JPH06258317A - Urine specific-gravity measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a urine specific-gravity measuring apparatus wherein it can perform a measurement photoelectrically and it can be constituted in a compact manner. CONSTITUTION:A prism 45 in which a base face 45a and a tip face 45d are mutually parallel is housed in a urine-sampling container, slopes 45a, 45b are formed on both sides of the tip face 45d, and mirror surfaces are formed on the slopes. A light-emitting part 46 which radiates light at a prescribed radiant angle is arranged in a position faced with the slope 45a on one side in the base face 45c, and a light-receiving part 47 is arranged in a position face with the slope 45b on the other side. The angle thetaof the slope 45a on one side is set in such a way that the range of an incidence angle which reflects the light at the prescribed radiant angle by the mirror surface so as to make it incident on the tip face can be changed gradually to a light- transmitting state from a total-reflection state on the tip face 45d as the specific gravity of urine to be measured becomes large within the change range of the specific gravity of the urine in a state that the urine comes into contact with the tip face 45d. The angle of the slope 45b on the other side is set in such a way that reflected light at the tip face 45d within the range of the incidence angle is reflected toward the light-receiving part 47.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a urine specific gravity measuring device for photoelectrically measuring the specific gravity of urine collected in a urine collecting container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When measuring the specific gravity of urine to inspect the content of proteins and the like, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-117261, measurement is made based on the floatation / sink position of a float in a urine collection container, or transparent urine collection. It is well known that the light source is arranged on one side of the container and the light receiving section is arranged on the other side while changing the height to detect the displacement of the oblique optical path according to the refractive index corresponding to the urine specific gravity. is there.

[0003]

In the case of the latter photoelectric urine specific gravity measuring device, the specific gravity can be easily detected as an electric signal, but in order to arrange the circuit parts on both sides of the urine collection container by changing the height position. Structurally bulky. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in the urine specific gravity measuring device attached to the toilet bowl, which is preferably made particularly compact.

In view of the above points, the present invention has an object to provide a more compact urine specific gravity measuring device which can be measured photoelectrically.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a urine collection container according to claim 1 in which prisms having a base surface and a front end surface parallel to each other are housed, and the prisms are provided on both sides of the front end surface. Forms inclined surfaces that gradually separate from each other toward the base surface, forms a mirror surface on these inclined surfaces, and emits light at a predetermined emission angle at a position facing one of the inclined surfaces on the base surface. A light emitting portion for emitting light is arranged, and a light receiving portion is arranged at a position facing the other inclined surface.The angle of one inclined surface is such that light having a predetermined emission angle is reflected at the boundary surface and is incident on the tip surface. With the urine in contact with the tip surface, the incident angle range to be changed is gradually changed from the total reflection state on the tip surface to the translucent state as the urine specific gravity increases in the change range of the urine specific gravity to be measured. The angle of the other inclined surface is set so as to obtain the reflected light on the tip surface in the incident angle range. It is set so as to reflect toward.

[0006]

Operation: One light emitting surface of the prism base surface irradiates one inclined surface with a predetermined emission angle, and the reflected light is incident on the tip surface of the prism. In the state where the prism tip surface is in contact with air before collecting urine, the light in at least the incident angle range for measurement is totally reflected and further reflected by the other inclined surface toward the light receiving portion. With urine in contact with the prism tip surface,
Light incident on the prism tip surface within a critical angle according to the specific gravity of urine is transmitted, and therefore the prism tip surface is gradually transmitted as the specific gravity increases, that is, as the refractive index increases. The incident angle range for shining is expanded. Therefore, in the light receiving section, the width gradually narrows as the specific gravity increases, and the light is received.

[0007]

1 to 6 show an example in which the urine specific gravity measuring apparatus of the present invention is implemented as a toilet accessory type, and in FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 is, for example, aluminum to which the urine specific gravity measuring apparatus is assembled. It is a flexible panel and can be clamped between the toilet body 1 and the base portion 2c by passing a mounting bolt for attaching the base portion 2c of the toilet seat 2 with the warm water washing device to the toilet body 1 through the mounting hole 10a. Below the nozzle mounting surface 2a of the warm water washing device, the toilet body 1 is moved from the retracted position shown by the solid line to a urine test
A crank-shaped urine collecting nozzle 15 that moves to a urine collecting position shown by a dotted line in the front is arranged, and a washing shower 17 that cleans the urine collecting nozzle 15 is arranged above the crank-shaped urine collecting nozzle 15. Two
Reference numeral b is a control box of the hot water cleaning device. 3 is an aquarium.

The urine collecting nozzle 15 has a urine collecting port 15a at its tip.
And a base portion 15b bent laterally in the toilet body 1 and bent in a crank shape is supported by a bearing 18a attached to the back surface of the panel 10. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a lever 19 is attached to the base portion 15b, and an air cylinder arranged on the back surface of the panel 10 in a long groove 19a formed in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the base portion 15b. A pin 29c projecting in the extending direction on the cylinder rod 29a of 29 is slidably inserted along the long groove 19a, and the urine collection nozzle 15 is rotated forward by the backward movement of the cylinder rod 29a.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the washing shower 17 includes a synthetic resin plate 17d and a water passage 1 in the vertical direction.
7b and a sprinkling port 17c arranged intermittently downward.
Is formed. One end of the plate 17d is screwed to the upper panel 10 by interposing poles at four locations, and communicates with a flow path 42a formed by perforating the panel 10 via a pipe 17a. . This channel is used for the water pump 4 stored in the water tank 3.
It is connected to the water intake 42 which is supplied with water from 0 through the hose 42b. A water valve 41 is also connected to this water intake through a hose 41b.

As shown in FIG. 3, a mounting plate 11 made of two synthetic resin halves 11a and 11b is screwed to the rear surface of the panel 10 at four corners with poles interposed, and is attached to the upper side thereof. The measuring device main body 30 is attached to the back side of the air cylinder 29. further,
At the front end of the mounting plate 11, an electromagnetically controlled air directional control valve SV1 to SV4 is mounted on one side and an air compressor 20 is mounted on the other side, and a synthetic resin mounting plate 12 is similarly screwed. It has become so.

As shown in FIG. 4, these directional control valves include common ports A1 to A4, return ports R1 to R4, and a switching port P1.
To P4 respectively, the air compressor 20 is used as an air pressure generation source, and the sequence control is performed in response to the control signal of the sequence control circuit 9 to control the urine collection nozzle 15, the air cylinder 29, and the measuring device body 30. It constitutes an air pressure circuit.

For this reason, the mounting plate 12 is integrally formed with an air flow path for connecting the respective parts. On the other hand, the half 11b of the mounting plate 11 has a common opening A
1. Flow paths 26 and 27 connecting the air supply and exhaust ports of both A1 and A2 and the air cylinder 29, and a flow path 28 connecting the common port A4 and the air supply and exhaust port 30a of the measuring device body 30. The grooves 26a, 27a, 28a having a semicircular cross section are integrally formed and are covered by the half body 11a.

FIG. 5 shows a measuring device body 30 for analyzing the specific gravity of urine, which is formed in a urine collection container 31 having a size of, for example, about 3 × 3 × 3 cm. The urine collection container 31 is divided by a partition plate 32 into the defoaming chamber 31a and the prism storage chamber 31b on the inlet side, leaving a narrow channel. To the base end side of the partition plate 32 of the defoaming chamber 31a, the opposite end of the tube 15c connected to the rear end of the urine collection nozzle 15 is connected, and the air from the air supply / exhaust port 30a of the prism storage chamber 31b is connected. The bubbles generated in the inhaled urine by the inhalation disappear in the process of moving to the prism storage chamber 31b along the partition plate 32. The opposite end of the tube 41a connected to the water valve 41 is connected to the water inlet 30b of the prism storage chamber 31b, and the lid 44 has the upper end of the specific gravity measuring prism 45 and the level sensor 48 prism 48a. Is installed and stores these.

The level sensor 48 is well known in itself, and totally reflects incident light from above to the upper limit position of urine and the upper limit position of water above it when the liquid is in contact with air, and A rod-shaped prism 48a formed with two upper and lower prism surfaces (not shown) that transmit light when in contact with, and two-channel light emission
The light receiving section 48b and a detection circuit for detecting that urine and water have reached the upper limit positions due to the disappearance of reflected light, respectively.

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 6, the prism 45 is made of acryl having a cylindrical length of about 20 mm, and its tip portion is symmetric with respect to the vertical axis at θ = 58 °.
Width 10 parallel to the inclined surfaces 45a, 45b of the
mm front end surface 45d. Inclined surfaces 45a, 4
The surface of 5b is formed, for example, by vapor deposition as a mirror surface that reflects the light transmitted through the prism.

The light-emitting portion 46 emits a diffused light flux having a broader degree of emission than the diffused optical paths L1 and L2 centered on the central optical path L3, and the emitted light from the central optical path L3 is the inclined surface 45a and the front end surface 4 is formed.
When the light is reflected toward the center of 5d and totally reflected by the tip surface 45d, it is reflected by the inclined surface 45b perpendicularly to the base surface 45c, that is, parallel to the optical path at the time of emission. When the emitted light from the diffusion optical paths L1 and L2 is totally reflected, it is further diffused and enters the base surface 45c. A light receiving unit 47, which is a PSD for detecting the width of a light beam, is arranged in each of these incident areas.

With respect to the incident angle α1 of the diffused light path L2 which is incident on the tip surface 45d at a relatively small angle, urine having the lower limit of the measurement range of urine specific gravity (specific gravity 1.00, refractive index 1.333) is tip surface 45d. Is set to 63.2 °, which is slightly smaller than the critical angle when the level exceeds the level, and light transmission starts at least at the lower limit of the urine specific gravity measurement range (specific gravity 1.00, refractive index 1.333). . On the other hand, the incident angle α2 of the diffusion optical path L3
Is set to a critical angle of 65.0 ° with respect to urine having an upper limit value (specific gravity 1.05, refractive index 1.3496). That is, when the tip surface 45d is in contact with air, the diffusion optical path L
The incident light on the tip surface 45d in the incident angle range of 1 and L2 is totally reflected, and when in contact with urine, the diffused light path L
The incident angle range in which the total reflection state changes to the light transmission state as the specific gravity increases with respect to the incident light in the range of 1 and L2 is L
The area gradually increases from 2 to L1, and as the specific gravity increases, the area of the incident light beam or the amount of incident light of the light receiving section 47 decreases. The light receiving unit 47 is provided with a conversion circuit that detects the width of the incident light beam and converts the detected value into the specific gravity of urine.

The light emitting / light receiving portion 48b, the light emitting portion 46, and the light receiving portion 47 project from the notch 11c of the mounting plate 11, and the detection circuit, conversion circuit, and the like attached to these are provided on a substrate (not shown) above them. The light receiving unit 47 is
An image sensor that detects the width or area of the incident light beam can also be used.

The urine specific gravity measuring device assembled on the panel 10 as described above, as shown in FIG. 1, holds the panel holding part without any parts between the toilet body 1 and the toilet seat 2 and displays the urine test result. An operation box (not shown) equipped with an operation panel to which a power switch, a plurality of ID keys and the like are attached is installed in the vicinity.

In FIG. 4, when a start signal is input to the sequence control circuit 9, the measurement operation is started, the air compressor 20 is operated, and the directional control valve SV1,
The SV2 is switched to drive the air cylinder 29 backward, move the urine collection nozzle 15 forward, and further move the directional control valve SV.
By switching SV3 as well as 1 and SV2, the air compressor 20 causes the measuring device main body 30 to inhale urine until the level sensor 48 detects a predetermined level. Next, the urine collection nozzle 15 is returned to the standby position by driving the air cylinder 29 forward by the air compressor 20 while the direction control valves SV1 to SV3 are returned. The washing shower 17 is operated by operating the water pump 40.
The water is sprayed onto the urine collecting nozzle 15 and the water valve 41 is operated to pour water into the measuring device body 30 until the level sensor 48 detects a predetermined water level. Directional control valve SV
4 is switched to operate, the air compressor 20 is operated for a predetermined time, and drainage is performed by air pressure. The shower cleaning of the urine collecting nozzle 15 and the pouring / draining operation of the measuring device main body 30 are performed a plurality of times, and finally, the water pump 40 is operated without operating the water valve 41 to perform only the shower cleaning.

The operation of the urine specific gravity measuring device thus constructed is as follows. When the power switch and the associated ID key are operated on the operation box, the urine collection nozzle 15 is driven to the urine collection position by the air cylinder 29. The air compressor 20 inhales urine to the measuring device body 30 while urinating to the urine collecting nozzle 15, and when a predetermined urine level is detected, the inhalation is ended and the urine collecting nozzle 15 is returned to the standby position. , The measurement is started. That is, in the measuring device main body 30, the specific gravity of urine is measured according to the width of the light flux incident on the light receiving section 47, and the measurement result is displayed in the operation box. Subsequently, the water pump 40 and the water valve 41 are operated to inject water into the measuring device body 30, and at the same time, the washing shower 17 shower-washes the urine collection nozzle 15. When the water level reaches a predetermined level, shower washing and water injection are stopped, the drainage operation is performed for a predetermined time through the urine collecting nozzle 15, and finally the urine collecting nozzle 15 is shower washed to finish the measurement.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the required amount of urine can be made small by disposing the base surface of the prism on the upper portion of the urine collecting container and making the tip end face the bottom surface of the urine collecting container with a slight gap. However, in some cases, the circuit portion can be attached to the side surface of the urine collection container.

[0023]

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a photoelectric type compact urine specific gravity measuring apparatus in which a circuit portion is mounted only on the base surface of a prism. Especially, it is most suitable for attachment to a toilet bowl. In particular, when the front end surface of the prism faces the bottom surface of the urine collection container, the amount of urine collected can be reduced and the size can be further reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mounted state of a toilet attached urine specific gravity measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a partial structure of the urine specific gravity measuring device, FIG. 2A is a bottom view of the panel, FIG. 2B is a side view of a driving portion of a urine collecting nozzle, and FIG. 2C is a perspective view of a washing shower portion. is there.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a mounting plate of a component mounted on the back surface of the panel.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an air pressure circuit composed of a directional control valve attached to the attachment plate.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a main body of the urine specific gravity measuring apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the principle of specific gravity measurement by a prism housed in the same measuring apparatus body.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Toilet body 2 Toilet seat 10 Panel 15 Urine collection nozzle 30 Measuring device body 45 Prisms 45a, 45b Sloping surface 45c Base surface 45d Tip surface 46 Light emitting part 47 Light receiving part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A urine collection container accommodates prisms having a base surface and a front end surface parallel to each other, and on both sides of the front end surface, inclined surfaces gradually separating from each other toward the base surface are formed. , A mirror surface is formed on these inclined surfaces, and a light emitting unit that emits light at a predetermined emission angle is arranged at a position facing one of the inclined surfaces on the base surface, and the other inclined surface is opposed. A light receiving portion is disposed at a position, and the angle of one of the inclined surfaces is an incident angle range in which light having the predetermined emission angle is reflected at the boundary surface and is incident on the tip surface. Is set in such a manner that the total reflection state at the tip surface can be gradually changed to a translucent state as the urine specific gravity increases in the change range of the urine specific gravity to be measured. The angle of the inclined surface is such that the light reflected by the tip surface in the incident angle range is directed to the light receiving section. Urine specific gravity measurement apparatus characterized by being set so as to reflect in the mirror surface. 2. The urine specific gravity measuring device according to claim 1, wherein a prism is housed in the urine collection container such that a front end surface of the prism faces the bottom surface of the urine collection container.