JP2002212998A - Urinal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a deodorizing and antifouling urinal preventing the generation of an offensive odor in the urinal for a prolonged term, preventing dirt by a urolith formed on a trap section and a drain pipe and bringing a maintenance-free state for the prolonged term. SOLUTION: A sterilizing-component forming device is installed to a feed water pipe to the urinal without branching, and interlocked with dirt detectors mounted on a urinal trap section and a drain pipe and sterilized water is discharged. Bacteria in the trap section and the drain pipe and organic and inorganic dirt are discharged to a downstream by making flushing water containing a sterilizing component flow in the case excepting the case after the usage of a person, and bacteria remaining without discharge are sterilized and removed by the sterilizing component.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a urinal cleaning mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional urinal, merely flushing water after use by a person gradually causes water scale or slime to adhere to the urinal, and odor is generated. In addition, urine stones adhere to the inside of the pipe to narrow the passage of sewage, or adhere to the surface of the toilet to impair the appearance, and serve as a breeding ground for bacteria and emit odor. In particular, the trap shield constituting the trap section is
It is installed to prevent garbage such as cigarettes and gums from entering the trap portion, but receives urine directly and is usually in the air and dried, so that odorous urine stones are easily formed.
Urinary stones that have once adhered cannot be removed unless they are strongly rubbed with a brush. In addition, it is necessary to ask a specialized contractor to remove uroliths that can be formed in drainage pipes, which is a heavy burden.

As a countermeasure for the above-mentioned problem, a method has been provided in which a solid fragrance is provided at the bottom of the urinal ball surface.
The fragrance component has an effect of masking malodor such as ammonia odor volatilized from the urinal. However, it cannot prevent the generation of urine stone dirt, which is the source of the odor generated in the trap portion, and is not a fundamental solution to cut off the source of the bad odor.

[0004] Further, there has been provided a method of adding a chemical solution component to washing water in urinals of stations and offices. Aroma components are the main components, and odor masking is the main effect. This is a mechanism in which, when the washing water flows, the chemical component is drawn by the water flow and released. In this case, as in the case of the solid fragrance, when the washing water flows a certain number of times, it is necessary to replace the member with a new member, and it is necessary to perform regular maintenance.

A method that does not require maintenance has been proposed. This is a method of periodically discharging hypochlorite ions having bactericidal properties, and oxidizing chloride ions contained in the wash water to generate hypochlorite ions,
It is characterized by maintenance-free operation that can be generated as many times as electric energy is supplied. However, since the generation efficiency of hypochlorite ions is low, the distance between the electrodes must be reduced to a short distance of several mm, and the flow rate must be reduced to 1/10 or more of the normal cleaning flow rate. Therefore, when branching the water channel of the electrode portion as a second water channel and performing electrolysis, a method of passing water through the second water channel at a low flow rate has been adopted. For this reason, the apparatus becomes complicated, and the advantage of flowing sterilizing water at a large flow rate has not been produced.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and prevents urine stones from adhering to the urinal and the generation of offensive odor. It is an object of the present invention to provide a maintenance-free deodorant urinal that suppresses stone adhesion.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a urinal, a water supply pipe to the urinal, an on-off valve installed in the water supply pipe, and a urinal flush water. In a urinal consisting of a germicidal component generating device that imparts a germicidal component and a control device that controls the on-off valve and the germicidal component generating device, an odor sensor is installed in the urinal, and when the on-off valve is opened, the control is performed. The apparatus operates the germicidal component generator based on a signal from an odor sensor installed in the urinal.

[0008] The bad smell generated from the urinal is such that part of urine discharged from a person remains on the urinal surface or trap portion,
It is caused by the volatilization of ammonia as a component and the metabolism of bacteria in the organic material as a component. The bacteria come into contact with the surface of the toilet bowl through which urinal flushing water flows and the wall surface in the trap water, gradually adhere, and grow to form a population. Bacteria release an enzyme called urease, which decomposes urea to ammonia, so that a large amount of ammonia is generated from urea remaining in the urine that has not been excreted. Ammonia renders water alkaline, and the remaining phosphate ions in the urine that are not excreted form sparingly soluble phosphates (such as calcium phosphate), which becomes dirt called urine stone.

The sterilizing water generating apparatus according to the present invention does not branch the sterilizing water generating apparatus into the water supply pipe between the on-off valve and the urinal in order to shut off the odor and urine stone generation process of the urinal. It is characterized by being incorporated directly into As a result, there is no need to separate normal cleaning from cleaning by generating sterilizing water, and it is possible to discharge sterilizing water at a large flow rate.

In the present invention, the odor is directly sensed by the odor sensor, and when the amount of the odor is large, the germicidal component generating device is operated and the germicidal water is discharged. If there is a lot of human use, or if the activity of bacteria in the stagnant water is activated at night and a large amount of foul odors are released from the urinal, sterilizing water is spouted at the optimal timing. It is possible to improve the deodorizing effect appropriately in response to the situation.

1) Sterile water is spouted to sterilize and remove bacteria growing in the urinal flush water. 2) Sterile water is spouted at a large flow rate to completely remove residual urine from the urinal. Discharge 3) Since there is only one water channel in the water supply pipe, the configuration of the equipment can be simplified. 4) Use of an odor sensor minimizes the amount of water used and the amount of power used, and sterilization that produces maximum deodorization efficiency. The effect of water spouting is produced, and the phosphate ions, urea, and ammonia in the residual urine, which are effective in forming urine stones, are discharged outside the urinal, so the inside of the trap is always kept clean. It becomes possible.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the odor sensor detects the ammonia concentration, and when the detected ammonia concentration falls within the range of 1 to 20 ppm, the cleaning water containing the sterilizing component is discharged.

Ammonia is an odor component most frequently detected around the urinal, and its source is roughly classified into a urinal ball surface, a trap section, and a floor. Except for the ammonia generated from urine spilled on the floor, it is effective to flush the washing water to lower the ammonia concentration in the water area that causes the generation.
The most prominent source is the trap portion, from which ammonia is generated by the metabolic action of the aforementioned bacteria. The concentration of generated ammonia is detected by the ammonia sensor attached to the urinal, which is said to be the detection threshold range of human olfaction.
Within ~ 20 ppm, sterile water is spouted to reduce the source ammonia concentration. This causes the ammonia in the water to flow down to the drainpipe downstream, and by the action of the remaining germicidal components,
It has the effect of suppressing the activity of bacteria and delaying the subsequent generation of ammonia.

The present invention provides a urinal, a water supply pipe to the urinal, an on-off valve installed in the water supply pipe, a germicidal component generator for applying a germicidal component to urinal washing water, the on-off valve, and a germicidal component. In a urinal comprising a control device for controlling the component generation device, a dirt detection means for detecting the amount of dirt is installed in the urinal water reservoir, and when the on-off valve is opened, the controller is connected to the water reservoir. The germicidal component generation device is operated based on a signal from the installed dirt detection means.

Most of the odor and urine dirt generated in the urinal are generated in the water reservoir (trap water) in the urinal. This is where we receive urine excreted from the human body once,
It plays a role in blocking the generation of odors and foreign substances from drain pipes. This is where urine components that have not been discharged and remain slightly remain, and are where bacterial growth occurs. By providing a means for detecting the amount of dirt, a dirt situation is directly detected and an odor situation is indirectly sensed. The amount of dirt is roughly classified into the amount of organic substances such as proteins contained in urine and the amount of inorganic substances such as sodium ions and chloride ions contained in urine. By detecting these indices, it becomes possible to judge at what point in time and how much sterilized water should be spouted to make the deodorant and antifouling effects remarkable.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the dirt detecting means measures the electric conductivity of water.

When measuring the amount of inorganic substances among the above-mentioned soiling indicators, a means for measuring the electric conductivity of water is effective and simple. Inorganic ions are added to the sodium ions and chloride ions that have not been replaced after washing, and ammonium ions formed by the decomposition of urea with the growth of bacteria. The degree rises. The degree of increase in electrical conductivity as a dirt indicator,
Or measure the absolute amount. Basically, the electric conductivity can be measured simply by measuring the resistance value between the two electrodes.
Also, there is an advantage that the size can be reduced.

The present invention provides a urinal, a water supply pipe to the urinal, an on-off valve installed in the water supply pipe, a germicidal component generator for applying a germicidal component to urinal flush water, In a urinal comprising a control device for controlling the component generating device, a dirt detecting means for detecting a dirt status of the drain pipe is installed in a drain pipe connected to the urinal, and when the on-off valve is opened, the control device is The germicidal component generation device is operated based on a signal from a dirt detection unit installed in the drain pipe.

The drain connected to the urinal is the place where urinary stones accumulate significantly. In public urinals such as stations that are frequently used, there is a problem that the horizontal drainage pipe is blocked with urine stones in a few months, and washing water does not flow downstream. As a countermeasure, there is a cleaning method for removing urine stones on a regular basis. However, since cleaning is performed by peeling urine stones away by high-pressure cleaning, it is a large and expensive expenditure. The present invention is a measure for delaying daily urinary stone formation by flowing sterilized water. The function of detecting the dirt index in the drain pipe is to directly detect the amount of the constituent component of the urine stone, and when the amount of the constituent component is large, the sterilizing water is supplied to discharge the dirt causing substance in the drain pipe.

Further, the invention is characterized in that the dirt detecting means detects the humidity in the drain pipe.

Urinary stone has a morphology on a stone, as the name indicates. As a component, urine-derived phosphate ions combine with cations such as calcium and magnesium to form lattice crystals, and when the water becomes thin during the formation process, dense hard solids on the solid are formed. Becomes When it becomes hard like a stone, it becomes a catalyst and accelerates urine stone formation, and it takes a lot of trouble to remove it. The present invention has an effect of flowing sterilized water when it is in a dry state by detecting the amount of water in the drain pipe by a humidity parameter. When the use of humans is interrupted, the humidity decreases at night and it tends to dry out,
It is also a time zone when the bacteria are active, and it is possible to discharge and sterilize dirt effectively.

The germicidal component producing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising an electrode disposed opposite to a water channel of a water supply pipe, and having a configuration for energizing the electrode.

Since the electrodes are arranged opposite to each other in the water supply pipe, it is possible to directly add a bactericidal component to the washing water when electricity is supplied. Electrodes are divided into cases where the elements constituting the electrodes are eluted as sterilizing components, and cases where the elements contained in the water passing between the electrodes are activated by oxidation or magnetization. In any case, the decrease in electrode weight due to energization is zero or very slight, so that it can be used for a very long time and maintenance-free for several decades.

[0024] The present invention is characterized in that the electrode of the germicidal component generator is an electrode that elutes metal ions.

Since the electrodes disposed opposite each other with the water supply pipe interposed therebetween are made of metal, the elution of the electrodes does not decrease with the ordinary water discharge. At the time of energization, oxidation and reduction reactions accompanied by exchange of electrons occur at the electrodes, and germicidal metal ions are eluted from one of the electrodes. Since the electrodes themselves shave themselves and release metal ions, the electric energy required for the reaction can be kept low. Electrolysis can be performed at a voltage of about 10 V even at an electrode spacing of about 1 cm in diameter of the water supply pipe, and as a result, it can be directly incorporated into one water supply pipe and electrolyzed at a large flow rate. The amount of metal ions eluted at one time is several tens of ng, so it can be electrolyzed about 10,000 times with about 1 g of electrode, and it can be used for about 10 years when electrolyzed several times a day. Benefits are born. The present invention is characterized in that the germicidal component generation device operates in conjunction with the human body sensor.

The present invention is characterized in that the metal ions are silver ions. Silver has been a typical metal having bactericidal properties. Among the metal ions, they have the strongest bactericidal activity and have a broad antibacterial spectrum, so they have a bactericidal effect on many bacteria. Further, since silver exerts its effect at an extremely small concentration of several ppb, long-term use is possible by opposing electrodes of 1 g, and maintenance-free is realized.

[0027] The present invention is also characterized in that the electrode of the sterilizing component generator is an electrode for generating hypochlorite ion. Oxidation of chlorine ions in the water on the electrode surface to generate hypochlorite ions, the reaction energy is higher than the metal ions, but the bactericidal power is remarkably excellent, so it is possible to instantly kill bacteria in contact. . Since the electrode surface plays a role of catalyzing the reaction, the amount of the electrode does not decrease with electrolysis, and long-term maintenance-free operation is possible.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the electrode of the sterilizing component generator is an electrode for generating acidic water. The urolith is a calcium phosphate generated under alkaline conditions, and is eliminated in the presence of an acid. The periodic flow of acidic water has an effect of decomposing the generated urolith as well as inhibiting the formation of urolith.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the control device opens the on-off valve and discharges washing water by detecting a non-use time zone of a person.

The end user of the urinal is detected by the human body sensor, and when the urinal is not used for a long time, the control device is activated, the on-off valve is activated, and the device is automatically cleaned. Perform water spouting. The time during which the urinal is not used for a long time is when the activity of bacteria in the stagnant water increases. Utilization of urine difference and organic compounds in urine slightly remaining in the retained water causes division and propagation of bacteria. As the metabolism of the bacterium becomes active, it releases urease and degrades urea to further secure nutrients that can be used by the bacterium itself. These activities, which take place in the urinal trap water of several hundred cc, increase the number of bacteria by several orders of magnitude, further raise the pH of the trap water, make urinary stones easily form on the urinal wall, and produce odors such as ammonia. Also release a lot. Therefore, the time zone when the user is not used is a time zone that must not be overlooked for deodorization and antifouling. This time zone is sensed by the sensor and the time detecting means in the control device, and the device automatically discharges a large flow of washing water. Since it is very effective to wash thoroughly here, it is necessary to perform careful cleaning, such as flowing a large flow of cleaning water longer than usual,
The urinal can be used comfortably for a long time. At this time, if any of the odor sensors, the dirt detection means installed in the trap, and the dirt detection means installed in the drain pipe exceed the threshold, the sterilizing component generation device is driven, Sterilization and elimination of bacteria are completely performed.

The human body sensor indirectly reflects that urine enters the urinal in order to detect human use. Conventionally,
The human body sensor senses the end of the use of the person, assists the operation of the control device, and leads to an effective urine discharge action. The present invention is a proposal to add a bactericidal action and a dirt discharging action to a conventional urine discharge mechanism by a germicidal component generation device. In addition to generating sterilized water for each washing by passing through a human body sensor, In the case of frequent use, a wide range of operation modes, such as increasing the frequency of producing and discharging sterilizing water and changing the amount of sterilizing components, are possible, and effective deodorization and antifouling of the urinal can be achieved.

[0032]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In order to further clarify the operation and effect of the present invention described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. A germicidal component generation device 6 and an odor sensor 8 according to the present invention are added to the urinal 1, the water supply pipe 2, the on-off valve 3, the human body sensor 4, and the basic equipment necessary for flushing water from the control device 5. The odor sensor 8 is installed at the upper part of the urinal, and approaches the position of a person's nose as much as possible. Like the human body sensor 4, the odor sensor 8 is also connected to the control device 5, and transmits a signal relating to the odor to the control device 5 equipped with a microcomputer and serving as a brain. The odor sensor 8 is a sensor that detects ammonia generated most around the urinal.

When human use overlaps and urine remaining on the trap portion and the urinal ball surface increases, the concentration of ammonia detected by the odor sensor 8 increases, so that the control device 5 operates to discharge sterilized water. Further, when the use of human beings is interrupted and the activity of the bacterium becomes active, and accordingly the generation of ammonia increases, the control device 5 operates the on-off valve 3 and the sterilizing component generation device 6. The ammonia concentration at which the odor sensor 8 induces sterilizing water spouting is set to a concentration at which a person detects a bad smell and becomes uncomfortable. It is usually referred to as 1 to 20 ppm, and in the present invention, the sensing threshold value is within 1 to 20 ppm.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. When the water supply pipe 2 is connected to the urinal 1 and the on-off valve 3 provided on the water supply pipe 2 is operated from normally closed to open, the flush water is discharged to the urinal by the water pressure applied to the water supply pipe 2. The opening and closing of the on-off valve 3 is controlled by a signal from the control device 5, and the input signal for the control is detection of human use by a human body sensor 4 provided in the urinal 1. The germicidal component generator 6 for mixing germicidal components into the washing water is directly inserted into the water supply pipe 2 between the on-off valve 3 and the urinal 1. The germicidal component generation device 6 includes electrodes 7a and 7b opposed to each other with a distance of about the diameter of a water supply pipe, and a structure supporting the electrodes. The electrodes 7a and 7b are made of a metal, a metal compound obtained by applying a catalyst to the surface of the metal, or the like, using a sterilizing component. In the case of a metal such as silver, a portion that contacts with water and a portion of a terminal that is connected to an electric wiring outside the structure can be used as a continuous integrated electrode. In the case of metal,
The electrode amount for realizing the long-term running free as described above may be about 1 g, and it can be made in a compact size of about 1 cm in length × 1 cm in width × 1 mm in thickness. The two opposite electrodes are alternately applied with plus and minus each time of electrolysis. Plus pole that elutes sterilizing components,
Since the electrodes are divided alternately, the weight of the electrodes is reduced evenly, and there is an advantage that the electrodes can be used efficiently. In addition, there is also an advantage that the calcium compound which tends to precipitate on the electrode surface is peeled off by inverting the polarity to keep the dissolution efficiency of the sterilizing component high.

FIG. 2 shows a structure having an electric conductivity meter 9 in the retained water portion. The electrode part is submerged, and the conductivity of the stagnant water can always be measured. The electrode section has a waterproof structure, and has a simple configuration such as a structure in which a metal electrode is partially exposed in a single rod shape. The electric conductivity meter 9 is connected to the control device 5 and inputs the electric conductivity in the stagnant water to the microcomputer control unit. Based on the input value, the accumulated amount of dirt in the stagnant water is measured, and when the accumulated amount is equal to or more than a certain value, a current is output from the control device 5 to the on-off valve 3 and the sterilizing component generation device 6, and the sterilizing water is discharged.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In the drain pipe 10 connected to the urinal 1, a hygrometer 11 for measuring the humidity in the drain pipe is provided. With a waterproof structure, it has a structure that will not affect the operation of equipment even if it is immersed in water. The hygrometer 11 is connected to the control device 5 by electric wiring through the drain pipe 10 and discharges sterilizing water according to the humidity in the drain pipe.

Next, an embodiment of an operation chart of the apparatus is shown in FIG. . The operation of the device with normal human use is described in the previous section. The germicidal water generating device 6 supports comfortable use of the urinal through effective germicidal water spouting because the deodorization and antifouling are incomplete only by the washing in the normal use.

FIG. 4 shows that the odor sensor 8 detects the ammonia concentration in the urinal, and the detection result drives the sterilizing component generator 6. The urinal control device 5 shown in FIG. 4 has a built-in control in which the time measuring means in the control device 5 detects the non-use time zone of the person, opens the on-off valve 3, and discharges the special washing water. The drawing shows a case where the on-off valve 3 is opened with the use of a person and a case where the on-off valve 3 is opened for the above-mentioned special cleaning. Non-use time Ta
At time, the on-off valve 3 opens. When the on-off valve 3 opens,
The odor sensor 8 measures the ammonia concentration in the urinal atmosphere, and when the detected concentration is 10 ppm or more,
A signal is sent to the control device 5 to activate the germicidal component generator 6. Although the operation threshold was set to 10 ppm,
It may be set anywhere between 0 ppm.

In the above-described embodiment, the elution of silver ions as the germicidal component has been described. However, the germicidal component generating apparatus is an electrode for generating hypochlorite ion or water for shifting the pH of the washing water to the acidic side. May be provided. The basic structure of an electrode that generates hypochlorite ions is a material in which a catalyst for generating hypochlorite ions is supported on a conductive base material, or a conductive material made of a catalyst. For example, iron-based electrodes such as ferrite, palladium-based electrodes, ruthenium-based electrodes, iridium-based electrodes, platinum-based electrodes, ruthenium-suzu-based electrodes, palladium-platinum-based electrodes, iridium-platinum-based electrodes, ruthenium-platinum-based electrodes, iridium-platinum-tantalum-based electrodes Etc. In the case where the catalyst for generating hypochlorite ions is supported on a conductive base material, the base material part for the structure can be made of inexpensive materials such as titanium and stainless steel, which is advantageous in manufacturing cost. An electrode for generating acidic water can also be prepared with the above configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a urinal showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a urinal showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a urinal showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation chart of the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Urinal 2 ... Water supply pipe 3 ... On-off valve 4 ... Human body sensor 5 ... Control device 6 ... Sterilizing component generator 7a, 7b ... Electrode 8 ... Odor sensor 9 ... Electric conductivity meter 10 ... Trap shield 11 ... Trap water 12 ... drainage pipe 13 ... hygrometer

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) C02F 1/50 540 C02F 1/50 540B 550 550D 550L 560 560F 1/76 1/76 A E03D 13/00 E03D 13/00 F-term (reference) 2D039 AA04 DB04 DB08 FC03 4D050 AA16 AB06 BB04 BD04 CA10 4D061 DA08 DB01 DB07 DB10 EA03 EA04 EB30 EB37 EB39 GA06 GA30 GC11

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A urinal, a water supply pipe to the urinal, an on-off valve installed in the water supply pipe, a germicidal component generator for applying a germicidal component to urinal flush water, the on-off valve and the germicidal component generation In a urinal comprising a control device for controlling the device, an odor sensor is installed in the urinal, and when the on-off valve is opened, the control device uses the germicidal component based on a signal from the odor sensor installed in the urinal. Urinal characterized by operating a generating device. 2. The small odor sensor according to claim 1, wherein the odor sensor detects ammonia concentration, and discharges washing water containing a sterilizing component when the detected ammonia concentration falls within 1 to 20 ppm. Toilet bowl. 3. A urinal, a water supply pipe to the urinal, an on-off valve installed in the water supply pipe, a germicidal component generator for applying a germicidal component to urinal flush water, the on-off valve and the germicidal component generation. In a urinal consisting of a control device for controlling the device, a dirt detection means for detecting the dirt amount is installed in the urinal water reservoir,
The urinal, wherein when the on-off valve is opened, the control device activates the germicidal component generation device based on a signal from a dirt detection means provided in the basin. 4. The urinal according to claim 3, wherein the dirt detecting means measures the electric conductivity of water. 5. A urinal, a water supply pipe to the urinal, an on-off valve installed in the water supply pipe, a germicidal component generator for applying a germicidal component to urinal flush water, the on-off valve and the germicidal component generator In a urinal comprising a control device for controlling a device, a dirt detecting means for detecting a dirt condition of the drain pipe is installed in a drain pipe connected to the urinal, and when the on-off valve is opened, the control device is configured to control the drainage. A urinal, wherein the germicidal component generation device is operated based on a signal from a dirt detection means installed in a pipe. 6. The urinal according to claim 5, wherein the dirt detecting means detects humidity in the drain pipe. 7. The urinal according to claim 1, wherein the germicidal component generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprises an electrode disposed opposite to a water channel of a water supply pipe, and is configured to energize the electrode. 8. The urinal according to claim 7, wherein the electrode is an electrode that elutes metal ions. 9. The urinal according to claim 8, wherein the metal ions are silver ions. 10. A urinal according to claim 7, wherein the electrode is an electrode for generating hypochlorite ions. 11. A urinal according to claim 7, wherein the electrode is an electrode for generating acidic water. 12. The urinal according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the controller detects a non-use time period of a person and opens the on-off valve to discharge flush water. Urinal.