HOT-WATER SUPPLY DEVICE

• US 20200132312A1
• Filed: 10/17/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Noritz Corporation
• Original Assignee: Noritz Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Takahide, Ushio, Atsushi, Takahashi, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 11,391,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/0078 Recirculation systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1051 for domestic hot water
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/042 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/044 Flow sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/124 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/156 Reducing the quantity of energy consumed; Increasing efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/172 Scheduling based on user demand, e.g. determining starting point of heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/176 Improving or maintaining comfort of users
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/215 before heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/219 after heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/238 Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/269 Time, e.g. hour or date
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/31 of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/325 of by-pass valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/335 Control of pumps, e.g. on-off control control of compressors of heat pumps F24H15/38
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/36 of burners
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/414 using electronic processing, e.g. computer-based
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/45 remotely accessible
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/486 using timers
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/25 of remote control devices or control-panels

Abstract

A hot-water supply device includes a hot-water dispenser supplying hot-water, a hot-water supply path supplying the hot-water to a hot-water supply tap, a circulation path carrying out instant hot-water operation which circulates and heats the hot-water remaining in the hot-water supply path, a first clock repeatedly measuring unit times in which a pattern of hot-water usage of a user makes a round, and a flow rate sensor detecting the supply of the hot-water from the hot-water supply tap. The control portion detects, for each of the unit times and based on detection signals of the flow rate sensor, a time zone in which hot-water supply operation is carried out, and reserves, based on a time zone in a first unit time in which the hot-water supply operation is carried out, a time zone in a second unit time following the first unit time for carrying out the instant hot-water operation.

Claims

1. A hot-water supply device, comprising:

a hot-water dispenser for supplying hot-water;

a hot-water supply path for carrying out hot-water supply operation which supplies the hot-water from the hot-water dispenser to a hot-water supply tap;

a circulation path for carrying out instant hot-water operation which circulates and heats the hot-water remaining in the hot-water supply path;

a control portion which controls the hot-water supply operation and the instant hot-water operation of the hot-water dispenser;

a first clock which repeatedly measures unit times which are times in which a pattern of hot-water usage of a user makes a round; and

a flow rate sensor which detects the supply of the hot-water from the hot-water supply tap;

wherein

the control portion is configured to detect, for each of the unit times and based on detection signals of the flow rate sensor, a time zone in which the hot-water supply operation is carried out; and

the control portion is further configured to reserve, based on a time zone which is detected in a first unit time and in which the hot-water supply operation is carried out, a time zone in a second unit time following the first unit time in which the instant hot-water operation is carried out, and carry out the instant hot-water operation based on the reservation in the second unit time.

2. The hot-water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the unit times are at least one of one day, one week, one month and one year.

3. The hot-water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control portion

detects at least one of supply time, a number of times of supply and supply volume of the hot-water from the hot-water supply path for each of the time zones obtained by dividing the unit times;

detects, in the first unit time, a first time zone in which at least one of the supply time, the number of times of supply and the supply volume is equal to or greater than a corresponding first reference value as the time zone in which the hot-water supply operation is carried out; and

reserves the instant hot-water operation so as to carry out the instant hot-water operation from a time earlier than the first time zone by a first reference time in the second unit time.

4. The hot-water supply device according to claim 3, wherein the control portion does not reserve the instant hot-water operation in the second time zone of the second unit time, when at least one of the supply time, the number of times of supply and the supply volume of the hot-water in a second time zone in which the instant hot-water operation is reserved is less than a corresponding second reference value in a plurality of unit times before the first unit time.

5. The hot-water supply device according to claim 3, wherein the first reference time is set based on at least one of environmental condition and installation condition of the hot-water supply device.

6. The hot-water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.

7. The hot-water supply device according to claim 2, wherein the control portion

detects at least one of supply time, a number of times of supply and supply volume of the hot-water from the hot-water supply path for each of the time zones obtained by dividing the unit times;

detects, in the first unit time, a first time zone in which at least one of the supply time, the number of times of supply and the supply volume is equal to or greater than a corresponding first reference value as the time zone in which the hot-water supply operation is carried out; and

reserves the instant hot-water operation so as to carry out the instant hot-water operation from a time earlier than the first time zone by a first reference time in the second unit time.

8. The hot-water supply device according to claim 7, wherein the control portion does not reserve the instant hot-water operation in the second time zone of the second unit time, when at least one of the supply time, the number of times of supply and the supply volume of the hot-water in a second time zone in which the instant hot-water operation is reserved is less than a corresponding second reference value in a plurality of unit times before the first unit time.

9. The hot-water supply device according to claim 7, wherein the first reference time is set based on at least one of environmental condition and installation condition of the hot-water supply device.

10. The hot-water supply device according to claim 2, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.

11. The hot-water supply device according to claim 3, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.

12. The hot-water supply device according to claim 4, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.

13. The hot-water supply device according to claim 5, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.

14. The hot-water supply device according to claim 7, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.

15. The hot-water supply device according to claim 8, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.

16. The hot-water supply device according to claim 9, wherein the hot-water supply device further comprises a remote controller for remotely operating the hot-water dispenser, wherein

the remote controller comprises a second clock for measuring a current time, and

the remote controller synchronizes a time of the second clock with a received time of the first clock.