JPS6229861A - Additionally heating device for water in bathtub - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heat water in the bathtub in a short period of time without requiring much power consumption by heating the water in the bathtub by making use of accumulated heat. CONSTITUTION:The heat accumulating tank 2 comprises a heat accumulating material 4 to accumulate the heat released from an electric heater 3 and a heat insulating material 5 surrounding the heat accumulating material 4. The heat accumulated in the heat accumulating material 4 is received by a heat transmission pipe 6. The water circulation passage 9 has connecting pipes 7a, 7b respectively between the both ends of the heat transmission pipe 6 and the interior of the bathtub 1 to allow the circulation of water between the heat transmission pipe 6 and the interior of the bathtub 1. As the water in the bathtub is heated by making use of heat accumulated in this manner, the additional heating can be completed in a short period of time without requiring much power consumption.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a reheating device for a hot water supply system for a bathtub, and more particularly to a reheating device for a bathtub that uses electrical energy.

(Technical background of the invention and its problems) Electric water heaters use low-cost late-night electricity to store hot water in the middle of the night when it is less frequently used, and then use the hot water at any time.Electricity bills are low. Moreover, it has the advantage of being safer than water heaters that use combustion equipment as a heat source, and is often used in bathtub hot water systems.However, in bathtub water heating systems that use conventional electric water heaters, I of
There is no means for additional heating in a short time when m decreases.

Therefore, when using a bathtub where the water temperature has dropped, a method is used to raise the water temperature by introducing high-temperature steam from the hot water storage tank into the bathtub. Since some of the hot water must be drained away, there was a problem in terms of effective use of water resources.

Although it is possible to heat the hot water in the bathtub whose temperature has dropped directly with an electric heater, it is not practical.

In other words, the capacity of a bathtub is generally about 1,802 kg, and considering that it needs to be heated by 5°C to bring it up to the appropriate temperature, it would take 5,400 kcal/kg to heat it in 10 minutes.
h of heat is required. To obtain this hot water with an electric heater, 6.3 kW of power is required, which is too large for the contracted power capacity of a typical household.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a bathtub reheating device that can obtain the amount of heat necessary for reheating in a short time without requiring large amounts of electric power.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention constitutes a heat storage tank consisting of an electric heater, a heat storage material that stores the heat generated by the electric heater, and a heat insulating material provided around the heat storage material, and transmits heat in contact with the heat storage material of the heat storage tank. By providing a heat transfer tube and further connecting two connecting tubes between both ends of the heat transfer tube and the inside of the bathtub to form a water circulation flow path that circulates water between the heat transfer tube and the inside of the bathtub, It is designed to perform heating.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, since additional heating is performed using heat storage, additional heating can be performed in a short time without requiring a large amount of electric power. That is, the power consumption of the electric heater for additional heating can be much smaller than when the heat generated by the electric heater is directly used for additional heating, and there is no problem at all even with the contracted power capacity of a general household.

Furthermore, the present invention is also advantageous in terms of economy, since it is possible to use low-cost late-night electricity for additional heating.

[Embodiments of the invention]

FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of a bathtub reheating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a heat storage tank 2 is provided outside the bathtub 1. The heat storage tank 2 has an electric heater 3 embedded in a heat storage material 4, and the heat storage material 4 is further covered with a heat insulating material 5 for heat retention. Heat storage material 4
For example, materials that utilize the sensible heat of solid materials such as bricks and crushed stone are used. Further, the electric heater 3 is energized at an appropriate time, and the heat generated by the heater 3 is stored in the heat storage material 3.

Heat exchanger tubes 6 are buried in the heat storage material 3 so that both ends thereof are exposed, so that heat exchange between the heat storage material 3 and the water in the heat exchanger tubes 6 is performed. Both ends of the heat exchanger tube 6 are connected to one end of each of two connecting tubes 7a, 7b, and the connecting tubes 7a, 7b
The other ends of each communicate with the inside of the bathtub 1. connecting pipe 7a,
In this example, the pipes 7b are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction as shown in the figure, and a valve 8 for opening and closing the flow path is installed in the lower connecting pipe 7b. These connecting pipes 7a.

7b and the valve 8 constitute a water circulation flow path 9 that circulates water between the heat transfer tube 6 and the inside of the bathtub 1.

In the above configuration, when additional heating is performed when taking a bath after the temperature of the water in the bathtub 1 has decreased, a loop of the water circulation channel 9 is formed by opening the valve 8. It is assumed that the electric heater 3 is energized in advance before this additional heating is required, so that the thermal energy necessary for additional heating is stored in the heat storage material 4. When the valve 8 is opened, the water in the heat transfer tube 6 1 heated by the heat storage material 4 returns to the bathtub 1 via the connecting tube 7a due to buoyancy, and returns to the bathtub 1.
The water inside passes through the connecting pipe 7b and reaches the heat exchanger tube 6, where heat is exchanged again. As this operation is repeated, the water in the bathtub 1 is gradually heated and eventually reaches an appropriate temperature.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a specific operation pattern of this additional heating device. If you wish to take a bath during the time indicated by the arrow, please refer to A.
, B, additional heating is required when bathing for the second and subsequent times. In this case, before bathing time, turn on the electric heater 3.
By energizing for a predetermined period of time and storing heat in the heat storage material 4, the amount of heat required for additional heating can be obtained in a short time.

In other words, additional heating shall be performed twice a day, and
Assuming that the amount of heat for additional heating is 5°C, the capacity of the bathtub 1 is 18ON, and a net heat amount of 1800 kcal is required, but according to the above configuration, the electric heater 3 is 1 kcal.
If you use a W type and leave it energized for 2 hours, you will get enough heat for this additional heating.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a sufficient amount of heat for reheating in a short time while using a relatively low-power electric heater 3, making the reheating device optimal for general household use. can be provided.

In addition, particularly in the above embodiment, two connecting pipes 7a are arranged vertically in the water circulation channel 9.

There is an advantage that the additional heating can be easily turned on and off by simply opening and closing the valve 9 provided in the lower connecting pipe 7b of the pipes 7b.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the heat storage tank 2 is installed at a position higher than the water level of the bathtub 1, and the water circulation passage 9
This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that a pump 10 is provided in the connecting pipe 7b. In this embodiment, the pump 10
By operating the bathtub 1, the water in the bathtub 1 is guided to the heat transfer tube 6 of the heat storage tank 2, where it is heated by the heat of the heat storage material 4, and then returned to the bathtub 1 for additional heating. It will be done. That is, the additional heating is controlled to be turned on and off by turning the pump 10 on and off.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, when the pump 10 is stopped, all the water in the heat exchanger tubes 6 in the heat storage tank 2 located at a higher place than the water surface of the bathtub 1 returns to the bathtub 1 by gravity and flows into the heat exchanger tubes 6. Since the water does not return, hot water heated by the heat storage material 4 in the heat exchanger tube 6 is not supplied to the bathtub 1 after additional heating, and the controllability of additional heating is improved.

Furthermore, in the additional heating device of the present invention, the temperature of the heat storage material 4 is 3.
00°C, there is a possibility that steam will be generated if water accumulates in the heat exchanger tube 6, but according to the embodiment shown in FIG. It has the advantage of being able to prevent steam generation because it is structured so that it is guided by the flow of water.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in the embodiment, a heat storage material that uses sensible heat is illustrated, but a heat storage material that uses latent heat may also be used.

Further, in the operation pattern shown in FIG. 2, daytime power is used to store heat for additional heating, but it goes without saying that it is also possible to use late-night power.

Furthermore, the reheating device of the present invention can be installed in a bathtub that is supplied with hot water by an existing electric water heater or gas water heater.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a bathtub reheating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an operation pattern of the bathtub reheating device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a bathtub reheating device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 1... Bathtub, 2... Heat storage tank, 3... Electric heater,
4... Heat storage material, 5... Heat insulating material, 6... Heat exchanger tube, 7
a, 7b...Connecting pipe, 8...Valve, 9...Water circulation channel, 10 River pump. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) an electric heater, a heat storage tank consisting of a heat storage material that stores heat emitted by the electric heater, and a heat insulating material provided around the heat storage material; and a heat transfer tube that receives the heat stored in the heat storage material; A bathtub recirculator comprising connection pipes between both ends of the heat transfer tube and the inside of the bathtub, and a water circulation flow path for circulating water between the heat transfer tube and the inside of the bathtub. heating device. (2) The water circulation channel is characterized in that the two connecting pipes are vertically spaced apart from each other, and the lower connecting pipe is provided with a valve for opening and closing the flow channel. A reheating device for a bathtub according to claim 1. (3) The heat storage tank is installed at a higher position than the water level of the bathtub, and the water circulation passage is provided with a pump on one of the two connecting pipes. Reheating device for bathtubs as described in .