JP2018179451A - Water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hot water supply device capable of shortening the time required for filling a bathtub with hot water and preventing misidentification by a user even when the time for filling the hot water is shortened. SOLUTION: A control device 40 of a hot water supply device 10 can execute a hot water filling in a normal mode, a hot water filling in a shortened mode, and a drainage determination process for determining the presence or absence of bathtub drainage from which water in a bathtub 50 is drained. be. In the normal mode, the first process of determining the presence or absence of water in the bathtub 50 at the start of hot water filling, the second process of storing hot water in the bathtub 50, the third process of detecting the water level at the completion of hot water filling, and the hot water filling. It includes a fourth process of notifying the user of the completion of tensioning by the remote control device 60. When the control device 40 fills with hot water in the shortened mode, if it is determined that there is drainage from the bathtub after the completion of the previous hot water filling, the control device 40 does not perform the first treatment and the third treatment. The treatment and the fourth treatment are carried out. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a water heater.

A hot water supply device capable of automatically filling a bath is widely used. The following matters are described in Patent Document 1 below.
・ As a step of pouring water, check the remaining water first. The confirmation method operates the pump and determines the time when the flow switch is turned on or off.
• If it is judged that residual water is present, an intermediate check operation is performed. The intermediate check detects the temperature and water level in the bathtub. After that, the pouring operation up to the set water level is performed. The pouring operation to the set water level is completed and the pouring operation is completed.
-If no residual water is judged by residual water confirmation, pouring is performed to the reference water level and then residual water confirmation is executed again, and if it is judged that residual water is present, the process proceeds to the processing after the above intermediate check.
・ The remaining water presence / absence information detected by water level monitoring after pouring is held. When the next pouring operation is started in this state, the residual water confirmation operation is omitted because the residual water presence / absence information is already held. This reduces the time for the entire pouring.

JP, 2015-75249, A

  The device of Patent Document 1 has the following problems. If the filling time is reduced and filling is completed earlier than usual, the user may not notice completion of filling. Therefore, the user may misunderstand that the water filling is completed in the normal time, and it may be wasted that the water filling time is shortened.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to shorten the time required to fill the bath and prevent the user's misidentification even when the time to fill the bath is shortened. The purpose is to provide a water heater that can be

  A hot water supply apparatus according to the present invention is a hot water supply apparatus capable of performing hot water filling of a bath, comprising: a pump for circulating water in a circulation circuit connected to the bath; water flow detection means for detecting presence or absence of water flow in the circulation circuit; A water level detection means for detecting the water level inside, a notification means for notifying information to the user, a pump, a water flow detection means, a water level detection means, and a control means connected to the notification means; It is possible to execute the water filling in the mode, the water filling in the short mode that can shorten the required time as compared with the normal mode, and the drainage determination processing for determining the presence or absence of bathtub drainage from which the water in the bathtub is drained. The first process to determine the presence or absence of water in the bath by operating the pump at the start of the bathing and detecting the presence or absence of the water flow by the water flow detection means, and the second process to store the hot water in the bath Water on completion And the fourth process of informing the user by the notification means that the filling has been completed, and the control means performs the filling in the short mode after the completion of the previous filling If it is determined that there is bathtub drainage, the second and fourth treatments are performed without performing the first and third treatments.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while being able to shorten the time which the bathing of a bath requires can be shortened, also when the time of bathing is shortened, it becomes possible to prevent a user's misidentification.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hot water supply apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows processing of pouring of water in normal mode. It is a flow chart which shows drainage judgment processing when usual bathtub drainage by opening a stopper of a bathtub is performed. It is a flow chart which shows drainage judgment processing when abnormal drainage is performed. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the filling of water in a shortening mode. It is a flowchart of the process which a control apparatus performs, after the filling of the shortening mode is completed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be simplified or omitted.

Embodiment 1
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hot water supply apparatus according to a first embodiment. The hot water supply apparatus 10 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a hot water storage type hot water supply apparatus. The water heating apparatus 10 includes a hot water storage tank 20, a mixing valve 30, a control device 40, and a remote control device 60. The hot water storage tank 20, the mixing valve 30, and the control device 40 are installed inside the housing of the tank unit 11. The water heater 10 can perform the filling of the bath tub 50 in the bathroom.

  The hot water supply apparatus 10 includes a heating unit (not shown) that heats the water stored in the hot water storage tank 20. The heating unit may include, for example, at least one of a heat pump type heating device, a combustion type heating device, a solar water heater, and an electric heater installed inside the hot water storage tank 20. In the following description, hot and cold water stored in the hot water storage tank 20 may be referred to as "tank water".

  The upper passage 2 connects between the upper portion of the hot water storage tank 20 and the hot water inlet of the mixing valve 30. A water supply pipe (not shown) for supplying water from an external water source such as a water supply is connected to the water supply port 21 of the tank unit 11. The water supply passage 3 connects between the water supply port 21 and the water inlet of the mixing valve 30. The water supply passage 4 branches from the middle of the water supply passage 3 and is connected to the lower portion of the hot water storage tank 20. One end of the hot water supply passage 5 is connected to the outlet of the mixing valve 30.

  The tank unit 11 and the bathtub 50 are connected via the first passage 6 and the second passage 7. One end of the first passage 6 and one end of the second passage 7 are connected to the bathtub 50 via the bathtub adapter 24. In the tank unit 11, the other end of the first passage 6, the other end of the second passage 7, and the other end of the hot water supply passage 5 communicate with each other.

  A solenoid valve 31 and a flow rate sensor 36 are provided in the middle of the hot water supply passage 5. The solenoid valve 31 opens and closes the hot water supply passage 5. The flow rate sensor 36 detects the flow rate of hot water passing through the hot water supply passage 5. A flow switch 33, a water level sensor 34, and a circulation pump 35 are installed in the second passage 7 in a portion in the tank unit 11. The water level sensor 34 corresponds to a water level detection unit that detects the water level of the bathtub 50 based on the water pressure in the second passage 7.

  Control device 40 is electrically connected to each actuator and each sensor with which hot-water supply device 10 is provided. The controller 40 includes a processor and a memory. Control device 40 has a function of controlling the operation of water heater 10. The control device 40 is connected to the remote control device 60 located outside the tank unit 11 so as to be able to perform data communication in both directions by wired communication or wireless communication. The remote control device 60 corresponds to a terminal device or a user interface. The remote control device 60 may be installed in at least one of a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living-dining room. A plurality of remote control devices 60 installed at different places may be provided.

  The remote control device 60 includes a display unit 60a formed of a liquid crystal display and the like, and an operation unit 60b having a button and the like for receiving a user operation. Remote control device 60 may further include a speaker capable of outputting sound. The user can input various operation or operation settings of the hot water supply device 10, reservation, execution instruction, stop instruction, and the like to the remote control device 60. The remote control device 60 can function as notification means for notifying the user of information by display or voice. In the following description, when information is to be notified to the user from remote control device 60, it may be notified by display, may be notified by voice, or may be notified by both display and voice. Do.

  When hot water is supplied to the bathtub 50, the following occurs. The solenoid valve 31 is opened. The hot water supplied from the upper part of the hot water storage tank 20 through the upper passage 2 and the low temperature water supplied from the water supply passage 3 are mixed by the mixing valve 30. The mixed hot water passes through the hot water supply passage 5, is divided into the first passage 6 and the second passage 7, and flows into the bath 50. In the following description, the hot and cold water stored in the bathtub 50 may be referred to as “tub water”.

  The first passage 6 and the second passage 7 form a circulation circuit that circulates the bath water in the bath 50. When the circulation pump 35 is operated, bath water circulates in the circulation circuit. The flow switch 33 corresponds to water flow detection means for detecting the presence or absence of water flow in the circulation circuit.

  The additional heat exchanger 32 corresponds to a means for heating bath water passing through the circulation circuit. The supplementary heat exchanger 32 exchanges heat between the bath water and the tank water. The bath water passage of the additional heat exchanger 32 is connected to the middle of the first passage 6. The passage 8 connects between a branch in the middle of the upper passage 2 and the tank water inlet of the additional heat exchanger 32. The passage 9 connects the tank water outlet of the additional heat exchanger 32 and the lower or middle part of the hot water storage tank 20. A circulation pump 12 is installed in the middle of the passage 9.

  In the follow-up operation, it is as follows. The circulation pump 12 and the circulation pump 35 are operated. The bathtub water from the bathtub 50 flows into the additional heat exchanger 32 through the second passage 7. The hot tank water from the top of the hot water storage tank 20 flows into the additional heat exchanger 32 through the upper passage 2 and the passage 8. The bath water heated by the supplementary heat exchanger 32 passes through the first passage 6 and returns into the bath 50. The tank water which has been deprived of heat by the supplementary heat exchanger 32 returns to the hot water storage tank 20 through the passage 9. By performing such a remembrance operation, the temperature of the bath water in the bath 50 can be raised.

  By operating the operation unit 60b of the remote control device 60, the user can start filling with hot water in the bathtub 50 or reserve a time for filling with water. The user can set at least one of the pouring water amount, the pouring water level, and the pouring temperature by operating the operation unit 60 b. The “water filling amount” is the total amount of hot water accumulated in the bath 50 in the water filling. The “water filling level” is the water level of the hot water stored in the bathtub 50 in the water filling. The “water filling temperature” is the temperature of the hot water stored in the bath 50 in the water filling.

  In the following description, the cross-sectional area which cut the space in the bathtub 50 in the horizontal surface is called "tub cross-sectional area." The control device 40 can calculate the bathtub cross-sectional area based on the information detected by the flow rate sensor 36 and the water level sensor 34 when pouring water. For example, the control device 40 detects the amount of hot water supply to the bathtub 50 with the flow rate sensor 36, detects the amount of change in the water level of the bathtub 50 with respect to the amount of hot water supply with the water level sensor 34, and disconnects the bathtub based on the amount of hot water supply and the amount of water level change. Calculate the area. The calculated bathtub cross-sectional data is stored in the controller 40.

  The hot water supply apparatus 10 in the present embodiment is capable of executing automatic bath operation. In the bath automatic operation, it becomes as follows. The control device 40 automatically performs filling so that hot water of a set temperature and amount is stored in the bath 50. After the bathing of the bath 50 is completed, the control device 40 controls the water level and the hot water temperature of the bath 50 to be maintained.

  The control device 40 can execute the filling in the normal mode and the filling in the short mode. The short mode filling is a filling that may reduce the required time as compared to the normal mode filling. The short mode filling is a filling that may omit some processes of the normal mode filling.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the process of pouring in the normal mode. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2, the processing of pouring in the normal mode will be described. The operation unit 60b of the remote control device 60 includes an "automatic timer button". The "Buro automatic button" is a button for performing automatic filling. In step S1 of FIG. 2, when the user depresses the "buro automatic button", pouring of water is started. Alternatively, the control device 40 may start pouring water according to the time reserved by the user.

  When the water filling is started, "prime water" is performed in step S2. In "priming water", the solenoid valve 31 is temporarily opened to supply, for example, approximately 8 liters of hot water. The purpose of “priming water” is to prevent the idle operation by entrapment of air when operating the circulation pump 35 in step S3 by filling hot water in the first passage 6 and the second passage 7 is there. The amount of water supplied as “priming water” may be any amount that can fill the water in the first passage 6 and the second passage 7 and is uniformly defined with respect to the length of the first passage 6 and the second passage 7 It may be variable according to the length of the first passage 6 and the second passage 7.

  After the end of step S2, in step S3, bath water presence / absence confirmation is performed. In the bathtub water check, do as follows. The circulation pump 35 is operated. When the flow switch 33 detects the presence of water flow continuously for a predetermined time or more, it is determined that there is water in the bath tub 50, that is, "remaining water present". On the other hand, when the flow switch 33 detects no water flow continuously for a predetermined time or more, it is determined that there is no water in the bathtub 50, that is, "no remaining water". The process of step S3 corresponds to a first process.

  The case where it is determined in step S3 that "no residual water" is referred to as "pattern A". If "no residual water" is confirmed in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, a process of accumulating the amount of hot water set by the user in the bathtub 50 is performed. That is, the solenoid valve 31 is opened to supply hot water to the bathtub 50. The amount of hot water supply is an amount obtained by subtracting the amount of hot water supplied as the priming water in step S2 from the amount of hot water set by the user. The process of step S4 corresponds to a second process.

  The process proceeds from step S4 to step S5. In step S5, the circulation pump 35 is operated again, and the bathtub water presence / absence check is performed. The purpose of this step S5 is the event that hot water does not pool in the bathtub 50 or the circulation can not be performed even though the circulation pump 35 is operated because the drainage stopper of the bathtub 50 has not been closed or the piping is clogged. To make sure there is no. When the flow switch 33 continuously detects the presence of the water flow in step S5 for a predetermined time or more, that is, when the hot water is normally accumulated in the bath 50, the process proceeds to step S6. Although not shown in FIG. 2, if the flow switch 33 continuously detects that there is no water flow continuously in step S5, it is considered that there is an abnormal event as described above. To notify the user of the abnormality.

  In step S6, the water level sensor 34 detects the final water level at the completion of filling. The process of step S6 corresponds to a third process. One of the purposes of step S6 is to confirm whether the amount of hot water set by the user in advance is kept in the bath 50. During a fixed period (for example, two weeks) from the start of use after installation of water heating apparatus 10, control device 40 detects the water level at the completion of filling in step S6, and stores the data thereof. The control device 40 correlates the stored water level data at the time of completion of pouring with water with the amount of hot water to check whether the set amount of hot water is stretched in the bathtub 50 or not. If it is confirmed that the set amount of hot water is kept in the bathtub 50, the process proceeds from step S6 to step S7. In step S7, the remote control device 60 notifies the user that the water filling has been completed. The process of step S7 corresponds to a fourth process.

  In the present embodiment, it is possible to execute the operation of the automatic addition water described later using the information of the water level at the completion of pouring of water detected in step S6.

  Next, “pattern B” will be described. The case where it is determined in step S3 that "remaining water is present" corresponds to "pattern B". If "remaining water" is confirmed in step S3, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the temperature raising operation by the follow-up operation described above is performed. The temperature raising operation is an operation of returning the cooled water such as the remaining water of the previous day to the set water temperature. When the temperature of the remaining hot water in the bathtub 50 rises to the set hot water temperature, the follow-up operation is stopped, and the process proceeds to step S9. In step S9, the water level sensor 34 detects the water level. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, processing for accumulating the amount of hot water set by the user in the bathtub 50 is performed. That is, the solenoid valve 31 is opened, and the hot water is supplied to the bathtub 50 until the water level becomes correlated with the set hot water amount. The process of step S10 corresponds to a second process. After step S10, the processes of step S5, step S6, and step S7 are executed in the same manner as in the pattern A of "no residual water".

  In the following description, the fact that the drainage plug of the bathtub 50 is opened and the water in the bathtub 50 is drained is referred to as "tub drainage". In the present embodiment, control device 40 can execute drainage determination processing for determining the presence or absence of bathtub drainage. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing drainage determination processing when normal bathtub drainage is performed by opening the drainage plug of the bathtub 50. When the drain plug of the bathtub 50 is opened by the user in step S11 of FIG. 3, the water level of the bathtub 50 gradually decreases. In step S12, the following is performed. The controller 40 detects a drop in the water level based on the signal of the water level sensor 34. The control device 40 determines whether the lowering speed of the water level continues at a predetermined speed or more and for a predetermined time or more. For example, the control device 40 determines whether the lowering speed of the water level is 1 cm or more per second and continues for α seconds or more. Here, α seconds may be a value between 2 seconds and 14 seconds.

  When the lowering speed of the water level is a predetermined speed or more and continued for a predetermined time or more, the process proceeds from step S12 to step S13, and the bath water presence / absence check is performed. That is, the circulation pump 35 is operated, and the signal of the flow switch 33 is confirmed. When the drain plug of the bath 50 is open, the water level in the bath 50 is lower than that of the bath adapter 24 and the circulation pump 35 can not draw bath water into the circulation circuit. As a result, the flow switch 33 detects no water flow. If the flow switch 33 detects that there is no water flow continuously for a predetermined time or more, the control device 40 proceeds to step S14, determines that there is bathtub drainage, and stores information of "with drainage" in the memory . If there is bathtub drainage, it can be regarded that there is no remaining water accumulated in the bathtub 50 by the previous water filling.

  In the present embodiment, an erroneous determination can be more reliably prevented by confirming the signal of the flow switch 33 in the drainage determination process. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to more reliably prevent an erroneous determination by providing a reference of the lowering speed of the water level and the duration thereof. For example, the water level drop due to the user scraping out the hot water in the bathtub 50, or the water level drop due to the user immersed in the hot water in the bathtub 50 coming out of the bathtub 50 Since the condition of duration is not satisfied, it can be reliably prevented that they are misdetected as bathtub drainage.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing drainage determination processing when abnormal drainage is performed. The abnormal drainage corresponds to, for example, the user scraping out the hot water in the bathtub 50 or the water level falling due to the user who was immersed in the hot water in the bathtub 50 coming out of the bathtub 50. When abnormal drainage is performed, the controller 40 detects abnormal drainage based on the signal of the water level sensor 34 in step S15. For example, if a drop in the water level is detected and the rate of drop does not reach the above-mentioned constant speed, or if the duration of the drop in the water level does not reach the above-mentioned constant time, the control device 40 detects abnormal drainage. When abnormal drainage is detected, the process proceeds from step S15 to step S16, the control device 40 determines that "no drainage", and stores information "no drainage" in the memory. "No drainage" indicates that there is no normal bathtub drainage. As described above, in the present embodiment, when abnormal drainage is detected, the control device 40 considers that there is no bathtub drainage. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the erroneous determination of "with drainage" despite the fact that water is left in the bathtub 50 due to abnormal drainage. When abnormal drainage is performed, even if no water remains in the bathtub 50, it is determined that "no drainage".

  The method of the drainage determination process described above is an example, and the control device 40 may execute the drainage determination process by another method as long as the method can prevent an erroneous determination. For example, in the case where the bathtub 50 is provided with an electric drainage plug (not shown) and the control device 40 can detect the open / close state of the electric drainage plug, the following may be performed. When it is detected that the motor-operated drain valve has been continuously opened for a predetermined time or more after the completion of pouring, the control device 40 determines that there is bathtub drainage ("with drainage"). It is also good.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the process of pouring in the short mode. Hereinafter, the processing of pouring in the short mode will be described with reference to FIG. 5, but the steps performing the same processing as the steps in FIG. Do. When filling is started in step S1, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the control device 40 checks whether or not there is bathtub drainage after the completion of the previous water filling as follows. The control device 40 determines that there is bathtub drainage after the completion of the previous water filling, when the information of "with drainage" is stored in the memory. The control device 40 determines that there is no bathtub drainage after the completion of the previous water filling, when the information of "no drainage" is stored in the memory. Moreover, the control apparatus 40 determines with there being no bathtub drainage after completion of the last water filling, when neither information of "with drainage" nor "no drainage" is memorize | stored in memory.

  If there is a bathtub drain after the previous filling up, it will be "pattern C". In the case of “pattern C”, the process proceeds from step S17 to step S4, and processing for accumulating the amount of hot water set by the user in the bathtub 50 is performed. After completion of the process of step S4, the process proceeds to step S7, where the remote control device 60 notifies the user that the water filling has been completed. As described above, in the case of “pattern C”, the following is performed as compared with the pouring in the normal mode. The process of step S2 and step S3 is abbreviate | omitted, and it transfers to the process of step S4. Moreover, after the process of step S4, the process of step S5 and step S6 is abbreviate | omitted, and it transfers to the process of step S7.

  According to “pattern C”, the following effects can be obtained. Among the steps included in the pouring in the normal mode, the pouring can be completed in the shortest time because the number of steps omitted is the largest. Since the user is notified by the remote control device 60 that the water filling is completed, even if the water filling is completed earlier than usual, the user does not misidentify the completion time of the water filling. In the “pattern C”, it is considered that there is no water in the bathtub 50 since the bathtub drainage is performed after the completion of the previous water filling. For this reason, there is no problem even if step S2 and step S3 are not performed.

  Next, “pattern D” and “pattern E” will be described. If there is no bathtub drainage after completion of the previous filling, "pattern D" or "pattern E" is obtained. When there is no bathtub drainage after the completion of the last water filling, after step S17, "prime water" of step S2 and bathtub water presence / absence check of step S3 are implemented.

  If it is determined in step S3 that "no residual water", "pattern D" is obtained. In the case of "pattern D", after step S3, the bath hot water supply process of step S4 is executed, and thereafter, the process proceeds to step S7, and the user is notified by the remote control device 60 that the filling is completed. According to the “pattern D”, the following effects can be obtained. Since two processes of step S5 and step S6 can be omitted compared with "pattern A", the filling can be completed in a short time although not as "pattern C". Since the user is notified by the remote control device 60 that the water filling is completed, even if the water filling is completed earlier than usual, the user does not misidentify the completion time of the water filling.

  If it is determined in step S3 that "remaining water is present", "pattern E" is obtained. In the case of "pattern E", after step S3, the processes of step S8, step S9, step S10, step S5, step S6, and step S7 are performed. Thus, “pattern E” is similar to “pattern B”. In "pattern E", the operation is similar to that of "pattern B" in the normal mode, so time is not shortened.

  In the case of this embodiment, when performing the filling in the short mode, the filling according to the use situation of the user is performed by subdivision into the “pattern C”, “pattern D”, and “pattern E” described above. It can work. Therefore, the time required for filling can be shortened with high probability.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart of processing executed by the control device 40 after the filling of the short mode is completed. When the water filling is completed without performing the processes of step S5 and step S6 for detecting the water level after the completion of the water filling, the control device 40 executes the process of FIG. That is, the control device 40 executes the process of FIG. 6 after the execution of “pattern C” or “pattern D”. However, the control device 40 may execute the processing of FIG. 6 even after the execution of “pattern E”.

  The water heating apparatus 10 is provided with an automatic heat retention mode for automatically maintaining the water temperature in the bath 50 after the completion of the water filling. If the automatic operation by the "automatic button on the remote control device 60" is continued after pouring, the function of the automatic heat retention mode can be used. In bath automatic operation after pouring is complete, it becomes as follows. The circulation pump 35 is operated periodically, the hot water in the bathtub 50 is drawn into the circulation circuit, and the temperature of the water in the bathtub 50 is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) installed in the circulation circuit. When a drop in the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 50 is detected, a memorial operation is performed. When the water level sensor 34 detects a drop in the water level in the bathtub 50, the automatic addition operation is performed. In the automatic addition bath, the water level at the time of completion of filling is recovered by opening the solenoid valve 31 so as to supply the reduced amount of hot water. The control device 40 calculates the required addition water amount based on the water level decrease amount detected by the water level sensor 34 and the bathtub cross-sectional area stored in the memory.

  By operating the remote control device 60, the user can set whether or not to continue the bath automatic operation after the water filling is completed. Alternatively, the control device 40 may check the use state of the user and determine whether to continue the automatic operation of the bath. After the completion of the filling, in step S19 of FIG. 6, the control device 40 determines whether or not the automatic operation is being continued. If the buro automatic operation is continued, the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the circulation pump 35 is operated as processing of the automatic heat retention mode. At this time, the flow switch 33 checks the presence or absence of bath water. If the flow switch 33 detects the presence of water flow, there is no abnormality, so the process proceeds to step S21, and the follow-up operation is performed. On the other hand, when the flow switch 33 detects no water flow, it is considered that there is an abnormality such as the drainage plug of the bathtub 50 being open or the piping being clogged. In this case, the process proceeds to step S22, where the remote control device 60 notifies the user of an abnormality.

  On the other hand, there is a case where the automatic operation of the bath is set to end simultaneously with the completion of the water filling. If the bath automatic operation is not continued after pouring, that is, if the automatic heat retention mode is not set, the process proceeds from step S19 to step S23. In step S23, the circulation pump 35 is operated to detect an abnormality, and the bath switch presence / absence confirmation is performed by the flow switch 33. When the flow switch 33 detects no water flow, the process proceeds to step S22, and the remote control device 60 notifies the user of an abnormality. On the other hand, when the flow switch 33 detects the presence of water flow, there is no abnormality, so the process proceeds to step S24 and the operation is ended. In step S24, since the automatic heat retention mode is not set, the follow-up operation is not performed.

  In the present embodiment, by performing the process of FIG. 6 described above, it is possible to perform abnormality detection even when the filling is completed without performing the processes of steps S5 and S6. It becomes.

  The water heating apparatus 10 has a means for allowing the user to select, for example, by operation of the remote control device 60, which of the filling in the normal mode shown in FIG. 2 and the filling in the short mode shown in FIG. You may have. This improves the convenience.

  When the water heating apparatus 10 is installed and started to be used, it is desirable to perform water filling in the normal mode because it is necessary to learn water level data of the bathtub 50. Therefore, the control device 40 performs the filling in the normal mode, even when the filling in the shortening mode is selected by the user, in the filling for a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period after the water heating apparatus 10 is installed. It is desirable to control. The “predetermined number of times” may be, for example, a value ranging from the first time to ten times. The “predetermined period” may be, for example, two weeks. In the case where the “predetermined number of times” is defined, the user's set hot water amount may be set as the number of times which can be accurately detected from bathing data of the user multiple times. When defining the above-mentioned "predetermined period", it is necessary to estimate including the variation in the number of times the user takes a bath, and to set the period. The number of times of pouring required for water level detection may be defined by either number or period as long as it is secured including variations among users.

  In the filling in the shortening mode, as described above, since the step of detecting the water level at the completion of filling is omitted, the final water level can not be detected. Therefore, there is a possibility that the control function using the water level detected at the time of completion of filling can not be used. For example, in the water heating apparatus 10 having the function of performing the operation of the automatic addition bath, the difference between the final water level detected at the time of completion of filling and the current water level is grasped, and the hot water insufficient for the final water level is supplied Add water automatically to Therefore, there is a possibility that the automatic filling function can not be used in the case of the filling in the shortening mode in which the final water level is not detected.

  On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, the control device 40 can execute the operation of the automatic addition based on the water level at the time of the completion of the past filling stored in the memory. For this reason, even after the filling of the short mode is completed, the operation of the automatic addition water can be accurately performed.

2 upper passage, 3, 4 water supply passage, 5 hot water supply passage, 6 first passage, 7 second passage, 10 water heater, 11 tank unit, 12 circulation pump, 20 hot water storage tank, 21 water supply port, 24 bathtub adapter, 30 mixing Valve, 31 solenoid valve, 32 additional heat exchanger, 33 flow switch, 34 water level sensor, 35 circulation pump, 36 flow sensor, 40 control device, 50 bathtub, 60 remote control device, 60a display, 60b operation part

Claims (9)

In a hot water supply device that can perform the filling of a bathtub,
A pump for circulating water in a circulation circuit connected to the bath;
Water flow detection means for detecting the presence or absence of water flow in the circulation circuit;
Water level detection means for detecting the water level in the bathtub;
Notification means for notifying the user of the information;
Control means connected to the pump, the water flow detection means, the water level detection means, and the notification means;
Equipped with
The control means includes a normal mode filling, a short mode filling capable of shortening a required time as compared with the normal mode, and a drainage determination process for determining presence or absence of bathtub drainage from which water in the bathtub is drained. Is feasible and
The normal mode is a first process of operating the pump at the start of pouring and detecting the presence or absence of water flow by the water flow detection means, and storing the hot water in the bathtub by determining the presence or absence of water in the bathtub The second process, the third process of detecting the water level at the time of completion of pouring, and the fourth process of notifying the user of the completion of pouring by the notification means;
The control means performs the first process and the third process when it is determined that the bathtub drainage has been performed after completion of the previous water filling when the water filling in the shortening mode is performed. Carry out the second process and the fourth process without
Water heater.   The control means performs the first process when it is determined that the bathtub drainage has not been performed after the previous completion of the bathing when the bathing in the shortening mode is performed, and the first process is performed in the first process. The hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined that there is no water in the bath, the second process and the fourth process are performed without performing the third process.   The control means performs the first process when it is determined that the bathtub drainage has not been performed after the previous completion of the bathing when the bathing in the shortening mode is performed, and the first process is performed in the first process. When it is determined that there is water in the bath, the second process, the third process, and the fourth process are performed, and it is determined that there is no water in the bath in the first process. The hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second process and the fourth process are performed without performing the third process.   In the drainage determination process, the control means operates the pump after a drop in the water level in the bath is detected, and when the water flow detection means detects no water flow, it is assumed that the tub drainage was present. The hot water supply apparatus as described in any one of the Claims 1-3 to determine. Tracking means for heating water passing through the circulation circuit;
A means for enabling the user to set an automatic heat retention mode for automatically maintaining the temperature of the water in the bath after the completion of the water filling;
Equipped with
When the automatic heat retention mode is set when the water filling is completed without performing the third process, the control means operates the pump in the processing of the automatic heat retention mode. The water flow detection means detects the presence or absence of a water flow, and when the water flow detection means detects no water flow, the notification means reports the abnormality to the user according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Water heater. Tracking means for heating water passing through the circulation circuit;
A means for enabling the user to set an automatic heat retention mode for automatically maintaining the temperature of the water in the bath after the completion of the water filling;
Equipped with
The control means operates the pump without heating by the tracking means when the automatic warm-up mode is not set when the water filling is completed without performing the third treatment. At the same time, when the presence or absence of a water flow is detected by the water flow detection means and the water flow detection means detects no water flow, the notification means notifies the user of an abnormality by any one of claims 1 to 5. Water heater.   The hot water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising means for enabling a user to select the filling in the normal mode and the filling in the short mode.   In the pouring of water for a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period after the hot water supply apparatus is installed, the control means executes the pouring of water in the normal mode even when the filling of the short mode is selected by the user. The hot water supply apparatus according to claim 7.   The control means includes a memory for storing a water level at the completion of filling detected by the third process, and is stored in the memory when the filling is completed without performing the third process. The water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the operation of the automatic addition water can be controlled based on the water level at the time of past filling completion.

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