Patent Application
20220397921
The present disclosure relates to a hot and cold water mixer.
JP 2015-183986 A discloses a hot and cold water mixer. The hot and cold water mixer mixes cold water supplied from a cold water supply source and hot water supplied from a hot water supply source, and discharges mixed water having a predetermined temperature and a predetermined flow rate. In the hot and cold water mixer, when cold water or hot water having a set flow rate is not allowed to flow, a target flow rate is corrected so that a fluctuation in temperature of the mixed water to be discharged can be suppressed.
In the hot and cold water mixer of JP 2015-183986 A, when there is a pressure fluctuation such as a pressure of the cold water supply source and a pressure of the hot water supply source being lower than predetermined pressures or the differential pressures being large, correction of the target flow rate may be insufficient and a difference between the temperature of the mixed water and the set temperature may be large.
In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a hot and cold water mixer capable of performing stable temperature control even when there is a pressure fluctuation.
A hot and cold water mixer of the present disclosure includes:
a cold water supply path connected to a cold water supply source and through which cold water supplied from the cold water supply source flows;
a hot water supply path connected to a hot water supply source and through which hot water supplied from the hot water supply source flows;
a mixed water path that is connected to the cold water supply path and the hot water supply path and through which mixed water obtained by mixing cold water supplied from the cold water supply path and hot water supplied from the hot water supply path flows;
a cold water-side flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts a flow rate of cold water present in the cold water supply path;
a hot water-side flow rate adjustment unit that adjusts a flow rate of hot water present in the hot water supply path;
a cold water-side information acquisition unit configured to acquire cold water information including a temperature and the flow rate of the cold water present in the cold water supply path;
a hot water-side information acquisition unit configured to acquire hot water information including a temperature and the flow rate of the hot water present in the hot water supply path;
a setting unit configured to set a temperature and a flow rate of mixed water present in the mixed water path; and
a control unit that calculates a target flow rate of cold water flowing through the cold water supply path and a target flow rate of hot water flowing through the hot water supply path based on setting information of the setting unit, the cold water information of the cold water-side information acquisition unit, and the hot water information of the hot water-side information acquisition unit, and controls the cold water-side flow rate adjustment unit and the hot water-side flow rate adjustment unit.
When the control unit determines that at least either one of the cold water-side flow rate adjustment unit and the hot-water side flow rate adjustment unit cannot increase the flow rate, and also determines, by comparing the target flow rate for the one flow rate adjustment unit with the flow rate of water flowing through the one flow rate adjustment unit, that the target flow rate for the one flow rate adjustment unit is higher, the control unit calculates and updates the target flow rate for the other flow rate adjustment unit so that the temperature of the mixed water set by the setting unit can be attained, and controls the other flow rate adjustment unit based on the updated target flow rate for the other flow rate adjustment unit.
Next, a hot and cold water mixer according to some embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. A hot and cold water mixer 10 is installed in a kitchen or a bathroom. The hot and cold water mixer 10 supplies mixed water having a predetermined temperature and a predetermined flow rate to a sink or a discharge pipe attached to a washing place. As illustrated in
The cold water supply pipe 1C is connected to a cold water supply source C, and a cold water supply path is formed inside the cold water supply pipe 1C. Cold water having a temperature of, for example, 20° C. flows through the cold water supply path. The cold water supply pipe 1C includes a check valve 2C, a temperature sensor 3C, a flow rate adjustment valve 4C, and a flow rate sensor 5C in order from an upstream side to a downstream side.
The hot water supply pipe 1H is connected to a hot water supply source H such as a gas water heater, and a hot water supply path is formed inside the hot water supply pipe 1H. Hot water of, for example, 60° C. flows through the hot water supply path. Similarly to the cold water supply pipe 1C described above, the hot water supply pipe 1H includes a check valve 2H, a temperature sensor 3H, a flow rate adjustment valve 4H, and a flow rate sensor 5H in order from the upstream side to the downstream side.
The mixing pipe 1M is connected to the cold water supply pipe 1C and the hot water supply pipe 1H, and a mixed water path is formed inside the mixing pipe 1M. Mixed water obtained by mixing cold water supplied from the cold water supply path and hot water supplied from the hot water supply path flows through the mixed water path. The mixing pipe 1M includes a temperature sensor 3M and an on-off valve 6M in order from the upstream side to the downstream side. The downstream side of the mixing pipe 1M is connected to various discharge pipes (not illustrated).
The temperature sensors 3C, 3H, and 3M are thermistors. Temperature sensors 3C, 3H, and 3M detect a temperature of cold water present in the cold water supply pipe 1C, a temperature of hot water present in the hot water supply pipe 1H, and a temperature of mixed water present in the mixing pipe 1M, respectively. The temperature sensors 3C and 3H correspond to a part of the cold water-side information acquisition unit and the hot water-side information acquisition unit, respectively.
The flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H are valve elements that are driven by a stepping motor and adjust opening degrees by expanding or narrowing flow paths of the cold water supply path and the hot water supply path. The flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H adjust a flow rate QC of cold water flowing through the cold water supply path and a flow rate QH of hot water flowing through the hot water supply path, respectively. The flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H correspond to the cold water-side flow rate adjustment unit and the hot water-side flow rate adjustment unit, respectively.
The on-off valve 6M is an electromagnetic valve. The on-off valve 6M opens and closes a flow path of the mixed water path to flow or stop the mixed water in the mixed water path.
The flow rate sensors 5C and 5H are impeller type flowmeters. The flow rate sensors 5C and 5H detect the flow rate QC of cold water and the flow rate QH of hot water based on a rotation speed of an impeller rotated by the cold water flowing through the cold water supply path and the hot water flowing through the hot water supply path, respectively. The flow rate sensors 5C and 5H correspond to a part of the cold water-side information acquisition unit and the hot water-side information acquisition unit, respectively.
The hot and cold water mixer 10 includes a setting unit 70 and a control unit 80. The setting unit 70 is a remote controller installed in a kitchen or a bathroom. The setting unit 70 includes various operation buttons (not illustrated) and a display panel that displays the temperature and the flow rate of mixed water present in the mixed water path. When the user inputs desired setting values of the temperature and the flow rate of the mixed water with the operation buttons, the setting unit 70 sends setting information to the control unit 80.
The control unit 80 is connected to the temperature sensors 3C, 3H, and 3M, the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H, the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H, the on-off valve 6M, and the setting unit 70 in a wired manner. The control unit 80 receives and stores temperature information detected by each of the temperature sensors 3C and 3H and flow rate information detected by each of the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H. The temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 3C and the flow rate information detected by the flow rate sensor 5C correspond to cold water information. The temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 3H and the flow rate information detected by the flow rate sensor 5H correspond to hot water information. In addition, the control unit 80 stores an opening degree state of each of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H and an on/off state of the on-off valve 6M. The control unit 80 also stores in advance how much the opening degrees of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H should be adjusted with respect to target flow rates of the cold water flowing through the cold water supply path and the hot water flowing through the hot water supply path.
When receiving setting information from the setting unit 70 regarding discharge start or discharge stop, the control unit 80 sends a control signal to the on-off valve 6M to open and close the on-off valve 6M. The control unit 80 calculates the target flow rates of cold water flowing through the cold water supply path and hot water flowing through the hot water supply path based on the setting information of the setting unit 70, the temperature information of the temperature sensors 3C and 3H, and the flow rate information of the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H, sends control signals to the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H, and adjusts the opening degrees of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H.
The control unit 80 controls the temperature and flow rate of mixed water present in the mixed water path as illustrated in
Next, based on the calculated target flow rates QC1 and QH1, the control unit 80 determines adjustment amounts from the opening degrees of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H stored in advance (step S4). In step S4, the control unit 80 determines the adjustment amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H while suppressing change amounts of the current opening degrees to the opening degrees at which the same flow rates as the target flow rates QC1 and QH1 can be attained to about 80% so that the flow rates do not become the same as the calculated target flow rates QC1 and QH1. Finally, the control unit 80 sends control signals to the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H based on the determined adjustment amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H (step S5), and returns to step S1 of receiving the setting information and repeats the processing. In step S5, when it is determined that predetermined conditions are satisfied, the control unit 80 calculates again the target flow rates QC1 and QH1 based on the setting information TM and QM, the current temperature information TC and TH, and the current flow rate information QC and QH. Details of this calculation method will be described later. The number of repetitions of steps S1 to S5 may be set to a predetermined number or may be changed according to the setting information. When the number of repetitions from step S1 to step S5 is the last, the control unit 80 determines the adjustment amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H in step S4 so that the flow rates become the same as the calculated target flow rates.
The control unit 80 calculates the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C of the cold water supply path and the target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H of the hot water supply path as illustrated in
When it is determined in step S304 that the set temperature TM is equal to the cold water temperature TC or the set temperature TM is higher than the cold water temperature TC (when Yes is determined), the control unit 80 calculates the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C according to the following Formula 1 (step S307) and calculates the target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H according to the following Formula 2 (step S308).
Q
C1=(TH−TM)×QM/(TH−TC) (1)
Q
H1
=Q
M
−Q
C1 (2)
Next, the control unit 80 determines whether the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C is maximum and also determines whether the flow rate QC of the cold water currently present in the cold water supply path is lower than the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C (step S309). The case where the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C is maximum is synonymous with the case where the flow rate QC of the cold water flowing through the cold water supply path cannot be increased. When it is determined in step S309 that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C is maximum and also that the cold water flow rate QC is lower than the target flow rate QC1 (when Yes is determined), the control unit 80 calculates again and updates the target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H according to the following Formula 3 based on the flow rate QC of the cold water currently present in the cold water supply path (step S310).
Q
H1=(TM−TC)×QC/(TH−TM) (3)
Then, the control unit 80 proceeds to step S4 of determining the adjustment amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H based on the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C calculated in step S307 and the target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H calculated again and updated in step S310.
When it is determined in step S309 that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C is not maximum, or that the target flow rate QC1 is equal to the cold water flow rate QC or lower than the cold water flow rate QC (when No is determined), the control unit 80 determines whether the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H is maximum and also determines whether the flow rate QH of the hot water currently present in the hot water supply path is lower than the target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H (step S311). The case where the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H is maximum is synonymous with the case where the flow rate QH of the hot water flowing through the hot water supply path cannot be increased. When it is determined in step S311 that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H is maximum and also that the hot water flow rate QH is lower than the target flow rate QH1 (when Yes is determined), the control unit 80 calculates again and updates the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C according to the following Formula 4 based on the flow rate QH of the hot water currently present in the hot water supply path (step S312).
Q
C1=(TH−TM)×QH/(TM−TC) (4)
Then, the control unit 80 proceeds to step S4 of determining the adjustment amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H based on the target flow rate QH1 for the hot water supply path calculated in step S308 and the target flow rate QC1 for the cold water supply path calculated again and updated in step S312. When it is determined in step S311 that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H is not maximum, or that the target flow rate QH1 is equal to the hot water flow rate QH or lower than the hot water flow rate QH (when No is determined), the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H can increase the opening degrees. In this case, the control unit 80 does not update the target flow rate QC1 or QH1, and proceeds to step S4 of determining the adjustment amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H.
In step S5, the control unit 80 calculates again the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C or the target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H as illustrated in
Q
H1=(TM−TC)×QC/(TH−TM) (5)
Next, the control unit 80 determines again and updates the adjustment amount of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H determined in step S4 based on the target flow rate QH1 calculated again in step S503 (step S504). Then, the control unit 80 sends a control signal to the flow rate adjustment valve 4H, and drives the flow rate adjustment valve 4H by the adjustment amount of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H determined in step S504 (step S505). When it is determined in step S502 that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C is not maximum, or that the target flow rate QC1 is equal to the cold water flow rate QC or lower than the cold water flow rate QC (when No is determined), the flow rate adjustment valve 4C can increase the opening degree. In this case, the control unit 80 proceeds to step S505 without executing step S503 and S504. In this case, the adjustment amount of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H remains the adjustment amount determined in step S4.
Next, the control unit 80 determines whether the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H is maximum and also determines whether the flow rate QH of the hot water currently present in the hot water supply path is lower than the target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H (step S506). When it is determined in step S506 that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H is maximum and also that the hot water flow rate QH is lower than the target flow rate QH1 (when Yes is determined), the control unit 80 calculates again and updates the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C according to the following Formula 6 based on the flow rate QH of the hot water currently present in the hot water supply path (step S507).
Q
C1=(TH−TM)×QH/(TM−TC) (6)
Next, the control unit 80 determines again and updates the adjustment amount of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C in the cold water supply path determined in step S4 based on the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C calculated again in step S507 (step S508). Then, the control unit 80 sends a control signal to the flow rate adjustment valve 4C, and drives the flow rate adjustment valve 4C by the adjustment amount of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C determined in step S508 (step S509). When it is determined in step S506 that the opening degree of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H is not maximum, or that the target flow rate Qin is equal to the hot water flow rate QH or lower than the hot water flow rate QH (when No is determined), the flow rate adjustment valve 4H can increase the opening degree. In this case, the control unit 80 proceeds to step S509 without executing step S507 and S508. In this case, the adjustment amount of the flow rate adjustment valve 4C in the cold water supply path remains the adjustment amount determined in step S4.
Next, the action and effect of the some embodiments will be described. The hot and cold water mixer 10 according to some embodiments includes a cold water supply pipe 1C connected to a cold water supply source C and having a cold water supply path formed therein through which cold water supplied from the cold water supply source C flows; a hot water supply pipe 1H connected to a hot water supply source H and having a hot water supply path formed therein through which hot water supplied from the hot water supply source H flows; and a mixing pipe 1M connected to the cold water supply pipe 1C and the hot water supply pipe 1H and having a mixed water path formed therein through which mixed water obtained by mixing cold water supplied from the cold water supply path and hot water supplied from the hot water supply path flows. The hot and cold water mixer 10 further includes a flow rate adjustment valve 4C which adjusts a flow rate of cold water preset in the cold water supply path, and a temperature sensor 3C and a flow rate sensor 5C which detect a temperature and a flow rate, respectively, of the cold water present in the cold water supply path. The hot and cold water mixer 10 further includes a flow rate adjustment valve 4H which adjusts a flow rate of hot water preset in the hot water supply path, and a temperature sensor 3H and a flow rate sensor 5H which detect a temperature and a flow rate, respectively, of the hot water present in the hot water supply path. The hot and cold water mixer 10 further includes a setting unit 70 which sets a temperature and a flow rate of mixed water present in the mixed water path, and a control unit 80 which controls the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H. Further, the control unit 80 of the hot and cold water mixer 10 calculates a target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C and a target flow rate QH1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4H based on a set temperature TM and a set flow rate QM of the setting unit 70, a temperature TC of the cold water present in the cold water supply path acquired from the temperature sensor 3C, and a temperature TH of the hot water present in the hot water supply path acquired from the temperature sensor 3H, and determines and controls adjustment amounts of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H based on the target flow rates QC1 and QH1, respectively. As a result, the hot and cold water mixer 10 can supply mixed water having a temperature and a flow rate desired by the user.
When the control unit 80 of the hot and cold water mixer 10 determines that the flow rate adjustment valve 4C cannot increase the flow rate and also determines, by comparing the target flow rate QC1 for flow rate adjustment valve 4C with the flow rate QC of the cold water flowing through the cold water supply path, that the target flow rate QC1 is higher, the control unit 80 calculates and updates the target flow rate QH1 of the flow rate adjustment valve 4H based on the flow rate QC of the cold water currently flowing through the cold water supply path so that the temperature TM of the mixed water set by the setting unit 70 can be attained, and controls the flow rate adjustment valve 4H based on the updated target flow rate QH1. Further, when the control unit 80 determines that the flow rate adjustment valve 4H cannot increase the flow rate and also determines, by comparing the target flow rate QH1 of flow rate adjustment valve 4H with the flow rate QH of the hot water flowing through the hot water supply path, that the target flow rate QH1 is higher, the control unit 80 calculates and updates the target flow rate QC1 for the flow rate adjustment valve 4C based on the flow rate QH of the hot water currently flowing through the hot water supply path so that the temperature TM of the mixed water set by the setting unit 70 can be attained, and controls the flow rate adjustment valve 4C based on the updated target flow rate QC1. When there is a pressure fluctuation such as a pressure of the cold water supply source C and a pressure of the hot water supply source H being lower than predetermined pressures or the differential pressures being large, the flow rates cannot be increased to the target flow rates even if opening degrees of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H are maximized. The hot and cold water mixer 10, however, prioritizes the set temperature TM over the set flow rate QM of the mixed water, and updates the target flow rates to control the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H. Thus, the hot and cold water mixer 10 can perform stable temperature control.
Further, the control unit 80 of the hot and cold water mixer 10 stores the opening degrees of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H, and determines whether the opening degrees are maximum to determine that the flow rates cannot be increased. As a result, the hot and cold water mixer 10 can rapidly determine that the flow rates cannot be increased, without driving the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H and detecting that there is no change in flow rate information on the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H. Thus, the hot and cold water mixer 10 can perform more stable temperature control.
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments explained with reference to the above description and drawings, and the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(1) The hot and cold water mixer 10 in some embodiments includes the on-off valve 6M in the mixing pipe 1M, but the mixing pipe 1M may have no on-off valve. In this case, the cold water supply pipe 1C and the hot water supply pipe 1H may have an on-off valve, or the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H may have a function of closing each flow path as an on-off valve.
(2) The cold water supply pipe 1C and the hot water supply pipe 1H in some embodiments have the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H, respectively. However, either one of the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H may be omitted, and the mixing pipe 1M may have a flow rate sensor. For example, when the flow rate sensor 5H is not provided in the hot water supply pipe 1H, the flow rate QH of the hot water in the hot water supply path is calculated by subtracting the cold water flow rate QC detected by the flow rate sensor 5C of the cold water supply pipe 1C from the mixed water flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor in the mixing pipe 1M.
(3) The control unit 80 in some embodiments is connected to the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H, the setting unit 70, and the like in a wired manner, but may be electrically connected to a part or all of them in a wireless manner.
(4) The control unit 80 in some embodiments stores the opening degrees of the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H, but may not store the opening degrees. In this case, the control unit 80 may drive the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H and detect the changes in flow rate information of the flow rate sensors 5C and 5H to determine whether the flow rate adjustment valves 4C and 4H cannot increase the flow rates.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-175482 | Sep 2019 | JP | national |
This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/JP2020/022154, filed Jun. 4, 2020, which claims the priority of Japanese Application No. 2019-175482, filed Sep. 26, 2019, the entire contents of each priority application of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2020/022154 | 6/4/2020 | WO |
