JP2012045273A - Heated toilet seat and planar heater for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve an immediate heating property of quickly elevating the temperature of a sitting surface and to reduce irregularities of the temperature distribution of a sitting surface area.SOLUTION: The heated toilet seat 1 includes a toilet seat skeleton 2 and a planar heater 3 formed by bonding a heating element 7 including a conductive film pattern 7a to an insulating sheet-like base material 6, and in the heated toilet seat 1, the planar heater 3 is bonded so as to make the heating element 7 face the toilet seat skeleton 2, and the heating element 3 and the sitting surface (the surface of a decorative layer 5) are brought close to each other. For the planar heater 3, to the surface on the opposite side of the conductive film pattern 7a of the insulating sheet-like base material 6, a heat conductive film 10 facing a part 7a-1 with a conductive film of the conductive film pattern 7a and a part 7a-2 without the conductive film so as to stride over both parts is bonded.

Description

  The present invention relates to a heating toilet seat and a surface heater for a heating toilet seat, which have excellent immediate warming properties in which a seating surface quickly rises in temperature.

  Conventionally, a heated toilet seat with excellent warmth has been provided with a toilet seat housing and a sheet heater formed by joining a heating element made of a conductive film pattern to an insulating sheet-like base material so that the heating device faces the toilet seat housing. In this case, a sheet heater is joined and the heating element and the seating surface are brought close to each other (Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-212030 A

  By the way, a planar heater has a part with a conductive film and a part without a conductive film in a conductive film pattern forming a heating element, and a part without a conductive film is difficult to raise the temperature. For this reason, a heated toilet seat in which the heating element and the seating surface are brought close to each other may cause unevenness in the temperature distribution in the seating surface region where the temperature is raised by the planar heater, and may cause discomfort to the user.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a heating toilet seat and a heater for heating toilet seat that can reduce uneven temperature distribution in the seating surface area so as not to give the user unpleasant feeling.

  In order to reduce unevenness of the temperature distribution in the seating surface area, the means employed by the present invention as claimed in claim 1 is a sheet heater formed by joining a toilet seat housing and a heating element comprising a conductive film pattern to an insulating sheet-like substrate. A heating toilet seat in which a heating element is joined so that the heating element faces the toilet seat housing and the heating element and the seating surface are brought close to each other. In the heating toilet seat, the opposite side surface is joined with a thermally conductive film facing the both sides of the conductive film pattern where the conductive film is present and the part where the conductive film is not present.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the heat generated in the portion of the conductive film pattern where the conductive film is present and reaches the heat conductive film via the insulating sheet-like substrate faces the portion where the conductive film is not present. The heat conduction film can be diffused by conducting heat.

  In order to reliably detect the temperature of the planar heater, the means adopted by the present invention according to claim 2 is to join the planar heater to the toilet seat casing via a heat insulating layer, and to detect temperature from the toilet seat casing side to the planar heater. The heating toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is pressed against the sheet heater from the toilet seat housing side.

  In the present invention described in claim 2, the temperature sensor can always be brought close to the planar heater.

  In order to prevent the temperature sensor from being damaged, the means adopted by the present invention according to claim 3 is the heating toilet seat according to claim 2 in which the temperature sensor is pressed against the planar heater through an elastic material.

  In this invention of Claim 3, even if a planar heater deform | transforms by a user's seating, a temperature sensor also tracks and deviates by the elastic deformation of an elastic material, and with respect to a temperature sensor, without being damaged. The proximity of the planar heater can be maintained.

  In order to improve the productivity of the heating toilet seat, the means adopted by the present invention according to claim 4 is that the insulating sheet-like base material is formed from both or one of the central region along the longitudinal direction and the inner and outer edges of the central region. A side edge region composed of a plurality of protruding tongue pieces is formed, and the conductive film pattern is provided with a heating element and a heat conductive film on the tongue pieces of the central region and the side edge region of the insulating sheet-like base material. The heating toilet seat according to claim 1, 2 or 3.

  In the present invention of claim 4, when the planar heater is joined to the toilet seat casing, the central area of the planar heater faces the central area on the seating surface side of the toilet seat casing, and the toilet seat casing is curved. By making the side edge area | region which consists of a tongue piece part of a planar heater face both or one of the inner and outer side edges, a planar heater can be made to follow the curved surface shape of a toilet seat housing.

  In order to improve the productivity of the planar heater, the means adopted by the present invention according to claim 5 is the sheet heater for a toilet seat in which a heating element made of a conductive film pattern is joined to an insulating sheet base material. The conductive substrate pattern was made of metal foil on one surface of the insulating sheet substrate, and the heat conductive film was formed of metal foil on the other surface of the insulating sheet substrate. It is a surface heater for a heating toilet seat.

  In this invention of Claim 5, it is possible to utilize the flexible sheet | seat manufactured by joining metal foil to both surfaces of a flexible insulating sheet-like base material, in producing a planar heater. Become.

  In order to obtain a planar heater capable of improving the productivity of the heated toilet seat, the means adopted by the present invention according to claim 6 is that the insulating sheet-like base material has a central region along the longitudinal direction and inner and outer edges of the central region. A side edge region formed of a plurality of tongue pieces projecting from both or one side, and the conductive film pattern has a heating element and a heat on the tongue pieces of the central region and the side edge region of the insulating sheet-like substrate. The planar heater for a heating toilet seat according to claim 5, further comprising a conductive film.

  In the present invention described in claim 6, when the planar heater is joined to the toilet seat casing, the central area of the planar heater faces the central area on the seating surface side of the toilet seat casing, and the toilet seat casing is curved. By making the side edge area | region which consists of a tongue piece part of a planar heater face both or one of the inner and outer side edges, a planar heater can be made to follow the curved surface shape of a toilet seat housing.

  The heating toilet seat according to the first aspect of the present invention can reduce the uneven temperature distribution in the seating surface area by diffusing the heat generated by the planar heater in the heat conduction film on the seating surface side.

  The heating toilet seat according to the second aspect of the present invention can reliably detect the temperature of the planar heater by bringing the temperature sensor close to the planar heater.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating toilet seat according to the present invention, wherein even if the planar heater is deformed by the user's seating, the temperature sensor is also tracked and biased by the elastic deformation of the elastic material, so that the temperature sensor is not damaged. The proximity of the planar heater to can be maintained.

  In the heating toilet seat according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the surface heater for the heating toilet seat can be made to follow the curved shape of the toilet seat housing, so that it can be easily provided on the toilet seat housing and the productivity of the heating toilet seat can be improved. it can.

  The sheet heater for a heating toilet seat according to the present invention described in claim 5 can use a flexible sheet manufactured by joining metal foils to both surfaces of a flexible insulating sheet base material. Productivity can be improved.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the heater for a heating toilet seat according to the present invention can be provided on the toilet seat casing because it can follow the curved shape of the toilet seat casing, and the productivity of the heating toilet seat can be improved.

1 shows an embodiment of a heating toilet seat according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “the present invention heating toilet seat”). FIG. (A) is a plan view with a part removed, and FIG. A sectional view taken along line bb in A), and FIG. C is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by line c in FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a sheet heater for heating toilet seat according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “the sheet heater of the present invention”), and FIG. B) is a bottom view. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment structure of the temperature sensor integrated in this invention heating toilet seat, Comprising: FIG. (A) is the top view which peeled a part of the toilet seat seating surface side, FIG. (B) is b- of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view in b line. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows the attachment structure of another aspect of the temperature sensor integrated in this invention heating toilet seat. FIGS. 1A to 1C are plan views showing a seating state of each user, and FIG. 4D is a plan view showing a desirable mounting position of a temperature sensor that can correspond to each user. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of the temperature control apparatus of this invention heating toilet seat.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention includes a toilet seat casing 2 and a sheet heater 3 of the present invention, and joins the sheet heater 3 of the present invention to the toilet seat casing 2 via a heat insulating layer 4. The surface side of the heater 3 is covered with a decorative layer 5, and the surface of the decorative layer 5 is used as a seating surface for the user. The toilet seat housing 2 is formed from a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene (PP) to a thickness of about 3.0 to 5.0 mm, and the left and right pivot portions 2a and 2a can be swung to the toilet body (not shown). It is designed to secure the strength to support the load of the user who is seated in the overturned state of use. The heat-insulating layer 4 is a self-adhesive force or an adhesive when the thickness is formed to a thickness of about 0.3 to 2.0 mm from a material such as foamed resin, cork, felt or silica aerogel, and press-molded onto the toilet seat housing 2 Is joined to the toilet seat housing 2. The decorative layer 5 is formed from a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene (PP) with a thin thickness of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm. The planar heater 3 of the present invention is divided into left and right in this example, and the outer shapes of the left and right are formed symmetrically, but the left and right can also be formed integrally.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the left and right sheet heaters 3 according to the present invention has a heating element comprising a conductive film pattern 7a on the back surface of the insulating sheet-like substrate 6 (see FIG. (B), the side facing the toilet seat housing 2). 7 is bonded, and the heat conductive film 10 is bonded to the surface of the insulating sheet-like substrate 6 (see FIG. (A), the side facing the decorative layer 5), so that there is a conductive film of the conductive film pattern 7a on the back side. The heat conductive film 10 on the front side is faced through the insulating sheet-like substrate 6 so as to straddle both the part 7a-1 and the part 7a-2 without the conductive film. As the insulating sheet-like substrate 6, a flexible sheet having a thickness of about 15 to 100 μm made of a synthetic resin material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyimide is used. The heating element 7 is formed by etching a metal foil such as a copper foil attached to the insulating sheet-like base material 6 or printing a conductive paste on the insulating sheet-like base material 6 so that the thickness composed of straight lines and curves is 12 to 70 μm. The conductive film pattern 7a has a thickness (preferably 35 μm). The heat generating body 7 has connection terminals 7b and 7b at the start and end of the conductive film of the conductive film pattern 7a. The thermal conductive film 10 is superior in thermal conductivity to the insulating sheet-like base material 6 and has a thickness of about 12 to 70 μm (preferably 35 μm) attached to the insulating sheet-like base material 6 by plating or plating. In this example, it is joined to the entire surface of the insulating sheet-like substrate 6.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention generates heat in the conductive film portion 7 a-1 of the conductive film pattern 7 a of the planar heater 3 and reaches the heat conductive film 10 through the insulating sheet-like substrate 6. The heat distribution is conducted and diffused to the region of the heat conductive film 10 facing the portion 7a-2 where there is no conductive film, thereby causing uneven temperature distribution in the seating surface region of the decorative layer 5 facing the planar heater 3. It can be reduced. Further, the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention has a heat capacity by reducing the thickness of the insulating sheet-like base material 6 that conducts heat generated by the heating element 7 of the planar heater 3 of the present invention, the heat conductive film 10 and the decorative layer 5 as much as possible. By reducing the value, the immediate warming property is improved.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the left and right planar heaters 3 of the present invention has a heating sensor 7 and a temperature sensor lead wire 11 (see FIG. 2) on the back surface (side facing the toilet seat housing 2) of the insulating sheet substrate 6. B) is joined, and a temperature sensor 12 is connected to one end of the lead wire 11. In the present embodiment, the planar heater 3 uses a flexible sheet in which metal foil is previously bonded to both surfaces of a flexible insulating sheet-like base material 6 and forms a conductive film pattern 7a and a temperature sensor lead wire 11 by etching. As a result, productivity is improved. The temperature sensor 12 may be provided only on one of the left and right surface heaters 3 and 3 of the present invention.

  The position of the temperature sensor 12 provided in the planar heater 3 according to the present invention is such that the toilet seat opening as shown in FIG. (D) corresponds to various seating modes shown in FIGS. The most suitable position is slightly closer to the front than the center in the front-rear direction corresponding to the portion 1a and slightly closer to the inside than the center in the left-right width direction. In order to protect the temperature sensor 12 from a load or the like at the time of sitting, the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention is in the form of an insulating sheet corresponding to the periphery excluding the temperature sensor lead wire 11 where the temperature sensor 12 is attached as shown in FIG. A cut-out portion 17 having a U-shape or the like is provided at the base 6 and the heat conductive film 10, and the temperature sensor 12 of the planar heater 3 of the present invention is attached by a protective plate 18 that is movably moved using the cut-out portion 17. Covering the front side of the location, the peripheral edge of the temperature sensor 12 is biased toward the decorative layer 5 from the toilet seat housing 2 side via the elastic material 19 such as a spring and the sensor pressing member 20, and the temperature sensor 12 and the peripheral edge thereof are seated. Therefore, the temperature sensor 12 is protected and the temperature detection reliability is ensured. The protection plate 18 is formed in an L-shape or the like to increase the bending rigidity, thereby ensuring the protection of the temperature sensor 12. The elastic member 19 and the sensor pressing member 20 are prevented from dropping off by the pressing plate 21 attached to the toilet seat housing 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting structure of the temperature sensor 12 provided in the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention has the temperature sensor 12 built in the planar heater 3 of the present invention joined to the toilet seat housing 2 via a heat insulating layer 4. The protective cap 24 is brought into contact with the toilet seat housing 2 side, and the temperature sensor 12 is pressed against the sheet heater 3 together with the protective cap 24 through the elastic material 19 from the toilet seat housing 2 side with an optimum force. The protective cap 24 is formed of a material having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum or tungsten, and protects the temperature sensor 12 by confining the temperature sensor 12 with the sealing material 22, and is applied to the planar heater 3 of the present invention via the thermal conductive grease 23. Pressed. With this mounting structure, the temperature sensor 12 can always be brought close to the planar heater 3, and even if the planar heater 3 is deformed by the seating of the user, the temperature sensor 12 also follows due to the elastic deformation of the elastic material 19. Therefore, the temperature of the sheet heater 3 of the present invention can be reliably detected while maintaining the proximity state between the two without causing damage to the sheet heater 3 and the temperature sensor 12 of the present invention. .

  The heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention performs temperature control using the resistance change of the conductive film pattern 7a accompanying the temperature change of the heating element 7 of the sheet heater 3 of the present invention, in addition to detecting the temperature by the temperature sensor 12. It is also possible to make it.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the left and right sheet heaters 3 according to the present invention includes both a central region 6a along the longitudinal direction of the insulating sheet-like substrate 6 and inner and outer edges 6a-1 and 6a-2 of the central region 6a. The inner side edge region 6b-1 and the outer side edge region 6b-2 are formed of a plurality of tongue pieces 6c that are separated from and protruded by the notch 6d. Each planar heater 3 of the present invention is provided with a heating element 6 and a heat conductive film 10 on each tongue piece 6c of the central region 6a and the side edge regions 6b-1 and 6b-2 on both sides of the insulating sheet-like substrate. is there. When the sheet heater 3 of the present invention is joined to the toilet seat housing 2 (two-dot chain line in FIG. 2A) via the heat insulating layer 4 (see FIG. 1C), the seating surface side of the toilet seat housing 2 The central region 6a of the flexible insulating sheet-like base material 6 is made to face the central region, and the side edge region 6b- consisting of a plurality of tongue pieces 6c on the curved inner and outer side edges of the toilet seat housing 2 is provided. By facing 1 and 6b-2, since it can join, shaping so that the curved surface shape of the toilet seat housing 2 may be followed, the productivity of the heating toilet seat 1 can be improved. Since the insulating sheet-like base material 6 is flexible in the left and right present invention sheet heaters 3 and 3, the front portions 3a and 3a are opened when they are made flat as shown in FIG. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1 (A), the front parts 3a and 3a are brought close to each other when they are joined to the toilet seat housing 2 while being shaped so as to follow the curved surface shape of the toilet seat housing 2. In addition, the planar heater 3 of the present invention may omit either one or both of the side edge regions 6b-1 and 6b-2 on both sides according to the specifications of the heating toilet seat.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (C), the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention joins the sheet heater 3 of the present invention, the decorative layer 5 and the heat insulating layer 4 with bonding layers 14 and 15 made of an adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape or the like. Although it is carried out or is not shown, when the heat insulating layer material is pressure-molded to form the heat insulating layer 4, it is bonded by the adhesive strength of the material, or the decorative layer material is injection-molded to form the decorative layer 5. It is better to use the adhesive strength of the material. As an example of the manufacturing method of the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention, the molded toilet seat body 2 is placed on a lower press mold, and the sheet heater 3 of the present invention is installed on the seating surface side of the toilet seat housing 2 via a heat insulating layer material. At the same time, the decorative layer 5 is stacked on the surface of the sheet heater 3 of the present invention, and the decorative layer 5 is pressed with an upper mold, whereby the heat insulating layer material and the adhesive are fluidly developed and cured. After finishing the pressed molded product, the back cover 16 (see FIG. 1B) is attached to obtain the heated toilet seat 1 of the present invention.

  The temperature control device for the heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention includes a toilet seat power supply circuit 30, a control circuit power supply circuit 31, and a control circuit 32, as shown in FIG. The heating toilet seat 1 of the present invention has a temperature sensor 12a made of a negative characteristic thermistor (NTC) attached to one of the left and right sheet heaters 3 of the present invention and an overtemperature sensor 12b made of a positive characteristic thermistor (PTC) to the other. It is. The toilet seat power supply circuit 30 converts a direct current rectified from a commercial power supply by a rectifying and smoothing circuit into an alternating current by a toilet seat DC-AC converter, steps down the voltage by an insulating transformer, and lowers the direct current by a rectifying and smoothing circuit (for example, DC = 20V). Thus, the heating heater 7 of the present invention sheet heater 3 of the heating toilet seat 1 is supplied. The control circuit power supply circuit 31 rectifies the commercial power supply and uses direct current (for example, DC = 5 V) as the power supply for the control circuit 32. This is to ensure safety against electric shock, and if the insulation thickness between the conductive part and the surface that may touch the human body cannot be ensured by the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law, the voltage of that part is AC30V, This is because the DC insulation voltage is 45 V or less and double insulation is required. The control circuit 32 controls the oscillation of the DC-AC converter for the toilet seat by comparing the detected temperature received by the temperature signal correction circuit connected to the temperature sensor 12a and the set temperature set by the toilet seat temperature setting button with a microcomputer. When the temperature adjustment is performed by controlling the amount of power supplied to the heating element 7 of the planar heater 3 of the present invention, and the overheat prevention circuit connected to the overheat sensor 12b receives a detection temperature indicating an abnormal temperature rise, Oscillation of the toilet seat DC-AC converter is stopped to stop power supply to the heating element 7 of the sheet heater 3 of the present invention. In addition, the control circuit power supply circuit 31 has a heater damage detection circuit connected to the heating element 7 and the heat conduction film 10 of the planar heater 3 according to the present invention to detect a short circuit between the heating element 7 and the heat conduction film 10 due to damage or the like. In this case, the oscillation of the toilet seat DC-AC converter is stopped, and the power supply to the heating element 7 of the sheet heater 3 of the present invention is stopped.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Heating toilet seat of this invention, 1a ... Opening part, 2 ... Toilet seat housing | casing, 2a ... Pivoting part, 3 ... Invention surface heater, 3a ... Front part, 4 ... Heat insulation layer, 5 ... Makeup layer, 6 ... Insulation sheet form Base material, 6a ... center region, 6a-1 ... inner edge, 6a-2 ... outer edge, 6b-1 ... inner edge region, 6b-2 ... outer edge region, 6c ... tongue-like part, 6d ... notch part, 6e ... notch, 7 ... heating element, 7a ... conductive film pattern, 7a-1 ... part with conductive film, 7a-2 ... part without conductive film, 7b ... terminal, 10 ... heat conductive film, 11 ... temperature sensor REIT wire, 12 ... temperature sensor, 12a ... temperature sensor (negative characteristic thermistor (NTC)), 12b ... overtemperature sensor (positive characteristic thermistor (PTC)), 14 ... bonding layer, 15 ... bonding layer, 16 ... back Lid, 17 ... notch, 18 ... protective plate, 19 ... elastic material, 20 ... sensor pressing member, 21 ... Even the plate, 22 ... sealing member, 23 ... thermal paste, 24 ... protective cap, for power supply circuit 30 ... seat, for power supply circuit 31 ... control circuit, 32 ... control circuit

Claims (6)

  A toilet seat and a sheet heater formed by bonding a heating element made of a conductive film pattern to an insulating sheet-like base material, and the sheet heater is joined so that the heating element faces the toilet seat casing and seated on the heating element. In the heated toilet seat close to the surface, the sheet heater straddles both the part of the conductive film pattern with the conductive film and the part without the conductive film on the side opposite to the conductive film pattern in the insulating sheet-like substrate. A heating toilet seat characterized by joining heat conductive films facing each other.   The heating according to claim 1, wherein a sheet heater is joined to the toilet seat casing via a heat insulating layer, a temperature sensor is brought into contact with the sheet heater from the toilet seat casing side, and the temperature sensor is pressed against the sheet heater from the toilet seat casing side. toilet seat.   The heating toilet seat according to claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor is pressed against the planar heater via an elastic material.   The insulating sheet-like base material is formed with a central region along the longitudinal direction, and a side edge region composed of a plurality of tongue pieces projecting from both or one of the inner and outer edges of the central region, and the conductive film pattern is The heating toilet seat according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein a heating element and a heat conductive film are provided on a tongue portion of a central region and a side edge region of the insulating sheet-like base material.   In a sheet heater for a toilet seat in which a heating element made of a conductive film pattern is joined to an insulating sheet-like substrate, the insulating sheet-like substrate is made flexible and the conductive film pattern is metalized on one surface of the insulating sheet-like substrate. A sheet heater for a toilet seat, which is formed of a foil and a heat conductive film is formed of a metal foil on the other surface of the insulating sheet-like substrate.   The insulating sheet-like base material is formed with a central region along the longitudinal direction, and a side edge region composed of a plurality of tongue pieces projecting from both or one of the inner and outer edges of the central region, and the conductive film pattern is The planar heater for a heating toilet seat according to claim 5, wherein a heating element and a heat conductive film are provided on a tongue portion of a central region and a side edge region of the insulating sheet-like base material.

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