JPH0147706B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a water heater used in general households and the like. In the conventional water heater shown in FIG. 1, if the distance l from the hot water source 1 to the hot water tap 2 is long, when the hot water tap 2 is opened, the piping
Since hot water does not come out until the cold water accumulated inside is discharged, there is discomfort, and the cold water in the pipe 3 is discarded. In view of this point, the present invention
The purpose is to provide a water heater that can return cold water in a pipe 3 to a hot water source 1 without wasting it, and can always supply hot water at an appropriate temperature from a hot water tap 2.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1
is a hot water supply source consisting of a water heater or a hot water storage tank, and has a hot water circulation circuit consisting of an outgoing pipe 4 and a return pipe 5, and the hot water tap 2 has a three-way valve 6 provided at the joint of the outgoing pipe 4 and the return pipe 5.
It is attached via. 7 is a circulation pump provided on the return pipe 5, and 8 is a temperature detector (thermistor) provided on the outgoing pipe 4 before the three-way valve 6. Reference numeral 9 denotes a control device operated by the output of the temperature sensor 8, and the output controls the three-way valve 6 and the circulation pump 7. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 9 has a dial 11 and an indicator light 1 on the surface of a case 10 that houses a control circuit.
2, and the operating temperature of the three-way valve 6 and circulation pump 7 is set by the dial 11. Indicator light 12
indicates whether or not this hot water supply device can supply hot water. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 9 includes a temperature detection circuit 13 to which the signal of the temperature detector 8 is input, a dial 11 (temperature setting device) for setting the detection level of this circuit, and an output of the temperature detection circuit 13. It consists of a three-way valve drive circuit 14, a circulation pump drive circuit 15, an indicator light drive circuit 16, and an indicator light 12. The temperature detection circuit 13 is a comparison circuit 1 that compares the detection signal of the temperature detector 8 and the set temperature signal of the dial 11.
3a, and a determination circuit 13b that determines the output signal of the comparison circuit 13a when the detection signal becomes larger than the set temperature signal and outputs it to each of the circuits 14 to 16. Then, the signal of the temperature sensor 8 and the dial 11
The temperature setting signal is input to the comparator circuit 13a, and the output signal of the comparator circuit 13a is determined when the temperature signal in the outgoing pipe 4 detected by the temperature detector 8 is higher than the set temperature signal set by the dial 11. The judgment circuit 13b outputs a signal and the three-way valve drive circuit 1
4. Circulation pump drive circuit 15, indicator light drive circuit 1
6, the three-way valve 6 is connected to the hot water tap side, the circulation pump 7 is stopped, and the indicator light 12 is turned on. Also, contrary to the above, when the hot water in the outgoing pipe 4 is lower than the set temperature, the determination circuit 13b determines the signal from the comparison circuit 13a and outputs the signal to each circuit 14 to 16, and the three-way valve 6 is activated. It communicates with the return pipe 5 side, drives the circulation pump 7, and turns off the indicator light 12.

Next, its effect will be explained.

When the dial 11 is set to the desired temperature before opening the hot water faucet 2, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 8 is lower than the desired temperature, the control device 9 switches the three-way valve 6 to the hot water supply position. The flow path to the stopper 2 is controlled to be closed and the flow path to the return pipe 5 is opened, and at the same time, the circulation pump 7 is driven and the indicator light 12 is turned off. When the circulation pump 7 is driven, high-temperature hot water from the hot water supply source 1 is circulated through the hot water circulation circuit consisting of the outgoing pipe 4 and the return pipe 5, and when the temperature detected by the temperature detector 8 reaches the set value, the control device 9 stops the circulation pump 7,
The three-way valve 6 closes the flow path to the return pipe 5 and opens the flow path to the hot water tap 2. Then, the indicator light 12 lights up to indicate that hot water at the desired temperature can be supplied. When the hot water tap 2 is opened in this state, hot water at the desired temperature can be obtained. That is, in the water heater of the present invention, if the dial 11 is set to the desired temperature, hot water at the desired temperature can be obtained from the beginning when the hot water tap 2 is opened.

As described above, the hot water supply device of the present invention is provided with a hot water supply circulation circuit consisting of an outgoing pipe 4 and a return pipe 5 in the hot water supply source (water heater or hot water storage tank) 1, and the outgoing pipe 4 and the return pipe 5 of this hot water supply circulation circuit. In a piping configuration in which a three-way valve 6 is provided at the joint with the return pipe 5 and the hot water tap 2 is attached, a circulation pump 7 is connected to the return pipe 5, and a circulation pump 7 is connected to the outgoing pipe 4 before the three-way valve 6. A temperature sensor 8 is provided, and a control device 9 is provided which controls the three-way valve 6 and the circulation pump 7 based on the output of the temperature sensor 8, and the control device includes a temperature setting device and a set temperature of the temperature setting device. There is a temperature detection circuit that compares the temperature of the temperature detector, determines whether the temperature of the temperature detector is higher or lower than the set temperature, and outputs the output.The circuit operates based on the output of this circuit, and when the temperature of the temperature detector is lower than the set temperature, the three-way A three-way valve drive circuit and a circulation pump drive circuit are provided, which connect the valve to the return pipe side to operate the circulation pump, and connect the three-way valve to the hot water tap side to stop the circulation pump when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature. Because we are equipped with
It has the following effects. Even if the hot water tap 2 is located far away from the hot water source 1, if you set the dial 11 to the desired temperature, you can always get hot water at the desired temperature from the beginning when you open the hot water tap 2.
Unlike the conventional water heater shown in the figure, there is no discomfort in waiting for hot water to come out, and there is no waste in discarding cold water. In addition, when the temperature in the hot water supply piping, including the outgoing pipe, is outside the set temperature, the three-way valve closes the hot water tap side to prevent hot water from coming out even if the hot water tap is opened by mistake, so conventional technology without a three-way valve There is no risk of air being sucked into the circulation flow path when the hot water tap is opened by mistake, and hot water at the set temperature can always be obtained.

Furthermore, when the hot water in the outgoing pipe is lower than the set temperature, the control device controls the circulation pump and the three-way valve, but does not control the hot water source. Compared to operating the heat source of a water heater in the same way, the heat source efficiency can be increased.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1: A diagram showing a conventional water heater, Fig. 2: A diagram showing an embodiment of the water heater of the present invention, Fig. 3: An external view of the control device of the present invention, and Fig. 4 a block diagram of the control device. It is a diagram. [Symbols] 1...Hot water source, 2...Hot water tap, 3...
Piping, 4... Outgoing pipe, 5... Return pipe, 6... Three-way valve, 7... Circulation pump, 8... Temperature detector, 9...
...Control device, 10...Case, 11...Dial, 12...Indicator light.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A hot water circulation circuit formed by connecting an outgoing pipe and a return pipe to a hot water supply source, a three-way valve connected to the outgoing pipe and the return pipe of this hot water circulation circuit, respectively, and connected to a hot water tap, and a three-way valve connected to the return pipe. a temperature sensor provided on the outgoing pipe before the three-way valve, and a control device that controls the three-way valve and the circulation pump based on a signal from the temperature sensor, and the control device includes a temperature setting device. and a temperature detection circuit that compares the set temperature of the temperature setting device and the temperature of the temperature sensor, determines whether the temperature of the temperature sensor is high or low based on the set temperature, and outputs it, and operates based on the output of this temperature detection circuit, When the temperature of the temperature sensor is lower than the set temperature, the three-way valve is connected to the return pipe side and closed to the hot water tap side to operate the circulation pump, and when the temperature of the temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature, the three-way valve is connected to the hot water tap side. A water heater comprising a three-way valve drive circuit that closes to the communicating return pipe side to stop the circulation pump, and a circulation pump drive circuit.