JP2010051793A - Toilet seat device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toilet seat device reducing electronic power consumption in the structure of a safety operation without lowering the safety of the toilet seat device, thereby more enhancing energy saving characteristics. <P>SOLUTION: A main control unit 10 judges whether the toilet seat device is in a using condition or not by using results detected by a sitting sensor 56 or a human body sensor 57. When the main control unit judges that the toilet seat device is not in a using condition, the main control unit cuts off supplying an electric current to a coil 22 being a leakage current cutting-off unit of a relay mechanism 20. Thus, the toilet seat device enters a power saving mode when a toilet seat is not used. Further, when the toilet seat device becomes in a using condition, the supply of the electric current to the coil 22 is restored, so that the toilet seat device returns to an ordinary mode. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet seat device such as a heated toilet seat and a warm water washing toilet seat, and more particularly to a toilet seat device having a leakage prevention function and further improving energy saving.

  Toilet seat devices such as heated toilet seats and hot water flush toilet seats are sanitary products and are installed in an environment where water is used. ing. Specifically, for example, a configuration in which a ground fault interrupter is integrated with a power plug for supplying power to the toilet seat device, or a configuration in which the toilet seat device body includes a ground fault interrupt circuit is known. In general, a leakage breaker or a leakage breaker circuit (hereinafter collectively referred to as a leakage breaker for convenience) includes mechanical means represented by a relay mechanism in order to reliably break an electrical connection during operation. ing.

  As a toilet seat apparatus provided with such a ground fault interrupter, various configurations have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, in a state in which the leakage breaker is activated, a portion that has a possibility of electric shock is surely cut off from the commercial power source, and only a portion that ensures safety is continuously energized. A cleaning device has been proposed.

  By the way, in the field of toilet seat devices, various techniques have been proposed and put into practical use in order to improve energy saving. For example, the present applicant reduces power consumption by using electric power only during use, such as “instantaneous hot water supply” and “instantaneous heating toilet seat” in a hot water washing toilet seat (sanitary washing device), thereby reducing energy consumption. Technology to improve has already been put into practical use. "Instant hot water supply" is a technology that supplies hot water instantaneously by passing water through the "water heater unit" when using hot water for cleaning. The "instant heating toilet seat" employs a configuration that warms the toilet seat in units of several seconds. This is a technology that heats the toilet seat only during use. Furthermore, in order to improve energy saving, a method of further reducing standby power is widely performed.

JP 2008-082044 A

  In order to achieve the carbon dioxide emission reduction target required by each country under the so-called Kyoto Protocol, further energy conservation is promoted by the public and private sectors. In Japan, toilet seat devices account for approximately 4% of household power consumption, and are known to consume the sixth most power among various home appliances (Japan Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, “FY 2004”). From “Summary of electricity demand”). Therefore, further energy saving is demanded in the toilet seat device.

  However, for the toilet seat device with a large power consumption, standby power has already been sufficiently reduced by adopting the technologies such as “instantaneous hot water supply” and “instantaneous heating toilet seat” described above. Since the configuration other than that is related to the basic operation and the safe operation of the toilet seat device, it has been difficult to reduce standby power.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and the object thereof is to reduce the power consumed in the configuration related to the safe operation of the toilet seat device without reducing the safety, and to save energy. An object of the present invention is to provide a toilet seat device that further improves the above.

  As a result of intensive studies in view of the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have established a leakage breaker function by controlling energization of a coil (relay contact drive coil) used for opening and closing a relay that is a leakage breaker provided in the toilet seat device. The inventors have independently found that it is possible to further reduce standby power without interfering with the above, and have completed the present invention.

  That is, a toilet seat device according to the present invention includes a toilet seat, a toilet seat heater that heats the toilet seat, a main power supply path that supplies power to at least the toilet seat heater, and a main power supply path. When a leakage occurs, it comprises at least a leakage breaker that cuts off the main power supply path, and a controller that controls at least the leakage breaker, the leakage breaker having a relay contact and a drive coil, The relay contact is closed during energization of the drive coil, and is opened during non-energization, thereby at least a relay for conducting and blocking the main power feeding path, a relay drive unit for driving the drive coil of the relay, When the toilet seat is not in use, the controller interrupts energization of the drive coil so that the main drive path is interrupted by the relay drive unit. And, and, when the use of the toilet seat is resumed, resume the power supply to the drive coil so as to conduct the main feed line by the relay drive unit is configured to perform power saving operation.

  According to the said structure, when the said toilet seat apparatus is not used, it cuts off electricity supply of the relay contact drive coil used for opening and closing of a relay among the components contained in the earth-leakage interruption part provided for safety ensuring become. Therefore, standby power can be reduced without impairing the use of the toilet seat device and safety. As a result, it is possible to achieve both excellent safety and energy saving.

  In the toilet seat device, in addition to the above-described configuration, the toilet seat device further includes a power saving setting device that sets selection of the power saving operation, and the controller performs the power saving operation while setting the power saving operation of the power saving setting device. It is preferable that the power saving operation is not performed while the operation is not set.

  According to the above configuration, whether or not to perform the power saving operation can be set based on the user's judgment, and thus the power saving operation can be more appropriately performed in the toilet seat device.

  In the toilet seat device, in addition to the configuration, the leakage breaker further includes a leakage detector for detecting leakage in the main power supply path, and the controller is configured to prevent leakage in the leakage detector. When detected, it is preferable that the main power supply path is cut off by cutting off energization of the drive coil by the relay drive unit.

  According to the above configuration, since the leakage breaker is configured to automatically operate when leakage is detected by the leakage detector, the leakage breaker function can be more appropriately implemented in the toilet seat device. it can.

  In addition to the above configuration, the toilet seat device further includes a user detector that detects a user, and the controller is in an unused state in which the toilet seat device is not used by the user detector. Alternatively, it is preferable that the apparatus is configured to perform the power saving operation when it is determined that the use is resumed and is in the use state, and in the non-use state.

  According to the said structure, after confirming that the said toilet seat apparatus is a non-use state, it will be controlled to perform the said power saving operation | movement. Therefore, the power saving operation can be performed at an appropriate timing without hindering the use of the toilet seat device.

  In the toilet seat device, in addition to the above configuration, the toilet seat device further includes a cleaning device that cleans a local part of the user seated on the toilet seat, and the cleaning device has at least a hot water heater that heats the cleaning water, More preferably, the main power supply path is configured to supply power to the cleaning device.

  According to the above configuration, since the toilet seat device has a sanitary washing function and a leakage prevention function, a leakage occurs in the main power supply path that supplies power to the hot water heater that requires a large amount of power. In addition, the earth leakage breaker can appropriately perform the breaking operation, and the earth leakage breaking unit can also perform the power saving operation.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the electric power consumed by the configuration related to the safe operation of the toilet seat device without reducing the safety, and to further improve the energy saving performance.

It is a circuit diagram which shows an example of the electrical constitution of the toilet seat apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a typical perspective view which shows an example of the external appearance of the toilet seat apparatus shown in FIG. It is a circuit diagram which shows an example of the specific circuit structure of the relay drive part with which the toilet seat apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is equipped, and a relay abnormality detection part. It is a flowchart which shows an example of control of the confirmation test of a power saving operation | movement and an earth-leakage interruption | blocking function performed when using the relay drive part and relay abnormality detection part which are shown in FIG. (A) And (b) is the chart figure which contrasted the case where a relay opens and closes normally, and the case where abnormality occurred in opening and closing about the relay opening / closing operation determination signal used by the control shown in FIG.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and each is disclosed in different embodiments and a plurality of modifications. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means provided are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Also, in the following, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout all the drawings, and the duplicate description thereof is omitted.

[Basic configuration of toilet seat device]
First, a specific configuration of the toilet seat device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of the toilet seat apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the toilet seat device shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 51, a display / operation unit 52, a toilet seat 53, a toilet lid 54, a remote controller 55, a seating sensor 56, and a human body sensor 57. And a power plug and the like (not shown). The main body 51, the toilet seat 53, and the toilet lid 54 of the toilet seat device 50 are assembled together and installed on the upper surface of the toilet 60. Hereinafter, the front viewed from the user seated on the toilet seat 30 will be described as the front, the rear as the rear, and the left and right sides as the left and right.

  A rear portion of the toilet seat 53 is rotatably supported on the main body 51 via a toilet seat / toilet lid drive opening / closing portion, and the toilet seat 53 is also supported on the rear of the toilet seat 53 via the toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing portion. The rear part of the lid part 54 is rotatably supported. The toilet seat 53 is provided with a toilet seat heater (not shown).

  The casing of the main body 51 is formed in a hollow box shape, and the right side of the main body 51 operates a part of the functions provided in the toilet seat device 50 and displays information to the user. A display / operation unit is provided, and a seating sensor 56 is provided at the front of the main body 51.

  Although not shown, the main body 51 includes a cleaning nozzle that ejects cleaning water to a local part of a user seated on the toilet seat 53, a cleaning water supply mechanism that supplies cleaning water to the cleaning nozzle, and a cleaning nozzle. Signals from a hot water heater that warms the supplied wash water, a washing unit comprising a drying heater that dries the user's local parts and the like, and a display / operation unit 52, a seating sensor 56, a remote controller 55, and a human body sensor 57 And a control unit that controls the overall operation of the toilet seat device 50. That is, the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment is a sanitary washing device having a washing function such as a local part in addition to the heating function of the toilet seat. Although not shown, the main body 51 also includes a relay mechanism as a leakage breaker, and this relay mechanism supplies power to a main circuit including at least a toilet seat heater, a hot water heater, and a drying heater, as will be described later. Is inserted into the main power feed path. Further, a deodorizing / drying fan, a toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit, a nozzle driving unit, and the like are further provided in the main body 51.

  The seating sensor 56 detects that a user is seated on the toilet seat 53 and is provided at the front of the main body 51. In the present embodiment, the seating sensor 56 is configured by a reflective infrared sensor, and the seating sensor 56 projects infrared rays from the front surface of the main body 51 toward the toilet seat 53 and is applied to the toilet seat 53. Infrared light reflected by the seated human body is detected, and this detection signal is transmitted to the control unit of the main body 51. The control unit receives a detection signal from the seating sensor 56 and detects that a user is present on the toilet seat unit 53.

  The remote controller 55 is installed at a position that can be operated by a user seated on the toilet seat 53 in the toilet room. The remote controller 55 is provided with an operation unit for operating functions provided in the toilet seat device 50. The remote controller 55 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the control unit of the main body unit 51, and an operation signal input from the operation unit of the remote controller 55 is transmitted to the control unit of the main body unit 51 and received by the control unit. The overall operation of the toilet seat device 50 is controlled according to the operation signal.

  The human body sensor 57 detects that a user has entered the toilet room, and is installed on the wall surface of the toilet room. In the present embodiment, the human body sensor 57 is composed of a reflection type infrared sensor, and the human body sensor 57 projects the infrared rays toward a predetermined position and detects the infrared rays reflected by the human body. The signal is transmitted to the control unit of the main body unit 51. The control unit of the main body 51 receives a detection signal from the human body sensor 57 and detects that the user has entered the toilet room.

  The main body 51 includes a main control unit (controller) 10 that controls the overall operation of the toilet seat device 50, as shown in FIG. As will be described later, the main control unit 10 confirms whether or not the earth leakage breaker normally performs an interruption operation (operation to interrupt electrical connection at the time of electric leakage) at least when the toilet seat is not used. It is configured to perform a test (confirmation test). Although the specific configuration of the main control unit 10 is not particularly limited, it may be configured by an arithmetic unit, and can be preferably configured by, for example, a known microcomputer. Here, in the present invention, the controller means not only a single controller but also a controller group including a plurality of controllers. Therefore, the main control unit 10 does not necessarily need to be configured by a single control unit, and may be configured by a control unit group in which a plurality of control units are arranged in a distributed manner and operate in cooperation with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment includes two systems of electric circuits, that is, a main circuit composed of at least a heater and a control circuit composed of at least a main control unit 10. Yes. As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet seat device 50 is connected to an external AC power source through a power plug 30. The main power supply path 81 and the input terminal of the power supply circuit unit 11 are connected in parallel to the output terminal of the power plug 30. A drying heater 41b, a hot water heater 41a, and a toilet seat heater 42 are connected to the main power supply path 81. Although not shown, the fan drive unit 33, the opening / closing drive unit 34, and the nozzle drive unit 35 are also connected to the main power supply path 81. It is connected. At least these components 33 to 35, 41a, 41b, and 42 constitute a main circuit. With this configuration, AC power from the power plug 30 is supplied to the main circuit through the main power supply path 81.

  On the other hand, the main control unit 10 is connected to the output terminal of the power supply circuit unit 11, and although not shown, the main control abnormality processing unit 15 and the display / operation unit 52 are also connected to the output terminal of the power supply circuit unit 11. Yes. At least these components 10, 15, and 52 constitute a control circuit. With this configuration, AC power from the power plug 30 is converted into DC power of a predetermined voltage in the power supply circuit unit 11, and this DC power is supplied to the control circuit. The main circuit and the control circuit are electrically independent from each other, and the main power supply path 81 is configured such that when a leakage is detected through the main power supply path 81, the leakage breaker is cut off from the AC power supply by a cut-off operation. Has been.

[Configuration of earth leakage interrupter and toilet seat control system]
Next, a specific configuration of the leakage breaker provided in the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 in association with the control system of the toilet seat device.

  In the present invention, since the confirmation of the breaking operation of the leakage breaker is automatically performed, the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment has a relay mechanism 20 that is a leakage breaker as shown in FIG. , A relay drive unit 12, a leakage detection unit 13, and a relay abnormality detection unit 14, and preferably a main control abnormality processing unit 15. That is, in the present embodiment, at least the relay mechanism 20, the relay drive unit 12, the leakage detection unit 13, and the relay abnormality detection unit 14 constitute a leakage breaker. As this electric leakage interrupting section, it is preferable to further include a main control abnormality processing section 15 and may further include other components. In addition, depending on the specific configuration of the toilet seat device 50, some components may be omitted from the leakage breaker.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the relay mechanism 20 and the relay drive unit 12 cause leakage in the main circuit including the hot water heater 41a, the drying heater 41b, the toilet seat heater 42, and the like and the main power supply path 81 that supplies power to the main circuit. In such a case, the toilet seat device 50 is provided as an electric leakage interrupting unit that interrupts electric leakage. The relay mechanism 20 includes a relay contact 21 which is a mechanical switching means, and a coil (relay contact drive coil) 22 for driving the relay contact 21. The coil 22 generates a magnetic field when the relay drive unit 12 is energized. That is, by energizing and stopping energization of the coil 22 by the relay drive unit 12, a magnetic field is generated and disappears in the coil 22, and the contact piece 21a is brought into contact with and separated from the contact terminal 21b by the generation and disappearance of this magnetic field. An electrical contact (relay contact) 21 composed of the contact piece 21a and the contact terminal 21b is closed and opened. In this way, the leakage breaker in the present embodiment conducts and cuts off the main power supply path 81.

  As described above, the relay contact 21 is configured to be magnetically opened and closed by the coil 22 and the relay drive unit 12. However, since the relay contact 21 and the coil 22 are electrically independent, the relay drive is performed. The part 12, the leakage detection part 13, the main control abnormality processing part 15 and the like, and the relay contact 21 and the relay abnormality detection part 14 etc. are linked in an electrically independent state. Although the specific structure of this relay mechanism 20 is not specifically limited, A well-known relay can be used suitably. The relay mechanism 20 is installed as close to the power plug 30 as possible in each of the pair of electric wires 81a and 81b constituting the main power supply path 81. In this case, the contact terminal 21 b of each relay mechanism 20 is inserted into each of the electric wires 81 a and 81 b constituting the main power supply path 81.

  The relay drive unit 12 controls the opening / closing operation of the relay contact 21 in the relay mechanism 20, and energizes and deenergizes the coil 22 based on the opening / closing operation control signal output from the main control unit 10. By switching, the relay contact 21 is opened and closed. The relay drive unit 12 is further connected to a leakage detection unit 13 and is configured to open and close the relay mechanism 20 even when a leakage is detected by the leakage detection unit 13. The specific configuration of the relay drive unit 12 is not particularly limited, and can be realized as a drive circuit using a known switching element such as a transistor. The circuit configuration employed in this embodiment will be described later.

  The leakage detection unit 13 detects the presence or absence of leakage under the control of the main control unit 10 and outputs it to the relay drive unit 12. In this embodiment, the zero-phase current transformer is configured by winding a detection coil. Instrument (ZCT). According to this configuration, a difference occurs between the currents flowing in the pair of electric wires 81a and 81b constituting the main power supply path 81 due to the generation of a leakage state, and a voltage is induced in the ZCT. As a result, the leakage detection unit 13 detects a leakage and generates a leakage generation signal, which is output to the relay drive unit 12. Upon receiving this signal, the relay drive unit 12 stops energization of the coil 22 and opens the relay contact 21. As a result, the main power supply circuit 81 is cut off and the electric leakage is cut off. In addition, although the structure which uses ZCT is used preferably as the electrical leakage detection part 13, you may use other well-known structures.

  The relay abnormality detection unit 14 is connected to the main power supply path 81, detects that there is an abnormality in the opening / closing operation of the relay contact 21, and outputs it to the main control unit 10. Although the specific configuration is not particularly limited, since it is necessary to be electrically independent from the main power supply path 81, it is preferable to use a circuit configuration that generates a relay open / close operation determination signal using a photocoupler. it can. The circuit configuration employed in this embodiment will be described later.

  The main control abnormality processing unit 15 is electrically connected between the main control unit 10 and the coil 22 of the relay mechanism 20, and detects whether the control of the main control unit 10 is normal. When a control abnormality occurs in the control of the unit 10, at least a process for stopping the opening / closing operation of the relay mechanism 20 is performed. That is, by providing the main control abnormality processing unit 15, the function check of the main control unit 10, which is the key to controlling the toilet seat device 50, is performed, so that at least the leakage breaker function managed by the relay mechanism 20 is a control problem. It is possible to avoid the situation where the function cannot be performed. The specific configuration of the main control abnormality processing unit 15 is not particularly limited, but has a circuit configuration that allows the relay mechanism 20 to be normally opened and closed if the signal output from the main control unit 10 is normal. Just do it.

  Further, the main control abnormality processing unit 15 may perform a process of stopping the operation of the components other than the relay mechanism 20 when a control abnormality occurs in the main control unit 10. For example, when it is determined that there is a problem in the control of the entire toilet seat apparatus 50, a process for stopping the entire operation of the toilet seat apparatus 50 may be performed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment includes a warm water heater 41a, a drying heater 41b, a toilet seat heater 42, a deodorizing / drying fan 43, a toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing unit 44, a washing nozzle 45, and the like. I have. The warm water heater 41a is for warming water at room temperature during the washing operation to make warm water, the drying heater 41b is for drying the user's local area, etc., and the toilet seat heater 42 is Used for heating the toilet seat. Each of these heaters is in contact with or possibly in contact with the user's body, and since the voltage value during heating operation or heating operation is relatively high, the main circuit including these heaters is As shown in FIG. 1, the relay mechanism 20 is configured to be electrically cut off (leakage of electric leakage) when an electric leakage occurs due to the opening operation of the relay contact 21 (that is, the electric leakage interruption part). In addition, depending on the configuration of the toilet seat device 50, the leakage current may be interrupted for other configurations as well. Each heater is heated and adjusted in temperature by a hot water / dry heater adjusting unit 31 or a toilet seat heater adjusting unit 32 based on an output signal from the main control unit 10.

  The deodorizing / drying fan 43 is a fan that blows air to deodorize the toilet seat device 50 when it is used or to dry a local part after washing. The toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing part 44 is an opening / closing mechanism for automatically opening / closing the toilet seat part 53 and the toilet lid 54. The cleaning nozzle 55 is accommodated in the main body 51 when not in use, but protrudes from the main body 51 when in use and injects hot water toward the local area (see FIG. 2). These are driven by a deodorizing / drying fan driving unit 33, a toilet seat / toilet lid opening / closing driving unit 34, or a washing nozzle driving unit 35 based on an output signal from the main control unit 10. The specific configurations of the heater, fan, cleaning nozzle, and the like are not particularly limited, and configurations known in the technical field of the present invention can be suitably used.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment includes a display / operation unit 52, a seating sensor 56, and a human body sensor 57. As shown in FIG. 1, the overall operation is controlled by the main control unit 10, and outputs from these can be input to the main control unit 10. That is, in the display / operation unit 52, various operation signals are output (input) to the main control unit 10 by a user's operation, and the main control unit 10 performs overall control of the toilet seat device 50 based on these operation signals. . The seating sensor 56 is installed, for example, behind the toilet seat 53, and detects the seating of the user on the toilet seat 53. The human body sensor 57 is installed near the entrance of a toilet (toilet room), for example, and detects the user's entry into the toilet. The detection signals of these sensors 56 and 57 are output to the main control unit 10 and used for overall control of the toilet seat device 50 including determination of the usage state of the toilet seat device 50.

  The specific configuration of the display / operation unit 52 is not particularly limited, and a known display unit such as a lamp using a light emitting element such as an LED can be used as the display unit. Various buttons and switches can be used. Alternatively, a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit may be used. The configurations of the seating sensor 56 and the human body sensor 57 are not particularly limited, and a known configuration known as a human body detection technique in the technical field of the present invention or other technical fields can be suitably used. Here, a reflection type infrared sensor is used as the seating sensor 56 and the human body sensor 57. In the present embodiment, the display / operation unit 52 is provided with a test button 58 and a power saving switch 59 for performing a check test of a leakage interrupt function, which will be described later.

[Configuration example of relay drive unit and relay abnormality detection unit]
The toilet seat device according to the present invention reduces standby power by shutting off the energization of the coil that drives the leakage breaker having the above configuration when the toilet seat device is not used. Such control of the power saving operation will be described more specifically. First, an example of specific configurations of the relay drive unit 12 and the relay abnormality detection unit 14 included in the leakage breaker will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of a specific circuit configuration of the relay drive unit 12 and the relay abnormality detection unit 14 as an electric leakage interrupter included in the toilet seat device 50.

  First, in the toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the relay drive unit 12 and the relay abnormality detection unit 14 are control circuits that are electrically independent from the main power supply path 81 including the relay mechanism 20. Included. As described above, the relay contact 21 and the coil 22 of the relay mechanism 20 are magnetically connected but are electrically independent. The coil 22 is connected to the main control unit 10 via the relay drive unit 12. Electrically connected. On the other hand, the relay abnormality detection unit 14 is connected to the main power supply path 81 through the photocoupler 72a, but is electrically independent.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the relay mechanism 20 including the relay contact 21 is connected in series to the main power supply path 81 according to the present embodiment, and the hot water heater extends across the pair of electric wires 81a and 81b. 41a and drying heater 41b and toilet seat heater 42 are connected in parallel. The toilet seat device 50 according to the present embodiment has both a function as a heating toilet seat and a function as a sanitary washing device, but the toilet seat heater 42 is a component of the heating toilet seat, and includes a drying heater 41a and a hot water heater. Since 41b is a component of a cleaning device for cleaning local parts and the like, for convenience of explanation, in FIG. 3, the warm water heater 41a and the drying heater 41b related to the cleaning function are a single circuit configuration for the toilet seat heater 42. It describes as. An AC power supply is connected to the main power supply path 81 via the relay mechanism 20.

  Triacs 71a and 71b are connected in series to the hot water heaters 41a and 41b and the toilet seat heater 42, respectively, and the timing (energization period) at which an alternating current flows through the heaters 41a, 41b, and 42 is controlled. In addition, a series connection circuit of a diode 71c and a resistor 71d is connected in parallel with each heater 41a, 41b, and 42, and a light emitting diode constituting a light emitting element of the photocoupler 72a is connected in parallel to the diode 71c. The rectification directions are connected so as to be opposite to each other. As a result, when the alternating current is energized in one predetermined direction, the light emitting diode emits light, and when the light receiving element receives the light, a binary signal that is inverted every half cycle of the alternating current is output. The

In addition to the diode 71c, the resistor 71d, and the photocoupler 72a, the relay abnormality detection unit 14 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a transistor 72c connected to the output side of the photocoupler 72a and a resistor connected to the transistor 72c. 72b and 72d. In the present embodiment, the light receiving element of the photocoupler 72a is formed of a phototransistor, and the emitter of this phototransistor is connected to the base of the transistor 72c via a resistor 72b. The emitter of the transistor 72c is grounded, and one terminal of a resistor 72d is connected to the collector. A voltage (potential) at a connection point (node) 72 e between one terminal of the resistor 72 d and the collector of the transistor 72 c is input to the main control unit 10. The other terminal of the resistor 72d is connected to the positive voltage power supply (V _CC ) together with the collector of the phototransistor of the photocoupler 72a. The positive voltage power supply (V _CC ) is configured by the output terminal of the power supply circuit unit 11 or connected to the output terminal.

With this configuration, when the phototransistor does not receive light from the light emitting element, the phototransistor is turned off (blocked), the transistor 72c is turned off, and the voltage at the node 72e becomes the positive power supply voltage (V _CC ). When light from the light is received, it is turned on (conductive), the transistor 72c is turned on, and the voltage at the node 72e becomes the ground potential. Thus, a binary signal obtained by inverting the binary signal output from the phototransistor of the photocoupler 72a is output from the node 72e as a relay failure detection signal.

  The relay drive unit 12 according to the present embodiment includes a resistor 73a, a transistor 73b, a resistor 73c, a transistor 73d, a transistor 73e, a resistor 73f, a diode 73g, and a diode 73h. A relay drive signal is input from the main control unit 10 to the base of the transistor 73b via the resistor 73a, the diode 73h, and the transistor 73e. The emitter of the transistor 73b is grounded, and one terminal of the coil 22 of each relay mechanism 20 is connected to the collector. The base of the transistor 73b is further pulled up by a resistor 73f and the collector of the transistor 73d is connected. The emitter of the transistor 73d is grounded, and the downstream side of the diode 73d in the rectifying direction is connected to the base. The leakage detector 13 is connected to the upstream side of the diode 73d in the rectifying direction via a resistor 73c. The base of the transistor 73e is connected to the downstream side in the rectification direction of the diode 73h, and the upstream side is connected to the main control unit 10 via the resistor 73a. The emitter of the transistor 73e is grounded, and the collector is connected to the resistor 73f, the base of the transistor 73b, and the collector of the transistor 73d. The other terminal of the coil 22 of each relay mechanism 20 is connected to a portion closer to the power plug 30 than the location where the relay contact 21 of the main power supply path 81 is inserted.

  When the main controller 10 outputs a signal for energizing the coil 22 to close the relay contact 21 (hereinafter referred to as a relay ON signal), the transistor 73e is turned off and the transistor 73b is turned on. The relay contact 21 is closed. On the other hand, when the relay OFF signal for opening the relay contact 21 is output from the main control unit 10, the transistor 73e is turned on and the transistor 73b is turned off, so that the relay contact 21 is opened.

  In addition, a leakage generation signal is input from the leakage detection unit 13 when leakage occurs. When no leakage signal is input to the transistor 73d, the transistor 73d is OFF, so the transistor 73b is ON and the relay contact 21 is closed. On the other hand, when a leakage occurrence signal is input to the transistor 73d, the transistor 73d is turned on, so that the transistor 73b is turned off, the relay contact 21 is opened, and the leakage is cut off.

[Power saving operation and control in the earth leakage breaker]
Next, the power saving operation and control of the leakage breaker in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control of the power saving operation performed by the main control unit. 5 (a) and 5 (b) show the relay open / close operation determination signal used in the confirmation of the interruption operation of the leakage breaker performed in accordance with the control shown in FIG. It is the chart which contrasted with the case where abnormality generate | occur | produced.

  In the present embodiment, if the relay drive unit 12 and the relay abnormality detection unit 14 have the above-described circuit configuration, when a confirmation test of opening and closing of the relay contact 21 (that is, a confirmation test of the leakage breaker function) is performed, In addition to whether or not the relay contact 21 is normally opened and closed, if an abnormality has occurred in the opening or closing of the relay contact 21, it is also determined what the abnormality is. Can do.

  When the user operates the power saving switch 59 disposed on the display / operation unit 50 to set the power saving mode, the main control unit 101 is in a period until a predetermined time elapses from the setting time (8 hours in the present embodiment). Controls the power-saving modes described below.

  First, in step S101, the main control unit 10 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since confirmation of the previous use state was completed. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO in step S101), the determination is repeated until the predetermined time has elapsed, and a series of controls are waited.

  If the predetermined time has been reached or if the predetermined time has already elapsed (YES in step S101), it is determined in step S102 whether the toilet seat device 50 is in an unused state. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toilet seat device 50 includes a seating sensor 56 and a human body sensor 57, so that these sensors detect the seating of the user and the presence of the user for a certain period of time. If not, it is determined that it is not in use. Here, in order to save energy, as a use state of the toilet seat device 50, when it is possible to set a standby state that suppresses the minimum power consumption, it is determined that a certain period of time has elapsed after entering the standby state as a non-use state. May be. In the present invention, the result of the seating detection for detecting the seating on the toilet seat 53 and the user detection for detecting the presence of the user at the place where the toilet seat device 50 is installed may be used at least for the determination of the use state. Any determination method may be used.

  Although it can be determined that the toilet seat heater 42 of the toilet seat device 50 is not being heated or when the cleaning operation of the cleaning nozzle 55 is not being performed, the power saving operation is performed in the present invention. In addition to taking into account the execution of earth leakage interruption, it is preferable to determine that a part of the user's body is not touching the toilet seat device 50 as a non-use state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is more preferable that the main control unit 10 uses the detection result of at least one of the seating detection and the human body detection to determine the usage state of the toilet seat device 50. When it is determined that the main control unit 10 is not in the unused state (in the used state), the main control unit 10 waits until it is in the unused state (NO in step S102).

  And when it determines with it being a non-use state, or when it will be in a non-use state (it is YES at Step S102), as Step S103, main control part 10 is directed to coil 22 as a relay drive signal to relay drive part 12. Is turned off and a relay OFF signal for opening the relay contact 21 is output.

  Here, when the relay OFF signal is output in step S103, the transistor 73b of the relay drive unit 12 is turned OFF. If the relay mechanism 20 is normally opened, the relay contact 21 is opened by cutting off the energization of the coil 22.

  Since the coil 22 is energized before the relay OFF signal is output, an AC current having a predetermined period is supplied from the AC power source to the main power supply path 81. As described above, the relay abnormality detection is performed. This alternating current is detected by the photocoupler 72a of the unit 14, and a binary signal corresponding to the period of the alternating current (inverted every half cycle) is input to the main control unit 10 as a relay opening / closing operation determination signal from the node 72e. The As a result, when the relay mechanism 20 is normally opened and closed, as shown in FIG. 5A, while the relay ON signal is output (middle in the figure), the alternating current (upper in the figure). A binary signal is output in accordance with the period (the lower left side in the figure) and is output to the main control unit 10. Here, the relay OFF signal refers to a relay drive signal for energizing the coil 22 to open the relay contact 21 in this way for convenience.

  Therefore, when the relay OFF signal is output in step S103, if the relay mechanism 20 is normally opened, the relay contact 21 is opened, so that no AC current is passed through the main power supply path 81, and the relay The binary signal as the open / close operation determination signal is a signal fixed to either the H level or the L level (here, the H level). On the other hand, if the relay contact 21 is closed by welding or the like, and the relay contact is not opened when the relay OFF signal is output and is maintained in the closed state, as shown in FIG. Even when the relay ON signal is switched to the OFF signal, a binary signal corresponding to the cycle of the alternating current is continuously output. This abnormality is hereinafter referred to as “ON failure” of the relay contact 21.

  Therefore, the main control unit 10 acquires a relay opening / closing operation determination signal from the relay abnormality detection unit 14 in step S104, and determines whether or not the relay opening / closing operation determination signal corresponds to the cycle of the AC power source in step S105. If it corresponds (YES in step S105), it is determined that an ON failure has occurred in the relay contact 21 as described above (step S106). On the other hand, if it does not correspond (NO in step S105), the relay contact 21 has been normally opened, so the process proceeds to step S107, and the main control unit 10 switches the entire toilet seat device 50 to the power saving state and starts the power saving mode.

  Normally, in the power saving mode, the hot water heater 41a, the drying heater 41b, the toilet seat heater 42, and the like that consume more power are cut off, but in the power saving mode of the present invention, the relay contacts 21 are opened to Not only the heaters 41a, 41b and 42 but also the coil 22 that drives the relay contact 21 is cut off. Therefore, a further energy saving effect can be obtained.

  In the next step S108, it is determined whether or not the toilet seat device 50 is in use. That is, the main control unit 10 determines whether or not to continue the power saving operation. That is, if the toilet seat device 50 is not in the use state, the main control unit 10 determines that the non-use state continues and continues the power saving operation with the relay OFF signal (NO in step S108). If it is determined or in use (YES in step S108), the process proceeds to step S109 to switch from the power saving mode to the normal mode.

  In step S109, the main control unit 10 switches the relay OFF signal to the above-described relay ON signal and outputs the relay OFF signal to the relay driving unit 12.

  Here, when the relay ON signal is output in step S109, when the relay mechanism 20 normally opens and closes, the relay contact 21 is closed, so that an AC current is passed through the main power supply path 81, As described above, a binary signal is output as the relay open / close operation determination signal in accordance with the cycle of the alternating current, and is output to the main control unit 10. On the other hand, if an abnormality occurs in the opening / closing operation of the relay mechanism 20, the relay contact 21 is not closed and is kept open even when the relay ON signal is output, so that an alternating current is generated in the main power supply path 81. It is not energized, and a binary signal corresponding to the cycle of the AC power supply is not generated. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the binary signal is a signal fixed at the H level as described above (lower right side in the figure). This abnormality is hereinafter referred to as “OFF failure” of the relay contact 21.

  Therefore, the main control unit 10 acquires a relay opening / closing operation determination signal (step S110), and determines whether or not the acquired relay opening / closing operation determination signal corresponds to the cycle of the alternating current (step S111). When the main controller 10 determines that the relay opening / closing operation determination signal corresponds to the AC power supply cycle (YES in step S111), the main control unit 10 proceeds to step S112, and the relay contact 21 is opened in response to the relay OFF signal and the relay ON signal. Therefore, the main control unit 10 ends the power saving mode and switches to the normal mode. Thereafter, the main control unit 10 ends this control.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the relay opening / closing operation determination signal does not correspond to the AC power supply cycle (NO in step S111), the process proceeds to step S113, and it is determined that an OFF failure has occurred in the relay contact 21. After step S106 and step S113, the main control unit 11 proceeds to step S114, and informs the display / operation unit 52 that the leakage interrupting function is abnormal. A specific method for performing the notification is not particularly limited, and for example, the notification may be performed using an LED, a liquid crystal display unit, or the like as described above. Specifically, it may be notified as an LED or the like that is turned on at the time of abnormality, or the liquid crystal display unit may be notified as character information or image information that there is an abnormality in the leakage breaker function. Furthermore, a warning sound or a warning message may be issued as voice information. That is, if an abnormality occurs in the opening / closing operation of the relay mechanism 20, the main control unit 10 can notify the user that there is an abnormality in the leakage breaker function by the alarm device. Any known configuration and notification method can be used. Thereafter, the main control unit 10 ends this control.

  Note that the main control unit 10 may perform control to stop the entire operation of the toilet seat device 50 in response to a determination that an abnormality has occurred in the leakage breaker function. That is, as a result of the confirmation test, the entire operation of the toilet seat device 50 may be stopped when an abnormality is detected in the opening / closing of the relay mechanism 20 or a control abnormality occurs in the main control unit 10. Thereby, the safety for the user can be further enhanced.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to achieve a further energy saving effect by reducing the power consumption of the leakage breaker that has not been the object of the standby power reduction. .

  The toilet seat apparatus to which the present invention can be applied is a toilet seat apparatus having the above-described leakage current interrupting section in general, and can be preferably applied particularly to an “instant-type” sanitary washing apparatus. The “instantaneous type” sanitary washing device is a sanitary washing device equipped with the aforementioned “instant hot water supply” and “instantaneous heating toilet seat”, which reduces power consumption and reduces energy consumption by using electricity only during use. It can be improved. In this “instant type” sanitary washing device, standby power has already been sufficiently reduced, but by applying the present invention, it is possible to save the power consumption of the leakage breaker, thus further saving energy. Can be obtained.

  For example, for the conventional toilet seat device of the present applicant and the toilet seat device to which the present invention is applied, the calculation of the energy saving rate (achievement standard for energy saving) in 2012 established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in the electric toilet seat field is as follows. While the energy saving rate of the conventional toilet seat device is 167%, the energy saving rate of the toilet seat device according to the present invention is improved to 175%. The energy saving achievement rate is calculated by the following formula: “energy saving standard value ÷ energy consumption efficiency of the product × 100”. Therefore, if the same energy consumption efficiency as the energy saving standard value is realized, the energy saving achievement rate becomes 100%, and if it exceeds the energy saving standard value, the energy saving achievement rate exceeds 100%.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the energy saving performance of the toilet seat device can be further improved. Therefore, the present invention can be suitably used in the fields of various toilet seat devices such as a heated toilet seat and a warm water cleaning toilet seat, and a sanitary cleaning device.

10 Main controller (controller)
12 Relay drive unit 14 Relay abnormality detector (relay abnormality detector)
20 relay mechanism 21 relay 50 toilet seat device 56 seating sensor 57 human body sensor

Claims (5)

Toilet seat and
A toilet seat heater for heating the toilet seat;
A main power supply path for supplying power to at least the toilet seat heater;
When a leakage occurs in the main power supply path, at least a leakage breaker that blocks the main power supply path;
A controller for controlling at least the earth leakage interrupter,
The earth leakage interrupter has a relay contact and a drive coil, and the relay contact is closed while the drive coil is energized, and opened when the drive coil is not energized, thereby at least connecting and interrupting the main power supply path. And a relay drive unit that drives a drive coil of the relay,
When the toilet seat is not in use, the controller cuts off the energization to the drive coil so as to shut off the main power supply path by the relay drive unit, and when the use of the toilet seat is resumed The toilet seat device is configured to perform a power saving operation of resuming energization of the drive coil so that the relay drive unit conducts the main power feeding path. A power-saving setting device for setting selection of the power-saving operation;
2. The toilet seat device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform the power saving operation when the power saving setting device is set and to not perform the power saving operation when the power saving operation is not set. The leakage detector further includes a leakage detector that detects a leakage of the main power supply path,
The said controller is comprised so that the said main electric supply path may be interrupted | blocked by interrupting | blocking the electricity supply to the said drive coil by the said relay drive part, when the said leak detector detects a leak. Or the toilet seat apparatus of 2. A user detector for detecting the user;
The controller determines, by the user detector, that the toilet seat device is not in use or is in a use state after being restarted and in use. The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the toilet seat device is configured to perform the power saving operation. A washing machine for washing a local part of a user seated on the toilet seat;
The cleaning device has at least a hot water heater for heating the cleaning water,
The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the main power supply path supplies power to the cleaning device.

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