JP2010017248A - Movable toilet unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a movable toilet unit capable of reducing burdens on a caregiver caring a care-receiver and preventing indoor amenity from being deteriorated by an odor or the like after use. <P>SOLUTION: The toilet unit 10 includes a toilet bowl 20 having a container for housing excreta below a seat surface 22, and moving means 30 for supporting the toilet bowl 20 movably on the floor surface 3 of a building 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet unit, and more particularly to a movable toilet unit that is effective in supporting the self-exclusion of a cared person on a bed in a room.

  Caregivers such as those who have difficulty walking (hereinafter referred to as “caregivers”) receive assistance from caregivers because it is difficult to move from an indoor bed to a toilet in a hospital, welfare facility, or home. While moving to the toilet, excretion.

In addition, in order to reduce labor, time and labor required for caregivers, a simple toilet (portable toilet) that can be provided indoors has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-287880 A

  However, if a simple toilet is provided in the room, the comfort of the room is deteriorated due to the odor emitted from the toilet after use.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and by configuring the toilet bowl to be movable, the burden on the caregiver who cares for the care recipient can be reduced and used. An object of the present invention is to provide a toilet unit capable of preventing the indoor comfort from being deteriorated by a later odor or the like.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
That is, the toilet unit of the present invention includes a toilet having a container for storing excrement below the seat surface, and a moving means for supporting the toilet.

  According to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the toilet is supported by the moving means, the toilet unit can be easily carried into the room even if the toilet unit is stored in a place away from the room. Therefore, the burden on the caregiver who cares for the care recipient can be reduced. In addition, since the toilet unit can be stored in a place away from the room, the occupancy of the room is not deteriorated by the odor emitted from the toilet unit after use.

  In the toilet unit of the present invention, the moving means includes a base that supports the toilet, a wheel that is provided on the base, a motor that is provided on the base and rotationally drives the wheel, and the base. It is good also as providing the lithium ion battery provided in a stand and supplying electric power to the said motor.

  According to the toilet unit of the present invention, by supplying electric power from the lithium ion battery to the motor, the motor is rotationally driven, and the wheel is rotationally driven by the rotationally driven motor. The toilet bowl will move.

  In this case, since the moving means is a simple mechanism and control composed of a base, wheels, a motor, and a lithium ion battery, it is easy to manufacture and can reduce the cost required for manufacturing. Can be provided at low cost.

  Moreover, since the lithium ion battery has higher output and lighter than other known batteries, the total weight of the toilet unit can be reduced.

  The toilet unit of the present invention may include an obstacle sensor that detects an obstacle, and the rotation drive of the motor is controlled by a detection signal from the obstacle sensor.

  According to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the rotational drive of the motor is controlled by the detection signal of the obstacle sensor, the toilet unit does not collide with the obstacle when the toilet unit moves, and safety is ensured. Can be increased.

  The toilet unit of the present invention may be characterized in that an elevating means for elevating and lowering the toilet bowl is provided between the base and the toilet bowl.

  According to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the elevator unit for raising and lowering the toilet bowl is provided, the position of the toilet bowl (height of the seat surface) can be adjusted by raising and lowering the toilet bowl. It can correspond to the people who are.

  Furthermore, the toilet unit according to the present invention includes control means for controlling the rotational drive of the motor so that the moving means moves between two designated points along a designated route. It is good also as doing.

  According to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the control means controls the rotational drive of the motor, the moving means moves along the designated route between the designated two points. No need to carry in. Therefore, even when there is no caregiver, the care recipient can move and use the toilet unit near him.

  As described above, according to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the toilet is supported by the moving means, the toilet unit can be easily placed indoors even if the toilet unit is stored away from the room. Can be carried in. Therefore, the burden on the caregiver who cares for the care recipient can be reduced. In addition, since the toilet unit can be stored in a place away from the room, the occupancy of the room is not deteriorated by the odor emitted from the toilet unit after use.

  Further, according to the toilet unit of the present invention, the moving means includes a base, a wheel, a motor, and a lithium ion battery, and has a simple mechanism and control. The cost required for manufacturing the entire unit can be kept low, and an inexpensive product can be provided. Moreover, since the lithium ion battery has higher output and lighter than other known batteries, the total weight of the toilet unit can be reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the rotational drive of the motor is controlled by the detection signal of the obstacle sensor, the toilet unit does not collide with the obstacle when the toilet unit moves, Safety can be increased.

  Furthermore, according to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the toilet unit is provided for raising and lowering the toilet bowl, the position of the toilet bowl (height of the seat surface) can be adjusted by raising and lowering the toilet bowl. It can correspond to various different people, and can improve versatility.

  Further, according to the toilet unit of the present invention, since the control means controls the motor, the moving means moves along the designated route between the two designated points. The need for is gone. Therefore, even when there is no caregiver, the care recipient can move and use the toilet unit close to himself / herself, and the burden on the caregiver can be reduced.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 4 show an embodiment of a toilet unit according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire toilet unit, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the toilet unit in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a storage state of the toilet unit in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the use condition of the toilet unit of FIG.

  That is, the toilet unit 10 according to the present embodiment performs independent excretion of a cared person (hereinafter referred to as “caregiver”) such as a walking difficult person in the room 2 of the building 1 such as a hospital, welfare facility, or home. It is effective for support, and is provided in the toilet 20, the moving means 30 which is provided under the toilet 20, and supports the toilet 20 movably on the floor surface 3 of the building 1, the moving means 30 and the toilet 20, a lifting / lowering means 40 that moves the toilet 20 up and down in the vertical direction, and a moving means 30 and a control means 50 that controls the lifting / lowering means 40 are provided.

The toilet unit 10 is controlled to move between two points of the charging station 4a in the outdoor 4 and the bed 2a in the indoor 2 along the movement path 5 designated in advance by the control of the moving means 30 by the control means 50. It has become.
In the present embodiment, the movement path 5 is designated by sticking a guide tape 5a such as a magnetic tape to the floor surface 3.

  The toilet bowl 20 includes a seat surface 22 in which a substantially oval through hole 21 is formed at the upper center, and a container (not shown) that is provided below the seat surface 22 and that stores excreta. The toilet 20 is not limited to the one having the above-described configuration, and various known simple toilets can be used.

The moving means 30 includes a rectangular plate-shaped base 31 on which the toilet bowl 20 is provided above, a driving wheel 32 provided at one end of the lower surface of the base 31 (left end portion in FIG. 1), and a lower surface of the base 31. A pair of casters 33, 33 provided at the other end (the right end in FIG. 1), a motor 34 connected to the drive wheels 32 via a power transmission mechanism, and a power provided to the base 31 to supply power to the motor 34. A lithium ion battery 35 to be supplied, a control means 50 that is housed in a control box 51 provided on the upper surface of the base 31 and controls the rotational drive of the motor 34, and a substantially central portion on each side of the base 31 respectively. And an obstacle sensor 36 provided.
The power of the lithium ion battery 35 is supplied not only to the motor 34 but also to each part of the toilet unit 10.

  The drive wheel 32 includes a shaft 32a rotatably provided at one end portion of the lower surface of the base 31 via a bearing (not shown), and wheels 32b and 32c attached to both ends of the shaft 32a. An output shaft of the motor 34 is connected to a part of the shaft 32a of the wheel 32 through a power transmission mechanism.

Each caster 33 includes a mounting portion 33a that is pivotably attached to the lower surface side of the base 31, a holding member 33b that is integrally provided at a lower portion of the mounting portion 33a and that can pivot integrally with the mounting portion 33a, and the holding member 33b. A driven wheel 33c that is rotatably supported by the member 33b and can roll on the floor surface 3 is provided.
The caster 33 is not limited to the one having the above-described configuration, and various known casters can be used.

  When the motor 34 is rotationally driven by a signal from the control means 50, the driving wheel 32 is rotationally driven through the power transmission mechanism, and both wheels 32b and 32c of the driving wheel 32 roll on the floor surface 3, thereby causing the wheels to rotate. Following the rolling of 32b and 32c, the driven wheel 33c of each caster 33 rolls on the floor surface 3, and the base 31 moves on the floor surface 3 back and forth, left and right, or on the floor surface 3. It will turn.

  In this case, when a detection signal from the obstacle sensor 36 is input to the control unit 50, the rotation drive of the motor 34 is controlled by the control unit 50 according to the input signal, and the toilet unit 10 collides with the obstacle. Therefore, the safety of the toilet unit 10 can be improved.

  In addition, both the wheels 32b and 32c of the drive wheel 32 are configured to be driven to rotate independently, and by giving a difference in the rotation speed of both the wheels 32b and 32c by a signal from the control means 50, the toilet unit 10 You may comprise so that a moving direction may be changed.

  The motor 34 is accommodated in the control box 51 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this motor receives a signal from the remote controller 6 by operating a push button switch (for example, a push button switch for use and storage) of a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) 6. It is input to the control means 50 via the section 52, and the rotation drive of the motor 34 is controlled by the control means 50 according to the signal.

  In the present embodiment, when a push button switch for use of the remote controller 5 is operated, the toilet unit 10 moves on the floor surface 3 in the direction from the charging station 4a to the bed 2a along the moving path 5, and stores it. Is operated so that the toilet unit 10 moves on the floor surface 3 in the direction from the bed 2a toward the charging station 4a along the movement path 5, that is, the toilet unit 10 is moved to the guide tape 5a. The moving means 30 controls the rotational drive of the motor 34 so as to move while following the above.

  The lithium ion battery 35 can be connected to, for example, a charger interface (see FIG. 4) disposed on the floor 3 side of the charging station 4a, and when the toilet unit 10 is stored in the charging station 4a. The lithium ion battery 35 is connected to the charger interface and automatically charged. Here, since the lithium ion battery 35 has a higher output and lighter than other known rechargeable batteries, the total weight of the toilet unit 10 can be reduced.

  As described above, since the moving means 30 is simple in mechanism and control, it is easy to manufacture and the cost required for manufacturing is low, thereby reducing the overall price of the toilet unit 10. Can be provided at low cost.

  In the present embodiment, the obstacle sensor 36 (four obstacle sensors) is provided on each side surface of the base 31, but the obstacle sensor 36 is not limited to four, but three or less, There may be five or more. Further, the obstacle sensor 36 is not limited to the side surface of the base 31, and may be provided anywhere on the outer peripheral surface of the toilet unit 10 such as the side surface of the toilet 20. In short, the obstacle sensor 36 is provided so that at least one obstacle sensor 36 can detect an obstacle ahead of the movement direction of the toilet 20 regardless of the direction in which the toilet 20 moves. That's fine.

  The elevating means 40 includes, for example, a plurality (four in this embodiment) of actuators 41 that can move in the vertical direction, and a drive source 42 (see FIG. 2) that moves the actuators 41 up and down. By moving the actuator 41 up and down by the operation, the toilet 20 can be moved in the vertical direction by following the actuator 41.

  Examples of the actuator 41 include an electric jack, a hydraulic jack, and the like. In the present embodiment, four electric jacks (actuators 41) are provided at the four corners between the base 31 and the toilet 20, and the motors (drive sources) of the electric jacks from the lithium ion battery 35 of the moving means 30 are provided. The electric jacks are configured to move up and down by supplying electric power to 42).

  In this case, the motor of each electric jack is controlled to rotate by the control means 50 described above, and the operation of the push button switch of the remote controller 6 (the push button switch for raising, lowering, and stopping) from the remote controller 6 A signal is input to the control unit 50 via the receiving unit 52, and the rotation of the motor of each electric jack is controlled by the control unit 50 according to the signal, and the toilet 20 is moved in the vertical direction.

  Note that the number of actuators (electric jacks) is not limited to four, but may be any quantity that can stably move the toilet 20 in the vertical direction.

Next, the usage method of the toilet unit 10 comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated.
First, when a cared person on the bed 2a intends to use the toilet unit 10, the cared person operates a push button switch indicating that the remote controller 6 is used. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the toilet unit 10 stored in the charging station 4 a automatically moves toward the bed 2 a in the room 2 along the movement path 5. During this movement, the control means 50 reads the guide tape 5a indicating the movement path 5 and rotationally drives the motor 34 of the movement means 30 based on the read information. The toilet unit 10 includes a sensor (such as a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor) necessary for the control unit 50 to read the guide tape 5a.

  Here, by forming the floor 3 in a range that can serve as the movement path 5 of the toilet unit 10 in advance, the movement of the toilet unit 10 is not hindered, and the toilet unit 10 is moved from the charging station 4a to the room. 2 can be moved smoothly.

  The door 7 disposed on the movement path 5 of the toilet unit 10 is an automatic door in order to avoid the toilet unit 10 from colliding with the door 7.

  Furthermore, by configuring the door 7 with a transparent member, the position and moving direction of the toilet unit 10 can be confirmed from the indoor 2 side.

  When the toilet unit 10 moves to the vicinity of the bed 2a and reaches a predetermined point (the end of the guide tape 5a), the control unit 50 stops the rotation drive of the motor 34 of the moving unit 30. Then, the toilet unit 10 is stopped. Thus, the care receiver can use the toilet unit 10 by moving the toilet unit 10 from the charging station 4a to the vicinity of the bed 2a. Then, after the cared person has finished excretion using the toilet unit 10, when the cared person operates the push button indicating that the remote controller 6 is stored, the toilet unit 10 is moved along the movement path 5 from the room 2. It moves toward the charging station 4a and stops when it reaches the charging station 5a at the other end of the induction tape 5a.

  In the toilet unit 10 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the cared person simply operates the push button switch to the effect that the remote controller 6 is used on the bed 2a in the room 2 from the charging station 4a. The unit 10 can be moved on the floor 3 to the vicinity of the bed 2a in the room 2 and can be arranged at a usable position. Therefore, when the cared person uses the toilet unit 10, the distance traveled by himself / herself can be shortened, so there is no need to manually carry in the toilet unit 10, and the burden on the cared person is reduced. Can do. Further, since the excretion can be carried out autonomously even if the cared person does not receive the support of the carer, the labor, time and labor required for the carer can be reduced. Furthermore, since the height of the toilet 20 of the toilet unit 10 can be adjusted by the elevating means 40, it is possible to cope with various care recipients having different heights and the like, and versatility can be enhanced.

  Furthermore, after the use of the toilet unit 10 is completed, the care receiver can move the toilet unit 10 to the charging station 4a away from the room 2 simply by operating the push button switch indicating that the remote controller 6 is stored. The comfortability of the room 2 is not deteriorated by the odor etc. from the excrement after use.

  Furthermore, by storing the toilet unit 10 in the charging station 4a, the lithium ion battery 35 can be automatically charged. Therefore, the care recipient or caregiver needs to be concerned about the power shortage of the lithium ion battery 35. Absent.

  In the above description, the movement path 5 is specified by sticking the guide tape 5 a to the floor surface 3. Here, the guide tape 5a is preferably affixed in consideration of the orientation of the front surface of the toilet bowl 20 when the toilet unit 10 is used and the orientation of the back face of the toilet bowl 20 during storage. It is affixed to the U shape. On the other hand, in order to shorten the moving distance of the toilet unit 10, the guide tape 5a may be attached in a straight line.

  In the above description, the movement route 5 is designated in advance, but may not be designated in advance. For example, a plurality of push button switches or the like may be provided on the remote controller 6 so that the toilet unit 10 can be operated by operating the remote controller 6.

  In the above description, the lithium ion battery 35 is provided on the base 31 of the moving means 30. However, the lithium ion battery 35 may be provided in any place of the toilet unit 10 such as the toilet 20. However, it is preferable to provide the lithium ion battery 35 in a place where it can be charged at the charging station 4a. It should be noted that other batteries may be used as long as the battery can exhibit such effects. Similarly, the control means 50 may be provided in any place of the toilet unit 10. In short, the rotation drive of the motor 34 of the moving means 30 and the drive source 42 of the actuator 41 can be controlled. In addition, it only has to be electrically connected to them.

  Furthermore, in the above description, the door 7 is made of a transparent member, but it may be made of an opaque member. Further, the door 7 may not be provided on the movement path 5 of the toilet unit 10, but by providing the door 7, odor or the like emitted from the toilet unit 10 after use flows into the room 2. Of course, the occupancy of the room 2 is enhanced by the interruption.

  Further, the toilet unit 10 in the above-described embodiment has a heater for heating the seating surface 22, a flushing facility for cleaning the upper part of the container containing the excrement, and the odor emitted from the toilet unit 10 after use. Deodorizing equipment that deodorizes the body by adsorption, a lid for closing the through hole 21 of the seating surface 22, a backrest for supporting the back of the cared person behind the seating surface 22, and both ends of the seating surface 22 Of course, a handrail or the like for supporting the cared person's arm above may be provided.

It is the schematic which showed the whole toilet unit by this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the control structure of the toilet unit of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which showed the storage state of the toilet unit of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which showed the use condition of the toilet unit of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Building 2 Indoor 2a Bed 3 Floor 4 Outdoor 4a Charging station 5 Moving route 5a Guidance tape 6 Remote controller (remote controller)
7 Door 10 Toilet unit 20 Toilet bowl 21 Through hole 22 Seat surface 30 Moving means 31 Base 32 Drive wheel 32a Shaft 32b, 32c Drive wheel 33 Caster 33a Mounting portion 33b Holding member 33c Drive wheel 34 Motor 35 Lithium ion battery 36 Obstacle sensor 40 Lifting means 41 Actuator (Electric jack)
42 Drive source (motor)
50 Control means 51 Control box 52 Receiver

Claims (5)

  A movable toilet unit comprising: a toilet having a container for storing excrement below a seat surface; and a moving means for supporting the toilet.   The moving means includes a base that supports the toilet, a wheel provided on the base, a motor that is provided on the base and rotationally drives the wheel, and a power that is provided on the base and supplies power to the motor. The movable toilet unit according to claim 1, further comprising a lithium ion battery for supplying the battery.   The movable toilet unit according to claim 2, further comprising an obstacle sensor for detecting an obstacle, wherein the rotational drive of the motor is controlled by a detection signal from the obstacle sensor.   The movable toilet unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein an elevating unit that elevates and lowers the toilet is provided between the base and the toilet.   5. The control device according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit configured to control rotation of the motor so that the moving unit moves between two designated points along a designated path. The movable toilet unit according to claim 1.

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