JP6932079B2 - Bathroom remote control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bathroom remote control device installed in a bathroom for operating a housing equipment such as a water heater.

Conventionally, in this type of bathroom remote controller, there are a main display unit that displays the status of the water heater body such as the set temperature, and multiple operations such as changing the set temperature and instructing the water heater body to fill the water heater. Some have a switch unit and a case unit forming an outer shell, and the operation switch unit is provided with a lamp display unit that indicates the operation state of the switch.

JP-A-2010-181100 (Fig. 2)

However, although such a conventional bathroom remote controller has a main display unit that can display various information, even if the display content changes, only the information in a part of the displayed area is changed, and the information is displayed. There was a need for a bathroom remote control device that could convey information in an easy-to-understand manner because it could be buried in a large amount of information.

In addition, the bathroom remote control device is required to further improve the visibility from a high viewpoint when the bather is standing on the floor of the bathroom and from a low viewpoint when the bather is deeply bathed in the bathtub. Was being done.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention exposes the main display unit for displaying the set temperature, the operation switch unit for changing the set temperature, the case unit forming the outer shell, and the case unit. The lighting display unit is provided with a lighting display unit that displays a bathing status or a device status by lighting, and the lighting display unit is composed of a light emitting unit and a transparent or translucent light guide member arranged in front of the light emitting unit. The translucent surface of the light guide member is exposed to at least the front side and the lower side, and the side portion of the case portion adjacent to the lower side of the lighting display portion has an inclined surface portion inclined from the upper back to the lower front side. The inclined surface portion has a gloss, and the light from the translucent surface exposed on the lower side of the light guide member is reflected forward by the inclined surface portion.

Further, the case portion is provided with a lid portion that can be opened and closed with the lower side as an axis while covering the operation switch portion, and the lighting display portion is arranged adjacent to the upper portion of the lid portion. At the same time, the inclined surface portion is provided on the upper side of the lid portion so as to be inclined from the upper back to the lower front.

According to the present invention, a lighting display unit for transmitting information is provided separately from the main display unit, and an inclined surface portion is located adjacent to the lower side of the light guide member of the lighting display unit. In addition to the light on the front side of the light guide member of the lighting display unit, the light on the lower side of the light guide member is reflected on the inclined surface portion and the light spreads, so that the area that can be regarded as emitting light expands, and the bather can It is possible to improve both the visibility from a high viewpoint while standing on the floor of the bathroom and the visibility from a low viewpoint when the bather is deeply bathed in the bathtub.

Since the plurality of operation switch units are hidden by the lid unit, the display from the lighting display unit is more prominent, and the visibility can be further improved.

Schematic diagram of a water heater in which the bathroom remote controller device of the present invention is used. Perspective view of the bathroom remote controller device of the present invention Sectional drawing of the bathroom remote control device of this invention Flow chart for explaining the operation of the present invention

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a water heater as a housing equipment, 2 is a bathroom of a house, 3 is a bathtub, 4 is a bathroom remote control device of a water heater 1 arranged at a height that can be operated by a bathtub from the bathtub 3, and 5 is a bathroom of a kitchen or the like. The kitchen remote control device of the water heater 1 provided outside, 6 is a bath circulation circuit that connects the water heater 1 and the bathtub 3 so that the bathtub water can be circulated.

The water heater 1 has a hot water filling function for a bathtub and a reheating function, and the water level sensor 7 provided in the middle of the bathtub circulation circuit 6 can detect the water level in the bathtub 3.

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2, the bathroom remote controller 4 includes a case portion 8 constituting an outer shell and a 7-segment device that displays a set state and an operating state of the water heater 1 main body such as a set temperature in the upper center thereof. A main display unit 9 consisting of a liquid crystal display of fixed characters such as characters, a plurality of main switches 10 arranged on both sides of the main display unit 9 to perform predetermined operations such as automatic bathing, and under the remote controller body. An operation switch unit 11 provided at a half position for changing the set temperature, a lid portion 12 that covers the operation switch portion 11 and opens and closes around the lower end, and is provided so as to be exposed from the opening of the lid portion 12. It includes a motion sensor 13 that detects whether or not a person is present in the bathroom 2, and a lighting display unit 14 that displays a bathing status or a device status by changing the lighting status. Here, the lid portion 12 constitutes a part of the outer shell of the remote controller main body when closed, and hides an operation switch that is not frequently used to minimize the information provided to the bather.

The lighting display unit 14 is provided adjacent to the upper side of the lid unit 12, and as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, a plurality of light emitting units 16 composed of LEDs and the like provided in a horizontal row on the substrate 15 and a light emitting unit. It is composed of a light guide member 17 which is arranged on the front surface of the 16 and is provided so as to be exposed from the case portion 8. The light guide member 17 is made of a transparent or translucent material, and is integrally formed in a horizontally long shape from one end to the other of the remote controller main body. The front surface side and the lower side of the light guide member 17 are not covered with the case portion 8 and the lid portion 12, so that a light transmitting surface 18 for transmitting the light of the light emitting portion 16 is formed.

An inclined surface portion 19 inclined from the upper back to the lower front is provided on the upper side of the lid portion 12. The inclined surface portion 19 has a glossy finish so that light from the light transmitting surface 18 below the light guide member 17 located above the inclined surface portion 19 can be reflected forward.

Here, the operation of the lighting display unit 14 that displays the bathing status by changing the lighting state will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, n a plurality of light emitting units 16 of the lighting display unit 14 are provided.

When the human sensor 13 of the bathroom remote controller 4 detects the presence of a person (Y in step S1) after the bathtub 3 has been filled with hot water and is ready to take a bath, the water heater 1 has a kitchen remote controller. The display unit of the device 5 displays that the bathroom 2 has been entered, and the water level sensor 7 monitors the presence or absence of a person bathing in the bathtub 3 (step S2).

When a person bathes in the bathtub 3 and the water level sensor 7 detects a water level rise of a predetermined value or more in a short time (Y in step S2), the counting of the bath timer T is started (step S3).

In the following step S4, it is determined whether or not the count time T exceeds the predetermined time t1, and if it does not exceed (N in step S4), the presence or absence of a person taking a bath from the bathtub 3 is monitored by the water level sensor 7 (N in step S4). Step S5). The operation when there is a bath will be described in step S13 described later.

When the count time T exceeds the predetermined time t1 (Y in step S4), the first light emitting unit 16 provided at the left end of the lighting display unit 14 is lit (step S6), and the bathing time is set to the predetermined time t1. Display that it has been exceeded. At this time, the lighting display unit 14 transmits light from the light transmitting surface 18 of the light guide member 17 in the front range of the first light emitting unit 16 to the front side and the lower side, and the light from the lower light transmitting surface 18 is transmitted. , The light emitting area that is reflected by the inclined surface portion 19 is expanded to improve the visibility of the bather who visually recognizes the bathroom remote control device 4 from a low viewpoint in a state where the bathtub 3 is deeply bathed.

When the time further elapses and the count time T exceeds the predetermined time t2 (> t1) (Y in step S7), the second light emitting unit 16 provided second from the left end of the lighting display unit 14 is lit. (Step S8), it is displayed that the bathing time exceeds the predetermined time t2. At this time, the lighting display unit 14 transmits light from the light transmitting surface 18 of the light guide member 17 in the front range of the first light emitting unit 16 and the second light emitting unit 16 to the front side and the lower side, and transmits light on the lower side. The light from the surface 18 is reflected by the inclined surface portion 19 to widen the substantially light emitting area, and improve the visibility of the bather who visually recognizes the bathroom remote control device 4 from a low viewpoint in a state where the bath 3 is deeply bathed. ..

After that, the same step is performed up to the nth light emitting unit 16 (the description is omitted), and the count time T is predetermined with all the n light emitting units 16 of the lighting display unit 14 being lit. When the time tun + 1 (> tun) is exceeded (Y in step S10), the lighting display unit 14 blinks all the light emitting units 16 (step S12), and the bathing time exceeds tun + 1 hour for a long time. Warn that.

Here, since the light emission of the lighting display unit 14 is independent of the main display unit 9, information on the bathing situation can be conveyed in an easy-to-understand manner without being buried in various information, and is reflected by the inclined surface portion 19. Since the effective light emitting area is increased by light, the visibility from a high viewpoint and the bather's view when the bather is standing on the washroom floor of the bathroom 2 such as when multiple people are in the bathroom 2 at the same time. Can simultaneously improve both visibility from a low viewpoint when the bathtub 3 is deeply bathed. Further, since the inclined surface portion 19 is provided below the lighting display unit 14 in a shape inclined from the upper back to the lower front, the light of the lighting display unit 14 is reflected upward, so that visibility from a high viewpoint is obtained. Can be suitably improved.

After that, if the bathing cannot be detected within a certain period of time (N in step S13), the kitchen remote controller 5 warns the family members living together that the bathing time exceeds the predetermined tun + 1 hour by sound and light. (Step S14).

On the other hand, if the water level sensor 7 detects a water level drop of a predetermined value or more in a short time in steps S5, S9, S11, and S13, the process proceeds to step S15, the bathing timer T is reset, and all the lighting display units 14 are turned on. The light is turned off and the process returns to step S2.

In this way, since the bather can easily visually recognize the bathing situation, it is possible to encourage safe bathing.

The bathing situation displayed by the lighting display unit 14 by light emission is not limited to the bathing time described so far, and for example, the degree of heat input to the bather calculated from the bathtub water temperature and the bathing time is displayed. Alternatively, other bathing status may be displayed.

In addition, the lighting display unit 14 displays the degree of progress of hot water filling into the bathtub 3, which is automatically performed according to the operation instruction of the main switch 10, instead of the bathing status, and the hot water storage type hot water supply as the water heater 1. When the machine is used, the degree of hot water storage state of the hot water storage tank may be displayed, or the device state may be displayed.

Further, since the lid portion 12 hides an operation switch that is not frequently used to minimize the information provided to the bather, the display from the lighting display portion 14 is more prominent, and the visibility is further improved. I'm improving.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified without changing the gist of the invention. In the above embodiment, the inclined surface portion 19 is provided on the upper side of the lid portion 12, but the lid is provided. In the bathroom remote controller 4 without the portion 12, the inclined surface portion 19 may be provided at a position corresponding to the lower side of the lighting display portion 14 of the case portion 8 constituting the outer shell.

Further, although the water heater 1 has been described as an example of the housing equipment, any housing equipment related to bathing is within the scope of the present invention.

4 Bathroom remote controller 8 Case 9 Main display 11 Operation switch 12 Lid 14 Lighting display 16 Light emitting 17 Light guide member 18 Translucent surface 19 Inclined surface

Claims (2)

The main display unit that displays the set temperature, the operation switch unit for changing the set temperature, the case unit that forms the outer shell, and the case unit that is exposed from the case unit are provided by lighting the bathing status or equipment status. A lighting display unit for displaying is provided, and the lighting display unit is composed of a light emitting unit and a transparent or semi-transparent light guide member arranged in front of the light emitting unit, and the light guide member is provided with respect to at least the front side and the lower side. The transparent surface of the case is exposed, and an inclined surface portion inclined from the upper back to the lower front is provided on the side portion of the case portion adjacent to the lower side of the lighting display portion, and the inclined surface portion has gloss. A bathroom remote control device characterized in that the light from the translucent surface exposed on the lower side of the light guide member is reflected forward on the inclined surface portion. The case portion is provided with a lid portion that can be opened and closed with the lower side as an axis while covering the operation switch portion, and the lighting display portion is arranged adjacent to the upper portion of the lid portion. The bathroom remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface portion is provided on the upper side of the lid portion so as to be inclined from the upper back to the lower front side.

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