Bath water heater

Abstract

To solve the problem that there is a possibility that a desired set temperature lowers relative to a desired set temperature, when bathing in the case that a prescribed time (a heat-retaining interval time) is long after hot-water tapping operation is over at the desired set temperature.SOLUTION: A bath hot water supply device includes a remote controller which is communicatively connected to a controller 28, can set setting information about set temperature and a set amount of hot water respectively, and has an operation part capable of making a change to a special operation mode different from a bath automatic operation mode. In the bath hot water supply device where the controller 28 performs hot-water tapping operation and reheating operation on the basis of the set information stored to storage means 37 when it is selected by the remote controller to perform operation in a special operation mode, the controller 28 switches a heat-retaining interval time to a short interval time shorter than the heat-retaining interval time when the special operation mode is selected, so that bathing in a bathtub at the set temperature is possible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bath water heater, and more specifically to a bath water heater with a built-in bath heating device that can reheat the water (hot water) in the bathtub every time a predetermined time has elapsed, thereby maintaining the bath temperature. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, this type of bath water heater has been capable of performing a bath filling operation in which a set amount of water is filled to a preset temperature, and bath water heaters have also been known that are equipped with a bath filling setting selection mode that allows the set temperature and set amount of water to be changed all at once to suit preference or mood (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-220324 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 describes a water filling operation to reach the desired set temperature, so that the desired set temperature is reached when the water filling is complete, but makes no mention of the subsequent heat retention operation.When reheating the water every predetermined time (heat retention interval time) after the water filling operation is complete, as in normal heat retention operation, to maintain the set temperature, there is a problem in that depending on the length of the predetermined time, the reheating interval may become long, and the temperature may be lower than the desired set temperature when bathing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides: A control device controls an automatic bath operation mode consisting of a bath filling operation in which the bathtub is filled with hot water at a preset temperature and a preset amount of hot water, and a reheating operation in which the time since the completion of the bath filling operation is counted and the water in the bathtub is heated to the preset temperature each time a warming interval time elapses; a remote control connected to the control device so as to be able to communicate with the control device, capable of setting the set temperature and the set amount of hot water, and having an operation unit that can change to a special operation mode different from the automatic bath operation mode; a water level sensor that detects the water level in the bathtub; bathing determination means that determines whether or not a bath is being taken based on the water level sensor; and a time since the bathing determination means determines that a bath has been taken. and a bath timer that counts the number of times the set temperature, the number of hot water volumes, and the number of times the set count reaches a preset number, prompting the user to take a bath. The control device is provided with a storage means that can store a plurality of set information items related to the special operation mode as a set information set, including the set temperature, the set hot water volume, and the set count. When operation in the special operation mode is selected with the remote controller, the control device performs the hot water filling operation and the reheating operation based on the set information stored in advance that corresponds to the selected special operation mode. In this bath hot water supply device, when the special operation mode is selected, the control device switches the heat retention interval to a shortened interval that is shorter than the heat retention interval. .

[0007] The bath water heater is also provided with a human presence sensor that detects whether or not a person is present in the bathroom, and an entry determination means that determines whether a person has left the bathroom based on the human presence sensor, and when the special operation mode is selected and the entry determination means determines that a person has left the bathroom, the bath water heater switches from the shortened interval time to the heat retention interval time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when a special operation mode is selected, the heat retention interval time is changed to a shortened interval time shorter than the heat retention interval time to perform heat retention operation, so that a bathtub can be bathed at a desired temperature, and dissatisfaction with the temperature being different from the set temperature when bathing can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] A flowchart showing the operation of the automatic bath operation mode of the present invention. [Figure 3] Flowchart showing the operation of the special operation mode of the present invention [Figure 4] Flowchart showing the operation during the heat retention mode of the present invention [Figure 5] Flowchart showing the heat retention interval change control of the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a hot water storage tank for storing hot water, 2 is a heat pump unit as a heating means for heating the hot water, and 3 is a bathtub.

[0011] Reference numeral 4 denotes a heating circulation circuit that connects the hot water storage tank 1 and the heat pump unit 2 in a circulatory manner, and is composed of a heat pump supply pipe connected to the bottom of the hot water storage tank 1 and a heat pump return pipe connected to the top of the hot water storage tank 1, and has a heating circulation pump 5. The cold water at the bottom of the hot water storage tank 1 is heated by the heat pump unit 2 via the heat pump supply pipe, and the heated high-temperature hot water is returned to the top of the hot water storage tank 1 via the heat pump return pipe, thereby heating and storing the hot water in the hot water storage tank 1. The hot water storage tank 1 is equipped with a hot water storage temperature sensor 6 on its outer surface, and this hot water storage temperature sensor 6 detects the amount of hot water stored by detecting a temperature above a predetermined value.

[0012] Reference numeral 7 denotes a water supply pipe that supplies water to the hot water storage tank 1, 8 denotes a hot water outlet pipe that dispenses hot water from the hot water storage tank 1, 9 denotes a water supply bypass pipe that branches off from the water supply pipe 7 and bypasses the hot water storage tank 1, 10 denotes a hot water mixing valve that mixes cold water from the water supply bypass pipe 9 with hot water from the hot water outlet pipe 8 to reach a set temperature, 11 denotes a hot water pipe that supplies the mixed hot water at the set temperature, and 12 denotes a hot water tap located at the end of the hot water supply pipe 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a hot water temperature sensor located downstream of the hot water mixing valve 10, and 14 denotes a hot water flow rate sensor that counts the amount of hot water supplied. Reference numeral 15 denotes a pressure reducing valve that reduces water pressure to a specified pressure, and 16 denotes a pressure relief valve that releases overpressure caused by heating.

[0013] Reference numeral 17 denotes a bath circulation circuit, which connects a bath heat exchanger 18, which exchanges heat between the hot water in the hot water storage tank 1 and the circulating bath water, to the bathtub 3 in a circulating manner via a bath supply pipe 17a leading from the bathtub 3 to the bath heat exchanger 18 and a bath return pipe 17b leading from the bath heat exchanger 18 to the bathtub 3.

[0014] 19 is a bath circulation pump installed in the bath circulation circuit 17, 20 is a flow sensor that detects whether or not water is flowing, 21 is a bath temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the bath flowing through the bath circulation circuit 17, and 22 is a water level sensor that detects the water level in the bathtub 3 from the water pressure of the hot and cold water, and these are installed upstream of the bath circulation pump 19 in the bath circulation circuit 17.

[0015] Reference numeral 23 denotes a filling pipe that branches off midway through the hot water supply pipe 11 and is connected to the bath circulation circuit 17 to fill the bathtub 3 with hot water, 24 is a filling valve that is installed on this filling pipe 23 and starts and stops filling the bathtub 3 with hot water, and 25 is a bath hot water volume sensor that counts the amount of hot water in the bathtub 3. Reference numeral 26 denotes a two-way valve installed between the filling pipe 23 and the water level sensor 22, which is opened once during filling to air purge the piping from the filling pipe 23 of the bath return pipe 17b to the bathtub 3, and then closed to allow filling to be performed while the water level sensor 22 monitors the exact water level.

[0016] Reference numeral 27 denotes a heating control unit that controls heating of the heat pump unit 2, and 28 denotes a control device that controls hot water supply and bath. Specifically, control device 28 controls automatic bath operation (automatic bath operation mode), which consists of a bath filling operation in which the bathtub is filled with hot water at a preset temperature and a preset amount of hot water, and a reheating operation in which the bathwater is heated to the preset temperature every time a warming interval time has elapsed after the bath filling operation is completed.

[0017] The control device 28 is also provided with a timer means 29 for timing a warmth interval time from the completion of the bath filling operation during automatic bath operation, and for timing a bathing timer from the time a person enters the bath.

[0018] Reference numeral 30 denotes a bathroom remote control installed in the bathroom and capable of communicating with the control device 28. It is equipped with an operation unit 31 for setting the set temperature, which is the target temperature for automatic bath operation, and the set hot water volume, which is the target hot water volume, a display unit 32 for displaying the settings, and a human presence sensor 33 for detecting the presence or absence of people in the bathroom.

[0019] The human presence sensor 33 is a pyroelectric sensor that detects the amount of temperature change in the heat source within the detection area, and detects the presence of a person in the bathroom. Specifically, the human presence sensor 33 detects temperature changes in the detection area when a person moves or moves their arms and legs, thereby detecting whether a person is present in the bathroom. Based on the detection result of the human presence sensor 33, entry determination means 34 provided in the control device 28 determines whether a person has entered the bathroom or left the bathroom.

[0020] The control device 28 is also provided with a bathing determination means 35 that determines whether a person has entered or left the bathtub 3. Specifically, the bathing determination means 35 detects the pressure change that occurs when a person enters or leaves the bathtub 3 using the water level sensor 22 while the bath circulation pump 19 is stopped, and determines whether a person has entered or left the bath based on the detection result.

[0021] Reference numeral 36 denotes an external remote controller installed in the bathroom that can communicate with the control device 28. Like the internal remote controller 30, it has an operation unit 31 and a display unit 32, but does not have a human sensor 33. The operation unit 31 may also be provided with a bath automatic operation switch 31a that commands the start of automatic bath operation, and a special operation switch 31b that commands the start of a special operation different from the automatic bath operation described below, and these may be used to select an icon for the automatic bath operation mode or an icon for the special operation mode displayed on the display unit 32.

[0022] Next, the boiling operation will be described. When a request for boiling is made, the control device 28 drives the heating circulation pump 5 located in the pipe connecting the hot water storage tank 1 and the heat pump unit 2, pumps water from the bottom of the hot water storage tank 1, heats it in the heat pump unit 2, and returns it to the top of the hot water storage tank 1, gradually boiling the water in the hot water storage tank 1 into high-temperature water.

[0023] Next, the hot water supply operation will be described. When the hot water tap 12 is opened, water is supplied from the water supply pipe 7, flows into the bottom of the hot water storage tank 1, passes through the water supply bypass pipe 9, and the high-temperature water pushed out from the top of the hot water storage tank 1 and the water supply from the water supply bypass pipe 9 are mixed in the hot water mixing valve 10, and hot water adjusted so that the set temperature and the temperature detected by the hot water thermistor 13 are the same is supplied from the hot water tap 12.

[0024] The automatic bath operation mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the bath automatic operation switch 31a on the bathroom remote control 30 and the bathroom remote control 36 is pressed (S1 is Yes), the control device 28 opens the water filling valve 24, supplies water from the water supply pipe 7, and the water flows into the bottom of the hot water storage tank 1 and passes through the water supply bypass pipe 9.The high-temperature water pushed out from the top of the hot water storage tank 1 and the water supply from the water supply bypass pipe 9 are mixed in the hot water mixing valve 10, and the hot water adjusted so that the set temperature set in advance in the operating unit 31 and the temperature detected by the bath temperature sensor 21 are the same is flowed into the bathtub 3, starting the water filling operation (S2).

[0025] Then, the bath flow rate sensor 25 detects the flow rate, and when the total accumulated flow rate reaches the set amount of hot water previously set in the operating unit 31 (S3: Yes), the control device 28 closes the hot water filling valve 24, thereby completing the hot water filling operation (S4).

[0026] Then, the completion of the water filling operation is notified by a notification unit such as display unit 32 of bathroom remote control 30 and bathroom remote control 36 or a speaker (not shown) (S5).

[0027] After the water filling operation is completed, a heat retention operation is started to keep the water in the bathtub 3 at the set temperature (S6). First, the timer means 29 of the control device 28 starts counting the heat retention count (S7).

[0028] In automatic bath operation mode, control device 28 checks whether timer 29's warm-keeping count has reached a predetermined warm-keeping interval (30 minutes in this case) (S8). Each time the warm-keeping count reaches the predetermined interval, bath circulation pump 19 is activated to monitor the bath temperature detected by bath temperature sensor 21. If the bath temperature drops below the reheating start temperature (40°C in this case), the hot water in bathtub 3 and bath heat exchanger 18 in hot water storage tank 1 are circulated through bath circulation circuit 17, raising the bath temperature to the preset temperature set by bathroom remote control 30 and outside bathroom remote control 36 (S9). The warm-keeping count is then reset and the process returns to S7 (S10). This process is repeated every warm-keeping interval (approximately every 30 minutes in this case) for a predetermined period (approximately three hours in this case) set by bathroom remote control 30 and outside bathroom remote control 36 after the bath is filled. This repetitive process is called warm-keeping operation.

[0029] When the keep-warm operation is initiated after the water filling operation is completed, the control device 28 starts the operation of this embodiment by operating the entry determination means 34 and the bathing determination means 35. When the power to the bathroom remote control 30 or the outside bathroom remote control 36 installed outside the bathroom is turned off, or when the keep-warm operation for a predetermined period ends, the control device 28 stops the operation of this embodiment by operating the entry determination means 34 and the bathing determination means 35. The keep-warm operation by reheating the water may also be started or stopped at will by operating the bathroom remote control 30 or the outside bathroom remote control 36.

[0030] Next, we will explain in detail the special operation (special operation mode) that is different from the automatic bath operation (automatic bath operation mode). First, specific examples of special operating modes include "half-body bath mode," "body flexibility mode," "chill relief mode," and "good sleep mode." "Half-body bath mode" uses a smaller amount of water to reduce physical strain, such as increased blood pressure and pressure on internal organs, and warms the body over a longer period of time. "Body flexibility mode" improves flexibility and basal metabolism by using slightly warm water and performing short stretches, as exercising while bathing places strain on the body. "Cold relief mode" increases the amount of water just enough to feel buoyant throughout the body, allowing for a slightly longer bath in slightly warm water to promote relaxation and blood circulation. "Good sleep mode" is a bathing method that lowers the heart rate, relaxes the body, and prioritizes parasympathetic nervous activity by bathing for a longer period in warm water.

[0031] The setting information for each is as follows (the standard setting information is "set temperature 42°C / set water volume 180L / bath timer 10 minutes"). The setting information for "half-body bath mode" is "set temperature 40°C / set water volume 120L / bath timer 25 minutes". The setting information for "body flexibility mode" is "set temperature 41°C / set water volume 180L / bath timer 5 minutes". The setting information for "chill relief mode" is "set temperature 40°C / set water volume 200L / bath timer 15 minutes". The setting information for "good sleep mode" is "set temperature 39°C / set water volume 180L / bath timer 20 minutes".

[0032] Since it is time-consuming to operate the bathroom remote control 30 and the bathroom remote control 36 every time to set the information for each special operation mode, the control device 28 is provided with a storage means 37 that can store the set temperature, set amount of hot water, and bathing timer related to each special operation mode as a single set of information.

[0033] When outputting the setting information stored in memory means 37, the setting information can be rewritten by operating special operation switch 31b provided on bathroom remote control 30 and bathroom remote control 36. Furthermore, if there are multiple special operation modes, the desired special operation mode can be selected by selecting and outputting one of the special operation mode icons displayed on display unit 32, even if multiple special operations are stored.

[0034] Next, the operation of the special operation mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the special operation switch 31b on the bathroom remote control 30 and the outside bathroom remote control 36 is pressed (S11: Yes), the control device 28 outputs set information related to the desired special operation stored in the memory means 37 (S12), and changes the current set temperature and set water volume (including the set count of the bathing timer if setting information including a bathing timer is stored in the memory means 37) (S13).

[0035] Then, the control device 28 opens the hot water filling valve 24, supplies water from the water supply pipe 7, and the water flows into the lower part of the hot water storage tank 1 and passes through the water supply bypass pipe 9. The high-temperature water pushed out from the upper part of the hot water storage tank 1 and the water supply from the water supply bypass pipe 9 are mixed in the hot water mixing valve 10, and the hot water adjusted so that the set temperature output from the set information stored in the memory means 37 is the same as the temperature detected by the bath temperature sensor 21 flows into the bathtub 3, and the hot water filling operation begins (S14).

[0036] Then, the bath flow rate sensor 25 detects the flow rate, and when the total accumulated flow rate reaches the set amount of hot water output from the set information stored in the memory means 37 (S15: Yes), the control device 28 closes the hot water filling valve 24, thereby completing the hot water filling operation (S16).

[0037] Then, the completion of the water filling operation is notified by display unit 32 of bathroom remote control 30 and bathroom outside remote control 36 or by a notification unit such as a speaker (not shown) (S17).

[0038] After the water filling operation is completed, a heat retention operation is started to keep the water in the bathtub 3 at the set temperature (S18). First, the timer means 29 of the control device 28 starts a heat retention count (S19).

[0039] In the special operation mode, the control device 28 checks whether the keep-warm count, which is being counted by the timer means 29, has passed the specified shortened interval (15 minutes in this case) (S20). If the keep-warm count has passed the shortened interval (Yes in S20), the control device 28 circulates the hot water in the bathtub 3 and the bath heat exchanger 18 in the hot water storage tank 1 through the bath circulation circuit 17, starting a reheating operation to raise the bath temperature to the set temperature previously set by the bathroom remote control 30 and the outside bathroom remote control 36 (S21). The keep-warm count is then reset and the process returns to S19 (S22). This operation is repeated every shortened interval (approximately every 15 minutes in this case) for a predetermined period (approximately 3 hours in this case) previously set by the bathroom remote control 30 and the outside bathroom remote control 36 after the bath is filled, and this repeated operation is called the keep-warm operation.

[0040] In this way, when the warmth-retention operation is performed in the special operation mode, the warmth-retention interval time is changed to a shortened interval time that is shorter than the warmth-retention interval time, so that the bathtub temperature can be kept at the desired temperature.

[0041] Next, the operation of the room entry determination means 34 and the bathing determination means 35, which are performed in parallel when the heat retention operation is started in S8 of FIG. 2 or S20 of FIG. 3, and the operation when the bathing timer is set, will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0042] When the keep-warm operation is started in S6 or S18, the entry determination means 34 checks whether or not there is someone in the bathroom based on the detection value of the human presence sensor 33 (S23), and if it is determined that someone is in the bathroom (Yes in S23) and the bathing determination means 35 determines that someone has taken a bath based on the detection value of the water level sensor 22 (Yes in S25), the timer means 29 starts counting the bathing timer (S26). In the automatic bath operation mode, the timer means 29 counts based on a preset count, and in the special operation mode, the timer means 29 counts based on a set count output from the set information stored in the memory means 37.

[0043] Also, if a person enters the room (S23: Yes), does not take a bath (S25: No), and then leaves the room (S24: No), the process returns to S23. This is because although the bathtub was filled with water and the driver operated the car, the driver did not take a bath, so we can assume that the driver simply went into the bathroom for some business.

[0044] Then, the control device 28 checks whether the bathing determination means 35 has checked whether the user has exited the bath (S27), and checks whether the bathing count has reached the set count (S28). If the bathing count exceeds the set count (Yes in S28), the display unit 32 of the bathroom remote control 30 or an alarm unit such as a speaker (not shown) issues an alarm urging the user to exit the bath (S29).

[0045] After issuing a notification to encourage bathing (S29), the bathing determination means 35 checks whether a person has left the bathtub (S30), and if it determines that a person has left the bathtub (S30: Yes), the process proceeds to S31.

[0046] Also, if the bathing count does not exceed the set count (No in S28) and the bathing determination means 35 determines that a person has left the bathtub (No in S27), the process proceeds to S31.

[0047] Thereafter, it is confirmed whether or not the person has left the bathroom (S31), and if the entry determining means 34 determines that the person has left the bathroom, the process proceeds to S32.

[0048] If it is determined that a person has left the bathroom, the control device 28 checks whether the operation mode is the automatic bath operation mode or the special operation mode (S32), and if it is the special operation mode (Yes in S32), it changes the shortened interval time to the normal heat retention interval time (S33).

[0049] In this way, if you want to take a bath under special conditions, you can store multiple settings such as the set temperature, set water volume, and set count of the bathing timer as set information in the memory means 37 without changing them, and by operating the special operation switch 31b, you can set them all at once, making it easy to use.When a person enters the bathtub, gets out, and leaves the room, the shortened interval time is returned to the heat retention interval time, so the first person to bathe can be sure to take the bath they want, and after leaving the room, the heat retention interval time is returned to the normal time, so it is possible to provide heat retention operation with little energy loss even if there is a long gap until the next bath.

[0050] In addition, since reheating is performed at each shortened interval, the temperature can be maintained at a temperature close to the set temperature that is most effective in special operation, and a user-friendly bath water heater can be provided.

[0051] In the flowchart of Figure 4, in the special operation mode, when a person enters the bath, gets out of the bath, and leaves the room, the bathing desired by that individual is completed, and the shortened interval time is switched to the heat-retention interval time, but if multiple people desire the special operation mode, the heat-retention interval time can also be controlled based on the determination of the entry determination means 34, as in the flowchart of Figure 5. Next, an explanation will be given based on the flowchart of Figure 5.

[0052] First, it is determined whether the operation mode is the special operation mode (S34), and if it is the special operation mode (Yes in S34), the entry determination means 34 determines whether a person has entered the bathroom (S35).

[0053] If no one is in the bathroom (S35: Yes), control device 28 checks whether the warmth count counted by timer means 29 has reached the specified warmth interval (30 minutes in this case) (S36), circulates the hot water in bathtub 3 and bath heat exchanger 18 in hot water storage tank 1 via bath circulation circuit 17, and raises the bath temperature to the set temperature previously set by bathroom remote control 30 and bathroom outside remote control 36 (S37), and then resets the warmth count (S38).

[0054] Then, it is checked whether a predetermined period of time has passed since the start of the keep-warm operation (S39), and if the predetermined period of time (here, about 3 hours) has not passed (No in S39), the process returns to S35 and the operation is repeated to perform the keep-warm operation.The keep-warm operation is then repeated, and when the predetermined period of time (here, about 3 hours) has passed (Yes in S39), the keep-warm operation is completed (S40).

[0055] If someone continues to be in the bathroom (No in S35, Yes in S41), the control device 28 checks whether the keep-warm count counted by the timer means 29 has reached the specified shortened interval (15 minutes in this case) (S42), and if the shortened interval has passed, the hot water in the bathtub 3 and the bath heat exchanger 18 in the hot water storage tank 1 are circulated through the bath circulation circuit 17, raising the bath temperature to the set temperature previously set by the in-bathroom remote control 30 and the outside-bathroom remote control 36 (S43). The keep-warm count is then reset (S44).

[0056] Then, it is checked whether a predetermined period of time has passed since the start of the keep-warm operation (S45), and if the predetermined period of time (here, about 3 hours) has not passed (No in S45), the process returns to S35 and repeats the operation to perform the keep-warm operation.The keep-warm operation is then repeated, and when the predetermined period of time (here, about 3 hours) has passed (Yes in S45), the keep-warm operation is completed (S46).

[0057] In this way, even if there are multiple people who want to take a bath in the special operation mode, the heat retention interval time is switched to the shortened interval time when one person enters the bathroom, so the bathing effect of the special operation can be provided when the next person takes a bath, and unnecessary reheating can be prevented when no one is in the bathroom, thereby reducing energy loss.

[0058] The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and modifications may be made as long as the gist of the invention is not altered. For example, although the present invention has been described using a heat pump type hot water storage tank heater, it may also be a hot water storage tank heater that has a heater installed in the hot water storage tank 1 or that heats hot water using a heat source such as a burner.

[0059] Furthermore, although the shortened interval time of the present invention is set to 15 minutes, it is possible to further shorten the shortened interval time only when the entry determination means 34 determines that someone is in the bathroom, thereby maximizing the heating effect of the special operation mode.Furthermore, when no one is in the bathroom, the heat retention interval time can be lengthened to achieve energy-saving heat retention, thereby achieving both energy reduction and comfort. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Hot water tank 3. Bathtub 17 Bath circulation circuit 18 Bath heat exchanger 21 Bath temperature sensor 22 Water level sensor 25 Bath flow sensor 28 Control Device 29 Timer means 30 Bathroom remote control 31 Operation section 31a Automatic bath switch 31b Special operation switch 33 Human Sensor 34 Entry determination means 35 Bathing assessment method 37 Memory means

Claims

1. A control device for controlling an automatic bath operation mode consisting of a bath filling operation in which a bathtub is filled with a predetermined amount of hot water at a predetermined temperature, and a reheating operation in which the time from the completion of the bath filling operation is counted and the bathtub water is heated to the predetermined temperature each time the warming interval time elapses; A remote controller that is communicatively connected to the control device and that can set the set temperature and the set hot water volume, and has an operation unit that can change to a special operation mode different from the automatic bath operation mode; a water level sensor that detects the water level in the bathtub; bathing determination means for determining whether or not a person is taking a bath based on the water level sensor; a bathing timer that counts the time since the bathing determination means determines that the user has taken a bath and prompts the user to take a bath when a preset count is reached; The control device is provided with a storage means capable of storing a plurality of set information items, including the set temperature, the set hot water volume, and the set count, related to the special operation mode, as a single set information item; When the control device is selected to operate in the special operation mode by the remote control, the control device performs the hot water filling operation and the reheating operation based on the pre-stored set information corresponding to the selected special operation mode. The bath hot water supply device is characterized in that, when the special operation mode is selected, the control device switches the heat retention interval time to a shortened interval time that is shorter than the heat retention interval time.

2. The bath water heater comprises: a human presence sensor that detects whether or not a person is present in the bathroom; an entry determination means for determining whether a person has left the bathroom based on the human presence sensor; 2. The bath water heater according to claim 1, wherein when the special operation mode is selected, if the entry determination means determines that a person has left the bathroom, the bath water heater switches from the shortened interval time to the heat retention interval time.

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