JPH112458A - Hot-water supplier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hot-water supplier, high in safety and excellent in handling. SOLUTION: When the conduction of water is detected (S2: YES), a set temperature at this time point is specified as a reference temperature (S6), and a limited temperature range, coping with the reference temperature, is read out. The limited temperature range is to limit the range of limit temperature, changeable during supplying hot-water, so as to be narrower than a normal temperature range, and is set in a width within several seconds centigrade about the center of the reference temperature. When the set temperature is changed during supplying hot-water (S8: YES), the temperature, being changed, is judged whether the change is within the limited temperature range or not and the change is permitted within the limited range of temperature (S9: YES, S10), and, thus, only the change in the degree of fine adjustment of a hot-water supplying temperature is allowed but a remarkable change, without the limited temperature range, is prohibited.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water heater, and more particularly to a water heater capable of changing a set temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a water heater capable of supplying hot water at a desired temperature by setting a set temperature using a remote controller. In such a water heater, it is convenient to set a hot water temperature with a remote control so that a wide range of hot water can be supplied from a low temperature to a high temperature.For example, in a case where such a remote control is provided only in a kitchen, , Set temperature is 4
When the user of the bathroom is taking a shower with the temperature set to 0 ° C and the user of the kitchen changes the set temperature to a high temperature without noticing it, the user of the bathroom may be burned. was there.

[0003]

In order to prevent such a danger, there has been known a water heater in which a change of a set temperature is prohibited during a tapping operation. Had to stop and was very troublesome. Moreover,
When the hot water was re-discharged, the water temperature became unstable and the usability was poor. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a highly safe and easy-to-use water heater.

[0004]

A water heater according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is provided with a heat exchanger for heating water supplied from a water supply passage by the combustion heat of a burner and supplying the water to a tap water passage, and a first heat exchanger. Temperature setting means for setting a set temperature within the range, and hot water temperature control means for controlling a combustion amount of the burner so that the hot water temperature discharged from the appliance approaches the temperature set by the temperature setting means. In the hot water heater, a second temperature range based on the set temperature at the start of the tapping operation is determined within the first temperature range, and the change of the set temperature outside the second temperature range is prohibited during the tapping operation. The gist is that a prohibition means is provided.

[0005] The water heater of the present invention having the above-described structure has the following features.
Temperature setting means for setting a set temperature within the temperature range,
The combustion amount of the burner is controlled so that the temperature of the hot water discharged outside the appliance approaches the set temperature. Further, a second temperature range based on the set temperature at the start of the tapping operation is determined within the first temperature range, and the change of the set temperature outside the second temperature range is prohibited during the tapping operation. That is, the range of the set temperature that can be changed during the tapping operation is limited to the second temperature range that is smaller than the first temperature range that can be changed before the tapping operation. By setting the second temperature range to a range around the set temperature at the start of the tapping operation, it is possible to prohibit a significant change in the set temperature during the tapping operation and to enable fine adjustment of the set temperature.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In order to further clarify the configuration and operation of the present invention described above, a preferred embodiment of the water heater of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a water heater as one embodiment of the present invention. The water heater includes a heat exchanger 30 to which the water supply channel 10 and the hot water channel 20 are connected,
Burner 40 for heating water flowing through heat exchanger 30
And a gas supply path 50 for supplying gas to the burner 40, and a controller 60 for controlling combustion. Water supply channel 10
Is provided with a flow sensor 11 for detecting a flow rate of incoming water.
Is provided with a tapping temperature sensor 21 for detecting the tapping temperature. The hot water path 20 is connected to the general hot water supply path 1, so that hot water can be supplied from the hot water tap 2 in the kitchen or the shower 3 in the bathroom. The gas supply path 50 is provided with a main solenoid valve 51 for opening and closing the flow path, a main solenoid valve 52, and a proportional valve 53 for adjusting the gas supply amount.

The controller 60 includes a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM that constitute a well-known arithmetic and logic operation circuit (not shown).
It comprises an input interface for inputting signals from various sensors, an output interface for outputting drive signals to various actuators, and the like. Further, a remote controller 70 for setting a set temperature by remote control is connected to the controller 60.

The remote controller 70 has a display panel 71 for displaying the set temperature, an up / down switch 72 for setting the set temperature, and an operation switch 7 for turning on / off the hot water supply operation.
3 is provided. The set temperature can be set at 1 ° C. intervals in the range of 38 to 46 ° C. and at temperatures of 48, 50, 55, 60, and 70 ° C. (hereinafter, 38 ° C. to 70 ° C. is referred to as a normal temperature range). It is increased or decreased by pressing the up / down switch 72. Then, the controller 60 determines that there is water flow when the detected flow rate of the flow rate sensor 11 becomes equal to or more than the predetermined operating flow rate, ignites the burner 40 and starts a combustion operation, and controls the detected temperature of the tap water temperature sensor 21 by remote control. 70
The tapping temperature control is performed such that the opening of the proportional valve 53 is adjusted so as to approach the set temperature set in the step (1). Thereafter, when the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 11 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined stop flow rate, it is determined that there is no water flow, and the burner 40 is extinguished to stop the combustion operation.

Next, the set temperature limit control process executed by the controller 60 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This routine is started when the operation switch 73 of the remote controller 70 is turned on. Run switch 73
Is turned on (S1), the flow sensor 11 first determines the presence or absence of water flow. In a state where the hot water supply path such as the hot water tap 2 is closed, the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 11 does not reach the water flow detection flow rate, so it is determined that there is no water flow (S2:
NO). If it is detected that a change operation has been performed by the up / down switch 72 of the remote controller 70 during this time (S
3) If the temperature is within the normal temperature range (S4: YES), the set temperature is changed (S5). Thereafter, when the hot water supply path such as the hot water tap 2 is opened, the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 11 reaches the flow detection flow rate, so that it is determined that there is water flow (S2: YES), and the set temperature at this time is set as the reference temperature. (S6), a limited temperature range, which is a set temperature range that can be changed during tapping, is read from the reference table. This limited temperature range is for limiting the range of the set temperature that can be changed during tapping to be narrower than the normal temperature range, and has a width of several degrees around the reference temperature (for example, when the reference temperature is 42 degrees C.). Is set to 38 ° C. to 46 ° C., and 55, 60, and 70 ° C. when the reference temperature is 60 ° C.), and the limit temperature range corresponding to each reference temperature is stored in the reference table. In the present embodiment, the reference temperature is 60 ° C compared to the case where the reference temperature is as low as 42 ° C.
In the case of a high temperature such as ℃, the temperature limit range is widened. In the case of 42 ° C, there is a high possibility that hot water is directly used, whereas in the case of 60 ° C, the mixing state with water is high. The reason for this is that the temperature of the mixing hot water with respect to the change of the hot water temperature is small. (Even if hot water of 60 ° C. is used directly, it is considered that there is little danger because the user knows that it is hot water and uses it.)

As described above, the limit temperature range corresponding to the reference temperature is read, the burner 40 is ignited to start the combustion operation, and the hot water heated to the set temperature by the hot water temperature control is discharged (S7). Here, when the set temperature is changed by the up / down switch 72 of the remote controller 70 during tapping (S8: YES), it is determined whether the temperature to be changed is within the limited temperature range, and the limited temperature range is determined. It is possible to change only within (S9: YES, S10). That is, a change in the degree of fine adjustment of the tapping temperature is permitted, but a significant change outside the limit temperature range is prohibited. Thereafter, when it is determined that there is no water flow based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 11 (S11: YES), the combustion operation is stopped.

As described above, according to the water heater of this embodiment, the range of the set temperature that can be changed during the tapping operation is limited to a range of several degrees around the set temperature at the start of tapping. Thus, it is possible to prevent a danger such as a burn due to a change in the set temperature during tapping. Moreover, since the tapping temperature can be finely adjusted, the usability is not impaired. In addition, by preventing the set temperature from being drastically changed during tapping, it is possible to prevent a sudden drop in tapping temperature during use of the shower and catching a cold.

Note that the normal temperature range and the limited temperature range are not limited to the values in this embodiment, but may be limited to prohibit, for example, only the change to a temperature higher than the reference temperature.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to these embodiments at all, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0014]

As described above in detail, according to the water heater of the present invention, a significant change in the set temperature is prohibited, so that when the set temperature is changed by another user at the time of using the shower or an erroneous operation is performed. For example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of burns or the like. Moreover, since the fine adjustment of the set temperature is possible, the usability is not impaired.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a water heater as one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a set temperature limit control process.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... water supply channel, 20 ... hot water channel, 30 ... heat exchanger,
40 ... burner, 60 ... controller, 70 ... remote control, 72 ... up / down switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heat exchanger for heating water supplied from a water supply channel by combustion heat of a burner and supplying the water to a hot water channel, temperature setting means for setting a set temperature within a first temperature range, and outside the appliance. A hot water supply device having a hot water temperature control means for controlling a combustion amount of the burner so as to bring a hot water temperature to be discharged close to the temperature set by the temperature setting means; A water heater comprising: a second temperature range defined within the first temperature range; and a change prohibiting unit for prohibiting a change of the set temperature outside the second temperature range while the tapping operation is continued.