KR20230054056A - CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECIRCULATING AND REHEATING OF COOLED WATER IN HOT WATER PIPE OF BATHROOM BASED ON IoT - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an IoT-based bathroom water saving system comprises: a toilet equipped with a water tank; a faucet part for discharging mixed water by controlling the opening and closing of a hot water pipe and a cold water pipe; a drain pipe for connecting the faucet part and the toilet; a drain valve part configured to be opened and closed between the hot water pipe of the faucet part and the drain pipe according to a control signal, and formed to send lukewarm water, which is cooled water in the hot water pipe, to the water tank; a wall pad part formed to receive a direct touch for operation or a signal from an external terminal via a network, and to receive and process the touch or the signal to transmit a line signal for operating the drain valve part; and a control box part connected to the wall pad part by a communication line, connected to an electric line for applying power and an opening/closing signal to the drain valve part, and formed to control the drain valve part according to a transmission signal. The present invention can minimize waste of water resources.

Description

Bathroom water saving system and method based on IoT {CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECIRCULATING AND REHEATING OF COOLED WATER IN HOT WATER PIPE OF BATHROOM BASED ON IoT}

The present invention relates to a bathroom water saving system and method based on IoT.

A hot water heating or water supply system using a boiler is one of the main facilities installed in houses or buildings. Among them, the latter has a piping system connecting between the boiler and the faucet so that hot water can be supplied through a faucet or a shower. This piping system includes hot water pipes to faucets or showers in each space for using hot water, such as a bathroom or a kitchen.

The hot water in the pipe from the boiler to the faucet or shower cools down according to the ambient temperature while the faucet is not in use. Accordingly, even if the faucet is opened to use hot water immediately, the cooled water inside the pipe often flows for a while. In particular, when the ambient temperature is low, such as in winter, the time for flowing cold water becomes longer, and the user waits until hot water starts to come out and reaches the desired temperature, and the user performs actions such as contacting the body with water to check. It is a small inconvenience in daily life when the shower turns on the shower head for bathing, etc., but it can act as a fatal threat to users with heart disease or poor health due to the temperature difference caused by the sudden cold water. there is.

A faucet is the final source of water in a home or building that uses water, but water consumption may vary depending on the degree of use. Water shortage is a serious problem in the world including Korea, and water saving is requested as a practical solution. As in the above situation, the cold water in the hot water pipe that flows directly into the sewage can be seen as a waste of valuable water resources. To this end, a technique for returning the cooled water in the hot water pipe to heat it again has also been proposed.

On the other hand, with the development of smart phones and the Internet of Things (IoT), smart control of almost all objects in use has become possible. In order to enable smart control of various home appliances, lighting, gas, front door opening and closing, boilers, etc. connected to the home network at home, it is possible to remotely operate or control by accessing the network using a wall-pad or smartphone. there is.

* Relevant prior art:

Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-2187100 (2020.11.30. Registration)

Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-1542886 (2015.08.03. Registration)

An object of the present invention is to provide a bathroom water saving system and method based on IoT that enables reuse of cold water in a hot water pipe without discarding it, while allowing hot water directly heated through a faucet or shower in a bathroom to be used.

A bathroom water saving system based on IoT according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object includes a toilet bowl having a water tank; a faucet formed to discharge mixed water by adjusting the opening and closing of the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe; a drain pipe connecting the power receiving unit and the toilet; a drain valve unit configured to be opened and closed between the hot water pipe of the power receiving unit and the drain pipe according to a control signal, and configured to send lukewarm water, which is cooled water in the hot water pipe, to the water tank; A wall pad portion formed to receive a direct touch for manipulation or a signal from an external terminal through a network, and to receive and process the touch or signal to transmit a line signal for the operation of the drain valve; and a control box unit connected to the wall pad unit by a communication line and connected to an electric line for applying power and opening/closing signals to the drain valve unit to control the drain valve unit according to the transmission signal. .

As an example related to the present invention, the drain valve unit includes a solenoid valve operated by direct current power, and the control box unit receives household AC power and is formed to apply or block direct current power to the drain valve unit. can

As an example related to the present invention, the drain valve unit is installed according to a plurality of bathrooms included in the household, and the wall pad unit is in the form of a selectable icon so that hot water supply or not can be input by selecting each drain valve unit. It can be formed to be displayed.

As an example related to the present invention, the display screen of the wall pad unit and the app screen of the external terminal include an icon for selecting whether or not to operate hot water, and the wall pad unit controls the drain valve unit by touching the icon. It may be formed to transmit a transmission signal for operating the control box to the control box and transmit a transmission signal to block the drain valve when an additional touch is applied to the control box.

As an example related to the present invention, the control box unit receives a signal for operating the drain valve unit from the wall pad unit and applies power to the drain valve unit, and when a reference time elapses, the drain valve unit It may be formed to cut off power.

As an example related to the present invention, the IoT-based bathroom water saving system may further include a temperature shut-off valve installed in the drain pipe and mechanically blocking the flow of water when the temperature exceeds a reference temperature.

A bathroom water saving method based on IoT related to the present invention includes receiving an input signal from a direct touch or an external terminal through a wall pad unit; transmitting a signal to a control box unit by the wall pad unit and displaying an operating state when there is the touch or input signal; applying and operating power to a drain valve unit capable of opening and closing a drain pipe connecting a power receiving unit and a toilet according to a signal transmitted from the wall pad unit by the control box unit; and blocking the drain valve unit when a reference time elapses after power is applied to the drain valve unit by the control box unit.

As an example related to the present invention, the control box unit applies power to the drain valve unit capable of opening and closing the drain pipe connecting the power receiving unit and the toilet according to the signal transmitted from the wall pad unit to operate After the step, when there is a new touch or input signal to the wall pad unit or the external terminal, a step of blocking the drain valve unit may be further included.

As an example related to the present invention, in the step of receiving a direct touch or an input signal from an external terminal through the wall pad unit, the display screen of the wall pad unit and the app screen of the external terminal are used to select whether hot water is operated or not. An icon is included, and the wall pad unit transmits a transmission signal to the control box unit for operating the drain valve unit by a touch to the icon, and transmits a transmission signal for blocking the drain valve unit when there is an additional touch. It can be configured to deliver to the control box unit.

According to the IoT-based bathroom water-saving system and method of the present invention having the above-described configuration, there is no need to go to the bathroom to drain the cold water in the hot water pipe and run it, and hot water in advance before entering the bathroom through a wall pad or an external terminal. It has the advantage of being able to prepare. In addition, since the cold water in the hot water pipe is not discharged as it is, but is stored in the water tank of the toilet through the drain pipe, waste of valuable water resources can be minimized.

According to an example related to the present invention, the control box unit is connected to the wall pad unit by a communication line, and the drain valve unit is configured to be controlled by applying or blocking power through an electric line, and is configured to be controlled by applying or blocking power to the wall pad unit and the drain valve unit. can provide the stability of the system and the convenience of maintenance and management of the facility.

According to another example related to the present invention, a convenient user interface environment can be provided by manipulating through a wall pad connected to a network and an icon installed in an external terminal.

According to another example related to the present invention, since the control box unit automatically blocks the drain valve unit when the reference time (eg, 2 minutes) elapses, water is continuously discharged through the drain pipe in an unnecessary or unaware state. can prevent

1 is a schematic piping system diagram for explaining a bathroom water saving system based on IoT according to an example related to the present invention.
2 is a schematic electrical construction diagram for explaining a bathroom water saving system based on IoT related to the present invention.
3 is a block diagram of major electrical elements constituting a bathroom water saving system based on IoT related to the present invention.
4 is a diagram schematically showing contents of a screen that can be displayed on a wall pad unit or an external terminal related to the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for saving water in a bathroom based on IoT according to an example related to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a bathroom water saving system and method based on IoT according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and the description is replaced with the first description.

1 shows a shower faucet 100, a wash faucet 200, and a toilet 300 that can be installed in households such as houses or apartments to explain a bathroom water-saving system based on IoT related to the present invention, and these It shows the piping system that connects them. The shower faucet 100 and the wash faucet 200 may be installed in one bathroom or separately in each bathroom if there are multiple bathrooms.

The shower faucet 100 is connected to the cold water pipe 10 and the hot water pipe 20 to supply mixed water to the head shower or hand shower 120 according to the operation of the cartridge lever 110. In relation to the present invention, the shower faucet 100 may be in the form of a box fixed to a wall at a certain height from the floor, and has valves 130 and 140 for opening and closing the flow path inside and an operation for switching the flow path outside. A temperature display unit 125 or the like for displaying the temperature of the water in the element and the hot water pipe 20 may be disposed. Washing water faucet 200 may be a normal sink having a faucet lever 210, operated by self-generated electricity with hydraulic power of water flowing through drain pipe 30, and LED lamp 225 indicating whether hot water is supplied. may be included.

Hot water from a boiler (not shown) is sent to the shower faucet 100 and the wash faucet 200 through the hot water pipe 20 . Since the hot water pipe 20 is a considerable distance from the boiler, the water in the hot water pipe 20 is naturally cooled according to the ambient temperature while not in use. In relation to the present invention, the cooled water in the hot water pipe 20 can be sent to the toilet 300 through the drain pipe 30 in advance instead of being immediately discharged through the shower faucet 100 or the wash faucet 200. is configured so that To this end, the drain pipe 30 is configured to connect between the hot water pipe 20 and the water tank 310 of the toilet 300. The drain pipe 30 may be preferably installed in a form buried inside the wall similarly to the cold water pipe 10 and the hot water pipe 20, which are other pipes.

The water tank 310 of the toilet 300 is supplied with water from the drain pipe 30 in addition to the cold water pipe 10, and can store two or more times of water at once instead of the capacity to store the amount of water used once. shape can be formed. That is, the toilet 300 receives and stores at least one amount of water from the cold water pipe 10 even when water is not supplied from the drain pipe 30, or the shower power receiving unit from the drain pipe 30 ( 100) or cold water in the hot water pipe 20 from the washing face faucet 200 can be received at any time. The water stored in the water tank 310 in this way is drained into the toilet bowl water once per use of the toilet bowl 300 . Water supplied through the drain pipe 30 and exceeding the capacity of the water tank 310 is drained through the overflow.

In the shower faucet 100 and the wash faucet 200, drain valves 130 and 230 configured to be opened and closed according to a control signal to send cooled tepid water in the hot water pipe to the water tank 310 are respectively It is installed. The drain valve units 130 and 230 may include solenoid valves or other electric valves operated by DC power.

In the drain pipe 30 sent to the toilet 300 through the shower faucet 100 and the drain pipe 30 of the wash faucet 200, when the water temperature reaches the reference temperature (eg, 30 to 35 ° C), mechanical A temperature cut-off valve 140 or 240 may be provided to block the pipe.

FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates an electrical construction diagram for explaining a bathroom water saving system based on IoT related to the present invention. The shower faucet 100 and the wash faucet 200 described in FIG. 1 and the drain therein Electrical elements for operating the valve units 130 and 230 are shown.

A wall-pad 400 may be installed on the living room wall 50 or the like to enable smart control of home appliances, lighting, gas, front door opening and closing, or a boiler. The wall pad unit 400 includes additional functional elements for the operation of the drain valve units 130 and 230 in this embodiment. However, the control box unit 600 may be installed between the wall pad unit 400 and the drain valve units 130 and 230 in order to operate the drain valve units 130 and 230 through the wall pad unit 400. there is. The wall pad unit 400 can receive a direct touch for manipulation or a signal from an external terminal 500 through a network, and receive and process a touch or signal to operate the drain valve units 130 and 230. The line signal can be transmitted to the control box unit 600.

The control box unit 600 can be installed on the ceiling or wall of a bathroom, is connected to the wall pad unit 400 by a communication line 602, and applies power and open/close signals to the drain valve units 130 and 230. It is connected to the electric line 603 for the purpose of controlling the drain valve parts 130 and 230 according to the transmission signal of the wall pad part 400 . The control box unit 600 is connected to the external household power supply line 601 to receive AC power (220 V) and apply or block DC power (12 V) to the drain valve units 130 and 230. do. The communication line 602 or the electric line 603 may also be buried and installed in the wall.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, the control box unit 600 converts alternating current into direct current through the power adapter 650 and adjusts the voltage to supply or block the drain valve unit 130, and the input operation for this is It becomes a form configured to be made through the wall pad unit 400.

As shown in FIG. 4, the display screen 410 of the wall pad unit 400 or the app screen of the terminal 500 connected to the wall pad unit 400 through a network includes lighting, gas, power, heating, security, and the like. An icon 420 for selecting hot water may be displayed. With this icon 420 selected, if there are several bathrooms (eg, shared bathroom, couple bathroom), the wall pad unit 400 selects each drain valve unit to select which bathroom to use. It can also be displayed in the form of icons in subgroups where hot water supply can be entered.

Hereinafter, an example of a bathroom water saving method based on IoT related to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . The bathroom water saving method of this example may first start with the step of receiving a direct touch or an input signal from the external terminal 500 through the wall pad unit 400 described above (S10). As shown in FIG. 4 above, when there is the touch or input signal, a signal is transmitted to the control box unit 600 by the wall pad unit 400 and an operating state is displayed (S20). At this time, as a method of indicating whether the system is operating, when the system operation starts, the lamp indicating the hot water of the switch is turned off, flickers during operation, and turns on again when operation is completed. At the start and completion of the operation, a notification sound may be sounded simultaneously so that the user can recognize the operation by sound. For example, a 'ding' sound can be generated when starting, a 'ttittiding' sound is generated when stopping, and a 'ttittitting' sound can be generated when 2 minutes have elapsed after the start and automatically stop.

The control box unit 600 is a drain valve capable of opening and closing the drain pipe 30 connecting the power receiving units 100 and 200 and the toilet 300 according to the signal transmitted from the wall pad unit 400. Power is applied to the units 130 and 230 to operate them (S30). If there is a new touch or input signal to the wall pad part 400 or the external terminal 500, the drain valve parts 130 and 230 are blocked (S40). Then, the control box unit 600 blocks the drain valve unit when a reference time (eg, 2 minutes) elapses after power is applied to the drain valve units 130 and 230 (S50 and S60).

In this way, according to the IoT-based bathroom water saving system and method, from the convenience of conveniently preparing a hot water bath through terminal manipulation, resource saving through recycling of unnecessarily wasted water for adjusting the temperature of the mixed water, and economic costs resulting from this It can create a number of effects, such as reduction and automation of the following detailed functions.

The IoT-based bathroom water-saving system and method are not limited to the configuration and operation method of the embodiments described above. The above embodiments can be configured so that various modifications can be made by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment.

10: cold water pipe 20: hot water pipe
30: drain pipe 50: living room wall
60: bathroom wall 100: shower faucet
110: cartridge control lever 125: temperature display
130, 230: drain valve unit 140, 240: temperature shutoff valve
200: washing face faucet 225: lamp
300: toilet 400: wall pad
410: display screen 420: icon
500: external terminal 600: control box unit
601: power inlet line 602: communication line
603: electric wire

Claims (10)

A toilet with a water tank;
a faucet formed to discharge mixed water by adjusting the opening and closing of the hot water pipe and the cold water pipe;
a drain pipe connecting the power receiving unit and the toilet;
a drain valve unit configured to be opened and closed between the hot water pipe of the power receiving unit and the drain pipe according to a control signal, and configured to send lukewarm water, which is cooled water in the hot water pipe, to the water tank;
A wall pad portion formed to receive a direct touch for manipulation or a signal from an external terminal through a network, and to receive and process the touch or signal to transmit a line signal for the operation of the drain valve; and
Connected to the wall pad part by a communication line, connected to an electric line for applying power and opening/closing signals to the drain valve part, and including a control box part configured to control the drain valve part according to the transmission signal, IoT based bathroom water saving system.
According to claim 1,
The drain valve unit includes a solenoid valve operated by direct current power,
The control box unit is formed to receive household AC power and apply or block DC power to the drain valve unit, IoT-based bathroom water-saving system.
According to claim 1,
The drain valve unit is installed according to a plurality of bathrooms included in the household,
The wall pad part is formed to display in the form of a selectable icon so that hot water supply or not can be input by selecting each drain valve part, a bathroom water saving system based on IoT.
According to claim 1,
The display screen of the wall pad unit and the app screen of the external terminal include an icon for selecting whether to operate hot water,
The wall pad unit transmits a transmission signal for operating the drain valve unit to the control box unit by a touch on the icon, and transmits a transmission signal for blocking the drain valve unit to the control box unit when there is an additional touch. IoT-based bathroom water saving system
According to claim 1,
The control box unit receives a signal for operating the drain valve unit from the wall pad unit, applies power to the drain valve unit, and then cuts off power to the drain valve unit when a reference time elapses. Bathroom water saving system based on IoT.
According to claim 1,
A bathroom water saving system based on IoT, further comprising a temperature shutoff valve installed in the drain pipe and mechanically blocking the flow of water when the temperature is higher than the reference temperature.
Receiving an input signal from a direct touch or an external terminal through the wall pad unit;
transmitting a signal to a control box unit by the wall pad unit and displaying an operating state when there is the touch or input signal;
applying and operating power to a drain valve unit capable of opening and closing a drain pipe connecting a power receiving unit and a toilet according to a signal transmitted from the wall pad unit by the control box unit; and
A method of saving water in a bathroom based on IoT, comprising the step of blocking the drain valve when a reference time elapses after power is applied to the drain valve by the control box.
According to claim 7,
After applying and operating power to the drain valve unit capable of opening and closing the drain pipe connecting the power receiving unit and the toilet according to the signal transmitted from the wall pad unit by the control box unit,
Further comprising the step of blocking the drain valve unit when there is a new touch or input signal to the wall pad unit or the external terminal, IoT-based bathroom water saving method.
According to claim 7,
In the step of receiving an input signal from a direct touch or an external terminal through the wall pad unit,
The display screen of the wall pad unit and the app screen of the external terminal include an icon for selecting whether to operate hot water,
The wall pad unit transmits a transmission signal for operating the drain valve unit to the control box unit by a touch on the icon, and transmits a transmission signal for blocking the drain valve unit to the control box unit when there is an additional touch. IoT-based bathroom water saving method.
According to claim 7,
The drain valve unit includes a solenoid valve operated by direct current power,
The control box unit is formed to receive household AC power and apply or block DC power to the drain valve unit, IoT-based bathroom water saving method.

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