JP2011067507A - Toilet seat device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an easy-to-maintain and comfortable toilet seat device by surely fixing a facing material to a toilet seat base material. <P>SOLUTION: The toilet seat device includes the toilet seat base material provided with an upper plate and a bottom plate, and the facing material for covering the surface of the upper plate. The upper plate has a vertical rib to be a welding margin when welded with the bottom plate at a welding part with the bottom plate, a plurality of grooves capable of holding the end part of the facing material are formed on the vertical ribs, and the facing material is fixed to the toilet seat base material by welding the upper plate and the bottom plate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  Aspects of the present invention generally relate to a toilet seat device, and more specifically, to a toilet seat device in which a surface layer is provided on an upper plate formed of resin or the like.

  On the seating surface of the toilet seat, for example, a toilet seat provided with a resin skin material has been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the toilet seat provided with the skin material, the dirt on the surface of the toilet seat is difficult to adhere, or the dirt attached to the surface of the toilet seat is easily removed, so that the toilet seat can be easily maintained.

  However, in the toilet seat device described in Patent Document 1, since the skin material is mechanically fixed by an engagement member such as a hook, for example, there is room for improvement in that a large amount of engagement members are required for the fixation. There is. Alternatively, there is room for improvement in that it takes time and labor for fixing the skin material.

  On the other hand, in the toilet seat device described in Patent Document 2, the end portion of the surface material is sandwiched between the end portions of the upper case and the bottom plate, and laser welding is performed by irradiating the contact surface between the upper case and the bottom plate with laser light. Thus, the surface material is fixed to the upper case. Therefore, in the middle of the work process, the position of the surface material viewed from the upper case is shifted, and there is a possibility that the seating surface may be wrinkled or air may enter between the upper case and the surface material. In addition, this may reduce the sitting comfort of the seating surface.

JP 2008-245667 A JP 2005-13722 A

  The present invention has been made on the basis of recognition of such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide a toilet seat device that is easy to care and comfortable to sit on by securely fixing the skin material to the toilet seat base material. .

  1st invention is provided with the toilet seat base material which has an upper board and a bottom board, and the skin material which coat | covers the surface of the said upper board, The said upper board is a welding part with the said bottom board, and the said bottom board A plurality of grooves that can hold end portions of the skin material are formed on the longitudinal rib, and the skin material includes the top plate and the bottom plate; The toilet seat device is fixed to the toilet seat base material by welding.

  According to this toilet seat device, the skin material is firmly fixed to the toilet seat base material by the fact that the skin material is held by the vertical ribs and grooves and the burr having heat generated at the welded portion between the top plate and the bottom plate. . Thus, since the skin material is securely fixed to the toilet seat base material, the toilet seat device can be easily maintained and a better sitting comfort can be provided.

  Further, since the skin material is securely fixed to the toilet seat base material, there is little possibility that a gap is generated between the skin material and the toilet seat base material even when an external force is applied to the toilet seat device. Therefore, it is possible to reliably suppress water and dirt from entering between the skin material and the toilet seat base material.

  The second invention is the toilet seat device according to the first invention, wherein the surface of the skin material is formed of the same kind of material as the toilet seat base material.

  According to this toilet seat apparatus, since the welded portion of the toilet seat base material and the surface of the skin material are the same material, that is, the melted toilet seat base material and the surface of the skin material have an affinity for each other, the skin material Is firmly fixed to the toilet seat substrate. Therefore, the skin material is securely fixed to the toilet seat base material. According to this, the toilet seat apparatus which is easy to care and has a better sitting comfort can be provided.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the bottom plate has a projecting wall provided toward the upper plate on the end side of the welded portion, and the skin. The material is a toilet seat device that is pressed against the upper plate by the protruding wall.

  According to this toilet seat device, since the protruding wall is provided on the end side rather than the vicinity of the welded portion of the bottom plate, it is possible to suppress the burrs generated by the welding from being exposed to the outside of the toilet seat base material. . Therefore, after the toilet seat device is manufactured, it is possible to save the trouble of removing the burr, and the manufacturing process can be further simplified. In addition, the protruding wall of the bottom plate can press the skin material against the top plate, so there is little risk of moisture or dirt entering between the top plate and the bottom plate, and dirt in the gap between the top plate and the bottom plate. Is unlikely to occur.

  Furthermore, since the burr is filled between the protruding wall and the upper plate, it is possible to reliably prevent water and dirt from entering the inside through the gap between the bottom plate and the upper plate. According to this, since it is possible to prevent moisture and dirt from entering between the upper plate and the bottom plate, it is possible to provide a toilet seat device that can be easily maintained. In addition, since the skin material is securely fixed to the toilet seat base material, it is possible to provide a toilet seat device with better sitting comfort.

  According to the aspect of the present invention, a toilet seat device that is easy to care and comfortable to sit on is provided by securely fixing the skin material to the toilet seat base material.

It is an exploded schematic diagram showing the toilet seat apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective schematic diagram showing the toilet seat apparatus concerning this embodiment. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the cross section of the upper board of this embodiment. It is an end surface schematic diagram showing the state where the skin material was fixed to the upper plate. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which illustrates the specific example which welds the baseplate and top plate of this embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.
FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic view showing a toilet seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the toilet seat device according to the present embodiment.

  The toilet seat device 400 according to the present embodiment includes a toilet seat base 410 and a skin material 460 laminated thereon. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the toilet seat base 410 includes a bottom plate 420 and an upper plate 430. The skin material 460 covers the surface of the upper plate 430 of the toilet seat base 410 in a state where the toilet seat device 400 is assembled.

  The bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430 can be fixed by welding. Examples of the welding include vibration welding, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and hot plate welding. Alternatively, the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430 can be welded and fixed by heat generated by passing a current through an electric wire disposed on the contact surface between the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430. The welding of the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430 will be described in detail later.

  The upper plate 430 and the skin material 460 can be fixed by, for example, vacuum pressure bonding. According to this, it is possible to suppress wrinkles on the skin material 460 and air from entering between the upper plate 430 and the skin material 460. Further, the toilet seat base 410 having the bottom plate 420 and the top plate 430 and the surface of the skin material 460 (the surface on which a person is seated) can be formed of the same kind of material. Here, in the present specification, “the same kind of material” refers to materials having compatibility with each other. Specifically, for example, “olefin resin including those added with an elastomer” may be mentioned. Can do. In the present specification, “compatible” means “a property in which two or more kinds of substances have an affinity for each other to form a solution or a mixture”.

  According to this, because the welded portion of the toilet seat base material 410 and the surface of the skin material 460 are the same type of material, that is, the melted toilet seat base material 410 and the surface of the skin material 460 have an affinity for each other. The fixing strength of the skin material 460 can be further increased by the welded toilet seat base material 410.

  In the present specification, not only when the surface of the skin material 460 is formed of the same kind of material as the toilet seat base material 410, but also when the surface of the skin material 460 is impregnated with the same kind of material as the toilet seat base material 410. Is also included in the range that “the toilet seat base material 410 and the surface of the skin material 460 are formed of the same kind of material”.

  The bottom plate 420 and the top plate 430 have a role of supporting the weight of the user sitting on the toilet seat device 400, and are formed of a resin such as polypropylene (PP). On the other hand, the skin material 460 directly contacts the user sitting on the toilet seat device 400 and has a role of giving a soft sitting comfort or reducing a feeling of nearness at low temperatures. For example, the skin material 460 is formed of a laminate of olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO: Thermo Plastic Olefin), foamed polypropylene, polypropylene, or the like. And the surface of the skin material 460 has a smoother and more precise surface and can suppress adhesion of dirt. In other words, the skin material 460 can provide care for the toilet seat apparatus 400 while providing better sitting comfort.

  Further, in the toilet seat device 400 according to the present embodiment, a cavity (not shown) can be formed between the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430. A heater (not shown) for heating the toilet seat device 400 can be installed in the cavity.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the upper plate of the present embodiment.
Moreover, FIG. 4 is an end surface schematic diagram showing a state in which the skin material is fixed to the upper plate.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of a part 430a of the upper plate 430 shown in FIG.
4A is an end view of the portion of the groove 433 shown in FIG. 3 at the AA cut surface, and FIG. 4B is a vertical rib that is not the portion of the groove 433 shown in FIG. It is an end elevation in the BB cut surface of 431.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper plate 430 has vertical ribs 431 that serve as welding margins when the upper plate 430 and the bottom plate 420 are welded at the welded portion with the bottom plate 420. The vertical ribs 431 extend downward (on the side of the bottom plate 420) from the end portions on the inner and outer peripheral sides of the upper plate 430. The vertical rib 431 is formed with a plurality of grooves 433. And when the upper board 430 is seen from the outer peripheral side or the inner peripheral side, the front-end | tip part 431a of the vertical rib 431 has a taper shape. The vertical ribs 431 and the grooves 433 can hold the end portions of the skin material 460.

  More specifically, as described above with reference to FIG. 1, the upper plate 430 and the skin material 460 can be fixed by, for example, vacuum bonding. When vacuum pressure bonding is performed, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the skin material 460 is adsorbed and fixed from the upper surface of the upper plate 430 to the side surfaces (inner and outer surfaces). Can do. At this time, the end portions of the skin material 460 are adsorbed so as to be wound around the inner peripheral side and outer peripheral side ends of the upper plate 430.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 4A, a part of the end portion of the skin material 460 is formed on the inner peripheral side and outer peripheral side end portions of the upper plate 430 along the groove 433 of the vertical rib 431. Get involved. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, the other part of the end portion of the skin material 460 is wound around the inner peripheral side and outer peripheral side ends of the upper plate 430 so as to penetrate the vertical rib 431. .

  Here, in a portion corresponding to the vertical rib 431 at the end of the skin material 460, a locking hole (not shown) that engages with the vertical rib 431 may be formed in advance or may not be formed. When the locking hole for engaging with the vertical rib 431 is not formed in advance, the vertical rib 431 penetrates so as to pierce the end of the skin material 460 at the time of vacuum pressure bonding, and the end of the skin material 460 Lock the part. In addition, since the front-end | tip part 431a of the vertical rib 431 has a tapering shape, it can pierce and penetrate the skin material 460 easily. On the other hand, when a locking hole that engages with the vertical rib 431 is formed in advance, the end of the skin material 460 is inserted by inserting the portion of the locking hole into the vertical rib 431 during vacuum pressure bonding. The vertical ribs 431 are engaged.

  In addition, when the latching hole engaged with the vertical rib 431 is formed in the edge part of the skin material 460, it is more preferable to provide the reinforcement part which is not shown in the vicinity of the latching hole. The reinforcing portion (not shown) can have a structure in which a core made of resin, metal, or the like is wrapped and fixed by a base material of a sheet-like skin material 460, for example. By providing such a reinforcing portion, the skin material 460 is prevented from being torn or damaged from the portion of the locking hole, and the tension applied by being locked by the vertical ribs 431 is uniformly distributed to the skin material 460. The skin material 460 can be fixed on the upper plate 430 without wrinkles or sagging.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a specific example of welding the bottom plate and the top plate of this embodiment.
5A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state before the bottom plate and the top plate are welded, and FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state after the bottom plate and the top plate are welded. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the section C-C shown in FIG.

In this specific example, a case where the bottom plate 420 and the top plate 430 are fixed by vibration welding will be described as an example.
First, before the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430 are fixed by vibration welding, the upper plate 430 and the skin material 460 are fixed in advance by, for example, vacuum pressure bonding. Subsequently, as indicated by an arrow shown in FIG. 5A, the upper plate 430 to which the skin material 460 is fixed and the bottom plate 420 are pressed in a direction in which they contact each other. Then, while pressurizing the upper plate 430 and the bottom plate 420, at least one of the upper plate 430 and the bottom plate 420 is vibrated in the horizontal direction.

  In addition, when the conditions of vibration welding at this time are exemplified, the frequency is, for example, about 100 to 240 hertz (Hz). The amplitude is, for example, about 1.0 to 4.0 millimeters (mm). The applied pressure is, for example, about 15000 Newton (N) at the maximum. The welding time is, for example, about 0.5 to 15 seconds.

  Then, frictional heat is generated at the contact portion (welded portion) between the upper plate 430 and the bottom plate 420. Due to the frictional heat, the leading end portion 431a of the vertical rib 431 is gradually melted. At this time, since the tip portion 431a of the vertical rib 431 has a tapered shape, the vibration energy is concentrated on the tip portion 431a having a tapered shape as compared with the case where the tip portion is a flat surface. Therefore, the front end portion 431a of the vertical rib 431 is efficiently melted in a shorter time.

  And as the front-end | tip part 431a of the vertical rib 431 melt | dissolved, as represented to FIG.5 (b), the melted part (burr | burr) 437 of the upper board 430 spreads to the side of a welding part. Here, the bottom plate 420 has a protruding wall 421 extending toward the upper side (the upper plate 430 side) on the end side from the vicinity of the welded portion. Therefore, the burr 437 spreading from the welded portion to the outer peripheral side is filled between the protruding wall 421 of the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430. In the present specification, not only the state where the burr 437 is filled in the space without a gap but also the state where the burr 437 is filled in the space to the extent that the skin material 460 is fixed by the burr 437 is “filled”. It shall be included in the range.

  According to this, the skin material 460 is held by the vertical ribs 431 and the grooves 433, and the burr 437 having heat generated at the welded portion between the upper plate 430 and the bottom plate 420 is formed by the protruding wall 421 and the upper plate 430. , It is firmly fixed to the toilet seat base material 410. Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 1, the welded portion of the toilet seat base material 410 and the surface of the skin material 460 are the same type of material, that is, the molten toilet seat base material 410 and the surface of the skin material 460 mutually Since it has affinity, the skin material 460 is firmly fixed to the toilet seat base material 410. Therefore, the skin material 460 is securely fixed to the toilet seat base 410.

  Further, since the skin material 460 is securely fixed to the toilet seat base material 410, the toilet seat device 400 can be easily maintained and can give a better sitting comfort. Further, since the skin material 460 is securely fixed to the toilet seat base material 410, even when a force is applied to the toilet seat device 400 from the outside, there is little possibility that a gap is generated between the skin material 460 and the toilet seat base material 410. . Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent water and dirt from entering between the skin material 460 and the toilet seat base 410. In addition, since the burr 437 is filled between the protruding wall 421 and the upper plate 430, it is possible to reliably prevent water and dirt from entering the gap through the gap between the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430. it can.

  Furthermore, since the bottom plate 420 has the protruding wall 421 on the end side from the vicinity of the welded portion, the burr 437 generated by the welding can be suppressed from being exposed to the outside of the toilet seat base 410. Therefore, after the toilet seat device 400 is manufactured, the trouble of deleting the burr 437 can be saved, and the manufacturing process can be further simplified. Further, since the protruding wall 421 of the bottom plate 420 can press the skin material 460 against the upper plate 430, there is little possibility of moisture or dirt entering between the upper plate 430 and the bottom plate 420, and the upper plate 430 and the bottom plate Dirt is unlikely to occur in the gap with 420.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, a recess 435 is formed on the outer peripheral edge and the inner peripheral edge of the upper plate 430. As shown in FIG. 5B, the recess 435 can reduce damage when the protruding wall 421 of the bottom plate 420 contacts the skin material 460. That is, as the welding between the bottom plate 420 and the top plate 430 proceeds, the distance between the bottom plate 420 and the top plate 430 becomes shorter, and the skin material 460 is eventually sandwiched between the bottom plate 420 and the top plate 430. At this time, when the concave portion 435 is not formed, the skin material 460 may be damaged such as being crushed. However, since the concave portion 435 is formed in the upper plate 430 of this embodiment, Damage can be reduced.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. As long as the features of the present invention are included in the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art appropriately modified the design are also included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, material, arrangement, etc. of each element included in the bottom plate 420, the upper plate 430, and the like, and the installation form of the vertical ribs 431 and the grooves 433 are not limited to those illustrated, but may be changed as appropriate. be able to.

In the present embodiment, the case where the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430 are fixed mainly by vibration welding has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Examples of the welding include ultrasonic welding, laser welding, and hot plate welding. Even in the case of these weldings, if the vertical ribs 431 and the grooves 433 are formed on the upper plate 430, the skin material 460 can be held by the vertical ribs 431 and the grooves 433. Therefore, the skin material 460 can be firmly fixed to the toilet seat base 410. Further, in the case of ultrasonic welding, when the tip portion has a tapered shape like the vertical rib 431 shown in FIG. 3, vibration energy can be concentrated on the tapered tip portion. As described above, even when the bottom plate 420 and the upper plate 430 are fixed by ultrasonic welding, laser welding, hot plate welding, or the like, the same effects as those described above in the description of the present embodiment can be obtained. Can do.
Moreover, each element with which each embodiment mentioned above is provided can be combined as long as technically possible, and the combination of these is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the features of the present invention.

  400 toilet seat device, 410 toilet seat base material, 420 bottom plate, 421 protruding wall, 430 top plate, 430a part of top plate, 431 vertical rib, 431a tip, 433 groove, 435 recess, 437 burr, 460 skin material

Claims (3)

A toilet seat substrate having a top plate and a bottom plate;
A skin material covering the surface of the upper plate;
With
The upper plate has a vertical rib serving as a welding allowance at the time of welding with the bottom plate in the welded portion with the bottom plate,
The vertical rib is formed with a plurality of grooves capable of holding end portions of the skin material.
The toilet seat device, wherein the skin material is fixed to the toilet seat base material by welding the upper plate and the bottom plate.   The toilet seat device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the skin material is formed of a material of the same kind as the toilet seat base material. The bottom plate has a protruding wall provided toward the upper plate on the end side than the vicinity of the welded portion,
The toilet seat device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the skin material is pressed against the upper plate by the protruding wall.

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