JPH0366581B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an automatic bath device.

(Prior art and problems) Conventionally, in devices that automatically drop water into the bathtub, the detection of the bathtub water level is based on the water level as shown in Utility Model Application No. 59-169937 (Utility Model Publication No. 84461-1983). This was done by installing a detector in the bathtub. However, this requires construction of the signal line of the water level detector, and the construction is troublesome due to the risk of water leakage.

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, and is an automatic bath device having a remote reheating function, in which a pressure sensor is provided inside the device body to detect the bath water level, and air is interposed in the piping. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic bath device that does not erroneously detect the water level and that reduces the error with the set water level and the increase in hot water supply time caused by air purge.

(Example) In Fig. 1, 1 is the appliance body, 2 is the water heater,
Reference numeral 3 denotes a bathing device, which is provided within the main body 1. 4 is a bathtub located at a remote location from the main body 1. 5 is a bath hot water supply pipe branched from the hot water outlet pipe 7 of the water heater 3, and is provided with a drop valve 6. Reference numerals 8 and 9 denote reheating circulation paths of the bath device 3, which are composed of an outgoing pipe 8 connected from the pump 10 to the bathtub 4 via a heat exchanger, and a return pipe 9 returning from the bathtub 4 to the pump 10. A pressure sensor 11 is installed in the return pipe 9 in the main body 1, and is used to detect the water level difference from the bathtub water level. Reference numeral 12 denotes a three-way valve connected to the suction side of the pump 10, one of which is connected to the return pipe 9, and the other to a hopper 13, which will be described later. The hopper 13 is open to the atmosphere and is used to cut off hot water from the bath hot water supply pipe 5, and by switching the three-way valve 12, hot water can be poured into the bathtub 4 from the outgoing pipe 8. ing. 1
A bypass pipe 4 is connected from the outgoing pipe 8 to the return pipe 9 downstream of the pressure sensor 11, and a three-way valve 16 is provided at the branch point with the bypass pipe 14. 17 is a water flow switch provided in the return pipe 9.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained. First, when the automatic operation switch (not shown) is turned on, the _F1 drop valve 6 is opened to supply hot water from the water heater 3 to the hopper 13, and the three-way valve 12 is switched to the hopper side.
Moreover, the three-way valve 16 is switched to the bypass side, and the three-way valve 12, the pump 10, and the three-way valve 1 are connected from the hopper 13 to the three-way valve 16.
6, a circuit is formed to the bathtub 4 via the bypass pipe 14 and the return pipe 9. When hot water accumulates in the hopper 13, it is detected by the water level switch 18, and the pump 10 is operated in response to this detection signal to pump hot water into the bypass pipe 14.
and F2 to flow into the return pipe 9 and perform air purging. When the air purge is completed after a certain period of time, the three-way valve 16 is switched to the outgoing pipe side, and the water is dropped into the bathtub 4 from the outgoing pipe 8 F3. The return pipe 9 is a pipe dedicated to water pressure detection, and water pressure is sampled. As the dropping progresses and the pressure sensor 11 detects a predetermined value, F4 switches the three-way valve 16 again to purge the inside of the return pipe 9 with air. In this air purge, the inside of the return pipe 9 may be replaced with air depending on the installation position of the bathtub 4 and the piping method of the reheating circulation path.
This is to prevent false detection. After the air purge, the three-way valve 16 is switched, the water pressure is read again at F6, and if a predetermined value is detected, it is determined that the set water level L has been reached, and the lowering is completed at F7. If the predetermined value is not detected, it is determined that air is present in the return pipe 9 and the pressure sensor 11 has erroneously detected it, and the process returns to dropping from the outgoing pipe 8 F3. In this way, every time F4 when the pressure sensor 11 detects a predetermined value, the air in the return pipe 9 is purged, F5, and the pressure sensor 11 samples the water pressure again. I will return.

By the way, the air purge F5 has a timing different from that of the air purge F2 at the initial stage of the drop-in hot water supply. That is, the initial air purge F2 performs an air purge for a certain period of time, which is set to ensure that the inside of the piping up to the bathtub can be reliably air purged even when the piping is constructed with the longest allowable piping length. The air purge F5 after the detected air purge F4 is set to a fixed time shorter than the initial air purge F2, and the water level increment from the set water level L accompanying the air purge F5 is reduced.

(Effects of the Invention) The present invention has the following excellent effects. That is, since the pressure sensor only needs to be provided in the piping constituting the reheating circulation path, it can be provided inside the main body of the device, and there is no problem in construction. In addition, after the pressure sensor detects a predetermined value, air purges the inside of the piping and detects the water pressure again, making water pressure detection more reliable.Moreover, the increase in water level from the set water level due to this air purge can be reduced, which is required for automatic hot water supply. The time can also be shortened.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operational flowchart of the embodiment. . 1... Body, 4... Bathtub, 8... Outgoing pipe (reheating circulation path), 9... Return pipe (additional heating circulation path), 10... Pump, 11... Pressure sensor, 12, 16... Three-way valve, 14...bypass pipe.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a bathtub that supplies hot water by dropping it from the main body located remotely from the bathtub via a reheating circulation path, a pressure sensor is installed in one pipe of the reciprocating piping that makes up the reheating circulation path, and the pressure sensor is installed at the beginning of the drop-in hot water supply. The inside of the pipe on the pressure sensor side is purged with air for a certain period of time, and then the water pressure is detected by a pressure sensor while water is being supplied through the other pipe. When the pressure sensor detects a predetermined value, the inside of the pipe on the pressure sensor side is purged with water compared to the above initial air purge. An automatic bath device characterized by detecting water pressure after air purge for a short period of time.