Combustion device and combustion device system including combustion device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539338-B2
Application number	US-201715783052-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2017
Priority date	Oct 25, 2016
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A combustion device includes a combustion control section which controls combustion in the combustion device; a setting section operated to set information indicating whether or not a plurality of combustion devices are in a common vent discharge state; and a memory section which stores therein connection configurations with the other combustion control sections to which the combustion control section is communicatively connected, and the combustion control section determines whether or not the combustion control section can communicate with a linkage control section or the other combustion control sections, and inhibits combustion in the combustion device to which the combustion control section belongs, in a case where the combustion control section determines that the combustion control section cannot communicate with the linkage control section or at least one of the other combustion control sections and the common vent discharge state is set by the setting section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combustion device included in a plurality of combustion devices used in a combustion device system in which a plurality of combustion control sections of the plurality of combustion devices are communicatively connected to each other via a linkage control section which controls linkage operations of the plurality of combustion devices, and a common exhaust passage can be used for the plurality of combustion devices, the combustion device comprising:
the combustion control section which controls combustion in the combustion device to which the combustion control section belongs;
a setting section operated to set information indicating whether or not the plurality of combustion devices are in a common vent discharge state in which the common exhaust passage is used for the plurality of combustion devices; and
a first memory section which stores therein connection configurations between the combustion control section and the other combustion control sections to which the combustion control section is communicatively connected,
wherein the combustion control section determines whether or not the combustion control section can communicate with the linkage control section or the other combustion control sections, and inhibits combustion in the combustion device to which the combustion control section belongs, in a case where the combustion control section determines that the combustion control section cannot communicate with the linkage control section or at least one of the other combustion control sections and the common vent discharge state is set by the setting section,
wherein the linkage control section includes:
an information obtaining section which obtains the information set by the setting section from at least one of the plurality of combustion devices; and
a second memory section which stores therein connection configurations between the linkage control section and the plurality of combustion control sections,
wherein the linkage control section determines whether or not the linkage control section can communicate with each of the plurality of combustion control sections of the plurality of combustion devices, and sends to the combustion control sections being in communication with the linkage control section, combustion inhibiting commands directing inhibition of combustion in the combustion devices corresponding to the combustion control sections being in communication with the linkage control section, in a case where the linkage control section determines that the linkage control section cannot communicate with at least one of the plurality of combustion control sections and the information obtained from the setting section indicates the common vent discharge state, and
wherein the combustion control sections being in communication with the linkage control section inhibit the combustion in the combustion devices to which the combustion control sections belong, in response to the combustion inhibiting commands received from the linkage control section.

2. The combustion device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first combustion control section which is one of the plurality of combustion control sections is configured to function as the linkage control section,
wherein the plurality of combustion control sections are communicatively connected to each other via a communication line,
wherein the communication line includes a first communication line used to send a signal from the first combustion control section to a second combustion control section which is another of the plurality of combustion control sections, and a second communication line which is different from the first communication line and is used to send the signal from the second combustion control section to the first combustion control section, and
wherein the first combustion control section inhibits the combustion in the combustion device to which the first combustion control section belongs and sends the combustion inhibiting command to the second combustion control section, in a case where the first combustion control section cannot receive the signal from the second combustion control section within a predetermined time period after the first combustion control section has sent the signal to the second combustion control section.

3. A combustion device system in which a plurality of combustion control sections of a plurality of combustion devices are communicatively connected to each other via a linkage control section which controls linkage operations of the plurality of combustion devices, and a common exhaust passage can be used for the plurality of combustion devices, the combustion device system comprising:
the plurality of combustion control sections which are provided in the plurality of combustion devices, respectively, and control combustion in the plurality of combustion devices;
the linkage control section communicatively connected to the plurality of combustion control sections; and
a setting section provided in each of the plurality of combustion devices and operated to set information indicating whether or not the plurality of combustion devices are in a common vent discharge state in which the common exhaust passage is used for the plurality of combustion devices,
wherein the linkage control section includes:
an information obtaining section which obtains the information set by the setting section from at least one of the plurality of combustion devices; and
a second memory section which stores therein connection configurations between the linkage control section and the plurality of combustion control sections of the plurality of combustion devices,
wherein the linkage control section determines whether or not the linkage control section can communicate with each of the plurality of combustion control sections of the plurality of combustion devices, and sends to the combustion control sections being in communication with the linkage control section, combustion inhibiting commands directing inhibition of combustion in the combustion devices corresponding to the combustion control sections being in communication with the linkage control section, in a case where the linkage control section determines that the linkage control section cannot communicate with at least one of the plurality of combustion control sections of the plurality of combustion devices and the information obtained from the setting section indicates the common vent discharge state, and
wherein the combustion control section of each of the plurality of combustion devices determines whether or not the combustion control section can communicate with the linkage control section or the other combustion control sections, and inhibits combustion in the combustion device to which the combustion control section belongs, in a case where the combustion control section determines that the combustion control section cannot communicate with the linkage control section or at least one of the other combustion control sections and the common vent discharge state is set by the setting section, or a case where the combustion control section receives the combustion inhibiting command from the linkage control section.

4. The combustion device system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the linkage control section is provided in at least one of the plurality of combustion devices.

5. The combustion device system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the plurality of combustion devices include exhaust fans, respectively, which send exhaust gases to exhaust passages corresponding to the plurality of combustion devices, respectively, and
wherein the linkage control section sends commands to all of the plurality of combustion devices to activate the exhaust fans, in a case where at least one of the plurality of combustion devices is performing the combustion and

Assignees

• Noritz Corp

Inventors

• Okamoto Shinichi
• Muko Takao

Classifications

• F23J2211/20

  Common flues for several combustion devices · CPC title

• F23J11/12

  Smoke conduit systems for factories or large buildings · CPC title

• F24H1/46

  Water heaters having plural combustion chambers · CPC title

• F24H1/0027

  using fluid fuel · CPC title

• F23N2237/02

  two or more burners · CPC title