JP2001323531A - Hand-washing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hand-washing apparatus which allows the user to use a hand-washing basin thereof without lighting up a main light fixture of a toilet room during the night and the like. SOLUTION: A light-emitting portion 9 is arranged at a hand-washing spout portion 6 of the hand-washing basin 5. When a flush lever 8 is operated to discharge water stored in a low tank 12 into a toilet bowl, a light source 25 is lighted up, and light is emitted via optical fibers 20, 24 from the light-emitting portion 9. As a result, even when the light fixture in tide toilet room is not lighted up, the location of the hand-washing basin 5 and spouting form a spout port 7 can be visually confirmed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand-washing device installed in a toilet room, and more particularly to a hand-washing device with improved usability at night or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When the light in the toilet room is too bright when entering the toilet room for use at night or the like, nerves may be stimulated, resulting in poor sleepiness. This inconvenience is eliminated by illuminating only a very necessary part of the toilet room.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-284232 discloses that a warm water washing device is provided with an illuminating device for illuminating the floor of a toilet room and the inside of a toilet bowl.

[0004]

The problem to be solved by the invention is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-284.
According to the No. 232 toilet room, the toilet can be used without any trouble without turning on the original light of the toilet room, but there is some inconvenience in using a toilet bowl, and hand washing water is easily scattered. .

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand-washing device in which a hand-washing bowl can be easily used without turning on the original lighting of the toilet room at night or the like.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand-washing device having a hand-washing bowl installed in a toilet room and a spout for discharging water toward the hand-washing bowl. A luminous body is provided at or around the water spout. In one aspect of this hand washing device, the lighting is turned on for a predetermined time after the water level in the low tank falls below a predetermined water level (claim 2). Also,
In another aspect, the lighting is turned on until the water level in the low tank recovers to the specified water level (claim 3).

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand-washing device having a hand-washing basin installed above a low tank and a spout for discharging water toward the hand-washing tub.
Illumination provided on or around the spouter, and means for detecting a flush operation for discharging the water in the low tank to the toilet,
Means for lighting the illumination based on a detection signal from the detection means.

Such a hand-washing device can visually check the hand-washing bowl and the water spout by turning on a light provided in the vicinity of the hand-washing bowl, the water spout, the hand-washing bowl or the water spouting device. It is easy to use a hand-washing bowl without turning on the lighting.

In the present invention, the lighting is turned on only when the toilet bowl is actually used. However, when the toilet is used while sitting on the toilet seat, the illumination light is emitted from behind.
Some users may feel discomfort or anxiety about moving shadows, and this is to prevent such discomfort and anxiety.

When the power source of the lighting is a dry cell or a solar cell, it is desired to shorten the lighting time as much as possible. However, the present invention is suitable to be applied to such a case.

The hand-washing device of the present invention may be mounted on a wall or installed on a counter, but is suitable when the hand-washing bowl is installed on a low tank or a low tank cover. This is because the low tank and low tank cover are located at the rear of the toilet and are slightly away from the toilet user, so it is necessary to extend the hands and use them. This is because they tend to do so.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Western-style toilet provided with a hand-washing device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a hand-washing bowl.

A low tank cover 2 is installed on the rear upper surface of the Western-style toilet 1, and a toilet seat 3 is provided in front of the low tank cover 2.
And the toilet lid 4 are attached so as to be vertically rotatable.
A hand basin 5 is provided above the low tank cover 2. The hand-washing spout 6 extends upward from the center of the rear edge of the hand-washing bowl 5.
A water outlet 7 is provided on the lower surface on the tip side of the hand-washing water discharging section 6. On the side of the low tank cover 2,
A lever handle 8 for flash operation is provided.

A light emitting section 9 as illumination is provided near the water outlet 7 of the hand washing and discharging section 6.

A low tank 12 is provided below the drain port 5a of the lavatory bowl 5. A ball tap 30 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) is provided to fill the low tank 12 with water up to a specified water level. One of this ball tap
The next side is connected to a water stopcock 16 via a flexible hose 15.

A tube 14 for supplying water to the water discharge port 7 is connected to the secondary side of the ball tap 30. The tip of the tube 14 is locked to the rear upper edge of the raw tank 12 by a mounting portion 14 a so as to rise upward from the rear of the raw tank 12.

The distal end of a water supply connection pipe 13 is connected to the water discharge port 7 of the hand washing water discharge section 6. The rear end of the water supply connection pipe 13 is detachably fitted to the upper end of the tube 14 from above.

The tip of an optical fiber 20 is connected to the light emitting section 9. The optical fiber 20 is routed inside the hand basin 5 and connected to the light guide coupler 21. The light guide coupler 21 is supplied with light from a light source 25 having an LED or the like via a light guide coupler 23 and an optical fiber 24.
Circuit board 26 mounted with light source 25 and optical fiber 24
Is disposed in the low tank cover 2 and the coupler 23
Is provided above the low tank cover 2.

The electrical equipment in the low tank cover 2 has an outlet 29, a plug 28, and a cord 27.
Power is supplied from a commercial power supply via the.

The lever handle 8 is connected to the low tank 12
It is connected via a chain or the like to a float type flush valve at the bottom of the inside, and when this lever bundle 8 is turned, water in the low tank 12 is discharged into the Western style toilet 1.

The ball tap 30 has a rotating arm 31 provided with a floating ball 32 at its tip.
When the water level in the inside falls, the rotary arm 31 moves down together with the float 32, the ball tap 30 opens, and water is injected into the low tank 12. When the water level in the low tank 12 rises to the full level due to the water injection, the floating ball 32 and the rotating arm 31 rise, and the ball tap 30 closes.

A magnet 33 is attached to the rotating arm 31. The ball tap 30 is provided with a magneto-sensitive switch 34 so that the magnet 33 approaches and separates from each other.

When the water level in the low tank 12 is at the full water level, the switch 34 is OFF. When the water level falls below the full water level, the magnet 33 separates from the switch 34 and the switch 34 is turned ON. The light source 25 is turned on and off by turning the switch 34 on and off.
FF is performed.

In the thus constructed Western-style toilet 1 with a toilet bowl 5, when the toilet-handle lever 8 is operated, water is flushed from the low tank 12 into the toilet bowl of the Western-style toilet 1, and the ball tap 30 is moved. After opening, water injection into the low tank 12 and water discharge from the water discharge port 7 start.

When the water level in the low tank 12 is lowered, the switch 34 is turned on, the light source 25 is turned on, and light is emitted from the light emitting section 9.

As described above, since the light is emitted from the light emitting section 9, even when the interior of the toilet room is dark, the position of the hand basin 5 and the water discharged from the water discharge port 7 can be visually checked to wash the hands. Therefore, the hands can be easily washed without turning on the indoor lighting in the toilet room.

When the water level in the low tank 12 rises to the full water level, the switch 34 is turned off and the light source 25 is turned off.
It becomes F.

In this embodiment, while the water level in the low tank 12 is lower than the full water level, the light source 25 is turned on and the light is emitted from the light emitting section 9. Light source 25 is ON for only 20 seconds
A timer for controlling the light source driving circuit may be provided on the circuit board 26 such that

Although not shown, a sensor is provided for detecting that the flash lever handle 8 has been turned. When this sensor detects the flash operation of the lever handle 8, the light source 25 is turned on for a predetermined time. You may make it.

Instead of the flash lever handle,
When a flash switch is provided, the light source 2 for a predetermined time after the flash switch is turned on.
5 may be turned on.

In the above embodiment, the power source of the light source is a commercial power source, but a dry battery, a rechargeable battery, a solar battery, a hydroelectric generator, or the like may be used as the power source.

In the present invention, it is preferable to provide an illuminance sensor so that light is emitted from the light emitting section only when the illuminance in the toilet room is lower than a predetermined level.

Each of the above embodiments is an example of the present invention, and the present invention may have other configurations. For example, the number and arrangement of the light emitting units may be other than those shown, and the light emitting units may be provided in the toilet bowl 5. Further, a switch other than the magneto-sensitive switch 34 may be used. Further, an LED or the like may be directly provided on the hand washing / water spouting section 6 or the hand washing bowl 5 without using an optical fiber.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when the toilet room is dark, it is easy to use a hand-washing bowl, and it is possible to prevent water from splashing during hand-washing and thereby to prevent clothes from getting wet.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Western-style toilet provided with a hand-washing device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a hand-washing bowl portion of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Western-style toilet 2 Low tank cover 5 Hand wash basin 6 Hand wash spout 8 Lever handle 9 Light emitting part 12 Low tank 20, 24 Optical fiber 21, 23 Light guide coupler 25 Light source 30 Ball tap 31 Rotating arm 32 Floating ball 33 Magnet 34 Magnetic-sensitive switch

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshiaki Takaba 5-1-1 Koie Honcho, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Toshio Hino 5-1-1 Koie-Honcho, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Katsunori Tomita 5-1-1 Koie Honcho, Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Akiya Ohira 5-1-1 Koie Honcho, Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Invention Person Takashi Minami 5-1-1 Koiehonmachi, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Takeshi Shihoda 5-1-1 Koiehonmachi, Tokoname-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inax Corporation (72) Inventor Tsutomu Awata Tokuname Aichi Prefecture 5-1-1 Koiehonmachi, Ichiichi Inax Inc. (72) Inventor Hideya Koike Tokoname, Aichi Emoto-cho 5-chome address 1 stock company in Inakkusu (72) inventor Ebiya AtsushiJiro Aichi Prefecture Tokoname Koiehon-cho 5-chome address 1 stock company Inakkusu in the F-term (reference) 2D039 CD03 FC01

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A hand-washing device having a hand-washing bowl installed above a low-tank and a water spouting device for spouting water toward the hand-washing-basin, lighting provided in the hand-washing bowl, the water spouting device or its surroundings, Means for turning on the illumination when the water level falls below a predetermined water level. 2. The hand-washing device according to claim 1, wherein the means turns on the lighting for a predetermined time after the water level in the low tank falls below a predetermined water level. 3. The hand-washing device according to claim 1, wherein the means turns on the illumination until the water level in the low tank recovers to a specified water level. 4. A hand-washing device having a hand-washing bowl installed above a low tank and a water spouting device for spouting water toward the hand-washing bowl, comprising: a light provided in the hand-washing bowl, the water spouter or the periphery thereof; A hand-washing device, comprising: means for detecting a flash operation for discharging water to a toilet; and means for lighting the illumination based on a detection signal from the detecting means.