JP2013093994A - Power circuit of power generation type faucet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power circuit of a power generation type faucet capable of more effectively using the power generated by a power generator.SOLUTION: A power circuit 1 of a power generation type faucet comprises: a power generator 60 which generates power by a flow of water flowing through a water supply pipe; a rectification circuit which rectifies the AC current generated by the power generator 60; a lithium ion capacitor 75 which stores the current rectified by the rectification circuit; and a control unit 40 which controls water discharge by the power stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75. The rectification circuit is composed of a diode bridge 10 having two rectifier diodes 12 and two Schottky barrier diodes 14. In the diode bridge 10, two diodes connected to one polarity side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 are of the same kind and the other two diodes connected to the other polarity side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 are also of the same kind.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power supply circuit for a power generation faucet.

  In recent water supply apparatuses, an automatic faucet that detects a hand put out in the vicinity of the faucet outlet by a sensor provided in the vicinity of the faucet and automatically discharges water from the outlet is increasing. Further, as such an automatic faucet, it has a generator that generates electricity by rotating a water wheel by a water flow in a water discharge path, and a capacitor that stores electric power generated by the generator, and uses the electric power stored by the capacitor. Some have operated solenoid valves. For example, in the power supply apparatus in the water supply apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a full-wave rectifier circuit is provided in the electric circuit from the generator to the solenoid valve by configuring a diode bridge with four rectifier diodes. As a result, the alternating current output from the generator is converted into direct current by a full-wave rectifier circuit, and then the capacitor is fed and stored, and the solenoid valve is driven using this capacitor as a power source.

JP 2004-251018 A

  However, a rectifier diode generally used for rectification has a large voltage drop in the forward direction, which is a direction in which power can flow in the rectifier diode. For this reason, when the current generated by a generator that can generate only a small amount of power, such as a turbine generator used in an automatic faucet, is rectified, the ratio of the power loss at the rectifier diode to the generated power is large.

  On the other hand, as a diode used for rectification, there is a Schottky barrier diode in addition to a rectifier diode generally used. Since this Schottky barrier diode has a small forward voltage drop, when a Schottky barrier diode is used for the purpose of rectification, power loss can be reduced when a current flows in the intended direction.

  However, the Schottky barrier diode has a large current leakage in the reverse direction. For this reason, when the electric current generated by the generator is stored in a capacitor or the like, the amount of leakage increases. Thus, when rectification is performed using a diode, it has been very difficult to effectively use the power generated by the generator.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the power supply circuit of the power generation type faucet which can utilize the electric power generated with the generator more effectively.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the power supply circuit of the power generation faucet according to the present invention includes a generator that generates power by the flow of water flowing through a water supply pipe, and an alternating current generated by the generator. A power supply circuit for a power generation faucet comprising: a rectifier circuit that rectifies the water; a storage unit that stores the current rectified by the rectifier circuit; and a control unit that controls water discharge using the power stored in the storage unit. The rectifier circuit includes a diode bridge having two rectifier diodes and two Schottky barrier diodes, and the diode bridge includes two diodes respectively connected to two polar sides of the power storage means. The diodes are of the same type for each polarity side.

  The power supply circuit of the power generation faucet according to the present invention has an effect that the power generated by the generator can be used more effectively.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a power supply circuit of a power generation faucet according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the diode bridge shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram in the case of rectifying by the diode bridge shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram in the case of rectifying by the diode bridge shown in FIG. 2, and an explanatory diagram in the case where the direction of the current generated by the generator is opposite to the direction shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of the diode shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a power supply circuit for a power generation faucet according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment. In addition, constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a power supply circuit of a power generation faucet according to an embodiment. The power supply circuit 1 shown in the figure is a power supply circuit for an automatic faucet that detects a hand put out near the spout of the faucet by a detection sensor 44 provided near the spout and automatically discharges water from the spout. 1 is configured. The automatic faucet is a power generation type that switches between water discharge and water stop by driving a water stop valve 85, which is an electromagnetic valve, with electric power generated by a generator 60 that generates power by the flow of water flowing through a water supply pipe. The power supply circuit 1 according to the present embodiment is provided as a power supply circuit 1 of the power generation type water faucet. That is, the generator 60 has a water wheel that rotates by the flow of water in a water supply pipe through which water discharged from the water discharge port flows, and the generator 60 can generate power by rotating the water wheel by the flow of water. It has become.

  The power supply circuit 1 has power storage means for storing power generated by the generator 60, and a lithium ion capacitor 75 is used as the power storage means. The water discharge valve 85 is driven by the electric power stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75. Furthermore, an auxiliary battery 80 is connected to the power supply circuit 1 as an auxiliary power source when the amount of electricity stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75 is reduced. The water valve 85 is driven by electric power from the auxiliary battery 80.

  The generator 60, the lithium ion capacitor 75, the auxiliary battery 80, and the water discharge valve 85 are each connected to an electric circuit by a detachable connector. That is, the generator 60 is detachably attached to the circuit by the generator connector 61, and the lithium ion capacitor 75 is detachably provided by the storage element connector 76. Is detachably disposed by an auxiliary battery connector 82, and the water discharge valve 85 is detachably disposed by a water discharge valve connector 86. The generator 60, the lithium ion capacitor 75, the auxiliary battery 80, and the water discharge valve 85 are provided as a part of the power supply circuit 1 according to the present embodiment by being connected to the circuit by connectors as described above. Yes.

  The power supply circuit 1 includes a diode bridge 10 that is a rectifier circuit that rectifies a current generated by the generator 60. That is, the generator 60 generates alternating current, whereas the lithium ion capacitor 75 stores or discharges direct current. Moreover, each part, such as the water discharge valve 85, is also operated by a direct current. For these reasons, the power supply circuit 1 is provided with a diode bridge 10 as a rectifier circuit that rectifies an alternating current generated by the generator 60 to make a direct current. The diode bridge 10 includes a rectifier diode 12 that is a semiconductor diode generally used for rectifying current and a Schottky barrier diode 14 that uses a rectifying action of a Schottky junction between a metal and a semiconductor. It is comprised by using one by one.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the diode bridge shown in FIG. The diode bridge 10 is composed of two rectifier diodes 12 and two Schottky barrier diodes 14. The combination of the diode bridges 10 will be described on the two polar sides of the lithium ion capacitor 75. The two diodes to be connected are the same type of diode for each polarity side. That is, in the diode bridge 10, one of two types of diodes is connected to the + (plus) side of the lithium ion capacitor 75, and the other two types of diodes are − of the lithium ion capacitor 75. Connected to the (minus) side.

  For example, in the diode bridge 10, two diodes connected to the + side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 are rectifier diodes 12, and two diodes connected to the − side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 are Schottky barrier diodes 14. It has become. The generator 60 is connected between the two rectifier diodes 12 and the Schottky barrier diodes 14 provided as described above. In addition, the direction of these diodes is such that the rectifier diode 12 can flow the current on the generator 60 side only in the + side direction of the lithium ion capacitor 75, and the Schottky barrier diode 14 The direction is such that the current from the negative side of the ion capacitor 75 can flow only in the direction of the generator 60.

  Further, the lithium ion capacitor 75 needs to be used in a charged state where the operating voltage is within a predetermined range. For this reason, the power supply circuit 1 has an upper limit side voltage determination unit 20 that determines whether or not the use voltage is an upper limit value of the usable voltage of the lithium ion capacitor 75, and a lower limit side that determines whether or not the use voltage is a lower limit value. Voltage determination unit 25.

  Both the upper limit voltage determination unit 20 and the lower limit voltage determination unit 25 are provided by a voltage detector that switches signals at a predetermined voltage. Specifically, the lithium ion capacitor 75 needs to be used in a charged state where the operating voltage is approximately in the range of 2.2V to 3.8V. For this reason, in the power supply circuit 1 according to the present embodiment, the determination value of the voltage is set with a margin in consideration of safety, and the upper limit voltage determination unit 20 uses the one whose output signal is switched at 3.5 V, As the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25, the one whose output signal is switched at 2.5V is used.

  The upper limit voltage determination unit 20 and the lower limit voltage determination unit 25 are connected to a switching unit that actually switches the current flow in the circuit based on signals from these determination units. That is, the upper limit side voltage determination unit 20 is connected to an upper limit side switching unit 21 that switches a current flow based on a signal from the upper limit side voltage determination unit 20. A lower limit side switching unit 26 that switches a current flow based on a signal from the voltage determination unit 25 is connected. Both the upper limit side switching unit 21 and the lower limit side switching unit 26 are provided by an n-type MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor), and the upper limit side switching unit 21 and the lower limit side switching unit 26 Are connected to the upper limit voltage determination unit 20 and the lower limit voltage determination unit 25.

  Further, the lower limit side switching unit 26 is a p-type switching unit that switches between connection and disconnection between the lithium ion capacitor 75 and the control unit 40 that controls water discharge by the electric power stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75. An FET (Field-Effect Transistor) 30 is connected. In the FET 30, the source electrode side is connected to the lithium ion capacitor 75 side, the drain electrode side is connected to the cathode side of the rectifier diode 12, and the lower limit side switching unit 26 is connected to the gate electrode side of the FET 30.

  The output of the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 is connected to the power supply switching transmission unit 28 in addition to the lower limit side switching unit 26. The power supply switching transmission unit 28 is provided by an n-type MOSFET similarly to the lower limit side switching unit 26, and the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 is connected to the gate electrode of the power supply switching transmission unit 28. Further, the drain electrode of the power supply switching transmission unit 28 is connected to the control unit 40, whereby the control unit 40 can detect the signal state of the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 via the power supply switching transmission unit 28. It has become.

  The control unit 40 is configured as an electronic control unit, and the hardware configuration is a known configuration including a processing unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, a storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. Therefore, the description is omitted.

  The control unit 40 is driven by electric power supplied from the control unit boost converter 50 which is a voltage adjustment circuit for adjusting the voltage stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75. Further, the water discharge valve 85 can be driven by electric power supplied from a solenoid valve boost converter 52 which is a voltage adjustment circuit different from the control unit boost converter 50. That is, like the boost converter 50 for the control unit, the solenoid valve boost converter 52 adjusts the voltage stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75 and supplies it to the discharge valve 85.

  The boost converter 50 for the control unit and the boost converter 52 for the solenoid valve are different from each other in the range of power that can be supplied by adjusting the voltage efficiently. The boost converter 50 for the control unit The voltage can be adjusted efficiently within the range of power used at 40, and the boost converter for solenoid valve 52 can efficiently adjust the voltage within the range of power used by the water discharge valve 85. Yes. Specifically, the electromagnetic valve boost converter 52 can efficiently adjust the voltage and supply it to the discharge valve 85 within a range of electric power larger than that of the control unit boost converter 50. .

  Further, between the solenoid valve boost converter 52 and the discharge valve 85, there is provided a discharge valve control circuit 55 that is a circuit for switching the opening and closing of the discharge valve 85. The water discharge valve control circuit 55 includes a plurality of open / close control transistors 56 and a plurality of open / close control diodes 57. A control unit 40 is connected to the base electrode of the open / close control transistor 56, and the control unit 40 controls the plurality of open / close control transistors 56 to flow from the solenoid valve boost converter 52 to the discharge water valve 85. It is possible to switch the current path. Thereby, it is possible to switch opening and closing of the water stop valve 85.

  The water stop valve 85 is a latch type solenoid valve. For this reason, when the current in the opening direction or the closing direction is supplied to the discharge water valve 85 and the discharge water valve 85 is driven, the discharge water is stopped even if the current to the discharge water valve 85 is interrupted thereafter. The valve 85 is maintained in an open state or a closed state.

  Further, the detection sensor 44 for detecting a hand put out in the vicinity of the faucet spout has a sensor light emitting unit 45 made of a light emitting diode and a sensor light receiving unit 46 made of a photo diode. Among these, the sensor light emission part 45 light-emits intermittently with the voltage adjusted with the pressure | voltage rise converter 52 for solenoid valves, and irradiates the water outlet vicinity. Moreover, the sensor light-receiving part 46 is connected to the control part 40, and receives the reflected light when the light from the sensor light-emitting part 45 irradiated to the hand put out near the spout is reflected by the hand. Current flows. The control unit 40 detects that the hand has been put out near the water outlet by detecting this current.

  The power generation circuit 1 of the power generation type faucet according to this embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. The automatic faucet provided with the power supply circuit 1 is controlled by the control unit 40, and the control unit 40 is driven by the electric power from the lithium ion capacitor 75 whose voltage is adjusted by the boost converter 50 for the control unit. The control unit 40 is always supplied with electric power, and the control unit 40 is always driven. The electromagnetic valve boost converter 52 is driven by a signal from the control unit 40 only when the sensor light emitting unit 45 emits light and when the water stop valve 85 is driven.

  In this state, when the user of the automatic faucet puts his hand near the water outlet, the light from the sensor light emitting unit 45 hits the hand and the light is reflected by the hand. When the reflected light reflected by the hand is received by the sensor light receiving unit 46 in this way, the control unit 40 detects that the hand is being pushed out.

  The control unit 40 that has detected that the hand has been pushed out transmits a control signal in the direction to open the stop water valve 85 to the open / close control transistor 56 of the stop water valve control circuit 55. Thereby, the current in the direction in which the stop water valve 85 opens flows through the stop water valve 85. The current in this case uses power from the lithium ion capacitor 75 whose voltage is adjusted by the electromagnetic valve boost converter 52, and efficiently supplies large power suitable for driving the water stop valve 85. The discharge water valve 85 is driven by this electric power to open.

  The supply of power to the stop water valve 85 is performed only for a short period of time, and the supply of power is stopped when a time sufficient to open the stop water valve 85 has elapsed after the start of power supply. To do. The discharge water valve 85, which is a latching electromagnetic valve, maintains the valve open state even when the supply of electric power is stopped in this way. When the water stop valve 85 is opened, water flows downstream from the water stop valve 85 in the flow direction of the water flowing through the water supply pipe, and this water is discharged from the water outlet of the automatic water faucet.

  In this way, when water flows through the water supply pipe, the generator 60 generates electricity by rotating the water wheel with the flow of water. Since the current generated by the generator 60 is alternating current, it is rectified before being supplied to the lithium ion capacitor 75 and supplied to the lithium ion capacitor 75 in a direct current state.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram in the case of rectifying by the diode bridge shown in FIG. The current generated by the generator 60 flows into the diode bridge 10 from the side having the positive polarity at that time, and the current flow is forward among the rectifier diode 12 and the Schottky barrier diode 14 connected. It flows in the direction of rectifier diode 12a.

  The current that flows through the rectifier diode 12 a flows to the + side of the lithium ion capacitor 75, and then flows from the − side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 to the diode bridge 10 again. When the current generated by the generator 60 flows in this way, the lithium ion capacitor 75 stores this current. The current flowing through the diode bridge 10 flows into the Schottky barrier diode 14a connected to the negative side of the generator 60 out of the two Schottky barrier diodes 14 connected to the conducting wire through which this current flows. Return to machine 60.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram in the case of rectifying by the diode bridge shown in FIG. 2, and an explanatory diagram in the case where the direction of the current generated by the generator is opposite to the direction shown in FIG. Similarly, when the polarity of the current from the generator 60 that generates the alternating current is in the opposite direction, the current generated by the generator 60 flows to the diode bridge 10 from the side having the + polarity. That is, a current flows from the generator 60 to the diode bridge 10 through a different lead wire than before the polarity changes.

  The current flowing through the diode bridge 10 is a rectifier diode 12 connected to a conducting wire through which this current flows, and flows through a rectifier diode 12b different from the rectifier diode 12a through which the current flows before the polarity changes. The current that has flowed through the rectifier diode 12 b passes through the lithium ion capacitor 75 while being stored by the lithium ion capacitor 75, and then flows again into the diode bridge 10.

  The current that flows through the diode bridge 10 is the Schottky barrier diode 14 that is connected to the negative side of the generator 60 among the two Schottky barrier diodes 14 that are connected to the conducting wire through which this current flows. It flows to the Schottky barrier diode 14b different from the Schottky barrier diode 14a before the change, and returns to the generator 60.

  The alternating current generated by the generator 60 is rectified by the diode bridge 10 in this way, and flows into the lithium ion capacitor 75 in a direct current state and is stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75. The current from the generator 60 is converted to the diode bridge. When rectifying at 10, the rectifier diode 12 and the Schottky barrier diode 14 are passed one by one. Among these, since the Schottky barrier diode 14 has a smaller forward voltage drop than the rectifier diode 12, the power generated by the generator 60 has a power loss compared to the case where it passes through the two rectifier diodes 12. The battery is supplied to the lithium ion capacitor 75 in a small state, and is stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram equivalently showing the state of the diode bridge shown in FIG. 2 when no power is generated, and is an explanatory diagram in which the resistance reactance of the generator is omitted. In the diode bridge 10, two diodes connected to the + side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 are rectifier diodes 12, and two diodes connected to the − side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 are Schottky barrier diodes 14. . For this reason, when the current from the lithium ion capacitor 75 flows through the diode bridge 10, this current always passes through the rectifier diode 12 regardless of the direction of the current. That is, in the Schottky barrier diode 14, the current leakage in the reverse direction is larger than the current leakage in the reverse direction in the rectifier diode 12, but the current flowing through the diode bridge 10 is always the rectifier diode. By passing through 12, current leakage in the reverse direction is suppressed by the rectifier diode 12.

  As described above, when water is discharged from the automatic faucet, the current generated by the generator 60 by the flow of water flowing in the water supply pipe is rectified by the diode bridge 10 and then stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75.

  In addition, when the control unit 40 detects that the hand that has been put out to the spout has moved due to the sensor light receiving unit 46 not receiving the reflected light in the state of spitting from the spout, The control unit 40 transmits a control signal in a direction to close the discharge water valve 85 to the open / close control transistor 56. As a result, a current in the direction in which the stop water valve 85 is closed flows from the solenoid valve boost converter 52 to the stop water valve 85. The water discharge valve 85 is driven and closed by this current, and water from the water discharge port stops. When the discharge water valve 85 is closed, the supply of current to the discharge water valve 85 is stopped. When the valve is closed, similarly to the time when the valve is opened, the water discharge valve 85 maintains the closed state even when the supply of current is stopped.

  The stored voltage of the lithium ion capacitor 75 is determined by the upper limit voltage determination unit 20 whether or not the voltage exceeds the upper limit value, and the lower limit voltage determination unit 25 determines whether or not the voltage is lower than the lower limit value. Is determined.

  First, the upper limit voltage determination unit 20 outputs a Hi signal when the detected voltage exceeds 3.5 V, and outputs a Lo signal when the detected voltage is 3.5 V or less. This output signal is transmitted to the upper limit side switching unit 21. The upper limit side switching unit 21 is ON when the signal from the upper limit side voltage determination unit 20 is Hi, and is OFF when the signal is Lo. When the upper limit side switching unit 21 is ON, the upper limit side switching unit 21 connects a path for releasing the current generated by the generator 60 to the ground. For this reason, when the voltage of the lithium ion capacitor 75 exceeds 3.5 V, the current generated by the generator 60 flows to the ground and does not flow to the lithium ion capacitor 75. The battery will not be charged.

  On the other hand, the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 outputs a Hi signal when the detected voltage exceeds 2.5V, and outputs a Lo signal when the detected voltage becomes 2.5V or less. This output signal is transmitted to the lower limit side switching unit 26. The lower limit side switching unit 26 is turned on when the signal from the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 is Hi, and is turned off when the signal is Lo. In addition, when the lower limit side switching unit 26 is ON, the voltage of the gate electrode is lowered by connecting the gate electrode of the FET 30 to the ground.

  In the FET 30, when the voltage of the gate electrode is sufficiently lower than the voltage of the source electrode, the space between the source electrode and the drain electrode is turned ON. For this reason, when the signal from the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 becomes Hi and the lower limit side switching unit 26 is turned ON, the FET 30 is turned ON. Thus, when the FET 30 is turned on, the lithium ion capacitor 75 of the source electrode and the boost converters 50 and 52 on the drain electrode side are connected, and the current of the lithium ion capacitor 75 is supplied to the circuit.

  On the other hand, when the lower limit side switching unit 26 is OFF, the FET 30 is turned off between the source electrode and the drain electrode because there is no potential difference between the source electrode and the gate electrode. For this reason, when the signal from the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 becomes Lo and the lower limit side switching unit 26 is turned OFF, the FET 30 is turned OFF. Thus, when the FET 30 is turned off, the lithium ion capacitor 75 at the source electrode and the boost converters 50 and 52 at the drain electrode side are disconnected, and the lithium ion capacitor 75 is disconnected from the circuit. In this case, the current stored in the lithium ion capacitor 75 is not supplied to the circuit side. As a result, the stored voltage of the lithium ion capacitor 75 is kept within a predetermined range, and overcharge and overdischarge of the lithium ion capacitor 75 are suppressed.

  The signal from the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 is also transmitted to the power supply switching transmission unit 28. Similarly to the lower limit side switching unit 26, the power supply switching transmission unit 28 is turned on when the signal from the lower limit side voltage determination unit 25 is Hi, and is turned off when the signal is Lo. Further, the drain electrode of the lower limit side switching unit 26 is connected to the control unit 40 and the source electrode is connected to the ground. Can be detected.

  In the power generation faucet power supply circuit 1 according to the above embodiment, the diode bridge 10 is constituted by two rectifier diodes 12 and two Schottky barrier diodes 14, and among these four diodes, the same type Two diodes are connected to the + side of the lithium ion capacitor 75, and the other two types of diodes are connected to the − side of the lithium ion capacitor 75. As a result, when the current generated by the generator 60 is rectified by the diode bridge 10, the Schottky barrier diode 14 can be always passed through, so that it can be stored by the lithium ion capacitor 75 in a state where power loss is small. it can.

  In addition, by connecting the two rectifier diodes 12 and the two Schottky barrier diodes 14 included in the diode bridge 10 to the lithium ion capacitor 75 as described above, the current flowing from the lithium ion capacitor 75 through the diode bridge 10 can be reduced. The rectifier diode 12 can be passed regardless of the direction of the current. As a result, current leakage due to current leakage in the reverse direction of the Schottky barrier diode 14 can be suppressed. As a result, the power generated by the generator 60 can be used more effectively.

  In addition, since the lithium ion capacitor 75 has low series equivalent resistance and leakage current, the amount of electricity consumed during storage and discharge is small, and the fluctuation in output is small, so that the influence on the overvoltage prevention circuit can be reduced. In addition, since the lithium ion capacitor 75 can supply a large current, it is possible to reduce or omit the large-capacity Chemicon on the output side. As a result, the electric power generated by the generator 60 can be used more effectively.

  In the power supply circuit 1 described above, the diode bridge 10 is configured such that the two rectifier diodes 12 are connected to the + side of the lithium ion capacitor 75 and the two Schottky barrier diodes 14 are connected to the − side. However, these connections may be reversed. That is, the two Schottky barrier diodes 14 may be connected to the + side of the lithium ion capacitor 75, and the two rectifier diodes 12 may be connected to the − side of the lithium ion capacitor 75. Regardless of the polarity of the lithium ion capacitor 75, the diode bridge 10 is configured so that the same type of diode is connected to the same polarity side of the lithium ion capacitor 75. The relationship is not questioned.

  Further, in the power supply circuit 1 described above, when the voltage of the lithium ion capacitor 75 is lowered, only the connection with the control unit 40 side is cut off, but when the voltage of the lithium ion capacitor 75 is lowered, You may make it alert | report an abnormality to a user. As a result, an immediate repair request can be made in the event of an abnormality, and wasteful consumption of the auxiliary battery 80 can be suppressed.

  In the power supply circuit 1 described above, the lithium ion capacitor 75 is used as the power storage means, but the power storage means may be other than this, for example, an EDLC (electric double layer capacitor) may be used. Regardless of the form of the storage means, the power generated by the generator 60 can be used effectively by configuring the diode bridge 10 as described above.

  The power supply circuit 1 described above is an automatic faucet power supply circuit 1 that automatically discharges water by detecting that a hand has been inserted, and is described assuming a faucet used in a washstand or the like. However, the power generation faucet that controls water discharge by the power supply circuit 1 may be other than this. The power generation faucet may be, for example, a urinal that automatically detects a person with the detection sensor 44 and performs cleaning. The power generation type faucet controlled by the power supply circuit 1 can be used as long as it detects the detection object by the detection sensor 44 and switches water discharge or water stoppage through the water supply pipe according to the state of the detection object. Does not matter.

1 Power supply circuit 10 Diode bridge (rectifier circuit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Rectifier diode 14 Schottky barrier diode 20 Upper limit side voltage determination part 21 Upper limit side switching part 25 Lower limit side voltage determination part 26 Lower limit side switching part 28 Power supply switching transmission part 30 FET (field effect transistor)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 Control part 44 Detection sensor 50 Boost converter for control parts 52 Boost converter for solenoid valves 55 Stop water valve control circuit 60 Generator 75 Lithium ion capacitor (electric storage means)
80 Auxiliary battery 85 Water stop valve (solenoid valve)

Claims (1)

A generator that generates electricity by the flow of water flowing through the water supply pipe;
A rectifier circuit for rectifying an alternating current generated by the generator;
Power storage means for storing the current rectified by the rectifier circuit;
A control unit for controlling water discharge by the electric power stored in the power storage means;
In the power circuit of the power generation faucet comprising
The rectifier circuit is constituted by a diode bridge having two rectifier diodes and two Schottky barrier diodes,
The power supply circuit for the power generation faucet characterized in that the diode bridge has two diodes connected to the two polar sides of the power storage means, respectively.

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