JP2002372304A - Hot water supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hot water supply system capable of reducing heat and light expenses used for an electrical appliance and allowing the electrical appliance to be used continuously even at the time of power failure or the like. SOLUTION: A Peltier element 8 is provided between a water pipe 4 and a hot-water supply pipe 5 through heat transfer blocks 6 and 7. The Peltier element 8 generates an electromotive force due to the temperature difference between the cold water flowing in the water pipe 4 and the hot water flowing in the hot-water supply pipe 5. The Peltier element 8 is connected with a control device 16 or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hot water supply system.
This hot water supply facility is suitable for use in bathrooms, kitchen rooms, cosmetic rooms, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A hot water supply system is provided with a hot water supply device for heating cold water supplied to make hot water, and a hot water supply pipe connected to the hot water supply device for discharging hot water. The water heater is provided with a control circuit, a cooling device for cooling the control circuit, a motor for a blower fan of the water heater, and the like as electric appliances driven by electric power. Further, as other electric appliances, a lighting device, a ventilation device, a cooling / heating device, a remote controller, a care device, a television, a radio, a refrigerator, and the like are also provided near or around the hot water supply facility. These electric appliances are all driven by being supplied with electric power from an external power supply or a built-in battery.

[0003]

However, as the types of electric appliances provided in the hot water supply equipment increase and various functions of the electric appliances are expanded, the electric power in the hot water supply equipment and electric appliances in the vicinity thereof and in the vicinity thereof is increased. Is increasing.
For this reason, there has been an inconvenience that the utility cost is increased.

[0004] Further, as described above, since these electric appliances are supplied with power by an external power supply or a battery, they cannot be used at all at the time of a power outage or when the battery is consumed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and it is possible to reduce the utility cost of electric appliances and to continue using electric appliances even during a power failure. Providing hot water supply equipment is an issue to be solved.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hot water supply system according to the present invention comprises a hot water supply having a hot water supply device for heating cold water supplied thereto to generate hot water, and a hot water supply pipe connected to the hot water supply device for discharging the hot water. In equipment

The hot water supply pipe is provided with a Peltier element that generates an electromotive force due to a temperature difference from the hot water, and the electric appliance is driven by the electromotive force of the Peltier element. I do.

In the hot water supply equipment of the present invention, the hot water supply heats the supplied cold water to hot water, and the hot water supply pipe discharges the hot water. At this time, since the Peltier element is provided in the hot water supply pipe, one side of the Peltier element acquires heat from hot water, and a temperature difference occurs between the Peltier element and the other side. Therefore, an electromotive force is generated in the Peltier element, and the electric appliance is driven by the electromotive force.

As described above, the electric appliance does not need the electric power supplied from the external power supply, or realizes the power saving by using the electric power supplied from the external power supply together with the electromotive force generated by the Peltier element. Can be. For this reason, the utility costs can be reduced.

[0010] Further, since the electric appliance does not supply power only by the external power supply or the battery, but also uses the electromotive force of the Peltier element, it can be used at the time of a power failure, and can consume the battery. Will not be disabled.

[0011] Therefore, the hot water supply equipment of the present invention can reduce the utility cost for electric appliances and can continue to use the electric appliances even during a power failure.

In the hot water supply system of the present invention, the Peltier element is
It is preferable that an electromotive force is generated by a temperature difference from outside air or cold water. The temperature of outside air or cold water is
The temperature is extremely lower than the hot water flowing in the hot water supply pipe, and a large temperature difference occurs between one surface of the Peltier element and the other surface. For this reason, an electromotive force can be reliably generated in the Peltier element by utilizing the temperature difference.

In the hot water supply equipment of the present invention, the electric appliance is preferably at least one of a control circuit for the water heater, a cooling device for cooling the control circuit, and a motor for a blower fan of the water heater. These control circuits and the like are necessary for the operation of the water heater of the water heater, and if these are driven by the electromotive force of the Peltier element, the water heater is continuously operated even during a power failure. The hot water supply equipment can be used continuously. Further, by driving these electric appliances by the electromotive force of the Peltier element, it is possible to reduce the electric power supplied from the external power supply to the water heater. Also, by using the power supplied from the external power supply and the electromotive force obtained from the Peltier element together, a synergistic effect of power supply and energy saving can be exhibited.

The cooling device may be constituted by a Peltier device or the like. In this case, a cooling device having a small size and a large cooling capacity can be obtained.

[0015] The electric appliances include a lighting device, a ventilation device,
It is also desirable that the device be at least one of a cooling and heating device, a remote control, a care device, a television, a radio, and a refrigerator. This is because these electric appliances are often installed in connection with hot water supply facilities and are close to Peltier elements provided in the hot water supply pipe, so that wiring and the like are easy.

[0016] The lighting device is preferably an LED located on the inner wall of the bathtub connected to the hot water supply pipe. In this case, the inside of the bathtub can be made to have a fantastic atmosphere, and the user can feel relaxed. In this case, it is also preferable to provide a control circuit capable of changing the balance of the luminosity of the three primary colors by a temperature signal emitted from a temperature sensor installed in the bathtub, with the LEDs being three primary colors of blue, red and green. In this case, the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub can be visually grasped by a change in color.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a hot water supply system 1 of the present embodiment includes a water heater 3 provided outside a bathroom 2. A water pipe 4 for supplying tap water and a hot water pipe 5 for discharging hot water are connected to the water heater 3. As shown in FIG. 2, heat transfer blocks 6 and 7 made of aluminum are attached to the water supply pipe 4 and the hot water supply pipe 5 at an upper portion close to the water heater 3. A Peltier device 8 as an electric device is sandwiched between the heat transfer blocks 6 and 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, a can 10 is provided in a casing 9 of the water heater 3, a combustion chamber 11 is formed at a lower portion of the can 10, and a heat exchanger 12 is formed at an upper portion. Is provided. A burner 13 is provided in the combustion chamber 11, and the burner 13 is connected to a blower fan 15 via a duct 14. The blower fan 15 is provided with a blower fan motor 15a as an electric device,
1 allows air to be supplied. Burner 13
, City gas can be supplied from a gas pipe (not shown).

A control circuit 16 as an electric appliance is provided at an upper portion in the casing 9.
Makes the water heater 3 controllable. Further, the control circuit 16 is provided with a Peltier element 18 via a cooling block 17. The Peltier device 18 is also an electric appliance.
Also, the cooling block 1 of the side surface of the Peltier element 18
Radiation fins 19 are mounted in contact with the surface opposite to 7. The cooling block 17, the Peltier element 18 and the radiation fins 19 constitute a cooling device for cooling the control circuit 16.

A battery 20 is provided above the control circuit 16, and the battery 20 has, as shown in FIG.
The Peltier device 8, the blower fan motor 15a, the control circuit 16, and the Peltier device 18 are connected.

As shown in FIG. 1, a bathtub 21 is provided in the bathroom 2, and a blue LED 22a capable of emitting blue light and a red LED 22b capable of emitting red light are provided on the inner wall of the bathtub 21 as lighting devices. Green LED that can emit green light
22c. A temperature sensor 23 is provided on the inner wall of the bathtub 21. LEDs 22a, 22
b, 22c and the temperature sensor 23, as shown in FIG.
It is connected to a control circuit 24, and is controlled so that the balance of the luminous intensity of each of the LEDs 21a, 21b, and 21c changes according to the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 21 shown in FIG. The control circuit 24, as shown in FIG.
It is connected to the.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a ventilation device 25 for ventilating the inside of the bathroom 2 and a remote controller 26 for controlling the temperature of the hot water in the bathtub 21 are provided on the wall surface of the bathroom 2.
And an emergency buzzer 26a as a care device. The remote controller 26 is provided with a switch 26b for operating an emergency buzzer 26a. Ventilation device 2
5, the remote controller 26 and the emergency buzzer 26a are electric appliances, and are connected to the battery 20, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a duct 27 is provided at the back of the bathroom 2, and at the upper end of the duct 27, a ventilation opening 27a which opens toward the room is provided.
At the lower end of 7, an air inlet 27 b that opens below the bathtub 21 is provided. A Peltier device 29 as an electric appliance is provided on the outer wall 27c of the duct 27 on the duct 27 side via a heat transfer block 28. Peltier device 2
Radiation fins 30 are provided on the inner surface of the duct 9. An electric fan 31 as an electric appliance is provided adjacent to and below the radiation fin 30. Duct 2
7, the heat transfer block 28, the Peltier element 29, and the radiation fins 30 constitute a cooling and heating device. The Peltier element 29 and the electric fan 31 are connected to the battery 20, as shown in FIG.

In the hot water supply system 1 configured as described above,
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the water heater 3 is operated to discharge hot water from the hot water supply pipe 5 into the bathtub 21, the temperature of the hot water flowing in the hot water supply pipe 5 is changed via the heat transfer block 7 to the Peltier device. 8 to one side. On the other hand, the other surface of the Peltier element 8 is cooled by the cold water flowing through the water pipe 4 via the heat transfer block 6. For this reason, the Peltier element 8 generates an electromotive force due to a temperature difference between the hot water flowing in the hot water supply pipe 5 and the cold water flowing in the water pipe 4, and due to the electromotive force, the blower fan motor 15a, the control circuit 16 and The Peltier device 18 can be driven. For this reason, this hot water supply equipment 1
The electric power required for the water heater 3 is not provided only by the external power supply.

Further, due to the electromotive force generated in the Peltier element 8, the Peltier element 29 and the electric fan 31 of the cooling / heating device are also driven. Thereby, one surface of the Peltier element 29 on the side of the radiation fin 30 is cooled, and the radiation fin 30
Is taken away, and the radiation fins 30 are also cooled. And
By driving the electric fan 31, air is supplied from the intake port 27b, and the air is cooled by the radiation fins 30,
Cool air is supplied to the bathroom 2 from the ventilation opening 27a. Thus, the cooling in the bathroom 2 is performed. When power is supplied to the Peltier element 29 with the direction of the current being opposite to the above, one surface of the Peltier element 29 on the side of the radiation fins 30 is heated, so that warm air is supplied from the ventilation port 27a. Thus, the heating in the bathroom 2 is performed.

Further, due to the electromotive force generated in the Peltier element 8, the LEDs 22a, 22b, 2
2c, ventilation device 25, remote control 26 and emergency buzzer 2
6a can also be driven.

In this way, in the hot water supply system 1, electric power supplied from an external power supply is not required for each electric appliance, and electric power supplied from an external power supply and the Peltier device 8 are not required.
By using together the electromotive force generated in the above, power saving can be realized. For this reason, the utility costs can be reduced.

Further, each electric appliance is not supplied with power only by an external power supply or a battery, but is provided with a Peltier device 8.
Since the use of the electromotive force, the battery can be used at the time of a power failure, and the battery does not become unusable due to exhaustion of the battery.

Therefore, the hot water supply equipment 1 can reduce the utility costs used for each electric appliance, and can use the electric appliances continuously even during a power outage or the like.

The hot water supply system of the present invention is not limited to the bathroom 2 as described above, but can be used in a kitchen room, a cosmetic room and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a hot water supply facility according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of the hot water supply equipment according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a Peltier device, a battery, and an electric appliance according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Hot-water supply equipment 3 ... Hot-water supply device 5 ... Hot-water supply pipe 8 ... Peltier element 15a, 16, 17, 22a, 22b, 22c, 25,
26, 26a, 29, 31 ... electric appliances (15a ... blower fan motor, 16 ... control circuit, 17 ... Peltier element,
22a, 22b, 22c ... LED, 25 ... ventilation fan,
26 remote control, 26a emergency buzzer, 29 Peltier element, 31 electric fan)

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A hot water supply system comprising: a hot water supply device that heats supplied cold water to produce hot water; and a hot water supply tube that is connected to the hot water supply device and discharges the hot water. A hot water supply system comprising: a Peltier element that generates an electromotive force due to a temperature difference between the Peltier element and an electric appliance driven by the electromotive force of the Peltier element. 2. The hot water supply system according to claim 1, wherein the Peltier element is configured to generate an electromotive force by a temperature difference from outside air or cold water. 3. The electric appliance according to claim 1, wherein the electric appliance is at least one of a control circuit of the water heater, a cooling device for cooling the control circuit, and a motor for a blower fan of the water heater. Hot water supply equipment. 4. The hot water supply system according to claim 3, wherein the cooling device has a Peltier element. 5. The hot water supply equipment according to claim 1, wherein the electric appliance is at least one of a lighting device, a ventilation device, a cooling / heating device, a remote control, a care device, a television, a radio, and a refrigerator. 6. The hot water supply equipment according to claim 5, wherein the lighting device is an LED located on an inner wall of the bathtub connected to the hot water supply pipe.