EP0320564A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Temperature-adjustable water supply system
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1988-06-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-06-14
Abstract
Abstract A temperature-adjustable water supply system used for supplying an appropriate temperature water to a water-using object. The system comprises a mixing device (17) coupled to a hot water supply passage (16) and a cold water supply passage (15) for respectively introducing hot water and cold water thereinto and coupled to a water mixture supply passage (18) for supplying the mixture of the hot water and cold water toward said water-using object. The mixing device (17) includes a flow rate adjusting valve assembly for adjusting the mixture ratio of the hot water and the cold water discharged into the water mixture supply passage (18). A temperature sensor (19) is provided so as to sense the temperature of the water mixture and a temperature setter for setting a target temperature. Also included in the system is a control unit which calculates a temperature deviation on the basis of the temperature of the mixture sensed by the temperature sensor (19) and the target temperature set by the temperature setter. The control unit determines a control amount to the flow rate adjusting valve assembly (54) on the basis of the calculated teperature deviation so as to provide an appropirate mixture ratio of the hot water and the cold water.
Inventors
- 👤 Kouichi Ueki
- 👤 Hiroshi Fujieda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 10:30
CPC Classifications
E; E03; E03C; E03C1/00; E03C1/12; E03C1/24; G; G05; G05D; G05D23/00; G05D23/01; G05D23/13; G05D23/1393; B; B01; B01F; B01F35/00; B01F35/80; B01F35/83; B01F25/00; B01F25/105; B01F25/1051; F; F24; F24D; F24D17/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
390 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system for supplying an appropriate temperature water to a water-using object, comprising: mixing means coupled to a hot water supply passage and a cold water supply passage for respectively introducing hot water and cold water thereinto and coupled to a water mixture supply passage for supplying the mixture of the hot water and cold water toward said water-using object, said mixing means including flow rate adjusting valve means for respectively adjusting the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water discharged into said water mixture supply passage, the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and cold water depending upon the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto and said flow rate adjusting valve means being operable in accordance with a control signal so as to change the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto; temperature sensor means provided in said water mixture supply passage so as to sense the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and the cold water and generate a signal indicative of the sensed mixture temperature; temperature setting means for setting a target temperature suitable for the purposes of said water-using object and generating a signal indicative of the set target temperature; and a control unit responsive to said mixture temperature signal from said temperature sensor means and said target temperature signal from said temperature setting means, said control unit comprising: deviation calculating means for calculating a temperature deviation on the basis of said temperature of the mixture sensed by said temperature sensor means and said target temperature set by said temperature setting means; comparing means for performing comparison between said sensed mixture temperature and said set target temperature; and valve control means for determining a control amount to said flow rate adjusting valve means on the basis of the temperature deviation calculated by said deviation calculating means and the relation in magnitude between said sensed mixture temperature and said set target temperature obtained by said comparing means and outputting said control signal indicative of said determined control amount to said mixing means so as to control the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged into said water mixture supply passage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
390 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system for supplying an appropriate temperature water to a water-using object, comprising: mixing means coupled to a hot water supply passage and a cold water supply passage for respectively introducing hot water and cold water thereinto and coupled to a water mixture supply passage for supplying the mixture of the hot water and cold water toward said water-using object, said mixing means including flow rate adjusting valve means for respectively adjusting the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water discharged into said water mixture supply passage, the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and cold water depending upon the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto and said flow rate adjusting valve means being operable in accordance with a control signal so as to change the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto; temperature sensor means provided in said water mixture supply passage so as to sense the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and the cold water and generate a signal indicative of the sensed mixture temperature; temperature setting means for setting a target temperature suitable for the purposes of said water-using object and generating a signal indicative of the set target temperature; and a control unit responsive to said mixture temperature signal from said temperature sensor means and said target temperature signal from said temperature setting means, said control unit comprising: deviation calculating means for calculating a temperature deviation on the basis of said temperature of the mixture sensed by said temperature sensor means and said target temperature set by said temperature setting means; comparing means for performing comparison between said sensed mixture temperature and said set target temperature; and valve control means for determining a control amount to said flow rate adjusting valve means on the basis of the temperature deviation calculated by said deviation calculating means and the relation in magnitude between said sensed mixture temperature and said set target temperature obtained by said comparing means and outputting said control signal indicative of said determined control amount to said mixing means so as to control the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged into said water mixture supply passage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said valve control means includes first control data storing means and second control data storing means which respectively store control data used for determining said control amount on the basis of the calculated temperature deviation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
89 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said valve control means includes normal-state detecting means coupled to said deviation calculating means so as to detect a first state in which the calculated temperature deviations is in a first predetermined range, said valve control means determines said control amount thereto using said control data stored in said first control data storing means in response to the detection of said first statem so that said flow rate adjusting valve means is operated with a predetermined energization gain.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
96 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said valve control means includes transient-state detecting means coupled to said deviation calculating means so as to detect a second state in which variation of the calculated temperature deviations is coincident with a predetermined condition, said valve control means determines said control amount thereto using said control data stored in said second control data storing means in response to the detection of said second state so that said flow rate adjusting valve means is operated with an energization gain greater than said predetermined energization gain.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said normal-state detecting means is further coupled to said comparing means so as to detect a third state in which the sensed mixture temperature is below a predetermined value determined with respect to said set target temperature, said valve control means also determines said control amount thereto using said control data of said first control data storing means in response to the detection of said third state.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising cold-water temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the cold water introduced through said cold-water supply passage into said mixing means, and wherein said control unit further includes hot-water temperature estimating means for estimating a temperature of the hot water supplied through said hot water supply passage to said mixing means in accordance with predetermined hot-water temperature data and mixture-ratio calculating means coupled to said hot-water temperature estimation means, said temperature setting means and said cold-water temperature detecting means for calculating a mixture ratio of the hot water and the cold water on the basis of the detected cold water temperature, the estimated hot water temperature and the set target temperature, said valve control means determines said control amount thereto on the basis of the calculated mixture ratio.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control unit further includes mixture-ratio correction means coupled to said mixture-ratio calculating means and said deviation calculating means so as to correct the calculated mixture ratio on the basis of the calculated temperature deviation, said valve control means determines said control amount on the basis of the corrected mixture ratio.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising flow-rate measuring means for measuring the flow rate of the mixture of the hot water and the cold water flowing through said water mixture supply passage, and wherein said valve control means corrects the determined control amount on the basis of the flow rate of the mixture measured by said flow-rate measuring means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
128 words
9 A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising operation amount detecting means for detecting an operation amount of said flow-rate adjusting valve means and outputting a signal indicative of the detected operation amount to said control unit, and wherein said control unit further includes limit setting means for setting a limit value of the operation of said flow rate adjusting valve means and operation amount comparison means responsive to the operation amount indicating signal from said operation amount detecting means and coupled to said limit setting means so as to compare with detected operation amount with the set limit value, said valve control means stops the operation of said flow-rate adjusting valve means when said detected operation amount has reached said limit value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said limit setting means is coupled to said temperature setting means so that said limit value is varied in accordance with the set target temperature.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
84 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising water temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of either the cold water or the hot water introduced through said cold water supply passage or said hot water supply passage and generates a signal indicative of the detected water temperature, and wherein said limit setting means is responsive to the water temperature signal so as to set said limit value in accordance with the detected water temperature and the set target temperature.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
376 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system for supplying an appropriate temperature water to a water-using object, comprising: mixing means coupled to a hot water supply passage and a cold water supply passage for respectively introducing hot water and cold water thereinto and coupled to a water mixture supply passage for supplying the mixture of the hot water and cold water toward said water-using object, said mixing means including flow rate adjusting valve means for respectively adjusting the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water discharged into said water mixture supply passage, the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and cold water depending upon the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto and said flow rate adjusting valve means being operable in accordance with a control signal so as to change the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto; temperature sensor means provided in said water mixture supply passage so as to sense the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and the cold water and generate a signal indicative of the sensed mixture temperature; temperature setting means for setting a target temperature suitable for the purposes of said water-using object and generating a signal indicative of the set target temperature; and a control unit responsive to said mixture temperature signal from said temperature sensor means and said target temperature signal from said temperature setting means, said control unit comprising: deviation calculating means for calculating a temperature deviation on the basis of said temperature of the mixture sensed by said temperature sensor means and said target temperature set by said temperature setting means; gradient detecting means coupled to said deviation calculating means for detecting the gradient of variation of the calculated temperature deviations; and valve control means for determining a control amount to said flow rate adjusting valve means on the basis of the detected gradient of variation of the calculated teperature deviation and outputting said control signal indicative of said determined control amount to said mixing means so as to control the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged into said water mixture supply passage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
376 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system for supplying an appropriate temperature water to a water-using object, comprising: mixing means coupled to a hot water supply passage and a cold water supply passage for respectively introducing hot water and cold water thereinto and coupled to a water mixture supply passage for supplying the mixture of the hot water and cold water toward said water-using object, said mixing means including flow rate adjusting valve means for respectively adjusting the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water discharged into said water mixture supply passage, the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and cold water depending upon the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto and said flow rate adjusting valve means being operable in accordance with a control signal so as to change the ratio of the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged thereinto; temperature sensor means provided in said water mixture supply passage so as to sense the temperature of the mixture of the hot water and the cold water and generate a signal indicative of the sensed mixture temperature; temperature setting means for setting a target temperature suitable for the purposes of said water-using object and generating a signal indicative of the set target temperature; and a control unit responsive to said mixture temperature signal from said temperature sensor means and said target temperature signal from said temperature setting means, said control unit comprising: deviation calculating means for calculating a temperature deviation on the basis of said temperature of the mixture sensed by said temperature sensor means and said target temperature set by said temperature setting means; gradient detecting means coupled to said deviation calculating means for detecting the gradient of variation of the calculated temperature deviations; and valve control means for determining a control amount to said flow rate adjusting valve means on the basis of the detected gradient of variation of the calculated teperature deviation and outputting said control signal indicative of said determined control amount to said mixing means so as to control the flow rates of the hot water and the cold water to be discharged into said water mixture supply passage.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said valve control means includes first control data storing means and second control data storing means which respectively store control data used for determining said control amount on the basis of the calculated temperature deviation whereby the energization gain of said flow-rate adjusting valve means is varied.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
68 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said valve control means includes gradient decision means coupled to said gradient detecting means to compare the detected variation gradient with a predetermined gradient, said valve control means determines said control amount thereto using said control data stored in said first control data storing means when the detected variation gradient is smaller than said predetermined gradient value.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
113 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said valve control means further includes deviation decision means coupled to said deviation calculating means so as to compare the calculated temperature deviation with a predetermined deviation value, said valve control means determines said control amount thereto using said control data stored in said first control data storing means when the calculated temperature deviation is greater than said predetermined deviation value and determines said contrl amount thereto using said control data stored in said second control storing means when the detected variation gradient is greater than said predetermined gradient value and the calculated temperature deviation is smaller than said predetermined deviation value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising flow-rate measuring means for measuring the flow rate of the mixture of the hot water and the cold water flowing through said water mixture supply passage, and wherein said valve control means corrects the determined control amount on the basis of the flow rate of the mixture measured by said flow-rate measuring means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
127 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising operation amount detecting means for detecting an operation amount of said flow-rate adjusting valve means and outputting a signal indicative of the detected operation amount to said control unit, and wherein said control unit further includes limit setting means for setting a limit value of the operation of said flow rate adjusting valve means and operation amount comparison means responsive to the operation amount indicating signal from said operation amount detecting means and coupled to said limit setting means so as to compare with detected operation amount with the set limit value, said valve control means stops the operation of said flow-rate adjusting valve means when said detected operation amount has reached said limit value.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said limit setting means is coupled to said temperature setting means so that said limit value is varied in accordance with the set target temperature.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
84 words
A temperature-adjustable water supply system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising water temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of either the cold water or the hot water introduced through said cold water supply passage or said hot water supply passage and generates a signal indicative of the detected water temperature, and wherein said limit setting means is responsive to the water temperature signal so as to set said limit value in accordance with the detected water temperature and the set target temperature.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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