Bathroom system

Abstract

To provide a bathroom system having an automatic drain plug unit and a power supply unit capable of notifying a user of erroneous connection of the power supply unit.SOLUTION: There is provided a bathroom system 1 including an automatic drain plug unit 10 and a power supply unit 20 for supplying power to the automatic drain plug unit. The power supply unit includes a control part 31, and the automatic drain plug unit includes an automatic drain plug control part 13 for opening and closing an automatic drain plug 11 of a bathtub on the basis of operation of an operation switch 12. The control part and the automatic drain plug control part are communicably connected to each other. The power supply unit includes a voltage monitoring part 24 for monitoring a voltage of the power input from outside and detecting an over-voltage. When the voltage monitoring part detects the over-voltage, the control part transmits over-voltage detection information to the automatic drain plug control part. Upon receipt of the over-voltage detection information, the automatic drain plug control part prohibits the drive of the automatic drain plug, and notifies a user of a state of driving prohibition of the automatic drain plug by a notification part 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathroom system having an automatic drain plug unit for a bathtub and a power supply unit for supplying driving power to the automatic drain plug unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a bathroom system has been used that has a bathtub cleaning device for automatically cleaning a bathtub and an automatic drain plug for the bathtub, and can open and close the automatic drain plug from a hot water supply device for filling the bathtub cleaning device and the bathtub with hot water. When automatically cleaning the bathtub, the automatic drain plug is opened to drain the cleaning liquid and hot water, and when starting to fill the bathtub with hot water, the hot water supply device is configured to automatically close the automatic drain plug to prevent forgetting to close it. Further, this bathroom system can open and close the automatic drain plug by operating, for example, an operation switch (open / close button) disposed at the edge portion of the bathtub or a remote control for operating the hot water supply device.

[0003] The automatic drain plug unit and the bathtub cleaning device composed of the operation switch and the automatic drain plug are installed when the bathtub is installed. Since the automatic drain plug and the bathtub cleaning device operate by receiving power supply, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a power supply unit for supplying power to these automatic drain plug units and the bathtub cleaning device is installed, for example, in the ceiling space of the bathroom. Further, a cleaning remote control for operating the bathtub cleaning device is connected to the bathtub cleaning device via the power supply unit, and this cleaning remote control is disposed, for example, near the entrance of the bathroom.

[0004] Since the bathroom is an environment that is easily watered and has a lot of moisture, there is a risk of electric leakage in electric devices. Therefore, for example, as in Patent Document 2, when a plurality of devices are connected to a power supply unit, a technique is known for ensuring safety by cutting off the power supply to a device through which an overcurrent has flowed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The power supply unit is connected to receive power from the AC100V power line extending from the distribution panel of a typical household, and converts it to DC power, such as DC15V, for supplying power. In some cases, AC200V power lines are laid in the ceiling space of a bathroom along with the AC100V power line, and the power supply unit may be mistakenly connected to this AC200V power line. This misconnection does not immediately cause the power supply unit or the equipment connected to it to malfunction, but there is a risk of overcurrent flowing when it is operated.

[0007] Patent Document 2 describes a system that shuts off power to a device when an overcurrent flows, but the power supply unit does not notify of a misconnection, and there is a risk of repeated overcurrents. As a result of repeated power outages due to overcurrents, the device causing the overcurrent is judged to be faulty and replaced, and in some cases the power supply unit is also replaced. To prevent such a situation, it is necessary to reconnect to the AC100V power line, so the bathtub cleaning device is configured to notify of a misconnection of the power supply unit from the cleaning remote control.

[0008] However, some bathroom systems do not have a bathtub cleaning device. In this case, there is no cleaning remote control, and the only device connected to the power unit is the automatic drain plug unit, making it impossible to notify of a power unit misconnection. Furthermore, if the manufacturer of the hot water heater connected to the power unit is different from the manufacturer of the power unit, it is difficult to equip the hot water heater with a function to notify of a power unit misconnection. Therefore, bathroom systems in which the power unit supplies power only to the automatic drain plug unit lack a means of notifying of a misconnection and cannot notify of a power unit misconnection.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a bathroom system having an automatic drain plug unit and a power supply unit that can notify of an incorrect connection of the power supply unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The bathroom system of the invention of claim 1 comprises an automatic drain plug unit and a power supply unit that supplies power to the automatic drain plug unit, wherein the power supply unit includes a control unit for controlling the power supply, the automatic drain plug unit comprises an automatic drain plug for a bathtub, an operating switch for the automatic drain plug, and an automatic drain plug control unit that controls the opening and closing of the automatic drain plug based on the operation of the operating switch, and the control unit and the automatic drain plug control unit are connected by communication, wherein the automatic drain plug unit includes a notification unit, the power supply unit includes a voltage monitoring unit that monitors the voltage of power input from an external source and detects overvoltage, the control unit transmits overvoltage detection information to the automatic drain plug control unit when the voltage monitoring unit detects overvoltage, and the automatic drain plug control unit, upon receiving the overvoltage detection information, prohibits the operation of the automatic drain plug and notifies the automatic drain plug of the prohibited operation state via the notification unit.

[0011] According to the above configuration, in a bathroom system having an automatic drain plug unit and a power supply unit, power is supplied from the power supply unit to the automatic drain plug unit, and the automatic drain plug control unit controls the opening and closing of the automatic drain plug based on the operation of the operation switch. If the voltage monitoring unit of the power supply unit detects that the power input to the power supply unit is overvoltage due to a misconnection, the control unit transmits overvoltage detection information to the automatic drain plug control unit. Upon receiving the overvoltage detection information, the automatic drain plug control unit prohibits the operation of the automatic drain plug, and this prohibited operation state is notified by a notification unit provided on the operation switch. Therefore, a bathroom system equipped with an automatic drain plug unit can notify that power is being supplied but the unit cannot be driven, indicating a misconnection of the power supply unit, by notifying the prohibited operation state from the notification unit of the automatic drain plug's operation switch, and can prompt the user to correctly reconnect the power lines of the power supply unit.

[0012] The bathroom system of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, the control unit periodically transmits the overvoltage detection information when the voltage monitoring unit detects an overvoltage. With the above configuration, while an overvoltage is being input to the power supply unit due to a misconnection, the automatic drain plug operation can be repeatedly notified. Therefore, it is possible to prompt the user to reconnect the power lines of the misconnected power supply unit correctly.

[0013] The bathroom system of the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, the control unit includes a storage unit that can rewrite stored information when power is supplied and retains stored information when there is a power outage, periodically stores the detection result of the voltage monitoring unit as stored information in the storage unit, and transmits the overvoltage detection information when the latest stored information is that an overvoltage has been detected. According to the above configuration, the detection results of the voltage monitoring unit are periodically stored in the memory unit, and when the latest stored information in the memory unit indicates the detection of an overvoltage, the overvoltage detection information is transmitted. Therefore, while an overvoltage is input to the power supply unit due to a misconnection, the operation of the automatic drain plug is prohibited based on the latest stored information, and this prohibited operation state can be repeatedly notified. Thus, it is possible to prompt the user to correctly reconnect the power lines of the power supply unit that are misconnected.

[0014] The bathroom system of claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention of any one of claims 1 to 3, the voltage monitoring unit detects an overvoltage when connected to an AC200V power line as an externally input power source. With the above configuration, if a power supply unit that should be connected to an AC100V power line is mistakenly connected to an AC200V power line (instead of the more common AC100V power line used in homes), it will be detected as an overvoltage. Therefore, the notification of the power supply unit being disabled due to overvoltage detection prompts the installer to reconnect the power line correctly, allowing the installer to disconnect the current AC200V power line and reconnect it correctly to the other AC100V power line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the bathroom system of the present invention, in a bathroom system having an automatic drain plug unit and a power supply unit, it is possible to notify the user of an incorrect connection of the power supply unit and prompt the user to correctly reconnect the power lines of the power supply unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of a bathroom system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the power supply circuit and communication connection of the power supply unit shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below based on examples. [Examples]

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the bathroom system 1 has an automatic drain plug unit 10 for the bathtub 2 and a power supply unit 20 that supplies power to the automatic drain plug unit 10. The automatic drain plug unit 10 includes an electric automatic drain plug 11 installed at the bottom of the bathtub 2, an operation switch 12 (on / off button) installed at the edge of the bathtub 2 for opening and closing the automatic drain plug 11, and an automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 (automatic drain plug control unit) that controls the opening and closing of the automatic drain plug 11 based on the operation of the operation switch 12. The power supplied from the power supply unit 20 to the automatic drain plug unit 10 is supplied to the automatic drain plug 11 and the operation switch 12 via the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13, and the automatic drain plug 11 is controlled to open and close by the control of the power supply by the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13.

[0019] The power supply unit 20 has a power line 20a connected to the AC100V power line 3a extending from the distribution board 3 as an externally input power source, converts the AC power supplied via the power line 20a into DC power of, for example, DC15V, and supplies power to the automatic drain plug unit 10 via the power line 20b. This power supply unit 20 has a relay function for relaying communication between the water supply device 4 and the automatic drain plug unit 10. In Fig. 1, the double lines represent power lines, and the broken lines represent communication lines.

[0020] The power supply unit 20 has a control unit 31 for transmitting a closing command of the automatic drain plug 11 from the water supply device 4 to the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 by means of the relay function, for example, when the bathtub 2 is being filled with water. The control unit 31 and the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 are communicatively connected by a communication line 10a, and the hot water supply control unit 5 of the water supply device 4 and the control unit 31 are communicatively connected by a communication line 4a. Incidentally, the hot water supply control unit 5 may obtain the open / closed state of the automatic drain plug 11 from the automatic drain plug control unit 13 before filling with water by means of the relay function, and command the closing of the automatic drain plug 11 in the case of an open state.

[0021] The water supply device 4 has a hot water supply control unit 5 that controls the hot water supply operation of heating the incoming water supplied as indicated by the arrow W and supplying hot water at a temperature set for, for example, a hot water tap 6a, a shower 6b, etc. A kitchen remote control 7a and a bathroom remote control 7b are communicatively connected to the hot water supply control unit 5 as operation remotes for the hot water supply device 4. Further, a reheating passage 8 for circulating and heating the hot and cold water in the bathtub 2 is connected between the bathtub 2 and the hot water supply device 4. The hot water supply device 4 performs a water filling operation of filling the bathtub 2 with water up to a set water level at a set temperature via this reheating passage 8. The user can perform, for example, a setting operation of the hot water supply temperature or a start operation of the water filling operation via the kitchen remote control 7a or the bathroom remote control 7b.

[0022] For devices such as the hot water supply device 4 and the automatic drain plug unit 10 that communicate with other devices, a communication specification is set to enable communication. The communication specification of the automatic drain plug unit 10 is determined by the manufacturer of the automatic drain plug unit 10. On the other hand, the communication specification of the hot water supply device 4 is determined by the manufacturer of the hot water supply device 4. Since communication specifications generally differ between products of different manufacturers, conventionally, the power supply unit 20 is configured to mutually convert the communication specifications and relay the communication between the hot water supply device 4 and the automatic drain plug unit 10 so that communication is possible even in such cases.

[0023] By the way, in the construction of the bathroom system 1, it is common to install the automatic drain plug unit 10 together with the bathtub 2, install the power supply unit 20, for example, in the ceiling space of the bathroom and connect it to the automatic drain plug unit 10, perform the interior construction of the bathroom, and later install and connect the hot water supply device 4. The automatic drain plug unit 10 including this power supply unit 20 and the hot water supply device 4 often have different distribution channels and different constructors.

[0024] The constructor of the automatic drain plug unit 10 connects the power line 20a of the power supply unit 20 to the power line 3a laid from the distribution board 3 to the ceiling space of the bathroom. There may be not only a 100V AC power line but also a 200V AC power line laid in the ceiling space of the bathroom, and the power line 20a of the power supply unit 20 may be erroneously connected to this 200V AC power line.

[0025] The installer of the automatic drain plug unit 10 operates the operation switch 12 after connecting the power line 20a to check the operation of the automatic drain plug 11. At this time, the hot water heater 4 has not yet been installed, so even if the hot water heater 4 is equipped with a function to notify of incorrect connection of the power unit 20, it cannot notify of incorrect connection of the power unit 20, for example, if the power line 3a is AC200V and the power unit 20 is AC100V. Also, if the bathroom system 1 is equipped with a bathtub cleaning device, the cleaning remote control will notify of incorrect connection of the power unit 20, but if the bathtub cleaning device is not equipped, there is no cleaning remote control and therefore no notification of incorrect connection can be given.

[0026] Therefore, in the event of a misconnection of the power supply unit 20, the bathroom system 1 prohibits the operation of the automatic drain plug 11 and notifies the system of this prohibited operation of the automatic drain plug 11, thereby indicating that the system is receiving power but cannot operate the automatic drain plug 11 as a misconnection of the power supply unit 20. Furthermore, although there is little risk of immediate damage to the bathroom system 1 due to this misconnection, the system prevents damage to the automatic drain plug unit 10 by preventing the automatic drain plug 11 from opening or closing when an overvoltage is input. The prohibition of operation of the automatic drain plug 11 and the notification of this prohibited operation state will be explained with reference to Figure 2.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the power supply unit 20 has, for example, a first rectifier circuit section 22, a first smoothing circuit section 23, a voltage monitoring circuit section 24 (voltage monitoring section), and a switching power supply circuit section 25 (SW power supply circuit section) on the primary side (input side) of the transformer 21, and an AC / DC converter section 28 having a second rectifier circuit section 26 and a second smoothing circuit section 27 on the secondary side (output side) of the transformer 21. When the power line 3a is AC100V, the power input to the power supply unit 20 is converted to, for example, DC15V DC power by the AC / DC converter section 28 and input to the power supply circuit section 29. The power (current) supplied to the devices connected to the first and second power supply terminals 30a and 30b is then adjusted by the power supply circuit section 29. Power is supplied to the automatic drain plug unit 10 by a power line 20b extending from the second power supply terminal 30b.

[0028] The control unit 31 of the power supply unit 20 includes, for example, a processing unit 32, a storage unit 33, and a communication unit 34. The processing unit 32 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU and working memory (RAM). The storage unit 33 is a so-called non-volatile memory that can rewrite stored information when power is supplied and retains stored information during a power outage. The storage unit 33 stores programs for relaying communications, programs for controlling the automatic drain plug 11, and the like.

[0029] As shown by the arrows, the control unit 31 communicates with the automatic drain plug unit 10 via the communication unit 34 and with the hot water control unit 5 of the hot water supply device 4 (not shown) via the communication unit 34, thereby relaying communication between the hot water supply device 4 and the automatic drain plug unit 10. The automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 receives a command to close the automatic drain plug 11 from the hot water supply device 4 via the power supply unit 20 and receives an operation signal from the operation switch 12, and supplies power to the automatic drain plug 11 for opening and closing, thereby closing or opening it.

[0030] The automatic drain plug unit 10 has an electrically operated notification unit 14. This notification unit 14 includes either an audio output unit that notifies, for example, by voice, of the automatic drain plug 11 being in a disabled state, and an LED display unit that notifies, for example, by flashing or displaying an error code, or both. The notification unit 14 may be mounted on the operation switch 12 or installed in the bathroom.

[0031] The power supply unit 20 supplies DC power converted by the AC / DC converter unit 28 to the control unit 31 and the power supply circuit unit 29, not only when the input power is AC100V but also when it is AC200V. The voltage monitoring circuit unit 24 monitors the voltage of the power input to the power supply unit 20 and detects that the primary side of the transformer 21 is overvoltage when AC200V is input to the power supply unit 20, and transmits this overvoltage detection to the processing unit 32 of the control unit 31.

[0032] Upon receiving the overvoltage detection information, the processing unit 32 of the control unit 31 transmits the overvoltage detection information to the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 via the communication unit 34. Upon receiving the overvoltage detection information, the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 prohibits the driving of the automatic drain plug 11 and notifies the notification unit 14 that the driving is prohibited.

[0033] When the automatic drain plug 11 is disabled, even if the operation switch 12 is operated, the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 does not supply power to the automatic drain plug 11 for driving, but it does supply power to the operation switch 12 and the notification unit 14. Furthermore, when the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 has disabled the operation of the automatic drain plug 11, the notification unit 14 periodically (for example, every 5 seconds) notifies that the automatic drain plug 11 is disabled.

[0034] When AC100V is input to the power supply unit 20 and a normal voltage is detected, the processing unit 32 of the control unit 31 is informed that the detected voltage is normal, and the processing unit 32 transmits normal voltage detection information to the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13. Upon receiving the normal voltage detection information, the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 permits the automatic drain plug 11 to be driven. If the power line 20a is reconnected from the AC200V power line to the AC100V power line, the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13, upon receiving the normal voltage detection information, releases the prohibition on the automatic drain plug 11 and stops the notification unit 14 from notifying the driver of the prohibited state.

[0035] The control unit 31 may periodically store the detection results of the voltage monitoring circuit unit 24 in the storage unit 33 as stored information, and if the latest (last) stored information is that an overvoltage has been detected, the notification unit 14 may notify that the drive is prohibited. Similarly, a state in which power is being supplied but the automatic drain plug 11 cannot be driven can be notified as a misconnection of the power supply unit 20, prompting the user to correctly reconnect the power line 20a of the power supply unit 20. In addition, for example, the overvoltage detection may be stored in the storage unit 33 along with the date and time, so that the stored information in the storage unit 33 can be referenced when a malfunction occurs in the power supply unit 20 or the automatic drain plug unit 10.

[0036] The operation and effects of the above-mentioned bathroom system 1 will be explained below. In the bathroom system 1, which includes an automatic drain plug unit 10 and a power supply unit 20, power is supplied from the power supply unit 20 to the automatic drain plug unit 10, and the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 (automatic drain plug control unit) controls the opening and closing of the automatic drain plug 11 based on the operation of the operation switch 12. If the voltage monitoring circuit unit 24 (voltage monitoring unit) of the power supply unit 20 detects that the power input to the power supply unit 20 is overvoltage due to a misconnection, the control unit 31 of the power supply unit 20 transmits overvoltage detection information to the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13. Upon receiving the overvoltage detection information, the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 prohibits the driving of the automatic drain plug 11 and notifies the system of this prohibited driving state via the notification unit 14.

[0037] Therefore, the bathroom system 1 can notify the user that the automatic drain plug 11 is not driven by the notification unit 14 of the automatic drain plug unit 10, indicating that it is receiving power but cannot be driven, as a misconnection of the power supply unit 20. This notification prompts the user to reconnect the power line 20a of the power supply unit 20 correctly. Furthermore, since the automatic drain plug 11 will not be driven in an overvoltage state, damage to the bathroom system 1 can be prevented.

[0038] The control unit 31 periodically transmits overvoltage detection information to the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 when the voltage monitoring circuit unit 24 detects an overvoltage. Therefore, while an overvoltage is input to the power supply unit 20 due to a misconnection, the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 can repeatedly notify the automatic drain plug 11 of the inactive state via the notification unit 14, prompting the user to correctly reconnect the power line 20a of the power supply unit 20 that is misconnected.

[0039] The control unit 31 includes a memory unit 33 that can rewrite stored information when power is supplied and retains stored information during a power outage. The control unit 31 can also periodically store the detection results of the voltage monitoring circuit unit 24 in the memory unit 33 as stored information, and transmit the overvoltage detection information to the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13 when the latest stored information indicates that an overvoltage has been detected. In this case as well, while an overvoltage is input to the power supply unit 20 due to a misconnection, the automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit 13, which receives the overvoltage detection information based on the latest stored information, will prohibit the driving of the automatic drain plug 11, and this driving prohibition state can be repeatedly notified. Therefore, the fact that power is being supplied but the unit cannot be driven can be notified as a misconnection of the power supply unit 20, and this notification can prompt the power line 20a of the power supply unit 20 to be properly reconnected.

[0040] The voltage monitoring circuit unit 24 (voltage monitoring unit) detects an overvoltage if the power supply unit 20, which should be connected to the AC100V power line, is mistakenly connected to the AC200V power line, rather than the AC100V power line, which is a common household power source. This overvoltage detection and notification of the drive prohibition state prompt the installer to reconnect the power line 20a of the power supply unit 20 correctly, allowing the installer to reconnect from the current AC200V power line to the other AC100V power line.

[0041] The automatic drain plug 11 may have an electric motor for opening and closing, or it may be opened and closed via a cable release driven by the electric motor. If the bathroom system 1 has a bathtub cleaning device, notification of a misconnection of the power unit 20 by the cleaning remote control may be given priority. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can implement the invention in various forms with modifications to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention also encompasses such modifications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 1: Bathroom System 2: Bathtub 3: Switchboard 4: Hot water supply system 5: Hot water supply control unit 6a: Hot water tap 6b: Shower 7a: Kitchen remote control 7b: Bathroom remote control 8: Reburning passage 10: Automatic drain plug unit 11: Automatic drain plug 12: Operation switch 13: Automatic drain plug drive control circuit unit (automatic drain plug control unit) 14: Hochi Department 20: Power supply unit 21: Trans 22: 1st rectifier circuit section 23: 1st smoothing circuit section 24: Voltage monitoring circuit section (voltage monitoring section) 25: Switching power supply circuit section 26:Second rectifier circuit section 27:Second smoothing circuit section 28: AC / DC converter section 29: Power supply circuit section 30a: First power supply terminal 30b: Second power supply terminal 31: Control Unit 32: Processing Unit 33: Storage section 34: Communications Department

Claims

1. A bathroom system comprising an automatic drain plug unit and a power supply unit that supplies power to the automatic drain plug unit, wherein the power supply unit includes a control unit for controlling the power supply, the automatic drain plug unit comprises an automatic drain plug for the bathtub, an operating switch for the automatic drain plug, and an automatic drain plug control unit that controls the opening and closing of the automatic drain plug based on the operation of the operating switch, and the control unit and the automatic drain plug control unit are communicated to each other. The aforementioned automatic drain plug unit is equipped with a notification unit, The power supply unit includes a voltage monitoring unit that monitors the voltage of the power input from an external source and detects overvoltage. When the voltage monitoring unit detects an overvoltage, the control unit transmits overvoltage detection information to the automatic drain plug control unit. The bathroom system is characterized in that, when the automatic drain plug control unit receives the overvoltage detection information, it prohibits the operation of the automatic drain plug and the notification unit notifies that the operation of the automatic drain plug is prohibited.

2. The bathroom system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit periodically transmits the overvoltage detection information when the voltage monitoring unit detects an overvoltage.

3. The bathroom system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a storage unit that can rewrite stored information when power is supplied and retains stored information when there is a power outage, periodically stores the detection results of the voltage monitoring unit as stored information in the storage unit, and transmits the overvoltage detection information when the latest stored information is that an overvoltage has been detected.

4. The bathroom system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the voltage monitoring unit detects an overvoltage when connected to an AC 200V power line as an external power source.

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