JP4277794B2 - Heat pump water heater - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat pump water heater, and more particularly to a heat pump water heater having a heat pump cycle.

  Conventionally, a heat pump water heater using a heat pump cycle as a means for heating water is known. Such a water heater heats water by heat exchange with a high-temperature refrigerant pressurized by a compressor of a heat pump cycle, stores the heated warm water in a tank, and draws warm water from the tank during use. After taking out and adjusting the temperature, it is supplied to the user.

Such a heat pump water heater can be used in various household equipment in the home. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a heat pump water heater that is linked to a bath filling device and a drain device from a bath.
JP 2000-110219 A (FIG. 1)

  However, when the number of housing equipment linked to the heat pump water heater increases, it is necessary to install a remote control for each equipment. Therefore, it becomes difficult to construct a plurality of remote controls in a home where there is no room on the indoor wall.

  Further, it is necessary for the user himself to control the operation of the remote control installed for each device and the operation timing of the remote control related to other devices. Particularly when the user is an elderly person, it is difficult to learn these operations and operation timing, and useful functions are often wasted. For this reason, it is desired to reduce the number of remote controls and remote control operations as much as possible.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat pump water heater in which the remote controller and the remote controller operation are reduced as much as possible.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the first aspect of the invention, a hot water storage tank for storing hot water supply water, a heat pump cycle that is a heating means for hot water supply, and a supply for supplying hot water in the hot water storage tank to the bath Means, opening and closing means for opening and closing the outlet of the bath, bathroom drying means for drying and heating the bathroom in which the bath is arranged, the supply means, the outlet opening and closing means, and the bathroom drying means Operating means for operating, and when one of the supply means, the outlet opening / closing means, and the bathroom drying means is operated by the operating means, the supply means, the outlet opening / closing means, and the bathroom drying means, And a control means for controlling in conjunction with at least one of the supply means, the outlet opening / closing means, and the remaining two of the bathroom drying means. Pump water heater is provided.

  That is, in the first invention, when one of the supply means, the outlet opening / closing means and the bathroom drying means is operated, the remaining means are controlled in conjunction with each other. That is, the remote control and the operation and operation timing can be minimized. Therefore, even if the user is an elderly person, the heat pump water heater can be used relatively easily. Further, since the number of operation means, that is, remote controllers is sufficient, the operation means can be installed even in a home where there is no room on the wall of the room.

According to the second invention, in the first invention, when the operation means is operated so that the hot water for the hot water storage tank is supplied to the bath by the supply means, the hot water for hot water is supplied by the supply means. Is supplied to the bath and the outlet opening / closing means is driven so that the outlet is closed.
That is, in the second invention, when the operating means is operated so that hot water supply water is supplied to the bath, the discharge port is also automatically closed, so that the user forgets to close the discharge port. It can be avoided.

According to a third aspect, in the first or second aspect, when the operation means is operated so that the discharge port is opened by the discharge port opening / closing means, the control means The outlet opening / closing means is driven to open the outlet and the bathroom drying means is driven to dry the bathroom.
That is, in the third invention, the bathroom is automatically dried when the operating means is operated so that the outlet is opened by the outlet opening / closing means. The trouble of drying can be eliminated.

According to the fourth invention, in the third invention, the hot water discharged from the bath is further supplied to the washing machine when the discharge port is opened.
That is, in the fourth aspect of the invention, the hot water for bath can be used effectively in the washing machine. In addition, since supplying hot water for bathing to the washing machine is automatically performed, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of the user moving the bath water to the washing machine.

According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, further comprising temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the bathroom, so that hot water is supplied to the bath by the supply means. When the temperature of the bathroom detected by the temperature detecting means is lower than a predetermined value when the operating means is operated, the control means drives the bathroom drying means to heat the bathroom. did.
That is, in the fifth aspect, when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is lower than a predetermined value, the bathroom is automatically heated, so that it is possible to eliminate the trouble of the user heating the bathroom. This means that if the user does not use the bath immediately, or if the user uses the remaining hot water after the user has used the bath, the user must enter the bath before entering the bathroom. This is particularly advantageous because there is no need to heat the bathroom.

According to a sixth invention, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the heat pump cycle includes a compressor provided in the circulation passage, a water heat exchanger, an expansion valve, an air heat exchanger, Is included.
That is, in the sixth aspect of the invention, hot water supply water can be efficiently obtained by a so-called supercritical heat pump cycle.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals. In order to facilitate understanding, the scales of these drawings are appropriately changed.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a heat pump water heater according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a heat pump water heater 10 is a supercritical heat pump cycle 11 used for heating water, that is, a heat pump unit, and a hot water storage tank 20 for storing hot water heated by the supercritical heat pump cycle 11. Including. The hot water storage tank 20 included in the tank unit 29 is made of a metal (for example, stainless steel) having excellent corrosion resistance and has a heat insulating structure, and can keep hot hot water for a long time.

  In FIG. 1, an intake passage 33 that supplies room temperature water from a water source (not shown) to the hot water storage tank 20 is connected to the bottom of the hot water storage tank 20. Further, as shown in the figure, the supply passage 31 connects the heat pump cycle 11 and the top of the hot water storage tank 20, and the supply passage 32 connects the bottom of the hot water storage tank 20 and the heat pump cycle 11.

  Further, a circulation passage 36 for circulating hot water in the hot water storage tank 20 connects the top of the hot water storage tank 20 and the bottom of the hot water storage tank 20, and hot water for hot water on the top side of the hot water storage tank 20 passes through the circulation passage 36. It is returned to the bottom side of the hot water storage tank 20. As shown in the drawing, a heat exchanger 27, a primary pump 23, and a three-way valve 22 as a medium-temperature water return valve are sequentially provided in the circulation passage 36.

  Further, as shown in the drawing, a bathroom dryer 45 provided in the bathroom 49 and another circulation passage 46 in which the secondary pump 24 is disposed are also connected to the heat exchanger 27. In this circulation passage 46, water is normally sealed as a medium. In the heat exchanger 27, the flow in the circulation passage 46 and the flow in the circulation passage 36 are in opposite directions.

  An automatic drain plug 43 that opens and closes the discharge port 42 is provided at the discharge port 42 of the bath 40 disposed in the bathroom 49. Further, a supply passage 47 extending from the discharge port 42 of the bath 40 extends to the washing machine 55 via the three-way valve 26 and the pump 25. As shown in the figure, the three-way valve 26 is provided with another discharge passage 48.

  Further, a branch passage 35 that branches from the circulation passage 36 between the top of the hot water storage tank 20 and the heat exchanger 27 extends to the supply port 41 of the bath 40 of the bathroom 49. The supply port 41 is provided with a supply plug 44 that opens and closes the supply port 41. A branch passage 34 branched from the intake passage 33 extends to the three-way valve 21 as a bath control valve provided in the branch passage 35. Further, the supply passage 37 extends from the three-way valve 22 of the circulation passage 36 to a portion below the intermediate position of the hot water storage tank 20.

  Furthermore, an electric wire 59 extending from the heat pump cycle 11 is connected to a tank ECU (Electronic control unit) 28, a kitchen remote controller 52, and a bathroom remote controller 51 in the tank unit 29. The tank ECU 28 includes a ROM (read only memory), a RAM (random access memory), a CPU (microprocessor), an input port, and an output port connected to each other by a bidirectional bus. It serves to control the movement. The kitchen remote controller 52 is operated when hot water in the hot water storage tank 20 is used in a kitchen (not shown).

  Furthermore, the pump 25 provided in the drain plug 43, the supply plug 44 and the supply passage 47 of the bath 40 is connected to the bathroom remote controller 51 and the tank ECU 28 by an electric wire 59. Although not shown, it is assumed that the primary side pump 23, the secondary side pump 24, the three-way valves 21, 22, 26, and the thermometer 56 provided in the bathroom 49 are also connected to the tank ECU 28 by electric wires 59. . Further, the heat pump water heater 10 may be appropriately connected to a floor heating device and an indoor air conditioner (not shown) for floor heating or indoor air conditioning.

  The bathroom remote controller 51 includes a plurality of operation buttons 61. These operation buttons 61 include a start button for supplying hot water to the bath 40 to start filling, a heat retaining button for keeping the hot water for the bath 40, an opening button for opening the discharge port 42, and a closing button for closing the discharge port 42. Includes buttons etc. The bathroom dryer 45 is operated in either a heating mode for heating the interior of the bathroom 49 or a drying mode for drying the interior of the bathroom 49, and the operation button 61 of the bathroom remote controller 51 is operated in the heating mode. A heating button for operating and a drying button for operating the bathroom dryer 45 in a drying mode are also included. When the user operates the operation button 61, the operation corresponding to the operation button 61 is automatically performed through the tank ECU 28.

  The kitchen remote controller 52 also has a plurality of operation buttons 62 corresponding to similar functions, and is mainly operated when the hot water in the hot water storage tank 20 is used in a kitchen sink. Does not mention the specific operation of the kitchen remote controller 52. Even if the kitchen remote control 52 is not present, it is included in the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing the heat pump cycle of the heat pump water heater shown in FIG. In the heat pump cycle 11 shown in FIG. 2, a compressor 15, a water heat exchanger 17, an expansion valve 16, an air heat exchanger 13, and a circulation passage 14 connecting these members are arranged. Carbon dioxide having a relatively low critical pressure is enclosed in the circulation passage 14 as a refrigerant. The air heat exchanger 13 is provided with an outside air fan 12.

  Further, as can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply passage 32 extends to the water heat exchanger 17 of the heat pump cycle 11, and the supply passage 31 extends from the water heat exchanger 17. The flow directions of the supply passages 31 and 32 and the flow direction of the circulation passage 14 are opposite to each other in the water heat exchanger 17.

  During the operation of the heat pump water heater 10, the outside air fan 12 of the heat pump cycle 11 rotates, so that heat from outside air is taken into the carbon dioxide in the air heat exchanger 13. Next, the carbon dioxide is compressed in the compressor 15 and becomes high temperature. The carbon dioxide having reached a high temperature heats water from the supply passage 32 in the water heat exchanger 17. Next, the carbon dioxide expands at the expansion valve 16 and is supplied again to the air heat exchanger 13 with its temperature lowered. On the other hand, the water heated in the water heat exchanger 17 is supplied to the hot water storage tank 20 through the supply passage 31, and is stored as hot water.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a control operation program of the heat pump water heater according to the present invention. The program 100 shown in FIG. 3 is stored in advance in the ROM or RAM of the tank ECU 28, and is repeatedly executed when the heat pump cycle 11 is in a driving state.

  In step 101 of the program 100 shown in FIG. 3, whether or not an instruction to automatically “start hot water filling” of the bath 40 has been issued, that is, of the operation buttons 61 of the bathroom remote control 51, It is determined whether or not the start button for starting the operation has been operated. If it is determined that the start button has been operated, the process proceeds to step 102 and the discharge port 42 is closed. Next, in step 103, hot water filling of the bath 40 is started. On the other hand, if the “start hot water filling” instruction has not been issued in step 101, the process proceeds to step 104.

  When filling the bath 40, the three-way valve 21 is set so that the hot water supply water in the hot water storage tank 20 flows through the branch passage 35. Next, hot water is supplied into the bath 40 through the supply port 41 opened by the supply plug 44. The set temperature of the bath 40 is separately determined by the user. When this set temperature is lower than the temperature of the hot water supply water in the hot water storage tank 20, the normal temperature water in the branch passage 34 is diverted by the three-way valve 21. It is mixed in appropriately. When a predetermined amount of hot water supply water is supplied into the bath 40, the three-way valve 21 is set to close the branch passages 34 and 35, and the supply of hot water supply water to the bath 40 is stopped. Then, the supply port 41 is closed by the supply plug 44, and the filling of the bath 40 is completed. When the hot water filling is completed, a predetermined alarm is issued to inform the user of the completion of the hot water filling.

  In the past, the user had to separately operate a closing button for closing the discharge port 42 before filling the bath 40, but in the present invention, the user operates the filling button to discharge the water. The outlet 42 is automatically closed and the filling is started. That is, in the present invention, since the three-way valve 21 and the branch passages 34 and 35 used to fill the bath 40 are controlled in conjunction with the drain plug 43, the user closes the discharge port 42. You can avoid the situation of forgetting to do.

  By the way, even after the hot water filling of the bath 40 is completed, when the user does not use the bath immediately, or when another user uses the remaining hot water after the user uses the bath 40 For example, the bath 40 is brought into the “warm” state by operating the heat retaining button of the operation buttons 61. In step 104, it is determined whether or not the bath 40 is in such a “warming” state. If it is determined that the bath 40 is in the “warm” state, the process proceeds to step 105.

  In step 105, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the bathroom 49 is low. Specifically, the temperature T of the bathroom 49 is detected by a thermometer 56 provided in the bathroom 49, and it is determined whether or not the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature T0. The temperature T0 is a value determined according to a temperature difference between the inside and outside of the bathroom 49, and is automatically calculated by the tank ECU 28. When the temperature T is lower than the predetermined temperature T0, the routine proceeds to step 106, where the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the heating mode. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 104 that the bath 40 is not in the “warm” state, and if it is determined in step 105 that the temperature of the bathroom 49 is not low, the process proceeds to step 107.

  When the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the heating mode, the three-way valve 22 is set and the primary pump 23 is driven so that hot water is circulated through the circulation passage 36. At the same time, the secondary pump 24 is also driven, and the water in the circulation passage 46 is also circulated. Thereby, the heat of the hot water supply water in the circulation passage 36 is transmitted to the medium in the circulation passage 46 in the heat exchanger 27. The heat transferred to the medium in the circulation passage 46 is transferred into the bathroom 49 through the bathroom dryer 45, whereby the inside of the bathroom 49 is heated at a predetermined temperature corresponding to the temperature T0.

  As described above, since the program 100 is repeatedly executed, when the user does not use the bath immediately after completion of the filling of the bath 40, or after the user has used the bath 40, other users can Even when remaining hot water is used, the interior of the bathroom 49 is maintained at a predetermined temperature. Therefore, before the user enters the bathroom 49, it is not necessary to operate the heating button for operating the bathroom dryer 45 in the heating mode. In other words, in the present invention, the bathroom dryer 45 in the heating mode is associated with the heat retention button for keeping the bath 40 warm, so that the user is not required to preheat the bathroom 49 before entering the bathroom 49. Can do.

  Next, the routine proceeds to step 107, whether or not an “open” instruction for the automatic drain plug 43 has been issued, that is, whether or not the opening button for opening the discharge port 42 among the operation buttons 61 on the bathroom remote controller 51 has been operated. Determined. When it is determined that the release button has been operated because the user has finished using the bath 40 of the bathroom 49, the process proceeds to step 108, where the discharge port 42 is opened. Thereby, the hot water in the bath 40 is discharged through the discharge port 42. Next, the routine proceeds to step 109, where the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the drying mode. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 107 that an instruction to open the automatic drain plug 43 has not been issued, the process ends.

  When the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the drying mode, the three-way valve 22 is set so that the hot water supply circulates through the circulation passage 36 and the primary pump 23 is driven as in the heating mode described above. . At the same time, the secondary pump 24 is also driven, and the water in the circulation passage 46 is also circulated. Thereby, the heat of the hot water supply water in the circulation passage 36 is transmitted to the medium in the circulation passage 46 in the heat exchanger 27. The heat transferred to the medium in the circulation passage 46 is transferred into the bathroom 49 through the bathroom dryer 45, whereby the inside of the bathroom 49 is dried. However, when the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the drying mode, the rotational speed of the impeller of the secondary pump 24 is set higher than the rotational speed in the heating mode. As a result, although it is less than in the heating mode, a sufficient amount of heat to dry the bathroom 49 is radiated from the bathroom dryer 45 into the bathroom 49.

  After the user uses the bath 40, the water vapor is filled in the bathroom 49, so that the water vapor is eliminated by using the bathroom dryer 45 in the drying mode. Moreover, the clouding of the mirror previously installed in the bathroom 49 is eliminated by the drying action of the bathroom dryer 45. In addition, when the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the heating mode, it is clear that the clouding of the mirror is similarly eliminated. The bathroom dryer 45 operates for a predetermined time in the drying mode and automatically stops.

  Conventionally, the user needs to separately operate a drying button for operating the bathroom dryer 45 in the drying mode after discharging the hot water for the bath 40, whereas in the present invention, the user uses the outlet 42. By operating the release button, the discharge port 42 is opened and the bathroom dryer 45 is automatically operated in the drying mode. That is, in the present invention, since the bathroom dryer 45 and the drain plug 43 in the drying mode are controlled in conjunction with each other, it is possible to eliminate the trouble of drying the bathroom after the user leaves the bathroom.

  When the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the drying mode and the heating mode, the three-way valve 22 is set so that the hot-water supply water whose temperature has decreased after passing through the heat exchanger 27 flows through the supply passage 37 as medium-temperature water. It may be. Furthermore, when discharging hot water for the bath 40, the three-way valve 26 and the pump 25 can be set so that the hot water of the bath 40 is supplied to the washing machine 55 through the supply passage 47. A water-saving effect can be obtained by using hot water for the bath 40 in the washing machine 55. As described above, in the present invention, the hot water supply water can be automatically supplied to the washing machine 55, so that the user can eliminate the trouble of moving the hot water supply water in the bath 40 to the washing machine 55. When a predetermined amount of hot water supply water is supplied to the washing machine 55, the three-way valve 26 is set so that the hot water supply water in the bath 40 flows only into the discharge passage 48, the pump 25 is stopped, and the remaining water in the bath 40 is stopped. All of the hot water supply water is discharged from the discharge passage 48.

  In this way, in the present invention, the tank ECU 28 fills the bath 40 and closes the drain plug, keeps the bath 40 warm and the bathroom dryer 45, and opens the outlet 42 and the bathroom dryer 45. Therefore, the operation and operation timing of the bathroom remote controller 51 to be learned by the user can be minimized. Therefore, even if the user is an elderly person, the heat pump water heater 10 of the present invention can be used relatively easily.

  Further, in the present invention, the single bath remote control 51 can be used to fill and keep the bath 40, open and close the discharge port 42, and the operation of each mode of the bathroom dryer 45. That is, in the present invention, it is not necessary to separately install a remote control for hot water filling, a remote control for the drain plug 43, and a remote control for the bathroom dryer 45. The operation means can also be constructed.

Although not shown in the drawings, when the bathroom remote controller 51 is operated so that the bathroom dryer 45 operates in the dry mode, for example, the bathroom dryer 45 is operated in the dry mode and the discharge port 42 is opened. The drain plug 43 may be automatically interlocked. Similarly, when one of the hot water supply operation to the bath 40, the opening and closing operation of the drain plug 43, the drying operation and the heating operation of the bathroom dryer 45 is operated by the bathroom remote controller 51, the remaining operations are linked. Such control is included in the scope of the present invention.
In addition, the hot water filling action of the bath 40 and the closing action by the drain plug, the warming action of the bath 40 and the heating action of the bathroom dryer 45, and the opening action of the discharge port 42 and the drying action of the bathroom dryer 45 should not be interlocked. The switching means (not shown) may be provided in the bathroom remote controller 51. When such a switching means is operated, for example, the heat retaining action of the bath 40 and the heating action of the bathroom dryer 45 are not linked, and the user is required to operate both the heat retaining button and the heating button. The Needless to say, it is within the scope of the present invention to appropriately combine some of the above-described embodiments.

1 is a schematic diagram of a heat pump water heater according to the present invention. It is the elements on larger scale which expand and show the heat pump cycle among the heat pump type water heaters shown by FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating control operation | movement of the heat pump type water heater based on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Heat pump type water heater 11 Heat pump cycle 12 Outside air fan 13 Air heat exchanger 14 Circulation passage 15 Compressor 16 Expansion valve 17 Water heat exchanger 20 Hot water storage tank 23 Primary side pump 24 Secondary side pump 25 Pump 27 Heat exchanger 28 Tank ECU (control means)
29 Tank unit 40 Bath 41 Supply port 42 Discharge port 43 Drain plug (Drain port opening / closing means)
44 Supply plug (supply means)
45 Bathroom dryer (bathroom drying means)
49 Bathroom 51 Remote control for bathroom (operating means)
52 Remote controller for kitchen 55 Washing machine 56 Thermometer 59 Electric wire 61 Operation button 62 Operation button

Claims (5)

A hot water storage tank (20) for storing hot water supply water;
A heat pump cycle (11) which is means for heating hot water,
Supply means (44) for supplying hot water in the hot water storage tank (20) to the bath (40);
Outlet opening / closing means (43) for opening / closing the outlet (42) of the bath (40);
Bathroom drying means (45) for drying and heating the bathroom (49) in which the bath (40) is disposed;
Operating means (51) for operating the supply means (44), the outlet opening / closing means (43), and the bathroom drying means (45);
When one of the supply means (44), the outlet opening / closing means (43), and the bathroom drying means (45) is operated by the operation means (51), the supply means (44) and the discharge means are disposed. The one of the outlet opening / closing means (43) and the bathroom drying means (45), the supply means (44), the outlet opening / closing means (44) and the remaining two of the bathroom drying means (45). Control means (28) for controlling at least one of them in conjunction with each other ,
When the operation means (51) is operated so that the hot water for the hot water storage tank (20) is supplied to the bath (40) by the supply means (44), the control means (28) The supply means (44) supplies hot water to the bath (40) and drives the outlet opening / closing means (43) so that the outlet (42) is closed,
In the operation means (51), the supply action of the hot water supply water to the bath (40) by the supply means (44) and the closing action of the discharge opening (42) by the discharge opening / closing means (43) are interlocked. A heat pump type water heater including a switching means for switching so as not to occur . A hot water storage tank (20) for storing hot water supply water;
A heat pump cycle (11) which is means for heating hot water,
Supply means (44) for supplying hot water in the hot water storage tank (20) to the bath (40);
Outlet opening / closing means (43) for opening / closing the outlet (42) of the bath (40);
Bathroom drying means (45) for drying and heating the bathroom (49) in which the bath (40) is disposed;
Operating means (51) for operating the supply means (44), the outlet opening / closing means (43), and the bathroom drying means (45);
When one of the supply means (44), the outlet opening / closing means (43), and the bathroom drying means (45) is operated by the operation means (51), the supply means (44) and the discharge means are disposed. The one of the outlet opening / closing means (43) and the bathroom drying means (45), the supply means (44), the outlet opening / closing means (44) and the remaining two of the bathroom drying means (45). Control means (28) for controlling at least one of them in conjunction with each other ,
When the operation means (51) is operated such that the discharge opening (42) is opened by the discharge opening / closing means (43), the control means (28) opens the discharge opening (42). The outlet opening / closing means (43) is driven to open and the bathroom drying means (45) is driven to dry the bathroom (49),
The operation means (51) switches the opening action of the discharge opening (42) by the discharge opening / closing means (43) and the drying action of the bathroom (49) by the bathroom drying means (45). A heat pump water heater including switching means . Furthermore, the heat pump type water heater according to claim 2 , wherein hot water supplied from the bath (40) is supplied to the washing machine (55) by opening the discharge port (42). Furthermore, it comprises temperature detecting means (56) for detecting the temperature of the bathroom (49),
When the operation means (51) is operated so that hot water is supplied to the bath (40) by the supply means (44), the temperature detection means (56) detects the bathroom (49). when the temperature is less than a predetermined value, said control means (28) to any one of 3 from the bathroom drying means according to claim 1, (45) a driven and adapted to heating the bathroom (49) The heat pump type water heater described. The heat pump cycle (11) includes a compressor (15) provided in the circulation passage (14), a water heat exchanger (17), an expansion valve (16), and an air heat exchanger (13). The heat pump type water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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