JP2000129753A - Seated condition detection device for toilet seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent such a malfunction that ON-output is left as it is in seated condition detection device. SOLUTION: Numerical data outputted from a seated condition sensor 3 is compared with a reference value by a comparator circuit 4, and if a user exists or not is detected in this seated condition detection device 1 for a toilet seat. In this case, the numerical data of a seated condition sensor 3 is initialized when a signal to operate any function 5 of a toilet seat device is not inputted within a specified time after a seated condition detection signal is outputted, and the reference value for the numerical data is renewed. Continuous ON-output of the seated condition detection signal to be left as it is thus eliminated, and malfunction of a warm water washing device or the like caused by unexpected action of the user can be surely prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toilet seat occupant detection device for judging whether a user is sitting on a toilet seat by comparing numerical data detected by a seat sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, after using a toilet, a local part of a human body is washed with hot water, a local part after washing with hot water is dried with warm air, or a toilet seat itself is heated to heat a bare buttock of a user. Shower toilets with various functions have become widespread. In such a shower toilet, a child or an unskilled operator may unconsciously touch a switch for starting hot water washing in a state where the user is not seated on the toilet seat, not in an actual toilet use state. Also, a toilet cleaner may accidentally touch the switch. For this reason, there has been a problem that the warm water cleaning device unexpectedly functions and wets the clothes of the operator or the ceiling or floor.

For this reason, conventionally, a seating sensor for detecting whether or not a user is seated on a toilet seat is incorporated in a toilet seat device, and as long as a seating signal is not obtained, a safety device in which a hot water washing device does not function is provided. To prevent accidental discharge of hot spring washing water. Thus, as the seating sensor, a capacitance-type sensor that compares the numerical data of the capacitance of the toilet seat device including the toilet seat, an infrared sensor that compares the amount of light received by the infrared sensor as the numerical data, In addition, there is a mechanical type such as a pressure-sensitive type which performs sensing by comparing numerical data.

[0004]

However, in the case of a seating sensor for comparing the above numerical data, the reference value of the capacitance detected by the capacitance type seating sensor varies depending on weather conditions such as temperature and humidity. Also, the reference value of the amount of infrared light received by the infrared-type seating sensor may change due to the sunlight entering the toilet room. In other words, the reference value of the seating sensor for comparing the numerical data changes regardless of whether the user is seated on the toilet seat, and the seating sensor outputs the seating detection signal regardless of whether the user is seated on the toilet seat. Erroneous operation in which the output is continued.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been improved and eliminated in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an operation signal of a toilet seat device is input during a predetermined time after a seating signal is output. If not, it is determined that the seating sensor is malfunctioning, and a seating detection device that initializes the reference value of the seating sensor is provided.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toilet seat detecting apparatus for detecting presence or absence of a user by comparing numerical data output from a seat sensor. When a signal for operating any function of the toilet seat device is not input within a predetermined time after the seating signal is output, a circuit for initializing the numerical data of the seating sensor and updating a reference value of the numerical data. This is a toilet seat occupancy detecting device characterized by incorporating a toilet seat. When the user is actually sitting on the toilet seat, the user usually operates an operation switch or the like of the hot water washing device during a predetermined time after sitting on the toilet seat. Therefore, when a signal for operating any function of the toilet seat device is not input within a predetermined time after the output of the seating signal, this is determined to be a malfunction. Then, the numerical data of the seating sensor is initialized. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent a malfunction of the hot water cleaning device or the like due to an unexpected behavior of the user.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the toilet seat detecting apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the seating sensor is of a capacitance type. The capacitance-type seating sensor is a general-purpose product, and it is possible to easily realize the device of the present invention by purchasing a commercially available product.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a power supply of a circuit in which a seating sensor is incorporated is turned off.
The toilet seat occupancy detecting device according to claim 2, wherein the numerical data is initialized and a reference value of the numerical data is updated. When a capacitance type seating sensor is used, numerical data can be initialized by turning off the power supply, and there is no need to configure a dedicated circuit or the like for initialization.
Extremely convenient.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram showing a toilet seat occupant detection device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This device 1 is a sensing device that can operate each function of a toilet seat device such as a hot water washing device or a hot air drying device attached to a toilet seat or a toilet only when a user is seated. This is a safety device that realizes this, and can also be independently and separately incorporated into the toilet seat device as a seating sensor unit, and is also integrally incorporated as a part of the circuit in the microcomputer 2 which is a main control circuit base of the toilet seat device. It is also possible.

As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1, the seating detecting device 1 includes a numerical data comparison circuit 4 for comparing a signal output from the seating sensor 3 with a reference value, and a seating sensor 3.
It is determined from the duration of the output signal from and the operation signal of each device 5 output from the microcomputer 2 of the toilet seat device whether or not it is the actual use of the toilet seat. That is, it has an initialization circuit 6 for initializing the reference value of the seating sensor 3 when it is determined that a malfunction has occurred. The initialization circuit 6 outputs a signal (eg, an anal cleaning switch, a bidet cleaning switch, a warm air) for operating the device 5 from the microcomputer 2 of the toilet seat device during a predetermined time after the seating signal from the seating sensor 3 is output. If no operation signal such as a drying switch, a stop switch, or a toilet cleaning switch is input, it is determined that the seating sensor 3 is malfunctioning, the numerical data is initialized, and the reference value of the numerical data is updated. Things.

This is because, when the user is actually sitting on the toilet seat and using the toilet, the hot water washing switch or the like is switched within a predetermined time, for example, 30 minutes after the seating signal is output by the seating sensor 3. Normally, each device 5 is operated,
If no signal for operating each device 5 is output within this predetermined time, it is because the capacitance-type or infrared-type seating sensor malfunctioned due to temperature, humidity, incident sunlight, or the like. is there. Therefore, in that case, the comparison circuit 4
Is reinitialized and updated. Thereby, the normal operation of the seating detection device 1 is ensured.

Next, an operation mode of the toilet seat occupant detecting apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to time charts shown in FIGS. (A) is a time chart at the time of normal operation, and (B) is a time chart at the time of malfunction. First, the normal operation will be described. In the normal operation, when the user sits on the toilet seat from a state where the seating detection signal is not output, the seating sensor 3 detects the capacitance and the like, and the seating detection signal is output. Is output. When the user operates each device 5 such as the hot water washing device while the seating detection signal is being output, the operation signal is output. The initialization circuit 6 counts the time from the fall of the signal for operating each device 5.

For example, 30 minutes from the falling of the operation signal
If a signal for operating each device 5 is output again within a predetermined time such as minutes, it is determined that the toilet seat device is normally used, and the initialization circuit 6 resets the count of the time. Thereafter, the count is reset each time each operation signal is output, and the time is counted again from the time when each operation signal falls. Also, when the seating detection signal is no longer output from the seating sensor 3 within a predetermined time such as 30 minutes from the fall of the last operation signal of each device 5 while the seating detection signal is being output. Determines that the user has finished using the toilet normally and has left, and resets the count in the initialization circuit 6. At the same time, the counting is stopped. This is because all operations have been completed normally.

Next, a case of a malfunction will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, when a signal for operating each device 5 is output while the seating detection signal is output from the seating sensor 3, it is determined that the toilet seat device 1 is used normally. . Therefore, if a signal for operating each device 5 is not output within a predetermined time such as 30 minutes after the fall of the operation signal, the user may stop using the toilet seat device and leave. Regardless, it is determined that the seat detection signal is still being output, and it is determined that a malfunction has occurred, and the power of the seat detection device 1 is turned off (OFF).
I have to. When the capacitive sensor is used as the seat sensor 3, the reference value in the initialization circuit 6 is automatically reset and automatically updated when the power of the seat detection device 1 is forcibly turned off. This is the capacitance type,
This is because the sensing is performed by comparing the numerical data based on the reference value, so that it is necessary to correct the influence of the environmental change. After the reference value of the initialization circuit 6 is automatically updated in this manner, the normal operation shown in FIG.

Next, a case where the power supply circuit of the entire toilet seat device is set to a power saving mode (sleep mode) in order to save the power consumption of the entire toilet seat device at night or the like will be described with reference to FIG. When the power supply circuit is switched from the normal use state to the sleep mode, the power supply of the seating detection device 1 is turned off at the time of the switching, and the reference value of the initialization circuit 6 is automatically updated. This is from the time of switching to sleep mode,
Until the power circuit is switched to the normal state the next morning,
This is because there is no plan to use the toilet seat,
Is updated to wait in the latest state.

When a seating detection signal is output from such a standby state, the initialization circuit 6 counts time from the rise of the signal. Then, when the seating detection signal is continuously output for a predetermined time such as 30 minutes or more, for example, it is determined that the seating detection device 1 is malfunctioning, and the power is turned off (OFF). Then, all the sensing devices may be cleared and reset. In the standby state in the sleep mode, when the seating detection signal is detected and the operation signal of each device 5 is output within a predetermined time, the processing of the seating detection signal is performed in the same manner as in the normal mode described above. Has been made to do.

Incidentally, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed. For example, as the seating sensor 3, a sensor that performs sensing by comparing numerical data with a mechanical type such as a pressure-sensitive type, in addition to an electrostatic capacitance type and an infrared type, can be applied. In addition, the re-initialization of the reference value of the seating detection device 1 may be started from the rising edge of the seating detection signal, even in a normal use state, as in the sleep mode. The setting of the time is also optional. As a method of updating the reference value, besides turning off the power of the seating detection device 1, a method of providing a dedicated reset circuit, operating by software, or the like is possible.

[0018]

As described above, in the present invention,
In a toilet seat detection device for detecting the presence or absence of a user by comparing numerical data output from a seat sensor, a signal for operating any function of the toilet seat device is input for a predetermined time after a seat signal is output. If not, the numerical data of the seating sensor is initialized and the reference value of the numerical data is updated, so that the seating detection signal is not left in a malfunctioning state, and the user is not left. It is possible to reliably prevent a malfunction of the hot water cleaning device or the like due to an unexpected behavior.

In the present invention, the numerical data is initialized and the reference value of the numerical data is updated by turning off the power of the circuit in which the seating sensor is incorporated. There is no need to provide a dedicated circuit or the like, which is extremely convenient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of an entire apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention at a normal time.

FIG. 3 is a time chart at the time of power saving of the device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toilet seat detection device 2 ... Toilet seat device microcomputer 3 ... Seating sensor 4 ... Comparison circuit 5 ... Initialization circuit 5 ... Each device

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Masafumi Arakawa 5-1-1 Koiehonmachi, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Ken Nori 5-1-1 Koiehonmachi, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation ( 72) Inventor Katsunori Tomita 5-1-1 Koiehoncho, Tokoname-shi, Aichi F-term in Inax Corporation (reference) 2D037 AD16 2D038 KA03 2D039 FA00

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A toilet seat detecting device for detecting the presence or absence of a user by comparing numerical data output from a seat sensor, for operating a certain function of the toilet seat device within a predetermined time after a seat signal is output. A signal for initializing the numerical data of the seating sensor and updating a reference value of the numerical data when a signal is not input. 2. The seat occupant detection device according to claim 1, wherein the seat sensor is of a capacitance type. 3. The toilet seat occupant detecting device according to claim 2, wherein the power supply of the circuit in which the seating sensor is incorporated is turned off to initialize the numerical data and update the reference value of the numerical data.