JP2007044480A - Heated toilet seat and toilet device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide toilet heating that is energy saving and that can be comfortably used. <P>SOLUTION: A heated toilet seat has a toilet seat 22 consisting of an upper frame 24 and a lower frame 27 and having a cavity 28 inside, a lamp heater 30 provided in the cavity 28, and a radiation reflector plate 29 provided on the lower frame 27 side so as to face the lamp heater 30. At least a seating section 25 of the upper frame 24 is made from metal, and a radiation heat absorption layer 40 is provided on the inner surface of the upper frame 24. Because the seating section 25 is uniformly heated to a use temperature in a short time, and the heated toilet seat is considerably energy saving and can be comfortably used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet seat having a heating function.

In this type of conventional heated toilet seat, as shown in FIG. 12, the radiation absorbing material 2 is provided on the back surface of the metal toilet seat 1, and the radiator 5 is provided on the toilet seat lower portion 3 via the heat insulating material 4. It is said that the radiation heat from the radiator 5 is absorbed by the radiation absorber 2 and transmitted to the metal toilet seat 1 for efficient heating (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-58-25126

  However, for example, when the user of the toilet raises the toilet seat to the heating temperature during normal use in a very short time from when the user enters the toilet to when the toilet seat is unloaded and seated on the toilet seat 1, several seconds are required. It was necessary to raise the temperature of the toilet seat to a usable temperature, and it was necessary to perform efficient heating.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and only when a person uses a toilet, the toilet seat is heated to a normal use temperature, and can be used in a very energy-saving and comfortable manner, and a toilet apparatus using the same Is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the toilet seat is composed of an upper frame body and a lower frame body, and has a hollow portion therein, a radiant heating element provided in the hollow portion, and opposed to the radiant heating element. And a radiation reflecting plate provided on the lower frame body side, at least a seating portion of the upper frame body is made of metal, and a radiation absorbing layer is provided on the inner surface of the upper frame body.

  As a result, the radiation energy emitted from the radiation-type heating element is absorbed by the radiation absorption layer and converted into heat, so that heat can be intensively transferred to the metal seating portion having good thermal conductivity.

  The heating toilet seat of the present invention heats the toilet seat in a very short time by the radiant energy before the start of use and stops heating when not in use, so that it is extremely energy saving and can be used comfortably for a long time.

  In a first aspect of the present invention, a heating toilet seat is composed of an upper frame body and a lower frame body, and a toilet seat having a hollow portion therein, a radiation-type heating element provided in the cavity portion, and the radiation-type heating element are opposed to each other. A radiation reflecting plate provided on the lower frame body side, at least a seating portion of the upper frame body is made of metal, and a radiation absorbing layer is provided on the inner surface of the upper frame body, thereby providing a radiation heating element. The radiant energy generated from the heat is absorbed by the radiation absorption layer and converted into heat, and heat can be intensively transferred to the metal seat with high thermal conductivity, so the toilet seat can be heated in a very short time. By stopping heating when not in use, it is extremely energy saving and the entire seat can be heated uniformly by the high thermal conductivity of the metal, so that it can be used comfortably for a long period of time.

In the second invention, in particular, the upper frame body in the heating toilet seat of the first invention is constituted by a plurality of members having different thermal conductivities, and at least the seating part is constituted by a metal having a relatively high thermal conductivity. By configuring the other part with a member having low thermal conductivity, heat conduction to other than the seating portion can be suppressed, and the seating portion can be heated uniformly in a short time.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, in particular, by providing the radiation absorption layer in the heating toilet seat according to the first or second aspect of the invention so that the radiation absorption rate varies depending on the placement position, it is particularly desirable to warm the part quickly and not warm it. The seating part can be efficiently heated by manipulating the method of providing the radiation absorbing layer on the good part or the like to make it non-uniform.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, the reflective layer is provided on a part of the inner surface of the frame body on the heating toilet seat according to the first to third aspects of the invention, so that the radiation energy is reflected at a portion where heating is not required. The seating portion can be effectively heated without heating.

  In the fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, the radiation reflector in the heating toilet seat of the first to fourth aspects of the invention is configured to have a bent portion so as to reflect radiant energy to the seat portion, so that the radiation is radiated below the toilet seat. The radiant energy is reflected and collected in the seating portion, so that the seating portion can be efficiently heated.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, in particular, the cross section of the radiation reflector in the heating toilet seat of the first to fourth aspects is substantially parabolic, and the center of the cross section of the radiant heating element is positioned near the focal point of the parabola. All of the radiant energy from the radiation-type heating element can be reflected on the seating portion on average, and the seating portion can be efficiently heated.

  According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, at least a seating portion of the upper frame body in the heating toilet seat according to the first to sixth aspects of the invention is made of an aluminum material, and the surface of the aluminum material is subjected to alumite treatment. The heat conductivity can be improved to make the temperature uniform, the durability can be improved, and it can be used safely and comfortably for a long time.

  In the eighth aspect of the invention, in particular, at least the surface of the heated toilet seat according to the first to seventh aspects of the invention has a structure in which a surface layer is formed by coating or the like, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the surface of the seat and improving the design. Will also improve.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the temperature of the seating portion can be raised efficiently with high energy by using the radiant heating element of the heating toilet seat according to the first to eighth aspects of the invention that emits near-infrared rays to mid-infrared rays.

  In the tenth aspect of the invention, the radiation absorbing layer of the heating toilet seat according to the first to ninth aspects of the invention absorbs the mid-infrared ray from the near infrared ray, and the radiation energy emitted from the radiation heating element and reaches the radiation absorbing layer. Since most of it is absorbed and converted to heat, the temperature of the seating portion can be quickly raised.

  An eleventh aspect of the invention is a lamp heater having a radiant heating element in the heating toilet seat of the first to tenth aspects of the invention having a quartz glass tube and a filament sealed inside the quartz glass tube, By setting the peak wavelength of the spectral distribution of the radiant energy in such a manner that the transmittance of the quartz glass tube is included in a predetermined wavelength band, most of the radiant energy is transmitted through the quartz glass tube, so that the loss of radiant energy is small. The temperature of the seating portion can be quickly raised.

In the twelfth aspect of the invention, in particular, the peak wavelength of the spectral distribution of the radiant energy from the radiant heating element in the heating toilet seat of the eleventh aspect of the invention is 3500 nm or less, so most of the radiant energy is transmitted through the quartz glass tube. Therefore, there is little loss of radiant energy, and the temperature of the seating portion can be raised quickly.

  In the thirteenth aspect of the invention, in particular, by setting the color temperature of the filament of the radiant heating element in the heating toilet seat of the eleventh aspect of the invention to be over 800K, most of the radiant energy is transmitted through the quartz glass tube. The seat portion can be quickly heated.

  A fourteenth aspect of the invention is a toilet apparatus that uses the heated toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and since the seating portion is quickly warmed up, the power consumption is greatly reduced and the toilet is used comfortably for a long period of time. A toilet device can be obtained.

  The object of the present invention can be achieved by using the first to fourteenth aspects of the present invention as the main part of the embodiments, so the details of the embodiments corresponding to each claim will be described below with reference to the drawings. It will be described and the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Further, in the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations and the effects and the same description is not repeated.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cross section of a main part of a toilet seat of a heating toilet seat according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toilet apparatus equipped with the heating toilet seat, and FIG. 3 is a toilet seat of the heating toilet seat FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the heating toilet seat, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the seating portion of the heating toilet seat.

  1 to 5, a heated toilet seat with a hot water washing function for washing an anus and a bidet after a stool has a horizontally long main body 21 attached to the rear end of the toilet 20 of the toilet device. A part of the warm water washing function is internally provided, and a ring-shaped toilet seat 22 and a toilet lid 23 mounted on the toilet 20 are rotatably provided. Further, a human body detection sensor 26 for detecting the presence or absence of a human body in the toilet room is incorporated in the sleeve portion of the main body 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet seat 22 is formed by fixing and coupling an upper frame body 24 including a seating portion 25 formed of at least aluminum on a synthetic resin lower frame body 27 via a sealing material. It has a structure having a cavity 28 that is drip-proof sealed and can prevent the ingress of water droplets and the like. Note that the seating portion 25 is not limited to aluminum, and iron, stainless steel, lightweight metal such as magnesium can be used. From the viewpoint of heating the seating portion 25 uniformly, aluminum having high thermal conductivity is used. Is preferred.

  Inside the cavity 28, a radiation reflector 29 (reflector) having a mirror-finished aluminum plate facing the seat 25 of the toilet seat 22 on which a user who uses the toilet apparatus sits, on both sides of the seat 25 Two lamp heaters 30 which are a plurality of radiant heating elements are provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the radiation reflector 29 is provided horizontally on the lower frame 27 side of the lamp heater 30 and has an upward bent portion 29a (bent portion) on the entire circumference of the inner and outer end portions thereof. Since the radiation energy from the lamp heater 30 is deflected by the bent portion 29a, it acts to increase the radiation density of the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge of the seat 25 apart from the lamp heater 30. The radiant heat distribution to the portion 25 is made uniform. The angle of the bent portion 29a is preferably 30 ° to 60 °. When the angle is 30 ° or less, the temperature of the peripheral portion is high with respect to the cross section of the toilet seat 22, and when the angle is 60 ° or more, the temperature near the center is high. Show the trend. A thermostat 31 electrically connected in series with the lamp heater 30 is provided in the vicinity of the lamp heater 30 and acts to prevent an excessive temperature rise of the seating portion 25 of the toilet seat 22 in the event of an unsafe situation. . The radiation reflecting plate 29 is an aluminum plate to reduce the weight, but a stainless plate, a plated steel plate, or the like may be used. It should be noted that the bent portion 29a may be bent so that heat can be collected in the seat portion 25 according to the shape of the toilet seat.

  The lamp heater 30 is configured by filling a quartz glass tube 33 with a small amount of halogen gas in a filament 34 made of tungsten and an inert gas 35 such as argon. By repeating the halogen cycle reaction to be formed, the filament 34 is prevented from being consumed. By this action, the filament 34 having a very small heat capacity can be used as a heat source, and the radiation energy can be caused to rise very steeply. That is, the lamp heater 30 raises the temperature of the seating section 25 to an appropriate temperature in a very short time, for example, several seconds until the user enters the toilet room, lowers clothes, and sits on the buttocks on the seating section 25. Can do. The lamp heater 30 is not necessarily a halogen lamp heater depending on the required degree of characteristics. Further, since the quartz glass tube 33 almost absorbs wavelengths of 3500 nm or more, in order to effectively heat the seating surface 25 with radiant energy, it emits near-infrared to mid-infrared, and the spectral distribution of the emission wavelength. A lamp heater having a peak of at least 3500 nm or less is used. In order to realize this, the color temperature of the filament 34 of the lamp heater 30 is set to be 800K or higher.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the light transmittance of the quartz glass tube and the spectral density index of the filament. The left vertical axis indicates the transmittance, the right vertical axis indicates the spectral density index, and the horizontal axis indicates the wavelength. The thickness of the quartz glass tube used in the present embodiment is about 1 mm, and the light transmittance is indicated by a broken line a. The spectral density when the filament color temperature is 2050K is b, 1500K is c, 800K is d, and the peak value of each curve is 1. As shown here, the quartz glass tube has a light transmittance of 80 to 90% or more in a wavelength band having a wavelength of about 200 nm to 3500 nm. For example, in the case where the color temperature of d is 800K, the light emission distribution having a peak wavelength of 3500 nm is shown, and if the color temperature is higher than that, for example, the color temperature shown in b and c, the spectral density of the filament in the wavelength band where the transmittance is sufficient Since the band is included, the radiant energy emitted from the filament is efficiently transmitted through the quartz glass tube, and the toilet seat 22 can be efficiently heated. On the other hand, when the color temperature is 800K (not shown) or less, the peak wavelength of the spectral distribution is 3500 nm or more, and in this region, the transmittance of the quartz glass tube is drastically reduced. Therefore, most of the radiation energy emitted from the filament is It will be absorbed by the quartz glass tube, and the toilet seat 22 cannot be heated efficiently.

  If the color temperature is high, the transmittance of the quartz glass tube is improved. However, when manufacturing an actual lamp heater, about 2000K is preferable. This is because it is necessary to make the filament itself thin in order to increase the color temperature. When the lamp heater itself is bent as in the present embodiment, both the manufacturing efficiency and the durability are problematic. May occur. If the filament has a color temperature of about 2000K, there is no problem in terms of manufacturing efficiency and durability as a lamp heater used in the present embodiment.

  The lamp heater 30 is fixed to the radiation reflecting plate 29 by a lamp heater fixture 36 formed of a leaf spring material, and the radiation reflecting plate 29 is fixed to a boss 37 of a resin lower frame 27 with screws.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross section of a part of the aluminum seat 25 constituting the toilet seat 22. In FIG. 5, the toilet seat 22 side of the cavity 28, that is, the inner surface to which the radiation energy of the lamp heater 30 is irradiated forms a black-coated radiation absorbing layer 40 that easily absorbs the radiation energy, and the outside, that is, the seating side. Is formed with an alumite layer 39 having an anticorrosive effect and a surface decorative layer 41 which is a surface layer coated thereon for a desired appearance effect. Note that the alumite layer 39 and the painted surface decorative layer 41 do not necessarily have to be both, and only one of the alumite layer 39 or the painted surface decorative layer 41 has a significant anticorrosion effect such as chemical resistance and gloss. Design such as color and shade can be added. However, by having both the alumite layer 39 and the painted surface decorative layer 41, a higher anticorrosive effect and a sterilizing effect can be added by using, for example, a paint containing a sterilizing material. Further, as a result of confirming various colors with respect to the color of the radiation absorbing layer 40, it was found that black has the highest endothermic efficiency, and the heating rate of the seating portion 25 can be increased. In addition, from the viewpoint of being practical, regardless of the maximum speed, even near gray, red, blue, etc., the near infrared and middle infrared rays emitted from the lamp heater 30 can be absorbed to raise the temperature. The black color is not necessarily limited to coating, and surface treatment such as dyeing may be used. In the case of aluminum, boehmite treatment is also practical. Further, the surface decorative layer 41 applied to the outer surface of the seating portion 25 in FIG. 5 can be dyed, but if at least the surface of the seating portion 25 is painted, not only the anticorrosive effect but also a metal toilet seat such as aluminum can be used. Even if it exists, it can wipe away the feeling of coldness seen, for example, a pearl coating like a pearl can produce a soft image and a high-class image, and the design property improves. In addition, by including a material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum in the paint pigment, the seat portion 25 can be heated uniformly without hindering heat conduction on the paint surface.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, the radiation absorption layer 40 provided on the inner surface of the upper frame 24 is configured to have a different radiation absorption rate depending on the mounting position thereof, so that the temperature rise of the seating portion 25 is accelerated. be able to. That is, in FIG. 7A, a black coating having a high radiation absorption rate is applied to the inner surface of the region A corresponding to the seating portion 25 to form the radiation absorption layer 40, and other portions, for example, the upper frame shown by the region B By coating the inner surfaces of both edges of the body 24 with a low radiation absorption rate such as gray or white, the temperature of the seating portion 25 is increased by forming the radiation absorption layer 40b having a low endothermic efficiency in the region B. be able to. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7B, the reflective layer 42 is formed on the inner surface of the region B of the upper frame 24 with a paint containing a metal such as aluminum, thereby further increasing the heating rate of the seating portion 25. Can be fast. That is, by providing the reflective layer 42, the radiation energy that has reached the inner surface of the outer frame body 24 that does not need to be heated is reflected by the reflective layer 42, and further reflected by the radiation reflecting plate 29 to be reflected by the radiation absorbing layer 40 on the inner surface of the seating portion 25. By making the radiant energy reach the radiant energy, the radiant energy can be supplied to the seating portion 25 that needs to be heated, and the temperature of the seating portion 25 can be raised faster.

  By using a metal and aluminum stamped product for the seat 25 of the toilet seat 22, the thermal conductivity is about 200 W / m · K, which is about 0.1-1 W / m · K of resin. Since the difference is high, the radiation absorbing layer 40 is heated by receiving the radiation energy of the lamp heater 30, and at the same time, heat can be quickly transferred to the outer surface of the seating portion 25, that is, the surface decorative layer 41. And since it is aluminum with high heat conductivity, the soaking | uniform-heating effect which makes temperature distribution more uniform is acquired. Further, the required strength can be ensured even if the plate thickness is reduced by work hardening by pressing (drawing) aluminum. For example, in the case of resin, a thickness of about 3 mm is required from the viewpoint of strength, but in the case of a drawn product of an aluminum plate, half of 1.5 mm or less is sufficient. As the thickness is reduced, the heat capacity can be reduced, so that the amount of heat and time required for temperature increase can be reduced. As a result of the experiment, it was concluded that the aluminum plate thickness is preferably 0.8 to 1.2 mm in terms of strength and heating time.

  A radiation reflector 29 is attached to the inner surface of the lower frame 27 constituting the toilet seat 22, and a lamp heater 30 and a thermostat 31 connected in series with the lamp heater 30 are attached to the radiation reflector 29. An aluminum seat 25 is attached to the upper part of the lower frame 27, and a thermistor 43, which is a toilet seat temperature detecting means, is attached to the inner surface of the seat 25 in order to detect the temperature of the aluminum seat 25. It has been. Further, the toilet seat 22 has an electrode 45 formed on the rotating shaft 44 and constitutes a toilet seat position detecting means 46 together with a bearing portion (not shown) of the main body 21, and the toilet seat 22 is in an upright state or is used by being seated. It can be detected whether the toilet 20 is in a substantially horizontal use position.

  The main body 21 takes in a detection signal from a room temperature thermistor 47 serving as a room temperature detection means, controls the temperature of the lamp heater 30, and energizes the lamp heater 30 of the toilet seat 22 to start the temperature rise. There is provided a control unit 49 mainly composed of a microcomputer having a timer unit 48 for counting. Then, the control unit 49 takes in signals from the human body detection sensor 26 and the seating detection means 38 and the toilet seat position detection means 46 for detecting the person's entry, controls the start and stop of energization of the lamp heater 30, the thermistor 43, the room temperature. The temperature of the lamp heater 30 can be controlled so that the signal from the thermistor 47 is taken in and the temperature of the seating portion 25 which is the warming surface becomes a predetermined temperature which is an appropriate temperature.

  In FIG. 8, the thermostat 31 has a configuration in which the bimetal 50 is opposed to the lamp heater 30 in the cavity 28 so that the radiation energy of the lamp heater 30 is received. Further, a heat-resistant black paint is applied to the light receiving surface of the bimetal 50 as the radiation absorbing material 51. The thermostat 31 is configured to efficiently absorb the heat from the near infrared ray radiated from the radiation-type heating element toward the bimetal 50 by the radiation absorbing material 51 and raise the temperature of the bimetal 50 more quickly. Yes. The thermostat 31 is set so that the distance a between the lamp heater 30 and the seating portion 25 is larger than the distance b between the lamp heater 30 and the bimetal 50. This distance a indicates the distance to the radiation absorbing layer 40 that is a light receiving surface provided on the inner surface of the seating portion 25.

  In the above embodiment, when the user enters the toilet, the human body detection sensor 26 detects the entry and the signal is sent to the control unit 49. At this time, when it is confirmed by the signal from the toilet seat position detecting means 46 that the toilet seat 22 is in a substantially horizontal use position, the control unit 49 starts energizing the lamp heater 30. By this initial energization, the input energy is instantaneously converted into radiant energy and radiated from the filament 34 toward the seating portion 25 of the toilet seat 22 through the quartz glass tube 33 and the radiation reflector 29. Further, the radiation energy of the lamp heater 30 raises the temperature of the radiation absorbing layer 40 and the seating portion 25. As described above, in the present embodiment, when the user enters the toilet, the lamp heater 30 is energized, the heating surface of the seating portion 25 of the toilet seat 22 can be heated almost instantaneously, and the control unit 49 Even in the unlikely event of an unsafe situation due to a failure or the like, the energization of the lamp heater 30 can be cut off by the fast-responsive thermostat 31 in which the bimetal 50 receives the radiation energy of the lamp heater 30, so that it is generally used conventionally. Unlike a heating toilet seat that is always energized and kept warm and has a large heat dissipation loss, there is almost no heat dissipation loss, and an extremely energy-saving and safe heating toilet seat is realized. The hinge cover 53 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is formed integrally with the seating portion 25 in the case of a resin heated toilet seat (not shown) generally used in the past. In the above embodiment, the seat portion 25 is made of metal (aluminum material) and the hinge cover 53 is made of propylene resin. This is because, by minimizing the portion to be heated by the lamp heater 30 and reducing the heat capacity to be heated, the seating portion 25 can be raised in temperature instantaneously with less power, In addition, power can be saved. That is, the aluminum material of the seating portion 25 has a high thermal conductivity and acts so that the temperature becomes uniform due to the heat conduction. However, since the hinge cover 53 is resin and has a low thermal conductivity, the heat of the seating portion 25 is the hinge cover 53. Is hardly deprived of. In this way, by configuring the upper member of the toilet seat 22 with a plurality of members having different thermal conductivities, it is possible to prevent heat from being taken away excessively by a portion that does not need to be warmed, and heat loss can be reduced. . As described above, the seat 25, which is the upper component of the toilet seat 22, the hinge cover 53, and the lower frame 27, the toilet seat 22 having the cavity 28 therein, and the radiant heating element provided in the cavity 28 are provided. 29 and a reflector 28 provided on the side of the lower frame 27 so as to face the radiation heating element 29, and at least the seating portion 25 of the upper frame 24 is made of metal (aluminum material), and the upper frame 24 With the configuration in which the radiation absorbing layer 40 is provided on the inner surface of the seating portion 25, an energy-saving toilet seat that can instantaneously raise the temperature of the seating portion 25 with less power can be realized.

Further, the control unit 49 calculates from the temperature difference between them and the respective temperatures based on the signals of the thermistor 43 and the room temperature thermistor 47 at the start of energization, and the energization limit time for initial energization that is set and stored in advance. When the elapsed time counted by the timer unit 48 reaches the energization limit time, the energization amount is reduced or reduced to zero, and then the energization is performed so that the seating unit 25 reaches an appropriate temperature based on the signal from the thermistor 43. Control the amount.

  As a result, the thermistor 43 detects the temperature in the vicinity of the seating part 25 that is actually touched by the user, and the control part 49 accurately raises and maintains the temperature to an appropriate temperature, so that the use of the toilet seat 22 is comfortable, and the thermistor 43 and Since the input amount of the radiant energy is controlled in accordance with the load amount based on the signal from the room temperature thermistor 47, it can be heated to a proper temperature with higher accuracy and safety.

  In addition, since the initial energization time control is preferentially performed, the energization amount is reduced and the temperature rise rate is reduced after the energization limit time, so that the toilet seat 22 can be heated safely even if the response speed of the toilet seat temperature detecting means is slow. In addition, an inexpensive toilet seat temperature detecting means can be used. In general, many common heaters control the temperature by reducing the applied voltage, but the lamp heater 30 repeats a halogen cycle reaction for forming tungsten halide as the filament 34 generates heat, thereby the filament 34. Therefore, when the temperature of the quartz glass tube 33 is 200 ° C. or lower, the halogen cycle becomes unstable. Therefore, in order for the lamp heater 30 to bring the seating portion 25 to an appropriate temperature, the energization cycle is changed within an output range in which the halogen cycle is effective.

  On the other hand, when the toilet seat 22 is in a standing state or a male user stands the toilet seat 22 in a standing state for small use after entering the toilet room, the control unit 49 is based on the signal from the toilet seat position detecting means 46. Stops energization of the lamp heater 30 or reduces the energization amount. As a result, it is possible to reduce the wasteful heating of the toilet seat 22 and to further save energy, and in the energized state, gravity is applied in the length direction that is the tension direction of the filament 34, resulting in disconnection. It is possible to prevent the life of the lamp heater 30 from being shortened.

  Further, even if the user opens and closes the toilet seat 22 in an upright state and a substantially horizontal state in accordance with the purpose, the lamp heater fixture 36 of a leaf spring material, which is an elastic material, reduces the impact, so the quartz glass tube 33 And the filament 34 can be prevented from being damaged.

  Next, when the user is seated for defecation, the energization amount is controlled by changing the energization amount until the energization amount to the lamp heater 30 becomes zero or the toilet seat temperature does not rise excessively by the signal of the seating detection means 38. Thereby, the toilet seat temperature does not rise excessively during use, and it can be used safely without fear of causing burns or the like.

  In particular, since the heated toilet seat is seated with the skin in direct contact with the toilet seat 22 having the lamp heater 30 built therein, sufficient consideration must be given to safety. Under normal use conditions, it can be used safely and comfortably as described above, but in the unlikely event that a malfunction occurs in the control unit 49 such as a microcomputer (not shown), the energization of the lamp heater 30 is continued. It is necessary to operate safely in the event of a break.

  A thermostat having a structure in which a bimetal is included in a metal cap is usually used. In this configuration, the thermostat body and cap are first heated, and the bimetal is heated by heat transfer from the body and secondary radiation from the cap, so it takes time for the bimetal to reach a predetermined temperature. When the temperature of the toilet seat 22 changes with time, there may be a delay in circuit interruption.

However, in the present embodiment, in order to solve the problem, the thermostat 31 exposes the bimetal 50 and applies a heat-resistant black paint as the radiation absorbing material 51 to the surface of the bimetal 50. Therefore, since the bimetal 50 directly receives the radiation energy of the lamp heater 30, the bimetal 50 is directly heated by the radiation energy from the lamp heater 30, and the heat-resistant black as the radiation absorber 51 on the surface of the bimetal 50. Since the paint is applied, most of the radiant heat reaching the bimetal 50 from the lamp heater 30 is absorbed by the bimetal 50 and quickly follows a sudden change in the temperature of the toilet seat 22. Further, since the thermostat 31 is electrically connected in series with the lamp heater 30, the energization of the lamp heater 30 can be cut off when the temperature is excessively increased. The thermostat 31 has a cap 52 made of transparent glass so that the bimetal 50 receives the radiation energy of the lamp heater 30. The provision of the transparent glass cap 52 makes it possible to provide a drip-proof or waterproof type in which water droplets and dust do not enter the thermostat 31, and even if the cavity 28 is submerged, the energizing portion of the thermostat 31 Inundation of water can be prevented and electrical insulation can be maintained, so that electric shock can be prevented.

  In addition, the transparent glass of the cap 52 is excellent in the transmission characteristic of the radiant energy of the lamp heater 30 by using quartz glass, and can make a higher-speed response, and can improve safety | security of interruption | blocking. Of course, other glasses can be used practically depending on the degree of necessity. Further, if the plate pressure of the transparent glass 53 is too thick, the transmission performance is deteriorated. Therefore, the plate thickness is preferably 1.5 mm or less, and preferably 1.2 mm or less. In each of the above-described embodiments, the material of the seating portion 25 is an aluminum plate press-processed product, but the same effect can be obtained even by other processing methods such as aluminum die casting. The type of metal may also be a copper plate or a steel plate.

  Further, the thermostat 31 is set at a position where the distance a between the lamp heater 30 and the surface of the toilet seat 22 is larger than the distance b between the lamp heater 30 and the thermostat 31. As a result, the temperature of the bimetal 50 is raised earlier than the rise of the surface temperature of the toilet seat 22, so that the energization circuit of the lamp heater 30 is shut off before the toilet seat 22 surface temperature rises excessively and becomes dangerous such as a burn. Can be safe.

  In the present embodiment, if the temperature of the bimetal 50 can be raised quickly, malfunction of the thermostat 31 can be prevented. That is, if the temperature of the bimetal 50 can be raised quickly, the operating temperature of the thermostat 31 (opening the energization circuit of the lamp heater 30) can be set higher than the normal use temperature of the toilet seat 22, so that the normal use The danger that the thermostat 31 sometimes operates and the heating function of the toilet seat 22 cannot be used can be avoided.

That is, FIG. 9 is a result of measuring the temperature near the bimetal 50 and the surface temperature of the seating portion 25 when the lamp heater 30 is energized with the distance b = 7 mm and the distance a = 15 mm in the thermostat 31 having the configuration shown in FIG. . In FIG. 8, curve (A) is the surface temperature of the seating portion 25. At room temperature of 5 ° C., the temperature can be raised to the normal toilet seat control temperature (T ₁ ) in about 7.5 seconds (t ₁ ). On the other hand, the temperature of the bimetal 50 of the thermostat 31 rises faster than the seating portion 25 to the toilet seat control temperature (T ₁ ) in t ₂ hours, as shown by the curve (B). When the seating section 25 becomes equal to or higher than the maximum set temperature (T ₂ ) of the toilet seat 22, the temperature of the bimetal 50 reaches the off-opening operating temperature (T ₃ ) of the thermostat 31 and shuts off the energization circuit of the lamp heater 30. In the unlikely event that a malfunction occurs in the thermostat 31 and the energization circuit of the lamp heater 30 cannot be cut off, the non-returnable thermostat 32 (or temperature fuse) is reached before the safety limit temperature (T ₄ ) is reached. Is activated to cut off the energization circuit of the lamp heater 30. At this time, the surface temperature of the toilet seat 22 does not reach the safety limit temperature (T ₄ ).

In addition, by setting the operating temperature (T ₃ ) of the thermostat 31 to be not less than the maximum set temperature (T ₂ ) of the toilet seat 22 and not more than the safety limit temperature (T ₄ ), the non-returnable thermostat 3 can be easily provided.
The energization circuit of the lamp heater 30 is interrupted by 2 (or temperature fuse), and there is no risk that the heating function of the toilet seat 22 cannot be used. That is, the first stage of the initial energization time is the temperature control by the timer 48 and the thermistor 43 of the control unit 49, and the second stage is the interruption of the energization circuit of the lamp heater 30 by turning off the thermostat 31 (however, the circuit is restored by the temperature drop) In the third stage, the energization circuit of the lamp heater 30 is shut off by the non-returnable thermostat 32 (or temperature fuse) (the circuit cannot be restored), and a multi-stage safety function is set for long-term safety and comfort. Can be used for

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of front lamp heaters 30 and rear lamp heaters 30b are arranged in front of and behind the toilet seat 22, and are opposed to the lamp heaters 30 and 30b. Thermostats 31 and 31b are provided, and each thermostat 31 and 31b is electrically connected in series. The return-type thermostats 31 and 31b are cut off at a slightly lower temperature, and the non-return-type thermostats 32 and 32b are operated at a higher temperature than the return-type thermostats 31 and 31b. High multiple safety and long-term safe and comfortable use.

  That is, thermostats 31 and 31b are connected in series to the lamp heaters 30 and 30b, and further connected in series to form an energization circuit for the lamp heaters 30 and 30b, so that either of the lamp heaters 30 and 30b is connected. When an abnormality occurs, the energization circuit of the lamp heaters 30 and 30b is shut off by the thermostats 31 and 31b, so that energization to both the lamp heaters 30 and 30b is safely stopped. Since the thermostats 31 and 32 are different from each other in the off-operation temperature, even if one of the thermostats 31 malfunctions and the energization circuit of the lamp heaters 30 and 30b cannot be cut off, Since one thermostat 32 cuts off the energization circuit of the lamp heaters 30 and 30b, it is safe. Further, since the lamp heaters 30 and 30b are divided into a plurality of parts, the bending of the toilet seat 22 and the lamp heater are compared with the case where, for example, one annular lamp heater 30 is arranged in the substantially entire cavity portion 28 of the toilet seat 22. The problem that the lamp heater 30 is directly stressed due to the installation error of the lamp 30 is solved, and the risk of the lamp heater 30 being damaged due to the bending of the toilet seat 22 or the like can be solved.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the heating toilet seat according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment has the same basic configuration as the invention of the first embodiment, and is different from the upper frame body 24 in FIG. Is composed of a plurality of members having different thermal conductivities.

  In FIG. 10, the seating portion 25 is made of metal (aluminum material), and the upper frame body 24 other than the seating portion 25 is formed of propylene resin. As a result, the number of locations to be heated by the lamp heater 30 is minimized, and the overall heat capacity of the portion to be heated is reduced so that the seating portion 25 can be heated more quickly with less power. In addition, further power saving can be achieved. That is, the aluminum material of the seating portion 25 has a high thermal conductivity and acts so that the temperature becomes uniform due to the heat conduction. However, since the upper frame body 24 other than the seating portion 25 is made of resin and has a low thermal conductivity, the seating portion 25. This heat is hardly taken away by the upper frame 24 and the hinge cover 53. In this way, by configuring the upper member of the toilet seat 22 with a plurality of members having different thermal conductivities, it is possible to prevent heat from being taken away excessively by a portion that does not need to be warmed, and heat loss can be reduced. . Further, in the embodiment of FIG. 10, the radiation reflector 29 has an upward bent portion 29b on the entire circumference of the inner and outer end portions thereof. The bent portion 29b is made of an aluminum seat portion 25 and a resin. It extends to the vicinity of the boundary of the upper frame body 24. With this configuration, the radiant energy emitted from the lamp heater 30 is prevented from reaching the resin upper frame 24, and the reflected light can be efficiently reached the seating portion 25. The temperature of the seating part 25 can be raised.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the heating toilet seat according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment, and the difference is in the improvement of the radiation reflector 29.

  In FIG. 11, the radiation reflector 29 has a substantially parabolic shape in cross section, and the center of the cross section of the lamp heater 30 (that is, the filament 34) is arranged at a position corresponding to the focal point of the parabola. With this configuration, when the radiant energy emitted from the lamp heater 30 is reflected by the reflecting plate 29, all the reflected light trajectories are parallel, and the seating portion 25 can be heated uniformly (radiation energy reflection trajectory). Is indicated by an arrow). Therefore, the seating portion 25 can be uniformly heated in a very short time of several seconds from when a person enters the toilet to the seat on the toilet seat 22, and can be used safely and comfortably.

  As described above, the heating toilet seat according to the present invention can efficiently heat the seating portion by efficiently heating the seating portion with the radiant energy from the radiation-type heating element. It can be applied as a technology.

Schematic configuration diagram showing a cross section of the main part of the toilet seat of the heating toilet seat according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A perspective view of a toilet device equipped with the same heated toilet seat Top view with the seating part of the heated toilet seat removed Exploded perspective view of the main part of the heated toilet seat Cross section of the seating section of the heated toilet seat Schematic of characteristics of lamp heater of heating toilet seat (A) Main part sectional view showing another example of the heating toilet seat (b) Main part sectional view showing another example of the heating toilet seat Cross section of thermostat of heated toilet seat Characteristics diagram of temperature control Characteristics chart of temperature control of the heated toilet seat Sectional drawing of the principal part of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 2 Sectional drawing of the principal part of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 3 Sectional view of the main part of a conventional heated toilet seat

Explanation of symbols

22 Toilet seat 24 Upper frame body 25 Seat part 27 Lower frame body 28 Cavity part 29 Radiation reflector 29a, 29b Bending part (bending part)
30 Lamp heater (radiant heating element)
31 Thermostat 39 Anodized layer 40 Radiation-absorbing layer 41 Surface decorative layer 42 Reflective layer a Distance between the radiation-type heating element and the toilet seat surface b Distance between the radiation-type heating element and the thermostat T2 Maximum set temperature of the toilet seat T4 Safety limit temperature

Claims (14)

A toilet seat composed of an upper frame body and a lower frame body, having a hollow portion therein, a radiant heating element provided in the hollow portion, and a radiation provided on the lower frame side facing the radiant heating element. A heating toilet seat comprising a reflector, wherein at least a seating portion of the upper frame is made of metal, and a radiation absorbing layer is provided on an inner surface of the upper frame. The heating toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper frame body includes a plurality of members having different thermal conductivities. The heating toilet seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radiation absorbing layer is provided so that the radiation absorption rate varies depending on the mounting position. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a reflective layer is provided on a part of the inner surface of the upper frame. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the radiation reflector is provided with a bent portion so as to reflect radiant energy to the seating portion. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the radiation reflector has a substantially parabolic cross section and is arranged with the center of the cross section of the radiation heating element positioned at the focal point of the parabola. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least a seating portion of the upper frame is made of an aluminum material, and an alumite treatment is applied to a surface of the aluminum material. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least the surface of the seating portion has a surface layer formed by coating or the like. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the radiant heating element emits a mid-infrared ray from a near-infrared ray. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the radiation absorbing layer absorbs near infrared rays to mid infrared rays. The radiation heating element is a lamp heater having a quartz glass tube and a filament enclosed inside the quartz glass tube, and a peak wavelength of a spectral distribution of radiation energy from the lamp heater is a transmittance of the quartz glass tube. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the heating toilet seat is included in a predetermined transmittance wavelength band. The heating toilet seat according to claim 11, wherein a peak wavelength of a spectral distribution of radiation energy from the radiation-type heating element is 3500 nm or less. The heating toilet seat according to claim 11, wherein the color temperature of the filament of the radiant heating element is 800K or higher. A toilet apparatus provided with the heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 13.