COMBUSTION CONTROLLING DEVICE

Abstract

A first reset switch is attached to a combustion controlling device. A second reset switch is installed at a remote place distant from the combustion controlling device. A first reset input from the first reset switch is received without any restriction to release the lockout. A reset input from the second reset switch is received with any restriction to release the lockout. Specifically, when the lockout releases are performed for a predetermined number of times or more upon receiving the reset input before a predetermined time elapses after the lockout has been released upon receiving the initial reset input, the release of the lockout upon receiving the reset input is prohibited until the predetermined time elapses.

Claims

1. A combustion controlling device for controlling the operation of a combustion device, comprising: a lockout portion that detects an abnormality of the combustion device to put the combustion controlling device into a lockout state; a first reset switch that is attached to the combustion controlling device; a second reset switch that is provided at a remote place distant from the combustion controlling device; a first lockout releasing portion that receives a first reset input indicative of an operation restart of the combustion device from the first reset switch without any restriction to release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device; and a second lockout releasing portion that receives a second reset input indicative of the operation restart of the combustion device from the second reset switch with any restriction to release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device, wherein when the second lockout releasing portion releases the lockout state of the combustion controlling device upon receiving the second reset input by a predetermined number of times or more before a predetermined time elapses after the second lockout releasing portion receives an initial second reset input and releases the lockout state of the combustion controlling device, the second lockout releasing portion prohibits the release of the lockout state of the combustion controlling device upon receiving the second reset input until the predetermined time elapses.

2. The combustion controlling device according to claim 1, further comprising an informing portion which informs that the release of the lockout state by the second reset switch cannot be performed while the release of the lockout state of the combustion controlling device upon receiving the second reset input is prohibited.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a main portion of a combustion controlling device according to an example of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a diagram specifically illustrating a function of a second lockout releasing portion in the combustion controlling device.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which an informing portion for informing a lockout release prohibition time zone is installed in the vicinity of a second reset switch.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 illustrating an example in which a first lockout releasing portion and the second lockout releasing portion are disposed in one lockout releasing portion.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 illustrating an example in which the first lockout releasing portion and the second lockout releasing portion are provided in one lockout releasing portion.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a combustion system with the use of the combustion controlling device for controlling the operation of a combustion device.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of attachment of a reset switch in the case of a reset method A.

[0032] FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an example in which the reset switch is attached to the combustion controlling device in the case of a reset method B.

[0033] FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating an example in which the reset switch is installed at a remote place distant from the combustion controlling device in the case of the reset method B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] An example of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a main portion of a combustion controlling device 2 (2A) according to an example of the present invention.

[0035] The combustion controlling device 2 (2A) is configured by hardware including a processor and a memory device and a program achieving various types of functions in cooperation with the hardware. The functions of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) and the conventional combustion controlling device 2 (2B) illustrated in FIG. 6 are partly different from each other.

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates only functional portions of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) which are noteworthy in the present example. In addition, a basic configuration of a combustion device whose operation is controlled by the combustion controlling device (2A) refers to the configuration of the combustion device 19 illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0037] The combustion controlling device 2 (2A) is provided with a first reset switch SW 1 and a second reset switch SW 2 as reset switches. The first reset switch SW 1 is attached to the combustion controlling device 2 (2A). The second reset switch SW2 is connected to an external inputting portion TM1 of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) through an electric wire L1 and is installed at a remote place distant from the combustion controlling device 2 (2A).

[0038] As noteworthy functional portions in the present example, the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) is provided with a lockout portion 2-1 for detecting abnormality of a combustion device 19 to set the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) in a lockout state, a first lockout releasing portion 2-2 that receives a first reset input RS1 indicative of an operation restart of the combustion device 19 from the first reset switch SW1 without any restriction to release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A), and a second lockout releasing portion 2-3 that receives a second reset input RS2 indicative of the operation restart of the combustion device 19 from the second reset switch SW2 with any restriction to release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A).

[0039] Meanwhile, the first reset switch SW1 and the second reset switch SW2 are ON/OFF switches, and when the first reset switch SW1 is turned on, the first reset input RS1 is supplied to the first lockout releasing portion 2-2. When the second reset switch SW2 is turned on, the second reset input RS2 is supplied to the second lockout releasing portion 2-3. Immediately after the first reset switch SW1 and the second reset switch SW2 are turned on, the first reset switch SW1 and the second reset switch SW2 are returned to an off state. In addition, the first lockout releasing portion 2-2 and the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 transmit a release command to the lockout portion 2-1, to thereby release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A).

[0040] In addition, the first lockout releasing portion 2-2 receives the first reset input RS1 without any restriction to release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A). However, when the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 performs the release of the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) upon receiving the second reset input RS2 by a predetermined number of times (N) or more before a predetermined time (T) elapses after the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 receives the initial second reset input RS2 to release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A), the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 prohibits the release of the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) upon receiving the second reset input RS2 until the predetermined time (T) elapses. The function of the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 2. In this example, the predetermined time T is set to 15 minutes and the predetermined number of times N is set to 5 times.

[0041] When the user turns on the second reset switch SW2 after the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) is put into lockout state (point t1 (first lockout)), the second reset input RS2 is transmitted to the second lockout releasing portion 2-3. The second lockout releasing portion 2-3 receives the transmitted second reset input RS2 as an initial second reset input RS2 and releases the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) (point t2 (first lockout release)). In this situation, the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 starts to count an elapsed time after the first lockout release as a timer time TM.

[0042] In this example, a second lockout is performed at a point t3 after the first lockout release has been performed (point t2), and a second lockout release is performed at a point t4. Also, after the second lockout release (t4) has been performed, a third lockout is performed at a point t5, and a third lockout release is performed at a point t6. Similarly, a fourth lockout is performed at a point t7, a fifth lockout is performed at a point t9, a fourth lockout release is performed at a point t8, and a fifth lockout release is performed at a point t10. Meanwhile, the timer time TM has not yet reached the predetermined time T=15 minutes.

[0043] Before the timer time TM reaches the predetermined time T=15 minutes, when the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 releases the lockout state of the combustion controlling device (2A) upon receiving the second reset input RS2 by N=5 times or more (point t10), the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 prohibits the release of the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) upon receiving the second reset input RS2 until the timer time TM reaches the predetermined time T=15 minutes.

[0044] For that reason, a time zone TB1 from a time when the first lockout release is performed until the number of lockout release reaches N=5 becomes a time zone (lockout release permission time zone) during which lockout release is permitted, and a time zone TB2 until the timer time TM reaches the predetermined time T=15 minutes after the number of times of lockout release becomes N=5 becomes a time zone (lockout release prohibition time zone) during which lockout release is prohibited. Even if the second reset input RS2 is input in the lockout release prohibition time zone TB2, the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 does not receive the second reset input RS2, and does not release the lockout state of the combustion controlling device 2 (2A).

[0045] In FIG. 2, a sixth lockout is performed at a point t11, and the reset operation is performed by the second reset switch SW 2 at points t12, t13, and t14. However, the second reset input RS2 input by the reset operation is not received and the lockout release is not performed. In this case, the lockout release can be again performed after the timer time TM has reached the predetermined time T=15 minutes, that is, after 15 minutes has elapsed from the first lockout release (point t15). In FIG. 2, a sixth lockout release is performed at a point t16 after 15 minutes have elapsed from the first lockout release.

[0046] As can be understood from the above description, in the present example, two types of reset switches are provided in the combustion controlling device 2 (2A), and the first reset switch SW1 is connected to the combustion controlling device 2 (2A) as a reset switch of a main body. The second reset switch SW 2 is installed as an external switch at a remote place distant from the combustion controlling device 2 (2A). No restriction is provided for the reset operation by the first reset switch SW1, and restrictions of the time (T) and the number of times (N) are provided for the reset operation by the second reset switch SW2.

[0047] As a result, when the first reset switch SW1 is operated, a service person or the like can release lockout while confirming the safety of the combustion device 19 in the vicinity of the combustion device 19. For that reason, a waiting time is small, the operation can be started immediately, and the combustion efficiency increases. Furthermore, since there is no restriction on the number of times of resetting, test operation is not interrupted (reset operation may be performed with the first reset switch SW1 at test operation).

[0048] Further, when the second reset switch SW2 is operated, the lockout can be released even from a remote place where the combustion device 19 cannot be seen. In this case, since the reset operation is restricted by the time (T) and the number of times (N), the combustion device 19 can be operated while ensuring safety. Also, until the predetermined time T=15 minutes elapses, the release of the lockout by the second reset switch SW2 is permitted with the limit of N=5 times. As a result, the frequent use of the second reset switch SW 2 from the remote place for a short time can be prevented.

[0049] In the above-described example, in order to inform that the lockout cannot be released by the second reset switch SW2 during the lockout release prohibition time zone TB2, for example, a red alarm lamp may be blinked.

[0050] That is, as illustrated in FIG. 3, an informing portion 2-4 may be provided in the vicinity of the second reset switch SW2, and the red alarm lamp may be blinked in the informing portion 2-4 during the lockout release prohibition time zone TB2. In this case, even when the red alarm lamp is blinking, the release of the lockout by the first reset switch SW1 can be performed.

[0051] In addition, because a state becomes unsafe when resetting is kept due to a failure of the switch or the like, taking a case where reset cannot be automatically released due to the failure into consideration, a reset input self-diagnosis function may be provided for two circuits.

[0052] Also, in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first lockout releasing portion 2-2 and the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 may be provided independently, but as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first lockout releasing portion 2-2 and the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 may be provided in one lockout releasing portion 2-5. That is, the lockout releasing portion 2-5 having a function of combining a function of the first lockout releasing portion 2-2 with a function of the second lockout releasing portion 2-3 may be provided.

Expansion of Example

[0053] Although the invention has been described with reference to the example above, the invention is not limited to the above example. Various changes understandable to those skilled in the art can be made to the structure and details of the invention within the scope of the invention.