Valve control system, bidet using the same, and valve control method

1. A bidet comprising:

a control device controlling an operation of the bidet upon receiving information regarding a user's bidet manipulation; and

one or more of a waterway pipe supplying water required for operating the bidet,

wherein one or more of the waterway pipe includes:

one or more of latch valve controlling a stream of water in the waterway pipe, respectively; and

one or more of flow rate sensor measuring a flow rate in the waterway pipe,

wherein when the control device determines that the latch valve is malfunctioning if a flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor is not within a pre-set flow rate value range corresponding to a valve operation, and performs a function of controlling the latch valve to re-operate in the occurrence of the malfunction,

wherein the control device comprises a first timing device determining the number of re-operations of the latch valve, and

wherein when the number of re-operations of the latch valve determined by the first timing device exceeds a pre-set number, the control device controls the latch valve to perform a reverse operation of the operation performed during the re-operations.

2. The bidet of claim 1 , wherein the control device further comprises:

a signal generator generating a control signal for controlling an operational state of the latch valve; and

second timing device determining a timing at which the flow rate of the stream of water is to be measured.

3. The bidet of claim 2 , wherein the control device further comprises a comparator comparing a flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor with a first or second reference flow rate value,

wherein the first reference flow rate value is used when the latch valve performs a shutting operation and is a maximum flow rate value allowed when the latch valve is shut, and the second reference flow rate value is used when the latch valve performs an opening operation and is a minimum flow rate value guaranteed when the latch valve is open.

4. The bidet of claim 1 , wherein the latch valve operates upon receiving power from an external power source or upon receiving power from a power supply device which generates power by using a stream of water in the waterway pipes and supplies the generated power.

5. A valve control method using a valve control system including a bidet, a latch valve and a flow rate sensor installed in a waterway pipe, wherein a control device controls operation of the bidet upon receiving information regarding a user's bidet manipulation, and the waterway pipe supplies water for operation of the bidet, the method comprising:

a valve operation process of opening or shutting the latch valve; and

a malfunction determination process of determining that the latch valve is malfunctioning if a flow rate value measured by the flow rate sensor is not within a pre-set flow rate value range corresponding to a valve operation,

wherein when the latch valve has malfunctioned, the valve operation process is performed again, and

wherein the valve control method further comprises a valve reverse operation process of performing a reverse operation of the operation performed when the valve operation process was performed by more than a pre-set number of times.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the malfunction determination operation comprises:

a flow rate measurement process of measuring a flow rate when a preset time has elapsed after the valve operation process or the valve reoperation process was performed; and

an operation discrimination process of discriminating whether or not the latch valve is malfunctioning upon comparing the measured flow rate value with the pre-set flow rate value.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the operation discrimination process comprises:

a shutting operation determination process of determining that the latch valve is malfunctioning when the latch valve performs an shutting operation and a measured flow rate is greater than a first reference flow rate; and

an opening operation determination process of determining that the latch valve is malfunctioning when the latch valve performs an opening operation and a measured flow rate is smaller than a second reference flow rate,

wherein the first reference flow rate value is used when the latch valve performs a shutting operation and is a maximum flow rate value allowed when the latch valve is shut, and the second reference flow rate value is used when the latch valve performs an opening operation and is a minimum flow rate value guaranteed when the latch valve is open.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein when the valve reverse operation process is performed, the number of times the valve operation process has been performed is initialized.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein, after the valve reverse operation is performed, when a pre-set delay time has elapsed, the valve operation process is performed.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the latch valve operates upon receiving power from an external power source or upon receiving power from a power supply device which generates power by using a stream of water in the waterway pipe and supplies the generated power.