ES2886633T3 - Toilet seat assembly and method for its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for manufacturing a toilet seat assembly, with the steps of: - manufacturing a base body (18) by pressing in a pressing tool, - opening the pressing tool and inserting a heater into a cavity of the pressing tool, - pressing the seat heater (10) with the base body (18), and then - covering the seat heater (10) by means of a layer of coating (20).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Toilet seat assembly and method for its manufacture

The invention relates to a toilet seat assembly with a seat provided with a seat heater and to a method for the production of a toilet seat assembly.

JP2012540027A describes a method in which a seat heater is glued to a base body and a cover layer in a press. Also in EP2572616A2 a toilet seat assembly is described, in which a seat heater is applied to a foil which is then glued to a base body and a cover layer. In an alternative solution it is proposed to encapsulate the seat heating in an injection molding tool.

In a solution described in GB2181167A, electric seat heating, for example a heating foil, is applied to a base body of a seat and then covered by means of a casing that forms the seat surface itself. of the seat. Then, the base body and the casing are connected to each other in a suitable manner.

A disadvantage of this solution is that the housing which forms the contact surface itself has a comparatively large wall thickness and a correspondingly large heat capacity, so that a comparatively large amount of energy is required and also a long time until the contact surface. seat itself has been brought to the desired temperature.

A similar solution is also described in US 6,294,758B1.

Solutions are also known in which the seat is made with channels, through which a fluid circulates, for example heated water. These types of toilet seat assemblies are very complicated in structure and have practically not established themselves in the European market.

Therefore, the invention has an object to provide a toilet seat assembly with a simple structure. Furthermore, the invention has the object of providing a simplified manufacturing process.

This object is achieved by a method with the features of claim 1 or by a toilet seat assembly with the features of dependent claim 3.

Advantageous variants of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The toilet seat assembly according to the invention has a seat having a base body substantially constituting the shape/geometry of the seat and a seat heater for heating a seat surface. According to the invention, the seat heating is integrated in a cover layer which covers the seat surface and is applied to the base body or is covered by the very thin cover layer. That is, the seat itself is formed by the base body, with the seat heating, arranged on a resin-impregnated paper, being applied to the base body and pressed with it. After removal of a pressing tool, the cover layer is then applied.

The manufacture of the toilet seat assembly is carried out in such a way that, first of all, a base body of a toilet seat (or of the toilet lid) is produced by pressing. It is preferable to manufacture the toilet seat assembly from a thermoplastic material. After the basic body has been pressed, the pressing tool is opened and the seat heater itself, ie a heating wire arrangement arranged on a resin-impregnated paper, is inserted into the cavity. The pressing tool is then closed again and the seat heating is pressed with the base body still warm. The support foil is made of a resin-impregnated material, so that there is an intimate bond between the thermoplastic base body and the resin (a thermoplastic).

The pressed base body with seat heating is then removed from the pressing tool, if necessary reworked and then the cover layer is applied.

In a preferred embodiment, a filler material is first applied to the seat heating to level the surface. This application can be carried out, for example, by spraying. In a further work step, a coating/varnish layer is then applied, the color of which and the surface properties of which correspond to those of the other, unvarnished areas of the toilet seat assembly. This coating layer can also be applied by spraying.

The seat heater is inserted in such a way that its support foil / support material is preferably oriented towards the cavity wall, so that the heating wire arrangement itself is covered by the backing sheet during pressing.

Since this cover layer is made thin with a low mass, the contact surface can be brought to the required temperature very quickly, so that the energy consumption is low. In principle, such a seat heater can also be retrofitted to existing toilet seats. This is an essential difference from conventional solutions, which require a special toilet seat structure and corresponding pressing tools.

In one embodiment, the seat heating is meander-shaped, so that almost the entire seat surface is covered.

In a preferred embodiment, the seat heater is arranged on a melamine resin paper.

The seat heating is preferably applied on the side of the seat surface. The seat surface itself can then be formed by a surface layer that covers the seat heating, for example with a layer of varnish.

Instead of the varnish layer, it is also possible to apply another suitable covering layer or surface layer, for example a pressed layer or a foil layer, which, however, is made very thin. To level, before the application of the cover layer, a filler can be applied on the seat heating.

Preferably, the thickness of the covering layer or surface layer is no more than 1 mm, so that noticeable heating of the seat occurs within a few seconds to a maximum of one minute after the start of heating. In order to satisfy possible national regulations, the thickness of the covering layer can also be made greater than or equal to 1 mm and approximately less than or equal to 2 mm.

The seat heating can be realized by a heating wire, a conductive paint layer, a conductive foil, a strip of heating conductors deposited by means of a suitable deposition process or the like. In a variant, the heating wire is applied to a support foil by ultrasonic welding.

The energy consumption for heating is minimal if the toilet seat assembly is made with a sensor to turn on the heating in case of use.

Via an adjustment device, for example, the heating temperature and the heating duration can be preset.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the sensor for detecting the state of use of the toilet seat assembly is arranged on the rear side, i.e. in an area of the toilet seat, located on the side of the seat joint. . This sensor can be covered, for example, by a layer of varnish or surface layer, so that it cannot be seen from the outside.

It is particularly advantageous if the thermostat controls the heat output gradually. For example, through the sensor the use of the toilet seat assembly can be detected and a signal can be sent to the thermostat to energize the seat heating. This is initially operated with a comparatively high heat output in order to bring the toilet seat to operating temperature as quickly as possible. The heat output can then be reduced gradually, as a function of time, to supply only the heat that is lost through exchange with the environment, thereby reliably preventing overheating of the toilet seat.

In a variant of this gradual control of the heating power, it can be reduced to a minimum value during use or completely switched off, so that energy consumption is minimized. After a predetermined blocking time has elapsed or the toilet seat temperature has decreased during use, the heating power can also be increased again.

In a simplified variant, the heating remains on permanently, only the heat losses through the heating having to be compensated. The advantage of this variant is that complex electronics for controlling the heating can be dispensed with, so that the investment costs of the toilet seat assembly are reduced. However, this advantage leads to higher service costs for permanent heating. The user has the possibility to put the permanent heating into operation, for example by plugging in the power pack, or to switch it off accordingly. Of course, a separate switch for switching the heating on and off can also be provided. The applicant reserves the right to dedicate its own claim to this permanent operation.

The activation of the seat heating can be optically visible through a suitable display element. This display element can be made in such a way that the respective level of heating can be seen.

The seat heating can be operated with mains voltage or can be powered independently from the mains via a battery. The voltage used can be designed as safe low voltage, less than 60 volts DC or 25 volts AC.

A heating connection cable may have a coupling that disengages when the toilet seat assembly is removed (disassembly), so that the toilet seat assembly can be easily cleaned or replaced.

The sensor for detecting the use of the toilet can, for example, react to a change in light or a brief touch with the hand, so that the heating is activated even if the lid was already raised before use. In principle, however, the heating can also be activated by opening the lid.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a board with the electronics for controlling the seat heating is built into the basic body of the seat, for which a separate housing is applied or this board is inserted into a cavity in the body base on the rear side. The electronics are in any case housed in a watertight manner.

The toilet seat assembly can be made from both a thermoplastic and a thermoplastic, but also from compressed wood or another type of material. It is preferable to manufacture the toilet seat from a thermosetting plastic.

In order to further improve the operating comfort, the toilet seat assembly can be configured with lighting and/or a night light, which can be activated via the aforementioned electronics, for example, in the sense of a function of twilight switching.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with the aid of schematic drawings. They show:

FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a toilet seat arrangement according to the invention;

Figure 2 a top plan view of a toilet seat of the toilet seat assembly according to Figure 1;

Fig. 3 a schematic section through the toilet seat according to Fig. 2;

Figure 4 a diagram for the illustration of a gradual reduction of the heating power and

Fig. 5 a top plan view of a variant of the toilet seat according to Fig. 2.

In FIG. 1, a toilet seat assembly 1 is shown, which is fixed on a ceramic 2 by means of a seat joint arrangement 4. The toilet seat assembly 1 has a cover 6 and a seat 8, which are connected hingedly by means of the seat hinge arrangement 4. This can be implemented with a "soft closing function", in which the lowering movement is damped by means of a damping arrangement. Such a damping arrangement is described in the prior art described at the outset, according to EP1199020B1.

The seat is made with a seat heater 10 indicated in dashed lines, whose heating temperature and heating duration can be adjusted via a thermostat 12, which is integrated in a housing, for example in the area of the joint arrangement. seat.

The toilet seat assembly 1 according to the invention further has a sensor 14 through which the use of the toilet can be detected. This sensor 14 can be integrated in the seat 8 (see figure 1), or in the cover 6 or the like.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the seat heating 10 according to FIG. 2 is realized by a heating wire 16 which is applied to the base body 18 of the seat 8, which can be seen in FIG. 2. The end sections 19a, 19b of the heating wire 16 are connected to the thermostat 12 integrated, for example, in the housing of the seat joint arrangement 4. The actual contour of the seat 8 is predefined by the base body. The wire thickness of the heating wire 16 is very small, so that it is not very bulky. The seating surface itself can be formed by a covering layer 20 that covers the heating wire 16. This covering layer 20 can be formed, for example, by a foil, a paper impregnated with melamine resin or a layer of varnish that covers the heating wire 16. Especially before the application of a layer of varnish, to improve the quality of the surface, a filler 21 can first be applied to the heating wire. This leveled layer is then covered with a layer of varnish, the coloration and surface quality of which correspond to that of the other visible areas of the toilet seat assembly 1.

This basic structure is shown schematically in FIG. 3. You can see the base body 18 itself, in other words the seat substrate 8. The seat heater, in this case the heating wire, is then arranged on this. 16, which in turn is covered by a thin (d < 1 mm) cover layer (cover layer) 20 and, if necessary, by the filler 21, which thus forms part of the cover layer.

The manufacture of the toilet seat assembly is particularly simple if the seat heater, in the present case the heating wire 16, is already connected to the cover layer 20 beforehand, so that the two components are applied to the base body 18 at the same time.

In a production method that is easier to carry out in practice, the heating wire arrangement is first applied to the pressed base body 18 . The heating wire 16 can be arranged, for example, on a support foil that is placed on the base body 18. In a further process step, the filler 21 is applied, which covers the areas offset to the rear (the gaps) between the heating wire sections arranged in the form of a meander. In a next step, a layer of varnish or another type of layer is applied to this homogenized surface.

This application of the cover layer regions can be carried out in a separate work step outside of the pressing tool. In a preferred variant of the method, the base body 18 is first produced by pressing, and the pressing tool is opened after the pressing process, during which, for example, the toilet seat 8 remains in the lower part. top of the crimping tool moving up with it, so to speak. The heating wire arrangement is then inserted into the remaining cavity at the bottom of the pressing tool. It is particularly preferable if the heating wire arrangement is arranged on a support foil, this then being arranged towards the wall of the cavity in the lower part of the pressing tool and the heating wire 16 being positioned towards the base body. After inserting the heating wire 16 (with a carrier foil if necessary), the pressing tool is closed again and the heating wire arrangement with the base body 18 is pressed. After pressing and opening of the pressing tool, the base body 18 provided with the heating wire arrangement is pulled out and deburred, etc. The support sheet is a resin-impregnated paper, which forms an intimate bond with the thermoplastic base body 18 during pressing, protecting the heating wire 16.

After removal of the base body 18 provided with the heating wire 16, the filler 21 is applied thereon to compensate for surface irregularities, for example, backwardly displaced areas between the heating wire sections. This filler 21 consists, for example, of a synthetic material which forms a good bond with the base body 18 and with a cover layer and is applied, for example, in a wet painting process.

After the filling 21 has hardened, the area of the toilet seat 8 provided with the heating wire arrangement is ground, and then a covering layer is applied, for example also by wet painting. The color of this covering layer corresponds to that of the base material, this covering layer being made in such a way that it corresponds to that of the other areas of the toilet seat assembly 1 in terms of the quality of the surface and the appearance of the surface. In other words, after the application of the cover layer 20, the seat heating 10 is not visible from the outside.

In the method described above, the electronics, which will be explained in more detail below, ie the control elements and the power supply of the seat heater 10, are preferably installed before the painting process.

As already explained, in an alternative method, the heating wire arrangement 16 can be introduced into the cavity of the pressing tool together with the pressing material. In this variant, the pressing and the integration of the heating wire arrangement thus take place in a pressing process. In the seat heaters 10 explained above in connection with the following exemplary embodiments, the heating wire arrangement can be arranged, for example by ultrasonic welding, on the backing sheet which is a resin-impregnated paper.

In a variant of the exemplary embodiment described above, the sensor 14' is not arranged in the area of the seat 8, which is on the left in FIG. 1 and which is remote from the seat joint arrangement 4, but on the rear side, in the area of the seat joint arrangement 4. As explained, the sensor 14' is designed in such a way that the use of the toilet, especially the use of the toilet seat 8, can be detected. In the event of such use, the sensor 14, 14' sends a signal to the thermostat 12, so that the seat heating 10 is activated via this. In FIG. the duration of the excitation of the seat heating. According to this diagram, the heating power P initially increases relatively quickly up to a maximum value (PMAX). This heating power is maintained until the time t1 is reached and it is enough to bring the seat 8 to the user comfort temperature. Subsequently, after reaching the time t1, the heat output P is gradually reduced, for example only 50% of the maximum heat output PMAX being set in the time interval t1 to t2. In the time interval t2 to t3A, this heat output is then further reduced. If the operating time t3 is exceeded, the heat output is completely reduced (seat heating off). If the use continues beyond the time t4, the seat heating is activated again. This means that the time interval t3 to t4 represents a blocking time, during which the seat heating is not activated - overheating can thus be reliably prevented.

In the upper right part of FIG. 4, a display element 24 is shown, which, for example, can be integrated in the sensor area 14' in the toilet seat 8 or in the seat joint arrangement 4 and on which the three heating levels can be read. For example, with maximum heating power, all three display fields can be illuminated. This display then changes according to the decrease in heating power, so that with the third heating level, which is the lowest, only one display area lights up. Of course, other display elements, such as digital display or color change or the like, can also be realized.

As explained at the beginning, the seat heating 10 can also be switched on continuously or for a long period of time. That is, the seat heater 10 is turned on once by the user and then remains on, so that the toilet seat 8 is constantly heated. The required energy is supplied through the electrical supply. However, separate electronics for controlling the seat heating 10 can be dispensed with. In the simplest solution, a suitable temperature is preset at the factory. In a somewhat more comfortable solution, the temperature can be adjusted via a regulator and monitored via a thermostat - however, the seat heating remains in continuous operation, so that the switching effort is considerably reduced compared to the solution described above.

In a simple solution, the seat heating is switched on or off simply by plugging or unplugging a power brick or plug socket.

FIG. 5 shows a variant of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, in which the heating wire(s) 16 are arranged in the form of a meander. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5, the heating wire(s) 16 follows the contour of the toilet seat 8. Several heating wires 16 can be connected in parallel, or one or more heating wires 16 can be arranged in a circular pattern. loops following the contour.

As in the exemplary embodiment explained above, the heating wire arrangement can be arranged on a support sheet, which is a resin-impregnated paper, and pressed with the base body 18 in the manner described above. The application of the cover layer 20 and the filler 21 is carried out in a corresponding manner.

A control unit 28 is also approximately shown in FIG. , on the side opposite the seating surface, on the back of the toilet lid. For this purpose, for example, a cavity can be provided, in which the control unit 28 is then inserted in a waterproof manner. In principle, it is also possible to provide the control unit 28 inside a sealed housing, which is then applied. on top 8 on the rear side. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the control unit can also be embodied in the area of the seat joint arrangement, which is rather bulky there. This control unit 28 is also in signal connection with the display element 24, the thermostat 12 and/or the sensor 14.

Instead of the heating wires described in the previous exemplary embodiments, it is also possible to use other heating elements, for example conductor tracks, PTC resistance elements or the like.

The seat heating 10 is supplied with energy either via the mains voltage, in which case the toilet seat assembly is made with a corresponding 220 V / 110 V connection or a low-voltage connection ( for example, 60 volts DC or 25 volts AC). This connection can also be made through the ceramic 2, in which case the electrical supply is integrated in the ceramic. Alternatively, an accumulator for the power supply can also be provided. It is offered to integrate such an accumulator in the area of the seat joint arrangement 4.

For the coating of the heating wire 16 and for the coloring, of course, alternatively or additionally, a layer of varnish can also be applied.

In principle, the seat heater can also consist of an electrically conductive foil, an electrically conductive paint layer or a heating element body deposited by a suitable application process, for example by PVD or CVD.

As explained, the actual coloring of the seat can be done through a layer of varnish applied on the covering layer or directly on the seat heater. Alternatively, a resin-impregnated foil or paper, for example a melamine resin paper, can of course also be applied. These types of "papers" are known from the manufacture of laminate flooring and can also be adapted to complex three-dimensional geometries.

The seat heating is arranged directly in the area of the seat surface, so that between the person using the toilet and the seat heating there is at most the thin covering layer 20, for example with the padding 21 and the varnish layer or the like - the thermal capacity of this covering layer 20 is extremely low, so that the seat surface can be brought to the desired temperature very quickly.

In the event that the control unit 28 roughly indicated in FIG. 5, which of course can also be provided correspondingly in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, is connected to the power supply via a cable, it becomes It is preferable that this cable is made with a coupling or the like, so that the toilet seat assembly 1 can be easily removed for cleaning after the coupling is released.

Preferably, the described sensor reacts automatically, for example to a change in light. In principle, the sensor can also be activated manually, for example by a short touch, so that the heating can also be started if the lid is opened before use.

The cover 6 and/or the seat 8 can be made of a thermoplastic or thermoplastic material. Alternatively, however, another suitable material, for example compressed wood or the like, can also be provided.

The toilet seat unit 1 can also be designed with lighting, for example a night light, which can likewise be activated via the control unit 28 and can have a twilight switching function.

The applicant reserves the right to respectively dedicate dependent claims to the options mentioned above.

A toilet seat assembly with a heated seat is disclosed. This has a seat heating which is applied to a base body, which substantially forms the contour of the seat, and is covered by a very thin covering layer.

List of reference signs:

1 set of toilet seat

2 ceramics

4 Seat hinge arrangement

6 Lid

8 seat

10 seat heating

12 Thermostat

14 sensors

16 heating wire

18 Core Corps

19th Final Section

19b End Section

20 Coating Layer

21 padding

24 Display Element

26 Accumulator

28 control unit

Claims (1)

1. Procedure for the manufacture of a toilet seat assembly, with the steps of: - production of a base body (18) by pressing in a pressing tool, - opening the pressing tool and inserting a seat heater into a cavity of the pressing tool, - pressing the seat heater (10) with the base body (18), and then - the covering of the seat heating (10) by means of a covering layer (20). Method according to claim 1, in which the covering layer (20) has a varnish layer and a filler layer (21). Toilet seat assembly with a seat, manufactured according to a method according to one of the preceding claims, having a base body (18) and a seat heater (10) for heating a seat surface, wherein the seat heating (10) is integrated in or covered by a thin covering layer (20) which covers the seating surface and is applied to the base body (18), and where the covering layer (20) is applies after pressing of the seat heater (10) with the base body ⁽ 18 ^{), characterized in that the seat heater (10) is arranged on a resin-impregnated paper.} Toilet seat assembly according to claim 3, in which the seat heating (10) is designed in the form of a meander or with parallel running strips in the region of the seat surface. Toilet seat assembly according to claim 3 or 4, in which the seat heater is arranged on the side of the seat surface. Toilet seat assembly according to one of claims 3 to 5, in which the cover layer (20) is provided with a lacquer layer. Toilet seat assembly according to one of claims 3 to 5, in which the cover layer (20) has a thin surface layer. Toilet seat assembly according to claim 7, in which the cover layer (20) or the surface layer is a varnish layer, a pressed layer or a foil layer. Toilet seat assembly according to one of claims 3 to 8, in which the seat heater consists of a heating wire (16), a conductive paint layer, a conductive foil, preferably a deposited heating conductive strip, PTC heating elements or similar. Toilet seat assembly according to one of claims 3 to 9, with a sensor (14) for activating the seat heating (10) during use. Toilet seat assembly according to claim 10, wherein the sensor (14') is arranged on the rear side, in an area on the seat hinge side of the seat (8). 12. Toilet seat assembly according to one of claims 3 to 11, with a thermostat (10) for adjusting the heating temperature and/or the heating duration, the heating power (P) preferably being able to be reduced gradually from a maximum. Toilet seat assembly according to one of claims 3 to 12, in which the covering layer (20) has a thickness (d) of less than or equal to 2 mm, preferably less than 1 mm. Toilet seat assembly according to one of claims 3 to 13, in which a control unit (28) is inserted in a fluid-tight manner in the seat (8) or in a toilet seat hinge arrangement (4).