JPH1151801A - Device and method for inspecting water leakage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the inspection of water leakage from an apparatus in a simple operation with accuracy without the need for skill by providing a control part, etc., which measures changes in pressure by closing an opening-and-closing means after passing water through the piping. SOLUTION: Piping 12 for drawing water into an apparatus, guiding it into a heat exchanger, and heating it is provided in a hot water supply apparatus 11. An ion-coming side opening-and-closing means 13 is provided on the in-coming side of the piping 12, and an out-going side opening-and-closing means 14 is provided on the out-going side of the piping 12. Then on the basis of an instruction from a control part 23, the opening-and-closing means 13 and 14 are each brought into an open state, and water is passed through the piping 12 from a water passing channel 15. After this, the opening-and-closing means 13 and 14 are each closed, and the changes of the output of a pressure sensor 22 are measured by the control part 23. In the case of the presence of water leakage in the piping 12, a predetermined hydraulic pressure drop is observed to enable the determination of water leakage. Therefore, it is possible to inspect water leakage with ease by performing predetermined operations at the control part 23.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a water leakage inspection apparatus and a water leakage inspection method for inspecting water leakage in an appliance such as a water heater.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a device having a pipe through which water or the like passes, for example, a device such as a water heater, inspection of water leakage from an internal pipe or the like is performed in a manufacturing process thereof. Conventionally, such a water leak test is performed by passing water through piping in the appliance, stopping the hot water supply pipe, applying a predetermined water pressure, and visually checking whether water leaks from any part of the appliance. Was.

[0003]

However, according to such a water leak inspection method, blind spots are easily formed in the structure of the device, for example, on the back side of the device when viewed visually, and the water leak is visually judged. It was difficult to do. Also, slight water leakage
In particular, it is hard to be visually recognized and cannot be confirmed. In addition, during the work, for example, in a water heater, etc., because it is necessary to visually check the places where water leakage may occur,
It is necessary to remove the front cover of the device and observe a place where there is a possibility of water leakage, and the work of removing and installing the front cover is complicated. There are various problems in such a visual check operation, such as requiring skill.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a water leakage inspection apparatus and an inspection system capable of accurately inspecting an equipment for water leakage with a simple operation without requiring skill. It is intended to provide a way.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for inputting a detected value from a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in a pipe provided in a device to be inspected,
A pipe inlet opening / closing means provided on the inlet side of the pipe, a pipe outlet opening / closing means provided on the outlet side of the pipe, and the pipe inlet side opening / closing means connected to the inlet side of the pipe via the pipe inlet side opening / closing means; A water passage for flowing water into the pipe, a water passage opening / closing means for opening / closing the water passage, and a pipe in the appliance with the opening / closing means being in an open state, after passing water from the water passage, This is achieved by a water leak inspection device including at least a control unit that closes at least the pipe entrance-side opening / closing unit and the pipe exit-side opening / closing unit and measures a change in output of the pressure detection unit.

Further, in the invention of claim 2, a branch pipe is provided between the pipe-opening-side opening / closing means of the water passage and the water passage opening / closing means, and the branch pipe is provided with a branch pipe opening / closing means.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3, the opening / closing means on the piping side is a motor valve driven by a gear motor.

Further, in the invention according to claim 4, after the control unit opens the water passage opening / closing means twice to allow water to pass through, the control unit closes at least the pipe entrance-side opening / closing means and the pipe exit-side opening / closing means, and The output change of the pressure detecting means is measured.

In the invention according to claim 5, the control section opens the water passage opening / closing means twice, and after passing water, closes at least the pipe inlet / outlet opening means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means. After closing the water passage opening / closing means, the branch pipe opening / closing means is opened to drain the water passage leading to the pipe entry side, and the output change of the pressure detecting means is measured.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pipe entrance side opening / closing means provided on the entrance side of the pipe with respect to the pipe in the instrument to be inspected, and provided on the exit side of the pipe. Open the pipe outlet side opening / closing means and send water from the water passage, then close at least the pipe inlet side opening / closing means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means, and measure a change in pressure in the pipe by a pressure detecting means, This is achieved by a method of detecting water leaks in an instrument.

Further, according to the invention of claim 7, when the water is passed, the opening / closing means of the water passage may be opened twice to perform the water passage twice.

Further, according to the invention of claim 8 or 9, the temperature of the water passed through the appliance is the same as or lower than the outside air temperature. Within.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, after the water passage opening / closing means is opened twice to allow water to flow, at least the pipe entrance side opening / closing means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means are closed. After closing the means, the branch opening / closing means provided between the pipe entrance side opening / closing means of the water channel and the water channel opening / closing means is opened to drain the water channel leading to the pipe entrance side, and the pressure detection is performed. The output change of the means may be measured.

[0014] According to the above construction, the piping in the appliance is provided with the piping entrance side opening / closing means and the piping exit side opening / closing means on the entrance side and the exit side, respectively, and a water passage is connected to the piping entrance side. Therefore, water is passed from the water passage into the pipe, and each opening / closing means is closed.If the pressure in the pipe is detected by the pressure detecting means, if there is water leakage, a predetermined water pressure drop is observed, It can be determined that there is water leakage. Therefore, a water leak test can be easily performed by performing a predetermined operation by the control unit.

Further, after the control unit opens the water passage opening / closing means twice to allow water to flow, the control unit closes at least the pipe inlet / outlet opening / closing means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means to detect an output change of the pressure detecting means. By measuring, the water can be passed after the air in the instrument is evacuated, so that the state of the water leak appropriately appears in the pressure change, and more accurate inspection becomes possible.

When the temperature of the water flowing from the water passage into the appliance is the same as the outside air temperature, the water in the appliance does not thermally expand or contract, and accurate water pressure measurement can be performed. Further, when the temperature of the water in the appliance is lower than the outside air temperature, it is possible to avoid a situation where the water pressure drops even though there is no water leakage in the appliance, so that no error occurs in the water leakage inspection.

After the water passage opening / closing means is opened twice and water is passed, at least the pipe entrance side opening / closing means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means are closed, and further, after closing the water passage opening / closing means, the water passage is closed. If the branch pipe opening / closing means provided between the pipe entrance side opening / closing means and the water channel opening / closing means is opened to drain the water channel connected to the pipe entrance side, and the output change of the pressure detecting means may be measured. Since no pressing pressure is applied from the water passage to the pipe entry side, more accurate inspection can be performed.

[0018]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is a preferred specific example of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are added. However, the scope of the present invention particularly limits the present invention in the following description. The embodiment is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise stated.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a water leakage inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment. In the figure, a water leak inspection device 10 is for inspecting a water leak of an appliance 11 such as a water heater. Inside the water heater 11, there is provided a pipe 12 for drawing water into the appliance and guiding it to a heat exchanger (not shown) for heating. On the entry side of the pipe 12, an entry-side opening / closing means 13 is provided. Preferably, the entry-side opening / closing means 13 is a motor valve whose valve body is driven by a gear motor so that the opening / closing speed can be changed. Be composed. On the outlet side of the pipe 12, an opening / closing means 14 is provided. As the outlet side opening / closing means 14, for example, an electromagnetic valve is used.

Further, the motor valve 1 on the pipe entry side is provided.
A water passage 15 is connected to the inlet side of the pipe 12 via 3. Also, via the solenoid valve 14 on the pipe outlet side,
A drain passage 16 is connected to the outlet side of the pipe 12. The water passage 15 is provided with, for example, a solenoid valve 18 as an opening / closing means for opening and closing the water passage, and a governor 19 is provided upstream of the solenoid valve 18. Further, a pipe line between the solenoid valve 18 and the motor valve 13 of the water passage 15 is branched and a branch pipe 21 is provided.
An electromagnetic valve 17 is provided as opening / closing means.

Further, a pipe 15a upstream of the entrance opening / closing means 13 of the water passage 15 and downstream of the branch pipe 21 is formed by a rubber hose, and the drain passage 16 is similarly formed by a rubber hose. Is formed. Thereby, operability is improved in the attachment / detachment to / from the instrument 11 at the time of inspection.

Further, the water leak inspection apparatus 10 is provided with a control unit 23 for instructing each operation unit of a procedure for performing an inspection. The control unit 23 further includes an output unit such as a monitor. 27, a memory 25 as storage means, an input means 26 such as a keyboard, a timer 24, and the like. All or a part of the control unit 23, the output unit 27, the memory 25, the input unit 26, and the timer 24 may be configured using a computer or the like external to the appliance 11. Alternatively, the control unit 23 and the like may be configured by a part of a function of a control board for operation control built in the appliance, may be formed as a single circuit configuration on the same board, or may include these functions. May be shared by one or more circuits.

Further, the contents of an instruction from the control unit 23 described later include:
It may be realized by a predetermined sequence circuit, or may be entirely or partially performed by software. The software may be dedicated to the inspection or may be stored in the memory 25 in a state where the software is incorporated in a part of the operation control program of the appliance.

Further, a pressure sensor 22 as pressure detecting means is connected to the control unit 23. The pressure sensor 22 is connected to the pipe 12 in the instrument, is connected to a control unit 23 by a connection line 22a as input means, and sends an output value to the control unit 23.
The pressure sensor 23 is provided on the appliance side in order to automatically operate the water heater 11.
It may be used as it is using a. Alternatively, the inspection apparatus 10 may have a dedicated pressure sensor, which may be connected to the pipe 12 and receive an output value via the input means 22a. The pressure sensor 23 may be provided anywhere in communication with the pipe 12 as long as the pressure sensor 23 is downstream of the entrance-side opening / closing means 13, but is preferably provided downstream of the pipe 15a. If the pipe 15a is formed of a rubber hose, the pipe 15a may be deformed by water pressure, and the pressure sensor 23 may not be able to detect accurate water pressure.

Next, a description will be given of a method for inspecting a device for water leakage using the water leakage inspection device 10. FIG. 2 is a time chart showing an example of this inspection method, FIG. 3 is a flowchart thereof, and FIG. 4 is a graph recording the output of the pressure sensor. First, in FIG. 3, the input means of the water leak inspection device 10 is operated to instruct the control unit 23 to start the water leak inspection. The control unit 23 opens the solenoid valve 14 on the outlet side of the pipe from the state in which the solenoid valve 17 of the branch pipe is closed with the motor valve 13 and the solenoid valve 18 of the water passage open, and the governor of the water passage 15 19, the pipe 12 in the water heater 11
The water is guided for example for about 4 seconds using the timer 24 (see FIG. 2).

In this case, the temperature of the passed water is equal to or lower than the outside air temperature (the temperature of the inspection environment). For example, the difference is about 10 ° C. If the water temperature is higher than the outside air temperature, the water is deprived of the heat by the outside air while in the pipe 12 of the water heater 11, and the volume shrinks, whereby the water pressure drops. For this reason, at the time of determination described later,
Even if the drop in water pressure is observed, it cannot be determined whether this is due to water leakage or the volume has shrunk, and the inspection may be erroneous. This will be described in detail later.

After the passage of water, the control unit 23 sets the solenoid valve 14 on the outlet side.
Is closed, this state is continued for about 1 second, and the control unit 23 again opens the outlet-side solenoid valve 14 for about 4 seconds to flow water again (ST1). As a result, water is passed through the pipe 12 twice. The reason why the water is passed a plurality of times is as follows.

Before water is first passed through the appliance 11 to the water heater or the like, air remains in the pipe 12 or the like. If the air is left without sufficiently discharging the water and the air remains, when the water pressure of the pipe 12 is detected as described below, even if there is a water leak, the water pressure may not drop in a short time. Therefore, in order to perform an inspection accurately, it is necessary to perform water purging at least twice and sufficiently perform air purging.

Next, after passing the water twice, the control unit 23 closes the motor valve 13. In this case, since the opening and closing speed of the motor valve 13 can be changed, the motor valve 13 is controlled so as to be gradually closed. Thereby, downstream of the water pipe 15 (the pipe 12
Side) can be prevented from suddenly applying pressure due to closing (ST2). Here, for example, assuming that the source pressure of the water sent in the water passage 15 is, for example, 5 kg / cm 2, the closing pressure when the motor valve 13 is closed increases to 8 kg / cm 2. Therefore, it is for this reason that a pressure increase is observed when the valve is closed after water is passed in FIG.

Next, the controller 23 closes the solenoid valve 18 of the water passage 15 and opens the solenoid valve 17 of the branch pipe 21 (ST).
3). Then, in FIG. 1, the water from the pipe-side motor valve 13 to the solenoid valve 18 of the water passage 15 is drained through the branch pipe 21. Thereby, the pressing pressure from the water passage 15 to the inlet side of the pipe 12 can be eliminated, and accurate water pressure detection can be performed.

Next, the control unit 23 reads the output value of the pressure sensor 23 and stores it in the memory 25 as an initial pressure (see A in FIG. 2). Then, while measuring the time by the timer 24, for example, after about 10 seconds, the control unit 23 reads the output value of the pressure sensor 22 again, stores it in the memory 24, compares the value of A with the value of B, The water leak inspection is determined (ST4), and if necessary, an inspection result as shown in FIG. 4 is output to a monitor or a printer of the output unit 27, for example.

In this case, the determination by the control unit 23 is performed as follows. (1) When the values of A and B are substantially equal or the value of B is larger than A, there is no water pressure drop, so it is determined that there is no water leakage. (2) When the value of A is large and the value of B is smaller than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that there is water leakage. (3) If the value of A or B is lower than 5 kg / cm2 of the original pressure of the water to be sent in the water passage 15, there is a suspicion that one of the valves of the inspection device has failed, and an error message is output. It is displayed by the unit 27 or the like.

As described above, in the water leak inspection device 10, the water leak inspection of the hot water heater 11 and other field appliances is easily and accurately performed. Here, the accuracy of the inspection by the inspection apparatus 10 and the inspection method has been confirmed by the present inventors as follows.

FIGS. 5 to 8 are graphs simply showing how the result of the water pressure detection appears in accordance with the degree of water leak when the tool 11 has water leak. In this case, since only the relationship between the degree of water leakage and the water pressure drop is observed, only the first water flow is performed, and a plurality of water flows are not performed. This is a reproduction of the state of water leakage by opening a drain plug (not shown) of the pipe 12 of the water heater 11.

FIG. 5 shows a case where there is a slight amount of water leaking from a predetermined location of the water heater 11. In this case, a sufficient water pressure drop can be confirmed within 10 seconds from the peak water pressure (corresponding to A described above). 6 shows a case where there is a water leak of about one drop per second from a predetermined location of the water heater 11, and FIG. 7 shows a case where there is a water leak of about two drops per second from a predetermined location of the water heater 11. Indicates a case where there is a water leak observed to pull a thread continuously from a predetermined location of the water heater 11. In any case, since a clear water pressure drop can be measured, it can be seen that the above-described inspection device 20 and the inspection method can reliably detect a slight leak to a large number of leaks.

Next, FIGS. 9 to 12 show what changes in the detected pressure at the point of air purging and the like in the pipe 12 depend on how the water heater 11 as an appliance is arranged in the water leak inspection. 6 is a graph in which it was investigated whether or not to generate. (A) of each figure is a graph of a detection result, (b) is a water heater 11
Represents an arrangement state. 9 shows a state in which the water heater 11 is placed upright, FIG. 10 shows a state in which the water heater 11 is placed horizontally,
11 shows a state in which the water heater 11 is laid down, FIG.
Indicates a state in which the water heater 11 is placed upside down. As shown, no matter how the water heater 11 is arranged, there is no significant difference between the detected water pressure and the change state. Thus, it can be seen that the water heater 11 should be arranged in an easy-to-operate position in the water leak inspection method.

Next, FIGS. 13 to 15 show the relationship between the temperature of the passed water and the outside air temperature (the temperature of the inspection environment) in the above-mentioned water leak inspection. In these figures, since all values are plotted on the same graph in order to compare the output value of the pressure sensor 22 with the temperature of the passed water and the outside air temperature, for example, the graph of FIG. The scale is different. In addition, in the case of FIG. 13, pressure detection is performed by passing water once, and in FIGS. 14 and 15, pressure detection is performed by passing water twice.

FIG. 13 shows the case where the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the passing water. FIG. 14 shows the case where the temperature of the passing water coincides with the outside temperature. In each case, the outside air temperature is higher than the temperature of the water.
In each case, pressure was detected in a state where there was no water leakage of the instrument, and the state of a change in the detected value was observed.

In FIG. 13, since the temperature of the passed water is high, the water is cooled by the outside air, and the volume of the water shrinks. As a result, the water pressure continuously drops despite no water leakage. It has been observed that it continues. In FIG. 14, the water pressure is constant after the initial fluctuation because the passed water is equal to the outside air temperature. In FIG. 15, it is observed that, since the temperature of the passed water is lower than the outside temperature, the water temperature gradually rises, the volume of the water expands, and the water pressure gradually rises.

Thus, as described above, the temperature of the water passed through the water leak inspection device 10 is preferably equal to or lower than the outside air temperature (the temperature of the inspection environment). According to experiments such as these, it is preferable that the difference be, for example, about 10 degrees C. Note that the degree of the temperature difference is not uniform due to the diameter of the pipe 12 or the like, but it is a rough guide when a normal water heater is used as a device to be inspected.

As described above, according to the water leakage inspection device 20 and the inspection method thereof of the present embodiment, the appliance 1 such as a water heater is used.
In the case where there is a water leak in 1, a predetermined water pressure drop is observed, and it can be determined that the water leaks. Therefore, since a predetermined operation is performed by the control unit 23, a water leak test can be easily performed only by a simple instruction from the input unit 26 without requiring skill for a person performing the test.

Further, after the control unit 23 has passed water twice,
By measuring the output change of the pressure sensor 22, water can be passed after the air in the device is sufficiently removed, so that the state of water leakage appropriately appears in the pressure change, and a more accurate inspection can be performed.

When the temperature of the water flowing from the water passage 15 into the apparatus 11 is equal to the outside air temperature, the water in the apparatus does not expand or contract thermally, and accurate water pressure measurement can be performed. I can do it. Further, when the temperature of the water in the appliance 11 is lower than the outside air temperature, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the water pressure drops even though there is no water leakage in the appliance, so that no error occurs in the water leakage inspection.

After passing the water, the solenoid valve 1 of the branch pipe 21 is
7 is opened to drain the water passage 15 a leading to the entrance of the pipe 12,
Since no pressing pressure is applied from the water passage 15, a more accurate inspection can be performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the appliance to be inspected of the present invention is described as a water heater, but the invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is applicable to all appliances provided with a pipe through which water leaks. Can be applied for inspection.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a water leakage inspection device and an inspection method capable of accurately inspecting a water leakage of an appliance by a simple operation without requiring skill. can do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a water leakage inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing an example of a water leak test by the water leak test apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a method of water leakage inspection by the water leakage inspection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a graph showing a detection result of a water leak test by the water leak test device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a state in which the inspection target device is slightly leaking water.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a state in which the device to be inspected has leaked a small or small amount of water.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a state in which the device to be inspected leaks a small or small amount of water.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a state in which the device to be inspected has leaked a small or small amount of water.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example in which water pressure is detected in a state where the inspection target device is placed upright.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example in which water pressure is detected in a state where the inspection target device is placed horizontally.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which water pressure is detected in a state where a device to be inspected is laid down.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example in which water pressure is detected in a state where the inspection target device is placed upside down.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing a relationship between water pressures detected when the temperature of flowing water is higher than the outside air temperature.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing a relationship between water pressure detected when the temperature of flowing water and the outside air temperature match.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing a relationship between water pressures detected when the temperature of flowing water is lower than the outside air temperature.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Inspection apparatus (Hot water heater) 12 Piping 13 Piping entrance side opening / closing means (motor valve) 14 Piping exit side opening / closing means (solenoid valve) 15 Water passage 16 Drainage channel 17 Branch pipe opening / closing means (solenoid valve) 18 Opening / closing of water passage Means (electromagnetic valve) 19 Governor 21 Branch pipe 22 Pressure detecting means 23 Control unit 24 Timer 25 Memory 26 Input means 27 Output means

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An input means for inputting a detection value from a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in a pipe provided in a device to be inspected, a pipe entry side opening / closing means provided on an entry side of the pipe, A pipe outlet opening / closing means provided on the outlet side; a water passage connected to the inlet side of the pipe via the pipe inlet side opening / closing means for flowing water into the pipe; and opening / closing the water passage. A water passage opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening / closing means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means, A water leak inspection device, comprising: a control unit for measuring a change in output of the pressure detection means. 2. The branch pipe according to claim 1, wherein a branch pipe is provided between the pipe entrance side opening / closing means of the water passage and the water passage opening / closing means, and the branch pipe is provided with a branch pipe opening / closing means. Water leak inspection device as described. 3. The water leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pipe opening / closing means is a motor valve driven by a gear motor. 4. The control section, after opening the water passage opening / closing means twice and allowing water to flow, closes at least the pipe entrance-side opening / closing means and the pipe exit-side opening / closing means to detect a change in the output of the pressure detecting means. The water leak inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement is performed. 5. The control unit, after opening the water passage opening / closing means twice and passing water, closing at least the pipe entrance side opening / closing means and the pipe exit side opening / closing means, and further closing the water passage opening / closing means. 3. The water leak inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the branch pipe opening / closing means is opened to drain a water passage leading to a pipe entry side, and a change in output of the pressure detection means is measured. 4. 6. A pipe in an instrument to be inspected, a pipe entrance opening / closing means provided on an entrance side of the pipe, and a pipe exit opening / closing means provided on an exit side of the pipe are opened to open a water passage. A method of detecting water leakage of an appliance, comprising: sending water; and then closing at least the pipe opening / closing side opening means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means, and measuring a change in pressure in the piping by a pressure detecting means. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the water passage is opened twice by opening and closing the water passage to perform the water passage twice. 8. The temperature of water passed through the water passage,
Characterized by being equal to or lower than the outside air temperature,
A method for detecting water leakage of an appliance according to claim 7. 9. The temperature of water passed through the water passage is:
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the temperature is lower than the outside air temperature and the temperature difference is within 10 degrees C. 10. After the water passage opening / closing means is opened twice and water is passed, at least the pipe entrance side opening / closing means and the pipe outlet side opening / closing means are closed, and further, the water passage opening / closing means is closed, and then the water passage is opened. Opening the branch pipe opening / closing means provided between the pipe entrance side opening / closing means and the water channel opening / closing means to drain the water channel leading to the pipe entry side, and measuring the output change of the pressure detection means. The water leak inspection method according to claim 7, wherein: