Bathroom system

Abstract

The present invention provides a bathroom system that can properly perform bath heat recovery and other predetermined operations while minimizing the effort required from the user. [Solution] The bathroom system SY is capable of executing at least one of three operations—bathtub drainage operation, pipe cleaning operation, and bathtub cleaning operation—as a specific operation, and is also capable of executing a bath heat recovery operation that recovers heat from the bath water. It includes operation necessity setting means 5A, 6A that can set whether or not the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation are necessary to be executed in a series, and control means 5, 60 that cause the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation set as necessary to be executed by the operation necessity setting means 5A, 6A to be executed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom system capable of performing a bath heat recovery operation.

Background Art

[0002] As a specific example of a bathroom system, there is one described in Patent Document 1. In the bathroom system described in this document, hot water can be supplied from a water supply device to a bathtub to fill the bathtub. On the other hand, after the user finishes taking a bath, warm hot water in the bathtub can be sent into a heat exchanger of the water supply device to recover heat from this hot water, and a bath heat recovery operation for storing this heat in a hot water storage tank is possible. According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress much of the heat of the bathtub hot water from being wasted, and an energy-saving effect can be obtained.

[0003] However, conventionally, as described below, there was room for improvement.

[0004] That is, as a bathroom system, in order to improve convenience for the user and make the bathroom hygienic, in addition to the bath heat recovery operation, for example, a bathtub drain operation in which a drain plug of the bathtub is opened by remote control to drain bathtub hot water from the bathtub can be executed. Also, there are some in which a pipe cleaning operation of flowing hot water through a pipe for the bath for the purpose of cleaning the pipe and a bathtub cleaning operation of spraying cleaning water from a nozzle installed in the bathtub toward the bathtub can be executed (for example, see Patent Documents 2 to 5).

[0005] However, conventionally, the bath heat recovery operation and other operations such as the aforementioned bathtub draining operation, pipe cleaning operation, or bathtub cleaning operation cannot be performed in conjunction with each other. The bath heat recovery operation and the other operations must be performed by separate operations or separate reservation settings. More specifically, if both the bath heat recovery operation and the bathtub cleaning operation are to be performed, the bath heat recovery operation must be performed first, and then the user must perform an operation to start the bathtub cleaning operation after it has finished. This is troublesome and inconvenient for the user. In addition, conventionally, if the bath heat recovery operation is performed during the time when the bathtub cleaning operation is scheduled to be performed, there is a risk that the bathtub cleaning operation will not be performed and the bathtub will become unsanitary. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6927066 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-90710 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-183882 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-71851 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-183414 [Patent Document 6] Patent No. 7139942 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-161194 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] This invention was conceived under the circumstances described above, and its objective is to provide a bathroom system that can appropriately perform bath heat recovery and other predetermined operations while minimizing the effort required from the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following technical measures.

[0009] The bathroom system provided by the present invention comprises a bathtub, a hot water storage tank, and a hot water supply device connected from the hot water storage tank to the bathtub via piping for hot water circulation and capable of filling the bathtub with hot water, wherein at least one of three operations—a bathtub draining operation that drains the bathtub water by opening a drain plug provided in the bathtub, a pipe cleaning operation that flows hot water through the piping, and a bathtub cleaning operation that sprays cleaning water into the bathtub—is executable as a specific operation, and furthermore, a bath heat recovery operation that recovers heat from the bathtub water in the bathtub to the hot water storage tank is also executable, wherein the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation are performed together The system further comprises an operation necessity setting means that can set whether or not to perform the specified operation when it is to be performed in sequence, and a control means that causes the bath heat recovery operation and the specified operation which has been set to be performed by the operation necessity setting means to be performed, wherein the operation necessity setting means has a data input unit and a display unit, the display unit displays only the data relating to the operation which can be performed as the specified operation from among the three operations, the operation necessity setting means can be selected and set whether or not to perform the operation displayed on the display unit using the input unit, and the control means is configured to perform the bath heat recovery operation and the specified operation in sequence based on the selected and set content.

[0010] This configuration yields the following effects: After a user has finished bathing, the system can automatically execute (automatically execute) the bath heat recovery operation and a specific operation set to be executed by the operation necessity setting means. Therefore, the user does not need to bother to operate a switch to start the specific operation, for example, after the bath heat recovery operation has finished, which is convenient. In addition, if the bath heat recovery operation is interrupted during the time when the bathtub cleaning operation should be performed, problems such as the bathtub cleaning operation not being performed and the bathtub becoming unsanitary can be appropriately avoided.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, if the input unit is set to select the execution of the pipe cleaning operation or the bathtub cleaning operation, the execution of the bathtub draining operation is automatically selected.

[0012] In order to perform pipe cleaning or bathtub cleaning operations, it is desirable that the bathtub drainage operation be performed in advance, and the above configuration is even more convenient because it can perform such operations automatically.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, the operation necessity setting means includes a data input unit and a display unit, and the display unit displays data relating to the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation, and the user can select whether or not to perform the displayed operation using the input unit.

[0014] This configuration makes it easier and more convenient for users to select whether or not to perform bath heat recovery operations or other specific operations.

[0015] In the present invention, preferably, it is possible to determine which of the three operations is the specific operation that can be performed in this bathroom system, and the display unit displays data related to the operation that is determined to be the specific operation among the three operations, while not displaying data related to operations that are not.

[0016] According to such a configuration, when the user sets whether to execute the bath heat recovery operation or a specific operation while looking at the display unit of the operation necessity setting means, although data regarding the specific operation executable in this bathroom system is displayed on the display unit, data regarding operations other than that is not displayed, so that an incorrect data setting operation can be appropriately prevented. Also, the time required for appropriate data setting can be shortened.

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, in the operation necessity setting means, it is possible to set a future reservation schedule for successively executing the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation.

[0018] According to such a configuration, the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation can be executed in a manner that appropriately responds to the user's desires.

[0019] In the present invention, preferably, when both the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation are executed within the predetermined period, the specific operation is configured to be executed after the bath heat recovery operation is executed.

[0020] According to such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately execute each of the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation. For example, problems such as the bath drainage operation being executed before the bath heat recovery operation and then making it impossible to execute the bath heat recovery operation are avoided.

[0021] In the present invention, preferably, as an operation mode of the bathroom system according to the present invention, there are provided a remaining hot water utilization mode in which, after executing the bath heat recovery operation, the bath drainage operation is not executed and utilization of the remaining hot water in the bathtub is enabled, and a dedicated cleaning mode in which the bath drainage operation and the bathtub cleaning operation can be executed without performing the bath heat recovery operation, and these modes can be set.

[0022] With this configuration, for example, if you want to use the bathwater for laundry the next day, you can simply set the residual water use mode, which is convenient. Also, by setting the dedicated cleaning mode, it becomes possible to perform the bathtub draining operation and the bathtub cleaning operation early, independently of the bath heat recovery operation, which is preferable for quickly bringing the bathtub to a hygienic state.

[0023] In the present invention, preferably, when the system transitions to the dedicated cleaning mode after the residual hot water utilization mode has been set and the bath heat recovery operation has been performed, if predetermined conditions are met, the bathtub cleaning operation in the dedicated cleaning mode will have a higher degree of cleaning than when the predetermined conditions are not met.

[0024] With this configuration, for example, if a long time passes between setting the residual water utilization mode and switching to the dedicated cleaning mode, or if certain conditions are met, such as bathing occurring during that time, and there is a possibility that many bacteria have multiplied in the bathwater, the bathtub cleaning operation will be performed to a higher degree than usual. Therefore, this is preferable for achieving excellent hygiene in the bathroom.

[0025] In the present invention, preferably, the bath heat recovery operation is performed by circulating the bath water between a heat exchanger provided outside the bath and the inside of the bath via a water circulation path, and the invention further includes a sterilization device capable of performing a sterilization treatment on the bath water circulating in the water circulation path when the bath heat recovery operation is performed, and the operation necessity setting means allows selection and setting whether or not to perform the sterilization treatment simultaneously when the bath heat recovery operation is performed.

[0026] This configuration is preferable because it allows users to select whether or not to disinfect the bath water in conjunction with the bath heat recovery operation, according to their preferences. Furthermore, the disinfection process is performed by utilizing the fact that the bath water flows through the water circulation path when the bath heat recovery operation is executed. Because it can do this, it is energy efficient.

[0027] Preferably, the present invention further includes a ventilation device capable of ventilating the bathroom in which the bathtub is installed, and the operation necessity setting means is capable of setting whether or not to perform ventilation of the bathroom in relation to the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation.

[0028] With this configuration, bathroom ventilation can also be properly performed in conjunction with the bath heat recovery operation and specific operations, making it more convenient.

[0029] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of embodiments of the invention given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a bathroom system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the main components showing the bathroom system when the bath heat recovery operation is performed. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing an example of how to set up the procedures for performing bath heat recovery and other operations in the bathroom system. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of when other operations are performed in conjunction with the bath heat recovery operation in the bathroom system shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0032] The bathroom system SY shown in Figure 1 includes a storage-type hot water supply unit WH, a heat pump HP, a power supply control device 6, a bathtub 10 installed in the bathroom 1, a ventilation device 18, a bathtub drainage device 8A capable of opening and closing a drain plug (automatic drain plug) 11 provided in the bathtub 10, and a bathtub cleaning device 8B.

[0033] The hot water supply system WH includes a hot water storage tank 3, a heat exchanger 40 acting as a liquid-liquid heat exchanger, a control unit 5, a remote control 5A, a sterilization device 41, an ozone water generator 42, and various valves, sensors, and pumps described later, all of which are housed in an outer casing 90.

[0034] The hot water storage tank 3 is capable of storing hot water heated using a heat pump HP. The heat pump HP is a conventionally known type that uses a refrigerant such as CO2. When the pump P1 is driven, hot water is sent from the bottom of the hot water storage tank 3 through the piping section 20a to the heat pump HP where it is heated, and this heated hot water flows into the upper part of the hot water storage tank 3 through the piping section 20b and is stored there. Although not shown in the drawing, multiple hot water temperature sensors are provided on the side wall of the hot water storage tank 3 to detect the temperature distribution of the hot water inside the tank.

[0035] The hot water supply unit WH is capable of general hot water supply, filling the bathtub 10 with hot water, and reheating the bathwater. In the lower part of the hot water storage tank 3, water supplied from a water supply pipe (not shown), such as a water pipe, to the inlet 50a can flow in via an inlet channel 20c equipped with a pressure reducing valve V2. On the other hand, a second hot water outlet channel 22, which has a hot water terminal 91 at its end, is connected to the first hot water outlet channel 21 in the upper part of the hot water storage tank 3 via a mixing valve V6 which acts as a three-way valve.

[0036] General hot water supply is performed with the hot water supply terminal 91 in the open state, and the hot water from the hot water storage tank 3 passes through the first and second hot water outlet passages 21 and 22 to reach the hot water supply terminal 91. The mixing valve V6 is, A bypass channel 20d is connected, branching off from the hot water inlet channel 20c. The hot water temperature can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of hot water from this bypass channel 20d to the first and second outlet channels 21 and 22 using the mixing valve V6.

[0037] The bathtub 10 is filled with hot water by opening the on / off valve V5 of the third hot water outlet 23, which is branched and connected to the position Pb of the second hot water outlet 22, thereby supplying hot water from the hot water storage tank 3 into the bathtub 10 via the third hot water outlet 23. In this case, a so-called dual transport method can also be used, which utilizes the hot water outlet 23a of the hot water circulation path 2A described later.

[0038] The bath reheating operation is performed using a hot water circulation path 2A connected to the bathtub 10 and equipped with a pump P2, a heat exchanger 40, a flow path 29 branched off and connected to position Pa of the first hot water outlet path 21, a flow path 24 connected to this flow path 29 via a three-way valve V3, a return path 26 with one end connected to the heat exchanger 40 and the other end connected to position Pf at an intermediate height in the hot water storage tank 3, and a pump P3 provided in this return flow path 26. The hot and cold water circulation path 2A is a hot and cold water path for circulating hot and cold water between the bathtub 10 and the heat exchanger 40. Figure 2 shows the hot and cold water flow during bath heat recovery operation with a thick line, and does not show the bath reheating operation, but the hot and cold water circulation path 2A in Figure 1 is the same as this. The bath reheating operation is performed in which pumps P2 and P3 are driven, the bath water circulates through the hot and cold water circulation path 2A and passes through one side of the heat exchanger 40, and the hot water discharged from the top of the hot water storage tank 3 to the first outlet path 21 passes through the flow path 29, the three-way valve V3, and the flow path 24 and passes through the opposite side of the heat exchanger 40. The water circulation path 2A is equipped with a water level sensor Sa (pressure sensor) that can detect the water level when the bathtub 10 is filled with hot water. Based on the change in the water level, the control unit 5 can determine whether or not someone is taking a bath.

[0039] The control unit 5 is capable of controlling the operation of each part of the hot water supply system WH and performing various data processing. It is configured using a microcomputer or the like and performs various data processing and operation control of each part (the same applies to the other control units 60, 53, and 63, which will be described later). The power supply control device 6 is installed, for example, in the ceiling space of the bathroom 1, and includes a control unit 60 and a power supply circuit (not shown), and is capable of supplying power to the functional units 81 of the bathtub drainage device 8A and bathtub cleaning device 8B (described later), transmitting and receiving control signals, and supplying power to the ventilation device 18. The control units 5 and 60 correspond to examples of "control means" as defined in this invention. These control units 5 and 60 are capable of data communication with each other and can cooperate to perform the control of the operations described later.

[0040] The remote control 5A is connected to the control unit 5 via communication and includes an operation unit 51 containing multiple operation switches, a display unit 52 configured using a liquid crystal display or the like and capable of displaying data, and a control unit 53 that performs predetermined data processing. A remote control 6A is connected to the power supply control device 6. The basic configuration of this remote control 6A is the same as that of the remote control 5A, and it includes an operation unit 61, a display unit 62, and a control unit 63. These remote controls 5A and 6A correspond to specific examples of the "operation requirement setting means" as defined in the present invention (the specific functions of the operation requirement setting means will be described later). The operation units 51 and 61 correspond to the "data input units" as defined in the present invention. The data input units can also be, for example, voice data input units.

[0041] This bathroom system SY allows for six different operations: bath heat recovery, bathtub drainage, pipe cleaning, bathtub cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation of bathroom 1. The bathtub draining operation, the pipe cleaning operation, and the bathtub cleaning operation correspond to specific examples of the specified operations as defined in this invention. The six operations described above are performed under the control of the control units 5 and 60, and the details are as follows.

[0042] [Bath heat recovery operation] The bath heat recovery operation is the operation of recovering heat from the bath water, and is represented by the water flow shown by the thick line in Figure 2. That is, the bath water is circulated in the water circulation path 2A by driving the pump P2. Meanwhile, the three-way valve V3 is set to switch so that the water in the hot water storage tank 3 flows out from port Pe (preferably at a lower position than port Pf) through the flow path 28 and the three-way valve V3 toward the flow path 24 and the heat exchanger 40. By driving the pump P3, the water passes through the heat exchanger 40 and is returned to the hot water storage tank 3 via the return path 26. With this operation, provided that the bath water is at a higher temperature than the water flowing out of the hot water storage tank 3, it is possible to recover heat from the bath water and store it in the hot water storage tank 3.

[0043] [Bathtub drainage operation] The bathtub draining operation is performed when the bathtub 10 is filled with hot water, by opening the drain plug 11 of the bathtub 10 and draining the bathtub water. The bathtub draining device 8A for performing this operation allows the drain plug 11 to reciprocate by, for example, pulling and unwinding a wire connected to the drain plug 11 using a drain plug drive device 80.

[0044] [Pipe cleaning operation] The pipe cleaning operation involves flowing hot water (including ozonated water, described later) through the hot water circulation path 2A, which is the piping section connected to the bathtub 10, to clean its interior. This can be performed by driving the pump P2, similar to how the bathtub 10 is filled with hot water, to allow the hot water from the storage tank 3 to flow into the hot water circulation path 2A. In this embodiment, an ozonated water generator 42 is provided in the middle of the aforementioned hot water path, and by turning on this device 42, pipe cleaning using ozonated water becomes possible.

[0045] [Bathtub cleaning operation] The bathtub cleaning operation is an operation to clean the bathtub 10 by spraying cleaning water onto it, and is performed using the bathtub cleaning device 8B. The bathtub cleaning device 8B is composed of a combination of a cleaning nozzle 83 provided in the bathtub 10, a functional unit 81, and a detergent tank 82. Hot water supplied from the hot water supply device WH can be supplied to the functional unit 81 via the piping section 27. The functional unit 81 is equipped with an on / off valve V7 and a mixing unit 84 for mixing detergent supplied from the detergent tank 82 with the hot water in the piping section 27 to make cleaning water. When the on / off valve V7 is opened, the cleaning water is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 83 toward the inner wall surface of the bathtub 10.

[0046] [Disinfection treatment] In this embodiment, the sterilization process is carried out by sterilizing the bath water circulating in the water circulation path 2A using a sterilization device 41. The sterilization device 41 has, for example, an ultraviolet lamp, and by turning on this ultraviolet lamp, it is possible to irradiate the bath water in the water circulation path 2A with ultraviolet light and sterilize it.

[0047] [Ventilation of Bathroom 1] Bathroom 1 is ventilated using a ventilation device 18. The ventilation device 18 is, for example, an exhaust fan.

[0048] Next, we will explain specific examples of operation control in the aforementioned bathroom system SY, referring to the flowcharts in Figures 3 and 4, and also explain its function.

[0049] In the SY bathroom system, the six operations—bath heat recovery, bathtub drainage, pipe cleaning, bathtub cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation of bathroom 1—can be individually executed by switching them using either the remote control 5A or 6A. However, by linking these six operations and pre-setting the procedure for executing them using either the remote control 5A or 6A, it is possible to execute the aforementioned operations according to this set procedure (for example, it is possible to alternate between the residual water utilization mode and the cleaning-only mode, which will be described later, on a daily basis, or to alternate between the residual water utilization mode for two days and the cleaning-only mode for one day). More specifically, it is as follows.

[0050] First, when the user uses remote control 5A (or remote control 6A; the code for 6A will be omitted hereafter) to set the procedures for various operations to be performed in the bathroom system SY, the control units 5 and 60 determine which operations can be performed in the bathroom system SY (S1: YES, S2). The control units 5 and 60 are able to make this determination because they can recognize what devices are connected to the hot water supply unit WH. The name of the executable operation and related information are displayed in the display unit 52 (S3). In this embodiment, all of the following can be performed: bath heat recovery operation, bathtub drainage operation, pipe cleaning operation, bathtub cleaning operation, disinfection treatment, and ventilation of bathroom 1 (bathtub drainage operation, pipe cleaning operation, and bathtub cleaning operation correspond to the specific operations as defined in this invention). Unlike this embodiment, if, for example, the bathroom system SY is configured in a way that prevents it from performing a bathtub cleaning operation, then items related to the bathtub cleaning operation will not be displayed on the display unit 52.

[0051] The user operates the operation unit 51 to select and set whether or not to perform each operation, the start time if performed, and other specifications and conditions in relation to the display on the display unit 52 (S4). The display on the display unit 52 is designed to be suitable for easy and quick selection and setting. When making the selections and settings described above, it is possible to set the bath heat recovery operation to be performed within a predetermined period immediately after the end of bathing, among the six operations described above, and also to be set to be performed within the predetermined period for any of the other five operations. In such cases, the control units 5 and 60 determine, according to a pre-stored program, what procedure these operations should be performed in, and the data is stored and set (S5).

[0052] The aforementioned settings are basically considered standard settings (S6:YES), and for example, if the bath heat recovery operation and other operations are performed in a series within a predetermined period, those operations will be performed with the aforementioned settings each time. However, instead of this, it is also possible to set a reservation schedule considering various future circumstances. That is, the remote control 5A can be set to reservation schedule creation mode by performing a predetermined operation on the operation unit 51 (S6:NO, S7). In this mode, it is possible to set the application period of the aforementioned settings (S8). This application period can be set to, for example, only today, or only this week, and it is possible to make a reservation specifying the period during which the aforementioned settings are valid. Of course, alternatively, it is also possible to specify a date, etc., and then individually select and set which of the six operations to perform, and make a reservation for the execution of that operation. As a result, for example, it is possible to selectively perform the six operations with different reservation schedules each day.

[0053] Although not shown in Figure 3, when using the remote control 5A to make the above settings, it is possible to set the operating modes of the bathroom system SY to a residual hot water utilization mode and a washing-only mode. The residual bath water utilization mode is a mode in which the bath water drainage operation is not performed after the bath heat recovery operation, allowing the residual bath water to be used. The cleaning-only mode is a mode in which the bath water drainage operation and the bath water cleaning operation can be performed independently of the bath heat recovery operation.

[0054] In the SY bathroom system, when the bath heat recovery operation is performed, the control shown in Figure 4 is executed.

[0055] In other words, the bath heat recovery operation is started when the conditions for performing the operation are met (S21:YES, S22). The bath heat recovery operation is basically started when the scheduled start time arrives or when the user performs a switch operation to start the bath heat recovery operation, but in reality, it does not start with just these conditions. Conditions for performing the bath heat recovery operation include the presence of bath water in the bathtub 10 and the existence of a temperature difference suitable for heat recovery between the water near port Pe of the hot water storage tank 3 and the bath water. These conditions are determined by the control units 5 and 60.

[0056] When the above conditions are met and the bath heat recovery operation is started, the control units 5 and 60 determine whether or not it is pre-set to perform a disinfection treatment of the bath water. If it is pre-set, the disinfection treatment is performed simultaneously with the bath heat recovery operation (S23: YES, S24). As explained with reference to Figure 2, the bath heat recovery operation is performed by circulating the bath water in the water circulation path 2A, while the disinfection treatment is performed by irradiating such water with ultraviolet light. Therefore, it is reasonable to perform these two operations (treatments) simultaneously, and energy saving can also be achieved. Note that the above-mentioned "simultaneous execution" does not necessarily mean that the start and end times of the bath heat recovery operation and the disinfection treatment are at the same time; there may be a difference in their start and end times. Contrary to the above, if the setting to perform disinfection is not configured, the disinfection process will not be performed according to this setting, and the normal bath heat recovery operation will be performed (S23:NO, S33).

[0057] Once the bath heat recovery operation is complete, a decision is made as to whether or not to use the bath water (remaining bathwater), that is, whether or not the remaining bathwater use mode is set. If the remaining bathwater use mode is not set, the bathtub drainage operation is performed (S25:YES, S26:YES, S27). This bathtub drainage operation enables the pipe cleaning operation and bathtub cleaning operation described later to be performed accurately. The end time of the bath heat recovery operation is determined by the control units 5 and 60, for example, when the temperature of the bath water drops and heat recovery becomes difficult, when the operation time reaches a preset upper limit, or when the amount of heat recovered reaches a predetermined amount.

[0058] If the bathtub draining operation is performed, the control units 5 and 60 determine whether it is pre-set to perform a pipe cleaning operation or a bathtub cleaning operation. If it is pre-set, the pipe cleaning operation and the bathtub cleaning operation are then performed sequentially (if either of these operations is set not to be performed, that operation is not performed) (S28: YES, S29, S30). After that, the control units 5 and 60 determine whether it is pre-set to ventilate the bathroom 1. If it is pre-set, the ventilation of the bathroom 1 is performed (S31: YES, S32).

[0059] Unlike the above, if the residual hot water utilization mode is set in step S26 (S26: NO), the bathtub draining operation is not performed, and hot water remains in the bathtub 10. In this case, the control units 5 and 60 determine whether it is pre-set to ventilate the bathroom 1 afterward, and if it is set, ventilation of the bathroom 1 is performed (S34: YES, S35).

[0060] When the aforementioned residual bathwater utilization mode is set, for example, the bathwater will be used for laundry the morning after the user has taken a bath. In such cases, when the bathwater is pumped out to the washing machine, the bath When the water level in the tub decreases, the control units 5 and 60 detect this predetermined phenomenon and determine that the pipe cleaning operation and the bathtub cleaning operation should be started, and enter cleaning-only mode (S36: YES). In addition, when the user has finished pumping the bathtub water into the washing machine, they may switch to start the pipe cleaning operation and the bathtub cleaning operation, and in this case as well, the system will enter cleaning-only mode as described above.

[0061] When the aforementioned dedicated cleaning mode is set, the bathtub draining operation is performed, followed by the pipe cleaning operation and the bathtub cleaning operation, in sequence. However, prior to this, it is determined whether or not predetermined conditions are met (S37-S39). The aforementioned predetermined conditions include, for example, a long period of time from the setting of the residual hot water utilization mode to the transition to the cleaning-only mode, or the user taking a bath during that time. In these cases, there is a high possibility that a large number of bacteria have proliferated in the bathtub water. Therefore, when the aforementioned predetermined conditions are met, the cleaning intensity of the bathtub cleaning operation is increased compared to when the predetermined conditions are not met. This makes the hygiene of bathroom 1 even better. Furthermore, if the residual hot water utilization mode continues for an extended period and step S36 is not set to YES within the predetermined time, the residual hot water utilization mode can be terminated (S36: NO, S40: YES, End).

[0062] According to the aforementioned series of operation controls, even if the bath heat recovery operation and another operation are performed simultaneously within a predetermined period, such as after the user has taken a bath, these operations can be appropriately executed (automatically) by the control units 5 and 60 according to a pre-set procedure using the remote control 5A. The user does not need to wait for the bath heat recovery operation to finish before starting the predetermined operation, which is convenient. Furthermore, it appropriately resolves issues such as the bath cleaning operation being prevented from being performed due to the bath heat recovery operation interrupting the time period during which the bath cleaning operation should be performed.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The specific configuration of each part of the bathroom system according to the present invention can be modified in various ways within the scope intended by the present invention.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the bathroom system SY is configured to perform six operations: bath heat recovery, bathtub drainage, pipe cleaning, bathtub cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation of bathroom 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention aims to rationally and appropriately perform the bath heat recovery operation and at least one of the operations among the bathtub drainage, pipe cleaning, and bathtub cleaning operations. Therefore, the present invention can be applied as long as at least one of the operations among the bathtub drainage, pipe cleaning, and bathtub cleaning operations is possible in addition to the bath heat recovery operation. The specific configuration of the hot water supply system is not limited. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] SY Bathroom System WH hot water heater 1 bathroom 10 Bathtubs 11 Drain plug 18 Ventilation system 2A Hot water circulation path (piping section) 3. Hot water storage tank 40 Heat exchanger 41. Disinfection device 42. Ozone water generator 5. Control Unit (Control Means) 5A Remote control (means for setting whether operation is required or not) 51. Operation Unit (Data Input Unit) 52 Display section 60 Control Unit (Control Means) 6A Remote control (means for setting whether operation is required or not) 61. Operation Unit (Data Input Unit) 62 Display section 8A Bathtub drainage device 8B Bathtub Cleaning Device

Claims

1. Bathtub and Hot water storage tank and A hot water supply device that is connected from the hot water storage tank to the bathtub via a piping section for hot water circulation and is capable of filling the bathtub with hot water, It is equipped with, Of the three operations—a bathtub draining operation that opens the drain plug provided in the bathtub to drain the bathtub water, a pipe cleaning operation that flows hot water through the piping, and a bathtub cleaning operation that sprays cleaning water into the bathtub—at least one of these operations can be performed as a specific operation, A bathroom system that is further capable of performing a bath heat recovery operation in which heat is recovered from the bath water of the bathtub into the hot water storage tank, An operation necessity setting means that can set whether or not the specified operation needs to be performed when the bath heat recovery operation and the specified operation are performed in a series, A control means for causing the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation set to be performed by the operation necessity setting means, It also has the following features: The operation requirement setting means includes a data input unit and a display unit. The display unit displays only the data relating to the operation that can be performed as the specific operation among the three operations. Whether or not to perform the operation displayed on the display unit can be selected and set using the input unit. A bathroom system characterized in that the control means is configured to execute the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation in a series based on selected and set content.

2. A bathroom system according to claim 1, A bathroom system in which, if the input unit is set to execute the pipe cleaning operation or the bathtub cleaning operation, the execution of the bathtub draining operation is automatically selected.

3. A bathroom system according to claim 1, The bathroom system includes a means for setting whether an operation is necessary, which allows setting a future reservation schedule for executing the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation in sequence.

4. A bathroom system according to claim 1, A bathroom system configured such that, when both the bath heat recovery operation and the specific operation are performed within the predetermined period, the specific operation is performed after the bath heat recovery operation is performed.

5. A bathroom system according to claim 1, The operating modes of this bathroom system are: After performing the aforementioned bath heat recovery operation, the bathtub drainage operation is not performed, and a residual water utilization mode is enabled that allows the remaining bath water to be used. A dedicated cleaning mode that enables the aforementioned bathtub draining operation and bathtub cleaning operation to be performed without the aforementioned bath heat recovery operation, A bathroom system that allows for configuration.

6. A bathroom system according to claim 5, When the residual hot water utilization mode is set and the bath heat recovery operation is performed, and then the system switches to the dedicated cleaning mode, if the predetermined conditions are met, the following steps are taken in the dedicated cleaning mode: A bathroom system in which the bathtub cleaning operation is performed to a higher degree than when the predetermined conditions are not met.

7. A bathroom system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The aforementioned bath heat recovery operation is performed by circulating the bath water between a heat exchanger located outside the bath and the inside of the bath via a water circulation path. The system is further equipped with a sterilization device capable of performing sterilization treatment on the bath water circulating in the hot water circulation path during the aforementioned bath heat recovery operation. In the aforementioned operation necessity setting means, it is possible to select whether or not to perform the disinfection process simultaneously when the bath heat recovery operation is performed, in a bathroom system.

8. A bathroom system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The bathroom in which the aforementioned bathtub is installed is further equipped with a ventilation device capable of ventilating the bathroom, In the aforementioned operation requirement setting means, A bathroom system that allows setting whether or not ventilation of the bathroom is required in relation to the bath heat recovery operation and the specified operation.

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