JPS6250731B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an instantaneous water heater that uses gas, oil, or electricity as an energy source, and starts operating the device when it detects that a faucet is opened and water is supplied at the end of the hot water supply route. It is also a heating control device that stabilizes the temperature of hot water.

Conventional instantaneous hot water heaters have devices that control combustion input such as gas in order to stabilize the hot water temperature, but even when the input is at its maximum, if water is supplied that exceeds this, the water will be heated to the target temperature. I had a problem where I couldn't do it. This was especially common in the winter when the water temperature was low. In addition, it is common practice to automatically start and stop equipment by detecting the amount of water supplied.
Conventional water controllers have a problem in that the level of the amount of water that can be detected changes depending on the maximum amount of water that can be passed. When proportionally controlling the input, water flow is detected at a low water volume that provides a high temperature at the lowest input.
In addition, it is necessary to be able to flow a high amount of water to obtain a low temperature even at the highest input. FIG. 1 shows a water controller used in a conventional water heater, in which water enters a primary chamber 3 from an inlet 1 through a control hole 2. From here, control valve 4
The outlet 5 is connected to a heat exchanger (not shown) through the outlet 5. The primary chamber 3 is separated from the secondary chamber 7 by a diaphragm 6.
A spring 8 acts to press the primary chamber 3 side. A control valve 9 is attached to the diaphragm 6 and automatically adjusts the opening degree of the control hole 2 described above. 10 is a communication hole connecting the secondary chamber 7 and the downstream side of the control valve 4. Further, the movement of the diaphragm 6 is taken out to the outside by a pin 11 and a switch 12 is operated. An example of characteristics regarding water pressure and water volume in this example is shown in FIG. The second quadrant of the figure shows the relationship between the water flow rate and the pressure difference applied to the diaphragm 6. Depending on the opening degree of the control valve 4, the relationship between the amount of water and the pressure difference changes as shown in A, B, and C in the figure.
If the pressure difference across the diaphragm 6 increases, it overcomes the force of the spring 8 and moves in the direction of closing the control hole 2. As common knowledge, control hole 2 and control valve 9
When the gap becomes extremely small, the water pressure loss in this area increases rapidly, so it becomes possible to absorb fluctuations in inlet water pressure with extremely small displacements in this area, and the amount of water is almost constant regardless of the water pressure. It will maintain a constant value. The fact that the amount of water remains constant is almost determined by the pressure difference acting on the diaphragm 6 and the force of the spring 8, so the control valve 4
By changing the relationship between water volume and pressure difference, it becomes possible to arbitrarily select a water volume value in a stabilized state. This causes the amount of water to increase along the A curve shown in the first quadrant of Figure 2, and eventually Q ₁ ',
This is the reason why it is stable at each water amount of Q ₂ ′ and Q ₃ ′. However, since the switch 12 is switched by the amount of movement of the diaphragm 6, if the pressure difference required to move to the switching point is Δρ _s ', then the minimum amount of water for the switch 12 to operate is determined by the amount of opening of the control valve. Amount of water reached
When the opening is _Q1 ', it is Q' _s1 , when the opening is RO, it is Q' _s2 , and when the opening is Ha, it is Q' _s3 . If the minimum amount of water at which the switch 12 operates (hereinafter referred to as ignition water amount) is set to the level of Q' _s3 , the amount of water that can be reached is only _Q3 ', and conversely, if the amount of water that can be reached is set to _Q1 ', The amount of ignition water increases to Q′ _s1 . As mentioned above, when trying to stabilize the temperature of hot water by controlling the input, the fire may go out when the faucet is turned down to reduce the amount of water, and if the faucet is designed to burn at a low amount of water, the faucet may Even if it is fully opened, the amount of water decreases, causing the inconvenience that the input is always restricted.

In order to prevent such fluctuations in the amount of ignition water, there is a conventional example as shown in FIG. Here, the right half is pin 1
1 and switch 12 are omitted, but the rest is the same as in FIG. The water coming out from the outlet 5 flows through the opening 13 into the detection chamber 1.
4 and enters the heat exchanger through the connection hole 15. A reed switch 16 is located in the center of the opening 13 and the detection chamber 14.
A detection guide cylinder 17 containing a detection guide cylinder 17 is provided, and a permanent magnet 18 is fitted on the outer periphery of the cylinder so as to be movable up and down. 19 is a spring that presses the permanent magnet 18 in the direction of the opening 13. In this example, the permanent magnet 18 receives an upward force from the water flow, and when it overcomes the spring 19, it rises and turns the reed switch 16 on. The water amount value at this time is the spring 19 and the magnet outer diameter,
Since it is determined by factors such as the inner diameter of the detection chamber, it is unrelated to the opening degree of the control valve 4, and there is no problem like the example shown in FIG. However, since there is a pressure loss at the opening 13 and the permanent magnet 18, if we focus on the relationship between the inlet water pressure and the amount of water passing through, we can see that the amount of water increases as shown by the broken line B in the first quadrant of FIG. It becomes stable at ₁ ′, Q ₂ ′, and Q ₃ ′. That is, the inlet water pressure value when the water amount reaches the final water amount and stabilizes increases, reducing the effectiveness of the governor.

It should be noted that there is no conventional water controller that has the function of preventing a drop in the outlet temperature when water is supplied in excess of the input mentioned at the beginning.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional examples, the present invention automatically controls the water supply amount so that the water supply does not exceed the input in a water heater that performs proportional control of the combustion input of gas, etc., and also controls the equipment. The purpose is to stabilize the amount of ignition water for starting and stopping even when the water supply amount control is performed, and further to perform the water amount stabilizing operation as a governor at a low water pressure stage as long as possible.

In other words, a control diaphragm is used to divide the primary chamber and secondary chamber, a control hole opened in the primary chamber is connected to a control valve that is linked to the control diaphragm, and a magnet that moves by the water flow downstream of the primary chamber and the displacement of this magnet are connected to each other. A controller controls a switch that detects a switch, a first communication passage that communicates the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, a second communication passage that communicates the downstream side of the magnet and the secondary chamber, and a control valve provided in one of the communication passages. , a water controller whose opening is adjusted by a drive mechanism, and a heat exchanger and a heating device provided downstream of the water controller. The force of the water flow displaces the magnet, which is detected by a switch to start and stop the equipment.The water pressure consumed to move the magnet is divided into parts by a control valve and sent to the control diaphragm. This system allows the amount of water to be supplied, stabilized by the partial pressure ratio, to be changed arbitrarily.The opening of the control valve is adjusted by a drive mechanism that operates based on signals from the controller, and the amount of water supplied is always adjusted to match the input. By adjusting the temperature, the target temperature is maintained.
In addition, the pressure drop acting on the diaphragm is minimized as much as possible by utilizing the drop in water pressure required for magnet movement, thereby minimizing pressure loss in the passageway of the water flow system.

The above-mentioned object is achieved by the above-described structure and operation, and will be explained in detail below based on the drawings showing the embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment in which the heating control device of the present invention is applied to a gas water heater. Here, the water controller is 100, and water enters the inlet 102 from the water supply channel 101 and enters the primary chamber 10 from the control hole 103.
4. Next, it flows out from the opening 105 through the detection chamber 106 and from the outlet 107 into the connecting pipe 108 .
On the other hand, the control diaphragm 1 is located above the primary chamber 104.
The control diaphragm 1 is separated from the secondary chamber 110 by the spring 111 of the secondary chamber 110.
09 is always pressed toward the primary chamber 104 side. A control valve 113 is provided in a first continuous passage 112 connecting the primary chamber 104 and the secondary chamber 110, and is rotated by a drive mechanism 114 to change the degree of opening. Next, a detection guide tube 116 having a built-in switch 115 is provided in the center of the opening 105 and the detection chamber 106, and a magnet 117 is fitted on the outer periphery of the tube so as to be movable up and down. A spring 118 that presses the magnet 117 in the direction of the opening 105 acts, and furthermore, the detection chamber 106 and the secondary chamber 110 on the downstream side of the magnet 117 are connected by a second communication path 119. Further, a control valve 120 corresponding to the control hole 103 is connected to the diaphragm 109.

The above is the configuration of the water controller 100, but
The water is heated while passing through the heat exchanger 200 from the connecting pipe 108 and is supplied from the hot water supply path 201 to a faucet (not shown).

Further, 300 is a burner device, and gas entering from a gas path 301 is passed through a first solenoid valve 302 and a second solenoid valve 30.
3 and the burner device 300 through the gas control valve 304.
supplied to On the other hand, gas is also supplied to the pilot burner 306 through a pilot pipe line 305 branched from the downstream side of the first electromagnetic valve 302.

Finally, 400 is a controller that issues signals to control the aforementioned drive mechanism 114 and valves in the gas path, and includes a temperature sensor 201 provided in the middle of the hot water supply path 201 and a temperature setting device 402 that sets the target hot water temperature. These signals and the signal from the switch 115 of the water controller 100 are input.

Now, the operation and effect of the heating control device of the present invention will be described below.

When the faucet is opened at the end of the hot water supply path 201, water begins to flow, and the upward flow of water through the opening 105 of the water controller 100 generates a force that lifts the magnet 117 upward. When the force exceeds the load of the spring 118, the magnet 117 floats, and when the magnetic flux of the magnet 117 reaches a position where it affects the switch 115, the switch 115 is turned on. This switch signal is sent to the controller 400 and first the first solenoid valve 3
Open 02. The gas is sent to the pilot burner 306, and an igniter (not shown) is also started at the same time, causing the pilot burner 306 to ignite. This ignition is detected by a flame detector (not shown), and then the second electromagnetic valve 303 is opened and gas is also sent to the burner device 300, whereupon the flame transfers from the pilot burner 306 and combustion begins. Water is heated by heat exchanger 200, and its temperature is detected by temperature detector 401. If the temperature is higher than the target temperature determined by the temperature setting device 402, the controller 400 sends a signal to the gas control valve 304, and controls the amount of gas burnt to match the target temperature. In this way, the outlet hot water temperature is maintained at the target level regardless of the inlet water temperature or the water flow rate. However, there is a limit to the maximum amount of combustion in a burner due to the number of burners, supply/exhaust capacity, combustion chamber volume, etc.
Now, if the device has an output equivalent to No. 16, the water volume will be 10/
Minute time is the ability to raise the water temperature by 40℃. Therefore, when the inlet water temperature is 10°C, the maximum outlet temperature is 50°C, and even if the temperature setting device 402 is set to 70°C, 70°C cannot be obtained. In this case, the water amount is 6.7
The temperature will not reach 70℃ unless the temperature is reduced to /min. According to the present invention, by reducing the amount of water flowing in this way, the temperature can always be made to match the target temperature. Next, the operation of the water controller 100 will be described in detail.

As mentioned in the conventional example, when the water volume is stabilized as a governor regardless of water pressure, the water volume value is
It is almost determined by the relationship between the water flow rate and the pressure difference acting on the control diaphragm 109 and the spring 111.
Water exits from the primary chamber 104 and enters the opening 105 and detection chamber 1.
06 and magnet 117, a pressure drop occurs that is uniquely determined by the design. This characteristic is a curve shown in the second quadrant of FIG. On the low water flow side, since the magnet 117 is in contact with the opening 105, there is a large tendency for the pressure drop to increase, and as the magnets 117 begin to separate, the increasing tendency slows down, and since the area of the detection chamber 106 is expanding toward the downstream side, the water flow increases. The pressure drop does not increase as much as with a fixed throttle valve. Since the downstream side of the magnet 117 and the secondary chamber 110 are connected by the second communication hole 119, the differential pressure shown in the second quadrant of FIG. It will affect. Now, if the control valve 113 is fully closed, the pressure in the primary chamber 104 does not affect the secondary chamber, so the water flow-differential pressure characteristic shown by the curve F in FIG. 5 acts directly on the control diaphragm 109, exerting the governor effect. In this state, the amount of water is Q ₃ . Further, the amount of ignition water at which the switch 115 is turned on is _Qs .
Next, when the control valve 113 is half-opened, the relationship between the amount of water passing through the magnet portion and the pressure drop remains as a curved line, but as a result of the pressure in the primary chamber 104 affecting the secondary chamber, even the same amount of water can be controlled. The differential pressure acting on the diaphragm 109 decreases and becomes like curve E, and the amount of water in the steady state increases to _Q2 . Control valve 113
When the diaphragm is opened further, the two curves act on the diaphragm and the water volume increases to Q ₁ . In this way, the control valve 113
The amount of water can be changed arbitrarily by changing the opening of the hole, but since the two communicating holes have high resistance to water flow, most of the water flows through the magnet 117, so there is always a pressure drop like a curve. generated, and the force causes the magnet 11 to
As a result of levitating 7, there is no change in the amount of ignition water.

When the water temperature is lower than the target temperature and the gas input is at its highest, the controller 400 operates the drive mechanism 114 to reduce the amount of water, thereby controlling the temperature to match the target temperature.

Regarding the range of water flow rate, considering the case where a large amount of hot water is used at the appropriate temperature for showering in summer, the higher the maximum water flow is, the more suitable it is (for example, No. 16 with water temperature of 25℃ and hot water temperature of 40℃).
(approximately 27/min). On the other hand, when considering how to pour hot water into a bathtub in winter, the amount of water should be set to provide a high temperature (for example, if the water temperature is 5°C and the water temperature is 80°C in No. 16, the flow rate will be approximately 5.3/min). In this way, the water flow rate should be set in consideration of various uses while maximizing the capacity of the equipment. By the way, the water pressure varies depending on the region and time of day, but there are many situations where the water pressure is low, so it is desirable to design the pipe with a minimum length and water flow resistance so that the maximum amount of water can be obtained. In Fig. 3 of the conventional example,
Even if the control valve 4 is fully opened, there is a bend in the water circuit to insert the control valve 4, which not only increases the resistance at this part, but also increases the pressure drop at the magnet part 18, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in curve B, the characteristics require high water pressure to obtain a high amount of water. In this respect, in the present invention, the control valve 113 is not present in the main water passage, which simplifies the circuit, and there is only a pressure loss in the magnet 117 portion, so a high water volume is obtained on the low water pressure side as shown in FIG. I can do it.

Although the switch 115 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is a reed switch, it may be a switch using a Hall element or a magnetoresistive element sensitive to magnetism. Further, a motor servo, a step motor, or the like is suitable for the drive mechanism 114. Furthermore, in addition to gas combustion machines, the heating device can also be easily applied to petroleum or electric water heaters.

As explained above, the present invention has a primary chamber and a secondary chamber divided by a control diaphragm, and a control valve corresponding to a control hole opened to the primary chamber through which water flows in conjunction with the control diaphragm. a magnet that moves with the water flow, a switch that detects the displacement of the magnet, a first communication passage that communicates the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, and a second communication passage that communicates the downstream side of the magnet and the secondary chamber;
A water controller having a control valve provided in either communication path and whose opening degree is adjusted by a drive mechanism operated by a signal from a controller, and a heating control device comprising a heat exchanger and a heating device. Therefore, the water volume value can be arbitrarily set using a signal from the controller, and the hot water temperature can be controlled arbitrarily, and even if the water volume value is changed, the ignition water volume for starting and stopping the equipment remains unchanged. Furthermore, since no regulating valve is provided in the main water passage, passage pressure loss is low and a large amount of water can be passed even at low water pressure. The control valve divides the difference between the pressure on the downstream side of the magnet and the pressure in the primary chamber and applies it to the secondary chamber, so it can be installed in either communication path.
In the direction in which the valve opens, there is a position where the amount of water increases and a position where the amount of water decreases. The former is the case where it is provided in the first communicating passage, and the latter is the case where it is provided in the second communicating passage. When reducing the amount of water, the latter method of installing the control valve in the second communication passage opens the control valve fully, and in order to make the pressure drop at the magnet part and the differential pressure acting on the control diaphragm almost equal, the control valve is adjusted compared to the first communication passage. The valve must be designed to have significantly lower resistance. Considering the possibility of clogging with foreign matter such as dust, there is a limit to reducing the diameter of the first passageway, so naturally the control valve must be made larger. If the influence of the pressure on the primary chamber side is strong even in the fully open state, and the differential pressure across the control diaphragm is smaller than the pressure drop at the magnet, then in order to obtain the same minimum water flow, the pressure drop at the magnet must be designed to increase the number of In Figure 5, to reduce Q to ₃ ,
The pressure drop curve of the magnet section is made to have a characteristic that it passes below the F curve. This results in an increase in overall passage pressure drop. On the other hand, if the control valve is provided on the first passageway side, the minimum amount of water is determined in the fully closed state, so there is no problem as described above.
Therefore, if a control valve is provided, it is advantageous to use the first communication passage side.

By installing a temperature detector and a temperature setting device in the controller, it is easy to automatically adjust the water flow value to match the target temperature, resulting in a convenient and safe water heater that can provide hot water at the set temperature throughout the year. Obtainable.

In addition, since the control valve is not provided in the main water passage, and the control is performed from the communication passage side, the valve diameter can be reduced, and the overall equipment can be made smaller. Further, a smaller diameter also means a reduction in operating torque, which makes it possible to reduce the power of the drive mechanism and, at the same time, to reduce the capacity of the drive circuit and power supply circuit on the controller side. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to miniaturization and cost reduction at the same time. In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the part that guides the movement of the diaphragm to the outside using a pin is replaced by a stationary part such as a detection guide tube, which not only stabilizes the amount of ignition water but also improves reliability against water leaks. It is also possible to aim for

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 3 are cross-sectional views of water controllers used in conventional heating control devices, Figure 2 is a characteristic diagram of these conventional examples, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing the present invention applied to a gas water heater. FIG. 5, which is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the heating control device when applied, is a characteristic diagram of the water controller in this embodiment. 109...Control diaphragm, 104...Primary chamber, 110...Secondary chamber, 103...Control hole, 12
0... Control valve, 117... Magnet, 115... Switch, 112... First communicating passage, 119... Second communicating passage, 400... Controller, 114... Drive mechanism, 113... Control valve, 100 ...Water controller,
200... Heat exchanger, 300... Heating device, 40
1...Temperature detector, 402...Temperature setting device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A control diaphragm, a primary chamber and a secondary chamber partitioned by the control diaphragm, a control hole opening into the primary chamber, a control valve corresponding to the control hole and interlocking with the control diaphragm, and a control valve of the primary chamber. A magnet that moves with the water flow on the downstream side, a switch that detects the displacement of the magnet,
A first communication passage communicating the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, a second communication passage communicating the downstream side of the magnet position and the secondary chamber, and a drive provided in either communication passage and operated by a controller. It consists of a water controller with a control valve operated by a mechanism, a heat exchanger connected downstream of the water controller, and a heating device that heats the heat exchanger, and the water flow state is detected by the output of the switch. A heating control device that controls the temperature of hot water by operating the heating device and changing the amount of water by changing the opening degree of the control valve using a controller. 2. The heating control device according to claim 1, wherein the control valve is provided in the first continuous passage. 3. The controller includes a temperature detector that detects the temperature of hot water downstream of the heat exchanger and a temperature setting device that determines the target temperature, and sends a drive signal to the drive mechanism in accordance with the signals from both of them.Claim 1 The heating control device described.