Waste water system for a sanitary arrangement, and sanitary arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a waste water system for a sanitary arrangement, in particular for a shower arrangement, wherein the waste water system has an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, which together form a waste water sensor, wherein the waste water system can further comprise additional components such as a waste water pump and / or a pump control. The invention also relates to a sanitary arrangement, in particular a shower arrangement, having such a waste water system.

Description

[0001] Sewage system for a sanitary arrangement and sanitary arrangement

[0002] The invention relates to a wastewater system for a sanitary arrangement and to a sanitary arrangement with such a wastewater system.

[0003] Sanitary arrangements can serve in particular to enable personal cleansing. They can be designed as a shower arrangement, for example, or they can also be arrangements with a bathtub, a sink or a toilet. Sanitary arrangements such as a shower arrangement are typically installed in residential and commercial buildings, but also in mobile units such as mobile homes, caravans or boats. Particularly during renovations or retrofitting, the problem can arise that there is insufficient gradient for reliable wastewater drainage. In this case, a more complex wastewater system is typically required, which includes, for example, a pump that actively pumps the wastewater. This allows, for example, the installation of barrier-free showers suitable for the disabled in old buildings without sufficient gradient.

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide a wastewater system for a sanitary arrangement which is alternative to or better designed than known designs. In particular, it can enable better control of a wastewater pump. It is a further object of the invention to provide a sanitary arrangement with such a wastewater system. This is achieved according to the invention by a wastewater system and a sanitary arrangement according to the respective main claims. Advantageous embodiments can be found, for example, in the respective subclaims. The content of the claims is incorporated into the content of the description by express reference.

[0005] The invention relates to a wastewater system for a sanitary facility. The wastewater system comprises an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver. The ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver form a wastewater sensor and can be mounted on either side of a wastewater pipe of the wastewater system. In particular, they can be mounted such that the ultrasonic transmitter emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe, and the ultrasonic receiver receives these waves after transmission through the wastewater pipe and generates a wastewater signal based on them.

[0006] Such a wastewater system can be used in particular for advantageous monitoring of a flow of wastewater and / or a fill level.

[0007] For example, air bubble detection can be carried out, which can provide an indication of the correct operation of a wastewater pump.

[0008] The wastewater signal is particularly indicative of energy transmitted through the sewer pipe. This is, in particular, energy that was first emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter into the sewer pipe, transmitted through the sewer pipe, and then received by the ultrasonic receiver. Typically, the ultrasonic signal is attenuated during transmission. Measurement in transmission differs from measurement in reflection, in which the ultrasonic signal is typically reflected at an interface, particularly at an interface between water and air, and the reflected signal is measured. Measurement in transmission measures a signal that propagates essentially linearly.

[0009] In principle, a wastewater system is understood here to be any system that can be used as part of a wastewater system in a sanitary facility. This can, for example, be just the components of a sensor, as just described, but other components such as a wastewater pump, a wastewater pipe, and / or a control system can also be part of a wastewater system. Therefore, for the purposes of this application, a wastewater system does not necessarily have to be a complete system that can discharge wastewater; rather, a part of such a system or a component used as part of a wastewater system is sufficient.

[0010] The aforementioned sanitary arrangement can, in particular, be a shower arrangement. In the case of showers, it is often the case that renovations require the installation of barrier-free access, meaning that existing shower trays can no longer be used because they are too high and need to be replaced with level-access shower trays. This limits the existing gradient and often means that reliable wastewater drainage can only be ensured with the help of a wastewater pump. However, the wastewater system can also be used for other sanitary arrangements, such as bathtubs or sinks.

[0011] An ultrasonic transmitter is typically an element that emits ultrasonic waves. In particular, it can be suitably controlled electrically for this purpose. An ultrasonic receiver is typically an element that receives the ultrasonic waves and generates a signal based on them. This signal is typically rectified and smoothed. It typically provides an indication of how much ultrasonic energy was transmitted through the sewer pipe.

[0012] In particular, ultrasonic transmitters and ultrasonic receivers can be mounted or mountable on the outside of the sewer pipe. This can mean, in particular, that they are placed on an otherwise finished sewer pipe. In particular, ultrasonic transmitters and / or ultrasonic receivers can be attached or attachable without contact with the sewage. This can prevent contamination. In particular, the ultrasonic receiver is separate from the ultrasonic transmitter. A bilateral arrangement can be understood to mean, in particular, that the aforementioned components are arranged on two completely opposite or at least approximately opposite sides. For example, the components, in particular the ultrasonic transmitter and ultrasonic receiver, can be arranged offset from one another by 180° along a circumference, or offset from one another by at least 160° and / or at most 200°.

[0013] A bilateral arrangement is understood in particular to mean an arrangement at two locations on an outer surface of a pipe. Ultrasonic transmitters and ultrasonic receivers can therefore be mounted or mounted on both sides of the outside and / or can be mounted or mounted on both sides of an outer surface of the pipe. A bilateral arrangement does not mean that one component is arranged on an outside and one component is arranged inside the pipe. A wastewater pipe is understood in particular to mean a tubular unit through which wastewater flows. The wastewater pipe has in particular a completely or at least predominantly round inner cross-section and / or outer cross-section.It is thus particularly distinct from components of a drain or shower drain, which are typically located directly below a wastewater inlet and, in particular, form a receiving space for incoming wastewater, which then flows into a wastewater pipe. Such a wastewater space typically has a completely or at least essentially rectangular or round cross-section in plan view. The wastewater pipe, and thus also the wastewater sensor described herein, are generally located downstream of the drain.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the wastewater system can comprise a housing. The ultrasonic transmitter and / or the ultrasonic receiver can be mounted in the housing. The housing can, in particular, be designed to encompass a wastewater pipe. Such a housing allows for easy installation and replacement of the wastewater sensor. In particular, retrofitting is possible, meaning the wastewater sensor can be mounted on an existing wastewater pipe.

[0015] The housing can in particular have a first part and a second part. The ultrasonic transmitter can in particular be arranged in the first part. The ultrasonic receiver can in particular be arranged in the second part. The first part can in particular be detachably connectable to the second part. Such a design can in particular ensure that the two parts can be handled independently of one another and can be easily attached to the sewer pipe. Typically, each part of the housing forms an angle of exactly or approximately 180°. For example, the two parts can be screwed together, which enables simple assembly and also simple removal. For maintenance purposes, the two parts can be detached from one another, for example by unscrewing screws.

[0016] In particular, a hold-down device for the ultrasonic transmitter can be arranged in the housing, which presses the ultrasonic transmitter against the sewage pipe. Furthermore, a hold-down device for the ultrasonic receiver can be arranged in the housing, which presses the ultrasonic receiver against the sewage pipe. This can ensure that the ultrasonic transmitter or the ultrasonic receiver are appropriately located on the sewage pipe and are held there. This can improve the reliability of the measurement. A hold-down device can, for example, be designed as an elastic and / or spring element. It can, for example, act on a coupling element which transmits the force in the direction of the sewage pipe. In particular, by pressing the ultrasonic transmitter or

[0017] By placing the ultrasonic receiver against the sewer pipe, reliable operation is ensured, for example, even in the event of vibrations. In particular, a grease or other material for conducting sound can be placed between the ultrasonic transmitter and / or the ultrasonic receiver and the sewer pipe.

[0018] The housing can in particular be designed such that it only contacts the sewage pipe at an inlet for the sewage pipe and at an outlet for the sewage pipe. This ensures a defined positional relationship between the housing and the sewage pipe, so that any tolerances in the manufacture of the sewage pipe and / or the housing do not lead to distortion. The defined housing can in particular form a counter-holder for pressing on the aforementioned hold-down devices. Contact with the housing can be made, in particular at the inlet and / or at the outlet, by means of one or more spacers which can be arranged between the housing and the sewage pipe. These can in particular be strip-shaped. Contact can therefore also be made indirectly, in particular by means of the spacers.In particular, it can be provided that there is no contact between the housing and the sewer pipe outside of the contacting points. The terms inlet and outlet refer to the housing. The sewer pipe passes through the sensor between the inlet and outlet. At the inlet, water in the sewer pipe typically flows into the area enclosed by the housing and leaves this area again at the outlet. According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are fastened directly in the sewer pipe. In particular, a housing in which the ultrasonic transmitter and / or ultrasonic receiver are arranged can be dispensed with. Direct fastening can be understood in particular to mean that there is a direct connection between the sewer pipe and the ultrasonic transmitter or ultrasonic receiver. In particular, the ultrasonic transmitter and / or ultrasonic receiver can be arranged in recesses in the sewer pipe.These can, for example, be offset from one another by 180°, or by at least 160° and / or by a maximum of 200°, as seen along the circumference of the sewer pipe. The recesses can, in particular, be designed as external troughs. They allow for suitable placement of ultrasonic transmitters and / or ultrasonic receivers, which can, for example, be encapsulated.

[0019] In particular, ultrasonic transmitters and / or ultrasonic receivers can be arranged in or on a separate, removable section of the sewer pipe. This section can be connected to other sections of the sewer pipe, for example, using couplings or connectors, such as commercially available couplings or connectors. This allows for easy replacement, for example, in the event of a fault in the sewer sensor, or even retrofitting into an existing sewer pipe, which can be cut in sections so that the removable section can be inserted.

[0020] The wastewater system can, in particular, comprise a wastewater pipe. This can, in particular, connect a drain, in particular a shower drain, to a wastewater pump, and / or it can connect a wastewater pump to a sewer. There can also be a continuous wastewater pipe which connects the drain to the sewer and in which, in particular, a wastewater pump can be arranged. The sewer can, for example, be a line which leads to a domestic wastewater connection. It can, for example, be designed as a completely or at least substantially vertical line. According to one embodiment, the wastewater system further comprises a wastewater pump and / or a wastewater pipe. In particular, the wastewater pump can be arranged in the wastewater pipe. This can, in particular, mean that the wastewater pipe is connected to the wastewater pump on both the inlet side and the outlet side of the wastewater pump.The sewage pump can thus pump wastewater through the sewage pipe. The sewage pipe can also be considered a sewage pipe consisting of at least two parts, with one part located upstream of the sewage pump and the other part downstream of the sewage pump.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the wastewater sensor is mounted on the wastewater pipe downstream of the wastewater pump, in particular so that the ultrasonic transmitter emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe, and the ultrasonic receiver receives them after transmission through the wastewater pipe. When arranged downstream of the wastewater pump, air pumped downstream by the wastewater pump can be detected by the wastewater sensor. Furthermore, a fill level measurement can be performed at this point in the wastewater pipe.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the wastewater sensor is mounted on the sewer pipe upstream of the sewer pump, in particular so that the ultrasonic transmitter emits ultrasonic waves into the sewer pipe, and the ultrasonic receiver receives them after transmission through the sewer pipe. This allows the area upstream of the sewer pump to be used for control purposes, whereby sucked-in air can also be detected at this point and / or a fill level measurement can be performed.

[0023] The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer in particular to a typical flow direction of flowing water.

[0024] It is also possible to use two wastewater sensors. Typically, one wastewater sensor can be located upstream of the wastewater pump and one downstream of the wastewater pump.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter is arranged vertically above the sewer pipe and / or the ultrasonic receiver is arranged vertically below the sewer pipe. This can be used in particular for air bubble detection, i.e. in particular, the sewer signal is lower the more air bubbles there are between the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver, or the more air there is between the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver. This is typically because sound is conducted much better through water than through air, and that sound is reflected at interfaces between air and water. This also applies to ultrasound. In the case of a large, continuous air bubble, the sewer signal can also drop to zero or almost zero.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter is arranged horizontally next to the sewer pipe, and / or the ultrasonic receiver is arranged horizontally next to the sewer pipe. This can be used, in particular, to perform a fill level measurement. In particular, during a fill level measurement, the higher the fill level, the greater the wastewater signal. However, bubble detection is also possible with horizontally arranged components of the sewer sensor.

[0027] Position information typically refers to an installed state.

[0028] The wastewater pipe can be arranged in different ways within the room. For example, it can run horizontally. However, it can also rise vertically, so that, for example, the wastewater is pumped vertically upwards through the wastewater pipe. An angle between horizontal and vertical can also be provided, in particular such that the wastewater pipe runs in such a way that the wastewater is pumped upwards through the wastewater pipe. It has been shown that the wastewater system shown here, and in particular the wastewater sensor disclosed here, function smoothly with such wastewater pipe runs.

[0029] The sewer pipe can, in particular, have a wall thickness equal to half the wavelength of an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter, or an integer multiple thereof. The sewer pipe can, in particular, also have a wall thickness such that an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter forms a standing wave in the sewer pipe. With the geometric conditions just described, a standing wave can be formed particularly advantageously. The standing wave can, in particular, arise in a wall of the sewer pipe. This allows for particularly good transmission of the ultrasonic waves, resulting in a particularly high maximum signal. This can improve the measurement; in particular, differences between different signal heights of the sewer signal can be better differentiated from one another.In particular, a control circuit can be provided that controls the ultrasonic transmitter at a frequency so that it emits an ultrasonic wave with a specific wavelength, for example, as specified in this paragraph. The mentioned wall thickness can, for example, refer to the entire sewer pipe, or it can refer to at least an axial section of the sewer pipe on which the ultrasonic transmitter and / or the sewer sensor is arranged.

[0030] According to an advantageous embodiment, the wastewater system comprises an optimization circuit configured to vary a frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter and to identify an optimum frequency at which the wastewater signal exhibits a maximum. Such an optimum frequency typically ensures that the maximum signal intensity is obtained. A predetermined range of frequencies can be traversed, and the frequency at which a maximum wastewater signal occurs can be determined. This improves the evaluation. The optimum frequency typically corresponds to a state in which the wall thickness of the wastewater pipe is equal to half a wavelength of the ultrasonic wave or an integer multiple thereof, as described in the previous section. The optimization circuit thus enables optimization during runtime.It can, for example, be integrated into the control device described below.

[0031] In particular, the ultrasonic transmitter can then be controlled at the optimum frequency, particularly after determining the optimum frequency. This allows the best possible signal to be achieved. In particular, the wastewater system, a control circuit, or a pump controller can be configured accordingly.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the wastewater system further comprises a pump controller for a wastewater pump. The pump controller receives the wastewater signal and controls the wastewater pump based on it. This allows for reliable control of the wastewater pump. The pump controller can be designed, in particular, as an electronic device, for example, as a programmable unit. However, hard-wired solutions or combined solutions are also possible.

[0033] In particular, the pump controller can be configured to control the wastewater pump based solely on a value of the wastewater signal. This does not preclude the use of additional signals, such as an inflow signal, but rather precludes the use of additional information that may be derived from the wastewater signal, such as a transit time. The value can in particular be a numerical value and / or an absolute value of a signal. In particular, the pump controller can be configured to control the wastewater pump independently of a transit time of the ultrasonic signal between the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver. It has been shown that the value of the wastewater signal is typically sufficient to control a pump. Complex transit time measurements can therefore be dispensed with.

[0034] In particular, the pump controller can be configured to control the wastewater pump based on the wastewater signal from only one ultrasonic receiver and / or only one wastewater sensor. It has been shown that it is typically not necessary to use multiple wastewater sensors. A wastewater sensor is understood in particular to be a sensor located downstream of a shower tray or similar device. By eliminating the need for additional wastewater sensors, the technical complexity can be significantly reduced.

[0035] The use of an additional signal or signals in addition to a wastewater signal, in particular an inflow signal, is possible. Alternatively, the use of an additional signal or signals, such as an inflow signal, can be omitted.

[0036] The pump control can, for example, be configured to control and / or regulate the wastewater pump so that the wastewater signal has a specified value and / or lies within a specified range. This means that the wastewater signal can be used as an indicator of how much air is being sucked in by the wastewater pump. If the wastewater pump sucks in no or very little air, this indicates that it is running too slowly. This can be seen in particular from a high wastewater signal. If, on the other hand, the wastewater pump pumps a lot of air, the wastewater signal drops, which indicates that the wastewater pump is running too fast. It has been shown that in typical applications it is useful to let the wastewater pump suck in some air to ensure that it is always running in a state in which it pumps out the existing wastewater reliably and energy-efficiently.It has further been found that an associated control or regulation can be implemented with only a single wastewater sensor, which is arranged in particular on a wastewater pipe, and which can also be constructed very simply, in particular in such a way that it only measures a transmitted power, in particular without spectral resolution and in particular without time-of-flight measurement.

[0037] In particular, control can be implemented using a proportional controller, an integral controller, and / or a differential controller. These controller types can also be combined as desired. For example, a proportional-integral controller or a proportional-integral-derivative controller can be used. The wastewater signal typically serves as the input variable, with the output of the wastewater pump being controlled so that the wastewater signal has the specified value and / or lies within the specified range.

[0038] The specified value can, for example, be at least 90% and / or at most 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal. It has been shown that in typical situations, at a specified value relative to the maximum value, the wastewater pump operates in a mode in which it efficiently pumps out the existing wastewater. In other words, it draws in a little air, but not too much. The specified value can also be at least 80%, at least 70%, at least 60%, or at least 50% and / or at most 90%, at most 92%, or at most 98% of the maximum value of the wastewater signal.

[0039] Any lower and upper limits can be combined. According to one embodiment, the specified range has a lower limit that lies between 10% and 20% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal. As an alternative to 10%, the lower limit of the specified interval can also be, for example, 5% or 15%. As an alternative to 20%, the upper limit of the specified interval can also be, for example, 30%, 40%, or 50%.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the specified range has an upper limit that lies between 90% and 95% of the maximum value of the wastewater signal. The lower limit of this interval can also be, for example, 80%, 70%, or 60%.

[0041] All upper and lower limits mentioned can also be used directly to limit the specified range.

[0042] A predefined value and / or a predefined range may, in particular, be permanently programmed into the pump control system. This may mean, in particular, that a change is not possible or only possible through manual intervention.

[0043] In particular, this means that the specified value and / or the specified range is not changed during operation of the wastewater system for pumping wastewater.

[0044] In particular, the pump controller can be configured to reduce pump power when the wastewater signal is below the specified value and / or below the specified range. In particular, the pump controller can be configured to increase pump power when the wastewater signal is above the specified value and / or above the specified range. This allows the pump power to always be adjusted so that the wastewater signal has the specified value and / or is within the specified range.

[0045] When using a predefined value, a single value can be specified to which the wastewater signal is to be controlled or regulated. In this case, any measurable or processable undershoot or overshoot typically results in a different pump output. Given a predefined range, a fluctuation within this range can be tolerated without resulting in a change in pump output. This can reduce control interventions.

[0046] Switching a wastewater pump on and / or off can, for example, be based on information from an inflow sensor. This can then be followed, for example, by the control and regulation just described. The inflow sensor is discussed in more detail below. If the wastewater signal detects, for example, that a wet room is actually being emptied, which is typically reflected in a particularly low wastewater signal, the wastewater pump can be switched off. For example, the wastewater pump can be switched off if the wastewater signal falls below a predefined switch-off threshold. It can also be provided that the wastewater pump is switched off if the wastewater signal falls below the switch-off threshold for a predefined period of time.

[0047] For example, the inflow sensor can provide a volume flow rate based on which the wastewater pump is pre-controlled. For example, a map-based control can be used. If excessive air intake is detected, this indicates that the pump output is too high. Typically, the wastewater signal then drops too sharply. This can typically be responded to by reducing the pump output.

[0048] The pump controller can be configured, in particular, to regulate pump output so that the wastewater signal reaches the specified value. For example, the controller types mentioned above or other controller types can be used.

[0049] For a signal such as a wastewater signal, it is typically assumed that it is in positive numerical form and that a higher value indicates higher transmission or higher received energy. Likewise, for the inflow signal, it is assumed that a higher value indicates a higher flow. Different implementations in an electronic control system are possible, for example with negative values ​​or representatives, which is considered equivalent. The same applies to the inflow signal. The wastewater system can, in particular, have an inflow sensor or a connection for an inflow sensor. The inflow sensor can, in particular, measure an inflow through a sanitary fitting of the sanitary arrangement and, based on this, generate an inflow signal. The sanitary fitting can, in particular, be a shower fitting, especially if the sanitary arrangement is a shower arrangement.The inflow can be measured in, before, or after the sanitary fitting, which is considered equivalent. The pump control system can, in particular, receive the inflow signal and control the wastewater pump based on it.

[0050] This allows information about the inflow to a sanitary fixture, such as a shower faucet, to be incorporated into the control of the wastewater pump. Such an inflow sensor can, in particular, measure the inflow to a shower faucet, with the water from this shower faucet then flowing, for example, into a drain that is drained via a wastewater pump and / or at which the wastewater system is located. In this case, the control of the wastewater pump is not limited to information received from the wastewater sensor, but can, for example, proactively react to an increased or decreased inflow, or even to the presence or absence of an inflow.

[0051] The inflow sensor can, in particular, be a flow sensor. This can be designed, for example, as an impeller meter. In particular, the inflow sensor can come into contact with the flowing water. This is typically unproblematic at this point, since it is fresh water, not wastewater.

[0052] In particular, the pump controller can activate the waste water pump in response to the inflow signal being at least as high as an inflow threshold. This inflow threshold can thus indicate that a relevant amount of water is flowing through the shower faucet, and it can be assumed that this water must be sucked away by the waste water pump. Once activated, the waste water pump can typically be controlled based on the waste water signal as described above. If, for example, the water flowing through the shower faucet is used to fill a bucket, it does not end up in the drain and therefore does not need to be pumped out. In this case, the waste water pump would typically run dry for a while before the control functionality described elsewhere herein automatically switches the waste water pump off again.

[0053] Preferably, the pump control determines an initial power value for the wastewater pump based on the inflow signal during or immediately after activation of the wastewater pump. This makes it possible to specify an initial power value with which the wastewater pump is controlled before the control or regulation described above takes effect. For example, this can ensure that in the event of a high flow rate through the shower fitting, the wastewater pump is immediately operated at high power to pump out the water. If, on the other hand, only a low flow rate is detected, a lower pump power is sufficient and can be adjusted accordingly. In particular, the initial power value can be higher the higher the inflow and / or the higher the inflow signal.

[0054] The pump control can, in particular, be configured to instantly adjust a performance value for the wastewater pump based on a change in the inflow signal that is at least as large as a threshold value after the wastewater pump has been activated. This makes it possible to react to abrupt changes in the inflow even before the control or regulation described above takes effect. This prevents the wastewater pump from running idle for extended periods or a shower drain from overflowing. The control or regulation functionality mentioned above can be temporarily overridden, and in particular, a higher or lower performance value for the wastewater pump can be immediately specified.

[0055] An instantaneous adaptation or change can generally be understood as an adaptation or change which takes place within a period of, for example, a maximum of 0.1 s, a maximum of 0.2 s, a maximum of 0.5 s or a maximum of 1 s.

[0056] A threshold value can generally be an absolute threshold value or a relative threshold value. The pump control can in particular be configured to set parameters for controlling the wastewater pump, parameters of a controller, an upper limit of a pump output, and / or a lower limit of a pump output based on the inflow signal. In particular, parameters for proportional, integral and / or differential control of a controller can be set based on the inflow signal. This allows adaptation depending on the expected inflow, while nevertheless maintaining functionality in order to ensure proper function even in situations that deviate from normal use, such as filling a bucket (inflow sensor measures inflow, but no water reaches the drain) or emptying a bucket (water arrives at the drain without the inflow sensor measuring an inflow).The control and / or regulation can be optimized for typical operating situations.

[0057] In particular, the specified value and / or the specified range mentioned above can be independent of the inflow signal. The specified value and / or the specified range can, in particular, represent an optimal operating range of the wastewater pump, to which the pump is adjusted or controlled. Thus, the manner in which a target is achieved is influenced, particularly depending on the inflow signal, but the target itself is not changed.

[0058] Using an inflow sensor, an initial performance value can be determined, and / or a minimum value and / or a target value for the pump performance can be determined from a characteristic map based on the inflow volume flow or inflow signal. To ensure that the water level in a wet room does not rise, the pump performance can be increased despite the characteristic map. This can lead to air being sucked in, which is detected by the functionality described above. The control system can then react by reducing the pump performance.

[0059] The wastewater pump can be controlled based on the two parameters in particular: the inflow sensor (selecting the operating range in the characteristic map) and the drain sensor (monitoring / ensuring no air is drawn in). After the inflow is shut off (the shower cycle ends - no more inflow signal or flow rate), the wastewater pump can continue running until the air bubble sensor or wastewater sensor detects a completely empty wet room or drain.

[0060] The pump controller can, in particular, be configured to shut off the wastewater pump if the wastewater signal falls below a shutdown threshold for at least a specified period of time. This ensures that the wastewater pump is shut off when there is no or too little water available to pump out. A low wastewater signal indicates, in particular, that the wastewater pipe at the location of the wastewater sensor is completely or at least predominantly filled with air.

[0061] In particular, the pump control can be configured to only shut off the wastewater pump when an inflow signal falls below an inflow shutdown threshold. This can be understood as an exception to the functionality just described, i.e., the wastewater pump is not shut off if the inflow signal is still above the inflow shutdown threshold. This can prevent the wastewater pump from being shut off due to a temporary intake of air or a particularly large air bubble, even though inflow is still occurring through a shower fitting.

[0062] The pump controller can be configured, in particular, to calculate a fill level based on the wastewater signal. In particular, a relationship between the wastewater signal and the fill level can be used. This relationship can be based, in particular, on the fact that, during horizontal ultrasound penetration, the higher the fill level, the higher the wastewater signal, since water conducts ultrasound significantly better than air. Such a relationship can be used, for example, based on a stored characteristic curve or a calculation.

[0063] In particular, such a level measurement allows an estimate of the level in the range (diameter of the sound beam / diameter of the piezoelectric transducer) based on different signal intensity levels. This can preferably be achieved with horizontal flow, i.e., a horizontal position of the sewer pipe, and horizontal transmission with ultrasound.

[0064] In particular, the pump controller can activate the wastewater pump in response to the wastewater signal being at least as high as a threshold value when the wastewater pump is switched off. This can be implemented in addition to or separately from the activation functionality based on an inflow signal. This allows the wastewater pump to be switched on, for example, even if a bucket is emptied into a shower drain, resulting in wastewater flowing out, without this being detectable by an inflow sensor.

[0065] Preferably, the wastewater system is provided with only one wastewater sensor on the wastewater pipe. In particular, this can mean that only a single wastewater sensor is provided. This has been shown to be sufficient to control a wastewater pump. Additional sensors, which increase complexity and costs, can then be advantageously dispensed with. A wastewater sensor is typically formed by an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver.

[0066] The ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are advantageously arranged at positions that are at least 160° and / or at most 200°, or 180°, opposite each other around the circumference of the sewer pipe. This ensures that the ultrasonic signal is largely transmitted through the sewer pipe before it is received. This allows for advantageous detection of the condition with regard to the existing wastewater and air. The design just described can be provided with or without axial offset. For example, a respective center point can be used as a reference for evaluating an arrangement for the ultrasonic receiver and / or ultrasonic transmitter.

[0067] The ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are preferably arranged axially offset from each other on the sewer pipe by a maximum of 1 cm, or a maximum of 2 cm, or not at all. An axial offset can be understood in particular as an offset measured along a central axis of the sewer pipe or along a longitudinal extension of the sewer pipe. For example, a respective center point can be used as a reference for assessing an arrangement for the ultrasonic receiver and / or ultrasonic transmitter. This allows for a space-saving design, especially compared to sensors that are based on time-of-flight measurements and therefore require an axial offset.

[0068] In particular, it can be provided that the wastewater signal is scalar and / or not spectrally resolved. A scalar wastewater signal can, in particular, mean that the wastewater signal is only provided as a single value. A waiver of spectral resolution can, in particular, mean that the wastewater signal does not provide values ​​for different wavelengths or wavelength ranges.

[0069] In particular, it can be provided that no non-scalar signal is generated or used in the wastewater system. In particular, it can be provided that no spectrally resolved signal is generated or used in the wastewater system.

[0070] By dispensing with spectral resolution and / or using only a scalar value, a simple and energy-saving design can be achieved, especially in comparison to measurement methods based on spectral evaluation.

[0071] The wastewater system can, in particular, have a driver circuit for the ultrasonic transmitter, which can, in particular, be configured to drive the ultrasonic transmitter at a frequency of at least 0.5 MHz and / or at most 4 MHz, or 1 MHz. Such values ​​for a drive frequency have proven advantageous for typical applications. However, the use of other values ​​is also possible in principle. The driver circuit can also be referred to as a control circuit.

[0072] In principle, a thickness transducer, for example, can be used for the ultrasonic transmitter. The operating frequency can typically be any desired frequency. Preferably, the sound wave is transmitted through the pipe.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the wastewater system has an evaluation circuit for the ultrasonic receiver, which is configured to read the ultrasonic receiver, in particular after rectification and / or smoothing, in particular with a sampling frequency of at least 1 kHz and / or at most 10 kHz. Such sampling frequencies have proven advantageous because they enable rapid signal acquisition while avoiding excessive energy consumption. In particular, the evaluation circuit can also rectify and / or smooth a signal supplied directly by the ultrasonic receiver. Rectification can, in particular, mean that negative voltage components are mirrored into the positive voltage range. Smoothing can, for example, mean low-pass filtering. Rectification and / or smoothing can also be understood as independently implementable features.

[0074] The invention further relates to a sanitary arrangement with a drain and a wastewater system as described herein for draining the drain. With regard to the wastewater system, all embodiments and variants described herein can be used. The described advantages can be achieved accordingly.

[0075] In particular, the sanitary arrangement can be a shower arrangement, and the drain can, in particular, be a shower drain. In principle, however, the sanitary arrangement can also be an arrangement with a bathtub, a sink, a toilet, or a washing machine drain. These are typical applications in which an existing gradient may be insufficient for the proper drainage of wastewater. In this case, the use of the wastewater system described herein can achieve advantageous pumping of wastewater using a wastewater pump.

[0076] In particular, the design described here prevents sensors in the wastewater sector from coming into contact with the wastewater. This can significantly improve the service life of such sensors. The ultrasonic sensor technology described here offers a virtually unlimited service life. In particular, there is no mechanical or corrosive wear. Furthermore, the pump control system described here can ensure that the noise generated by a wastewater pump is minimized. The wastewater pump is typically operated in such a way that it extracts just the existing wastewater while sucking in as little air as possible, which prevents excessive noise.

[0077] In particular, an intelligent shower wastewater pumping system is provided which, for the first time, can control the performance of the wastewater pump in an energy-efficient manner, for example through the targeted signal evaluation of a combination of a flow sensor in the water inlet and air bubble detection in the wastewater pipe (as well as optional level measurement). The sensors in the drain can be easily retrofitted into existing supply and wastewater pipes (clamp-on system) or implemented during new installations (sensor pipe) and usually do not require complex structural interventions in the shower system. If a wastewater sensor is located between the drain and the wastewater pump, it should preferably be positioned as close as possible to, or directly at, the drain. This allows for short response times. If the wastewater sensor is located downstream of the wastewater pump, it should preferably be positioned as close as possible to, or directly at, the wastewater pump. This also allows for short response times.

[0078] The wastewater sensor is based primarily on the transmission measurement of ultrasonic waves through a water-bearing pipe. The piezoelectric transducer (transmitter) sends a signal, while the opposite transducer (receiver) measures the transmitted sound energy. Based on the measured data, a wastewater pump can be intelligently controlled. If the wastewater pipe is completely filled with water (no air in the measuring range), the signal level is high. If air is sucked in by the wastewater pump (indicating excessive pumping power and the creation of unwanted noise), the passage of an air bubble leads to strong reflection of the transmitted ultrasonic signal. The sound energy measured in transmission is thus reduced. If the wastewater pipe is almost completely filled with air (indicating that the wet room is completely drained), no transmitted sound energy can be measured. The wastewater pump can be pre-controlled based on the sensor data from the inflow.For example, a characteristic curve or characteristic map can be specified. Using the measurement data from the air bubble detection sensor or wastewater sensor in the drain, a logic (using the signal mean value and signal standard deviation), and a closed-loop control, the control unit outputs a control value for the wastewater pump.

[0079] The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0080] Fig. 1 : a sanitary arrangement,

[0081] Fig. 2: a block diagram,

[0082] Fig. 3: a section of a sewer pipe with sewage sensor,

[0083] Fig. 4: part of the components of Fig. 3,

[0084] Fig. 5: a sewer pipe with sewage sensor,

[0085] Fig. 6: part of the components of Fig. 5,

[0086] Fig. 7: part of the components of Fig. 6,

[0087] Fig. 8: a schematic view of flow direction and transmission,

[0088] Fig. 9: another schematic view of flow direction and

[0089] Transmitting sound,

[0090] Fig. 10: another schematic view of flow direction and

[0091] Transmitting sound, and

[0092] Fig. 11 : a time course of a wastewater signal.

[0093] Fig. 1 shows a purely schematic view of a sanitary arrangement 10 in the form of a shower arrangement. The sanitary arrangement 10 has a first inflow line 20 and a second inflow line 25. These are designed separately for hot and cold water, respectively. They lead to a shower fitting 30, which is a sanitary fitting and has a first regulator 32 for cold water and a second regulator 34 for hot water. A shower 50 is connected to the shower fitting 30, with a shower hose 55 providing the connection between the shower fitting 30 and the shower 50. An inflow sensor 40 is arranged in the shower hose 55, which can be designed, for example, as an impeller meter and measures the flow through the shower fitting 30. This provides information about how much water is currently flowing through the shower 50. In the present implementation, the inflow sensor 40 transmits the signal wirelessly, but a wired transmission would also be possible, for example.The sanitary arrangement 10 further comprises a shower tray 60 with a drain 65 formed therein. Water from the shower 50 enters the shower tray 60 and flows out via the drain 65. A wastewater pipe 110, which is part of a wastewater system 100, is connected to a connector 67 of the shower tray 60. The wastewater system 100 includes not only the wastewater pipe 110, but also a wastewater pump 120, a pump controller 130, and a wastewater sensor 200. The wastewater sensor 200 can generally detect whether and how much water is present in the wastewater pipe 110 and / or what proportion of air is entrained. The wastewater sensor 200 generates a rectified, averaged, and sampled signal from this, which is referred to as the wastewater signal and is delivered to the pump controller 130. The pump controller 130 is further configured to control the wastewater pump 120 in a suitable manner.This control can be implemented in particular as a closed-loop control.

[0094] Fig. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the operation of the pump control 130.

[0095] As already mentioned above, the flow through the shower faucet 30 is measured by an inflow sensor 40. The resulting inflow signal is first sent to a prefilter 131, which performs a certain smoothing. The smoothed or filtered signal is sent to a pre-control 134, the function of which will be discussed in more detail below, and is then sent to a logic 135, the function of which will also be discussed in more detail below.

[0096] The wastewater pump 120 is controlled by a pump power signal generated in the pump control 130, the generation of which will be discussed in more detail below. This allows the power of the wastewater pump 120 to be directly controlled. Depending on the power of the wastewater pump 120, more or less water flows through the wastewater pipe 110. This, in turn, is detected by the wastewater sensor 200. For this purpose, the wastewater sensor 200, as described in more detail below, has an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver. These are arranged such that the ultrasonic transmitter emits an ultrasonic signal into the wastewater pipe 110, which, after passing through the wastewater pipe and any water contained therein, is detected on the other side by the ultrasonic receiver. Accordingly, the less air there is in the wastewater pipe 110, the higher the signal is. This provides an indication of the appropriate power of the wastewater pump 120.

[0097] Typically, the wastewater pump 120 should always be operated in such a way that a small amount of air is sucked in. Otherwise, there is a risk of it sucking in too little, for example, if no air is sucked in. Such a small amount of air typically manifests itself in the wastewater signal of the wastewater sensor 200 being slightly below, for example, 90% to 95% of the maximum value. Accordingly, a setpoint generator 136 is provided in the pump controller 130, which supplies a predetermined value as the setpoint. This is typically fixed and / or constant; in particular, it is independent of the inflow signal.

[0098] The wastewater signal is supplied by the wastewater sensor 200 to a logic unit 135, which further evaluates the wastewater signal and then feeds it to a differential element as a negative input. The setpoint generated by the setpoint generator 136 is fed to the differential element as a positive input. This creates a difference between the actual pump power and the desired pump power. This difference is supplied to a controller 132, which generates a control signal from which the pump power signal is formed or represents the pump power signal. This control signal is fed to a control value limiter 133, which is designed to limit the pump power signal upwards and downwards. This allows for simple control of the wastewater pump 120.

[0099] The inflow signal supplied by prefilter 131 is sent to the aforementioned precontrol 134. This generates parameters for controller 132, in particular parameters for proportional, integral, and / or differential control. These parameters can ensure that controller 132 operates within a characteristic map adapted to the expected inflow. For example, the higher the inflow signal, the faster the response can be implemented.

[0100] The feedforward control 134 also generates upper and lower limits for the control value limit 133 depending on the inflow signal. This allows a maximum and / or minimum pump output to be adjusted to the inflow. For example, the higher the inflow signal or the inflow, the higher the upper and / or lower limit can be set. Furthermore, both limits can be set to zero to deactivate the wastewater pump 120, for example, if no inflow has been detected for a certain period of time.

[0101] The inflow signal is also supplied to logic 135. Logic 135 is configured to check the inflow signal for instantaneous changes. An instantaneous change can occur, for example, when a shower faucet is instantly opened or closed significantly further. This typically generates a change in the inflow signal that is greater than a predetermined absolute or relative threshold value within a predetermined period of time, particularly a very short period of time. This can be referred to as an instantaneous change. Upon detecting such an instantaneous change, logic 135 can also instantaneously change its output signal. This can be understood, in particular, to mean that the output signal is changed by at least one absolute or relative threshold value within a predetermined period of time, particularly a very short period of time.It is also possible to influence the pump power signal in other ways to implement an instantaneous change. For example, a corresponding functionality can also be implemented in controller 132.

[0102] Fig. 3 shows a removable section 150 of the wastewater pipe 110. The removable section 150 has a local widening 152, which is designed to accommodate a wastewater sensor 200. An upper cover 154 and a lower cover 156 are attached for this purpose. The covers 154, 156 can, in particular, be screwed together so that they can also be easily removed. A socket 208 is attached to the side for reading the wastewater sensor 200.

[0103] Fig. 4 shows the removable section 150 of Fig. 3, with the upper cover 154 removed. It can be seen that a recess 160 is located on the inside, in which an ultrasonic transmitter 202 of the wastewater sensor 200 is mounted. The ultrasonic transmitter 202 is designed to emit ultrasonic waves downward when the removable section 150 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, in which the ultrasonic transmitter 202 is arranged on top. An ultrasonic receiver 204 is arranged on the bottom for reception.

[0104] A rubber seal 155 is provided for sealing, which is arranged on top below the upper cover 154 (not shown in Fig. 4). This prevents the penetration of moisture or dirt.

[0105] The design of Figs. 3 and 4 provides a removable section 150 of the wastewater pipe 110, wherein the removable section 150 can be connected to the remainder of a wastewater pipe 110, for example, via conventional hose connections. The wastewater sensor 200 is provided in this way and can easily generate the wastewater signal described above.

[0106] Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a wastewater sensor 200. This is designed as a separate component from the wastewater pipe 110, i.e., it is not integrated into the wastewater pipe 110. The wastewater sensor 200 has a housing 205, which is divided into a first part 210 and a second part 220. The housing 205 is placed onto the wastewater pipe 110 via spacers 240 (also designated by reference numeral 245 on the other side, see Fig. 7). The bushing 208 is formed in the first part 210 of the housing 205. In this case, four screws 230 are used to connect the two parts 210, 220. This allows the two parts 210, 220 of the housing 205 to be pressed towards one another, whereby they rest exclusively on the spacers 240, 245 on the wastewater pipe 110. The spacers 240, 245 are arranged at an inlet for the waste pipe 110 and at an outlet for the waste pipe 110.The inlet is the point where wastewater flows into the region of the wastewater sensor 200. The outlet is the point where wastewater flows out of the region of the wastewater sensor 200. This ensures a defined positional relationship between the housing 205 and the wastewater pipe 110.

[0107] On the top side, the first part 210 has a first cover 212. Likewise, the second part 220 has a second cover 222 on the bottom side. Fig. 6 shows a state in which the first cover 212 has been removed. This allows the interior of the first part 210 to be visible. On the top side, there is a seal 206 that seals off a gap between the first cover 212. Below this seal is a hold-down device 250, which exerts a downward force when it strikes the first cover 212 in the closed state.

[0108] As can be seen in Fig. 7, in which the hold-down device 250 and the first part 210 of the housing 205 have been removed, a coupling element 260 is located directly below the hold-down device 250, which is pressed downwards towards the sewer pipe 110 by the hold-down device 250. The ultrasonic transmitter 202 is located therein. This design achieves good contact pressure with the sewer pipe 110, with a paste or grease typically being applied between the ultrasonic transmitter 202 and the coupling element 260 on the one hand and the sewer pipe 110 on the other hand to improve the conduction of ultrasonic waves. The sewage sensor 200 can be designed equivalently on the underside, except that it is not the ultrasonic transmitter 202, but rather the ultrasonic receiver 204.

[0109] Fig. 8 schematically shows a flow direction through the sewage pipe 110 and a transmission direction from the ultrasonic transmitter 202 to the ultrasonic receiver 204.

[0110] The wastewater pipe 110 is shown in the center, showing a cross-section. The wastewater flows into the paper plane of Fig. 8 according to the symbol "x." The flow direction is perpendicular to the paper plane of Fig. 8 and, if the paper plane of Fig. 8 is vertical, is horizontal. The flow is therefore horizontal. The ultrasonic transmitter 202 and the ultrasonic receiver 204 are arranged so that they are laterally adjacent to the wastewater pipe 110, at the same height. This enables horizontal transmission of sound, which enables both air bubble detection and static level measurement.

[0111] Fig. 9 shows a different state, wherein, in contrast to Fig. 8, the ultrasonic transmitter 202 is arranged vertically above the sewer pipe 110 and the ultrasonic receiver 204 is arranged vertically below the sewer pipe 110. The transmission of ultrasound thus occurs vertically. This can be used, in particular, to detect air bubbles or to control a pump. The more air bubbles pumped by the sewer pump 120, the lower the signal generated by the ultrasonic receiver 204. This is due, in particular, to the fact that air does not conduct ultrasound as well as water, and reflection occurs at interfaces.

[0112] Fig. 10 shows a state in which the sewer pipe 110 is arranged such that the flow direction of the wastewater is vertically upward. The embodiment described herein can also be used in this case, with the ultrasonic transmitter 202 and the ultrasonic receiver 204 located at the same height next to the sewer pipe 110. The transmission occurs horizontally. Signal detection is also possible in this case, which provides information about the entrained air. The entrained air typically does not rise faster than the wastewater, but flows along with the wastewater stream at approximately the same speed.

[0113] Fig. 11 shows an example of a wastewater signal or discharge signal, with the discharge signal being plotted in volts (voltage) on the vertical axis, whereas the time in seconds (s) is plotted on the horizontal axis.

[0114] First, the shower process is started. During this time, there is still essentially air in the sewer pipe. When the sewer pipe fills with water, the sewer pump is started. It then runs initially and pumps sewage, which also pumps a certain amount of air along with it. This means that although the sewage signal increases significantly, it does not reach its maximum value. The pumped air prevents the maximum value of the sewage signal from being reached. In principle, water conducts the ultrasonic signal much better than air, so the more air there is in the sewer pipe between the ultrasonic transmitter and ultrasonic receiver, the lower the sewage signal is.

[0115] If the discharge volume becomes too large or if temporarily less water flows out, air is pumped and the wastewater signal drops significantly. This is shown at three points in the horizontal center of Fig. 11. The pump output is reduced so that only as much water is pumped as is actually needed.

[0116] When the showering process is over, the pipe is pumped dry, and the wastewater signal drops back to zero. This corresponds particularly to a condition in which the wastewater pipe contains practically only air. The wastewater pump is then switched off, as further pumping is no longer required. If subsequent water accumulates in the wastewater pipe, the wastewater signal rises again, activating the wastewater pump. Once the wastewater pump has completely drained the wastewater, the signal drops again, and the wastewater pump is finally switched off for the showering process.

[0117] Overall, the mechanisms described here can achieve a particularly energy-saving operation of the wastewater pump, as it is always maintained at a performance level that is ideal for the wastewater volume currently being pumped.

[0118] It should be understood that control aspects mentioned herein with reference to an arrangement or device can also be understood as method aspects. These can accordingly also be claimed as methods.

[0119] The following are structured features. These can be used individually and can be combined with each other and with other features disclosed herein.

[0120] 1. Wastewater system (100) for a sanitary arrangement (10), wherein the wastewater system (100) comprises: an ultrasonic transmitter (202) and an ultrasonic receiver (204), wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) form a wastewater sensor (200) and can be mounted on either side of a wastewater pipe (110) of the wastewater system (100), such that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe (110) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives them after transmission through the wastewater pipe (110) and generates a wastewater signal based thereon. Wastewater system (100) according to feature 1, comprising a housing (205) in which the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) are fastened, and which is designed to encompass a wastewater pipe (110) for mounting.Wastewater system (100) according to feature 2, wherein the housing (205) has a first part (210) and a second part (220), wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged in the first part (210) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged in the second part (220), and wherein the first part (210) is detachably connectable to the second part (220). Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 2 or 3, wherein a hold-down device (250) for the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged in the housing (205), which presses the ultrasonic transmitter (202) against the wastewater pipe (110), and / or wherein a hold-down device for the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged in the housing (205), which presses the ultrasonic receiver (204) against the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to feature 4, wherein the housing (205) is designed such that it contacts the wastewater pipe (110) only at an inlet for the wastewater pipe (110) and at an outlet for the wastewater pipe (110).Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding features, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) are directly fastened in the wastewater pipe (110), and / or are cast with the wastewater pipe (110), and / or are arranged in recesses (160) of the wastewater pipe (110), and / or are arranged in a separate, removable section (150) of the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding features, wherein the wastewater system (100) further comprises: a wastewater pump (120), and a wastewater pipe (110) in which the wastewater pump (120) is arranged, wherein the wastewater sensor (200) is mounted on the wastewater pipe (110) downstream of the wastewater pump (120) such that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe (110) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives them after transmission through the wastewater pipe (110).Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 1 to 6, wherein the wastewater system (100) further comprises: a wastewater pump (120), and a wastewater pipe (110) in which the wastewater pump (120) is arranged, wherein the wastewater sensor (200) is mounted upstream of the wastewater pump (120) on the wastewater pipe (110) such that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe (110) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives them after transmission through the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 7 or 8, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged vertically above the wastewater pipe (110), and / or wherein the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged vertically below the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 7 to 8, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged horizontally next to the wastewater pipe (110), and / or wherein the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged horizontally next to the wastewater pipe (110).Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 7 to 10, wherein the wastewater pipe (110) has a wall thickness equal to half a wavelength of an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202), or an integer multiple thereof, and / or wherein the wastewater pipe (110) has a wall thickness such that an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202) forms a standing wave in the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding features, which has an optimization circuit configured to vary a frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and to identify an optimum frequency at which the wastewater signal has a maximum, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is subsequently controlled at the optimum frequency.Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding features, further comprising a pump controller (130) for a wastewater pump (120), wherein the pump controller (130) receives the wastewater signal and controls the wastewater pump (120) based thereon. Wastewater system (100) according to feature 13, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to control and / or regulate the wastewater pump (120) such that the wastewater signal has a predetermined value and / or lies within a predetermined range. Wastewater system (100) according to feature 14, wherein the predetermined value is at least 90% and / or at most 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal, and / or wherein the predetermined range has a lower limit that lies between 10% and 20% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal, and / or wherein the predetermined range has an upper limit that lies between 90% and 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal.Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 14 or 15, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to reduce a pump output if the wastewater signal is below the predetermined value and / or below the predetermined range, and / or wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to increase a pump output if the wastewater signal is above the predetermined value and / or above the predetermined range. Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 13 to 16, wherein the wastewater system (100) has an inflow sensor (40) or a connection for an inflow sensor (40), wherein the inflow sensor (40) measures an inflow through a sanitary fitting (30) of the sanitary arrangement and generates an inflow signal based thereon, and wherein the pump controller (130) receives the inflow signal and controls the wastewater pump (120) based thereon. Wastewater system (100) according to feature 17, wherein the inflow sensor (40) is a flow sensor.Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 17 or 18, wherein the pump controller (130) activates the wastewater pump (120) in response to the inflow signal being at least as high as an inflow threshold value. Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 17 to 19, wherein the pump controller (130) determines an initial power value for the wastewater pump (120) based on the inflow signal upon or immediately after activation of the wastewater pump (120). Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 17 to 20, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to instantly adjust a power value for the wastewater pump (120) based on a change in the inflow signal that is at least as great as a threshold value after activation of the wastewater pump (120). Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 17 to 21, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to:

[0121] Parameters for controlling the wastewater pump (120),

[0122] Parameters of a controller (132), an upper limit of a pump output, and / or a lower limit of a pump output based on the inflow signal. Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 13 to 22, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to switch off the wastewater pump (120) if the wastewater signal falls below a switch-off threshold for at least a predetermined period of time. Wastewater system (100) according to feature 23, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to switch off the wastewater pump (120) only if an inflow signal falls below an inflow switch-off threshold. Wastewater system (100) according to one of features 13 to 24, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to calculate a fill level based on the wastewater signal. 26.Wastewater system (100) according to feature 25, wherein the pump control (130) activates the wastewater pump (120) in response to the wastewater signal being at least as high as a threshold value when the wastewater pump (120) is switched off.

[0123] 27. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding features, which has a driver circuit for the ultrasonic transmitter (202) which is configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter (202) with a frequency of at least 0.5 MHz and / or of at most 4 MHz, or of 1 MHz.

[0124] 28. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding features, which has an evaluation circuit for the ultrasonic receiver (204) which is configured to read the ultrasonic receiver (204) after rectification and / or smoothing with a sampling frequency of at least 1 kHz and / or of at most 10 kHz.

[0125] 29. Sanitary arrangement (10) comprising a drain (65), and a wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding features for draining the drain (65).

[0126] 30. Sanitary arrangement (10) according to feature 29, which is a shower arrangement, and wherein the drain (65) is a shower drain.

[0127] It should be noted that features may be described in combination in the claims and the description, for example, to facilitate understanding, although they may also be used separately. Those skilled in the art will recognize that such features may also be combined independently with other features or combinations of features.

[0128] References in subclaims may be preferred combinations of the respective

[0129] Characteristics indicate, but do not exclude other combinations of features. List of reference symbols

[0130] 10 sanitary arrangement

[0131] 20 first inflow line

[0132] 25 second inflow line

[0133] 30 shower fittings

[0134] 32 first controller

[0135] 34 second controller

[0136] 40 inflow sensor

[0137] 50 Shower

[0138] 55 shower hose

[0139] 60 shower tray

[0140] 65 Process

[0141] 67 connecting piece

[0142] 100 sewage system

[0143] 110 sewer pipe

[0144] 120 sewage pump

[0145] 130 Pump control

[0146] 131 Prefilter

[0147] 132 controllers

[0148] 133 Control value limitation

[0149] 134 Feedforward control

[0150] 135 Logic

[0151] 136 setpoint transmitters

[0152] 150 removable section

[0153] 152 local widening

[0154] 154 upper cover

[0155] 155 rubber seal

[0156] 156 lower cover

[0157] 160 recess

[0158] 200 wastewater sensors

[0159] 202 ultrasonic transmitters

[0160] 204 ultrasound receivers

[0161] 205 housings

[0162] 206 Seal bushing first part first cover second part second cover screws, 245 spacer retainer coupling element

Claims

A wastewater system (100) for a sanitary arrangement (10), the wastewater system (100) comprising: an ultrasonic transmitter (202) and an ultrasonic receiver (204), the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) forming a wastewater sensor (200) and being mountable on either side of a wastewater pipe (110) of the wastewater system (100), such that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe (110), and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives these waves after transmission through the wastewater pipe (110) and generates a wastewater signal based thereon. The wastewater system (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a pump controller (130) for a wastewater pump (120), the pump controller (130) receiving the wastewater signal and controlling the wastewater pump (120) based thereon.Wastewater system (100) according to claim 2, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to control the wastewater pump (120) based only on a value of the wastewater signal and / or to control it independently of a propagation time of the ultrasonic signal between the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204). Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to control the wastewater pump (120) based on the wastewater signal of only one ultrasonic receiver (204) and / or only one wastewater sensor (200). Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to control and / or regulate the wastewater pump (120) such that the wastewater signal has a predetermined value and / or lies within a predetermined range. Wastewater system (100) according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined value is at least 90% and / or at most 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal, and / or wherein the predetermined range has a lower limit that lies between 10% and 20% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal, and / or wherein the predetermined range has an upper limit that lies between 90% and 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal. Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the pump control (130) is configured to reduce a pump output when the wastewater signal is below the predetermined value and / or below the predetermined range, and / or wherein the pump control (130) is configured to increase a pump output when the wastewater signal is above the predetermined value and / or above the predetermined range.Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the wastewater system (100) comprises an inflow sensor (40) or a connection for an inflow sensor (40), wherein the inflow sensor (40) measures an inflow through a sanitary fitting (30) of the sanitary arrangement and generates an inflow signal based thereon, and wherein the pump controller (130) receives the inflow signal and controls the wastewater pump (120) based thereon. Wastewater system (100) according to claim 8, wherein the inflow sensor (40) is a flow sensor. Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the pump controller (130) activates the wastewater pump (120) in response to the inflow signal being at least as high as an inflow threshold value. Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the pump controller (130) determines an initial power value for the wastewater pump (120) based on the inflow signal upon or immediately after activation of the wastewater pump (120). Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured, after activation of the wastewater pump (120), to instantly adjust a power value for the wastewater pump (120) based on a change in the inflow signal that is at least as great as a threshold value. Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured Parameters for controlling the wastewater pump (120), parameters of a controller (132), an upper limit of a pump output, and / or a lower limit of a pump output based on the inflow signal. The wastewater system (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to shut off the wastewater pump (120) if the wastewater signal falls below a shutdown threshold for at least a predetermined period of time. The wastewater system (100) according to claim 14, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to shut off the wastewater pump (120) only if an inflow signal falls below an inflow shutdown threshold. Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 2 to 15, wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to calculate a fill level based on the wastewater signal. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, which has only one wastewater sensor (200) on the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) are arranged at positions which are arranged on the circumference of the wastewater pipe (110) opposite to one another by at least 160° and / or by at most 200°, or by 180°. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) are arranged on the wastewater pipe (110) axially offset from one another by at most 1 cm, or at most 2 cm, or not at all.Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wastewater signal is scalar and / or is not spectrally resolved, and / or in which no non-scalar signal is generated or used, and / or in which no spectrally resolved signal is generated or used. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, which comprises a housing (205) in which the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) are fastened, and which is designed to engage around a wastewater pipe (110) for mounting. Wastewater system (100) according to claim 21, wherein the housing (205) comprises a first part (210) and a second part (220). wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged in the first part (210) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged in the second part (220), and wherein the first part (210) is detachably connectable to the second part (220). Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 21 or 22, wherein a hold-down device (250) for the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged in the housing (205), which presses the ultrasonic transmitter (202) against the sewer pipe (110), and / or wherein a hold-down device for the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged in the housing (205), which presses the ultrasonic receiver (204) against the sewer pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to claim 23, wherein the housing (205) is designed such that it contacts the wastewater pipe (110) only at an inlet for the wastewater pipe (110) and at an outlet for the wastewater pipe (110).Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) are directly fastened in the wastewater pipe (110), and / or cast with the wastewater pipe (110), and / or arranged in recesses (160) of the wastewater pipe (110), and / or arranged in a separate, removable section (150) of the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wastewater system (100) further comprises: a wastewater pump (120), and a wastewater pipe (110) in which the wastewater pump (120) is arranged, wherein the wastewater sensor (200) is mounted on the wastewater pipe (110) downstream of the wastewater pump (120), so that the ultrasonic transmitter (202). Ultrasonic waves are emitted into the sewer pipe (110) and the Ultrasonic receiver (204) receives these after transmission through the sewer pipe (110). Sewage system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 25, wherein the sewage system (100) further comprises: a sewage pump (120), and a sewer pipe (110) in which the sewage pump (120) is arranged, wherein the sewage sensor (200) is mounted upstream of the sewage pump (120) on the sewer pipe (110) such that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the sewer pipe (110) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives them after transmission through the sewer pipe (110). Sewage system (100) according to one of claims 26 or 27, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged vertically above the sewer pipe (110), and / or wherein the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged vertically below the sewer pipe (110).Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 26 or 27, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged horizontally next to the wastewater pipe (110), and / or wherein the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged horizontally next to the wastewater pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of claims 26 to 29, wherein the wastewater pipe (110) has a wall thickness which is equal to half a wavelength of an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202), or an integer multiple thereof, and / or. wherein the sewage pipe (110) has a wall thickness such that an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202) forms a standing wave in the sewage pipe (110). The sewage system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an optimization circuit configured to vary a frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and to identify an optimum frequency at which the sewage signal has a maximum, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is subsequently controlled at the optimum frequency. The sewage system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a driver circuit for the ultrasonic transmitter (202) configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter (202) at a frequency of at least 0.5 MHz and / or of at most 4 MHz, or of 1 MHz.Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, which has an evaluation circuit for the ultrasonic receiver (204), which is configured to read the ultrasonic receiver (204) after rectification and / or smoothing with a sampling frequency of at least 1 kHz and / or of at most 10 kHz. Sanitary arrangement (10) comprising a drain (65), and a wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims for draining the drain (65). Sanitary arrangement (10) according to claim 34, which is a shower arrangement, and wherein the drain (65) is a shower drain.

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