JP2007307197A - Toilet seat device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toilet seat device for quickly heating a seat face and for controlling at an appropriate temperature by accurately detecting a temperature of the seat face. <P>SOLUTION: Toilet seat casings 24 and 25 are provided with a built-in heater 26 and a built-in noncontact temperature detector 9 which detects temperature of the toilet seat casing 24 used as the seat face. A control means 30 of current application is provided for controlling current applied to the heater 26 from the temperature detected by the noncontact temperature detector 9. The temperature detector 9 detects temperature of the seat face, and the control means 30 controls current applied to the heater 26 built in the toilet seat casings 24 and 25 from the detected temperature. Thereby, it is possible to control temperature of the seat face at an appropriate temperature by detecting the temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet seat apparatus, and more particularly, to a temperature control technique for a toilet seat apparatus that heats a seating surface at a high speed.

  Conventionally, in order to improve a comfortable feeling when sitting on a toilet seat, a heater is built in the toilet seat and heated. And instead of heating and waiting for the toilet seat, the heater is not energized when it is not in use. When it is detected that a person is approaching the toilet seat, the heater is energized for a short time from when it is actually seated. Some have improved the energy-saving effect by heating to a suitable temperature at once.

  Thus, in the toilet seat heated at high speed, there exists a subject that it is difficult to detect the temperature of a toilet seat. That is, the temperature detection cannot follow the rapid change in the temperature of the toilet seat, and a delay in temperature detection is likely to occur. In particular, when the surroundings are cold, such as in winter, the difference between the actual temperature and the detected temperature is large, and a low temperature is detected.If the heater is energized based on the detected temperature, the toilet seat is mistakenly made dangerously hot. There is also a possibility of end.

In order to solve the problem, a resistor is connected in series with the heater, and when the temperature changes suddenly at the beginning of energization of the heater, the heater is energized, and after a predetermined time, the resistor is short-circuited. A method of switching the heater to be energized is proposed, and a thermistor having a fast response with a time constant of 2 seconds or less is used as the temperature detector (for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-110752

  However, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is to suppress the power of the heater to such an extent that the temperature detector can follow, and cannot fully exhibit the feature of being able to heat at high speed. Even if the time constant of the thermistor element itself is 2 seconds or less, the thermistor must actually be installed in the vicinity of a heater that consumes a large amount of power, thus ensuring safety and reliability including insulation. In order to achieve this, the thermistor must be sufficiently protected, and therefore the response is sacrificed. As a result, it is very difficult to secure a temperature detection time constant of 2 seconds or less. Was.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and to provide a toilet seat device that heats a seating surface at high speed, accurately detects the temperature of the seating surface, and controls the seating surface to an appropriate temperature.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a toilet seat device according to the present invention includes a heater, a toilet seat casing that includes the heater and forms a seating surface, and a contactless temperature detection that detects the seating surface temperature of the toilet seat casing in a contactless manner. And an energization control means for controlling energization of the heater based on the temperature detected by the non-contact temperature detector, and the non-contact temperature detector is provided inside the toilet seat casing.

  With this configuration, the toilet seat casing is heated by the heater, the seating surface temperature of the toilet seat casing is detected by a non-contact temperature detector provided inside the toilet seat casing, and the energization control means controls the energization of the heater based on the detected temperature. Therefore, temperature can be detected with high-speed response.

  Since the toilet seat device of the present invention can detect the temperature with high-speed response, it is possible to provide a toilet seat device that heats the seating surface at high speed and accurately detects the temperature of the seating surface and controls it to an appropriate temperature.

  The first invention includes a heater, a toilet seat casing that includes the heater and forms a seating surface, a non-contact temperature detector that detects a seating surface temperature of the toilet seat casing in a non-contact manner, and the non-contact temperature detector. By providing an energization control means for controlling energization of the heater based on the detected temperature, and the non-contact temperature detector is provided inside the toilet seat casing, the toilet seat casing is heated by the heater, and the toilet seat casing The seating surface temperature of the toilet seat casing is detected by a non-contact temperature detector provided in the interior, and the energization control means controls the energization of the heater based on the detected temperature. With this configuration, the non-contact detector can detect the temperature with a high-speed response, and even when heated at high speed with a heater, it is possible to provide a toilet seat device that accurately detects the temperature of the seating surface and controls it appropriately. Become.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in particular, in the toilet seat device of the first aspect of the invention, a non-contact temperature detector is provided inside the toilet seat casing and a non-contact temperature detector is provided in the non-contact temperature chamber. The detector does not receive the radiant energy of the heater directly, the temperature of the non-contact temperature detector itself is stabilized, and the temperature of the seating surface can be accurately detected with a quick response and controlled to an appropriate temperature.

  In a third aspect of the invention, in particular, in the toilet seat device of the second aspect of the invention, a radiant reflector that reflects the radiant energy of the heater to the seating surface is provided in the toilet seat casing, and the outer wall of the warming room is constituted by the radiant reflector. Because the radiant energy of the heater is reflected by the radiant reflector, the temperature inside the warming chamber is prevented from rising due to the radiant energy, the temperature of the non-contact temperature detector itself is more stable, and the temperature of the seating surface is accurately detected with a quick response. It becomes possible to control the temperature appropriately.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, in the toilet seat device of the second or third aspect of the invention, an air inlet and an exhaust port are provided in a toilet seat casing, and a ventilation path in which the intake port and the exhaust port are communicated with each other is provided in a warming chamber. With this configuration, the temperature of the non-contact temperature detector is not affected by the radiant energy of the heater because the temperature of the warming chamber becomes the same as the ambient temperature due to supply and exhaust. The temperature of the non-contact temperature detector itself is prevented more stably, and the temperature of the seating surface can be accurately detected with a quick response and controlled to an appropriate temperature.

  In the fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, the non-contact temperature detector of the first to fourth aspects of the invention is configured to be an infrared sensor having an infrared detection element, so that the temperature can be detected in a non-contact manner. The response of the temperature detection is fast and the temperature of the seating surface can be accurately detected and controlled to an appropriate temperature.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the toilet seat apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a toilet. As shown in FIG. 1, a toilet seat device 2 is mounted. A water pipe is connected to the tank 3 to supply cleaning water into the toilet 1. The toilet seat device 2 includes a main body portion 4, a toilet seat portion 5, and a toilet lid 6.

A toilet seat 5 and a toilet lid 6 are attached to the main body 4 so as to be openable and closable. At least the toilet lid 6 has an opening / closing control means including an electric circuit and a mechanism that can be electrically opened and closed. Yes. The main body portion 4 is provided with a cleaning water supply mechanism including a nozzle portion 7.

  The main body 4 includes a human body detection means 8. The human body detecting means 8 is a reflection type infrared sensor and an electric circuit for irradiating and detecting it. When the human body approaches, the irradiated infrared ray is reflected by the human body and detects that the human body is approaching. Is.

  The toilet seat part 5 consists of a toilet seat casing incorporating a heater, and its upper surface forms a seating surface with its inside recessed. An energization control means comprising an electric circuit for controlling on / off of the heater and the amount of power when the heater is energized is built in the main body 4. The non-contact temperature detector 9 is built in the toilet seat portion 5 and detects the temperature of the seating surface of the toilet seat portion 5 from the inside, and detects the temperature with a range indicated by a broken line A in the drawing as a visual field. Then, the energization control means controls the energization of the heater based on the temperature.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the non-contact temperature detector 9. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes an infrared detection element, which is a thermopile. The infrared detection element 10 is fixed to the substrate 11, and the lead wire 12 connected to the output portion is pulled out and sealed in the sealing can 13 with a sealing lid 14 and a filter 15. The filter 15 is for cutting disturbance light, and cuts light having a wavelength shorter than 5 μm, for example.

  Reference numeral 16 denotes a convex lens, and an aperture 17 is provided in the sealing can 13. The focal point of the convex lens 16, the positional relationship of the infrared detection element 10, the area of the infrared detection element 10, and the area and position of the aperture 17. The viewing angle is determined by the relationship, and is designed so that the range of A in FIG.

  The infrared detection element 10 outputs a DC voltage having a correlation with the temperature difference between the temperature of the element itself and the temperature in the visual field range A in FIG. Therefore, if the temperature of the infrared detection element 10 itself is known, the temperature of the visual field range A in FIG. 1 can be known as an absolute value. For this purpose, a thermistor 18 is brought into close contact with the sealing lid 14 as a reference temperature detector. 18 detects the temperature of the infrared detection element 10 itself. Reference numeral 19 denotes a lead wire for taking out the output of the thermistor 18.

  The output of the infrared detection element 10 output from the lead wire 12 and the output of the thermistor 18 output from the lead wire 19 are input to the temperature detection circuit 20. The temperature detection circuit 20 includes an amplification circuit 21, an AD conversion circuit 22, and a temperature calculation circuit 23. The amplification circuit 21 is an analog circuit that amplifies the output voltage from the infrared detection element 10, and the AD conversion circuit 22 changes the voltage of the output of the infrared detection element 10 output via the amplification circuit 21 and the resistance change of the thermistor 18. The temperature calculation circuit 23 includes a CPU programmed with a mathematical formula, and calculates the temperature by adding the output from the infrared detection element 10 and the output from the thermistor 18. .

  FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the toilet seat 5 as viewed from above. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the toilet seat section BB shown in FIG. The structure of the toilet seat part 5 is demonstrated based on FIG. The toilet seat 5 includes two toilet seat casings, a toilet seat front plate 24 and a toilet seat back plate 25, and the toilet seat front plate 24 forms a seating surface. A heater 26 is provided in the internal cavity formed by the toilet seat front plate 24 and the toilet seat back plate 25. The heater 26 is a lamp heater that is heated by radiation, and is constructed by penetrating a tungsten filament 28 inside a glass tube 27. A radiation reflector 29 having a mirror finished aluminum plate is provided under the lamp heater 26 so that the radiation energy from the lamp heater 26 is concentrated on the toilet seat surface plate 24. With this configuration, the temperature of the toilet seat surface plate 24 serving as a seating surface can be rapidly increased at a rate of 1 degree or more per second immediately after the lamp heater 26 is turned on.

  The toilet seat surface plate 24 is formed by painting metal, and receives a radiant heat from the lamp heater 26 and rises in temperature with a quick response. Moreover, since it comprises metal, heat conduction can make the temperature of the whole seating surface uniform quickly. For this reason, only the temperature of the region A shown in FIG. 1 is detected, and a condition equivalent to the temperature detection of almost the entire seating surface is created. In addition, since the coating is applied, the reflection of light by metal can be minimized, and the temperature can be accurately detected without being influenced by the temperature other than the seating surface and the influence of disturbance.

  In addition, a radiation reflector 101 having a mirror-finished surface facing the heater 26 is provided inside the toilet seat portion 5, and a heat retention chamber 102 surrounded by the radiation reflector 101, the toilet seat front plate 24, and the toilet seat back plate 25 is provided. ing. And the non-contact temperature detector 9 is provided in the inside of the thermal storage room 102, and the temperature of the toilet seat front plate 24, that is, the temperature of the seating surface is detected from the inside. As described above, by providing the non-contact temperature detector 9 in the thermal storage chamber 102, the non-contact temperature detector 9 does not receive the radiation energy of the heater 26 directly. Moreover, since the radiant energy of the heater 26 is reflected by the radiation reflector 101, the temperature rise in the thermal storage chamber 102 can be prevented.

  In general, the thermopile 10 has a hot junction and a cold junction, and outputs a DC voltage having a correlation with a temperature difference between the hot junction and the cold junction. Assuming that the temperature of the hot junction is T1, the temperature rise ΔT due to the radiation energy obtained from the visual field range is added to T1, and becomes T1 + ΔT. On the other hand, if the ambient temperature is T2, the cold junction temperature is T2 without receiving radiant energy because no light is applied. Here, in order to know the radiant energy from the visual field range, T1 = T2 is a major premise, and only ΔT can be calculated from the output voltage under the condition.

  In order to equalize the temperature of the hot junction and the cold junction, the temperature from the sealing can 13 to the sealing lid 14 must be kept uniform, and in particular, there is a heat source such as a heater in the vicinity, and the ambient temperature is rapidly increased. This uniformity must be maintained even in a state in which changes.

  For this purpose, an air inlet 103 is provided in the toilet seat front plate 24, an exhaust port 104 is provided in the toilet seat back plate 25, and an air passage 105 is formed in the warming chamber 102. Then, the temperature of the non-contact temperature detector is not affected by the radiant energy of the heater, and the temperature of the non-contact temperature detector 9 is prevented, and the sealed can 13 To the sealing lid 14 are set to a uniform temperature. Here, a blower may be provided in the main body 4, and an air flow blown from the blower may be introduced from the intake port 103.

  As described above, the non-contact temperature detector 9 outputs a voltage having a correlation with the temperature difference between the temperature of the infrared detection element itself and the temperature of the visual field to be measured. Since the temperature of the infrared detection element itself of the non-contact temperature detector 9 is stabilized by 101, the ventilation path 105, etc., it becomes possible to detect the temperature of the seating surface more accurately.

  Again, a structure and an effect | action are demonstrated based on FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the lamp heater 26 and the radiation reflecting plate 29 are U-shaped in accordance with the seating surface. The energization control means 30 controls the energization of the lamp heater 26. In the energization control, the energization power is controlled by power on / off control or phase angle control. The human body detecting means 8 and the non-contact temperature detector 9 send signals to the energization control means 30.

When the human body detecting means 8 detects that a person has approached the toilet seat device 2, the energization control means 30 energizes the lamp heater 26 and heats the toilet seat surface plate 24 serving as a seating surface. On the other hand, the non-contact temperature detector 9 detects the temperature of the area A shown in FIG. If the detected temperature is lower than the preset temperature or the temperature set by the user, the electric power supplied to the lamp heater 26 is increased, and if it is higher, it is decreased or cut off. By performing such feedback control, the temperature of the seating surface is controlled to be kept at the set temperature. Since the non-contact temperature detector 9 measures the radiation temperature, the response is faster than the measurement of the temperature by heat conduction, and even the seating surface such as the lamp heater 26 where the temperature rises rapidly due to the radiation is increased. The temperature can be measured following.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the toilet seat surface plate 24 is heated by the heater 26, and the temperature of the toilet seat surface plate 24 that is the seating surface is detected by the non-contact temperature detector 9 provided inside the toilet seat 5. Since the energization control means 30 controls the energization of the heater based on the detected temperature, the non-contact detector can detect the temperature with a high-speed response, and accurately adjust the temperature of the seating surface following the high-speed heating by the heater. It is possible to provide a toilet seat device that detects and controls the temperature appropriately.

  In addition, since the warming chamber 102 that is isolated from the heater 29 is provided in the toilet seat 5 and the non-contact temperature detector 9 is provided in the warm chamber 102, the non-contact temperature detector 9 directly receives the radiation energy of the heater. Thus, the temperature of the non-contact temperature detector 9 itself is stabilized, and the temperature of the seating surface can be accurately detected with a quick response and controlled to an appropriate temperature.

  Further, by configuring the outer wall of the warming chamber 102 with the radiation reflecting plate 101 that reflects the radiation energy of the heater, the radiation energy of the heater 26 is reflected by the radiation reflecting plate 101, so the temperature rise in the warming chamber 102 due to the radiation energy. Thus, the temperature of the non-contact temperature detector itself is more stable, and the temperature of the seating surface can be accurately detected with a quick response and controlled to an appropriate temperature.

  Further, by providing the toilet seat front plate 24 and the toilet seat back plate 25 with the intake port 103 and the exhaust port 104 and providing the ventilation chamber 105 with the intake port 103 and the exhaust port 104 in communication with each other, Since 102 becomes the same as the ambient temperature due to air supply / exhaust, the temperature environment of the non-contact temperature detector 9 is not affected by the radiation energy of the heater 26, preventing the temperature increase of the non-contact temperature detector 9 and the non-contact temperature. The temperature of the detector 9 itself becomes more stable, and the temperature of the seating surface can be accurately detected with a quick response and controlled to an appropriate temperature.

  In addition, the non-contact temperature detector is an infrared sensor having an infrared detection element, so that the temperature can be detected in a non-contact manner, and the temperature detection response is fast and the seating surface temperature is accurately detected. It becomes possible to control the temperature appropriately.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the heater is a single lamp heater has been described. However, this lamp heater is composed of a plurality of lamp heaters, or a structure in which a plurality of types of heaters are built in the toilet seat. It may be. Furthermore, a heating system in which the heater is not built in the toilet seat, for example, a configuration in which warm air is applied to the seating surface or the heater is embedded in the toilet lid may be configured to warm the seating portion.

  In this embodiment, the toilet seat is heated uniformly. However, only the necessary part is heated, and when the toilet seat temperature becomes uneven, the temperature of the part with the highest rate of temperature rise is detected. Then, control on the safe side is possible, and even if it is configured to detect the temperature of the portion showing the average temperature, it is possible to raise the temperature to an appropriate temperature and adjust the temperature appropriately.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the non-contact temperature detector has been described with a configuration including a thermopile that is an infrared detection element, but there are other pyroelectric sensors, for example. In this case, a chopper for interrupting the visual field Although a mechanism is required and the configuration is somewhat complicated, the response is quicker than that of a thermopile, and it is possible to detect the temperature several tens of times per second, so that it can be applied to a configuration that raises the temperature of the seating surface at a higher speed. .

In the present embodiment, the toilet seat front plate is provided with a through-hole serving as an intake port, and the toilet seat back plate is provided with a through-hole serving as an exhaust port. The mouth may be provided at a joint portion for joining the toilet seat front plate and the toilet seat back plate, and since the through hole is not formed in the toilet seat casing, the strength of the toilet seat casing can be maintained.

  As described above, the toilet seat device according to the present invention heats the seating surface at high speed and accurately detects the temperature of the seating surface and controls it at an appropriate temperature, so that it can be seated even if the person starts heating after approaching the toilet seat. By the time it can be raised to a comfortable temperature, it is not necessary to heat and keep warm when not in use, energy can be saved, and it can be applied to similar heating and heating equipment.

The perspective view when the toilet seat apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention is mounted | worn with a toilet bowl Explanatory drawing of the structure of the non-contact temperature detector in the same embodiment Explanatory drawing of the structure of the toilet seat part in the embodiment Sectional view of the toilet seat in the same embodiment

Explanation of symbols

2 Toilet seat device 5 Toilet seat portion 9 Non-contact temperature detector 10 Infrared detector 24 Toilet seat cover (toilet seat casing)
25 Toilet seat back plate (toilet seat casing)
26 Heater 30 Energization Control Means 101 Radiation Reflector Plate 102 Thermal Storage Room 103 Air Inlet 104 Air Outlet 105 Ventilation Path

Claims (5)

Based on a heater, a toilet seat casing that incorporates the heater and forms a seating surface, a non-contact temperature detector that detects the seating surface temperature of the toilet seat casing in a non-contact manner, and a temperature detected by the non-contact temperature detector A toilet seat device comprising energization control means for controlling energization of the heater, wherein the non-contact temperature detector is provided inside the toilet seat casing. The toilet seat device according to claim 1, wherein a toilet room is provided in the toilet seat casing to be isolated from the heater, and the non-contact temperature detector is provided in the chamber. The toilet seat device according to claim 2, wherein a radiation reflector that reflects the radiation energy of the heater to the seating surface is provided in the toilet seat casing, and an outer wall of a warming chamber is configured by the radiation reflector. The toilet seat device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an air inlet and an exhaust port are provided in a toilet seat casing, and an air passage that connects the air intake port and the exhaust port is provided in a warming chamber. The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the non-contact temperature detector has an infrared detection element.

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