JPH0429497A - Waterproof remote controller for bathroom - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To absorb the pressure variance in a remote controller to prevent the breathing action even in the case of the use in a bathroom where the temperature is considerably changed by constituting a housing case of a box body which isolates the remote control circuit part from the outside air, a seal member, and a diaphragm which is expanded and contracted in accordance with the pressure difference between the inside and the outside air. CONSTITUTION:A housing case 16 of this device consists of outer boxes 14 and 15 sealed with a seal material and contains an internal printed board 2. Various operation switches 1 are arranged on the printed board 2. The input of an operation switch 1 is converted to a transmission signal by an integrated circuit 18 for signal transmission and is transmitted as an optical signal from a window 19 provided in the outer box 14 to an apparatus main body like a television receiver by a light emitting diode 17. Operation buttons 6 of operation switches 1 are projected through small holes 7 provide in the outer box 14 and can be operated from the external through a waterproof seal 18. A diaphragm 21 has the outer periphery sealed and is attached to an aperture part 22 provided in the outer box 15. The diaphragm 21 absorbs the pressure variance in the housing case due to the temperature change in the bathroom to prevent the occurrence of the breathing action.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a waterproof remote control device for operating various electrical and electronic devices such as a television and lighting in a bathroom.

Conventional technology In recent years, as people's lives have become more affluent, it has become desirable to enjoy bathing and make effective use of bathing time, in addition to the original purpose of bathing, which is simply to remove dirt and sweat. A variety of Sostem buses with various functions began to be announced.

As an example of this, for example, JP-A-60-16092
As described in Publication No. 9, a system in which a television receiver is installed in the bathroom has been proposed and is beginning to appear on the market.

However, these electrical and electronic devices inherently dislike moisture, and the entire device must be installed outside the bathroom or placed in a completely waterproof box.

On the other hand, home appliances are increasingly becoming wireless, with televisions, audio, and video equipment becoming the norm, and it is becoming common sense to operate devices at hand.

Therefore, even if various devices are installed in the bathroom as mentioned above, the operating parts of the devices also need waterproofing measures. To solve this problem, a waterproof remote control as shown in FIG. 5 has conventionally been used. In FIG. 5, a printed circuit board 2 on which an operating switch l is mounted is housed in an outer box 3.4. The outer boxes 3 and 4 are joined together via a sealing material 5 to prevent moisture from entering inside. A small hole 7 is formed in the outer box 3 facing the operating button 6 of the operating switch 1, and the tip of the button 6 is arranged so as to protrude slightly from the outer box 3.

A removable waterproof seal 8 is pasted on the front surface of the outer box 3, which maintains waterproofness and at the same time allows the button 6 to be operated from above.

Further, the outer box 4 is fixed to the bathroom wall 10 via a protective gasket 9. A through hole 11 is pre-drilled in the wall 10 of the bathroom, and the outer box 4 is attached so that the rear hole 12 faces the through hole 11. A lead wire 13 for supplying power to the printed circuit board 2 and outputting an operating signal for the operation switch 1 is led out of the bathroom wall IO from the rear hole 12 and connected to the main body of the device.

Here, the bathroom is humid and the temperature changes drastically, which causes the pressure inside the remote control to rise and fall. Therefore, in a structure without the rear hole 12, this change in pressure causes air to circulate through the gaps between the sealing material 5 and the waterproof seal 8 (this phenomenon is called breathing effect), and at this time, the moisture in the bathroom also increases. It flows into the inside of the remote control and damages the printed circuit board 2, the operation switch l, and electronic components mounted thereon.

The rear hole 12 is designed to allow the lead wire 13 to be drawn out and at the same time to open the inside of the remote control to the dry atmosphere outside the bathroom, thereby preventing changes in internal pressure and preventing the occurrence of breathing effects.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention With the configuration shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to realize a remote control device that does not adversely affect internal electronic circuits even when used in a bathroom, but it must be used by being attached to the bathroom wall 10. This poses a problem in that the original performance and convenience of the remote control, which is a major feature of the remote control operation of recent home appliances and can be operated from any location, is not maintained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a remote control device that satisfies the above-mentioned original functions of the remote control and has a structure that prevents breathing effects even when used in a bathroom.

Means for Solving the Problems The waterproof remote control device for bathrooms of the present invention includes at least an operation input device for equipment, a transmitter that transmits a signal corresponding to an input signal of the operation input device to the equipment, and a power source for driving these. It consists of a remote control circuit section that has a device, and an outer case that contains the remote control circuit section inside. The structure consists of a diaphragm that expands and contracts accordingly.

Effects With the above configuration, the bathroom remote control device of the present invention has the effect of absorbing pressure fluctuations inside the remote control and preventing breathing effects by changing the internal volume with the diaphragm.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

In the following figures, parts that operate in the same way as in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a side sectional view of an embodiment of the waterproof remote control device for a bathroom according to the present invention. Outer cases 14 and 15 sealed with sealing material 5 constitute an outer case 16, and a printed circuit board 2 is placed inside.
It includes. Various operation switches 1 are arranged on the printed circuit board 2 as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 17 denotes a light emitting diode which converts the input from the operation switch l into a transmission signal using an integrated circuit 18 for signal transmission, and transmits the signal as an optical signal from a window 19 provided in the outer box 14 to the main body of a device such as a television (not shown). be. Further, 20 is a dry battery that supplies power to various electronic circuits on the printed circuit board 2.

The operation button 6 of the operation switch 1 is connected to the outer box 1 as shown in FIG.
It protrudes from a small hole 7 provided in 4 and can be operated from the outside via a waterproof seal 8.

A diaphragm 21 is attached to an opening 22 provided in the outer box 15 with its outer periphery sealed.

The diaphragm 21 is the main focus of the present invention, and absorbs pressure fluctuations in the exterior case 16 due to temperature changes in the bathroom to prevent respiratory action from occurring.

The operation of the diaphragm 21 will be explained in FIG. In the figure, the operation of the diaphragm is exaggerated to make it easier to understand, and only the outer case 16, the sealing material 5, and the diaphragm 21 are shown.

FIG. 2a shows a normal state, where the internal pressure Pi of the outer case 16 and the external (bathroom interior) pressure Po are approximately equal, and the temperature inside the bathroom is approximately normal temperature.

b5 shows the state when the temperature in the bathroom increases. Since there is some degree of ventilation in the bathroom, the external pressure Po hardly changes, but the internal pressure Pi increases due to the temperature rise. At this time, as shown in the figure, the diaphragm 21 expands by the differential pressure, increasing the volume inside the outer case, returning the pressure to Pi=Po, and returning to the same pressure state as in Figure a.

Figure 0 is the opposite of figure b when the temperature inside the bathroom is cooled, and the pressure Pi inside the case 16 has decreased to be lower than the external pressure PO, and the diaphragm 21 is as shown in figure b. By expanding in the opposite direction, the internal volume is reduced and the pressure is balanced. This condition also occurs when the remote control device is immersed in water, such as a bathtub, in addition to a drop in external temperature. At this time, the external pressure Po becomes water pressure.

As described above, even if internal and external pressure changes occur due to atmospheric temperature changes or immersion in water, the diaphragm 21 absorbs all of it and eliminates the pressure difference.

Here, changes in the state without the diaphragm 21 will be explained. Without the diaphragm 21, when the external temperature rises, the internal pressure of the case 16 rises as shown in the figure.
Pressure Pi>Po. If this state continues for a long time, internal air will flow out from the minute gaps in the sealing material 5.

When this occurs, even if the normal state (Figure a) returns, the internal pressure Pi has decreased by the amount of air that has flowed out, so air begins to flow in from the gap between the sealing materials 50, and at this time, the moisture in the bathroom If air flows inside, the moisture will damage the internal electronic circuits. Conversely, even if the cli9 state continues, air still flows in.

The above is the respiratory action.

Conventionally, in order to create an airtight space in a place where the temperature changes rapidly and is humid, such as in a bathroom, the sealing material 5 must be sealed as tightly as a diving suit to prevent this breathing effect. However, it was difficult to use it as a remote control due to its external size and weight.

In the present invention, by providing the diaphragm 21, pressure fluctuations can be absorbed and breathing effects can be completely prevented.

3 and 4 show another embodiment, and parts similar to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same numbers.

Since the diaphragm 21 is usually a thin membrane, it is easily damaged, and if it is damaged, the inner sole will be completely lost. In order to prevent this, in FIG. 3, a protective net 23 is provided at a position opposite to the opening 22 of the outer box 15 to protect the diaphragm 21, and the external pressure PO is transmitted to the diaphragm 21 through the holes 24 in the net. This prevents the diaphragm 21 from being touched and damaged by hand.

In FIG. 4, a protective cover 25 is provided for the same purpose, and the opening 2
6 to the diaphragm 21.

As described above, according to the configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is possible to prevent the diaphragm from being damaged and the sealing effect to be lost even if the diaphragm 21 is touched by hand or the remote controller is dropped.

In the embodiment of this specification, an example is explained in which the light emitting diode 17 is used as a remote control transmitting device, but the remote control transmitting means may also use ultrasonic waves, radio waves, or something similar. You can get exactly the same effect. The present invention is also effective for wired remote controllers in which the Leet wire is drawn out from the remote controller.
In this case, it is particularly effective in preventing breathing effects from the single-tray lead-out portion, which is difficult to seal.

In addition to the tact switch method explained in the embodiment, the operation switch 1 also has various electronic input means such as a touch panel method and an optical method.
Alternatively, even if mechanical input means such as a rotary switch or a potentiometer is used, exactly the same effect can be obtained in preventing the breathing action from the sole portion such as the shaft portion.

Further, the power supply device may also use a charging system, a solar battery, or other devices other than the dry cell battery 20. Although I have omitted the explanation here, especially in the case of dry batteries, it is necessary to have a structure that allows general users to easily replace the batteries, but it is extremely difficult to ensure a reliable seal at this time. In the present invention, since there is no breathing effect, even if the seal is a little rough, moisture will not flow into the interior.

The diaphragm 21 may also have any structure as long as it is a pressure absorbing means such as a bellows, other than the thin film structure as in the embodiment.

Furthermore, in the case of a remote control device for a bathroom, by reducing the specific gravity of the outer case 16 and other parts so that it floats on water, it is possible to prevent the state shown in Figure 2C from continuing even if it is submerged in water for a long time. It goes without saying that this prevents the problem and improves the reliability of the remote control device. Furthermore, it is also easy to construct the entire outer case from a stretchable material so that the same effect as that of the diaphragm 21 can be obtained in the outer case.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, the bathroom waterproof remote control device of the present invention has the following effects.

(1) Since the diaphragm absorbs pressure fluctuations inside the remote control, there is no breathing effect even if it is used in a bathroom where the temperature changes rapidly, so the internal electronic circuit can be protected from moisture with a simple seal. , a highly reliable remote control device can be realized.

(2) Even if the remote control device is dropped into water in the bathtub,
Since the internal pressure is adjusted to the same level as water pressure, water seepage can be prevented and it is safe.

(3) The extremely simple configuration makes it easy to remotely control the device from anywhere in the bathroom, improving the usability of the device.

(4) Furthermore, since the remote control device of the present invention can be applied to various devices installed in the bathroom, it can be used to switch lighting, vary illuminance, open/close windows and blinds, and operate AV equipment. It has become possible to operate devices that were previously thought impossible in the bathroom, leading to the creation of a new bathing culture.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating one embodiment of the waterproof remote control device for bathrooms of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a principle explanatory diagram illustrating the operating principle of the diaphragm, and Fig. 3 is another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a side cross-sectional view explaining the member, 14
．． 15...Outer box (box body), 16...Outer case, 17...Light emitting diode (transmission device), 20...Dry cell (power supply device) , 21...
... diaphragm, 23 ... protection net (protection section), 25 ... protection cover (protection section). Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and one other person 6 TATO Value Booth - 1 Kou' 11 Switch Print Base 11 Outside Entertainment Group Diagram

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A remote control circuit unit that includes at least an operation input device for the device, a transmitter that transmits a signal corresponding to the input signal of the operation input device to the device, and a power supply device that drives these; A waterproof remote control device for a bathroom, the outer case comprising a box body that isolates a remote control circuit section from the outside air, a sealing member, and a diaphragm that expands and contracts according to the pressure difference between the inside and the outside air. . (2) The waterproof remote control device for a bathroom according to claim 1, wherein the box has a protective portion for protecting the diaphragm.