JP2002275986A - Washing apparatus for water closet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing apparatus for a water closet capable of controlling the water supply of washing water to the water closet and washing in response to the actual washing conditions. SOLUTION: This washing apparatus comprises a washing water supply means for supplying washing water to the water closet, an observation means for observing the washing state from the start to the end of washing for the water closet, and a control means transmitting signals for designating the supply or stop of washing water to the washing water supply means based on the washing state signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toilet flushing apparatus for controlling the supply of flush water to a toilet according to an actual flushing state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional toilet bowl cleaning methods include (1)
Washing with a certain amount of water, regardless of the actual amount of waste,
(2) The user determines the amount of waste and performs large and small cleaning in which two cleaning patterns are switched. (3) JP-A-60-1
As disclosed in JP-A-12942, a toilet body and a light-receiving and light-receiving mechanism are provided in a toilet body to automatically discriminate dirt and perform washing.
(4) As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-220902, an image pickup means is provided in the toilet room, and the presence or absence of dirt in the toilet after a predetermined washing operation is performed is automatically determined.
In the case where dirt remains, there is a method in which cleaning water is further supplied to perform cleaning.

[0003]

However, when washing is performed with a fixed amount of water irrespective of the actual amount of dirt in the above (1), saving of washing water cannot be achieved. Also, (2)
If the user does not know the cleaning performance of the toilet bowl or performs an erroneous operation due to a mistake in the method of performing large and small cleaning by judging the amount of waste, clogging inside the toilet bowl occurs There is a risk. Also, (3) JP-A-60
In the technology of JP-A-112942, since the sensor uses light, it is necessary to provide a window through which the light passes. If the window becomes dirty, the observation accuracy may be rapidly deteriorated. Limited to locations where there is no obstruction. It also depends on the solar radiation conditions in the toilet room. Furthermore, (4) In the technique of JP-A-6-220902, it is automatically determined whether or not dirt remains in the toilet after performing a predetermined cleaning operation. Since water is supplied and washed, water saving cannot be achieved. In addition, the cost of a camera and a comparator used for cleaning image recognition and associated software are large, and the problem of power consumption and the difficulty of countermeasures against the above-mentioned toilet room insolation conditions and mischief have become apparent. Furthermore, in addition to the difference between stool and urine, the size of the stool actually discharged by humans and the amount of paper used vary greatly between individuals and physical conditions. However, problems such as water saving, noise reduction, and prevention of clogging are not solved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and can reduce the amount of washing water, reduce the washing noise, and prevent the clogging of the toilet bowl, so that the user does not need to judge the washing operation. The purpose is to provide.

[0005]

A toilet flushing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a flush water supply means for supplying flush water to a toilet, and a flush state between the start and end of flushing of the toilet. And observation means for transmitting a cleaning state signal while observing the cleaning state signal, and control means for transmitting a signal for instructing supply or stop of the cleaning water to the cleaning water supply means based on the cleaning state signal. Features. While controlling the supply of flush water to the toilet while judging the cleaning situation when the waste is actually thrown in and washed, the washing will be done in accordance with the waste that has been thrown in as a result, and the conventional fixed pattern Compared to the flushed toilet bowl, the basic operation of opening the toilet bowl, discharging waste, and returning the sealed water is performed without waste, saving water, reducing noise, that is, preventing, and ensuring the water seal reliably. become.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the observation means observes the washing state without contacting the washing water. By doing so, there is no deterioration in observation performance due to dirt as compared with the case of contact with cleaning water, so that extremely stable performance can be secured.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the observation means includes a radio wave transmitting means for transmitting a radio wave for observing a cleaning state, and a radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave transmitted by the radio wave transmitting means. The cleaning state signal is a signal based on a difference signal corresponding to a difference between a radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit and a radio wave transmitted by the radio wave transmitting unit. Due to the difference in attenuation distance due to the medium through which the radio waves propagate, the radio wave transmitting means and the radio wave receiving means are arranged toward a toilet drain or a toilet bowl through which water flows in a non-contact state with the wash water, and the radio wave transmission is performed. By obtaining the difference signal between the radio wave of the means and the radio wave receiving means by the observing means, the washing state such as the filling rate of water or filth in the drain of the toilet and the filling rate of the sealed water in the toilet bowl. A signal can be reliably transmitted from the observation means to the control means. In addition, by using radio waves, there is no sharp drop in observation accuracy due to dirt generated due to contact with cleaning water, which was a problem of observation with light conventionally,
It also has the effect of not being affected by the flow of the medium, which has been an issue of observation by ultrasonic waves. As an example of the attenuation distance, when the radio wave to be transmitted is a microwave, the 50% attenuation distance varies greatly depending on the medium, and is about 1 mm for water or dirt dissolved in water, about 90 mm for pottery, and 1000 mm or more for air. .

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the difference signal is a signal frequency. 50 above
Considering the% attenuation distance, if there is a boundary surface between air and water, that is, a free surface, in the space area near the observation means, the radio wave reflected on the boundary surface between water and air and between the air and the wall surface enters the reception means. I do. If the washing is started and the washing water is flowing with the free surface, the frequency of the transmitted radio wave and the received radio wave are different due to the Doppler effect, and when the free surface is stopped, the frequency is Will be the same. Utilizing this property, whether the free surface is stopped or moving can be grasped as the cleaning state signal.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the difference signal may be a signal amplitude. Considering the 50% attenuation distance, the amplitude of the radio wave incident on the receiving unit differs between the case where air is present in the space area near the observation unit and the case where water or dirt is dissolved in water. By utilizing this property, the difference between whether there is air near the observation means or whether there is water and dirt dissolved in the water can be grasped as the washing state signal.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
The difference signal may be a signal frequency and amplitude. By combining the frequency and the amplitude, the movement of the free surface and the distinction between the air and the water or the dirt dissolved in the water can be performed by one sensor, or the noise can be removed by devising the processing. Is also possible.

[0011] In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the receiving means and the transmitting means are provided in each of the plurality of receiving means and the transmitting means, so that the movement of the free surface and the dissolution of the air and the water or water. Separation from filth can be performed at multiple places at the same time, and finer control is possible.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an explanatory view in which a toilet flushing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a siphon type toilet. The toilet flushing device 1 includes a flush water supply unit 5 and a flush detection unit 2. The cleaning water supply means 5 includes a water supply pipe 6 connected to the main pressure of the water supply, a constant flow valve (not shown), and a toilet bowl cleaning water 7.
And a valve mechanism (not shown) for supplying and stopping the jetting water 8.

The washing detecting unit 2 comprises an observation means 3 using radio waves and a control means 4, and the observation means 3 is disposed outside the trap top 9 a of the trap drainage channel 9 of the siphon type toilet 10. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the cleaning detection unit 2. The observation means 3 includes a transmitting device 13 having a transmitting antenna 11 and a transmitting circuit 12, a receiving antenna 14 for receiving a transmitted radio wave, a receiving circuit 15 for receiving a received signal, and the frequency of the received signal and the transmitted signal. Difference detection circuit 1 for obtaining a difference from the frequency of the detected signal
And a receiving device 17 provided with the receiving device 6. The control means 4 comprises a washing state detecting means 18 constituted by a timer means and the like, and a microcomputer 19. The washing state detecting means 18 sends the difference signal as the washing state signal to the washing water supply means 5 to the washing water supply means 5. A signal instructing supply or stop of the cleaning water is generated, and a signal instructing supply or stop of the cleaning water is transmitted to the cleaning water supply means 5 through the microcomputer 19.

In the cleaning method using the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus of the present embodiment, the toilet bowl cleaning water 7 is flown for 3 seconds under the control of the microcomputer, the toilet bowl cleaning water 7 is stopped, and the jet water 8 is flown to generate a siphon. After the end, stop the jet water 8
After flushing the toilet bowl washing water 7 and returning the sealing water 21, the toilet bowl washing water 7 is stopped. The end time of the jet water discharge 8 and the start time and the end time of the toilet bowl washing water 7 for returning the sealed water 21 are determined by feedback control based on a signal from the washing detection unit 2.

The cleaning detecting unit 2 includes a cleaning water supply unit 5.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the signal to start washing is received from
First, an instruction signal from the microcomputer 19 for controlling the entire device to the transmission circuit 12 is transferred through the signal line 20, and the transmission circuit 12 functions in response to the signal to observe the cleaning state via the transmission antenna 11. Is transmitted. The difference detection circuit 16 in FIG. 2 may be a difference between signal amplitudes, a difference between signal frequencies, or a combination of the difference between the amplitude and the difference between the frequencies.

FIGS. 3 to 9 show how the actual cleaning state is observed. FIG. 3 shows a state in which toilet bowl washing is performed by the toilet bowl washing water spout 7, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the toilet bowl washing water 7 is stopped and the jet water spouting 8 is started, and FIG. FIG. 6 shows a state immediately after the siphon phenomenon has ended while discharging the jet water 8, FIG. 7 shows a state where the jet water 8 has been discharged, FIG. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the cleaning is completed.

FIG. 10 shows a difference detection circuit 1 based on a combination of the amplitude difference and the frequency difference during cleaning.
6 the washing detection unit 2 recognized by the microcomputer 19
The output voltage is shown as a signal. 3, A is the output voltage in the state of FIG. 3, B is the output voltage in the state of FIG. 4, C is the output voltage in the state of FIG. 5, D is the output voltage in the state of FIG. 6, and E is the output voltage in the state of FIG. The output voltage, F is the output voltage in the state of FIG. 8, and G is FIG.
The output voltage in the state of FIG. The time axis zero in FIG. 10 is the time when the transmission of the signal for detecting the cleaning state via the transmission antenna 11 is started.

In the state shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the medium of the radio wave is air 2
4, the transmitted radio wave is reflected or attenuated by hitting filth or water, and is received by the receiving circuit 1 via the receiving antenna 8.
5 is taken in. At this time, as for the radio wave reflected from the moving object, a frequency changed compared to the radio wave transmitted by the Doppler effect is received, and the difference frequency and amplitude are recognized by the difference detection circuit 16 and recognized by the microcomputer 19. As described above, a waveform of the output voltage with fluctuation is obtained.

In the state shown in FIG. 5, a siphon is generated and the inside of the drainage channel is filled with water or dirt dissolved in water. Therefore, the above-mentioned Doppler effect does not occur, and no difference in frequency is detected.
The signal is recognized by the microcomputer 19 in an attenuated state.
The output voltage value is constant as shown by C in FIG. In the state of FIG. 6, the air 24 flows in a lump. Therefore, when the air 24 passes near the observation means 3, the medium of the radio wave becomes the air 24 instead of the water or the dirt dissolved in the water, and the same fluctuation as in the state of FIG. 3 due to the Doppler effect as shown in FIG. Is obtained with the output voltage value.

The microcomputer 19 terminates the jet water discharge 8 immediately after recognizing the waveform of the output voltage (E in FIG. 10) in the state of FIG. 7 or a few seconds later, and reaches the state of FIG. Then, the water discharge of the toilet bowl washing water 7 is started to return the sealed water 21. From the state shown in FIG. 4 to the state shown in FIG. 5, the medium of the radio wave is air, and the sealing water 21 keeps rising vertically upward. Is recognized by the microcomputer 19.

When the state shown in FIG. 9 is reached, the sealing water 21 keeps a constant height, so that the microcomputer recognizes the state in which neither the Doppler effect nor the attenuation occurs, and neither the frequency difference nor the amplitude difference is detected. As a result, the output voltage becomes constant as indicated by G in FIG. Immediately after or a few seconds after recognizing the waveform of the output voltage in the state of FIG. 5 having a constant value, the microcomputer 19 stops the toilet bowl flushing water spout 7 as shown in FIG. 9 and ends the radio wave transmission.

According to the present embodiment, the occurrence and end times of the siphon of the toilet and the time at which the sealed water 21 is returned can be accurately sensed. Water saving in the meaning is possible. Further, since the jet water discharge 8 is not stopped until the siphon ends, clogging caused by fixing the amount of cleaning water can be reduced.

In addition, since the conventional flush water discharge time is fixed, even if the sealing water 21 becomes empty, the jet water 8 continues for a while and the water jet 8 directly collides with the wall surface of the water passage to generate water. This feedback control can also reduce the duration of high-frequency sounds.

In addition, the amount of water for returning the sealed water 21 to the original state also differs depending on the drainage pipe conditions, so that the amount of water for returning the sealed water 21 to the original state at the actual site is small or large. Although the water has been excessively discharged to the outside of the toilet, it is possible to set the amount of water according to the amount of the remaining water 22 at the end of the siphon by this feedback control. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent fatal water breakage in the water seal trap,
Further, the amount of waste return water can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram in which a toilet flushing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a siphon toilet.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a cleaning state detection unit.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which toilet bowl washing is performed with toilet bowl washing water 7;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which toilet flush water 7 is stopped and jet water discharge 8 is started.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which waste is being discharged while discharging the jet water 8;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state immediately after the siphon phenomenon has ended while discharging the jet water 8;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which jet water discharge 8 is completed.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which water sealing is completed by toilet bowl washing water 7;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which cleaning has been completed.

FIG. 10 is a graph in which the time response output from the observation means 3 recognized by the microcomputer 19 during the cleaning shown in FIGS. 3 to 9 is amplified.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Toilet washing apparatus 2 ... Washing detection unit 3 ... Observation means 4 ... Control means 5 ... Washing water supply means 6 ... Water supply pipe 7 ... Toilet bowl washing water 8 ... Jet discharge water 9 ... Trap drainage channel 9a ... Trap top 10 10 ... Siphon Type toilet 11 ... Transmission antenna 12 ... Transmission circuit 13 ... Transmission device 14 ... Reception antenna 15 ... Reception circuit 16 ... Difference detection circuit 17 ... Reception device 18 ... Washing state detection means 19 ... Microcomputer 20 ... Signal line 21 ... Water sealing 22 ... residual water 23 ... waste 24 ... air

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takenori Fukushima 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka F-term (reference) 2D039 AA02 DA04 DB00 EA00

Claims (7)

[Claims] A cleaning water supply unit configured to supply cleaning water to a toilet, an observation unit configured to monitor a cleaning state of the toilet from a cleaning start to a cleaning end and transmit a cleaning state signal; And a control means for transmitting a signal for instructing the supply or stop of the wash water to the wash water supply means based on the state signal. 2. The toilet flushing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the observing means observes a flushing state without contacting the flushing water. 3. The observing means includes a radio wave transmitting means for transmitting a radio wave for observing a cleaning state, and a radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave transmitted by the radio wave transmitting means. The toilet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a difference between a radio wave received by the radio wave reception unit and a radio wave transmitted by the radio wave transmission unit is obtained, and the signal is based on a difference signal corresponding to the difference. Cleaning equipment. 4. The toilet bowl cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the difference signal is a frequency of the signal. 5. The toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the difference signal is an amplitude of the signal. 6. The toilet flushing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the difference signal is a frequency and an amplitude of the signal. 7. The toilet bowl washing apparatus according to claim 3, comprising a plurality of said receiving means and a plurality of said transmitting means.