Hot water supply device

Abstract

To prevent overflow of bathtub water from a bathtub 12.SOLUTION: A control device 21 is provided with open / close control means 22 for an electric drain valve 14. The open / close control means 22 opens the electric drain valve 14 so as to drain water from the bathtub based on a valve opening condition of supplying a predetermined amount of hot water after notifying the completion of hot water filling operation. The control means closes the electric drain valve 14 so as to stop draining water from the bathtub based on a valve closing condition of opening the electric drain valve 14 and draining a predetermined amount of water. By repeatedly opening and closing the electric drain valve 14 in this manner to adjust the water level in the bathtub, overflow of the bathtub water can be reliably prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a water supply device for supplying hot water to a bathtub.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in this type of device, there has been known a water supply machine that supplies hot water to a bathtub when a user opens a water supply faucet, and ends the supply of hot water to the bathtub when the user closes the water supply faucet.

[0003] Also, as in Patent Document 1, there has been known a water supply machine having an electric drain plug that is interlocked with a water filling operation, opens the electric drain plug before the start of the water filling operation to drain all the hot water in the bathtub, and can replace the hot water in the bathtub with clean water.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the case of the device as in Patent Document 1, although the electric drain plug is controlled as a means for draining the old hot water accumulated the previous day before the start of the water filling operation, there is a problem that no control is considered to prevent the overflow of hot water to the washroom during the water filling operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water into a bathtub, a hot water supply faucet provided at the end of the hot water supply pipe for manually starting and stopping the hot water supply, a hot water supply amount sensor provided in the middle of the hot water supply pipe for detecting the amount of hot water supplied to the bathtub, an electric drain faucet capable of automatically opening and closing the drain faucet of the bathtub, a remote control having an operation unit capable of setting a set amount of hot water for a water filling operation and a notification unit for notifying the completion of the water filling operation, a water filling switch which is a part of the operation unit and starts the hot water amount count of the hot water supply amount sensor during the water filling operation, and a control device for controlling the water filling operation to cause the notification unit to notify when the set amount of hot water is supplied to the bathtub after the water filling switch is pressed. In the hot water supply device provided with the control device, the control device is provided with an opening and closing control means for the electric drain faucet. The opening and closing control means opens the electric drain faucet on the condition that a predetermined amount of hot water is supplied after notifying the completion of the water filling operation, drains the water in the bathtub, and closes the electric drain faucet on the condition that a predetermined amount of drainage is drained after opening the electric drain faucet, stops the drainage of the water in the bathtub, and repeatedly opens and closes the electric drain faucet.

[0007] Further, the control device is provided with a timing means for measuring the elapsed time after the completion of the water filling operation. The opening and closing control means sets the condition that the predetermined elapsed time has elapsed after notifying the completion of the water filling operation as the opening condition and the closing condition, and repeatedly opens and closes the electric drain faucet.

[0008] Further, the control device is provided with a timing means for counting time. The opening and closing control means switches the opening and closing of the electric drain faucet with the condition that either one of opening the drain faucet and then closing it, or closing the drain faucet and then opening it, is to supply the predetermined amount of hot water as the opening condition, and switches the opening and closing of the electric drain faucet with the condition that the other is that a predetermined time has elapsed as the closing condition, so as to repeatedly open and close the electric drain faucet.

[0009] Further, the opening and closing control means changes the opening condition in the direction of making the electric drain faucet easier to open as the number of times the electric drain faucet is opened increases.

[0010] In addition, the opening / closing control means changes the closing condition in a direction that makes it more difficult to close the electric drain plug as the number of times the electric drain plug is closed increases.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] As described above, according to the present invention, the opening / closing control means controls the opening and closing of the electric drain plug so that the amount of hot water overflowing from the bathtub is prevented based on the amount of hot water supplied to the bathtub and the amount of drained water drained from the bathtub, and adjusts the amount of hot water in the bathtub. Therefore, it is possible to surely prevent the overflow of the bathtub water.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] A first embodiment of the hot water supply apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. 1 is a hot water storage tank for storing hot and cold water, 2 is a water supply pipe connected to the lower part of the hot water storage tank 1, 3 is a hot water outlet pipe connected to the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1, 4 is a heat pump type heating means for heating the hot and cold water in the hot water storage tank 1, and 5 is a heat pump circulation circuit that connects the lower part of the hot water storage tank 1, the heat pump type heating means 4, and the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1 so that the hot and cold water in the hot water storage tank 1 can circulate. Although not shown, a heat pump circulation pump provided in the middle of the heat pump circulation circuit 5 circulates the hot and cold water in the hot water storage tank 1 and the heat pump type heating means 4.

[0014] 6 is a water supply bypass pipe that branches in the middle of the water supply pipe 2, 7 is a hot water mixing valve that mixes the hot water flowing through the hot water outlet pipe 3 and the city water flowing through the water supply bypass pipe 6 at an appropriate ratio and adjusts it to the hot water supply set temperature or the bath set temperature, 8 is a hot water supply pipe through which the hot water mixed by the hot water mixing valve 7 flows, 9 is a hot water supply faucet that supplies the hot water from the hot water supply pipe 8, 10 is a hot water supply temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the hot water mixed by the hot water mixing valve 7, 11 is a hot water supply amount sensor that detects the amount of hot water in the hot water supply pipe 8, and 12 is a bathtub.

[0015] 13 is a drain pipe connected to the bathtub 12, 14 is an electric drain plug that can automatically open and close the drain plug of the bathtub 12 and switches whether to communicate with the drain pipe 13, and 15 is a drainage amount sensor provided in the middle of the drain pipe 13 to detect the drainage amount. Also, since the drainage amount drained from the electric drain plug 14 is more than the hot water supply amount supplied from the hot water supply faucet 9, if the electric drain plug 14 is open, the amount of hot water in the bathtub 12 will decrease even when hot water is being supplied.

[0016] 16 is a remote control having an operation unit 17 that allows a user to set the set amount of hot water during the hot water filling operation, 18 is a display unit (notification unit) that displays at least that the hot water filling operation has been completed, 19 is a speaker (notification unit) that notifies the information of the display unit 18 to the outside by voice, and 20 is a part of the operation unit 17 and is a hot water filling switch that starts the hot water amount count of the hot water supply amount sensor 11 during the hot water filling operation. Also, the hot water filling switch 20 can also stop the hot water amount count of the hot water supply amount sensor 11 during the hot water filling operation.

[0017] Also, as a notification from the notification unit, for example, as a voice notifying that the hot water filling operation has been completed, there are "The hot water filling has been completed. Please press the hot water filling switch and close the hot water supply faucet" or "The hot water filling operation has been completed. The hot water in the bathtub is being drained to set the hot water volume." Also, it may be displayed not only by voice but also on the display unit 18 of the remote control 16.

[0018] And, 21 is a control device that controls the hot water filling operation of a storage type water heater composed of a microcomputer, 22 is an opening and closing control means for opening and closing the electric drain plug 14 based on predetermined opening and closing conditions, and 23 is a timing means for measuring the elapsed time by a built-in timer.

[0019] Next, the hot water supply operation will be described. When the hot water supply faucet 9 is opened, city water flows into the bottom of the hot water storage tank 1 from the water supply pipe 2, and at the same time, high-temperature hot water flows out from the top of the hot water storage tank 1 through the hot water outlet pipe 3. The hot water is mixed with the water from the water supply bypass pipe 6 by the hot water supply mixing valve 7 and passes through the hot water supply pipe 8. Then, the control device 21 controls the valve opening degree of the hot water supply mixing valve 7 so that the temperature detected by the hot water supply temperature sensor 10 matches the hot water supply set temperature, and supplies hot water at the hot water supply set temperature. Then, when the hot water supply faucet 9 is closed, the control device 21 stops controlling the valve opening degree of the hot water supply mixing valve 7 and stops the hot water supply.

[0020] Next, the hot water supply operation for the hot water filling operation into the bathtub 12 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 2. To perform the hot water filling operation into the bathtub 12, when the hot water filling switch 20 is pressed (S1 is Yes), the control device 21 resets the count of the hot water supply volume sensor 11 and starts the count of the hot water supply volume sensor 11 (S2).

[0021] When the user opens the hot water faucet 9, hot water adjusted by the hot water mixing valve 7 to the set hot water supply temperature is poured into the bathtub 12 from the hot water faucet 9, and the count of the hot water supply amount sensor 11 is integrated. When the hot water amount count of the hot water supply amount sensor 11 reaches the set hot water amount preset by the user (S3 is Yes), the notification unit of the remote control 16 notifies the user that "the hot water filling is completed. Please press the hot water filling switch and close the hot water faucet" to inform the completion of the hot water filling operation (S4).

[0022] The control device 21 continuously monitors whether the hot water filling switch 20 is turned off (S5). When the hot water filling switch 20 is pressed and turned off (S5 is NO), the control device 21 determines that the user has acknowledged the completion of the hot water filling operation and closed the hot water faucet 9, and returns to S1. At this time, even if the hot water amount count of the hot water supply amount sensor 11 continues, the control device 21 determines that the hot water faucet 9 that supplies hot water to the bathtub 12 is closed, and the hot water amount count of the hot water supply amount sensor 11 is determined as hot water supply to locations other than the bathtub 12.

[0023] Also, the control device 21 continuously monitors whether the hot water filling switch 20 is turned off (S5). If the hot water filling switch 20 is not pressed and is in the ON state (S5 is Yes), the opening and closing control means 22 monitors whether the conditions for automatically opening the electric drain plug 14 are met (S6). When the predetermined opening conditions described later are met (S6 is Yes), the opening and closing control means 22 opens the electric drain plug 14 to drain the bathtub water in the bathtub 12 (S7).

[0024] After opening the electric drain plug 14 to drain the bathtub water in the bathtub 12, the opening and closing control means 22 monitors whether the conditions for automatically closing the electric drain plug 14 are met (S8). When the predetermined closing conditions described later are met (S8 is Yes), the opening and closing control means 22 closes the electric drain plug 14 to stop the drainage of the bathtub water in the bathtub 12 (S9). Then, it returns to S5 and repeats the process.

[0025] Also, in the flowchart from S5 to S9 of the opening / closing control means 22, it is not necessarily required to repeat exactly according to the flowchart. If the predetermined faucet opening condition is met at S6 and the electric drain plug 14 opens (S7), and during the drainage of the bathtub water, the user notices that the hot water faucet 9 is left open and turns off the hot water filling switch 20, then the determination of whether the faucet closing condition at S8 is satisfied can be skipped, the drainage of the bathtub water can be stopped (S9), and it may be configured to return to S1 assuming that the user has canceled the operation of the hot water filling operation.

[0026] In this way, after being notified of the completion of the hot water filling operation, if there is a possibility that the user may forget to close the hot water faucet 9, when the predetermined faucet opening condition is met, the electric drain plug 14 of the bathtub 12 is opened to drain water from the bathtub 12, thereby preventing the overflow of the bathtub water to the washroom.

[0027] Also, since hair and soap residue are likely to clog the drain plug on the washroom side, by preventing the overflow of the bathtub water to the washroom, it is possible to prevent flooding in the dressing room outside the bathroom and indoors.

[0028] Next, the predetermined faucet opening condition and the predetermined faucet closing condition preset in the opening / closing control means 22 will be described in detail respectively. First, the first opening / closing control is a control performed based on the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 for the predetermined faucet opening condition and based on the drainage amount count of the drainage amount sensor 15 for the predetermined faucet closing condition. This first opening / closing control will be described with reference to FIG. 3. At S4, when it is notified that the hot water filling operation has been completed, the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 is started (S10). At this time, if the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 is in progress, the count is reset and the hot water amount count is started again (S10).

[0029] The opening / closing control means 22 monitors whether the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 has reached a predetermined hot water amount (S11). If the hot water amount count reaches the predetermined hot water amount (here, 50 L) (S11 is Yes), it is determined that the faucet opening condition is satisfied, the electric drain plug 14 is opened, and the bathtub water is drained (S12).

[0030] When the electric drain plug 14 opens to drain the bathtub water, the opening and closing control means 22 starts counting the drainage volume by the drainage volume sensor 15 (S13), monitors whether the drainage volume count has reached a predetermined drainage volume (S14), and when the drainage volume count reaches the predetermined drainage volume (here, 60 L) (S14 is Yes), it determines that the plug closing condition is satisfied, closes the electric drain plug 14, and stops draining the bathtub water (S15). Also, it counts the number of times the plug opening condition and the plug closing condition are implemented (S16), and returns to S10. Note that the count value of this implementation count will be described later.

[0031] In this way, the opening and closing control means 22 controls the opening and closing of the electric drain plug 14 based on the amount of hot water supplied to the bathtub 12 and the drainage volume drained from the bathtub 12 to adjust the amount of hot water in the bathtub 12, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the overflow of the bathtub water.

[0032] Also, the second opening and closing control is a control performed based on the elapsed time count after the above-described hot water filling operation counted by the timing means 23 for a predetermined opening condition and a predetermined closing condition is completed. This second opening and closing control will be described with reference to FIG. 4. In S4, when it is notified that the hot water filling operation has been completed, the elapsed time count of the timing means 23 is started (S17). At this time, if the elapsed time count of the timing means 23 is in progress, the count is reset and the elapsed time count is started again (S17).

[0033] The opening and closing control means 22 monitors whether the elapsed time count of the timing means 23 has reached a predetermined elapsed time (S18), and when the elapsed time count reaches the predetermined elapsed time (here, 4 minutes) (S18 is Yes), it determines that the plug opening condition is satisfied, opens the electric drain plug 14, and drains the bathtub water (S19).

[0034] When the electric drain plug 14 opens to drain the bathtub water, the opening / closing control means 22 resets the elapsed time count and starts counting the elapsed time again (S20), monitors whether the elapsed time count has reached a predetermined elapsed time (S21), and if the elapsed time count reaches the predetermined elapsed time (here, 5 minutes) (S21 is Yes), determines that the plug closing condition is satisfied, closes the electric drain plug 14, and stops draining the bathtub water (S22). Also, the number of times the plug opening condition and the plug closing condition are implemented is counted (S23), and the process returns to S10. Note that the count value of this implementation count will be described later.

[0035] Also, the amount of water drained in a predetermined elapsed time (here, 5 minutes) may be regarded as a predetermined drainage amount, and it is also possible to drain the predetermined drainage amount without using the drainage amount sensor 15.

[0036] In this way, since the drain pipe 13 is thicker than the hot water supply pipe 8 and the drainage from the bathtub 12 is faster than the hot water supply to the bathtub 12, the opening / closing control means 22 controls the opening and closing of the electric drain plug 14 based on the elapsed time count of supplying hot water to the bathtub 12 and the elapsed time count of draining water from the bathtub 12 so as not to overflow the bathtub water, and adjusts the amount of hot water in the bathtub 12, so it is possible to surely prevent the overflow of the bathtub water.

[0037] Also, the third opening / closing control is control performed based on the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 for a predetermined plug opening condition and based on the time count counted by the timing means 23 for a predetermined plug closing condition. This third opening / closing control will be described with reference to FIG. 5. When it is notified in S4 that the hot water filling operation has been completed, the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 is started (S24). At this time, if the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 is in progress, the count is reset and the hot water amount count is started again (S24).

[0038] The opening / closing control means 22 monitors whether the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 has reached a predetermined hot water amount (S25), and if the hot water amount count reaches the predetermined hot water amount (here, 50 L) (S25 is Yes), determines that the plug opening condition is satisfied, opens the electric drain plug 14, and drains the bathtub water (S26).

[0039] When the electric drain plug 14 opens to drain the bathtub water, the opening / closing control means 22 starts time counting (S27), monitors whether the time count has reached a predetermined time (S28), and when the elapsed time count reaches a predetermined elapsed time (here, 5 minutes) (S21 is Yes), it determines that the plug closing condition is satisfied, closes the electric drain plug 14, and stops the drainage of the bathtub water (S22). Also, the number of times the plug opening condition and the plug closing condition are executed is counted (S23), and the process returns to S10. Note that the count value of this execution count will be described later.

[0040] In this way, since the predetermined plug opening condition is based on the hot water amount count of the hot water supply hot water amount sensor 11 and the predetermined plug closing condition is based on the time count of the timing means 23, it is possible to perform opening / closing control without providing the drain water amount sensor 15 with few usage applications, and it is possible to reduce costs by reducing the number of parts.

[0041] Next, the fact that the plug opening count and the plug closing count are performed in S16, S23, and S30 will be described based on the graphs of FIGS. 6 and 7. First, after the completion notification of the hot water filling operation, the electric drain plug 14 is opened, and it will be described that the plug opening condition is changed in the direction of making the electric drain plug 14 easier to open as the count number of the plug opening count increases.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, after the completion notification of the hot water filling operation, the opening / closing control means 22 opens the electric drain plug 14 based on the plug opening condition x. Then, when the electric drain plug 14 closes without the hot water filling switch 20 being operated, the plug opening count is incremented by 1 in any of S16, S23, and S30.

[0043] The opening / closing control means 22 confirms that the plug opening count has become +2, and changes to the plug opening condition y that makes the electric drain plug 14 easier to open than the plug opening condition x. The opening / closing control means 22 opens the electric drain plug 14 based on the plug opening condition y. When the electric drain plug 14 closes without operating the water filling switch 20, the opening count is incremented by 1 at any of S16, S23, and S30.

[0044] The opening / closing control means 22 confirms that the opening count has reached +3 and changes to an opening condition z that makes it easier to open the electric drain plug 14 than the opening condition y. The opening / closing control means 22 opens the electric drain plug 14 based on the opening condition z. When the electric drain plug 14 closes without operating the water filling switch 20, the opening count is incremented by 1 at any of S16, S23, and S30. Hereinafter, the opening / closing control based on the opening count is repeatedly performed.

[0045] Regarding the opening conditions, for example, when explained by the hot water volume count of the hot water supply hot water volume sensor 11, the opening condition x is 50 L, the opening condition y is 45 L, and the opening condition z is 40 L. Since the hot water volume count serving as the opening condition decreases, the opening condition is changed in a direction that makes it easier to open the electric drain plug 14.

[0046] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, after the electric drain plug 14 is opened, the opening / closing control means 22 closes the electric drain plug 14 based on the closing condition a. If the water filling switch 20 remains unoperated, the closing count is incremented by 1 at any of S16, S23, and S30.

[0047] The opening / closing control means 22 confirms that the closing count has reached +2 and changes to a closing condition b that makes it easier to close the electric drain plug 14 than the closing condition a. The opening / closing control means 22 closes the electric drain plug 14 based on the closing condition b. If the water filling switch 20 remains unoperated, the opening count is incremented by 1 at any of S16, S23, and S30.

[0048] The opening / closing control means 22 confirms that the closing count has reached +3 and changes to a closing condition c that makes it easier to close the electric drain plug 14 than the closing condition b. The opening / closing control means 22 closes the electric drain plug 14 based on the closing condition c. If the pouring switch 20 remains unoperated, the opening count is incremented by 1 at any one of S16, S23, and S30. Subsequently, the opening and closing control based on the closing count is repeatedly performed.

[0049] In this way, the higher the opening count or the closing count, the more the opening condition is changed in the direction in which the electric drain plug 14 is more likely to open, or the closing condition is changed in the direction in which the electric drain plug 14 is less likely to close. This suppresses the situation where hair gets caught in the electric drain plug 14 and the hot water volume in the bathtub 12 increases despite drainage, and can surely prevent the hot water in the bathtub 12 from overflowing into the washroom.

[0050] Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and modifications are not precluded as long as the gist is not changed. For example, although the present invention has been described with respect to a stored hot water supply device, it is not limited thereto, and an electric water heater or a combustion type hot water supply device may also be used.

[0051] Also, in FIGS. 6 and 7, the opening and closing conditions are changed according to the hot water volume, but as a direction to make it easier to open the electric drain plug 14, the elapsed time count can be shortened, and as a direction to make it more difficult to close the electric drain plug 14, the elapsed time count can be lengthened.

[0052] Further, in the third opening and closing control of the opening and closing control means 22, the opening and closing control of the electric drain plug 14 is performed based on the hot water volume count of the hot water supply hot water volume sensor 11 for the opening condition and the predetermined time of the timing means 23 for the closing condition. However, the opening and closing control may be performed based on the predetermined time of the timing means 23 for the opening condition and the hot water volume count of the hot water supply hot water volume sensor 11 for the closing condition.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0053] 8 Hot water supply pipe 9 Hot water supply faucet 10 Hot water supply temperature sensor 11 Hot water supply hot water volume sensor 12 Bathtub 14 Electric drain plug 16 Remote control 17 Operation unit 18 Display unit (notification unit) 19 Speaker (notification unit) 20 Water spread switch 21 Control device 22 Opening / closing control means 23 Timing means

Claims

1. A hot water supply pipe for supplying hot water into a bathtub, a hot water tap provided at an end of the hot water supply pipe for manually starting and stopping the hot water supply, a hot water supply amount sensor provided in the middle of the hot water supply pipe for detecting the amount of hot water supplied to the bathtub, an electric drain plug capable of automatically opening and closing a drain plug of the bathtub, a remote controller having an operation unit capable of setting a set hot water amount for a water filling operation and a notification unit for notifying completion of the water filling operation, a water filling switch which is a part of the operation unit and starts counting the hot water amount by the hot water supply amount sensor during the water filling operation, In a hot water supply device provided with a control device for controlling the water filling operation to be notified by the notification unit when the set hot water amount of hot water is supplied to the bathtub after the water filling switch is pressed, The control device is provided with an opening and closing control means for the electric drain plug, The opening and closing control means opens the electric drain plug on the condition that a predetermined amount of hot water is supplied after notifying completion of the water filling operation, drains the water in the bathtub, and closes the electric drain plug on the condition that a predetermined drainage amount is drained with the electric drain plug open, stopping the drainage of the water in the bathtub, A hot water supply device characterized in that the opening and closing of the electric drain plug is repeatedly performed.

2. The control device is provided with a timing means for measuring the elapsed time after the water filling operation is completed, The opening and closing control means uses the fact that a predetermined elapsed time has passed after notifying completion of the water filling operation as the opening condition and the closing condition, and repeatedly opens and closes the electric drain plug. The hot water supply device according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The control device is provided with a timing means for counting time, The opening and closing control means switches the opening and closing of the electric drain plug with the condition of supplying the predetermined amount of hot water as the opening condition for either opening from the closed state or closing from the open state, and switches the opening and closing of the electric drain plug with the condition of a predetermined time elapsing as the closing condition, A hot water supply device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the opening and closing of the electric drain plug is repeatedly performed.

4. The opening and closing control means changes the opening condition in a direction in which the electric drain plug is more easily opened as the number of times the electric drain plug is opened increases. The hot water supply device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that.

5. The hot water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening / closing control means changes the closing condition in a direction in which it becomes more difficult to close the electric drain plug as the number of times of closing the electric drain plug increases.

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