JP2009297362A - Biological toilet system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a biological toilet system enabling a bowl to be repeatedly used by previously preventing an agitation motor from being overloaded even at a high frequency of the use of the bowl. <P>SOLUTION: The biological toilet system is provided with a bowl use sensing means 22 for sensing the use of the bowl 12 and a running temperature changing means 30a for changing a temperature inside a digestion tank 13 to a higher temperature than a specified one from a signal of the sensing means 22 at the higher frequency of the use of the bowl 12 than the normal. At the higher frequency of the use of the bowl 12, the temperature inside the tank 13 becomes higher than the specified one, promoting vaporization in a housed object 2 inside the tank 13 to prevent the object 2 from becoming a mass. Thereby even at the higher frequency of the use of the bowl 12, a drive force for agitating the object 2 is saved, enabling the overload of the agitation motor 15 to be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a biotoilet device that decomposes excrement by microorganisms, and in particular, a biotoilet that prevents an overload of a motor for agitating stored items in a digestion tank even when the toilet bowl is used frequently. Relates to the device.

Biotoilet equipment is used in nuclear power plants, for example, because it does not need to pump out waste or drain it into sewage because it eliminates waste by breeding bio-fungi in the digestion tank (treatment tank). ing. In the biotoilet device, it is necessary to appropriately adjust the temperature in the digestion tank in order to maintain the breeding environment of the bio-bacteria, and a technique is known in which the temperature in the digestion tank is automatically adjusted by a heater (for example, (See Patent Document 1). In this biotoilet device, the heater is turned on and off based on the temperature sensor to keep the temperature of the biochip in the digestion tank within a predetermined range, and the excrement and the biochip are agitated by the stirring blade. .
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-257966

  By the way, nuclear power plants are obliged to regularly inspect the facilities, and at the time of periodic inspections, more nuclear equipment manufacturers and electric power company workers enter the nuclear power plants than usual. The frequency of use of the toilet becomes high. For this reason, there is a problem that the motor that drives the stirring blade for stirring the stored items in which the excrement and the biochip are mixed is overloaded, and the biotoilet apparatus cannot be used continuously. That is, in the biotoilet device, when the frequency of use of the toilet becomes high, the amount of water in the digestive tub increases due to the excrement, and with this increase in the amount of water, the stored items become agglomerate by stirring and stored. The driving force for stirring the material is significantly increased. For this reason, it is possible to continue to use the biotoilet device, such as when the agitation motor is overloaded, the current flowing through the motor increases and an abnormal alarm called a thermal trip occurs, or the agitation mechanism bearing is corroded. There was a problem that it was impossible.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a biotoilet device that prevents an agitation motor from being overloaded even when the frequency of use of the toilet bowl becomes high, and enables the use of the toilet bowl continuously. And

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 includes a digestion tank for storing excrement from a biochip and a toilet and extinguishing the excrement by the biochip, the biochip and the excrement, And a heater for heating the digestion tank to a predetermined temperature to keep the stored article warm, and using the toilet Toilet use detecting means for detecting, and an operating temperature switching means for switching the temperature in the digestive tub to a temperature higher than the predetermined temperature when the use frequency of the toilet is higher than normal based on a signal from the toilet use detecting means And a biotoilet device.

  According to this invention, when the frequency of use of the toilet bowl is high, the inside of the digestion tank becomes higher than a predetermined temperature, so that the evaporation of the water content in the digestion tank is promoted, and the stored article becomes a nodule. Avoided. Therefore, even when the toilet bowl is used frequently, the driving force for stirring the stored items is small, and overloading of the stirring motor is prevented.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the biotoilet device according to claim 1, wherein the toilet use detecting means is configured by a beam sensor that detects a user of the toilet without contact. .

  The invention according to claim 3 is the biotoilet device according to claim 1, wherein the operation temperature switching means makes the operation setting time of the heater variable according to the frequency of use of the toilet. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the biotoilet device according to the first aspect, the operation temperature switching means makes the operation set temperature of the heater variable according to the frequency of use of the toilet. .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the agitation motor from being overloaded even when the toilet is used frequently. Corrosion can be avoided. As a result, the toilet can be used continuously for a long period of time, and it is possible to sufficiently cope with an increase in personnel due to periodic inspections of nuclear facilities and the like without adding an expensive biotoilet device.

  According to invention of Claim 2, since the user of a biotoilet apparatus can be detected non-contactingly, the special operation by the user for the use frequency confirmation becomes unnecessary.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the heater operation setting time can be made variable in accordance with the use frequency of the toilet, when the use frequency of the toilet becomes high, the heater is operated with respect to the normal time. By lengthening the time, the inside of the digestion tank can be raised above a predetermined temperature, and the moisture in the stored items can be kept moderate.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since the operation set temperature of the heater can be made variable according to the use frequency of the toilet bowl, when the use frequency of the toilet bowl becomes high as in the case of claim 3, it is normal. By increasing the set temperature in the digestion tank with respect to time, it is possible to keep the moisture in the stored items moderate.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
1 to 5 show Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The biotoilet apparatus 10 in FIG. 1 has a function of decomposing and eliminating the excrement by microorganisms, and does not need to pump out the excrement or flow it into sewage, and is used, for example, in a nuclear power plant. The biotoilet device 10 has a vertically long toilet house 11, and a door 11 a that can be opened and closed is provided on the front surface of the toilet house 11. The user 1 can enter and exit the toilet house 11 by operating the door knob 11b to open and close the door 11a. In the toilet house 11, a toilet 12, a digestion tank (treatment tank) 13, a stirring blade 14, a motor 15, a heater 16, and the like are mainly disposed. A power cord 17 for supplying power to the toilet house 11 is connected to the lower side of the toilet house 11.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the user 1 can sit on the upper surface of the toilet 12. Below the toilet 12, a digestion tank 13 having a circular planar shape is disposed as shown in FIG. Excrement from the toilet 12 side falls into the digestion tank 13. Inside the digestion tank 13, a stored item 2 in which excrement and biochip (not shown) are mixed is stored. In the digestion tank 13, the excrement is decomposed and eliminated by the biochip of the biochip. A biochip replenisher 37 for storing biochips is provided behind the toilet bowl 12. The biochip replenisher 37 has a function of automatically supplying biochips to the digestion tank 13 periodically.

  In the digestion tank 13, a stirring blade 14 for stirring the stored item 2 is disposed. The stirring blade 14 is connected to a stirring motor 15 through a stirring shaft 15a. The stirring blade 14 is a disk-like member that is attached to the stirring shaft 15a so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle, and is rotated around the shaft center in the digestion tank 13 by the motor 15. The motor 15 that drives the stirring blade 14 operates at regular intervals in response to a command from a control device 30 described later.

  In the digestion tank 13, a temperature sensor 31 for detecting the temperature in the digestion tank 13 is provided. On the outer periphery of the digestion tank 13, a heater 16 is provided that heats the inside of the digestion tank 13 and maintains the stored item 2 in which excrement and biochip are mixed at a predetermined temperature. The heater 16 is composed of, for example, an electric heater. As shown in FIG. 3, the heater 16 is connected to a temperature adjustment means 35 that operates based on a signal from the temperature sensor 31, and heats the digestion tank 13 to a predetermined temperature by on / off control by the temperature adjustment means 35. The stored item 2 is kept warm. A weight detection sensor 32 for detecting the weight of the digestion tank 13 is disposed below the digestion tank 13. As the weight detection sensor 32, a strain gauge that converts weight into an electric signal is employed. The side wall of the digestion tank 13 is provided with an air supply port (not shown). By sending air into the digestion tank 13 from the air supply port, the biobacteria contained in the biochip in the digestion tank 13 can be obtained. I try to work effectively.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a lower limit level meter 33 for detecting the lower limit level of the biochip in the digestion tank 13 is disposed on the outer periphery of the digestion tank 13. The lower limit level meter 33 includes a light emitting unit 33a and a light receiving unit 33b. A pair of passage windows made of a transparent plate for attaching the lower limit level meter 33 are formed on the side wall of the digestion tank 13 so as to face each other. The lower limit level meter 33 is configured such that the laser beam 33c emitted from the light emitting unit 33a is received by the light receiving unit 33b through the passage window, and the lower limit level of the biochip depends on whether or not the laser beam 33c is received. Will be detected.

  A water supply tank 21 for storing water is disposed at a position adjacent to the digestion tank 13 in the toilet house 11. Water is periodically supplied from the water supply tank 21 to the digestion tank 13 via an on-off valve (solenoid valve) 36 as water supply means. An exhaust duct 18 extending upward is connected to the upper portion of the digestion tank 13. In the middle of the exhaust duct 18, a filter device 20 that captures dust and the like from the digestion tank 13 and a humidity sensor 34 that detects the humidity of the exhaust are provided. The humidity sensor 34 has a function of indirectly detecting the humidity in the digestion tank 13. The downstream end of the filter device 20 in the exhaust duct 18 is connected to an exhaust port 19 provided at the top of the toilet house 11.

  A control device 30 is provided in the toilet house 11. As shown in FIG. 3, signals from the temperature sensor 31, the weight detection sensor 32, the lower limit level meter 33, and the humidity sensor 34 are input to the control device 30. An operation command signal is output from the control device 30 to the temperature adjusting means 35, the on-off valve 36, and the biochip replenisher 37.

  A toilet use detection means 22 for detecting the user 1 who uses the toilet 12 is attached to the inner wall surface of the toilet house 11. The toilet use detection means 22 includes a beam sensor that detects the user 1 of the toilet 12 in a non-contact manner. As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet use detection means 22 has a light emitting part 22 a provided on one inner wall surface of the toilet house 11 and a light receiving part 22 b provided on the other inner wall surface of the toilet house 11. ing. The toilet use detection means 22 emits a plurality of light beams 22c from the light emitting unit 22a toward the light receiving unit 22b, and the light beam 22c from the light emitting unit 22a toward the light receiving unit 22b is blocked by the user 1. Therefore, it has a function of detecting the user 1 in the toilet house 11. The toilet use detection means 22 is connected to the operating temperature switching means 30a of the control device 30 as shown in FIG. The operating temperature switching means 30a has a function of switching the temperature in the digestion tank 13 to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature when the use frequency of the toilet 12 is higher than normal based on a signal from the toilet use detection means 22. Yes.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of energization control of the heater 16 by the operating temperature switching means 30a. The operation temperature switching means 30a is configured to vary the operation setting time of the heater 16 according to the use frequency of the toilet 12, and when the use frequency of the toilet 12 is high, the heater 16 is energized during normal times. Increase time. As shown in FIG. 5, the operating temperature switching means 30a turns on the heater 16 for a time T1, then turns off the time T2, and then turns off the heater 16 for a time T3. After that, the heater 16 is turned off for a time T4. Thus, during normal times when the toilet 12 is not used frequently, energization control is performed to keep the temperature in the digestion tank 13 at a predetermined temperature (for example, 30 ° C.). The on / off control of the heater 16 in FIG. 5 is T1 = T3 for the on time and T2 = T4 for the off time. And if the use frequency of the toilet bowl 12 becomes high, the ON time of the heater 16 will be set to T5, and will become longer than the normal ON time T1 and T3. Thereby, it is possible to make the temperature in the digestion tank 13 higher than a predetermined temperature.

  Next, the operation of the biotoilet apparatus 10 in the first embodiment will be described.

  Appropriate temperature and moisture are necessary to make the bio-bacteria contained in the biochip of the digestion tank 13 work effectively. Therefore, the inside of the digestion tank 13 is heated by the heater 16 and supplied from the water-supply tank 21 by the bio-bacteria. An optimal environment is formed. The appropriate level of the biochip accommodated in the digestion tank 13 exceeds at least the lower limit level, so that the excrement is surely eliminated by a sufficient amount of biochip.

  In the first embodiment, when the frequency of use of the toilet bowl 12 is increased, control for increasing the temperature in the digestion tank 13 is performed. First, a control operation in normal times when the use frequency of the toilet bowl 12 is not high will be described. To do.

  The water content of the biochip is calculated as follows. The control device 30 is set with a digestion tank weight (W) when an appropriate level of biochip is stored in the digestion tank 13, and the control device 30 detects the detected weight (W 2) from the weight detection sensor 32. Based on the digester weight (W), the amount of water in the biochip is calculated. Since the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 34 increases as the amount of water in the digestion tank 13 increases, the control device 30 causes the moisture in the digestion tank 13 to be excessive depending on the detected humidity (H1) and the amount of water. It is determined whether or not. A lower limit value and an upper limit value of the moisture amount are set in the control device 30 in advance, the calculated moisture amount exceeds the upper limit value, and the detected humidity (H1) is equal to or higher than the set humidity (H). It is determined that the water is excessive. If the water is excessive, the control device 30 controls the energization of the heater 16 via the temperature adjusting means 35 to evaporate the water in the digestion tank 13.

  Next, the control apparatus 30 determines whether the water | moisture content in the digestion tank 13 is small according to detection humidity (H1) and a moisture content. The control device 30 determines that the moisture in the digestion tank 13 is low when the calculated amount of water falls below the lower limit and when the detected humidity (H1) is less than the set humidity (H). When the controller 30 determines that the water content is low, the controller 30 opens the open / close valve 36 to supply water to the digestion tank 13.

  The control device 30 controls the biochip replenisher 37 to replenish the biochip to the digestion tank 13, and this replenishment is performed according to the level detected by the lower limit level meter 33. When the level of the biochip falls below the lower limit level, the laser light 33c is received by the light receiving unit 33b from the light emitting unit 33a. When the laser beam 33c is received by the light receiving unit 33b and the level of the biochip becomes less than the lower limit value, the control device 30 controls the biochip replenisher 37 to replenish the digestion tank 13 with the biochip. Then, the control device 30 replenishes the digestion tank 13 with the biochip replenisher 37 until the laser light 33c from the light emitting unit 33a is not received by the light receiving unit 33b.

  As described above, in the biotoilet apparatus 10, the internal environment of the digestion tank 13 is controlled based on signals from various sensors input to the control apparatus 30, so that the breeding of biobacteria in the digestion tank 13 is performed. The environment can be maintained properly, and the excrement elimination process is performed reliably. In addition, since biochip replenishment and water supply to the digestion tank 13 are performed automatically, maintenance and management by humans becomes almost unnecessary, and maintenance and management of the biotoilet apparatus 10 becomes easy.

  As described above, in normal times when the toilet 12 is used less frequently, the control device 30 performs energization control of the heater 16 according to the detected temperature from the temperature sensor 31, and the digestion tank 13 is maintained at a predetermined temperature. When the use frequency of the toilet 12 becomes high, energization control of the heater 16 is performed in consideration of the overload of the stirring motor 15.

  FIG. 4 shows a procedure for energization control of the heater 16 in consideration of overload of the stirring motor 15. In step S <b> 1 of FIG. 4, the user 1 of the toilet 12 is detected by the toilet use detection means 22. Here, since the detection of the user 1 of the toilet 1 is performed in a non-contact manner by the beam sensor, a special operation by the user 1 for confirming the number of times of use becomes unnecessary. Next, it progresses to step S2 and the total of the frequency | count of use of the toilet bowl 12 is calculated. When the total number of times the toilet 12 has been used is calculated, it is determined in step S3 whether the toilet 12 is frequently used. That is, here, the number of times the toilet 12 is used per unit time is calculated and compared with the number of times the toilet 12 is used in normal times. If it is determined in step S3 that the frequency of use of the toilet bowl 12 is not high, the process proceeds to step S4, and the inside of the digestion tank 13 is maintained at a predetermined temperature in the same manner as normal.

  In step S3, when it is determined that the use frequency of the toilet 12 is high, the process proceeds to step S5, and the inside of the digestion tank 13 is switched to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the operating temperature switching means 30a changes the time T1 and T3 of energization to the heater 16 to time T5 and switches the digestion tank 13 to a high temperature. Thereby, evaporation of the water | moisture content of the stored item 2 in the digestion tank 13 is accelerated | stimulated, and it is avoided that the stored item 2 becomes a conglomerate. Therefore, the driving force for stirring the stored item 2 is small, and overloading of the stirring motor 15 is prevented. Further, since the biochip can withstand use up to a temperature of about 80 ° C., even if the temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature of 30 ° C. in the digestion tank 13, there is little influence on the function of the biochip.

  As described above, even when the toilet 12 is used frequently, it is possible to prevent the agitation motor 15 from being overloaded, avoiding the occurrence of an abnormal alarm called a thermal trip and the corrosion of the agitation mechanism bearing. Can do. Thereby, the toilet 12 can be continuously used for a long period of time, and it is possible to sufficiently cope with an increase in personnel due to periodic inspections of nuclear facilities without adding an expensive biotoilet device 10.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention and shows a modification of FIG. In the first embodiment, the operation setting time of the heater 16 is made variable according to the use frequency of the toilet 12, but in the second embodiment, the operation set temperature of the heater 16 is made variable according to the use frequency of the toilet 12. It is said. As shown in FIG. 6, the operating temperature switching means 30a sets the temperature in the digestion tank 13 to a predetermined temperature, a first set temperature X1, a second set temperature X2, and a second set based on a signal from the toilet use detection means 22. Switching is made to four stages of three set temperatures X3.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the time T7 and T9 when the use frequency of the toilet bowl 12 is low, the inside of the digestion tank 13 is maintained at a predetermined temperature. As the frequency of use of the toilet 12 increases, the set temperature in the digestion tank 13 increases. At time T6, temperature control is performed using the set temperature X1, and at time T8 when the use frequency of the toilet 12 is higher than time T6, the set temperature. Temperature control by X2 is performed. Furthermore, at time T10 when the use frequency of the toilet 12 is higher than time T8, temperature control is performed using the set temperature X3. Thus, since the operation set temperature of the heater 16 can be varied according to the use frequency of the toilet bowl 12, even when the number of times the toilet bowl 12 is used per unit time increases, The optimum state can be maintained, and overloading of the stirring motor 15 can be prevented in advance.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, but the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention, It is included in this invention. For example, in the first embodiment, the use of the toilet 12 is detected using a beam sensor. However, the detection is performed using a switch that interlocks with the opening / closing of the door 11a or a mat switch arranged on the floor of the toilet house 11. It is good also as composition to do.

It is sectional drawing of the bio-toilet apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1. It is a block diagram which shows the control system in the apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the temperature control procedure of the digester in the apparatus of FIG. It is a characteristic view which shows the electricity supply control of the heater in the apparatus of FIG. It is a characteristic view which shows the electricity supply control of the heater in the bio-toilet apparatus concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Storage 10 Biotoilet device 12 Toilet 13 Digestion tank 14 Stirring blade 15 Motor 16 Heater 21 Water supply tank 22 Toilet use detection means 30 Control device 30a Operating temperature switching means 31 Temperature sensor 32 Weight detection sensor 33 Lower limit level gauge 34 Humidity sensor 35 Temperature adjusting means 36 On-off valve 37 Biochip replenisher

Claims (4)

A digester for storing biochip and waste from a toilet and erasing the waste with the biochip, and a motor for stirring the stored matter in the digester where the biochip and the waste are mixed And a biotoilet device having a heater for heating the digestion tank to a predetermined temperature and keeping the stored items warm,
Toilet use detection means for detecting the use of the toilet;
If the frequency of use of the toilet is higher than normal based on the signal from the toilet use detection means, the operation temperature switching means for switching the temperature in the digestion tank to a temperature higher than the predetermined temperature,
A biotoilet device comprising:   The bio-toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the toilet use detection means includes a beam sensor that detects a user of the toilet without contact.   The bio-toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the operation temperature switching means makes the operation setting time of the heater variable according to the use frequency of the toilet.   The bio-toilet device according to claim 1, wherein the operation temperature switching means makes the operation setting temperature of the heater variable according to the use frequency of the toilet.

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