JPS6053736A - Flow amount of water regulating device in tap- controlled hot-water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten rise-up time by a method wherein a flow amount regulating valve is controlled to choke the flow amount of water which flows through a heat exchanger from a time when a water flow sensor has detected a predetermined flow amout of water to a time when a preset flow amount limiting condition is released. CONSTITUTION:When an operating switch SW is put ON, an outlet hot-water temperature signal 12 and a water-flow signal 7 are inputted into a micro-computer 11. The micro-computer 11 operates a predetermined operation by these input signals, outputs a closing direction driving signal S1 and an opening direction driving signal S2 and controls a servomotor 16 to control the opening and closing of the flow amount control valve. In this case, the closing direction driving signal S1 is outputted for a predetermined period of time from the detection of flow amount after the switch SW is put ON and the flow amount regulating valve is driven into the closing direction so as to choke the flow amount. According to this method, the rise-up upon the beginning of the operation of the hot-water heater may be shortened.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention provides an instantaneous water heater in which the sequence necessary for igniting the burner starts when the water flow generated by opening the hot water tap is detected, and the water flow at the time of startup is adjusted to an appropriate amount. The present invention relates to a water flow regulator provided to adjust the water flow to a certain value.

Instant water heaters that start by detecting water flow take a long time to reach the set temperature, and water below the set temperature is often discarded, which defeats the purpose of saving water. .

This invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional hot water supply faucet, and reduces the amount of water supplied to one hot water faucet when it is detected that water is flowing by opening the hot water faucet, thereby achieving a predetermined set temperature in a short time. The object of the present invention is to provide a water flow regulator for an instantaneous water heater that can raise the water amount up to a certain level.

By limiting the amount of water immediately after starting the instantaneous water heater to a value higher than the water amount detection limit (to a lower value), it is possible to raise the hot water temperature to the set temperature in a short time, and also to keep it below the set temperature. You can save water that would otherwise be wasted.

The water amount limiting operation is canceled when one of the conditions in H]4 below is satisfied.

(1) When it is detected that a certain period of time has passed since the water flow sensor detected the water flow.

(2) After the water flow sensor detects water flow, it integrates the amount of water, and it is determined that this integrated value has reached a certain value.

(3) When it is detected that the hot water outlet temperature has reached a certain temperature by the hot water outlet temperature sensor.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a burner, and 2 indicates a heat exchanger heated by the burner 1. The burner 1 is supplied with gas through a pipe 4 containing a gas pulp 3 (3). The heat exchanger 2 also includes a water flow control valve 5, a water governor 6, and a water flow sensor 7.
Water is supplied through a vibrator 8 provided with a heat exchanger 2, and water heated by a heat exchanger 2 is taken out through a hot water tap 9. The water amount adjustment circuit 10 constitutes a water amount regulator together with the water amount adjustment valve 5 and the water flow sensor 7.

This instantaneous water heater performs the operations necessary for scavenging, igniting the pilot flame, and igniting the burner 1 according to a preset sequence when the water flow generated by opening the hot water tap 9 is detected. It has a function that automatically stops combustion when the valve 9 is closed. The configuration and operation for obtaining this function are well known in this field, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. and flow rate adjustment circuit 10
The hot water tap 9 is operated from the time when the water flow sensor 7 detects a predetermined amount of water flow until the water flow restriction operating condition described above is satisfied.
Limit the flow rate of water flowing out of the system to a predetermined value.

An example of the water amount adjustment circuit 10 is shown in FIG. Operation (4) When the switch SW is pressed, the operation lamp L lights up, the transistor Q1 becomes conductive, and its output is supplied to the microcomputer 11.

Further, the output of the hot water temperature sensor 12 that detects the temperature of hot water taken out from the heat exchanger 2 (hot water temperature) is transmitted to the A/D converter 1.
After being converted into a digital signal in step 3, the signal is input to the microcomputer 11. Further, a water flow signal obtained from the water flow sensor T is also input to the microcomputer 11.

The microcomputer 11 performs predetermined calculations based on these inputs.1. , outputs a closing direction drive signal S1 or an opening direction drive signal S2. These signals S1 and S2 are passed through inverters 14 and 15, respectively, to transistors Q2-Q5 and a diode DI.

D2 and resistors R1 to R4, which is used to control the servo motor 16.

This servo motor 16 is for driving the water flow control valve 5 in the closing direction or opening direction. Note that other valve drive means other than the servo motor may be used as means for opening and closing the water flow control valve 5 in response to the signals S1 and S2.

A timing chart of the operation of the water amount adjustment circuit 10 shown in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3. When the water flow is detected after the operation switch SW is turned on, the closing direction drive signal S1 is supplied from the microcomputer 11 to the servo amplifier for a preset time t1, and the water volume control valve 5 performs an operation to throttle the water volume. As shown in FIG. 4, this water volume limiting operation is performed at t when the water volume reaches the detection level 12, which is lower than the fully open level 1, and thereby the water volume reaches level 1! Decrease to 3. At this point, the closing direction drive signal S1 disappears, and after the elapse of time t2 until the above-mentioned water amount restriction condition is canceled,
The open direction drive signal S2 is supplied to the servo amplifier for a predetermined time t3. As a result, the water amount limiting operation ends, the water amount increases to the fully open level -el, and from this point on, steady operation begins. FIG. 5 shows a flowchart when the water amount restriction operation is canceled when a timer detects that a certain period of time has elapsed.

Due to the water volume limiting operation as described above, the time from opening the tap to reaching the desired hot water temperature is significantly shortened by t7, as shown in FIG. 6, compared to the conventional case where water volume is not restricted. Furthermore, the present invention improves the safety of the hot water temperature when the hot water tap is opened again within a short time after the hot water tap is closed. In other words, as shown in Fig. 7, the general characteristic of instantaneous water heaters is that immediately after the hot water tap is closed, the temperature rises due to the so-called aftereffect phenomenon, and if operation is restarted during this period, If water volume is not restricted, the hot water temperature will be uncomfortably low and it will take time to reach the set temperature, but if water volume is restricted, the temperature will not drop as much after restarting operation and will reach the set temperature. The time is short.

In this embodiment, a water flow sensor that generates a pulse signal with a frequency proportional to the amount of water is used to detect whether a water flow is generated by opening the hot water tap. Detection of the presence or absence of water flow is performed based on whether the frequency of this pulse signal exceeds a set value. The frequency can be measured by various known means, but for example, the level of the pulse signal is checked at a cycle shorter than the cycle corresponding to the highest frequency that can be output by the water flow sensor (7), and this level is switched. It is possible to advantageously apply means for determining that a water flow has occurred when the interval between the two points becomes shorter than a certain value. Of course, a water flow switch that operates when the amount of water exceeds a certain value can also be used.

As described above, the water flow regulator of the present invention adjusts the flow rate of water taken out from the hot water faucet from the time when the instantaneous water heater starts operating until the predetermined restriction condition is lifted. Since the flow rate is limited to a value close to the minimum flow rate required for this, the outlet temperature quickly rises to the desired set temperature. In addition, since the amount of water that flows out before the set temperature is reached is small, in addition to energy saving effects, water saving effects can also be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing the configuration of an instantaneous water heater equipped with a water flow regulator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a water flow control circuit used in the example of FIG. 1, and FIG. The figure is a timing chart of the circuit in Figure 2, Figure (8) 4 is a graph showing the water volume adjustment pattern by the circuit in Figure 2, Figure 5 is a flowchart 1 and 6 showing the operation of Figure 2. and FIG. 7 is a graph showing changes in the outlet temperature of the instantaneous water heater of FIG. 1 in comparison with the conventional case. 1...Burner, 2...Heat exchanger, 3...Gas pulp, 5...Water flow control valve, 6...Water governor, 7...
Water flow sensor, 9... Hot water tap, 10... Water flow adjustment circuit, 11... Microcomputer, 12... Hot water temperature sensor 1.13... A/D converter, 16... Servo motor . Special fraud applicant Yamatake Honeywell Co., Ltd. (9)-15.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A water flow sensor that detects the water flow generated by opening the hot water tap of the instant water heater; a water flow control valve that adjusts the amount of water flowing through the heat exchanger of the instant water heater; an instantaneous water boiler comprising: a water flow control circuit that controls the water flow control valve to limit the flow of water through the heat exchanger from the time the water flow is detected until the preset water flow restriction condition is released; Water volume regulator in the vessel. (2) The water flow regulator in an instantaneous water heater according to claim 1, wherein the water flow restriction condition is canceled by a timer that operates after a certain period of time after the water flow sensor detects the water flow. (3) The above-mentioned water quantity restriction condition is canceled by a water quantity integrating means that integrates the water quantity after the water flow sensor detects the water flow, and operates as a spear when this integrated value reaches a set value. A water flow regulator in an instantaneous water heater according to item 1. (4) The water amount regulator in an instantaneous water heater according to claim 1, wherein the water amount restriction condition is canceled when the temperature of the hot water exiting the heat exchanger reaches a predetermined value.