Water supply apparatus

• US 9,249,562 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: Komatsu, Takahide, Kaneda, Kazuhiro, Tejima, Tomoharu, Higaki, Nobuhiro, Miyauchi, Sachiko
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KEVIN L
• Application Number:
  US14/222,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/025 Water supply lines as such, e.g. shower hoses
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 41/06 Combinations of two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/029 for pumps operating in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86131 Plural
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86163 Parallel

Abstract

The present invention provides a water supply apparatus capable of performing a backup operation, without lowering water supply capability, when a failure has occurred in one control substrate due to surge or noise caused by lightning or due to lifetimes of various sensors, by switching to the other control substrate, and capable of reliably performing the backup operation by means of devices that prevent failure of the control substrates. The water supply apparatus (1) includes: a plurality of pumps (3); a plurality of inverters (INV) each configured to change and control a rotational frequency of a corresponding one of the plurality of pumps (3); and a plurality of control substrates (CN) configured to control the plurality of inverters (INV). When an abnormality occurs in one control substrate, other control substrate backs up the one control substrate to thereby allow the water supply apparatus to continue its operations. The one control substrate, the plurality of inverters (INV), and the other control substrate are connected in series by communication lines. A switch (SW1) for turning on and off a communication is provided on the communication lines.

Claims

1. A water supply apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of pumps;

a plurality of motors configured to drive said plurality of pumps;

a plurality of inverters each configured for variable rotational speed control of a corresponding one of said plurality of motors; and

a first control board and a second control board each configured to control said plurality of inverters,

wherein when an abnormality occurs in said first control board, said second control board backs up said first control board to thereby allow said water supply apparatus to continue its operations,

wherein multiple sets of power supply systems, multiple sets of signal systems, and multiple sets of control systems are connected to said first control board and said second control board, and

wherein in at least one of said power supply systems, said signal systems, and said control systems, one of said multiple sets has a different level of resistance to external causes from a level of resistance to the external causes of other of said multiple sets.

2. The water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the level of resistance to the external causes is a level of tolerance to at least one of surge and noise.

3. The water supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the level of tolerance to the surge and/or noise with respect to said other of said multiple sets connected to said second control board is higher than the level of tolerance to the surge and/or noise with respect to said one of said multiple sets connected to said first control board.

4. The water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the level of resistance to the external causes is water-pressure resistance of a pressure-detecting section;

and

wherein water-pressure resistance of a pressure-detecting section connected to said first control board is different from water-pressure resistance of a pressure-detecting section connected to said second control board.

5. The water supply apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein a plurality of pressure-detecting sections are connected to each of said first control board and said second control board;

and

wherein said plurality of pressure-detecting sections in the same control board have different water-pressure resistances.

6. The water supply apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each of said first control board and said second control board has at least one set of pressure-detecting devices.

7. The water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first control board and said second control board have pressure-detecting sections;

wherein a pressure sensor is provided in one of said pressure-detecting sections; and

wherein a pressure switch is provided in other of said pressure-detecting sections.

8. The water supply apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a judging device configured to compare detected values inputted from said pressure-detecting devices into said first control board and said second control board and to judge that said pressure-detecting devices are abnormal when the detected values are different.

9. The water supply apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first control board and said second control board have power input sections, respectively;

and

wherein each of said power input sections is connected to a corresponding one of power supply sections and is configured to be able to be connected to other of said power supply sections.

10. The water supply apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first control board and said second control board include said power supply sections therein, respectively.

11. The water supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality of said first control board includes an abnormality of equipment coupled to said first control board.