control system

Abstract

This system provides a control system that can effectively utilize the exhaust air from a designated indoor space. [Solution] The system includes an intake port 5 for taking in air from the bathroom space 1, an intake fan 7 for taking in air from the intake port 5, an outlet 6 for blowing air into the living space 2, a supply air passage 11 for guiding the air from the bathroom space 1 taken in by the intake fan 7 to the outlet 6, an exhaust air passage 10 for guiding the air from the bathroom space 1 taken in by the intake fan 7 to the outside, an air passage switching unit 8 for switching whether to blow the air from the bathroom space 1 taken in by the intake fan 7 into the living space 2 via the supply air passage 11 or blow it out to the outside via the exhaust air passage 10, a living space humidity acquisition unit 22 for acquiring the humidity of the living space 2, a person information acquisition unit 21 for acquiring person information for the presence or absence of people in the bathroom space 1, and a control unit 12 for controlling the air passage switching unit 8 based on the living space humidity and the person information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a ventilation fan (ventilation device) that detects an indoor air state and controls ventilation (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-203139 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] A ventilation device ventilates a predetermined indoor space. That is, the air in the predetermined indoor space is exhausted to the outside. However, if the conventionally exhausted air from the indoor space can be effectively utilized without being exhausted outdoors, it would be useful also from the viewpoints of energy saving, environment, and the like.

[0005] Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control system capable of effectively utilizing air exhausted from a predetermined indoor space. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] To achieve this objective, the control system according to this disclosure comprises: an intake port for taking in air from the bathroom space; an intake fan for taking in air from the intake port; an outlet for blowing air into the living space; a supply air passage for guiding the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan to the outlet; an exhaust air passage for guiding the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan to the outside; an air passage switching unit for switching whether to blow the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan into the living space via the supply air passage or to blow it out to the outside via the exhaust air passage; a living space humidity acquisition unit for acquiring the humidity of the living space; a person information acquisition unit for acquiring person information, which is information on whether or not there are people in the bathroom space; and a control unit for controlling the air passage switching unit based on the living space humidity acquired by the living space humidity acquisition unit and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a control system that can effectively utilize the air exhausted from a predetermined indoor space. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the control system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a schematic functional block diagram of the control unit and peripheral unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows the control according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows the control according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5] This is a schematic functional block diagram of the control unit and peripheral unit according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the control according to Embodiment 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are illustrative examples to embody the technical concept of this disclosure, and this disclosure is not limited to these. In particular, the materials, shapes, components, arrangement of components, and relative arrangement described in the embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure to them alone. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for substantially identical components in each drawing, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Figure 1 schematically shows the configuration of the control system according to the embodiment. The control system is installed in a building and controls the ventilation inside the building. An example of a building is a residence provided as a place for residents to live their private lives. The control system is also capable of exhausting air from the bathroom space to the outside and supplying air from the bathroom space to the living space. The control system comprises an intake port 5, an exhaust port 9, an intake fan 7, an exhaust air passage 10, an outlet port 6, a supply air passage 11, an air passage switching unit 8, a human information detection sensor 3, a living room humidity measurement unit 4, a deodorizing filter 13, a control unit 12, a first duct 30, and a second duct 31.

[0011] The building contains a bathroom (bathroom space 1) and a living space (living space 2). Bathroom space 1 and living space 2 are separated by, for example, a wall, another room, or another space. Examples of living space 2 include a living room, dining room, bedroom, private room, and children's room.

[0012] The intake port 5 is installed on the ceiling of the bathroom space 1. The intake port 5 is an inlet for drawing in air from the bathroom space 1. The intake port 5 can also be considered a bathroom-side exhaust port.

[0013] The exhaust vent 9 is installed on the exterior wall of the building. The exhaust vent 9 is an outlet for exhausting the air from the bathroom space 1 to the outside. The exhaust vent 9 can also be called an outdoor exhaust vent.

[0014] The intake port 5 and the exhaust port 9 are communicated with each other via the second duct 31. The second duct 31 is arranged, for example, in the ceiling space of a building.

[0015] The intake fan 7 is arranged in the second duct 31 on the downstream side of the intake port 5 (the downstream side of the intake port 5 in the flow of air exhausted from the bathroom space 1), and takes in air from the intake port 5. The intake fan 7 is a centrifugal impeller such as a sirocco fan. An unillustrated electric motor rotatably supports the intake fan 7. The intake fan 7 and the electric motor constitute a blower that sends air into the second duct 31.

[0016] An exhaust air duct 10 is formed in the second duct 31. The exhaust air duct 10 guides the air in the bathroom space 1 taken in from the intake port 5 by the intake fan 7 to the outside through the exhaust port 9.

[0017] The air outlet 6 is installed on a ceiling or the like of the living room space 2. The air outlet 6 is a discharge port for blowing air into the living room space 2.

[0018] The intake port 5 and the air outlet 6 are communicated with each other via a part of the second duct 31 and the first duct 30. The first duct 30 is connected to an intermediate position of the second duct 31. The first duct 30 is arranged, for example, in the ceiling space of a building.

[0019] A supply air duct 11 is formed in the first duct 30. The supply air duct 11 is connected to the exhaust air duct 10 at a connection portion 32. The supply air duct 11 guides the air in the bathroom space 1 taken in from the intake port 5 by the intake fan 7 to the air outlet 6.

[0020] The air path switching unit 8 includes, for example, a damper, and is arranged in the second duct 31 on the downstream side of the intake fan 7 (the downstream side of the intake fan 7 in the flow of air exhausted from the bathroom space 1). The damper is a partition plate for opening and closing the air path, and is driven by an actuator (not shown) under the control of the control unit 12. The air path switching unit 8 is arranged at a connecting portion 32 between the supply air path 11 and the exhaust air path 10. The air path switching unit 8 is operable between a first state in which the supply air path 11 is opened and the exhaust air path 10 is closed, or a second state in which the supply air path 11 is closed and the exhaust air path 10 is opened. In FIG. 1, the air path switching unit 8 in the first state is schematically shown by a broken line, and the air path switching unit 8 in the second state is schematically shown by a solid line.

[0021] The air path switching unit 8 switches whether the air in the bathroom space 1 taken in by the intake fan 7 is blown out to the living room space 2 via the supply air path 11 or blown out to the outdoors via the exhaust air path 10. In the first state, the air path switching unit 8 causes the air in the bathroom space 1 to be blown out to the living room space 2 via the supply air path 11, and in the second state, causes the air in the bathroom space 1 to be blown out to the outdoors via the exhaust air path 10. In FIG. 1, the air flow A10 upstream of the air path switching unit 8 is schematically shown by a solid arrow. The air flow A1 downstream of the air path switching unit 8 when the air path switching unit 8 is in the first state is schematically shown by a broken arrow. The air flow A2 downstream of the air path switching unit 8 when the air path switching unit 8 is in the second state is schematically shown by a solid arrow.

[0022] The human information detection sensor 3 detects the presence or absence of a person in the bathroom space 1. When a person in the bathroom space 1 is detected, the human information detection sensor 3 outputs a signal indicating that a person has been detected to the control unit 12. The human information detection sensor 3 is, for example, a human motion sensor, a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, or a contact sensor that detects contact between a door and a wall. Various known techniques can be employed as the human information detection sensor 3.

[0023] The human information detection sensor 3 may be arranged at any position as long as it can detect the presence or absence of a person in the bathroom space 1. The human information detection sensor 3 may be arranged on the ceiling or a side wall of the bathroom space 1, or may be arranged at the intake port 5.

[0024] The room humidity measurement unit 4 detects the room humidity, which is the humidity of the air in the room space 2. The room humidity measurement unit 4 outputs a signal indicating the measured room humidity to the control unit 12. The room humidity measurement unit 4 is, for example, a humidity sensor. Various known technologies can be used as the room humidity measurement unit 4.

[0025] The room humidity measuring unit 4 may be placed anywhere as long as it can detect the humidity of the air in the room space 2. The room humidity measuring unit 4 may be placed on the ceiling, side walls, or floor of the room space 2. Alternatively, the room humidity measuring unit 4 may be mounted on equipment placed within the room space 2.

[0026] The deodorizing filter 13 is a filter that removes odors from the air blown into the living space 2. The deodorizing filter 13 is a filter formed in a honeycomb shape by individually blending removal components such as activated carbon, which deodorizes general odors such as cigarette smoke, and titanium dioxide, which deodorizes odors such as ammonia, to remove multiple odor components. The deodorizing filter 13 is installed, for example, in the supply air passage 11. The deodorizing filter 13 may be installed near the air passage switching section 8 in the supply air passage 11, or it may be installed at the outlet 6 in the supply air passage 11. The deodorizing filter 13 may be installed between the air passage switching section 8 and the outlet 6 in the supply air passage 11.

[0027] The control unit 12 is connected to the intake fan 7, the human information detection sensor 3, the room humidity measurement unit 4, and the airflow switching unit 8 in a communication-enabled manner. The control unit 12 controls the intake fan 7 and the airflow switching unit 8, but the detailed control contents will be described later.

[0028] The control unit 12 may be located in any location. For example, the control unit 12 may be configured in a system controller or central control unit installed within a building. The control unit 12 may be located on the ceiling of the bathroom space 1. The control unit 12 may be located on the ceiling or side walls of the living space 2. The control unit 12, intake fan 7, human information detection sensor 3, living room humidity measurement unit 4, and airflow switching unit 8 may communicate via wired or wireless communication. The control unit 12, intake fan 7, human information detection sensor 3, living room humidity measurement unit 4, and airflow switching unit 8 may communicate via a network (not shown) or directly without a network.

[0029] Furthermore, the control unit 12 may be located in the same housing as the intake fan 7, or it may be integrated with the intake fan 7. The control unit 12 may be located in the same housing as the airflow switching unit 8, or it may be integrated with the airflow switching unit 8.

[0030] Alternatively, the control unit 12 may be a server. In this case, the intake fan 7, human information detection sensor 3, room humidity measurement unit 4, and airflow switching unit 8 each have wireless communication capabilities and are connected to the control unit 12 via a base station (not shown) through a network such as the Internet. The intake fan 7, human information detection sensor 3, room humidity measurement unit 4, and airflow switching unit 8 may also be connected to the control unit 12 via a wired communication network.

[0031] Next, the functions of the control unit 12 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of the control unit 12 and its surrounding parts.

[0032] The control unit 12 includes a human information acquisition unit 21, a room humidity acquisition unit 22, a storage unit 23, an airflow path switching control unit 24, and an intake fan control unit 26.

[0033] The human information acquisition unit 21 acquires human information, which is information about the presence or absence of people in the bathroom space 1 detected by the human information detection sensor 3, and supplies the acquired information to the airflow switching control unit 24.

[0034] The room humidity acquisition unit 22 acquires the room humidity measured by the room humidity measurement unit 4 and supplies the acquired information to the airflow switching control unit 24.

[0035] The airflow switching control unit 24 controls the airflow switching unit 8 based on the room humidity acquired by the room humidity acquisition unit 22 and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21. Specifically, if the room humidity acquired by the room humidity acquisition unit 22 is less than or equal to the first humidity level, and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 indicates that a person is present in the bathroom space 1, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control, controlling the airflow switching unit 8 to blow out the air from the bathroom space 1, which has been taken in by the intake fan 7, to the room space 2 via the supply airflow path 11. Furthermore, if the room humidity acquired by the room humidity acquisition unit 22 is higher than the first humidity level, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control, controlling the airflow switching unit 8 to blow out the air from the bathroom space 1, which has been taken in by the intake fan 7, to the outside via the exhaust airflow path 10.

[0036] The first humidity is a value used to determine whether the living space 2 is dry or not, and can be set arbitrarily. The first threshold is, for example, 30%, but may be anything else. The first threshold is stored in the memory unit 23. The memory unit 23 is a so-called memory that stores values ​​used to control the airflow switching control unit 24 and the intake fan control unit 26. The first threshold may be determined in advance by experimentation or the like. For example, the humidity at which a person perceives a dry state may be measured in advance by experimentation or the like, and the measured humidity may be stored as the first threshold. Also, the criteria for judging what constitutes a dry state differ from person to person. Therefore, the first threshold may be set by the resident user. In other words, the user may be able to set a first threshold that allows the user to judge a dry state.

[0037] The intake fan control unit 26 controls the intake fan 7.

[0038] Each functional block of the control unit 12 can be implemented as hardware, such as a computer's CPU (Central Processing Unit), or as mechanical devices, and as software, such as a computer program. However, in this context, these functional blocks are realized through the coordination of these components. Therefore, these functional blocks can be implemented in various forms through combinations of hardware and software.

[0039] Next, the control performed by the control unit 12 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 3. In the flowchart, numbers are assigned starting with the letter S. For example, S1 indicates a processing step. However, the magnitude of the numerical value indicating a processing step does not relate to the processing order.

[0040] First, assuming that the intake fan control unit 26 is operating the intake fan 7 at startup, and the airflow switching control unit 24 is performing exhaust control, the following explanation will be provided.

[0041] The room humidity acquisition unit 22 acquires the room humidity, and the airflow switching control unit 24 compares the room humidity with the first humidity (S1).

[0042] If the humidity in the living space is higher than the humidity level of the first humidity level, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control (No. in S1 → S4). If the humidity in the living space is higher than the humidity level of the first humidity level, the living space 2 is not in a dry state. In other words, the humidity level of the living space 2 is not a problem as it is. That is, the user's comfort level has not decreased. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control. By performing exhaust control, the humidity level of the bathroom space 1 can be reduced.

[0043] If the humidity in the living space is below the 1st humidity level, the person information acquisition unit 21 acquires person information (S1 Yes → S2). Then, the airflow switching control unit 24 checks whether or not a person is present in the bathroom space 1 based on the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 (S3).

[0044] If the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 indicates that there is no person in the bathroom space 1, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control (No. in S3 → S4). Here, the absence of a person in the bathroom space 1 means that no one is using the bathroom space. If someone is using the bathroom space, it is highly likely that the bathtub is filled with hot water or that hot water is being used in the shower, so the humidity in the bathroom space 1 is likely to be high. Conversely, if no one is using the bathroom space, it is highly likely that the humidity in the bathroom space 1 is low. Thus, when no one is in the bathroom space 1, the humidity in the bathroom space 1 is low, and when someone is in the bathroom space 1, the humidity in the bathroom space 1 is high.

[0045] If the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 indicates that there is no person in the bathroom space 1, the humidity in the bathroom space 1 is low, making it difficult to increase the humidity in the living space 2 even if the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control.

[0046] Furthermore, if the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 indicates that a person is present in the bathroom space 1, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control (Yes in S3 → S5). If a person is present in the bathroom space 1, the humidity in the bathroom space 1 is considered to be high. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control. This allows the air from the high-humidity bathroom space 1 to be supplied to the low-humidity living space 2. In other words, the airflow switching control unit 24 can increase the humidity in the living space 2 by performing supply control. Since the humidity in the living space 2 can be increased, the comfort of the user in the living space 2 can be improved. In addition, the air exhausted from the bathroom space 1 can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, the use of humidifiers and other devices installed in the living space 2 can be reduced, thus contributing to energy saving. In addition, since the supply airflow path 11 is equipped with a deodorizing filter, odors generated in the bathroom space 1 can be removed before being supplied to the living space 2, thus reducing the likelihood of the user in the living space 2 feeling uncomfortable. Note that the supply airflow path 11 does not necessarily need to be equipped with a deodorizing filter. In this case, the fragrance of shampoo, etc., generated in the bathroom space 1 can be delivered to the living space 2, improving the comfort level of the user in the living space 2.

[0047] Although the present disclosure has been described above based on Embodiment 1, it can be easily inferred that the present disclosure is not limited in any way to Embodiment 1, and that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0048] (Embodiment 2) Embodiment 2 is a system that performs airflow switching, similar to Embodiment 1. Embodiment 2 will be described primarily for its differences from Embodiment 1. The configuration of the control system in Embodiment 2 is the same as in Embodiment 1, but the control content by the control unit 12 is slightly different.

[0049] The control performed by the control unit 12 in Embodiment 2 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 4. In the flowchart, numbers are assigned starting with the letter S. For example, S11 indicates a processing step. However, the magnitude of the numerical value indicating a processing step is not related to the processing order.

[0050] First, assuming that the intake fan control unit 26 is operating the intake fan 7 at startup, and the airflow switching control unit 24 is performing exhaust control, the following explanation will be provided.

[0051] The room humidity acquisition unit 22 acquires the room humidity, and the airflow switching control unit 24 compares the room humidity with the first humidity (S11).

[0052] If the humidity in the living space is higher than the humidity level of the first humidity level, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control (No. in S11 → S16). If the humidity in the living space is higher than the humidity level of the first humidity level, the living space 2 is not in a dry state. In other words, the humidity level of the living space 2 is not a problem as it is. That is, the user's comfort level has not decreased. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control.

[0053] If the humidity in the living space is below the first humidity level, the person information acquisition unit 21 acquires person information (Yes in S11 → S12). The airflow switching control unit 24 then checks whether the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 has changed from a state where no person is present to a state where a person is present (S13). The person information acquisition unit 21 acquires person information periodically.

[0054] If the state does not change from a state where no one is present to a state where one is present, that is, if the state where no one is present in bathroom space 1 continues, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control (No. in S13 → S16). Here, the state where no one is present in bathroom space 1 continues means that no one is using bathroom space 1. When someone is using bathroom space 1, there is a high possibility that the bathtub is filled with hot water or that hot water is being used in the shower, so the humidity in bathroom space 1 will be high. Conversely, if no one is using bathroom space 1, the humidity in bathroom space 1 will be low.

[0055] If the situation has not changed from a state where no one is present to a state where people are present, the humidity in bathroom space 1 is low, making it difficult to increase the humidity in living space 2 even if the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control.

[0056] Furthermore, in step S13, if the state changes from one where no person is present to one where a person is present, that is, if a person is now present in the bathroom space 1, the intake fan control unit 26 stops the intake fan 7 (Yes in S13 → S14). Then, the airflow switching control unit 24 acquires person information again from the person information acquisition unit 21. Then, the airflow switching control unit 24 checks whether the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 has changed from one where a person is present to one where no person is present (S15).

[0057] If the state has not changed from one where a person is present to one where a person is absent, the airflow switching control unit 24 waits until the state changes from one where a person is present to one where a person is absent (No. of S15 → S15).

[0058] Thus, the airflow switching control unit 24 does not perform supply control simply because the state changes from one where no one is present to one where one is present. The reason for this is explained below. When the state changes from one where no one is present to one where one is present, it is assumed that one is using the bathroom space 1. When one is using the bathroom space, it is highly likely that one is taking a bath (bathtub) or washing oneself with a shower. In this state, the humidity in the bathroom space 1 is likely to be high, so it is preferable for the airflow switching control unit 24 to perform supply control in order to increase the humidity in the living space 2. However, if supply control is performed while one is taking a bath or washing oneself with a shower in the bathroom space 1, one of the people in the bathroom space 1 may feel cold air, especially in winter in Japan, and their comfort level may decrease. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 does not perform supply control simply because the state changes from one where no one is present to one where one is present. Furthermore, since one of the people in the bathroom space 1 may feel cold air when the air in the bathroom space 1 is exhausted, it is preferable for the intake fan control unit 26 to stop the intake fan 7 as in step S14 when the state changes from one where no one is present to one where one is present.

[0059] In step S15, if the state changes from one where a person is present to one where no one is present, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control (Yes in S15 → S17). When the state changes from one where a person is present to one where no one is present, it is assumed that the person has finished bathing or washing themselves in the bathroom space 1 and has left the bathroom space 1. Immediately after the person leaves the bathroom space 1, it is highly likely that the bathroom space 1 is still at a high humidity level. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control. This allows the air from the high-humidity bathroom space 1 to be supplied to the low-humidity living space 2. In other words, by performing supply control by the airflow switching control unit 24, the humidity in the living space 2 can be increased. Since the humidity in the living space 2 can be increased, the comfort level of the user in the living space 2 can be improved. In addition, the air exhausted from the bathroom space 1 can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, the use of humidifiers and other devices installed in the living space 2 can be reduced, thus contributing to energy saving.

[0060] During the above flow, the airflow switching control unit 24 constantly checks whether the newly acquired room humidity from the room humidity acquisition unit 22 is greater than the first humidity. If the room humidity is greater than the first humidity, exhaust control may be performed.

[0061] Thus, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control when the room humidity acquired by the room humidity acquisition unit 22 is less than or equal to the first humidity, and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 changes from indicating that there is no person in the bathroom space 1 to indicating that there is a person, and then changes again to indicating that there is no person.

[0062] Although the present disclosure has been described above based on Embodiment 2, it can be easily inferred that the present disclosure is not limited in any way to Embodiment 2, and that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0063] (Embodiment 3) Embodiment 3 is a system that performs airflow switching, similar to Embodiment 2. Embodiment 3 will be described primarily for its differences from Embodiment 2. The configuration of the control system in Embodiment 3 is almost the same as in Embodiment 2, but the control content by the control unit 12 is slightly different.

[0064] Referring to Figure 5, the functions of the control unit 12 according to Embodiment 3 will be described. Figure 5 is a schematic functional block diagram of the control unit 12 and its surroundings according to Embodiment 3.

[0065] The control unit 12 includes a person information acquisition unit 21, a room humidity acquisition unit 22, a storage unit 23, an airflow path switching control unit 24, a counting unit 25, and an intake fan control unit 26. The person information acquisition unit 21, the room humidity acquisition unit 22, the storage unit 23, and the intake fan control unit 26 are the same as in Embodiment 2, so their description is omitted.

[0066] The counting unit 25 counts time. Specifically, the counting unit 25 counts the time a person is present in the bathroom space 1. In other words, the counting unit 25 counts the time while the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 indicates that a person is present (a person is in the bathroom space 1).

[0067] The airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control when the room humidity acquired by the room humidity acquisition unit 22 is less than or equal to the first humidity, and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 changes from indicating that no one is in the bathroom space 1 to indicating that a person is present, and then changes again to indicating that no one is present. However, the airflow switching control unit 24 does not perform supply control when the person information changes from indicating that no one is in the bathroom space 1 to indicating that a person is present, and then changes again to indicating that no one is present, if the time elapsed since the change to indicating that a person is present is less than the first hour. The first hour will be described later.

[0068] The control performed by the control unit 12 in Embodiment 3 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 6. In the flowchart, numbers are assigned starting with the letter S. For example, S21 indicates a processing step. However, the magnitude of the numerical value indicating a processing step is not related to the processing order.

[0069] First, assuming that the intake fan control unit 26 is operating the intake fan 7 at startup, and the airflow switching control unit 24 is performing exhaust control, the following explanation will be provided.

[0070] The room humidity acquisition unit 22 acquires the room humidity, and the airflow switching control unit 24 compares the room humidity with the first humidity (S21).

[0071] If the humidity in the living space is higher than the humidity level of the first humidity level, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control (No. in S21 → S29). If the humidity in the living space is higher than the humidity level of the first humidity level, the living space 2 is not in a dry state. In other words, the humidity level of the living space 2 is not a problem as it is. That is, the user's comfort level has not decreased. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control.

[0072] If the humidity in the living space is below the first humidity level, the person information acquisition unit 21 acquires person information (Yes in S21 → S22). Then, the airflow switching control unit 24 checks whether the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit 21 has changed from a state where no person is present to a state where a person is present (S23).

[0073] If the state has not changed from one where no one is present to one where one is present, that is, if the state of no one being present in bathroom space 1 continues, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control (No. in S23 → S29). Here, the state of no one being present in bathroom space 1 continuing means that no one is using the bathroom space. When someone is using the bathroom space, there is a high possibility that the bathtub is filled with hot water or that hot water is being used in the shower, so the humidity in bathroom space 1 is high. Conversely, if no one is using the bathroom space, the humidity in bathroom space 1 is low.

[0074] If the situation has not changed from a state where no one is present to a state where people are present, the humidity in bathroom space 1 is low, making it difficult to increase the humidity in living space 2 even if the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control.

[0075] Furthermore, in step S23, if the state changes from one without a person to one with a person, that is, if a person becomes present in the bathroom space 1, the intake fan control unit 26 stops the intake fan 7 (S23 Yes → S24). Also, the counting unit 25 starts counting (S25). In other words, the counting unit 25 starts counting the time when a person is present in the bathroom space 1. While the counting unit 25 is counting, the airflow switching control unit 24 continuously acquires person information from the person information acquisition unit 21.

[0076] The airflow switching control unit 24 checks whether the time counted by the counting unit 25 is 1 hour or longer (S26). If the time counted by the counting unit 25 is not 1 hour or longer, that is, if the time counted by the counting unit 25 is less than 1 hour, the airflow switching control unit 24 checks whether the state has changed to one in which there are no people in the bathroom space 1 (No in S26 → S27). If the state has changed to one in which there are no people, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs exhaust control (Yes in S27 → S30). In exhaust control, the intake fan control unit 26 operates the intake fan 7.

[0077] Furthermore, if the state in step S27 has not changed to one where no person exists, that is, if the state in which a person exists continues, the process returns to step S26 (S27 No → S26). In other words, if the state in which a person exists continues, the counting by the counting unit 25 continues, and the check of whether the count value is 1 hour or longer is repeated.

[0078] As in Embodiment 1, the airflow switching control unit 24 does not perform supply control simply because the situation changes from one where no people are present to one where people are present. The reason for this is the same as described in Embodiment 2. The reason why the intake fan control unit 26 stops the intake fan 7 in step S24 is also the same.

[0079] Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, when the person information changed from indicating no person was present in the bathroom space 1 to indicating a person was present, and then changed again to indicating no person was present, the airflow switching control unit 24 performed supply control. However, in Embodiment 3, if the time elapsed since the information changed to indicating a person was present is less than 1 hour, supply control is not performed. The reason for this will be explained.

[0080] If the person information changes from indicating no one is present in bathroom space 1 to indicating someone is present, and then back to indicating no one is present, it could be due to reasons other than someone taking a bath or showering in bathroom space 1. For example, someone might be replenishing or replacing soap, cleaning solution, etc., installed in bathroom space 1. In this case, the humidity in bathroom space 1 will not become high. Thus, if someone enters and exits bathroom space 1 for a short period of time, the humidity in bathroom space 1 is unlikely to be high, and even if supply control is applied in this state, the humidity in living space 2 will remain low. In other words, even if supply control is applied when someone enters and exits bathroom space 1 for a short period of time, the humidity in living space 2 will not improve, and the comfort of users in living space 2 will not improve. Rather, in Japanese winters, if supply control is applied when someone enters and exits bathroom space 1 for a short period of time, the humidity in living space 2 will not improve, and the supply of cold air from bathroom space 1 to living space 2 may decrease the comfort of users in living space 2. This control system prevents a decrease in user comfort in living space 2 when a person enters and exits bathroom space 1 for a short period of time during Japanese winters. When a person bathes or showers in bathroom space 1, they remain in bathroom space 1 for a certain period of time. Therefore, if the time during which a person is present is less than 1 hour, supply control will not be performed. This concludes the explanation.

[0081] Here, the first time is a value used to determine whether or not a person is bathing or showering in the bathroom space 1. The first time can be set arbitrarily. For example, the first time is 10 minutes, but it may be anything else. The first time is stored in the memory unit 23. The first time may be determined in advance by experimentation or the like. For example, the time a person spends bathing or showering may be measured in advance by experimentation or the like, and the measured time may be stored as the first time. Also, the time spent bathing or showering varies from person to person. Therefore, the first time may be set by the user. In other words, the time spent bathing or showering may be set by the user as the first time.

[0082] Furthermore, in step S26, if the time counted by the counting unit 25 is 1 hour or longer, the airflow switching control unit 24 checks whether the bathroom space 1 has changed to a state where no people are present (S26: Yes → S28). If the state has changed to one where no people are present, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control (S28: Yes → S31). In supply control, the intake fan control unit 26 operates the intake fan 7.

[0083] Furthermore, if the state in step S28 has not changed to one where no people are present, that is, if the state in which people are present continues, the process returns to step S28 (S28 No. → S28). In other words, the airflow switching control unit 24 repeatedly checks whether or not the bathroom space 1 has changed to a state where no people are present.

[0084] Here, if the count time is 1 hour or longer, it is highly likely that a person is bathing or showering in bathroom space 1, or that a person has finished bathing or showering in bathroom space 1. In other words, it is highly likely that bathroom space 1 is highly humid. Since it is highly likely that the humidity in bathroom space 1 is high, it is preferable for the airflow switching control unit 24 to perform supply control in order to increase the humidity in living space 2. However, if supply control is performed while a person is bathing or showering in bathroom space 1, the person in bathroom space 1 may feel cold air, especially in winter in Japan, and their comfort level may decrease. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 does not perform supply control when a person is present. Furthermore, since the exhaust of air from bathroom space 1 may cause a person in bathroom space 1 to feel cold air, it is preferable for the intake fan control unit 26 to stop the intake fan 7 as in step S24 when the state changes from one where no one is present to one where a person is present.

[0085] In step S28, if the state changes to one where no one is present, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control. When the state changes from one where a person is present to one where no one is present, it is assumed that the person has finished bathing or washing themselves in the bathroom space 1 and has left the bathroom space 1. Immediately after the person leaves the bathroom space 1, the bathroom space 1 is likely to be highly humid. Therefore, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control. This allows the air from the highly humid bathroom space 1 to be supplied to the low-humidity living space 2. In other words, by performing supply control by the airflow switching control unit 24, the humidity in the living space 2 can be increased. Since the humidity in the living space 2 can be increased, the comfort of the user in the living space 2 can be improved. In addition, the air exhausted from the bathroom space 1 can be effectively utilized. Furthermore, the use of humidifiers and other devices installed in the living space 2 can be reduced, thus contributing to energy saving.

[0086] During the above flow, the airflow switching control unit 24 constantly checks whether the newly acquired room humidity from the room humidity acquisition unit 22 is greater than the first humidity. If the room humidity is greater than the first humidity, exhaust control may be performed.

[0087] Thus, the airflow switching control unit 24 performs supply control when the humidity in the living room is below the first humidity level, and the person information changes from indicating that no one is present in the bathroom space 1 to indicating that a person is present, and then changes again to indicating that no one is present. However, if the time elapsed since the change to indicating that a person is present is less than the first hour, supply control is not performed.

[0088] Although the present disclosure has been described above based on Embodiment 3, it can be easily inferred that the present disclosure is not limited in any way to Embodiment 3, and that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0089] (Summary of Disclosure) The control system according to this disclosure comprises: an intake port for taking in air from a bathroom space; an intake fan for taking in air from the intake port; an outlet for blowing air into a living space; a supply air passage for guiding the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan to the outlet; an exhaust air passage for guiding the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan to the outside; an air passage switching unit for switching whether to blow the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan into the living space via the supply air passage or to blow it out to the outside via the exhaust air passage; a living space humidity acquisition unit for acquiring the humidity of the living space; a person information acquisition unit for acquiring person information, which is information on whether or not there are people in the bathroom space; and a control unit for controlling the air passage switching unit based on the living space humidity acquired by the living space humidity acquisition unit and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit.

[0090] This allows for the effective utilization of exhaust air from a designated indoor space, such as a bathroom.

[0091] Furthermore, the control unit may perform supply control by controlling the airflow switching unit to blow the air taken in by the intake fan into the living space via the supply airflow path if the living space humidity acquired by the living space humidity acquisition unit is less than or equal to the first humidity and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit indicates that a person is present in the bathroom space.

[0092] This allows the air from a high-humidity bathroom to be supplied to a low-humidity living space. In other words, it can increase the humidity in the living space. By increasing the humidity in the living space, the comfort level of the user in the living space can be improved. Furthermore, it can reduce the use of humidifiers and other devices installed in the living space, thus contributing to energy conservation.

[0093] Furthermore, the control unit may perform supply control by controlling the airflow switching unit to blow out the air taken in by the intake fan into the living space via the supply airflow path if the living space humidity acquired by the living space humidity acquisition unit is less than or equal to the first humidity, and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit changes from indicating that no one is in the bathroom space to indicating that a person is present, and then changes again to indicating that no one is present.

[0094] This allows the air from a high-humidity bathroom space (where no one is present) to be supplied to a low-humidity living space. In other words, it can increase the humidity in the living space. Since the humidity in the living space can be increased, the comfort level of the user in the living space can be improved. In addition, it can reduce the use of humidifiers and other devices installed in the living space, thus contributing to energy conservation. Furthermore, since the air from the bathroom space can be supplied to the living space when no one is in the bathroom, it can suppress the decrease in comfort level of people in the bathroom space when someone is present.

[0095] Furthermore, the control unit does not need to perform the supply control if the time elapsed since the state in which a person is present is less than 1 hour.

[0096] Supply control is not performed when a person enters and exits the bathroom space for a short period of time. Even if supply control is performed when a person enters and exits the bathroom space for a short period of time, the humidity in the living space will not improve, and the comfort of users in the living space is unlikely to improve. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the implementation of unnecessary supply control that does not contribute to improving the humidity of the living space.

[0097] Furthermore, the control unit may perform exhaust control by controlling the airflow switching unit to blow out the air taken in by the intake fan into the bathroom space via the exhaust airflow path if the humidity of the living space acquired by the living space humidity acquisition unit is higher than the first humidity.

[0098] Since the humidity in living space 2 is not low, there is no need to control the supply. Therefore, by controlling the exhaust, the humidity in the bathroom space can be reduced.

[0099] Furthermore, the supply air passage may be equipped with a deodorizing filter.

[0100] This system can remove odors generated in the bathroom and supply them to the living space, thereby minimizing any discomfort users may experience in the living space. [Industrial applicability]

[0101] The control system disclosed herein is useful as a system for controlling exhaust in indoor spaces. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 1 Bathroom space 2 Living space 3-person information detection sensor 4 Room humidity measuring section 5. Inlet 6 Air outlet 7. Intake fan 8. Airflow switching section 9 Exhaust vents 10 Exhaust air passage 11 Supply air path 12 Control Unit 13 Deodorizing filter 21 Person Information Acquisition Department 22 Living Room Humidity Acquisition Department 23 Memory section 24 Airflow switching control unit 25 Count Section 26. Intake Fan Control Unit 30. Duct 1 31. Duct No. 2 32 Connection part

Claims

1. An intake vent for bringing in air from the bathroom space, An intake fan that draws in air from the aforementioned intake port, An air outlet for blowing air into the living space, A supply air passage that guides the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan to the outlet, and an exhaust air passage that guides the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan to the outside, An airflow switching unit that switches whether the air taken in by the intake fan from the bathroom space is blown out into the living space via the supply airflow path or blown out to the outside via the exhaust airflow path, A room humidity acquisition unit acquires the room humidity, which is the humidity of the room space, A person information acquisition unit acquires person information, which is information about whether or not a person is present in the bathroom space. A control unit controls the airflow switching unit based on the room humidity acquired by the room humidity acquisition unit and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit. A control system equipped with the following features.

2. The control unit, The control system according to claim 1, which controls the airflow switching unit to blow out the air taken in by the intake fan into the living space via the supply airflow path when the living space humidity acquired by the living space humidity acquisition unit is less than or equal to the first humidity and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit indicates that a person is present in the bathroom space.

3. The control unit, The control system according to claim 1, which controls the airflow switching unit to blow out the air taken in by the intake fan into the living space via the supply airflow path when the living space humidity acquired by the living space humidity acquisition unit is less than or equal to the first humidity, and the person information acquired by the person information acquisition unit changes from indicating that there is no person in the bathroom space to indicating that there is a person, and then changes again to indicating that there is no person.

4. The control unit, The control system according to claim 3, wherein the supply control is not performed if the time elapsed since the person in question was found to be present is less than 1 hour.

5. The control unit, The control system according to claim 1, wherein if the humidity of the living space obtained by the living space humidity acquisition unit is higher than the first humidity, the system controls the airflow path switching unit to blow out the air from the bathroom space taken in by the intake fan to the outside via the exhaust airflow path.

6. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a deodorizing filter in the supply air passage.

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