US-12624535-B2 - Control device and water supply and drainage system

US12624535B2US 12624535 B2US12624535 B2US 12624535B2US-12624535-B2

Abstract

A control device may comprise a controller configured to control water volume to be supplied to one or more specific sanitary facility devices of the plurality of sanitary facility devices by using a first indicator and a second indicator, the first indicator being related to an actual water volume actually used in a plurality of sanitary facility devices, and the second indicator being related to a target water volume to be used in the plurality of sanitary facility devices, and the controller being configured to control the water volume to prevent the actual water volume to exceed the target water volume.

Inventors

Yukiko KIHARA

Assignees

LIXIL CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220915
Priority Date: 20210927

Claims (12)

1 . A control device comprising: a controller configured to control water volume to be supplied to one or more specific sanitary facility devices of the plurality of sanitary facility devices by using a first indicator and a second indicator, the first indicator being related to an actual water volume actually used in a plurality of sanitary facility devices during a specific period, and the second indicator being related to a target water volume to be used in the plurality of sanitary facility devices during the specific period, and the controller being configured to control the water volume to prevent the actual water volume from exceeding the target water volume.
2 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the first indicator includes water volumes actually used in the respective sanitary facility devices, and the second indicator includes water volumes to be used in the respective sanitary facility devices.
3 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the water volume to be supplied to the one or more specific sanitary facility devices by using a difference between the target water volume and the actual water volume.
4 . The control device as in claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control the water volume to be supplied to the one or more specific sanitary facility devices, the water volume to be supplied to the one or more specific sanitary facility devices being increased as the difference between the target water volume and the actual water volume is larger.
5 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the first indicator includes an indicator related to a drainage water flow in a drainpipe in which drainage water from the plurality of sanitary facility devices flows.
6 . The control device as in claim 5 , wherein the drainpipe comprises: first drainpipes extending from the respective sanitary facility devices; and a second drainpipe to which the first drainpipes are connected, and the first indicator includes a volume of drainage water flowing in the second drainpipe.
7 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the water volume to be supplied to the one or more specific sanitary facility devices by further using a third indicator related to frequency of use of the plurality of sanitary facility devices.
8 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the water volume to be supplied to the one or more specific sanitary facility devices by further using an additional indicator, the additional indicator being related to at least one of: time when each of the sanitary facility devices is used, a temperature around each of the sanitary facility devices, operation statuses of the plurality of sanitary facility devices, and construction states of the plurality of sanitary facility devices.
9 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to supply water flowing in a water pipe different from the drainpipe to the drainpipe in a case where a drainpipe in which drainage water from the plurality of sanitary facility devices flows is clogged.
10 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sanitary facility devices includes a flush toilet.
11 . The control device as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sanitary facility devices is located in one management area.
12 . A water supply and drainage system, comprising: a plurality of sanitary facility devices; and the control device of claim 1 .

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/JP2022/034547, filed Sep. 15, 2022, which claims the priority of Japanese Application No. 2021-157197, filed Sep. 27, 2021. The entire contents of each priority application is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Technologies disclosed herein relate to a control device and a water supply and drainage system for a plurality of sanitary facility devices. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-162649 describes a technology for controlling the volume of flushing water supplied to a flush toilet. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE In the above technology, a water volume used in a single sanitary facility device is controlled. This specification provides a technology for controlling water volumes used in specific sanitary facility device(s), considering the total volume of water used in a plurality of sanitary facility devices. The technology disclosed in the specification relates to a control device. The control device may comprise a controller configured to control water volume to be supplied to one or more specific sanitary facility devices of the plurality of sanitary facility devices by using a first indicator and a second indicator, the first indicator being related to an actual water volume actually used in a plurality of sanitary facility devices, and the second indicator being related to a target water volume to be used in the plurality of sanitary facility devices, and the controller being configured to control the water volume to prevent the actual water volume to exceed the target water volume. A water supply and drainage system including a plurality of sanitary facility devices and the above control device is also novel and useful. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 schematically shows a pipe layout for flush toilets in a management area; FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating a system configuration of a water supply and drainage system; FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a water supply controlling process according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a single-use water volume determining process according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a single-use water volume determining process according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. 6 schematically shows a pipe layout for flush toilets in a management area according to a ninth embodiment; and FIG. 7 schematically shows a pipe layout for flush toilets in a management area according to a tenth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE First Embodiment (Configuration of Water Supply and Drainage System) As shown in FIG. 1, a water supply and drainage system 2 including a plurality of flush toilets 100 is installed in a management area 1. In FIG. 1, three flush toilets 100a, 100b, and 100c are installed. The number of flush toilets 100 installed in the management area 1 is not limited. The management area 1 is not particularly limited and may be one building, one amusement park, one zoo, one town, at least one area of a city, or the like. One town and one city include at least any one of one or more buildings and one or more outdoor facilities. In the management area 1, drainage water from the plurality of flush toilets 100 within the management area 1 gathers to a single drainpipe 6 in the management area 1 and flows to a sewer pipe 8 installed outside the management area 1. The management area 1 is an area where a target water volume to be used within a specific time period, such as one month, is predetermined. The management area 1 is an area where water volumes to be used are managed integrally. The unit for “water volume” is liters. In a variant, the unit for “water volume” may be a unit other than liters, for example, gallons. Water is supplied to each of the plurality of flush toilets 100 from a water supply pipe 4 connected to a clean water pipe 3 installed outside the management area 1. The flush toilets 100 are connected to branch pipes 4a, 4b, 4c branching off from the water supply pipe 4, respectively. The flush toilets 100 are connected to branch pipes 6a, 6b, 6c, respectively. Water used in the respective flush toilets 100 flows through the branch pipes 6a, 6b, 6c into the drainpipe 6. Excrements dropped into the respective flush toilets 100 also flow through the branch pipes 6a, 6b, 6c into the drainpipe 6. The water and excrements in the drainpipe 6 flow through the drainpipe 6 and reach the sewer pipe 8. A circulation path 9 is connected to the drainpipe 6. The circulation path 9 includes a three-way valve 9a, a circulation pipe 9b, and a pump 9c. The three-way valve 9a is located in a portion of the drainpipe 6 that is downstream of positions at which the branch pipes 6a, 6b, and 6c are connected to the drainpipe 6. One end of the circulation pipe 9b is connected to the drainpipe 6 via the three-way valve 9a. T