotation speed of the pump 1 can be kept constant, and the circulating flow rate of the bathtub water can be kept constant. In addition, the rotation speed can be switched according to the degree of contamination of the bathtub water, that is, the circulation flow rate of the bathtub water can be switched.

The heater 6 heats the bathtub water circulated by the pump 1 and is installed on the inlet side of the heater 6 with respect to the flow direction of the bathtub water during the purification circulation operation (FIG. 2). The temperature of the bathtub water detected by the first thermistor 5 and the temperature set by the bathtub water temperature setting unit 35 are compared by the temperature comparison unit 36, and the heater control is performed so that the bathtub water temperature and the set temperature become the same. Means 37
Is controlled by

FIG. 2 is a view clearly showing the position of the switching valve and the passage of the bathtub water when the bathtub water is purified by the purification tank in the bathtub water purification apparatus.

In FIG. 2, bathtub water flows into the purification tank 3 in the order of the return pipe 12, the pump 1, the switching valve 9 (-), and the first thermistor 5, and is purified in the purification tank 3.
The water flow sw3, the switching valve 9 (-), the sterilizing device 4, and the outbound pipe 11 return to the bathtub 16 in this order.

FIG. 3 is a view clearly showing the position of the switching valve and the passage of the bathtub water when the septic tank is backwashed in the bathtub water purification apparatus.

In FIG. 3, bathtub water flows into the purification tank 3 from the reverse direction in the order of the return pipe 12, the pump 1, the switching valve 9 (-), and the water flow sw3, and after cleaning the filter medium in the purification tank 3, The first thermistor 5 and the switching valve 9 (−) are discharged from the drain port 10 in this order.

Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the bathtub purification apparatus according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart.

In FIG. 5, when the operation switch 21 is turned on, the pump 1 is turned on to start circulation of bathtub water (S).
101), the switching valve 9 is driven to the purification circulation position shown in FIG. 2 (S102). Then, when the backwashing operation control means 28 determines that the integrated time of the ON of the pump 1 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time and it is time to start the backwashing (S103Y), the switching valve control means 27 sets the switching valve 9 to the reverse shown in FIG. It moves to the washing position (S104), and the reverse washing mode selecting means 29
Selects the reverse cleaning mode set by the reverse cleaning mode setting unit 47 from the reverse cleaning mode storage unit 31, and the pump control unit 26 controls the operation of the pump 1 based on the selected reverse cleaning mode (S105). .

During the reverse cleaning operation of the septic tank, the dirt detecting means 32 detects the degree of dirt in the bathtub water. Then, when the backwashing end determining means 45 determines that the detected water stain condition satisfies the predetermined condition (S107Y), it instructs the backwashing operation control means 28 to end the backwashing. . Backwashing operation control means 28
Operates the pump 1 through the pump control means 26 and the switching valve 9 through the switching valve control means 27 to end the backwashing and restart the purification operation.

The condition for the backwashing completion judging means 45 to judge the end of the backwashing operation is, for example, when the value of the degree of contamination of the water discharged by the backwashing is smaller than a predetermined value or when the water is discharged. The falling gradient of the value of the degree of water contamination to be performed is larger than a predetermined falling gradient, or a combination thereof.

As the dirt detecting means 32, for example,
JP-A-8-89723 discloses a water passage 51 provided with a window 50 for transmitting light, a light emitting element 48 provided on one side, and a light receiving element 49 provided on the opposite side of the water passage. A turbidity sensor that irradiates light from the light emitting element 48, detects the amount of light received by the light receiving element 49, and calculates the light transmittance of the bath water to estimate the degree of contamination of the bath water (FIG. 9). Etc.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of the bathtub purifying device in the second embodiment. Pump current detecting means 33 which is energized to pump 1 in order to detect the degree of bathtub water contamination.
And a specific contamination estimation means 34 based on the current value.

That is, the degree of contamination of water can be considered as the degree of clogging of the septic tank. At this time, if the output (rotation speed) of the pump is kept constant, the pump becomes smaller when the septic tank is clogged. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, when the pump current decreases, clogging of the septic tank (water contamination) increases. Thus, the detection of the degree of contamination of the bath water can be replaced by the detection of the pump current.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a circuit for detecting a pump current. A resistor 40 is provided in a path through which a pump current i flows between the smoothing capacitor 39 for applying the drive voltage V0 to the pump 1 and the pump 1, and a voltage V generated across the resistor 40 due to the flow of the pump current i. Amplified by the amplifier circuit 42,
The data is read by the microcomputer 40. Since the value of the resistor 40 is set to a sufficiently small value so as not to affect the voltage applied to the pump 1, the voltage V generated at both ends thereof is too small for the microcomputer 43 to detect. After amplification at 42, the data is read by the microcomputer 43.

According to the configuration of the second embodiment, it is possible to detect the degree of bathtub water contamination without newly providing a dedicated sensor or the like as a dirt detection means for detecting the degree of bathwater contamination. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a bathtub water purification device.

Fig. 2 Water passage during bath water purification operation

Fig. 3 Water passage during backwashing of the septic tank

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of a bathtub purification apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of the bathtub purification apparatus according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of a bathtub purification apparatus according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7: Relationship between pump current and dirt in bathtub water (clogging of septic tank)

FIG. 8 is a pump current detection circuit.

Fig. 9 Turbidity sensor

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pump 2 ... Water flow switch 3 ... Purification tank 4 ... Sterilizer 6 ... Heater 9 ... Switching valve 10 ... Drain port 15 ... Control part 16 ... Bathtub 17 ... Function part 18 ... Operation part 26 ... Pump control means 27 ... Switching valve control Means 28 ... Backwash operation control means 29 ... Backwash mode selection means 31 ... Backwash mode storage means 32 ... Soil detection means 33 ... Pump current detection means 34 ... Soil degree estimation means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pump for circulating bathtub water, a purification tank for filtering fine dirt and impurities from the bathtub water, and a switching valve for switching a bathtub water flow path in a predetermined direction. The bath water is purified by circulating in a forward direction with respect to the septic tank, the path of the switching valve is switched, and the bath water is discharged in the reverse direction with respect to the septic tank to discharge impurities adhered to the septic tank and to reversely clean the septic tank. The bath tub water purifying apparatus is provided with a dirt detecting means for detecting the degree of dirt of the bath tub water, and automatically detects when the detected dirt level of the discharged water discharged at the time of back washing of the septic tank satisfies a predetermined condition. A bath tub water purification device, further comprising: means for determining the end of back washing of the septic tank. 2. The bathtub water purification apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a turbidity sensor for detecting light transmittance of the bathtub water is used as a means for detecting contamination of the discharged water. . 3. The bathtub water purifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pump current detecting means for detecting a current flowing through the pump is used as the dirty water detecting means.