JPS59125354A - Display device of residual hot water quantity of water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make appropriate display on the outside by detecting acculately a residual hot water quantity without complicating an operation, by so constituting that a device deciding the residual hot water quantity automatically is provided so as to enable to display appropriately based on the decision. CONSTITUTION:A measured voltage level Vm is checked at a step 28 if it satisfies ¦VA¦<=¦Vm¦ as compared with a predetermined value VA, if so it is decided at a step 31 that a residual hot water quantity is ''much''. When a check at the step 29 reveals that the voltage level Vm does not satisfies ¦VA¦<=¦Vm¦, the voltage level Vm is checked at a step 29 if it satisfies ¦VB¦<=¦Vm¦, if so it is decided at a step 32 that the residual hot water quantity is ''medium''. When a check at the step 29 reveals that the voltage level Vm does not satisfies ¦VB¦<=¦Vm¦, it is checked at a step 30 further that if the voltage level Vm satisfies ¦Vc¦<=¦Vm¦, if so it is decided at a step 33 that the residual hot water quantity is ''little''. When a check at the step 30 reveals that the voltage level Vm does not satisfies ¦Vc¦<=¦Vm¦, it is decided at a step 34 that the residual hot water quantity is nil, and then deciding action of the residual hot water quantity is completed. Respective decided results are applied to a display part 20 through an output circuit 17, through which display units 21, 22, 23 are made to display.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a remaining hot water amount display device for a water heater that detects the temperature of the outer wall of a tank and automatically displays the amount of remaining hot water.

Conventional methods of this type include attaching multiple thermostats to the outer wall of the tank and linking their opening/closing operations to displays, or attaching a positive temperature coefficient thermistor to the outer wall of the tank. There was one in which the change in current corresponded to a change in current at -1, and the output was linked to a display.

However, the former method using a thermostat is difficult to detect accurately, while the latter method has a problem in that it is not easy to detect changes in current using hardware.

The present invention has been made to improve such conventional problems, and by providing a means for determining the amount of remaining hot water in the tank based on changes in the temperature of the outer wall of the tank, the amount of remaining hot water can be automatically determined. This paper proposes a device that can display the amount of remaining hot water in a water heater externally.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a remaining hot water display device for a water heater according to the present invention. As is clear from FIG. 1, a plurality of temperature detectors 2, 3.4 each having a positive characteristic are vertically provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tank 1 at predetermined intervals.
Using the detection signals of the temperature detectors 2 and 3.4 as input, the voltage rail measuring means 5 measures the voltage level at the temperature sensor 2. The means 6 determines the amount of hot water remaining in the tank 1, and outputs the determination result to the display means 7, thereby displaying it externally.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the electrical connections of the embodiment of FIG. 1. In the figure, 8, 9, 10 are resistors connected in series with the temperature detectors 2, 3, 4, 12 is a microcomputer in the control device 13, CPU 14, memory 15, input circuit 1G, output circuit 17 have.

18 is an analog multiplexer into which the detection outputs of the temperature detectors 2, 3, and 4 are input; 19 is an A/D converter that converts the output into digital; the output is sent to the input circuit 16; Be given.

20 is a display section within the control device 13, which emits light.

Display body 21 such as a diode. , [2, 23, and resistors 24, 25, 26 connected in series therewith.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the remaining hot water amount display program stored in the memory 15 of the microcomputer 12, and FIG.

First, when displaying the amount of remaining hot water, by applying an appropriate voltage to the circuit, a voltage level measuring process 27 shown in FIG. 3 is started.

The fox measured in this voltage level measurement process 27 is
The voltage changes as shown in Figure 4 because it changes in response to the use of hot water heated inside the tank and the temperature drop due to heat radiation. Assuming that there is residual hot water at a certain temperature (for example, 55 degrees Celsius) or higher, the corresponding temperature detectors 2, 3.4 are all installed in the position, and the voltage when there is residual hot water is VA,
When the temperature detectors 2 and 3 are installed at the position and there is residual hot water, the voltage is VJ+, and when only the temperature sensor 2 is installed at the position and there is residual hot water, the voltage is VC.

Based on this, the remaining FIJIc determination operation consisting of steps 28 to 34 in FIG. 3 is performed. In step 28, the measured voltage level ■- is 1Vll≦I compared to the predetermined value ■.
It is checked whether V-1, IVAI≦IV
-, 1, the remaining hot water amount in the step tube 31 is determined to be "large". Che Tsuk at Ste Tsubu 28 is IVAI≦lV
If not 4, in step 29 1■δ1≦IV
It is checked whether IVBI≦1■1, step 1. 32, the remaining hot water amount is determined to be "medium".

If the check in step 29 is not 1■ml≦1 edition, it is further checked in step 30 whether 1vel≦IW1, and I■ (if 1≦heel 1, step 1
．． In step 33, the remaining hot water is determined to be "small".

If the check at step 30 does not show Ivc1≦IV11, then in step 34 the remaining hot water amount [determined as none J and 1,
The remaining hot water amount determination operation ends.

Each determination result is displayed on the display section 20 through the entire output circuit 17.
The information is output to the display bodies 21, 22, and 23 to be displayed.

As described above, according to the present invention, a means for automatically determining the amount of hot water remaining in the tank is provided, and an appropriate display can be made based on the determination. It is possible to accurately detect the amount of remaining hot water and display an appropriate display externally.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of the remaining hot water amount display device for a water heater according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram showing its electrical connection, Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing its operation, and Fig. 4 is a tank FIG. In the figure, 1 is a tank, 2, 3, and 4 are a-degree detectors, 5 is a voltage level measuring means, 6 is a residual hot water 1 determining means, 7 is a display means, 12 is a microcomputer, 21, 22, and 23 are It is a display body. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same parts. Procedural amendment (initiated by the Commissioner of the Patent Office 1, Indication of the case: Japanese Patent Application No. 1982-692 2, Title of the invention: Hot water type remaining hot water amount display device 3. Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Patent applicant address: 2-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Name (601) Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Representative Hitoshi Katayama 4, Agent address: Chiyoda, Tokyo 2-2-3-5, Marunouchi, Ward, ?1, subject drawing 6, content of amendment Figure 3 will be amended as shown in the attached sheet.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of temperature detectors that detect the temperature of the outer periphery of the tank, a voltage level measuring means that inputs the detection signal of the temperature detector, and a voltage level measured by the voltage level measuring means as a reference at a reference temperature. A remaining hot water amount display device for a water heater, comprising a remaining hot water amount determining means for determining the remaining hot water amount by comparing it with a voltage, and a display means for externally displaying the remaining hot water amount determined by the remaining hot water amount determining means. (2) A remaining hot water amount display device for a water heater according to claim (1), wherein the remaining hot water amount determining means is implemented by a microcomputer.