DE102022126411A1 - Sewage system for sanitary arrangement and sanitary arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a waste water system for a sanitary arrangement, in particular for a shower arrangement, wherein the waste water system has an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver, which together form a waste water sensor, wherein the waste water system can also have further components such as a waste water pump and/or a pump control. The invention further relates to a sanitary arrangement, in particular a shower arrangement, with such a waste water system.

Description

The invention relates to a wastewater system for a sanitary arrangement and to a sanitary arrangement with such a wastewater system.

Sanitary arrangements can be used in particular to enable body cleaning. They can be designed as a shower arrangement, for example, or they can also be arrangements with a bathtub, a sink or a toilet. Sanitary arrangements such as a shower arrangement are typically installed in residential and commercial buildings, but also in mobile units such as mobile homes, caravans or boats. Particularly during renovations or retrofitting, the problem can arise that there is insufficient gradient for reliable drainage of wastewater. In this case, a more complex design of a wastewater system is typically required, which includes, for example, a pump that actively pumps the wastewater. This allows, for example, the installation of barrier-free showers suitable for the disabled in old buildings without sufficient gradient.

It is an object of the invention to provide a wastewater system for a sanitary arrangement which is alternative or better than known designs. In particular, it can enable better control of a wastewater pump. It is also an object of the invention to provide a sanitary arrangement with such a wastewater system. This is achieved according to the invention by a wastewater system and a sanitary arrangement according to the respective main claims. Advantageous embodiments can be taken from the respective subclaims, for example. The content of the claims is made part of the content of the description by express reference.

The invention relates to a sewage system for a sanitary arrangement. The sewage system has an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver. The ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver form a sewage sensor and can be mounted on both sides of a sewage pipe of the sewage system. In particular, they can be mounted in such a way that the ultrasonic transmitter emits ultrasonic waves into the sewage pipe and the ultrasonic receiver receives these after transmission through the sewage pipe and generates a sewage signal based on them.

Such a wastewater system can be used in particular for advantageous monitoring of a flow of wastewater and/or a fill level. For example, air bubble detection can be carried out, which can provide an indication of the correct operation of a wastewater pump.

Basically, a wastewater system is understood here to mean any system that can be used as part of a wastewater system in a sanitary arrangement. This can, for example, only involve the components of a sensor as described above, but other components such as a wastewater pump, a wastewater pipe and/or a control system can also be part of a wastewater system. In the context of this application, a wastewater system does not necessarily have to be a complete system that can drain wastewater; a part of such a system or a component that is used as part of a wastewater system is sufficient.

The sanitary arrangement mentioned can be a shower arrangement in particular. In the case of showers, it is often the case that renovations are carried out to make them accessible for disabled people, so that previous shower trays can no longer be used because they are too high and are to be replaced by floor-level shower trays. This limits the existing gradient and often means that reliable wastewater drainage can only be ensured with the help of a wastewater pump. However, the wastewater system can also be used for other sanitary arrangements such as bathtubs or washbasins.

An ultrasonic transmitter is typically an element that emits ultrasonic waves. In particular, it can be electrically controlled in a suitable manner for this purpose. An ultrasonic receiver is typically an element that receives the ultrasonic waves and generates a signal based on them. This signal is typically rectified and smoothed. It typically gives an indication of how much ultrasonic energy was transmitted through the sewer pipe.

In particular, ultrasonic transmitters and ultrasonic receivers can be mounted or mountable on the outside of the sewage pipe. This can mean in particular that they are placed on an otherwise finished sewage pipe. In particular, ultrasonic transmitters and/or ultrasonic receivers can be mounted or mountable without contact with the sewage. This can prevent contamination. In particular, the ultrasonic receiver is separate from the ultrasonic transmitter. A two-sided arrangement can be understood in particular to mean that the components mentioned are mounted on two completely or at least in approximately opposite directions. For example,

According to one embodiment, the sewage system can have a housing. The ultrasonic transmitter and/or the ultrasonic receiver can be attached to the housing. The housing can be designed in particular for mounting around a sewage pipe. Using such a housing, the sewage sensor can be easily mounted and also replaced. In particular, retrofitting is possible, i.e. the sewage sensor can be attached to an existing sewage pipe.

The housing can in particular have a first part and a second part. The ultrasonic transmitter can in particular be arranged in the first part. The ultrasonic receiver can in particular be arranged in the second part. The first part can in particular be detachably connectable to the second part. Such an embodiment can in particular ensure that the two parts can be handled independently of one another and can be easily attached to the sewage pipe. Typically, each part of the housing occupies an angle of exactly or approximately 180°. For example, the two parts can be screwed together, which enables simple assembly and also simple removal. For maintenance purposes, the two parts can, for example, be detached from one another, for example by unscrewing screws again.

In particular, a hold-down device for the ultrasonic transmitter can be arranged in the housing, which presses the ultrasonic transmitter against the sewage pipe. Furthermore, in particular, a hold-down device for the ultrasonic receiver can be arranged in the housing, which presses the ultrasonic receiver against the sewage pipe. This can ensure that the ultrasonic transmitter or the ultrasonic receiver are suitably positioned on the sewage pipe and are also held there. This can improve the reliability of the measurement. A hold-down device can, for example, be designed as an elastic and/or springy element. It can, for example, act on a coupling element that transfers the force in the direction of the sewage pipe. In particular, by pressing the ultrasonic transmitter or ultrasonic receiver against the sewage pipe, it can be ensured that reliable function is also guaranteed, for example, in the event of vibrations. In particular, a grease or other material for conducting sound can be arranged between the ultrasonic transmitter and/or the ultrasonic receiver and the sewage pipe.

The housing can in particular be designed such that it only contacts the sewage pipe at an inlet for the sewage pipe and at an outlet for the sewage pipe. This ensures a defined positional relationship between the housing and the sewage pipe, so that any tolerances in the manufacture of the sewage pipe and/or the housing do not lead to tension. The defined housing can in particular form a counterholder for pressing on the hold-downs mentioned above. The housing can be contacted, in particular at the inlet and/or at the outlet, by means of one or more spacers which can be arranged between the housing and the sewage pipe. These can in particular be designed in strip form. The contact can therefore also be indirect, i.e. in particular by means of the spacers. In particular, it can be provided that there is no contact between the housing and the sewage pipe outside of the contacting points.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver are attached directly in the sewage pipe. In particular, a housing in which the ultrasonic transmitter and/or ultrasonic receiver are arranged can be dispensed with. Direct attachment can be understood in particular to mean that there is a direct connection between the sewage pipe and the ultrasonic transmitter or ultrasonic receiver. In particular, ultrasonic transmitters and/or ultrasonic receivers can be arranged in recesses in the sewage pipe. These can, for example, be arranged offset from one another by 180° along a circumference of the sewage pipe. The recesses can in particular be designed as external troughs. They allow suitable placement of the ultrasonic transmitter and/or ultrasonic receiver, whereby these can, for example, be cast.

In particular, ultrasonic transmitters and/or ultrasonic receivers can be arranged in or on a separate, removable section of the sewage pipe. This section can be connected to other sections of the sewage pipe using couplings or connectors, for example commercially available couplings or connectors. This allows for easy replacement, for example in the event that a fault has occurred with the sewage sensor, or even retrofitting to an existing sewage pipe, which can be cut through in sections so that the removable section can be inserted.

According to one embodiment, the sewage system further comprises a sewage pump and a Wastewater pipe. In particular, the wastewater pump can be arranged in the wastewater pipe. This can mean in particular that the wastewater pipe is connected to the wastewater pump on both the inlet side and the outlet side of the wastewater pump. The wastewater pump can therefore pump wastewater through the wastewater pipe. The wastewater pipe can also be understood as a wastewater pipe that is at least divided into two parts, with one part being located in front of the wastewater pump in terms of flow and one part being located after the wastewater pump in terms of flow.

According to one embodiment, the wastewater sensor is mounted on the wastewater pipe downstream of the wastewater pump, so that the ultrasonic transmitter emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe and the ultrasonic receiver receives them after transmission through the wastewater pipe. If arranged downstream of the wastewater pump, air pumped downstream by the wastewater pump can be detected by the wastewater sensor. In addition, a fill level measurement can be carried out at this point on the wastewater pipe.

According to one embodiment, the wastewater sensor is mounted on the wastewater pipe upstream of the wastewater pump, so that the ultrasonic transmitter emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe and the ultrasonic receiver receives them after transmission through the wastewater pipe. This means that the area in front of the wastewater pump can already be used for control, whereby air sucked in at this point can also be detected and/or a fill level measurement can be carried out.

The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer in particular to a typical flow direction of flowing water.

In principle, it is also possible to use two wastewater sensors. Typically, one wastewater sensor can be located upstream of the wastewater pump and one wastewater sensor downstream of the wastewater pump.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter is arranged vertically above the sewer pipe and/or the ultrasonic receiver is arranged vertically below the sewer pipe. This can be used in particular for air bubble detection, which means in particular that the sewer signal is lower the more air bubbles there are between the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver or the more air there is between the ultrasonic transmitter and the ultrasonic receiver. This is typically because sound is conducted much better through water than through air and that sound is reflected at interfaces between air and water. This also applies to ultrasound. In the case of a large continuous air bubble, the sewer signal can also drop to zero or almost zero.

According to one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter is arranged horizontally next to the sewage pipe and/or the ultrasonic receiver is arranged horizontally next to the sewage pipe. This can be used in particular to carry out a fill level measurement. In particular, during a fill level measurement, the higher the fill level, the greater the sewage signal. However, bubble detection is also possible with horizontally arranged components of the sewage sensor.

The wastewater pipe can be arranged in different ways in the room. For example, it can run horizontally. However, it can also rise vertically, so that, for example, the wastewater is pumped vertically upwards through the wastewater pipe. An angle between horizontal and vertical can also be provided, in particular such that the wastewater pipe runs in such a way that the wastewater is pumped upwards through the wastewater pipe. It has been shown that the wastewater system shown here and in particular the wastewater sensor disclosed here function without problems with such runs of the wastewater pipe.

The sewage pipe can in particular have a wall thickness which is equal to half the wavelength of an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter, or an integer multiple thereof. The sewage pipe can in particular also have a wall thickness such that an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter forms a standing wave in the sewage pipe. With the geometric conditions just described, a standing wave can be formed in particular advantageously. The standing wave can in particular arise in a wall of the sewage pipe. This enables particularly good transmission of the ultrasonic waves, so that a particularly high maximum signal is generated. This can improve the measurement, in particular differences between different signal heights of the sewage signal can be better distinguished from one another. In particular, a control circuit can be provided which controls the ultrasonic transmitter with a frequency so that it emits an ultrasonic wave with a specific wavelength, for example as specified in this paragraph.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the sewage system has an optimization circuit which is configured to vary a frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter and to identify an optimum frequency at which the sewage signal has a maximum. Such an optimum frequency typically ensures that the maximum signal intensity is obtained. A predetermined range of frequencies can be run through and it can be determined at which frequency a maximum sewage signal occurs. This improves the evaluation. The optimum frequency typically corresponds to a state in which the wall thickness of the sewage pipe is equal to half a wavelength of the ultrasonic wave or an integer multiple thereof, as described in the previous section. The optimization circuit thus enables optimization at runtime. It can, for example, be integrated into the control device described below.

In particular, the ultrasonic transmitter can then be controlled with the optimum frequency, i.e. in particular after the optimum frequency has been determined. This allows the best possible signal to be achieved. In particular, the wastewater system, a control circuit or a pump control can be configured accordingly.

According to one embodiment, the wastewater system further comprises a pump control for a wastewater pump. The pump control receives the wastewater signal and controls the wastewater pump based on it. This enables reliable control of the wastewater pump. The pump control can be designed in particular as an electronic device, for example as a programmable unit. However, hard-wired solutions or combined solutions are also possible.

The pump control can, for example, be configured to control and/or regulate the waste water pump so that the waste water signal has a predetermined value and/or is within a predetermined range. This means that the waste water signal can be used as an indicator of how much air is being sucked in by the waste water pump. If the waste water pump sucks in no or very little air, this indicates that it is running too slowly. This can be seen in particular from a high waste water signal. If, on the other hand, the waste water pump pumps a lot of air, the waste water signal drops, which indicates that the waste water pump is running too fast. It has been shown that in typical applications it is useful to let the waste water pump suck in some air to ensure that it always runs in a state in which it pumps out the existing waste water reliably and in an energy-efficient manner.

In particular, control can be carried out by using a proportional controller, an integral controller and/or a differential controller. These types of controllers can also be combined as desired. For example, a proportional-integral controller or a proportional-integral-differential controller can be used. The wastewater signal typically serves as an input variable, with the output of the wastewater pump being controlled so that the wastewater signal has the specified value and/or is within the specified range.

The predetermined value may, for example, be at least 90% and/or at most 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal. It has been shown that in typical situations, at a predetermined value relative to the maximum value, the wastewater pump operates in a mode in which it efficiently pumps out the wastewater present. In other words, it sucks in a little air, but not too much. The predetermined value may also be at least 80%, at least 70%, at least 60%, or at least 50% and/or at most 90%, at most 92%, or at most 98% of the maximum value of the wastewater signal. Any lower limits and upper limits can be combined.

According to one embodiment, the specified range has a lower limit which lies between 10% and 20% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal. As an alternative to 10%, the lower limit of the specified interval can also be, for example, 5% or 15%. As an alternative to 20%, the upper limit of the specified interval can also be, for example, 30%, 40% or 50%.

According to one embodiment, the predetermined range has an upper limit which lies between 90% and 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal. The lower limit of this interval can also be 80%, 70% or 60%, for example.

A predefined value and/or a predefined range can in particular be permanently programmed into the pump control. This can mean in particular that a change is not possible or is only possible by means of manual intervention. In particular, this means that the predefined value and/or the predefined range is not changed during operation of the wastewater system for pumping out wastewater.

In particular, the pump control can be configured to reduce a pump output if the waste water signal is below the specified value and/or below the specified range. In particular, the pump control can be configured to increase a pump output if the waste water signal is above the specified value and/or above the specified range. As a result, the pump output can always be adjusted so that the waste water signal has the specified value and/or is within the specified range.

When using a predefined value, a single value can be specified to which the wastewater signal is to be controlled or regulated. In this case, any measurable or processable undershoot or overshoot typically leads to a different pump output. For a predefined range, a fluctuation within this range can be tolerated without resulting in a change in the pump output. This can reduce control interventions.

Switching a waste water pump on and/or off can be based on information from an inflow sensor, for example. Then, for example, the control and regulation described above can be used. The inflow sensor is discussed in more detail below. If the waste water signal detects that, for example, a wet room is actually being emptied, which is typically reflected in a particularly low waste water signal, the waste water pump can be switched off. For example, the waste water pump can be switched off if the waste water signal falls below a predefined switch-off threshold. It can also be provided that the waste water pump is switched off if the waste water signal falls below the switch-off threshold for a predefined period of time.

The inflow sensor can, for example, provide a volume flow on the basis of which the wastewater pump is pre-controlled. For example, a map-based control can be used. If excessive air intake is detected, this indicates that the pump output is too high. Typically, the wastewater signal then drops too much. This can typically be responded to by reducing the pump output.

The pump control can be configured in particular to regulate a pump output so that the wastewater signal has the specified value. For example, the controller types mentioned above or other controller types can be used.

For a signal such as a wastewater signal, it is typically assumed that it is in positive numerical form and that a higher value indicates a higher transmission. Similarly, for an inflow signal, a higher value is assumed to indicate a higher flow. Different implementations in an electronic control system are possible, for example with negative values or representatives, which is considered equivalent.

The wastewater system can in particular have an inflow sensor or a connection for an inflow sensor. The inflow sensor can in particular measure an inflow through a sanitary fitting of the sanitary arrangement and generate an inflow signal based thereon. The sanitary fitting can in particular be a shower fitting, in particular if the sanitary arrangement is a shower arrangement. The inflow can be measured in terms of flow in, before or after the sanitary fitting, which is considered equivalent. The pump control can in particular receive the inflow signal and control the wastewater pump based thereon. As a result, information about an inflow to a sanitary fitting such as a shower fitting can be included in the control of the wastewater pump. Such an inflow sensor can in particular measure an inflow to a shower fitting, wherein the water from this shower fitting then flows, for example, into a drain which is drained via a wastewater pump and/or on which the wastewater system is arranged. In this case, the control of the wastewater pump is not limited to information received from the wastewater sensor, but can, for example, react proactively to an increased or reduced inflow or to the inflow being present or switched off at all.

The inflow sensor can in particular be a flow sensor. This can be designed as a vane meter, for example. In particular, the inflow sensor can come into contact with the water flowing through. This is typically not a problem at this point, since it is fresh water, not waste water.

In particular, the pump control can activate the waste water pump in response to the inflow signal being at least as high as an inflow threshold value. This inflow threshold value can thus indicate that a relevant amount of water is flowing through the shower fitting and it can be assumed that this is being sucked away by the waste water pump. Once activated, the wastewater pump can typically be controlled based on the wastewater signal as described above. For example, if the water flowing through the shower faucet is used to fill a bucket, it will not go down the drain and therefore will not need to be pumped out. In this case, the wastewater pump would typically run dry for a while before the control functionality described elsewhere herein automatically shuts the wastewater pump off again.

Preferably, the pump control determines an initial power value for the wastewater pump based on the inflow signal when or immediately after the wastewater pump is activated. This makes it possible to specify an initial power value with which the wastewater pump is controlled before the control or regulation described above takes effect. For example, this can ensure that in the event of a high flow through the shower fitting, the wastewater pump is immediately operated at a high power to pump out the water. If, on the other hand, only a low flow is determined, a lower pump power is sufficient, which can be adjusted accordingly.

The pump control can in particular be configured to instantly adjust a performance value for the wastewater pump based on a change in the inflow signal that is at least as large as a threshold value after the wastewater pump has been activated. This makes it possible to react to abrupt changes in the inflow before the control or regulation described above takes effect. This prevents the wastewater pump from running idle for a long time or a shower drain from overflowing. The control or regulation functionality mentioned above can be temporarily deactivated and, in particular, a higher or lower performance value for the wastewater pump can be specified immediately.

An instantaneous adaptation or change can basically be understood as an adaptation or change which takes place within a period of, for example, a maximum of 0.1 s, a maximum of 0.2 s, a maximum of 0.5 s or a maximum of 1 s.

In principle, a threshold value can be an absolute threshold value or a relative threshold value.

• - Parameter zur Ansteuerung der Abwasserpumpe,
• - Parameter eines Reglers,
• - eine obere Begrenzung einer Pumpenleistung, und/oder
• - eine untere Begrenzung einer Pumpenleistung

basierend auf dem Zuflusssignal einzustellen. Insbesondere können Parameter für proportionale, integrale und/oder differentiale Regelung eines Reglers basierend auf dem Zuflusssignal eingestellt werden. Dies erlaubt eine Anpassung abhängig vom zu erwartenden Zufluss, wobei trotzdem die Funktionalität erhalten bleibt, um auch bei von der üblichen Verwendung abweichenden Situationen wie beispielsweise der Befüllung eines Eimers (Zuflusssensor misst Zufluss, trotzdem kommt kein Wasser im Ablauf an) oder Ausleeren eines Eimers (Wasser kommt im Ablauf an, ohne dass der Zuflusssensor einen Zufluss misst) eine ordnungsgemäße Funktion sicherzustellen. Für typische Betriebssituationen kann die Steuerung und/oder Regelung optimiert werden.The pump control can be configured in particular to

• - Parameters for controlling the waste water pump,
• - Parameters of a controller,
• - an upper limit of a pump capacity, and/or
• - a lower limit of a pump output

based on the inflow signal. In particular, parameters for proportional, integral and/or differential control of a controller can be set based on the inflow signal. This allows adaptation depending on the expected inflow, while still maintaining functionality to ensure proper function even in situations that deviate from normal use, such as filling a bucket (inflow sensor measures inflow, but no water reaches the drain) or emptying a bucket (water reaches the drain without the inflow sensor measuring an inflow). The control and/or regulation can be optimized for typical operating situations.

In particular, the predetermined value and/or the predetermined range mentioned above can be independent of the inflow signal. The predetermined value and/or the predetermined range can in particular represent an optimal working range of the wastewater pump to which the pump is set or regulated. The manner in which a target is achieved is thus influenced, in particular depending on the inflow signal, but the target itself is not changed.

An inflow sensor can also be used to determine an initial performance value and/or a minimum value and/or a target value of the pump performance can be determined from a characteristic map depending on the inflow volume flow or inflow signal. To ensure that the water in a wet room does not rise, the pump performance can be increased despite the characteristic map. This can lead to air being sucked in, which is detected by the functionality described above. The control can then react by reducing the pump performance.

The waste water pump can be controlled in particular using the two parameters inflow sensor (selection of working range in the characteristic map) and outflow sensor (control/ensuring that no air is sucked in). After the inflow is switched off (showering process ends - no more inflow signal or volume flow), the waste water pump can continue to run until the air bubble sensor or waste water sensor detects a completely empty wet room or a completely empty drain.

The pump control can be configured in particular to switch off the waste water pump if the waste water signal falls below a switch-off threshold value for at least a predetermined period of time. This can ensure that the waste water pump is switched off if there is no or too little water to pump out. A low waste water signal indicates in particular that the waste water pipe at the location of the waste water sensor is completely or at least predominantly filled with air.

The pump control can be configured in particular to only switch off the waste water pump if an inflow signal falls below an inflow switch-off threshold. This can be understood as an exception to the functionality just described, i.e. the waste water pump is not switched off if the inflow signal is still above the inflow switch-off threshold. This can prevent the waste water pump from being switched off due to a temporary intake of air or a particularly large air bubble, even though there is still an inflow through a shower fitting.

The pump control can be configured in particular to calculate a fill level based on the wastewater signal. In particular, a relationship between the wastewater signal and the fill level can be used. This can be based in particular on the fact that with horizontal ultrasound penetration, the higher the fill level, the higher the wastewater signal, since water conducts ultrasound significantly better than air. Such a relationship can be used, for example, based on a stored characteristic curve or based on a calculation.

In particular, such a level measurement can be used to estimate the level in the area (diameter of sound beam/diameter of piezoelectric transducer) based on different intensity levels of the signal. This can preferably be done with horizontal flow, i.e. horizontal position of the sewage pipe, and horizontal transmission with ultrasound.

The pump control can in particular activate the waste water pump in response to the waste water signal being at least as high as a threshold value when the waste water pump is switched off. This can be implemented in addition to or separately from the switch-on functionality based on an inflow signal. This means that the waste water pump can also be switched on, for example, if a bucket is emptied into a shower drain, which leads to waste water flowing away, without this being detectable by an inflow sensor.

The sewage system can in particular have a driver circuit for the ultrasonic transmitter, which can in particular be configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter with a frequency of at least 0.5 MHz and/or of at most 4 MHz, or of 1 MHz. Such values for a control frequency have proven to be advantageous for typical applications. However, the use of other values is also possible in principle.

In principle, a thickness transducer can be used for the ultrasonic transmitter. The operating frequency can typically be any. Preferably, the sound wave is transmitted through the pipe.

According to one embodiment, the sewage system has an evaluation circuit for the ultrasonic receiver, which is configured to read the ultrasonic receiver after rectification and/or smoothing with a sampling frequency of at least 1 kHz and/or at most 10 kHz. Such sampling frequencies have proven to be advantageous because they enable rapid signal acquisition, but avoid excessive energy consumption. In particular, the evaluation circuit can also rectify and/or smooth a signal supplied directly by the ultrasonic receiver. Rectification can in particular mean that negative voltage parts are mirrored in the positive voltage range. Smoothing can mean, for example, low-pass filtering. Rectification and/or smoothing can also be understood as features that can be implemented independently.

The invention further relates to a sanitary arrangement with a drain and a wastewater system as described herein for draining the drain. With regard to the wastewater system, all embodiments and variants described herein can be used. The described advantages can be achieved accordingly.

In particular, the sanitary arrangement can be a shower arrangement and the drain can in particular be a shower drain. In principle, however, the sanitary arrangement can also be an arrangement with a bathtub, a washbasin, a toilet or a washing machine drain. These are typical applications in which it can happen that an existing gradient is not sufficient for the proper drainage of waste water. In this case, the use of the waste water system described here can create a Partial pumping of wastewater can be achieved by means of a wastewater pump.

In particular, the design described here can prevent sensors in the wastewater area from coming into contact with the wastewater. This can significantly improve the service life of such sensors. The ultrasonic sensors described here offer a virtually unlimited service life. In particular, no mechanical or corrosive wear occurs.

The pump control described here can also ensure that the noise generated by a wastewater pump is minimized. The wastewater pump is typically operated in such a way that it sucks out the existing wastewater and sucks in as little air as possible, which avoids excessive noise.

In particular, an intelligent shower waste water pumping system is provided which, for the first time, can control the performance of the waste water pump in an energy-efficient manner, for example through the targeted signal evaluation of a combination of flow sensor in the water inlet and air bubble detection in the waste water pipe (as well as optional level measurement). The sensors in the drain can be easily retrofitted into existing supply and waste water lines (clamp-on system) or implemented during new installation (sensor pipe) and usually do not require complex structural interventions in the shower system. If a waste water sensor is arranged between the drain and the waste water pump, it is preferably arranged as close as possible or directly on the drain. This allows short response times. If the waste water sensor is arranged downstream of the waste water pump, it is preferably arranged as close as possible or directly on the waste water pump. This also allows short response times.

The wastewater sensor is based in particular on the transmission measurement of ultrasonic waves through a water-carrying pipe. The piezoelectric transducer (transmitter) sends a signal, while the transmitted sound energy is measured using the transducer opposite (receiver). A wastewater pump can be intelligently controlled on the basis of the measurement data. If the wastewater pipe is completely filled with water (no air in the measuring range), the signal level is high. If air is sucked in by the wastewater pump (indication of excessive pumping power and the creation of unwanted noise), the passing of an air bubble leads to a strong reflection of the transmitted ultrasonic signal. The sound energy measured in transmission is therefore reduced. If the wastewater pipe is almost completely filled with air (indication of completely drained wet room), no transmitted sound energy can be measured. The wastewater pump can be pre-controlled on the basis of the sensor data from the inflow. For example, a characteristic curve or a characteristic map can be specified. Using the measurement data from the air bubble detection sensor or wastewater sensor in the drain, a logic (use of signal mean value, signal standard deviation) and a control system, the control unit outputs a control value for the wastewater pump.

• 1: eine sanitäre Anordnung,
• 2: ein Blockschaltbild,
• 3: einen Abschnitt eines Abwasserrohrs mit Abwassersensor,
• 4: einen Teil der Komponenten von 3,
• 5: ein Abwasserrohr mit Abwassersensor,
• 6: einen Teil der Komponenten von 5,
• 7: einen Teil der Komponenten von 6,
• 8: eine schematische Ansicht von Strömungsrichtung und Durchschallung,
• 9: eine weitere schematische Ansicht von Strömungsrichtung und Durchschallung,
• 10: eine weitere schematische Ansicht von Strömungsrichtung und Durchschallung, und
• 11: einen zeitlichen Verlauf eines Abwassersignals.

The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• 1 : a sanitary arrangement,
• 2 : a block diagram,
• 3 : a section of a sewer pipe with sewage sensor,
• 4 : part of the components of 3 ,
• 5 : a sewage pipe with sewage sensor,
• 6 : part of the components of 5 ,
• 7 : part of the components of 6 ,
• 8th : a schematic view of flow direction and sound transmission,
• 9 : another schematic view of flow direction and sound transmission,
• 10 : another schematic view of flow direction and transmission, and
• 11 : a temporal course of a wastewater signal.

1 shows a purely schematic view of a sanitary arrangement 10 in the form of a shower arrangement. The sanitary arrangement 10 has a first inflow line 20 and a second inflow line 25. These are designed separately for hot and cold water. They lead to a shower fitting 30, which is a sanitary fitting and has a first regulator 32 for cold water and a second regulator 34 for hot water. A shower 50 is connected to the shower fitting 30, with a shower hose 55 providing the connection between the shower fitting 30 and the shower 50. An inflow sensor 40 is arranged in the shower hose 55, which can be designed as an impeller meter, for example, and measures the flow through the shower fitting 30. This provides information on how much water is currently flowing through the shower 50. In the present implementation, the inflow sensor 40 transmits the signal via radio, but a wired transmission would also be possible, for example.

The sanitary arrangement 10 further comprises a shower tray 60 with a drain 65 formed therein. Water from the shower 50 enters the shower tray 60 and flows out via the drain 65. A wastewater pipe 110, which is part of a wastewater system 100, is connected to a connector 67 of the shower tray 60. The wastewater system 100 includes not only the wastewater pipe 110, but also a wastewater pump 120, a pump controller 130 and a wastewater sensor 200. The wastewater sensor 200 can basically detect whether and how much water is present in the wastewater pipe 110 and/or what proportion of air is carried along. The wastewater sensor 200 generates a rectified, averaged and sampled signal from this, which is referred to as a wastewater signal and is delivered to the pump controller 130. The pump controller 130 is further configured to control the wastewater pump 120 in a suitable manner. This control can in particular be implemented as a closed-loop control.

2 shows a block diagram illustrating the functionality of the pump control 130.

As already mentioned above, a flow through the shower fitting 30 is measured by means of an inflow sensor 40. An inflow signal resulting from this is first delivered to a pre-filter 131, which carries out a certain smoothing. The smoothed or filtered signal is delivered to a pre-control 134, the function of which will be discussed in more detail below, and is also delivered to a logic 135, the function of which will also be discussed in more detail below.

The wastewater pump 120 is controlled by a pump performance signal generated in the pump control 130, the generation of which will be discussed in more detail below. This allows the performance of the wastewater pump 120 to be controlled directly. Depending on the performance of the wastewater pump 120, more or less water flows through the wastewater pipe 110. This in turn is detected by the wastewater sensor 200. The wastewater sensor 200 has an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver for this purpose, as shown in more detail below. These are arranged in such a way that the ultrasonic transmitter emits an ultrasonic signal into the wastewater pipe 110 and, after passing through the wastewater pipe and any water contained therein, this is detected on the other side by the ultrasonic receiver. The signal is therefore higher the less air there is in the wastewater pipe 110. This gives an indication of the appropriate performance of the wastewater pump 120.

Typically, the wastewater pump 120 should always be operated in such a way that a small amount of air is sucked in. Otherwise there would be a risk that it would suck in too little, for example if no air was sucked in. Such a small amount of air is typically expressed in the wastewater signal of the wastewater sensor 200 being slightly below, for example at 90% to 95%, of the maximum value. Accordingly, a setpoint generator 136 is provided in the pump control 130, which supplies a predetermined value as a setpoint. This is typically fixed and/or constant, in particular it is independent of the inflow signal.

The waste water signal is delivered from the waste water sensor 200 to a logic 135, which further evaluates the waste water signal and then feeds it to a differential element as a negative input. The setpoint generated by the setpoint generator 136 is fed to the differential element as a positive input. This creates a difference between an actual and a target pump output. This difference is delivered to a controller 132, which generates a control signal from which the pump output signal is formed or which represents the pump output signal. This is fed to a control value limiter 133, which is designed to limit the pump output signal upwards and downwards. This allows a simple control of the waste water pump 120 to be created.

The inflow signal supplied by the pre-filter 131 is supplied to the previously mentioned pre-control 134. This generates parameters for the controller 132, in particular respective parameters for a proportional, integral and/or differential control. These parameters can ensure that the controller 132 is operated in a characteristic map that is adapted to the expected inflow. For example, the higher the inflow signal, the faster the response can be implemented.

The pilot control 134 also generates upper and lower limits for the control value limit 133 depending on the inflow signal. This allows a maximum and/or minimum pump output to be adapted to the inflow. For example, an upper and/or lower limit can be set higher the higher the inflow signal or the inflow is. In addition, both limits can be set to zero in order to switch off the wastewater pump 120, for example if no inflow has been registered for a certain period of time.

The inflow signal is also supplied to the logic 135. The logic 135 is designed to check the inflow signal for instantaneous changes. An instantaneous change can occur, for example, if a shower fitting is instantaneously is opened or closed significantly further. This typically produces a change in the inflow signal which is greater than a predetermined absolute or relative threshold value within a predetermined period of time, in particular a very short period of time. This can be referred to as an instantaneous change. In response to such a detected instantaneous change, the logic 135 can also change its output signal instantaneously. This can be understood in particular to mean that the output signal is changed by at least one absolute or relative threshold value within a predetermined period of time, in particular a very short period of time. It is also possible to influence the pump power signal in another way to carry out an instantaneous change. For example, a corresponding functionality can also be implemented in the controller 132.

3 shows a removable section 150 of the wastewater pipe 110. The removable section 150 has a local widening 152 which is designed to provide a wastewater sensor 200. An upper cover 154 and a lower cover 156 are attached for this purpose. The covers 154, 156 can in particular be screwed so that they can also be easily removed. A socket 208 is attached to the side for reading the wastewater sensor 200.

4 shows the removable section 150 of 3 , whereby the upper cover 154 has been removed. It can be seen that there is a recess 160 on the inside, in which an ultrasonic transmitter 202 of the wastewater sensor 200 is mounted. The ultrasonic transmitter 202 is designed to emit ultrasonic waves downwards when the removable section 150 is in the position shown in 4 shown position, in which the ultrasonic transmitter 202 is arranged at the top. An ultrasonic receiver 204 is arranged at the bottom for reception.

A rubber seal 155 is used for sealing, which is located on the top below the 4 upper cover 154 (not shown). This can prevent the ingress of moisture or dirt.

By executing the 3 and 4 a removable section 150 of the sewage pipe 110 is provided, wherein the removable section 150 can be connected to the rest of a sewage pipe 110, for example via conventional hose points. The sewage sensor 200 is provided in this way and can easily generate the sewage signal already described above.

5 shows an alternative embodiment of a wastewater sensor 200. This is designed as a separate component to the wastewater pipe 110, i.e. it is not integrated into the wastewater pipe 110. The wastewater sensor 200 has a housing 205, which is divided into a first part 210 and a second part 220. The housing 205 is connected to the wastewater pipe 110 by means of spacers 240 (on the other side also designated with reference numeral 245, see 7 ) is placed on the waste water pipe 110. The bushing 208 is formed in the first part 210 of the housing 205. In this case, four screws 230 are used to connect the two parts 210, 220. This allows the two parts 210, 220 of the housing 205 to be pressed towards one another, whereby they rest exclusively on the spacers 240, 245 on the waste water pipe 110. The spacers 240, 245 are arranged at an inlet for the waste water pipe 110 and at an outlet for the waste water pipe 110. The inlet is a point at which waste water flows into the region of the waste water sensor 200. The outlet is a point at which waste water flows out of the region of the waste water sensor 200. This ensures a defined positional relationship between the housing 205 and the waste water pipe 110.

The first part 210 has a first cover 212 on the top side. The second part 220 also has a second cover 222 on the bottom side.

6 shows a state in which the first cover 212 has been removed. This makes the interior of the first part 210 visible. On the top there is a seal 206 which seals off a gap to the first cover 212. Below this there is a hold-down device 250 which exerts a downward force when it strikes the first cover 212 in the closed state.

As in 7 can be seen, in which the hold-down device 250 and the first part 210 of the housing 205 have been removed, there is a coupling element 260 directly below the hold-down device 250, which is pressed downwards towards the sewage pipe 110 by the hold-down device 250. The ultrasonic transmitter 202 is located in this. This design achieves good contact pressure with the sewage pipe 110, with a paste or grease typically being introduced between the ultrasonic transmitter 202 and coupling element 260 on the one hand and the sewage pipe 110 on the other hand in order to improve the conduction of ultrasonic waves. The sewage sensor 200 can be designed equivalently on the underside, except that it is not the ultrasonic transmitter 202, but the ultrasonic receiver 204.

8th shows schematically a flow direction through the wastewater pipe 110 and a direction of transmission from the ultrasonic transmitter 202 to the ultrasonic receiver 204. The wastewater pipe 110 is shown in the middle, with a cross-section being visible. The wastewater flows according to the symbol “x” into the paper plane of 8th The flow direction is perpendicular to the paper plane of 8th and is in case the paper plane of 8th vertical, horizontal. It is therefore a horizontal flow. The ultrasonic transmitter 202 and the ultrasonic receiver 204 are arranged so that they are located to the side of the sewage pipe 110, at the same height. This results in horizontal transmission of sound, which enables both air bubble detection and static level measurement.

9 shows a different state, where in contrast to 8th the ultrasonic transmitter 202 is arranged vertically above the sewage pipe 110 and the ultrasonic receiver 204 is arranged vertically below the sewage pipe 110. The ultrasound transmission is therefore vertical. This can be used in particular to detect air bubbles or to control a pump. The more air bubbles are pumped by the sewage pump 120, the lower the signal generated by the ultrasonic receiver 204. This is particularly due to the fact that air does not conduct ultrasound as well as water and reflection occurs at interfaces.

10 shows a state in which the sewage pipe 110 is arranged such that the flow direction of the sewage is vertically upwards. In this case too, the embodiment described here can be used, with the ultrasonic transmitter 202 and the ultrasonic receiver 204 being at the same height next to the sewage pipe 110. The sound transmission takes place horizontally. In this case too, signal detection is possible, which allows a conclusion to be drawn about the air carried along. The air carried along does not typically rise faster than the sewage, but flows along with the stream of sewage at approximately the same speed.

11 shows an example of a discharge signal curve, where the discharge signal is plotted in volts (voltage) on the vertical axis, whereas the time in seconds (s) is plotted on the horizontal axis.

First, the shower process is started. There is still mainly air in the wastewater pipe. When the wastewater pipe fills with water, the wastewater pump is started. It then runs and pumps wastewater, which also pumps a certain amount of air, which means that the wastewater signal increases significantly but does not reach its maximum value. The pumped air prevents the maximum value of the wastewater signal from being reached.

If the discharge volume is too large or if less water flows out temporarily, air is discharged and the waste water signal drops significantly. This can be seen at three points in the horizontal middle of 11 The pump output is reduced so that only as much water is pumped as is actually needed.

When the showering process is over, the pipe is pumped dry and the waste water signal drops back to zero. This corresponds in particular to a state in which there is practically only air in the waste water pipe. The waste water pump is then switched off because further pumping is no longer required. If water then collects in the waste water pipe, the waste water signal rises again and leads to the waste water pump being activated. When the waste water pump has completely sucked out the waste water, the signal drops again and the waste water pump is finally switched off for this showering process.

Overall, the mechanisms described here can achieve a particularly energy-saving operation of the wastewater pump, as it is always kept at a performance level that is ideal for the wastewater volume currently to be pumped.

It should be understood that control aspects mentioned herein with reference to an arrangement or device can in principle also be understood as method aspects. These can accordingly also be claimed as methods.

It should be noted that in the claims and in the description, features may be described in combination, for example to facilitate understanding, although they may also be used separately. The person skilled in the art will recognize that such features may also be combined independently of one another with other features or combinations of features.

References in subclaims may indicate preferred combinations of the respective features, but do not exclude other combinations of features.

List of reference symbols

10

sanitary arrangement

20

first inflow line

25

second inflow line

30

Shower fitting

32

first controller

34

second controller

40

Inflow sensor

50

Shower

55

Shower hose

60

Shower tray

65

Sequence

67

Connector

100

Sewage system

110

sewer pipe

120

Sewage pump

130

Pump control

131

Prefilter

132

Controller

133

Control value limitation

134

Pre-control

135

logic

136

Setpoint generator

150

removable section

152

local widening

154

upper lid

155

Rubber seal

156

lower cover

160

Recess

200

Wastewater sensor

202

Ultrasonic transmitter

204

Ultrasound receiver

205

Housing

206

poetry

208

Rifle

210

first part

212

first lid

220

second part

222

second lid

230

Screws

240, 245

Spacers

250

Hold-down clamp

260

Coupling element

Claims (30)

Wastewater system (100) for a sanitary arrangement (10), wherein the wastewater system (100) has the following: - an ultrasonic transmitter (202), and - an ultrasonic receiver (204), - wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) form a wastewater sensor (200) and can be mounted on both sides of a wastewater pipe (110) of the wastewater system (100), so that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe (110) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives these after transmission through the wastewater pipe (110) and generates a wastewater signal based thereon. Sewage system (100) to Claim 1 , - which has a housing (205) in which the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) are fastened, and which is designed for mounting around a sewage pipe (110). Sewage system (100) to Claim 2 , - wherein the housing (205) has a first part (210) and a second part (220), - wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged in the first part (210) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged in the second part (220), and - wherein the first part (210) is detachably connectable to the second part (220). Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 2 or 3 , - wherein a hold-down device (250) for the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged in the housing (205), which presses the ultrasonic transmitter (202) against the sewage pipe (110), and/or - wherein a hold-down device for the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged in the housing (205), which presses the ultrasonic receiver (204) against the sewage pipe (110). Sewage system (100) to Claim 4 , - wherein the housing (205) is designed such that it contacts the sewage pipe (110) only at an inlet for the sewage pipe (110) and at an outlet for the sewage pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) - are directly fastened in the sewage pipe (110), and/or - are cast with the sewage pipe (110), and/or - are arranged in recesses (160) of the sewage pipe (110), and/or - are arranged in a separate, removable section (150) of the sewage pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wastewater system (100) further comprises: - a wastewater pump (120), and - a wastewater pipe (110) in which the wastewater pump (120) is arranged, - wherein the wastewater sensor (200) is mounted on the wastewater pipe (110) downstream of the wastewater pump (120), so that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the wastewater pipe (110) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives them after transmission through the wastewater pipe (110). Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 , wherein the sewage system (100) further comprises: - a sewage pump (120), and - a sewage pipe (110) in which the sewage pump (120) is arranged, - wherein the sewage sensor (200) is mounted on the sewage pipe (110) upstream of the sewage pump (120), so that the ultrasonic transmitter (202) emits ultrasonic waves into the sewage pipe (110) and the ultrasonic receiver (204) receives them after transmission through the sewage pipe (110). Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 7 or 8th , - wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged vertically above the sewage pipe (110), and/or - wherein the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged vertically below the sewage pipe (110). Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 7 until 8th , - wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is arranged horizontally next to the sewage pipe (110), and/or - wherein the ultrasonic receiver (204) is arranged horizontally next to the sewage pipe (110). Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 7 until 10 , - wherein the sewage pipe (110) has a wall thickness which is equal to half a wavelength of an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202), or an integer multiple thereof, and/or - wherein the sewage pipe (110) has a wall thickness such that an ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202) forms a standing wave in the sewage pipe (110). Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, - which has an optimization circuit which is configured to vary a frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter (202) and to identify an optimum frequency at which the wastewater signal has a maximum, - wherein the ultrasonic transmitter (202) is subsequently controlled with the optimum frequency. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, - which further comprises a pump control (130) for a wastewater pump (120), - wherein the pump control (130) receives the wastewater signal and controls the wastewater pump (120) based thereon. Sewage system (100) to Claim 13 , - wherein the pump control (130) is configured to control and/or regulate the waste water pump (120) such that the waste water signal has a predetermined value and/or is within a predetermined range. Sewage system (100) to Claim 14 , - wherein the predetermined value is at least 90% and/or at most 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal, and/or - wherein the predetermined range has a lower limit which lies between 10% and 20% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal, and/or - wherein the predetermined range has an upper limit which lies between 90% and 95% of a maximum value of the wastewater signal. Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 14 or 15 , - wherein the pump control (130) is configured to reduce a pump output when the waste water signal is below the predetermined value and/or below the predetermined range, and/or - wherein the pump control (130) is configured to increase a pump output when the waste water signal is above the predetermined value and/or above the predetermined range. Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 13 until 16 , - wherein the wastewater system (100) has an inflow sensor (40) or a connection for an inflow sensor (40), - wherein the inflow sensor (40) measures an inflow through a sanitary fitting (30) of the sanitary arrangement and generates an inflow signal based thereon, and - wherein the pump control (130) receives the inflow signal and controls the wastewater pump (120) based thereon. Sewage system (100) to Claim 17 , - wherein the inflow sensor (40) is a flow sensor. Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 17 or 18 , - wherein the pump controller (130) activates the wastewater pump (120) in response to the inflow signal being at least as high as an inflow threshold value. Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 17 until 19 , - wherein the pump controller (130) determines an initial power value for the wastewater pump (120) based on the inflow signal upon or immediately after activation of the wastewater pump (120). Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 17 until 20 , - wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to instantly adjust a power value for the wastewater pump (120) based on a change in the inflow signal that is at least as large as a threshold value after activation of the wastewater pump (120). Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 17 until 21 , - wherein the pump control (130) is configured to set - parameters for controlling the wastewater pump (120), - parameters of a controller (132), - an upper limit of a pump output, and/or - a lower limit of a pump output based on the inflow signal. Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 13 until 22 , - wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to switch off the waste water pump (120) when the waste water signal falls below a switch-off threshold for at least a predetermined period of time. Sewage system (100) to Claim 23 , - wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to shut off the wastewater pump (120) only when an inflow signal falls below an inflow shutdown threshold. Sewage system (100) according to one of the Claims 13 until 24 , - wherein the pump controller (130) is configured to calculate a fill level based on the wastewater signal. Sewage system (100) to Claim 25 , - wherein the pump control (130) activates the waste water pump (120) in response to the waste water signal being at least as high as a threshold value when the waste water pump (120) is switched off. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, - which has a driver circuit for the ultrasonic transmitter (202) which is configured to control the ultrasonic transmitter (202) with a frequency of at least 0.5 MHz and/or of at most 4 MHz, or of 1 MHz. Wastewater system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, - which has an evaluation circuit for the ultrasonic receiver (204), which is configured to read the ultrasonic receiver (204) after rectification and/or smoothing with a sampling frequency of at least 1 kHz and/or of at most 10 kHz. Sanitary arrangement (10), comprising - a drain (65), and - a sewage system (100) according to one of the preceding claims for draining the drain (65). Sanitary arrangement (10) according to Claim 29 , - which is a shower arrangement, and - wherein the drain (65) is a shower drain.

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