JPH0743146B2 - Temperature control device for mixed water in shower tower - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an improvement of a mixed water temperature control device in a shower tower in which a mixed water of hot water and water mixed by a mixing valve is supplied to a fixed shower head. Regarding

As shown in FIG. 1, the shower tower A is provided with a shower head 1 fixed in a shower room R, and a pipe 2 for feeding mixed water which communicates with the shower head 1 is provided with a mixing valve.
An electric valve MV installed in the pipe 2 for feeding mixed water, which is connected to the hot water supply pipe 3 leading to the water heater B such as a boiler and the water supply pipe 4 leading to the tap, via the MXV. By opening the valve, the mixed water of hot water and water mixed in a desired ratio by the mixing valve MXV is configured to be ejected from the shower head 1.

Unlike the hand shower, this shower tower A is provided with a shower head 1 for ejecting mixed water at a fixed position in the shower room so that when the electrically operated valve MV is operated to inject the mixed water, the mixed water is mixed. However, since it will come across the entire body of the person trying to take a shower, when the motor-operated valve MV is opened to take a shower, the cold mixed water left in the pipe 2 that jets first It becomes necessary to rigorously control the temperature of the mixing valve, because it may be covered with hot water or the hot water that is ejected due to the incorrect setting temperature of the mixing valve.

From this, in the prior art, as shown in FIG.
A temperature sensor S for detecting the temperature of the mixed water is provided between the mixing valve MXV and the motor-operated valve MV, and a drainage equipped with a motor-operated valve V for drainage is provided between the temperature sensor S and the motor-operated valve MV. When a user who wants to take a shower operates a start switch (not shown) with the pipe 5 connected, first, the drainage electric valve V is opened, and the pipe 2 in the pipe 2 up to the electric valve MV is opened. The water is discharged to the drain pipe 5, whereby the mixed water in the pipe 2 is sequentially replaced with the mixed water flowing out through the mixing valve MXV, so that the temperature of the mixed water in the pipe 2 becomes an appropriate temperature. When the temperature sensor S senses that, the drainage motor-operated valve V is closed, the discharge of the mixed water to the drain pipe 5 is stopped, and the state becomes usable. When the motor-operated valve MV is opened, mixed water is jetted from the shower head 1. And, the shower head 1
The temperature is controlled so that the temperature of the mixed water spouted from is always maintained at an appropriate temperature.

The temperature control means of the mixed water in this tower shower is
Exchange of the mixed water in the pipe 2 for feeding the mixed water is limited between the mixing valve MXV and the electric valve MV, and the mixed water in the pipe 2 between the electric valve MV and the shower head 1 ... Is not replaced, so that at the start of use, the mixed water between the motor-operated valve MV and the shower head 1 will spout in a state in which it has been cooled, so that cold water can be covered. Therefore, it is necessary to bring the electric valve MV and the shower head 1 close to each other.
However, the motor-operated valve MV has a considerably large size due to its structure, and it is difficult to mount it close to the shower head 1. Therefore, the pipe 2 between the motor-operated valve MV and the shower head 1 is inevitably long. , There is a problem that the possibility of wearing cold water remains. Moreover, in the shower tower, as shown in FIG. 1 described above, the shower rooms R are often arranged in parallel, and the shower heads 1 are arranged in parallel in many cases. In order to simplify the control circuit of the operation of the motor-operated valve MV for controlling the jetting of the mixed water, if the motor-operated valves MV ... Which are provided in multiples are assembled together in the control box, the shower heads 1 arranged in parallel are ... The length of the pipe to the one located far away in the inside becomes longer, and the problem of covering with cold water at the start becomes more serious, so there is also a problem that the configuration of the control circuit becomes troublesome. come.

The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and it is possible to appropriately discharge the residual water in the pipe 2 between the motor-operated valve MV and the shower head 1 to control the temperature of the mixed water. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new means capable of appropriately performing the above, and simplifying the wiring of the control circuit of each motor-operated valve MV when the shower heads 1 are arranged in parallel.

Further, in the present invention, as a means for achieving this object, a motor valve is controlled so that at least the flow rate is switched between two stages in a pipe for feeding the mixed water between the mixing valve and the shower head. A drainage pipe provided with a check valve between the electric valve and the shower head as close as possible to the shower head, and a motor valve for draining through the check valve on the electric valve side of the check valve. And a temperature control device for mixed water in a shower tower in which the valve opening pressure of the check valve provided in the pipe is set higher than the valve opening pressure of the check valve provided in the drain pipe. It is a thing.

Next, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals as those used in the conventional means are used for the constituent elements having the same effect.

FIG. 3 is a development view of a temperature control device in a shower tower according to the present invention. In FIG. 3, 1 is a shower head,
2 is a pipe for supplying mixed water to the shower head 1, 3 is a pipe for hot water supply, 4 is a pipe for water supply, 5 is a drain pipe, MXV is a mixing valve, V is a drain pipe provided in the drain pipe 5. An electric valve, S-1 is a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the hot water of the mixed water discharged from the mixing valve MXV to the pipe 2, S-2 is a temperature sensor for detecting the drainage temperature provided in the drain pipe 5, and a is the pipe 2
The check valve provided on the drainage pipe 5 and the check valve b provided on the drainage pipe 5.

Shower head 1 is a normal one, as shown in FIG.
The shower rooms R are installed in parallel at fixed positions, and in the example shown in FIG.

The pipe 2 for feeding the mixed water to the shower head 1 is branched into five branch pipes 2a ... Corresponding to the five shower heads 1 arranged in parallel, and the tip ends of the respective branch pipes 2a. It is connected to each shower head 1, and the base end side of each branch pipe 2a is joined and connected to the tip end side of the pipe 2. A check valve a is provided in each of the branch pipes 2a at a position as close as possible to the shower head 1 at the tip. Further, each of the branch pipes 2a is provided with a motorized valve MV, and the flow rate in each of the branch pipes 2a is set to be equal to or lower than the valve opening pressure of each of the check valves a ... A flow sensor FLS capable of controlling the opening degree of the electric valve MV is provided.

The hot water supply pipe 3 is a normal pipe whose base end side is connected to a water heater such as a boiler, and is connected to the water heater via a check valve 30.

The water supply pipe 4 is a normal pipe whose proximal end communicates with a water supply source such as a tap, and is connected to the water supply source via a check valve 40.

The mixing valve MXV is usually a valve box having a water inlet, a hot water inlet, and a mixed water outlet, provided with a mixing valve for mixing the water flowing from the water inlet with the hot water flowing from the hot water inlet in a desired ratio. However, an electric mixing valve that operates the mixing valve by a motor is used, and its water inlet is connected to the pipe 4, the hot water inlet is connected to the pipe 3, and the mixed water outlet is connected to the pipe 2. is doing. The operation of the electric mixing valve MXV is controlled so as to maintain the set temperature set by the temperature sensor S-1 by the feedback of the temperature signal detected by the temperature sensor S-1 formed of the thermistor provided in the pipe 2. It

The drainage pipe 5 is branched into five branch drainage pipes 5a ... Corresponding to the above-mentioned five branch pipes 2a ... Each branch pipe
2a is connected to a position closer to the tip side as much as possible in a portion closer to the base end side than the check valve a provided therein, and each branch drain pipe 5a has a check valve b. It is connected. An electric valve V for drainage is connected to the tip end side of the drainage pipe 5 to which the branch drainage pipes 5a ... Join and connect.

Further, a temperature sensor S-2 including a thermistor for detecting the drainage temperature is provided in the branch drainage pipe 5a located farthest from the motor-operated valve V among the branch drainage pipes 5a.

And this temperature sensor S-2 detects the drainage temperature,
Compared with the set temperature set by the temperature sensor S-1 composed of the thermistor for detecting the mixed water temperature provided in the above-mentioned pipe 2 for feeding the mixed water, until the detected drainage temperature reaches the set temperature, The electric valve V is kept fully open, and by detecting that the drainage temperature has reached the set temperature, the electric valve V for drainage is controlled to be fully closed.

Further, the check valve b provided in each branch drainage pipe 5a has a valve opening pressure of the check valve a provided in each of the branch pipes 2a described above.
It is set lower than the valve opening pressure.

Further, the motor-operated valves MV respectively provided in the branch pipes 2a described above are turned on by a main switch (not shown) to reach an opening degree at which the flow rate is reduced by the flow sensor FLS. By turning on the operation switch (not shown) of each electric valve MV in the state where the valve is opened and the main switch is turned on,
Each is controlled so that it is fully opened. Then, when the main switch described above is turned on, the flow sensor
The flow rate set by FLS is set so that the water pressure is smaller than the valve opening pressure of the check valves a ...

Further, when the main switch of the drainage electric valve V is turned on, the electric valve MV provided in the branch pipes 2a ... At the same time, the valve is operated to be fully opened, and the temperature sensor S-2 provided in the branch drainage pipe 5a is controlled to be fully closed by the operation of sensing the set temperature. When the temperature sensor S-2 fully operates the electric valve V for drainage, it is controlled so as to be fully opened at the same time or to be operated at an opening having an arbitrary set flow rate.

It should be noted that, while the electric valve MV is being used in the shower, even if the electric water mixing valve MXV controls the electric water mixing valve MXV due to some modulation such as water cutoff on the water supply pipe 4 side. In order to ensure safety when the temperature becomes high, the temperature is set so that the valve closing operation is performed when the temperature sensor S-1 including the thermistor provided in the pipe 2 detects a temperature higher than the temperature range of the set temperature. It may be controlled by the sensor S-1. In this case, a separate return switch is provided, and after the return switch is operated, the main switch is turned on and off, and the opening degree of each electric valve MV is narrowed and the electric valve for drainage is also used. Control is performed so that the high temperature mixed water with V opened is discharged to the drainage path via the branch drainage pipes 5a, the drainage pipe 5 and the opened motor-operated valve V.

Further, the electric valve V for drainage is controlled to operate fully when the temperature sensor S-2 provided in the branch drainage pipe 5a detects a temperature lower than the set temperature range. By using the shower, during its use, branch drain pipe 5a
In order to avoid the inconvenience that the discharge of the mixed water from the shower head 1 is interrupted by fully operating the drainage electric valve V by allowing the mixed water inside to cool, the drainage electric valve V
By turning on the main switch, the branch pipe 2a…
In some cases, the pipe 2 and the branch drainage pipe 5a ... And the mixed water in the drainage pipe 5 may be controlled so as to operate for only one cycle until reaching the set temperature.

The embodiment apparatus configured as described above operates as follows.

When the main switch is turned on, the motor-operated valves MV provided in the respective branch pipes 2a ... Are opened until the set flow rate set by the flow sensor FLS is reached, and at the same time the motor-operated valve V for drainage is fully opened. .

As a result, the mixed water in each of the branch pipes 2a is discharged from the check valve b whose valve opening pressure is set low to the drainage motor-operated valve V which is opened to an opening having a flow rate larger than the set flow rate. By being drained through the water, the water pressure of the water is kept lower than the valve opening pressure set for the check valve a.

Therefore, there is no jet of mixed water from the shower head 1 provided at the tip of each branch pipe 2a, and the mixed water in each branch pipe 2a flows from each branch drain pipe 5a to the drain pipe 5 to open the valve. It is discharged to the drainage channel via the electric valve V for drainage that is present. Then, by this, the mixed water in each branch pipe 2a and the branch drain pipe 5a is sequentially replaced with the mixed water of the set temperature discharged from the mixed water outlet of the electric mixing valve MXV,
When the temperature of the mixed water in the entire circuit from the electric mixing valve MXV to the branch drainage pipe 5a reaches the set temperature and the temperature sensor S-2 detects it, the drainage electric valve V is fully closed and at the same time, The motor-operated valve MV provided in the branch pipe 2a is also fully closed to keep the mixed water in each branch pipe 2a at the set temperature.

Next, in this state, if the drive circuit of the desired electrically operated valve MV among the electrically operated valves MV provided in the parallel branch pipes 2a is turned on by operating the operation switch, the selection is made. The water pressure of the mixed water in the branch pipe 2a provided with the electrically operated valve MV becomes higher than the pressure set in the check valve a, and the shower head 1 connected to the tip of the branch pipe 2a
Spout mixed water from. This mixed water, as described above,
Since the mixed water in the branch pipe 2a is kept at the set temperature by being replaced, the mixed water has an appropriate temperature. At this time, the water pressure of the mixed water in the branch pipe 2a naturally becomes higher than the valve opening pressure of the check valve b provided in the branch drain pipe 5a, but the electric valve V for drainage is kept closed. Therefore, the mixed water does not flow to the side of the branch drain pipe 5a.

Next, FIG. 4 shows another embodiment. This example
In the above-described embodiment, in order to discharge the mixed water left to cool in the pipe 2 and the branch pipes 2a, one temperature sensor S-2 detects it and mixes all the circuits of the pipe 2 and the branch pipes 2a. While the water is completely replaced, temperature sensors S-2 for detecting the temperature decrease of the mixed water are separately provided in the branch pipes 2a ..., and the mixed water whose temperature has been lowered by cooling is discharged. This is an example in which the operation is performed for each circuit which is connected to the shower head 1 to be used among the shower heads 1 arranged in parallel. The rest of the configuration except this point is different from that of the above-described embodiment. In the same configuration, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The control of the motor-operated valve MV and the motor-operated valve V for drainage in this embodiment discharges the mixed water that has been left to cool for each branch pipe 2a, so let's use it with the main switch turned on. The operation of turning on the operation switch of the electric valve MV provided in the branch pipe 2a connected to the shower head 1 is performed when the main switch is turned on in the above-described embodiment.

Therefore, the device of this embodiment operates as follows.

A motor-operated valve MV provided in a branch pipe 2a leading to the shower head 1 selected as desired among the shower heads 1 arranged in parallel
When the operation switch is turned on, the motor-operated valve MV opens by the control of the flow sensor FLS provided in the branch pipe 2a of the motor-operated valve MV up to the opening degree at which the flow rate is regulated. At the same time, the electric valve V for drainage is fully opened.

As a result, the mixed water in the branch pipe 2a leading to the selected shower head 1 is discharged from the branch drain pipe 5a connected to the branch pipe 2a to the drain passage through the drain pipe 5 and the opened electric valve V. The mixed water of the set temperature set by the electric mixing valve MXV is exchanged and fed into the branch pipe 2a.

Then, as a result of comparison between the temperature of the mixed water in the branch pipe 2a detected by the temperature sensor S-2 provided in the branch pipe 2a and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor S-1 provided in the pipe 2, When it is detected that the temperature of the mixed water in the entire circuit has reached the set temperature, the drainage electric valve V is fully closed, and at the same time, the flow sensor FLS controls the flow rate so that the flow rate is regulated. The valve MV is operated to the full opening or the opening to reach the set flow rate.

As a result, the pressure of the mixed water in the branch pipe 2a gradually rises due to the electric valve V for drainage being fully closed, and becomes higher than the opening pressure of the check valve a. It spouts from and comes to be used as a shower.

At this time, as in the case of the above-described embodiment, when countermeasures for an abnormal time condition when hot water flows out to the pipe 2 through the electric mixing valve MXV during the use of the shower are taken, When the temperature sensor S-1 detects the discharge of the high temperature water from the electric mixing valve MXV, the electric valve MV provided in the branch pipe 2a leading to the selected shower head 1 is fully closed and the shower head 1 Will come to block the squirt of. Then, by the operation of turning on the return switch, the electric motor valve V for drainage is fully opened, and at the same time, the electric motor valve MV is opened to the opening degree of the flow rate regulated by the flow sensor FLS, and the hot mixed water is discharged. When the temperature of the mixed water in the branch pipe 2a is detected to be the set temperature by comparing the temperature sensor S-1 with the temperature sensor S-2, the operation of discharging the water into the drainage channel is performed. , Electric valve V for drainage
Is completely closed, and at the same time, the motor-operated valve MV is fully opened, and the mixed water controlled to the set temperature range is jetted from the shower head 1, which is the same as the above-described embodiment.

As described above, in the temperature control device for mixed water in the shower tower according to the present invention, the electric valve is switched to at least two stages in the pipe 2 for feeding the mixed water between the mixing valve MXV and the shower head. The check valve a is provided so as to be replaced, and the check valve a is provided between the electric valve MV and the shower head 1 as close to the shower head 1 as possible, and the check valve b is provided on the electric valve MV side of the check valve a. The drainage pipe 5 provided with the electric motor-operated valve V for drainage is connected through the valve, and the valve opening pressure of the check valve a is set higher than the valve opening pressure of the check valve b. Since the mixed water in the pipe 2 between the electric valve MV and the shower head 1 can be replaced by using a check valve that can be downsized so as not to interfere with the pipe, the electric valve and the shower head can be replaced. Is allowed to cool in the piping between The mixed water, until very close to the shower head 1, adapted to be replaced with mixed water set temperature range, temperature control of the mixed water is appropriately performed so.

Moreover, since the motor-operated valves may be provided separately from the shower head, when the shower heads are provided in multiples, the multiple motorized valves may be collectively provided in the control box. Wiring of the electric circuit for can be simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic explanatory view of a conventional shower tower, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of temperature control means for mixed water in a conventional shower tower, and FIG. 3 is a temperature control device for mixed water in a shower tower according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a development view of another embodiment of the above. Explanation of drawing symbols A: Shower tower, B: Water heater R: Shower room, V: Motor valve for drainage FLS: Flow sensor, MV: Motor valve MXV: Mixing valve S / S-1・ S-2 …… Temperature sensor a ・ b …… Check valve 1 …… Shower head 2 …… Pipe for feeding mixed water 2a …… Branch pipe, 3 …… Pipe for hot water supply 30 …… Check Valve, 4 …… Pipe for water supply 40 …… Check valve, 5 …… Drain pipe a …… Branch drain pipe

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A motor-operated valve MV is provided in a pipe 2 for feeding mixed water between a mixing valve MXV and a shower head, the motor-operated valve MV being controlled so that at least the flow rate is switched between two stages.
A check valve a is provided between the MV and the shower head 1 as close to the shower head 1 as possible, and the check valve a is provided.
On the more electrically operated valve MV side, the drain pipe 5 provided with the electrically operated drain valve V is connected via the check valve b, and the valve opening pressure of the check valve a is set higher than the valve opening pressure of the check valve b. The temperature control device for the mixed water in the shower tower that is set up.