Hot water supply system

Abstract

The present invention provides a hot water heater that allows for the easy and smooth transfer of transfer target information stored on the old control board to the new control board when the control board needs to be replaced. [Solution] Of the control boards 11b, 12c, 13b, 14b, and 15b of each component constituting the hot water supply system, the control board to be replaced transmits the information to be transferred stored in its own memory to at least one other control board, the other control board designated as the destination for the information to be transferred stores the received information to be transferred in its own memory, and transmits the information to be transferred to the replacement control board after the replacement, and the replacement board stores the information to be transferred received from the other control board in its own memory.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hot water supply device including a heat source unit such as a heat pump, a hot water storage tank, and a water heater.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a hybrid hot water supply device including a heat source unit such as a heat pump, a hot water storage tank, and a water heater has been known. In this hybrid hot water supply device, hot and cold water is circulated between the heat source unit and the storage tank, and hot and cold water at a predetermined temperature is stored in the storage tank. The hot and cold water stored in the storage tank is supplied through a water heater. The water heater adjusts the hot and cold water from the hot water storage tank to a set temperature and supplies hot water. For example, when the temperature of the hot and cold water in the storage tank is lower than the set temperature, the water heater heats the hot and cold water from the storage tank and supplies hot water.

[0003] In a hybrid hot water supply device, for example, control is performed to predict the required amount of heat for future hot water supply based on the learned and stored past hot water supply usage history, and store the hot and cold water with the predicted required amount of heat in the storage tank. This type of hybrid hot water supply device is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In hybrid water heaters like the one described above, it may be necessary to replace the control board in one of the devices. In this case, the learning data and user-set settings such as the water temperature are transferred to the replacement control board. For example, to perform this data transfer, a service technician may connect the old and new control boards so that they can communicate with each other and perform the inter-board transfer.

[0006] However, this method required allocating memory on the control board solely for this data transfer, leaving room for improvement. Furthermore, the aforementioned procedures were cumbersome for service technicians.

[0007] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a hot water supply device that can easily and smoothly transfer information to be transferred from the old control board to the new control board when it becomes necessary to replace the control board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A hot water supply system according to the main embodiment of the present invention comprises a hot water storage unit having a hot water storage tank, a heat source unit for storing hot water in the hot water storage tank, a water heater for supplying hot water from the hot water storage tank at a set temperature, and a remote controller for receiving operations from a user. The control board of the hot water storage unit and the control board of the heat source unit are configured to communicate with each other via a first communication path, the control board of the hot water storage unit and the control board of the water heater are configured to communicate with each other via a second communication path, and the control board of the water heater and the control board of the remote controller are configured to communicate with each other via a third path. Each of the control boards includes a storage unit for storing information. Of the control boards, the control board to be replaced transmits the information to be transferred stored in its own memory to at least one other control board, the other control board designated as the recipient of the information to be transferred stores the received information to be transferred in its own memory, transmits the information to be transferred to the replacement control board after the replacement, and the replacement control board stores the information to be transferred received from the other control board in its own memory.

[0009] According to the hot water supply system of this embodiment, when a control board is replaced, the information to be transferred is stored using the available memory capacity of the memory section of another control board. Therefore, it is not necessary to reserve a memory area (memory) on each control board solely for storing the information to be transferred. Furthermore, the information to be transferred can be transferred using the existing communication path without the need to separately connect the replacement control board and the newly installed control board for inter-board communication, thereby reducing the workload of service personnel when replacing control boards. Thus, according to the hot water supply system of this embodiment, when a control board needs to be replaced in any of the devices, the information to be transferred stored on the old control board can be easily and smoothly transferred to the new control board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the present invention provides a hot water supply system that, when it becomes necessary to replace the control board, can easily and smoothly transfer the information to be transferred stored on the old control board to the new control board.

[0011] The effects and significance of the present invention will become even clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of how to implement the present invention, and the present invention is not limited in any way to those described in the embodiments below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hybrid hot water supply system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the circuit blocks of the control boards of each component constituting the hybrid hot water supply system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the first mode of control performed by the control unit of the control board to be replaced, according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process in step S13 of Figure 3 according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process in step S13 of Figure 3 according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) to 6(f) are schematic diagrams illustrating the method for determining the transfer destination of information to be transferred according to each embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) is a flowchart showing the second mode of control executed by the control unit of the destination control board according to the embodiment. Figure 7(b) is a flowchart showing the third mode of control executed by the control unit of the new control board after replacement according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hybrid water supply device 1 according to an embodiment.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the hybrid water supply device 1 includes a water heater 11, remote controllers 12 and 13, a hot water storage unit 14, and a heat source unit 15.

[0016] The water heater 11 and the hot water storage unit 14 are connected by a pipe 21 through which hot water flows. The hot water storage unit 14 and the heat source unit 15 are connected by circulation pipes 22a and 22b through which hot water circulates. In the present embodiment, the heat source unit 15 is a heat pump. The heat source unit 15 includes an evaporator, a compressor, a heat exchanger, and an expansion valve as a heating unit 15a. The hot water storage unit 14 circulates hot water between the heating unit 15a and the hot water storage tank 14a of the hot water storage unit 14 through the circulation pipes 22a and 22b. Thereby, the hot water in the hot water storage unit 14 is heated.

[0017] The heat source unit 15 may be a generator including a fuel cell. In this case, the heat source unit 15 generates electricity by a chemical reaction using fuel gas as a raw material in the fuel cell. The generated DC power is converted into AC power through an inverter and output from the heat source unit 15. The output AC power is used, for example, as the power for electrical equipment installed in the house.

[0018] In addition, the heat generated during power generation is used to warm the water in the hot water storage tank 14a. Specifically, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 14a is circulated through the circulation pipes 22a and 22b to a heat exchanger in the heat source unit 15. In this heat exchanger, heat exchange is performed between the high-temperature exhaust gas generated during power generation and the hot water circulated by the circulation pipe 22a. Thereby, the hot water is heated. The heated water is returned to the hot water storage tank 14a through the circulation pipes 22a and 22b. Thus, heat storage is performed in the hot water in the hot water storage tank 14a.

[0019] During hot water supply, the hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 14a is supplied to the water heater 11 via the pipe 21. The water heater 11 supplies the supplied hot water to the kitchen faucet, bathtub, showerhead, etc. via the pipe connected to the predetermined hot water outlet 11c, and also circulates the hot water to the heating terminal that realizes the floor heating function, bathroom heating function, and indoor heating function via the pipe connected to the other hot water outlet 11c.

[0020] At this time, as appropriate, the supplied hot water is heated by the heating unit 11a of the water heater 11 and supplied to the hot water outlet 11c. The heating unit 11a includes a burner that burns gas fuel and a heat exchanger that heats the hot water with the combustion gas generated by the burner. The heating unit 11a is used when the temperature of the hot water supplied from the hot water storage tank 14a is lower than the set temperature. When the temperature of the hot water supplied from the hot water storage tank 14a is higher than the set temperature, the water heater 11 mixes water with the supplied hot water and sends it out from the hot water outlet 11c.

[0021] The water heater 11, the hot water storage unit 14, and the heat source unit 15 each include a control board 11b, 14b, 15b inside. A circuit section for driving and controlling the water heater 11 is installed on the control board 11b. A circuit section for driving and controlling the hot water storage unit 14 is installed on the control board 14b. A circuit section for driving and controlling the heat source unit 15 is installed on the control board 15b.

[0022] The control board 11b is communicably connected to the control boards (not shown in FIG. 1) of the remote controllers 12 and 13 via the two-core communication lines L11 and L12. Power (DC voltage) is supplied from the control board 11b to the remote controllers 12 and 13 via these two-core communication lines L11 and L12. A signal waveform for communication is superimposed on the voltage supplied by the two-core communication lines L11 and L12, and communication is performed between the control board 11b and the remote controllers 12 and 13.

[0023] Furthermore, control boards 11b and 14b are connected to each other via a two-core communication line L13, enabling communication between them, while control boards 14b and 15b are connected to each other via a dedicated communication line L14, enabling communication between them. The signal transmitted via communication line L14 is a pulse signal. The power consumption during communication is lower for communication line L14 than for two-core communication lines L11 to L13.

[0024] The remote controllers 12 and 13 are used to make various settings for each function of the hybrid hot water heater 1. Users can make various settings by operating the operation unit 12b or the operation display unit 13a according to the screen displayed on the display unit 12a or the operation display unit 13a. The remote controllers 12 and 13 each have a built-in control board 12c and 13b (see Figure 2).

[0025] Remote controller 12 is installed in the bathroom, and remote controller 13 is installed in the kitchen, etc. Hereinafter, the remote controller 12 installed in the bathroom will be referred to as the "bathroom remote control 12," and the remote controller 13 installed in the kitchen, etc. will be referred to as the "kitchen remote control 13."

[0026] Figure 2 shows the circuit blocks of the control boards 11b, 12c, 13b, 14b, and 15b for the water heater 11, bathroom remote control 12, kitchen remote control 13, hot water storage unit 14, and heat source unit 15.

[0027] The control board 11b of the water heater 11 includes a control unit 111, a storage unit 112, an operation unit 113, a display unit 114, and a communication unit 115.

[0028] The control unit 111 is equipped with a microcomputer and controls each part of the water heater 11 according to the control program stored in the memory unit 112. The memory unit 112 is equipped with memory and stores the control program and is used as a work area during control processing. The operation unit 113 is equipped with various operation buttons and is operated by a service technician during maintenance of the water heater 11, etc. The display unit 114 is equipped with a display such as an 8-segment display and displays predetermined information under control from the control unit 111 during maintenance of the water heater 11, etc.

[0029] The communication unit 115 communicates with the control boards 12c and 13b of the bathroom remote control 12 and the kitchen remote control 13, respectively, according to the control unit 111. The communication unit 115 is connected to the communication unit 123 of the bathroom remote control 12 and the communication unit 133 of the kitchen remote control 13 by two-core communication lines L11 and L12. The two-core communication lines L11 and L12 are connected to each other. Therefore, a signal transmitted from any of the communication units 115, 123, or 133 is transmitted simultaneously to the other communication units. When specifying the destination of a transmitted signal to the water heater 11, the bathroom remote control 12, or the kitchen remote control 13, an identification signal of the destination device is added to the transmitted signal.

[0030] Furthermore, the communication unit 115 is connected to the communication unit 145 of the hot water storage unit 14 by a two-core communication line L13. The communication unit 115 communicates with the communication unit 145 of the hot water storage unit 14 according to the control from the control unit 111. The two-core communication line L13 may also be connected to two-core communication lines L11 and L12 inside the communication unit 115. In this case, a signal transmitted from any of the communication units 115, 123, 133, or 145 is transmitted simultaneously to the other communication units. In this case as well, the destination of the transmitted signal can be specified to any of the devices by adding an identification signal of the destination device to the transmitted signal.

[0031] The control board 12c of the bathroom remote control 12 comprises a control unit 121, a memory unit 122, and a communication unit 123. The control unit 121 is equipped with a microcomputer and controls each part of the bathroom remote control 12 according to the control program stored in the memory unit 122. The memory unit 122 is equipped with memory and stores the control program and is used as a work area during control processing. The communication unit 123 communicates via a two-core communication line L11 according to the control unit 121.

[0032] The control board 13b of the kitchen remote control 13 comprises a control unit 131, a memory unit 132, and a communication unit 133. The control unit 131 is equipped with a microcomputer and controls each part of the kitchen remote control 13 according to the control program stored in the memory unit 132. The memory unit 132 is equipped with memory and stores the control program and is used as a work area during control processing. The communication unit 133 communicates via a two-core communication line L12 according to the control from the control unit 131.

[0033] The control board 14b of the hot water storage unit 14 includes a control unit 141, a storage unit 142, an operation unit 143, a display unit 144, and communication units 145 and 146.

[0034] The control unit 141 is equipped with a microcomputer and controls each part of the hot water storage unit 14 according to the control program stored in the memory unit 142. The memory unit 142 is equipped with memory and stores the control program and is used as a work area during control processing. The operation unit 143 is equipped with various operation buttons and is operated by a service technician during maintenance of the hot water storage unit 14, etc. The display unit 144 is equipped with a display such as an 8-segment display and displays predetermined information under control from the control unit 141 during maintenance of the hot water storage unit 14, etc.

[0035] The communication unit 145 communicates via the two-core communication line L13 according to the control unit 141. The communication unit 146 is connected to the communication unit 155 of the heat source unit 15 by the communication line L14. The communication unit 146 communicates with the communication unit 155 according to the control unit 141.

[0036] The control board 15b of the heat source unit 15 includes a control unit 151, a storage unit 152, an operation unit 153, a display unit 154, and a communication unit 155.

[0037] The control unit 151 is equipped with a microcomputer and controls each part of the heat source unit 15 according to the control program stored in the memory unit 152. The memory unit 152 is equipped with memory and stores the control program and is used as a work area during control processing. The operation unit 153 is equipped with various operation buttons and is operated by a service technician during maintenance of the heat source unit 15, etc. The display unit 154 is equipped with a display such as an 8-segment display and displays predetermined information under control from the control unit 151 during maintenance of the heat source unit 15, etc. The communication unit 155 communicates via the communication line L14 according to the control from the control unit 151.

[0038] In the hybrid hot water heater 1 configured as described above, for example, the system predicts the required amount of heat for future hot water use based on the learned and stored past hot water usage history, and controls the system to store the predicted required amount of hot water in the storage tank 14a. For this control, learning data related to past hot water usage history is stored, for example, in the storage unit 142 of the control board 14b. The learning data may also be stored and shared on other control boards.

[0039] On the other hand, in the hybrid hot water heater 1, it may be necessary to replace the control board in one of the devices. In this case, the learning data mentioned above and the settings data such as the hot water temperature set by the user will be transferred to the replacement control board.

[0040] In this embodiment, when a control board needs to be replaced in any of the devices, control is performed to easily and smoothly transfer predetermined information stored in the old control board to the new control board. More specifically, each control board performs a first mode of control when it is replaced, a second mode of control when another control board is replaced, and a third mode of control when it is newly installed for replacement. The control in these modes will be described below.

[0041] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the first mode of control performed by the control unit of the control board to be replaced.

[0042] For convenience, the following explanation assumes that the control board 14b of the hot water storage unit 14 is being replaced. In this case, the control unit 141 of the control board 14b performs the control shown in Figure 3. However, if any of the other control boards are replaced, the control unit of the replacement control board will also perform the control shown in Figure 3.

[0043] Before replacing the control board 14b, the service technician performs an operation on the control board 14b's operation unit 143 to indicate that the control board 14b is to be replaced (for example, by pressing and holding a predetermined button). Once this operation is performed (S11:YES), the control unit 141 sends a request for the transmission of free capacity to the other control boards 11b, 12c, 13b, and 15b, and obtains the free capacity of the storage units 112, 122, 132, and 152 from these control boards 11b, 12c, 13b, and 15b (S12). Based on the obtained free capacity and predetermined determination conditions, the control unit 141 determines the destination of the information to be transferred stored in the storage unit 142 (S13).

[0044] Here, the information to be transferred includes the learning data and various setting information mentioned above. The information to be transferred does not necessarily have to be all the information stored in the memory unit 142; information temporarily stored in the work area of ​​the memory unit 142 may be excluded from the information to be transferred.

[0045] Furthermore, it is preferable that the destination determination conditions be set to enable the transmission of the information to be transferred more efficiently and with less degradation. For example, the determination condition may be that the number of communication paths used to transmit the information to be transferred is minimized (first condition). It is even more preferable that the determination condition be set to enable the transmission of power consumption to be further reduced. In this case, when multiple control boards are identified by the first condition, the determination condition may be that, among these control boards, the control board capable of transmitting the information to be transferred via a communication path with lower power consumption is determined as the destination control board (second condition).

[0046] However, the criteria for determining the destination are not limited to the first and second conditions described above. For example, if multiple control boards are identified by the first condition, the control board with the shortest possible communication path may be selected as the destination, or the control board with the largest available capacity may be selected as the destination. Alternatively, the destination control board may be identified first by the second condition, and if multiple destinations are identified as a result, the control board that satisfies the first condition may be selected as the destination. Furthermore, if multiple destinations are identified by both the first and second conditions, the destination may be determined by other conditions (for example, having a larger available capacity), or the destination may be determined according to a predetermined order set for each device (each control board).

[0047] The destination determination criteria are based on the premise that the available capacity of the destination is greater than the capacity of the information to be transferred. Based on this premise, the above determination criteria are applied to determine the destination control board. The destination does not necessarily have to be a single control board; multiple destinations may be determined, and the information to be transferred may be distributed and stored in the storage units (available capacity) of these control boards.

[0048] Figures 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the process in step S13 of Figure 3.

[0049] The processes in Figures 4 and 5 are in accordance with the above conditions 1 and 2. Referring to Figure 4, the control unit 141 first targets the control board 15b (heat source unit 15) which has the fewest communication paths (one) and the lowest power consumption, and determines whether the free capacity of the storage unit 152 of the control board 15b is greater than the capacity of the information to be transmitted (S101). If this determination is YES, the control unit 141 decides that the control board 15b (heat source unit 15) is the destination (S102). If the determination in step S101 is NO, the control unit 141 targets the control board 11b (water heater 11) which has the fewest communication paths (one) and the second lowest power consumption, and makes the above capacity comparison determination (S103). If this determination is YES, the control unit 141 decides that the control board 11b (water heater 11) is the destination (S104).

[0050] If the determination in step S103 is NO, the control unit 141 determines whether the total free capacity of the storage units 112 and 152 of the two control boards 11b and 15b (water heater 11 and heat source unit 15), which have the second fewest communication paths (two) and the lowest power consumption, is greater than the capacity of the information to be transmitted (S105). If this determination is YES, the control unit 141 determines these control boards 11b and 15b (water heater 11 and heat source unit 15) as the transmission destination (S106).

[0051] Referring to Figure 5, if the determination in step S105 is NO, the control unit 141 performs a similar capacity comparison determination on the two control boards 11b, 12c (or 13b) (water heater 11, or one of the remote controls) that have the second fewest communication paths (2) and the next lowest power consumption (S107). If this determination is YES, the control unit 141 determines these control boards 11b, 12c (or 13b) (water heater 11, or one of the remote controls) as the transmission destination (S108).

[0052] If the determination in step S107 is NO, the control unit 141 performs a similar capacity comparison determination on the three control boards 11b, 15b, 12c (or 13b) (water heater 11, heat source unit 15, or any remote control) that have the third fewest communication paths (3) and the lowest power consumption (S109). If this determination is YES, the control unit 141 determines the control boards 11b, 15b, 12c (or 13b) (water heater 11, heat source unit 15, or any remote control) as the destination (S110).

[0053] If the determination in step S109 is NO, the control unit 141 performs the same capacity comparison determination on all control boards 11b, 15b, 12c, and 13b (water heater 11, heat source unit 15, and two remote controls: there are four communication paths for transmission) other than its own control board 14b (S111). If this determination is YES, the control unit 141 decides these control boards 11b, 15b, 12c, and 13b (water heater 11, heat source unit 15, and two remote controls) as the transmission destinations (S112). If the determination in step S111 is NO, the control unit 141 terminates the process shown in Figure 5, stating that it could not determine a transmission destination (S113).

[0054] Figures 4 and 5 show the destination determination process performed on the control board 14b (control unit 141) of the hot water storage unit 14. However, on other control boards, the destination determination process is also performed using a flowchart similar to that in Figures 4 and 5, taking into account the relationship between the capacity of the information to be transferred and the available capacity of other control boards, as well as the number of communication paths required to transmit the information and the power consumption.

[0055] Returning to Figure 3, if the control unit 141 is unable to determine the destination through the processing in Figures 4 and 5 (S14: NO), it outputs a message to the display unit 144 indicating this (S15). Based on this message, the service technician connects the control board to be replaced with the newly installed control board using a communication line and transfers the information to be transferred to the memory unit of the new control board via inter-board communication.

[0056] On the other hand, if the destination can be determined by the processing shown in Figures 4 and 5 (S14: YES), the control unit 141 communicates with the control board determined as the destination and transmits the information to be transferred to these control boards (S16). At this time, the control unit 141 transmits the address information (memory address) on the storage unit 142 of the information to be transferred along with the information to be transferred. The destination control board sequentially stores the received information and address information in the free space of its storage unit through the processing of the second mode described later.

[0057] Once all the information to be transferred has been sent to the destination (S17), the control unit 141 outputs a message to the display unit 144 indicating this (S18), and the process shown in Figure 3 is terminated. Based on this message, the service technician understands that the information transfer is complete and replaces the control board 14b to be replaced with a new control board 14b. The new control board 14b then executes the third mode of processing described later to obtain the information to be transferred from the destination control board and stores it in its own memory unit 142.

[0058] Figures 6(a) to 6(f) schematically illustrate the methods for determining the transfer destination using the processes shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively.

[0059] In Figures 6(a) to (f), blocks of equipment whose control boards are to be replaced are marked with a thick border and hatching, and the name of the equipment is shown in bold. Also in Figures 6(a) to (f), blocks of equipment that have been determined to be replaced are marked only with a thick border, and the name of the equipment is shown in bold. Furthermore, in Figures 6(a) to (f), the transfer path of the information to be transferred is indicated by a thick arrow. In Figures 6(a) to (f), the upper right corner of the blocks of equipment whose control boards are to be replaced is marked with a number corresponding to the capacity of the information to be transferred, and the upper right corner of the blocks of other equipment is marked with a number corresponding to the available storage capacity of the storage unit in those devices.

[0060] In the example shown in Figure 6(a), the information to be transferred in the hot water storage unit 14 can be individually stored in the available capacity of the heat source unit 15, the bathroom remote control 12, and the kitchen remote control 13. However, in this case, the number of communication paths required to transmit the information to be transferred is one for the heat source unit 15 (communication line L14), two for the bathroom remote control 12 (2-core communication lines L11, L13), and two for the kitchen remote control 13 (2-core communication lines L12, L13). Therefore, in this example, the control board 15b of the heat source unit 15, which has the fewest number of communication paths, is set as the destination for transmitting the information to be transferred.

[0061] In the example shown in Figure 6(b), the information to be transferred in the hot water storage unit 14 can be individually stored using the available capacity of any of the other devices. However, in this case, the number of communication paths required to transmit the information to be transferred is one for the water heater 11 and the heat source unit 15, and two for the bathroom remote control 12 and the kitchen remote control 13. Therefore, the first condition, that the number of communication paths is smaller, is met by the water heater 11 and the heat source unit 15. Now, regarding the second condition, the communication line L14 consumes less power than the two-core communication line L13. For this reason, in this example, the control board 15b of the heat source unit 15 is set as the destination for transmitting the information to be transferred.

[0062] In the example shown in Figure 6(c), the information to be transferred in the hot water storage unit 14 can be stored in the total available capacity of the combination of the water heater 11 and the heat source unit 15, and in the total available capacity of the combination of the water heater 11 and the bathroom remote control 12 or kitchen remote control 13. In this case, there are two communication paths for each destination. However, in terms of power consumption, the communication line L14 is smaller than the 2-core communication lines L11, L12, and L13, so the combination of the water heater 11 and the heat source unit 15 consumes less power than the other two combinations. For this reason, in this example, the control board 11b of the water heater 11 and the control board 15b of the heat source unit 15 are set as destinations for the information to be transferred. In this case, it is preferable to prioritize the transmission of the information to be transferred to the control board 15b of the heat source unit 15, which consumes less power.

[0063] In the example in Figure 6(d), unlike the example in Figure 6(c), the total available capacity of the combination of the water heater 11 and the heat source unit 15 is smaller than the capacity of the information to be transferred in the hot water storage unit 14. Therefore, in this example, the combination of the water heater 10 and the bathroom remote control 12 or the kitchen remote control 13 can be used as the destination for the information to be transferred. Here, the available capacity of the bathroom remote control 12 is larger than the available capacity of the kitchen remote control 13. Therefore, the control board 11b of the water heater 10 and the control board 15b of the bathroom remote control 12 are set as destinations for the information to be transferred. In this case, it is preferable to prioritize the transmission of the information to be transferred to the control board 11b of the water heater 11, which has fewer communication paths.

[0064] In the examples in Figures 6(e) and (f), the control board 11b of the water heater 11 is to be replaced. In the example in Figure 6(e), the available capacity of the heat source unit 15, the bathroom remote control 12, and the kitchen remote control 13 is greater than the capacity of the information to be transferred. However, the number of communication paths of the bathroom remote control 12 and the kitchen remote control 13 (1) is less than the number of communication paths of the heat source unit 15 (2), and the bathroom remote control 12 has more available capacity than the kitchen remote control 13. For this reason, in this example, the control board 12c of the bathroom remote control 12 is set as the destination for the information to be transferred.

[0065] In the example shown in Figure 6(f), the available capacity of the hot water storage unit 14, the bathroom remote control 12, and the kitchen remote control 13 is greater than the capacity of the information to be transferred. Furthermore, the number of communication paths from the water heater 11 to the hot water storage unit 14, the bathroom remote control 12, and the kitchen remote control 13 are all the same (one), and the available capacity of these devices is also the same. In this case, the destination is determined according to a predetermined order. Here, the order as seen from the control board 11b of the water heater 11 is set with the hot water storage unit 14 at the highest level. Therefore, the control board 12c of the hot water storage unit 14 is set as the destination for the information to be transferred.

[0066] Note that the examples in Figures 6(a) to 6(f) are just examples, and for patterns other than these examples, the destination device (control board) is determined by the processing shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0067] Figure 7(a) is a flowchart showing the control of the second mode, which is performed by the control unit of the destination control board.

[0068] For convenience, the following explanation assumes that the control board 14b of the hot water storage unit 14 is the one to be replaced, and the control board 11b of the water heater 11 is the destination for the information to be transferred. In this case, the control unit 111 of the control board 11b performs the control shown in Figure 7(a). However, even if a control board other than the control board 11b is designated as the destination, the control unit of that control board also performs the control shown in Figure 7(a).

[0069] In step S16 of Figure 3, the control unit 141 of the control board 14b to be replaced first sends a transmission start signal to the control board 11b which has been determined as the destination. The control unit 111 of the control board 11b receives this transmission start signal and determines that it is the destination for the information to be transferred (S21: YES). As a result, the control unit 111 starts communicating with the control board 11b to be replaced (S22) and sequentially stores the information to be transferred and its address information (memory address) received from the control board 11b in the available space of its own storage unit 112 (S23). After the transmission of the information to be transferred is completed and the control unit 141 receives a transmission end signal from the control board 11b (S24: YES), the control unit 141 terminates communication with the control board 11b and ends the process shown in Figure 7(a).

[0070] Figure 7(b) is a flowchart showing the third mode of control performed by the control unit of the new control board after replacement.

[0071] For convenience, the following explanation assumes that the control board 14b of the hot water storage unit 14 is newly installed as a result of the replacement work, and that the information to be transferred has been transmitted to the control board 11b of the water heater 11 before the replacement work. In this case, the control unit 141 of the replaced control board 14b performs the control shown in Figure 7(b). However, even if a control board other than the control board 14b is newly installed, the control unit of these control boards will also perform the control shown in Figure 7(b).

[0072] The service technician performs an operation on the operation unit 143 of the new control board 14b after replacement to transfer the information to be transferred to the control board 14b (for example, by pressing and holding a predetermined button). Once this operation is performed (S31:YES), the control unit 141 sends a reset signal to all the other control boards 11b, 12c, 13b, and 15b (S32).

[0073] The other control boards 11b, 12c, 13b, and 15b, in step S21 of Figure 7(a), send a response signal to control board 14b indicating that they are the destination of the information to be transferred. In this case, since the destination of the information to be transferred is the control board 11b of the water heater 11, the control unit 111 of control board 11b sends the response signal to control board 14b. If the information to be transferred was divided and transmitted to multiple control boards before the replacement, each of these control boards sends a response signal to control board 14b.

[0074] When the control unit 141 of the newly installed control board 14b receives a response signal (S33:YES), it starts communicating with the control board 11b that sent the response signal (S34). The control unit 141 then sequentially retrieves the information to be transferred that was stored in the free space (storage unit 112) of the control board 11b before the replacement, and stores it in its own storage unit 142 (S35).

[0075] In the communication of step S34, the control unit 111 of the control board 11b that is the source of the response signal sequentially transmits the information to be transferred, which is stored in its own memory unit 112, to the control board 14b along with the address information (memory address). In step S35, the control unit 141 of the replaced control board 14b sequentially stores the received information to be transferred in its own memory unit 112 so that the received information to be transferred is stored in order corresponding to the received address information. Even if there are multiple control boards that are the source of the response signal, the control unit 141 sequentially stores the received information to be transferred in its own memory unit 112 through the same process so that the information to be transferred is stored in order corresponding to the received address information.

[0076] Subsequently, when the reception of the information to be transferred is completed and a transmission completion signal is received from the control board 11b (S36: YES), the control unit 141 terminates communication with the control board 11b and outputs a display indicating the completion of the transfer to the display unit 144 (S37), thus ending the process shown in Figure 7(b). If there are multiple control boards that are the source of the response signal, the control unit 141 determines the judgment in step S36 to YES when it receives a transmission completion signal from all of these control boards. In this way, the information to be transferred that was held on the control board 14b before replacement is transferred to the control board 14b after replacement. The service technician completes the replacement work of the control board 14b by confirming the display in step S37.

[0077] Furthermore, if the object to be replaced is the control board of the bathroom remote control 12 or the kitchen remote control 13, the operations in step S11 in Figure 3 and step S31 in Figure 7(b) are performed via the operation display unit 13a or the operation unit 12b, and the displays in steps S15, S18 in Figure 3 and step S37 in Figure 7(b) are performed by the operation display unit 13a or the display unit 12a.

[0078] <Effects of the Embodiment> As shown in Figure 3, when a control board is replaced, the information to be transferred is stored using the available memory capacity of the other control board. Therefore, it is not necessary to reserve a memory area on each control board solely for storing the information to be transferred. Furthermore, the information to be transferred can be performed using the existing communication path (2-core communication lines L11~L13, communication line L14) without the need to separately connect the replaced control board and the newly installed control board for communication. This reduces the workload on service personnel when replacing control boards. Thus, according to the hybrid water heater 1 of this embodiment, when a control board needs to be replaced in any of the devices, the information to be transferred stored on the old control board can be easily and smoothly transferred to the new control board.

[0079] As explained with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6(a) to (f), based on the first condition that the number of communication paths (2-core communication lines L11 to L13, communication line L14) used to transmit the information to be transferred is minimized, other control boards to which the information to be transferred is transmitted in the first mode are determined.

[0080] With this configuration, the information to be transferred is transmitted to other control boards and then returned from other control boards to the new control board using as few communication paths as possible. This allows for efficient storage of the information to be transferred in the memory unit of the new control board while suppressing degradation of the information being transmitted.

[0081] As explained with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6(a) to (f), if multiple other control boards satisfy the first condition, the other control boards to which the transmission is sent are determined based on the second condition that the communication path will have less power consumption.

[0082] With this configuration, the information to be transferred is transmitted to other control boards via a communication path that consumes as little power as possible, and then returned from those control boards to the new control board, making it possible to replace control boards at a lower cost.

[0083] <Example of changes> In the above embodiment, the first mode of control was initiated by an operation on the operation unit 143 of the control board 14b to be replaced, but the trigger for initiating the first mode is not limited to this. For example, the first mode of control may be initiated in the control unit of the specified control board in response to an operation on the kitchen remote control 13 specifying the control board to be replaced. Similarly, the trigger for initiating the third mode of control on the new control board after replacement may also be, for example, an operation on the kitchen remote control 13.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the control unit 141 of the control board 14b to be replaced determined the destination of the information to be transferred. However, a control unit other than the control unit 141 of the control board 14b to be replaced may also determine the destination of the information to be transferred. For example, if the operation to replace the control board 14b is performed on the kitchen remote control 13 as described above, the control unit 131 of the kitchen remote control 13 may collect available capacity from control boards other than the control board 14b and determine the destination of the information to be transferred on the control board 14b. In this case, the control unit 131 of the kitchen remote control 13 executes the processes in steps S12 to S15 of Figure 3 and transmits information indicating the destination to the control board 14b. The control unit 141 of the control board 14b then executes the processes from step S16 onwards of Figure 3 on the receiving destination control board.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control board to which the information to be transferred is sent is determined by an algorithm (flowchart in Figures 4 and 5) that reflects both the first condition that the number of communication paths used to transmit the information to be transferred is minimized, and the second condition that the communication paths consume less power. However, each memory unit may store information regarding the number of communication paths and power consumption used to transmit the information to be transferred in advance, and each control unit may refer to this information to determine which control board satisfies the first and second conditions and decide on it as the transfer destination.

[0086] Furthermore, although the water heater 11 in the above embodiment was a gas-burning type water heater, the water heater 11 may be a water heater of another type, such as an oil-burning type water heater.

[0087] In addition, embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] 1. Hybrid water heater 11. Water heater 12 Bathroom remote control 13 Kitchen remote control 14 Hot water storage unit 14a Hot water storage tank 15 Heat source unit 11b, 12c, 13b, 14b, 15b control boards 111, 121, 131, 141, 151 Control Unit 112, 122, 132, 142, 152 storage section L11, L12, L13 2-core communication lines (communication paths) L14 Communication line (communication path)

Claims

1. A hot water storage unit having a hot water storage tank, The aforementioned hot water storage tank includes a heat source unit for storing hot water, A water heater that adjusts the hot water from the aforementioned hot water storage tank to a set temperature and supplies it, It includes a remote controller for receiving user input, The control board of the hot water storage unit and the control board of the heat source unit are configured to communicate with each other via a first communication path. The control board of the hot water storage unit and the control board of the hot water heater are configured to communicate with each other via a second communication path. The control board of the water heater and the control board of the remote controller are configured to communicate with each other via a third path. Each of the control boards includes a storage unit for storing information, Of the control boards, the control board to be replaced transmits the information to be transferred stored in its own memory unit to at least one other control board. The other control board designated as the destination for the information to be transferred stores the received information in its own storage unit and transmits the information to the replacement control board after the replacement of the original control board. The replacement control board stores the information to be transferred, received from the other control board, in its own storage unit. A hot water supply system characterized by the following features.

2. In the hot water supply device according to claim 1, Based on the first condition that the number of communication paths used to transmit the information to be transferred is minimized, the other control boards on which the information to be transferred is transmitted are determined. A hot water supply system characterized by the following features.

3. In the hot water supply device according to claim 2, If multiple other control boards satisfy the first condition, the other control board to which transmission is received is determined from these control boards based on the second condition that the communication path will have less power consumption. A hot water supply system characterized by the following features.

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