JP2007215571A - Warmed toilet seat - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent overheating of a warmed toilet seat and to increase the safety of the warmed toilet seat by minimizing distance error between a thermostat and a radiating heating element and accurately detecting the change of temperature by the thermostat. <P>SOLUTION: The radiating heating element 13 provided in a hollow part 11 of the toilet seat 7 and the thermostat 15 are attached via a holder member 14 for holding the radiating heating element 13 and the thermostat 15 at a prescribed interval, so that the distance error between the thermostat 15 and the radiating heating element 13 caused by the irregularity in the assembly can be minimized, and as a result, the thermostat 15 can accurately detect the change of temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a safety device for preventing overheating of a heated toilet seat.

In the conventional heating toilet seat of this type, as shown in FIG. 6, a hollow portion 1 is formed inside, and a radiant heat absorption layer is formed on the inner surface of the seat portion 3 of the ring-shaped toilet seat 2 used on a toilet. Heating is a surface on which a user is seated by quickly transmitting radiant heat from a lamp heater 4 which is a radiant heating element provided along the entire ring shape of the toilet seat 2 to the seat 1 through the radiant heat absorption layer. On the other hand, the temperature of the toilet seat 2 was prevented from being excessively increased by a thermostat 5 connected in series to the lamp heater 4 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-218538 A

  However, in the configuration of FIG. 6, the thermostat 5 is installed to ensure safety against an excessive temperature rise, but variations in the mounting positions of the lamp heater 4 and the thermostat 5 are not taken into consideration. In this type of heated toilet seat, in order to save power, the temperature rises instantaneously because it is necessary to quickly bring the seating section 3 to an appropriate temperature in a short period of time until it is energized and seated immediately before the user sits on the toilet seat. The lamp heater 4 is adopted as a radiation-type heating element that can be used. The lamp heater 4 is configured by penetrating a filament made of tungsten inside a quartz tube and enclosing a halogen gas. In order to pass the filament through the center of the quartz tube, the filament has holding portions called support rings at equal intervals. In a configuration in which the distance between the thermostat 5 and the lamp heater 4 is smaller than the distance between the toilet seat surface and the lamp heater 4 in order to detect an abnormal excessive increase in the toilet seat surface temperature at an early stage, the human body contacts. Since the thermostat 5 is more affected by temperature unevenness than the toilet seat surface, it is difficult to guarantee a stable operation as a safety device. Further, when the relationship between the temperature of the seating portion 3 and the temperature of the thermostat 5 deviates from the design due to variations in the mounting positions of the thermostat 5 and the lamp heater 4, the electric heater used in a normal heating appliance hardly causes a problem. Even in the case of a response error, in the case of a heated toilet seat on the assumption that the buttocks are placed directly on the seating section 3, the thermostat 5 immediately goes over the proper temperature and heats up. May give pleasure.

  In order to solve the above problems, the heating toilet seat of the present invention is a heating toilet seat according to the present invention, which is attached via a holding member that holds a radiant heating element and a thermostat provided in a cavity of the toilet seat at a predetermined interval. is there.

  As a result, the error in the distance between the thermostat and the radiant heating element due to variations during assembly can be minimized, and the thermostat can accurately detect temperature changes.

  The thermostat can accurately detect temperature changes due to radiant heat from a radiant heating element, preventing overheating of the heated toilet seat and improving safety, and suppressing discomfort due to insufficient temperature increase of the toilet seat due to malfunction of the thermostat can do.

  In a first aspect of the present invention, a toilet seat having an upper surface portion and a lower surface portion joined and having a hollow portion therein, a radiation type heating element for heating the toilet seat installed in the cavity portion of the toilet seat, and the radiation type heating element in series One or a plurality of thermostats connected to each other, and the radiant heating element and the thermostat are attached via a holding member that is held at a predetermined interval. The temperature error can be minimized, and the thermostat can accurately detect temperature changes due to radiant heat from the radiant heating element, preventing overheating of the heated toilet seat and improving safety. Discomfort due to insufficient temperature rise of the toilet seat due to malfunction can be suppressed.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, the holding member includes a connection member that holds the radiation-type heating element and the thermostat at a predetermined interval, and a fixing member that fixes the connection member at a predetermined position of the toilet seat. The connecting member keeps the distance between the radiant heating element and the thermostat constant, and the fixing member can fix the radiant heating element and the thermostat together on the toilet seat, so the distance between the radiant heating element and the thermostat is kept constant. In addition to being able to maintain the deformation after assembly, the accuracy of temperature detection of the thermostat can be increased.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the fixing position of the holding member to the toilet seat can be adjusted in accordance with the variation in the shape of the radiant type heating element. By adjusting the position of the holding member according to the shape, it is possible to eliminate excessive stress on the radiant heating element and the holding member, and it is possible to stably hold the radiant heating element and the thermostat. Thus, an error in temperature detection due to a change in the distance between the radiation-type heating element and the thermostat due to deformation after attachment can be suppressed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, a shocking external force is applied to the toilet seat by adopting a configuration in which the holding portion of the radiant heating element of the holding member has a spring property. In this case, since it can be absorbed by a holding portion having a spring property, damage and deformation of the radiant heating element can be prevented.

  According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the radiation type heating element is disposed in the quartz tube through the filament, and the lamp heater has a configuration in which an inert gas is sealed. Since the lamp heater has a characteristic of radiating radiant energy at the maximum level in a short time, the temperature of the toilet seat can be raised in a short time, and a heating toilet seat with high energy saving performance can be provided.

  According to a sixth invention, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the surface of the toilet seat can be heated in a short time by forming at least a part of the upper surface portion of the toilet seat with a metal material, A heating toilet seat with high energy saving performance can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a heating toilet seat according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toilet seat of the heating toilet seat, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of the toilet seat. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the configuration for holding the radiation heating element and the thermostat of the toilet seat, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing details of the configuration for holding the radiation heating element and the thermostat.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the heating toilet seat according to the present embodiment, a toilet seat 7 and a toilet lid 8 are pivotally supported on a main body 6 arranged at the rear, and the toilet seat 7 is made of aluminum as shown in FIG. A structure having a hermetically sealed cavity 11 that is formed by joining the inner peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface portion 9 made of metal as the main component and the lower surface portion 10 made of synthetic resin, respectively, and can prevent the intrusion of water or the like. It has become.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the interior of the hollow portion 11 is provided with a reflecting plate 12 having a mirror-finished aluminum plate that is spaced from the bottom surface 10 a of the lower surface portion 10 and extends over substantially the entire circumference of the lower surface portion 10. In addition, two lamp heaters 13 each having a substantially arc shape, which is a radiant heating element, are installed above the reflecting plate 12 via a holding member 14.

  The lamp heater 13 penetrates the central portion of the quartz tube 13a with a plurality of support rings (not shown) in which spiral filaments (not shown) are arranged at substantially equal intervals in a cylindrical quartz tube 13a. It is held in a state, and an inert gas mainly composed of argon and nitrogen is enclosed.

  A thermostat 15 electrically connected in series with the lamp heater 13 and a thermal fuse (not shown) are provided in the vicinity of the lamp heater 13 to prevent the toilet seat 7 from overheating in the event of an unsafe situation. Act to do.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the thermostat 15 is provided with a detection surface 15 a facing the lamp heater 13 via a holding member 14 that holds the lamp heater 13, and the radiant heat of the lamp heater 29 is converted into a thermostat 30. Is configured to be received stably. The holding member 14 has a structure in which a lamp heater 13 and a thermostat 15 are connected to a connecting member 16 that is held at a predetermined interval and a fixing member 17 that fixes the connecting member 16 to the reflecting plate 12.

  The connecting member 16 is made of a metal having a spring property, and is configured to hold the lamp heater 13 from above and below by a recess 16b provided in two holding portions 16a extending in a substantially horizontal direction. Due to the spring property, the impact applied to the lamp heater 13 accompanying the opening and closing of the toilet seat 7 is absorbed, and damage to the quartz tube 13a and the filament can be prevented.

  A planar coupling portion 16 c that couples the connecting member 16, the thermostat 15, and the fixing member 17 is integrally formed at the original portion of the holding portion 16 a. The coupling portion 16c is provided with through holes 16d at portions corresponding to the detection surface 15a of the thermostat 15 in order to directly transmit the radiant heat of the lamp heater 13 to the detection surface 15a, and the thermostat 15 and the coupling member are provided on the left and right sides of the through hole 16d. A coupling hole 16e for fixing 17 is provided.

  On the other hand, the fixing member 17 has a substantially L-shaped coupling surface 17a having a substantially vertical surface, and has a through hole 17b and a coupling hole 17c having substantially the same shape corresponding to the through hole 16c and the coupling hole 16d of the connection member 16. . A spacer 20 is interposed between the thermostat 15 and the connecting member, and the thermostat 15, the spacer 20, the connecting member 16 and the fixing member are firmly coupled by the coupling screw 18 through the coupling holes 16e and 17c.

  A fixing surface 17d, which is a substantially horizontal plane of the fixing member 17, is provided with a groove-like fixing groove 17e that is open on one side, and the fixing member 17 is fixed to the reflector 12 via the fixing screw 19 while adjusting the mounting position. It can be configured.

  About the heating toilet seat comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, at the time of assembling the heating toilet seat having the above-described configuration, the recess 16b of the connecting member 16 can be fixed at a predetermined interval by connecting the thermostat 15 and the connecting member 16 via the connecting screw 18.

  When the holding portion 16a of the connecting member 14 assembled in the above state is pressed from the side of the lamp heater 13, the holding portion 16a is opened due to the spring property, and the lamp heater 13 can be mounted in the concave portion at a predetermined position. The detection surface 15a of the heater 13 and the thermostat 15 is fixed at a predetermined interval.

  Next, it fixes to the reflecting plate 12 with the fixing screw 19 through the fixing hole 17d of the fixing member 17 of the connecting member 14. At this time, the quartz tube 13a of the lamp heater 13 held by the holding unit 16a is a straight quartz tube heated to a high temperature and formed into a substantially semicircular arc shape. When the connecting member 14 is fixed at the fixed position of the reflecting plate 12 in the same manner as other components, an error may occur in the distance between the lamp heater 13 and the detection surface 15a of the thermostat 15. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the present embodiment, the fixing hole 17d is formed into a long hole shape so that the fixing position of the connecting member 14 can be adjusted, whereby the detection surface 15a of the lamp heater 13 and the thermostat 15 With the configuration in which the interval is always constant, the thermostat 15 that prevents excessive elevation of the toilet seat can be operated under the same conditions.

  As described above, the heating toilet seat according to the present embodiment is configured so that the interval between the detection surface of the lamp heater, which is a radiant heating element, and the thermostat can be assembled at a constant level, thereby ensuring the overheating prevention function of the thermostat. In addition to ensuring safety by operating, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable without raising the toilet seat to an appropriate temperature due to a malfunction in which the thermostat is cut early.

  In addition, by holding the lamp heater with a connecting member that has a spring property, even if an impact is applied to the toilet seat, the lamp heater is not directly impacted, preventing damage to the lamp heater. It is something that can be done.

  In the present embodiment, the lamp heater is used as the radiant heating element. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other heaters that emit a large amount of radiant energy such as a high-temperature sheathed heater or a quartz tube heater may be used. In the present embodiment, a lamp heater is employed for the purpose of increasing the temperature rise speed.

  In this embodiment, the holding member is composed of two members, that is, a connection member and a fixing member. However, this is not an essential requirement, and may be formed integrally. In this embodiment, the material has different characteristics. In order to reduce the stability of the shape and the cost by configuring the joining member and the fixing member that are required to be separate members, they are used as separate members.

  In the present embodiment, the upper surface portion of the toilet seat is formed of metal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be formed of a resin material, or may be formed of a resin material and a plurality of materials such as metal. Is also possible. In the present embodiment, metal is used for the purpose of quick warming and weight reduction of the toilet seat.

  As described above, since the heated toilet seat according to the present invention can obtain a highly accurate over-rise prevention function, it can be used for a heating device or the like that is used in direct contact with the human body.

The perspective view of the heating toilet seat of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 1 of this invention The perspective view of the toilet seat in Embodiment 1 of this invention The perspective view inside the toilet seat in Embodiment 1 of this invention The top view which shows the detail of the thermostat attachment part in Embodiment 1 of this invention Sectional drawing of the toilet seat of the thermostat attachment part in Embodiment 1 of this invention The perspective view which shows the detail of the holding member in Embodiment 1 of this invention Cross section of a conventional heated toilet seat

Explanation of symbols

7 Toilet seat 9 Upper surface 11 Cavity 13 Lamp heater (radiant heating element)
14 holding member 15 thermostat 16 connecting member 16a holding part 17 fixing member

Claims (6)

A toilet seat having an upper surface portion and a lower surface portion joined and having a hollow portion therein, a radiant heating element for heating the toilet seat installed in the cavity portion of the toilet seat, and one or more connected in series to the radiant heating element A heating toilet seat comprising a plurality of thermostats, wherein the radiant heating element and the thermostat are attached via a holding member that holds the thermostat at a predetermined interval. 2. The heating toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein the holding member includes a connection member that holds the radiation heating element and the thermostat at a predetermined interval, and a fixing member that fixes the connection member at a predetermined position of the toilet seat. The heating toilet seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixing position of the holding member to the toilet seat can be adjusted in accordance with variations in the shape of the radiant heating element. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holding portion of the radiation-type heating element of the holding member has a spring property. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the radiant heating element is a lamp heater having a configuration in which a filament is passed through a quartz tube and an inert gas is enclosed. The heating toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a part of an upper surface portion of the toilet seat is formed of a metal material.