ES2932519T3 - Toilet seat or lid - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a toilet seat or toilet lid having a functional component, for example a sensor, a chip or the like. The component is arranged on a support, which is pressed from a seat or cover base material. The invention further relates to a method for producing a toilet seat or toilet lid, in which a functional component is arranged on a support and then pressed with the base material. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Toilet seat or lid

The invention relates to a toilet seat or toilet lid according to claim 1 and a manufacturing method thereof according to claim 14.

Such a toilet seat or lid may be designed as part of a toilet seat assembly that is pivotally mounted to a ceramic by means of a hinge arrangement. Such a toilet seat set is disclosed, for example, in the Applicant's WO 2016/020409 A1. In this case, the toilet seat is designed with a seat heating element consisting of a heating wire, a conductive foil, a heating conductive track or the like. The heating element is applied to a support in the form of a layer, for example a thermosetting film or a resin-impregnated paper. This heating element with the seat heating arranged in the holder is pressed with a round body during the manufacture of the toilet seat and, if necessary, a thin coating layer is provided, which is, for example, a lacquer layer.

Such a toilet seat set has the advantage that the manufacturing effort for integrating the seat heating is minimal and that this seat heating can be arranged very close to the surface, so that rapid heating of the seat is ensured. seat surface.

US 5,940,895 discloses a toilet seat that is designed with at least one functional electrical component that is applied to a bracket that is connected to a toilet seat base body or to a toilet cover and that is connected to a power supply or a signal processing unit, in which a seat heater is applied to the prefabricated support as an additional functional component, preferably electronic or electrical.

In recent years, there has been a trend to provide toilet seat sets with additional functions. For example, as proposed by the applicant in DE 102013101209 A1, an infrared sensor can be integrated into the toilet seat set to detect its use and, if necessary, initiate an automatic closing process.

In the cited document WO 2016/020409 A1, it is proposed to control the seat heating only when it is used. For this, an infrared sensor can be provided on the toilet seat, through which usage is detected.

In this case, considerable technical effort is required to integrate the sensor into the toilet seat or lid, in addition to the bracket.

Rather, the invention is based on the task of creating a toilet seat or toilet lid that is designed with an additional function in a simple manner. The invention is further based on the task of creating a method for manufacturing said seat or lid.

This task is solved by a toilet seat or toilet lid with the combination of features of patent claim 1 or by a method with the features of sub-patent claim 14.

Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

According to the invention, the seat or the cover has a seat heater and a functional component, which is preferably an electrical or electronic component and which is applied to a support material. This support material is then attached to the base material of the seat or cover by pressing. The functional component is preferably connected to a power supply or a signal processing unit. By arranging the functional component, for example a heater or a sensor on a holder, its handling during the manufacturing process - for example pressing or injection molding - is considerably simplified compared to solutions in which the functional component functional is directly pressed or overmoulded. The manufacturing process itself is also simplified, since the handling of the functional component is significantly simplified due to the comparatively stable arrangement on the carrier.

In the invention, it is envisaged to also have a seat heater on the support. According to the invention, the support then fulfills a double function: on the one hand, it forms the heating of the seat or the cover, and on the other hand, it also serves as a support for the component and as a support for the signal and its power supply. component.

The external appearance of the seat or the cover is optimized if the seat heating and/or the functional component are covered by a surface layer.

According to a solution according to the invention, this surface layer can be transparent.

In principle, the surface layer can also be dispensed with if direct contact of the functional component with the person using the toilet seat is desired or if an insulating component is used.

This covering surface or layer can also be partly formed so that, for example, one functional component is covered while another functional component remains directly accessible from the outside.

In another variant, the support is made of the same material or of a material compatible with the base material, so that the support can be easily incorporated.

The application of the topcoat is particularly easy if it is incorporated as a lacquer coat.

In one embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the surface layer covers the heater and the functional component is exposed.

The power supply and/or signal transmission of the heater and the component is preferably carried out via lines placed in the bracket, which are connected to a power supply or a signal processing unit at the rear, i.e. , on the seat gasket side.

This power supply or signal transmission can take place, for example, via a plug in the connection assembly or via a technology box that is placed on the ceramic.

The functional component can be, for example, a sensor for detecting physiological parameters of the user, a light source, a display screen, a chip module, a sensor for detecting environmental parameters such as temperature or incidence of light (sensor of light) or the like.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the seat heater is arranged in a meandering pattern on the bracket. The at least one functional component is then preferably arranged in the region of a meander loop.

In principle, the invention provides for the introduction of third-party means (functional components) by means of a preferably thermosetting support that is compatible with the thermosetting base material of the seat or cover, using suitable manufacturing processes. These third-party media will be used as sensors, for example to create a "smart" seat. The third party media may be simple electrical conductors, such as a wire, which changes its resistance when heated by body heat and is therefore capable of reporting the user's presence or sensing their body temperature. Also applicable are light-sensitive sensors, electrically conductive contacts for measuring a surface resistance (eg for measuring body fat) or other types of sensors capable of providing evaluable signals.

As a method of inserting the sensor technology, eg high-frequency impact, ultrasound, laser beam, heat or pressure can be used to embed the cable or the functional component in the preferably thermosetting support.

During the production of the seat or cover, the support with sensor technology (functional components) is pressed directly or in several steps onto the surface of the base material. In the process, as mentioned, the sensor can be exposed on the surface so that it is possible, for example, to measure the conductivity. Alternatively, the layered structure can be finely overpressed by an additional thermosetting material, so that an electrical short circuit is avoided. The material used for the overpressing, preferably thermosetting resin, can be identical to the base material or can be designed to be similar or compatible with it.

In principle, it is also possible to press or laminate a thin thermoplastic film with embedded third-party media onto the base material as support. This is preferably done without chemical bonding, essentially by adhesion. It is also conceivable to apply a thin additional layer of resin for electrical insulation and/or to provide the seat or cover with an additional layer of lacquer for coloring after pressing.

As explained, the sensor system can be guided along the seat/lid surface up to the articulation area and connected there in a manner known per se to a power supply or to the control electronics in order to to evaluate the measurement signals.

It is also conceivable to integrate a flat light source or a display into the seat/lid surface, through which the user or an operator can query information about measured vital functions, the status of a toilet seat or other information, like room temperature.

In principle, it is also possible to integrate a thin flat screen in the manner described above and thus transmit the received information externally via WLAN. The user IDs can also be read or read via an RFID antenna or the like.

According to another advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the functional component -as described above- can be a cable or another electrical conductor and can be designed by means of a suitable layout, for example in a spiral or in the form of a coil, in such a way that electrical effects, such as induction, can be generated or amplified.

The functional component, in particular the sensor, can be applied to the support in a pre-press process. This application can be carried out, for example, by ultrasound, laser beam, high-frequency welding, gluing, other fusions or the like.

In a variant of the invention, the support is made of a reactive thermosetting material, so that it can be forced to fit the base material, for example by pressing, after the functional components (for example the sensors/conductors ) have been applied.

In a specific example of embodiment, it is intended to manufacture the melamine support and the UREA seat, since these two thermosetting plastics are compatible with each other and chemically very similar. Upon compression, a composite is produced that is very similar to that of a one-material composite.

As mentioned above, the functional components, eg the sensor(s), may be covered or bare on the surface and/or electrically insulated, depending on the intended application. These concepts are chosen depending on the desired application, eg in the case of a sensor for conductivity measurement, no coating layer is provided. In applications that operate by induction, an electrically insulating layer is placed over the support and the functional component.

In one embodiment of the invention, a sensor is pressed into the base material, which is designed to detect the position of the user in the seat. Based on this sensor signal, i.e. the user's position on the toilet seat, a functional element, for example a flushing nozzle, is controlled to move into the correct position in order to optimize the process. of washing.

This application is especially important in the care sector.

The patent applicant reserves the right to make separate and independent patent claims to the variants described above.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. In them:

Figure 1 shows a representation of the principle of a toilet seat assembly;

Figure 2 shows a support for a functional component;

Figure 3 shows a variant of the arrangement according to Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a layered structure of a toilet seat and

Figure 5 shows a variant of the layer structure according to Figure 4.

Figure 1 shows a toilet seat assembly 1 that is attached to a ceramic 2 by means of a seat attachment arrangement 4. The toilet seat assembly 1 has a lid 6 and a seat 8 that are attached by means of the arrangement seat hinge 4. Can be designed with a "SoftClose" function in which the downward movement is damped by a damping arrangement. This damping arrangement is described in EP 1199020 B1.

The seat 8 is provided with a seat heater 10, indicated by dashed lines, whose temperature and heating duration can be adjusted by means of a thermostat 12 , which is integrated in a housing, for example a technical box, for example in the region of the seat. seat gasket arrangement. According to the invention, however, the use of such a seat heater is not a prerequisite - in principle, the invention covers solutions in which only one functional component, such as a sensor, is arranged on a holder.

In the invention, a functional component 14, for example a sensor or the like, is arranged on the seat in addition to the seat heater 10. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the seat heater 10 is essentially formed by a heating wire 16 that is applied in a serpentine way to a base body of the seat 8.

The body of the seat base 8 or of the lid 6 is manufactured in a manner known per se from a thermosetting plastic by pressing. On this base body a support 16 is applied, shown in Figures 2 and 3, on which the seat heating 10 is arranged, or more precisely its heating wires or conductive tracks, and also the functional component 14. The support 16 it may be a thermosetting film-like material into which component 14 and seat heater 10 are embedded by softening/melting. This embedding can take place, for example, by high-frequency impact, ultrasonic impact, laser radiation, heat impact and/or pressure impact. Figure 1 shows the support 16 in which the third means is embedded, ie, for example, the heating cable of the seat heater 10 or the functional component 14 or their supply lines 18a, 18b. This embedding can be done so that the component 14 does not protrude or protrudes minimally from the support 16. However, as shown in Figure 2, a partial embedding can also be done so that the functional component 14 and/or its cables 18 protrude from the main surface 19 of the film-like support 16. This arrangement can, for example, be pre-manufactured on a separate production line and then delivered to the press as a preform.

Figure 3 shows a variant in which the functional component 14 is a flat component, for example a sensor, an RFID antenna, a screen or the like, embedded in the support 16 in the manner described above. As mentioned, the support 16 is made of a film-like material, preferably thermosetting. This material is made in such a way that it is meltable or softenable by the energetic action described above. Furthermore, the support 16 is designed to have approximately the same thermal expansion and contraction behavior as the base material of the seat 8 or cover 6.

Figure 4 shows a highly schematic section along line A-A of Figure 1 to illustrate the layered structure. In this section, a base body 20 of the seat 8 is visible, for example, made of thermosetting material, which is, for example, UREA. The layer structure shown in Figure 2 with the support 16 and the functional component 14 embedded in it or the seat heater 10, of which two meandering cross sections can be seen in the illustration according to Figure 4, can be applied to this base body 20 by pressing. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the functional component 14 and the seat heater 10 are almost completely embedded in the support 16. The upper face of the support is not provided with a surface layer, so that the user has contact directly with the functional component 14, through which the corresponding measurements, evaluations or information transmission can take place.

Figure 5 shows a corresponding variant in which the functional component 14 has, for example, a number of marker lines shown in section which extend a distance from the heating cable of the seat heater 10. In this embodiment, this functional component 14 and seat heater 10 are covered by a coating layer 24. It can be a lacquer layer or a layer of another thermosetting material. The wall thickness of this covering layer 24 is very small, so that the functional components 14 and also the seat heater 10 are arranged very close to the surface of the seat 8 or cover 6, and their function is not affected. is disturbed by the coating layer 24.

As indicated in Figure 1, the functional component (sensor) 14 can be arranged in a meandering loop area of the seat heater 10. Of course, other positions are also feasible.

The functional component 14 may be a sensor designed to detect the seating position of the user. Depending on this seat position, for example in the case of so-called shower toilet seats, a flushing nozzle 26 indicated in Figure 1 can be controlled to move to the optimal flushing position determined by the sensor . Said sensor can, for example, be designed as an induction cable which, depending on the surface of the cable covered by the user, emits a corresponding position signal from which the position of the user can be determined. This wire can also be laid in a loop or meander fashion, similar to heated seats.

As explained above, the functional components 14 and/or the seat heater 10 can be arranged on a support, which is pressed against the base body of the seat.

In principle, such a toilet seat can also be produced using an SMC or BMC process (Sheet Molding Compound / Bulk Molding Compound). In this process, an SMC layer structure, provided for example as a semi-finished product, is pressed with a plastic matrix or a fiber-reinforced plastic matrix designed as a molding compound in a pressing tool.

In this process, the functional component 14 or the seat heater 10 is applied to a support, which is preferably in the form of resin paper or absorbent paper. In this process, the wire (seat heater/sensor) can be melted by energy irradiation, eg ultrasonic, and adhered to the support. The entire assembly is then pressed using the SMC or BMC process. In principle, such a provision (cast sensor holder/seat heater) can also be used with a seat/cover made of a thermoplastic or conventional material such as urea or melamine.

The applicant reserves the right to make an independent claim to this embodiment.

A toilet seat or a toilet lid with a functional component, for example a sensor, a chip or the like, is disclosed. The component is arranged in a support that is pressed to a base material of the seat or lid. Further disclosed is a method for manufacturing a toilet seat or toilet lid, in which a functional component is arranged on a support and then pressed against the base material.

Reference numbers:

1 set of toilet seat

2 Ceramic

4 Seat gasket arrangement

6 Lid

8 seat

10 Seat heater

12 Thermostat

14 Functional component

16 Support

18 supply line

19 large surface

20 Base body

24 Coating layer

26 Wash nozzle

Claims (15)

1 . Toilet seat (8) or toilet lid (6), which is designed with at least one functional component, preferably electronic or electrical (14), which is applied to a support (16), which is connected to a base material toilet seat (8) or toilet lid (6) and is connected to a power supply or signal processing unit, the holder being made of approximately the same material as the base body (20 ) of the toilet seat or toilet lid, where this arrangement of the toilet seat or toilet lid is prefabricated on a separate production line and then delivered to the press as a preform, and where a heater seat (10) is applied to the prefabricated support (16) as an additional functional component, preferably electronic or electrical. 2 . Seat or cover according to claim 1, wherein the functional component (14) is covered or exposed by a covering layer (24). 3 . Seat or cover according to patent claim 2, wherein the covering layer (24) is transparent or electrically conductive or insulating. 4 . Seat or cover according to patent claim 2 or 3, wherein the covering layer (24) is made of a material approximately the same or similar to that of the base body (20). 5 . Seat or lid according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the coating layer (24) is a lacquer layer. 6 . Seat or cover according to one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the covering layer (24) covers a functional component, for example the seat heater (10), and another functional component (14) is exposed. 7 . Seat or cover according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the power supply and/or signal transmission is effected via lines (18a, 18b) placed on the support (16), which are connected at the rear to a power supply or signal processing unit. 8 . Seat or cover according to claim 7, wherein the contact is made via a seat connection arrangement (4) or a technical box. 9 . Seat or cover according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the functional component (14) is a sensor for detecting physiological parameters of the user, an antenna, a light source, a display, a sensor for detecting environmental parameters such as temperature , light, an electrical conductor to generate or amplify inductive effects, or the like. 10 . Seat or cover according to claim 9, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect the position of a user on the seat (8). 11 . Seat or cover according to claim 10, comprising a washing nozzle (26) which is controllable as a function of the sensor signal. 12 . Seat or cover according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat heater (10) is meander-shaped and the functional component (14) is arranged in the region of a meander loop. 13 . Seat or cover according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (16) is formed from a thermosetting material, a reactive thermosetting material or a thermoplastic material having a thermosetting surface layer. 14 . Manufacturing method of a toilet seat (8) or a toilet lid (6) according to claims 1 to 13, wherein at least one functional component (10, 14), for example a sensor, is applied to the support (16) and the arrangement formed by the support and the functional component (10, 14) attached to it is attached to the base material of the seat (8) or the lid (6) by press/injection molding in one step after the procedure. 15 . Method according to claim 14, wherein the fixing of the functional component (10, 14) is effected physically by ultrasonic impact, laser beam impact, high-frequency impact, thermal fusion, adhesive bonding or the like.