WO2017129344A1

WO2017129344A1 - Sanitary device and method for the operation thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2017129344A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/082822
Authority: WO
Inventors: Günther SCHLESS; Christian Schneider
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2016-01-29
Filing date: 2016-12-29
Publication date: 2017-08-03
Also published as: DE102016201380A1; EP3408460B1; ES2837388T3; EP3408460A1

Abstract

The invention relates inter alia to a method for operating a sanitary device (20), in which a flushing liquid, in particular water, is guided through a conduit system of the sanitary device (20). According to the invention, it is provided that the liquid consumption of at least one sanitary component (50) of the sanitary device (20) is controlled as a function of or at least also as a function of the liquid consumption in the past.

Description

description

Sanitary device and method for its operation The invention relates to a method for operating a sanitary device, wherein in the method a rinsing liquid, in particular water, is passed through a line system of the sanitary device. In sanitary facilities, which are used in vehicles such as rail vehicles, there is a desire on the part of the operator to ensure that sufficient rinsing fluid is available for a given operating time of the sanitary device and the sanitary facility is ready for operation. With a view to a minimum vehicle weight and with a view to minimum tank sizes for storing flushing liquid, the flushing fluid consumption per flushing operation is therefore reduced to a minimum in previous sanitary facilities. In toilet systems commonly used today in rail vehicles, for example, a flush volume of approximately 400 to 500 ml per flush is used.

The invention has for its object to provide a method for operating a sanitary device, which ensures a reliable and low-maintenance operation of the sanitary device.

This object is achieved by a method having the features according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention are specified in subclaims.

According to the invention, it is provided that the liquid consumption of at least one sanitary component of the sanitary device is controlled as a function of or at least depending on the liquid consumption in the past. A significant advantage of the method according to the invention is that the liquid consumption - in contrast to previously known methods - per flushing process is not fixed and the total consumption of the rinsing liquid is not determined solely by the number of rinses, but is controlled consumption-dependent. The consumption-dependent control of the liquid consumption makes it possible, for example, to increase the consumption and to purge the rinsing water lines and / or sanitary components of the sanitary device in a targeted manner in order to prevent the formation of encrustations due to dehydration and congestion of lines and / or blockage of valves and the like, especially in the area of sewers downstream of the plumbing components, to avoid.

Another significant advantage of the method according to the invention is that, taking into account the flushing water consumption in the past, an adapted control of the flushing in the future can be achieved: For example, rinsing liquid can end up at a planned

Operating time to a planned refilling the sanitary device with fresh rinse liquid by increasing the rinse water quantities are deliberately consumed in order to achieve that at the time of refilling new rinsing liquid, the old rinse liquid has been largely consumed and a maximum fluid exchange takes place. By means of such a liquid exchange, the concentration of germs in the tank storing the fresh rinsing liquid (eg fresh water tank) and the pipelines, etc. carrying the fresh rinsing liquid, can be kept low for a very long time or to a harmless extent.

It can also be ensured by taking into account the rinsing water consumption in the past that the rinsing liquid available in the sanitary device is sufficient for the desired operating time: For example, the rinsing amount can be reduced if the consumption in the past was already too high. In an advantageous embodiment of the method, it is provided that for the sanitary component an automatic, independent of an actual use of the sanitary component is triggered special purging, if the sanitary component has remained unused for a predetermined pause time.

Additionally or alternatively, it may be provided that the amount of flushing water in future initiated per user side

Flushing process is increased when the sanitary component has been left unused for a given pause time.

If the sanitary component is arranged in a separate sanitary area, it is advantageous if a special rinse, surprising for a person using the sanitary area, is omitted if a sensor indicates the presence of one or more persons in the separate sanitary area. If the sanitary component is arranged in a separate sanitary area which can be closed by a door, then it is advantageous if a sensor monitors a locking of a door closing the separate sanitary area and a special rinsing is omitted if the door is locked. If, for example, the sanitary component is defective and, for this reason, the sanitary area is closed, the suppression of the special rinse can prevent undesired flooding of the sanitary area. Moreover, it is advantageous if a special purge is omitted, if the remaining amount of flushing liquid falls below a (Restnutzungszeitabhängige) residual amount threshold, from the still provided remaining useful life - up to a planned or planned refilling the sanitary device or refilling a storage tank of the sanitary device with Rinsing fluid - depends. It is also advantageous if a special rinse does not occur if the consumption of rinsing liquid has reached or already exceeded a time-dependent maximum consumption value since the previous refilling of the sanitary device, the time-dependent maximum consumption value being such that the remaining amount of rinsing liquid remains remaining service life - up to a planned or planned refilling with rinsing liquid - will presumably be sufficient according to a given forecasting method.

In the sanitary component, the amount of flushing water per user-side initiated flushing process is preferably increased when the flushing water consumption of the sanitary component - based on a predetermined reference time duration - has fallen below a predetermined target consumption.

In one embodiment of the method, the reference time duration is a fixed predetermined time duration (of, for example, one hour) before the respective current time.

Alternatively, the reference period of time may be a variable period of time, which extends from the time of the last filling of the sanitary device with rinsing liquid up to the respective current time.

Moreover, it is advantageous if the rinse water consumption is detected after the last refilling of the sanitary device and / or the still available Spülflüssigkeitsmenge and is checked regularly or irregularly during operation, whether the still available Spülwassermenge special rinses and / or an increase in the flushing water consumption with a view to operation of the sanitary device to the planned refilling of the sanitary device allowed. Preferably, special rinses and / or an increase of the rinse water consumption are released, if so, and otherwise blocked. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method, it is provided that the rinsing water consumption after the last refilling of the sanitary device and / or the still available Spülflüssigkeitsmenge is detected and the amount of liquid per user-side actuation of the sanitary device is dynamically adapted to each still available Spülwassermenge , Preferably, the amount of liquid per user-side actuation of the sanitary device is reduced when the remaining amount of flushing water is too low, and increases when the still available Spülwassermenge is sufficiently large. Also, a forecast value can be created which predicts the further possible service life of the sanitary device; Such a prognosis value can be forwarded to a central control device, for example to a central vehicle control device in the case of a sanitary device in a vehicle or to a central train control device in the case of a sanitary device in a rail vehicle.

It is advantageous if special rinses are omitted and / or an increase in the Spülflüssigkeitsmengen remains and / or the Spülflüssigkeitsmengen be reduced when the level has reached a predetermined minimum level in a fresh water tank of the sanitary device or already below.

The sanitary device is preferably operated in a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle.

The invention also relates to a sanitary device with at least one sanitary component. According to the invention, it is provided that the sanitary device has a control device which is designed such that it controls the liquid consumption of the at least one sanitary component as a function of or at least also as a function of the liquid consumption in the past. Preferably, the control device has a computing device and a memory in which a program module is stored. When executed by the computing device, the program module preferably programs these in such a way that the control device can execute the described control method.

In addition, the invention relates to a vehicle, in particular rail vehicle, which is equipped with such a sanitary device.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Ausführungsbeispie sources; thereby show by way of example

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an inventive

Sanitary device, by way of example, an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention is explained,

Figure 2 shows another embodiment of a sanitary device according to the invention, in which additionally a flow meter is present, and

Figure 3 shows another embodiment of a sanitary device according to the invention, in which a fresh water tank of the sanitary device is equipped with a level sensor.

For the sake of clarity, the same reference numbers are always used in the figures for identical or comparable components.

1 shows a rail vehicle 10, the device in a preferably lockable sanitary area 11 with a sanitary 20 is equipped. The sanitary device 20 comprises a fresh water tank 30 which communicates via a flushing water line 40 with a sanitary component 50 in connection stands. The sanitary component 50 can be, for example, a toilet, a washbasin with a tap, a bidet or another freshwater-using or -using device. Downstream, the sanitary component 50 communicates with a waste water tank 60.

For actuating the sanitary device 20 or for actuating a rinsing process for the sanitary component 50, an actuating button 70 is provided which is in communication with a control device 80. The control device 80 has a computing device 81 and a memory 82. A program module PM is stored in the memory 82 and, when executed by the computing device 81, programs the latter in such a way that the latter and thus the control device 80 make possible in total the operating method of the sanitary device 20 described below.

On the output side, the control device 80 is connected to a valve 90, which is arranged in the flushing water line 40. In the opened state of the valve 90, this allows a flow of fresh water FW from the fresh water tank 30 downstream in the direction of the sanitary component 50; in the closed state of the valve 90, such a fluid flow is prevented. The sanitary component 50 passing or used water passes as wastewater AW in the waste water tank 60th

The sanitary device 20 according to FIG. 1 is operated, for example, as follows.

If the actuation button 70 is activated by a user after the sanitary component 50 has been used, then an actuation signal BS reaches the control device 80. If the actuation signal BS is present, the control device 80 generates a control signal S for the valve 90, thereby opening it and a fresh water flow from the fresh water tank 30 in the direction of the sanitary component 50 is made possible. The program module PM and thus the control device 80 are preferably designed such that the control device

80 may also generate a control signal S for the valve 90 automatically, ie independently of an actual current use of the sanitary component 50 or independently of the presence of an actuating signal BS, preferably when the sanitary component 50 has remained unused for a predetermined maximum pause time. For example, the control device 80 can generate the control signal S for the valve 90 and force a forced flush if the sanitary component 50 has not been used for a period of, for example, one hour or if no flushing of the sanitary component 50 has taken place within this period.

Alternatively or additionally, the program module PM and thus the control device 80 can be designed such that the purging duration or the duration of the control signal S for opening the valve 90 is dependent on the fluid consumption of the sanitary component 50 or the sanitary device 20 in the past. Thus, the controller 80 will, by means of the control signal S, open the valve 90 longer than normal or by a fixed or variable (preferably variable depending on the previous use) additional period of time, if the use of the sanitary component 50 has been below average in the past was.

The consumption of fresh water FW can the computing device

81, for example, based on the number of actuation operations of the actuating button 70 or based on the number of previously generated control signals S, with which the valve 90 has been opened, and determine the respective opening periods of the valve 90. By way of example, the computing device 81 can be integrated via the flushing water line 40 by integrating a previously determined or predetermined flow rate through the flushing water line 40

Opening the valve 90 determine the water consumption in the past and in this way also the rinsing state the flushing water line 40 and determine the sanitary component 50 by calculation.

In order to ensure that the sanitary device 20 remains ready for operation until the fresh water tank 30 is provided with fresh water FW, the control device 80 will preferably take into account the level of the fresh water tank 30 in the control of the valve 90. For example, the control device 80 can estimate the water level in the fresh water tank 30 on the basis of the previous opening times of the valve 90 and thus of the actual water flow through the valve 90; Alternatively, the control device 80 can also measure the fill level by means of a fill level sensor in order to determine the actual fill level (see, for example, the embodiment variant according to FIG. 3). If such a level sensor merely measures the exceeding or falling below intermediate levels (eg 25%, 50% or 75% of the maximum fill level), then the control device 80 can also transmit intermediate measured values by interpolation (eg based on the opening times of the valve 90 or 90). the flow of water through the valve 90).

The control device 80 will preferably dispense with the special rinses explained above and reduce the opening times of the valve 90 or the duration of future control signals S for the valve 90 if the consumption of fresh water FW has been above average in the past and based on consumption in the past and it is to be feared that the remaining time until a planned refilling of the fresh water tank 30 is still to be bridged, that the remaining quantity of fresh water FW until the refilling of the fresh water tank FW

Fresh water tanks 30 might not be enough.

When estimating the liquid level in the fresh water tank 30, the computing device 81 can use a prediction method provided in the program module PM and / or implemented in a separate prediction submodule, in which the water consumption for the future is based, for example, on the current Passenger numbers and / or historical data (passenger numbers in the past and thus extent of use of sanitary component in the past, preferably on a time of day, weekday and / or seasonally related) is estimated. In the context of such a forecasting process, special events such as the imminent end of a sporting event or the like and thus an event-related increase in the number of passengers can be taken into account.

In other words, the computing device 81 and thus the control device 80 may thus be configured such that the amount of liquid per user-side actuation by the actuating button 70 is dynamically adjusted to the still available flushing water quantity in the fresh water tank 30 and the estimated future consumption: Thus, the amount of liquid be reduced per user-side operation of the sanitary device 20 when the remaining amount of fresh water is too low, and increased when the remaining available fresh water amount more than sufficient.

The special rinses described above are preferably suspended when the sanitary area 11 is completed; This can be determined, for example, with a locking sensor 200, which monitors a locking of the separate sanitary area 11 closing door and generates a locking signal VRS when locking. 2 shows an embodiment of a rail vehicle 10, in which a sanitary device 20 is additionally equipped with a flow meter 100. The flow meter 100 measures the amount of fresh water flowing through the flushing water line 40 and generates a measured value M, which is transmitted to the control device 80. Based on the measured value M, the control device 80 can calculate the water consumption of the sanitary component 50 by integrating the measured value M over time, and the further operation of the sanitary component 50 Adapting sanitary component 50 to the amount of fresh water still present in fresh-water tank 30. Thus, if the sanitary component 50 is used too little and sufficient level in fresh-water tank 30, it is possible to initiate special rinses and / or increase the rinsing-water quantity per further rinsing process initiated by the user. In the case of an empty water tank or too large a water consumption in the past, however, the control device 80 can dispense with special rinses and / or reduce the rinsing water quantity with further rinsing processes initiated by the user.

As part of a dynamic adjustment of the flushing water quantities can be achieved that the fresh water tank 30 for the operating time between a previous filling of the fresh water tank 30 with fresh water FW is not completely emptied until the next filling and it is always ensured that sufficient fresh water FW to operate the Sanitary component 50 is present.

In addition, the control device 80 can ensure that the fresh water tank 30 is emptied as far as possible until refilling, so that the best possible rinsing of the fresh water tank 30 and a best possible water exchange is achieved and as little old residual water in the fresh water tank 30 remains.

3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a rail vehicle 10, in which the sanitary device 20 is additionally equipped with a level sensor 110. The level sensor 110 detects the level in the fresh water tank 30 and generates a level signal FSS, which is transmitted to the control device 80. The level signal FSS may indicate the actual level in the fresh water tank 30 or alternatively only generate level warning signals when the level in the fresh water tank 30 has reached or fallen below predetermined minimum water levels of, for example, 10% and / or 5% of the maximum level. The fill level signal FSS enables the control device 80 to set the sanitary device 20 or the opening times for the valve 90 in such a way that a dynamic adaptation of the flushing water consumption or the respective flushing water quantity to the respective fill level of the fresh water tank 30 and to the remaining useful life time up to to a refilling of the fresh water tank 30 is achieved. In this regard, reference is made to the above statements.

In the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 3, the control device 80 controls the water consumption of the sanitary component 50 by actuating the valve 90. For example, in the case of a modern WC module as a sanitary component, it is alternatively possible for the control device 80 to use the control signal S the sanitary component 50 directly controls and the sanitary component 50, the water flow on and off automatically. In the latter variant, the valve 90 can be dispensed with.

While the invention has been further illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

claims

1. A method for operating a sanitary device (20), in which a rinsing liquid, in particular water, through a line system of the sanitary device (20) is passed, characterized in that

the liquid consumption of at least one sanitary component (50) of the sanitary device (20) is controlled as a function of or at least depending on the liquid consumption in the past.

2. The method according to claim 1,

characterized in that

for the sanitary component (50), an automatic, separate from an actual current use special purge is triggered and / or the amount of flushing per user initiated flushing process is increased when the sanitary component (50) has remained unused for a predetermined pause time.

3. The method according to claim 2,

characterized in that

the sanitary component (50) is arranged in a separate sanitary area (11) and a special rinsing is omitted if a sensor indicates the presence of one or more persons in the separate sanitary area (11).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims,

- characterized in that

the sanitary component (50) is arranged in a separate sanitary area (11) which can be closed by a door,

- A sensor monitors a Verrieglung a the separate sanitary area (11) closing door and

- There is no special rinse if the door is locked.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

a special purge is omitted if the remaining amount of flushing liquid remaining below restnutzungszeitabhänghangigen residual amount threshold, which depends on the still provided remaining useful life - up to a refilling with rinsing liquid -.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

- A special purge is omitted if since the previous refilling of the sanitary device (20) the consumption of flushing liquid has reached or exceeded a time-dependent maximum consumption value, - the time-dependent maximum consumption value is such that the remaining amount of flushing liquid for the remaining Remaining service life - up to a refilling with rinsing liquid - will probably be sufficient according to a given forecasting procedure.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

in the sanitary component (50), the amount of flushing water per user-side initiated flushing process is increased if the flushing water consumption of the sanitary component (50) - has fallen below a predetermined target consumption - based on a predetermined reference time.

8. The method according to claim 7,

characterized in that

- the reference period is a fixed period before the current time or

- The reference period is a variable period, the

extends from the time of the last filling of the sanitary device (20) with rinsing liquid up to the current time.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

- The rinse water consumption after the last refilling of the sanitary device (20) and / or the still available Spülflüssigkeitsmenge is detected and checked regularly or irregularly during operation, whether the still available Spülwassermenge special rinses and / or an increase of Spülwasserverbrauchs with View of an operation of the sanitary device (20) until the planned refilling of the sanitary device (20) allowed and

- Special flushes and / or an increase in the flushing water consumption will be released if this is the case and blocked otherwise.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that

the rinsing water consumption after the last refilling of the sanitary device (20) and / or the still available rinsing fluid quantity is detected and the amount of fluid per user-side actuation of the sanitary device (20) is dynamically adapted to the still available rinsing water quantity,

- The amount of liquid per user-side operation of the sanitary device (20) is reduced when the remaining available Spülwassermenge is too low and is increased when the remaining available Spülwassermenge is sufficiently large.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

Avoid special rinses and / or an increase in Spülflüssigkeitsmengen remains and / or the Spülflüssigkeits- amounts are reduced when the level has reached a predetermined minimum level in a fresh water tank of the sanitary device (20) or already below.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

a sanitary device (20) of a vehicle, in particular rail vehicle operated.

13. Sanitary facility (20)

characterized in that

the sanitary device (20) has a control device (80) which is designed such that it controls the liquid consumption of the at least one sanitary component (50) as a function of or at least depending on the liquid consumption in the past.

14. Vehicle, in particular rail vehicle (10),

characterized in that

the vehicle is equipped with such a sanitary device (20) according to claim 13.