JP2012237187A - Water level measurement device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water level measurement device relating to the measurement of the water level of standing water in the bowl of a Western-style closet, and suitable for highly accurately and stably measuring the water level of the standing water, in particular.SOLUTION: The water level measurement device comprises: a rising water level forming pipe having an upper end as an atmosphere releasing end; pressure measuring means for measuring pressure produced by a water level in the water level forming pipe; measured water level forming means for communicating the lower end of the water level forming pipe with standing water in the bowl to form a measured water level the same as the water level of the standing water in the measured water level forming pipe; standing water level calculating means for calculating the water level of the standing water, based on a pressure measured value measured by the pressure measuring means for the measured water level; calibrated water level forming means for supplying water to the water level forming pipe to form a calibrated water level at a predetermined height in the water level forming pipe; output calibrating means for calibrating the output of the pressure measuring means, based on an output value for the pressure measuring means for the calibrated water level; and refreshing action control means for allowing the calibrated water level forming means to take refreshing action at a predetermined timing to reform the calibrated water level.

Description

The present invention relates to measuring the water level in a bowl of a Western-style toilet, and more particularly to a water level measuring device suitable for measuring the water level with high accuracy and stability.

  As a conventional device for measuring the level of accumulated water in a bowl of a toilet bowl, the level of accumulated water is measured during excretion into the bowl of a Western-style toilet, and the calibration is the relationship between the accumulated water level and the amount of accumulated water obtained in advance. Some are applied to a urine information measuring device that measures the urinary flow rate, which is the amount of urine excreted and the amount of urine per unit time, by determining the amount of change in accumulated water using a line (for example, patent document) 1).

  The water level measurement in the bowl in this device does not directly measure the water pressure generated by the stored water, but when the standing tubular measurement pipe provided outside the bowl communicates with the water in the bowl. The water pressure (water head pressure) generated by the water column formed in the tube is converted into an electrical output by using a pressure sensor communicated with the measurement pipe and measured.

  In general, in pressure measurement in a form that is performed at a remote position using a measurement pipe, a pressure transmission medium for transmitting the pressure to be measured to the pressure sensor is required in the measurement pipe. Then, the compressibility affects the measurement accuracy in terms of responsiveness. Therefore, liquid is often used as a pressure transmission medium. In that case, if the observation side (pressure sensor side) of the measurement pipeline is a closed end, air remaining in the measurement pipeline can be removed when the device is assembled. Since it is difficult, like the device described in Patent Document 1, the pressure sensor side is often formed into a U-shaped pipe line having an atmospheric open end that can be easily vented even after the device is assembled.

  Furthermore, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that the pressure transmission medium is water handled by the apparatus itself, so that air can be vented without problems even at the site when the apparatus is installed. That is, after construction, by supplying water to the pressure sensor in a state where communication on the reservoir side of the measurement pipe is shut off, it overflows from the open end of the atmosphere and removes residual air in the measurement pipe along with water The measurement pipe is filled with only the pressure transmission medium, but the water that is the pressure transmission medium that is discharged during this operation is treated with the drainage pipe that the device originally has. It has a configuration that can be easily performed by carrying it outside.

  Moreover, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the water level (water head pressure) generated by the water level is obtained by measuring the water level required to calculate the amount of water stored in the bowl of the toilet bowl. Since the horizontal cross-sectional area of the surface is considerably larger than the change range of the amount of accumulated water to be measured, the amount of change in water pressure to be observed becomes small. Therefore, a high-precision pressure measurement system used in such a form is required.

  On the other hand, the pressure sensor generally used in the pressure measurement system has a temperature compensation function to prevent the output state from changing depending on the ambient temperature during use. When it is used, not only the temperature of the atmosphere but also the temperature of the water, which is the pressure transmission medium that is in direct contact with it, is affected, and cannot be completely compensated. As a result, it is inevitable that a drift phenomenon occurs in which the pressure-output relationship of the pressure sensor changes while being minute. Therefore, if the stored water level value is calculated based on the pressure-output calibration curve obtained in advance for the pressure-output relationship of the pressure sensor, the actual stored water level will differ to a negligible level. For this reason, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above is provided with a configuration for calibrating the pressure sensor output, which is generally performed when performing high-accuracy measurement.

  Specifically, the open end of the measurement pipe is formed at a predetermined position higher than the fluctuation range of the stored water level to be measured, and a water supply means capable of supplying an arbitrary amount of water to the measurement pipe is prepared. Water is supplied in a state where communication with the water is cut off, and the vertical pipe is filled to form a water column with a constant height from the sensor communication position to the open end, and the water level of the water column with the constant height is adjusted to the calibration water level. The sensor output at the time of measurement is used as a reference value to calibrate the sensor output. Since a series of operations for forming the calibration water level requires time, it is formed for the next calibration after the measurement is completed, and is measured immediately before the start of the measurement every time the original stored water level is measured. As a preparatory operation, measurement error is prevented by measuring the sensor output value at the calibration water level and calibrating the sensor output.

  However, in the apparatus having the configuration as described above, if the apparatus is not used with the calibration water level formed for a long period of time, calibration is performed with the calibration water level that is the calibration reference water level changed. As a result, it was found in the confirmation test of the present inventor that there is a problem that an error occurs in the measurement result of the stored water level.

  The cause of this change in the calibration water level is that the air dissolved in the water in the measurement tube described above gradually emerges as bubbles as the standby time elapses, and bubbles are gathered near the open end of the atmosphere at the upper end of the measurement tube. It was confirmed that the water level in the pipe was lowered by pushing out the water in the pipe to the outside. Furthermore, the buffering effect on the evaporation of water in the pipe from the open end of the atmosphere and the pressure transmission by the bubbles present in the water was considered as a possibility.

  In addition, as another malfunction phenomenon when the urination information measuring device is not used for a long period of time, the measurement start water level that is the stored water level when starting the measurement that was formed in advance becomes high during standby, As a result, it was also found that the maximum measurable range from the measurement start water level to the overflow water level was reduced.

  The cause of this phenomenon could be, for example, when water was added to the bowl with mischief or when the water supply valve of the toilet itself leaked due to poor water stoppage.

JP 2006-257870 A JP 2007-077755 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention relates to maintenance of measurement accuracy of a water level measuring apparatus using pressure measuring means for water stored in a toilet bowl. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 includes a toilet having a bowl for storing stored water and receiving user's excrement, a vertical tubular water level forming pipe having an upper end as an open air end, A pressure measuring means for measuring a pressure generated by the water level in the water level forming pipe, a lower end portion of the water level forming pipe and the stored water in the bowl are communicated, and the water level of the stored water is the same as the water level in the measuring water level forming pipe. A measuring water level forming means for forming a measuring water level; a stored water level calculating means for calculating the water level of the stored water based on a pressure measurement value measured by the pressure measuring means at the measuring water level; and water supply to the water level forming pipe Calibration water level forming means for forming a calibration water level of a predetermined height in the water level forming pipe, output calibration means for calibrating the output of the pressure measuring means based on the output value of the pressure measuring means at the calibration water level, Have And a refresh operation control means for causing the calibration water level forming means to perform a refresh operation for re-forming the calibration water level at a predetermined timing. Since the reference calibration water level is updated and always kept within the allowable range in the output calibration operation, the pressure measurement means can be accurately calibrated, so the inside of the toilet bowl The measurement accuracy of the stored water level is not reduced.

  Further, the invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the refresh operation causes the water in the water level forming pipe to overflow from the atmosphere open end by replenishing water to the water level forming pipe. Since it is physically limited to the tip position of the vertical pipe, the upper limit of the water supply amount in the external water supply operation at the time of reforming is eliminated, and the water supply amount can be controlled with a simple configuration.

  The invention according to claim 3 further includes a replenishing tank for storing water, wherein the replenishing is performed by the stored water in the replenishing tank, so that at least the time other than when the apparatus is in operation Since water with a small amount of dissolved air staying is used, the generation of bubbles until the subsequent measurement is reduced, and the occurrence of a phenomenon of a decrease in the calibration water level can be suppressed.

  Further, the invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the predetermined timing is a predetermined time, so that the measurement state can be in a good state before medical treatment of a medical institution, There is no need to worry about a decrease in measurement accuracy.

  Further, the invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the predetermined timing is a predetermined time interval, so that there is a concern about a decrease in accuracy without being influenced by a medical institution's examination time or medical condition. There is nothing to do.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toilet comprising a bowl for storing stored water and receiving a user's excrement, and a vertical tube having a lower end communicating with the stored water in the bowl and having an upper end as an open air end. The water level forming pipe, the pressure measuring means for measuring the pressure generated by the water level in the water level forming pipe, and the water level for calculating the water level based on the pressure measurement value measured by the water pressure measuring pressure measuring means An output calibration for calibrating the output of the pressure measuring means based on the output value of the calculating means, the calibration water level forming means for forming a calibration water level of a predetermined height in the water level forming pipe, and the pressure measuring means at the calibration water level A water level measuring device comprising:
When the accumulated water level measurement start signal is received, when the accumulated water level obtained by the accumulated water level calculation means deviates from a predetermined water level by a predetermined value or more, an abnormality notifying means for notifying an abnormal condition is further provided. The feature makes it possible to take appropriate measures such as maintenance by knowing that the measurement range is not normal.

According to the present invention, even if the operation of the water level measuring device is stopped for a long time or the environmental temperature of the installation location is changed, it is possible to maintain the same measurement accuracy as when performing measurement constantly. The effect that it can be obtained.
Furthermore, when an abnormality occurs in the measurement environment, an appropriate countermeasure can be taken by notifying the outside of the abnormality.

It is a perspective view showing the whole living body information measuring device which is an example which adopted the water level measuring device of the present invention. It is the block diagram which showed the relationship of each structure mainly based on this invention in the Example of FIG. It is a system block diagram which shows the whole structure of the Example of FIG. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement which concerns on this invention of an Example. It is the flowchart which showed the detail of the operation | movement which concerns on this invention of an Example. It is the flowchart which showed the detail of the operation | movement which concerns on this invention of another Example.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire biological information measuring apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. The overall configuration of the biological information measuring apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

  The biological information measuring apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a Western-style toilet 4 integrally provided with a normal toilet function unit 9 such as a toilet cleaning function and a sanitary cleaning function, and a cabinet 18 installed behind the Western-style toilet 4. In addition, the remote control operation unit 70 provided on the wall for the subject to perform various operations for instructing various operations of the biological information measuring device 1 and displaying the obtained measurement results, and the measurement results are printed. And a printer 73 to be output.

  Inside the cabinet 18, by measuring the water level in the bowl, a living body that measures urine information such as the amount of urine excreted by the subject and the urinary flow rate that is the excretion rate per unit time. The information measuring unit 5 is accommodated.

The remote control operation unit 70 includes a remote control 72 for measuring biological information and a remote control 71 for toilet operation including a sanitary washing device.
The remote controller 72 is operated when the subject enters the tray and measures urination information, and is provided with a measurement start switch for instructing the start of measurement, a urination end switch for instructing the end of urination, and the like. Furthermore, a setting change switch for changing the setting contents of the refresh operation specification according to the present invention in accordance with the use state or the like is also installed.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing each configuration mainly relating to the present invention of the present embodiment. The configuration of the biological information measuring device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The biological information measuring device 1 is a Western-style toilet part 4 provided with a toilet bowl function part 9 and a sanitary washing function part 91 as in a normal toilet, and biological information for measuring biological information such as the state of excreted urine. The measurement unit 5 includes a remote control operation unit 70 that performs various operations on the Western-style toilet 4 and the biological information measurement unit 5 and an input / output unit 7 that includes a print output unit 73 that outputs measurement results.

  The Western-style toilet part 4 incorporates a water supply control means 21 for controlling the supply of water used for washing and measurement from the outside, and the city water 20 to be supplied passes through the water supply line by the water supply control means 21. Via the urinal function unit 9, the sanitary washing function unit 91, and the biological information measurement unit 5. That is, the water supplied to the Western-style toilet unit 4 is used for toilet cleaning in the toilet function unit 9, for sanitary cleaning in the sanitary cleaning function unit 91, and for measurement in the biological information measuring unit 5 respectively. Divided into the connected pipeline and supplied.

  The Western-style toilet 4 is provided with a bowl 22 that receives excrement excreted by the user as with a normal toilet, and a trap 24 that communicates the interior of the bowl 22 with a drainage socket 25 through a drainage socket 25. ing. In the bowl 22, a reservoir 23 is formed to prevent bad odors and sanitary pests generated in the drain pipe 26 from entering the toilet. The accumulated water mixed with excrement excreted by the user is discharged to the drain pipe 26 outside the apparatus via the drain socket 25.

  The remote controller 70 is provided with various operation switches for operating the biological information measuring apparatus 1 in the remote controllers 71 and 72. Each operation of the remote control operation unit 70 is transmitted as an operation signal to the Western-style toilet unit 4 and the biological information measurement unit 5 which are operated by a microcomputer. The frequency and time interval defined in the present application are set and input by the refresh operation setting input unit 74 of the remote control operation unit 70.

  In the biological information measuring unit 5, a water pressure measuring mechanism unit 51 that measures a pressure (water head pressure) generated by the water level of the stored water 23 through a measurement pipe line that communicates with the stored water 23 and a water level at the start of measurement are formed. A calibration water level formation mechanism unit 91 that forms a calibration water level necessary for calibrating the output of the measurement start water level formation mechanism unit 61 and the water pressure measurement mechanism unit 51, and a stored water level and an amount of stored water depending on the shape of the bowl 22 The calibration water level forming mechanism part 81 for creating a calibration water level necessary for creating a water level-water quantity calibration curve, the water replenishing mechanism part 75 for supplying water for forming the calibration water level and the measurement start water level described above, , Each mechanism part of the pipe line switching mechanism part 52 included in the measurement water level forming means and the calibration water level forming means in the present invention provided with a plurality of switching valves for forming a water flow path necessary for each operation, and these Biological information including each mechanism A control processing unit 60 for performing various processing of the control and storage and calculation of various operations performed by the whole tough 5, is provided.

  In the control processing unit 60, the stored water level calculation unit 50 that obtains the water level of the stored water 23 that changes due to urination of the subject from the pressure information measured by the water pressure measurement mechanism unit 51 and the stored water level calculation unit 50 are used. A stored water amount calculation unit 90 that calculates the amount of stored water in the bowl 22 from the stored water level, and a living body that calculates biological information such as urine volume excreted by the subject, urine specific gravity, and other biological information from the stored water amount information obtained by the stored water amount calculation unit 90 A calibration water level formation support unit 80 that instructs the operation of the information calculation unit 30, the calibration water level formation mechanism unit 81, and a refresh operation instruction unit 95 that controls a later-described refresh operation for regenerating the calibration water level are provided.

  The stored water level calculation unit 50 measures the pressure (water head pressure) generated by the water level of the stored water 23 using the water pressure measurement mechanism unit 51 via the measurement pipe line communicating with the stored water 23, and the obtained measurement value ( By applying an output-pressure calibration curve representing the relationship between the sensor output and the pressure (water head pressure) obtained in advance to the output), the pressure generated by the water level of the accumulated water 23, that is, the reservoir under atmospheric pressure. Although the water level is obtained, since the sensor output changes due to the drift phenomenon described above, the water pressure sensor output calibration included in the output calibration means of the present invention is used to calibrate the measured value every time the stored water level is measured. Part 59 is incorporated.

  The calibration water level formation instructing unit 80 creates the relationship between the water level and the amount of water stored in the bowl 22 of the Western-style toilet 4 to be used, especially when the bowl 22 is a pottery, since the variation in the shape of each individual is large. For this purpose, the calibration water level creation mechanism 81 is instructed to the calibration water level formation mechanism 81, and the creation operation is executed and stored when the apparatus is installed. The procedure is to measure the water pressure due to the stored water level when a predetermined amount of water is sucked from the inside of the bowl 22 by the calibration pump 811 and record the relationship between the stored water pressure and the stored water amount by the water pressure measuring mechanism unit 51. By repeating this series of operations a plurality of times, the relationship between the accumulated water pressure and the accumulated water amount in the predetermined water level range of the bowl 22 is learned and stored in the water level-water amount calibration curve storage unit 58. The water level formed in the bowl 22 is also affected by the floor inclination at the installation site and the internal pressure of the drainage pipe. Therefore, when performing high-precision measurement, the water level-water quantity calibration curve must be created and stored at the time of installation. It is indispensable and will be rewritten at regular examinations.

  As described above, the water pressure measuring mechanism 51 is the pressure measuring unit in the present invention, the stored water level calculating unit 50 is the stored water level calculating unit, and the calibration water level forming mechanism 91 is the calibration water level forming in the present invention. The hydraulic pressure sensor output calibration unit 59 is included in the output calibration means in the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the embodiment according to the present invention, and shows a specific configuration of the urination information measuring apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. However, detailed configurations of the sanitary washing device 91 and the toilet bowl function unit 9 are omitted for convenience of explanation.

  The toilet 4 is connected to a drain pipe 26 via a drain socket 25. In the bowl 22, a water storage 23 having a sealing function for blocking communication with the drainage pipe 26 is formed by a trap 24.

  Water supplied from an external water supply source such as a water supply is supplied to a rim water supply pipe 214 directed to the rim water outlet 215 by a stop cock 210, a branch fitting 211, and a three-way valve 213 included in the water supply control means 21, and a book to be described later. Zet water supply line 216 toward the jet water outlet 541 that also functions as a measurement communication port of the invention, and a urine volume measurement unit water supply line toward a replenishment tank 61 provided for forming a measurement start water level and a calibration water level Branched to 217 and supplied.

  Water supply to the replenishing tank 61 is performed by the on-off valve 611, and a predetermined amount is detected by the float switch 612, and the water supply is stopped. However, in the unlikely event of malfunction, the overflow tank 64 passes through the trap tank 551 on the way. The drainage pipe 562 is discharged toward the drainage pipe 26, and consideration is given to preventing the occurrence of water leakage outside the apparatus.

  In this embodiment, in order to measure the water level of the stored water 23, a branching device 542 is provided in the middle of the jet water supply pipe 216, and a pipe 543 communicating with the pressure sensor 512 and corresponding to the measurement pipe of the present invention is provided. It is connected. An on-off valve 521 and an on-off valve 524 for opening and closing the pipe line and an on-off valve 544 for opening and closing the pipe line 543 when the urination information measuring unit 5 is attached to and detached from the Western-style toilet part are provided in the middle of the pipe line 543. Is provided.

  Further, a branching tool 545 is provided in the middle of the pipe line 543, and a supplementary water pipe 63 communicating with the supplementary water tank 61 is branched and connected. An on-off valve 522 for opening and closing the water refilling pipe 63 is provided in the middle.

  A branching tool 546 is further provided in the middle of the pipe 543, and an opening / closing valve 525 for opening and closing the pipe and a calibration pump 811 for sucking the accumulated water 23 are provided in the middle, and communicates with the trap tank 551. A pipeline 812 is connected. The trap tank 551 is a drain tank that performs a trap function for the drain pipe in order to discharge surplus water such as overflow water generated by the operation of each part to the drain pipe 26.

  The pipe line 543 is connected to a pressure sensor 512 included in the pressure measuring means in the present invention, and further to the pressure sensor 512, a water level forming pipe 511 included in the water column forming means in the present invention is connected. The water level forming pipe 511 is provided with an opening having one end extending into the trap tank 551 and opened to the atmosphere, and is a vertical pipe portion having an atmosphere open end 511a at a predetermined height in the vertical direction in the present invention. In addition, a U-shaped pipe line system having both ends opened together with the bowl 22 communicated with the measurement pipe line is formed.

  Further, the water level forming pipe 511 in the present embodiment fluidically attenuates the vibration component transmitted in the measurement pipe line due to the undulation of the water surface of the accumulated water 23 due to urination, and the pressure sensor 512 makes the water pressure of the accumulated water 23 more accurate. Therefore, it is configured to be formed of a narrow tube having a predetermined inner diameter.

  Further, since the output of the pressure sensor 512 changes depending on the temperature change of the installed environment or the change of the sensor itself with time, the water level forming pipe 511 also has a function of an output calibration pipe for calibrating the output of the pressure sensor 512. Yes.

  Next, an actual calibration operation in the present embodiment will be described below including a part of related measurement operations. In this embodiment, the stored water level during measurement standby is the measurement start water level Y, and when a series of measurement operations is completed, the stored water level 23 is set to the measurement start water level Y by using the toilet flushing function of the toilet function unit 9. Set to

  Specifically, first, the ball 22 is washed by water discharge from the pipe line 214, and then all of the accumulated water 23 is drained by siphon phenomenon induced by the jet water discharge from the jet water outlet 541 by water supply from the pipe line 216. After being discharged to 26, the water 23 is supplied by the water discharged from the rim spout 215 until the water level X is exceeded. Next, the on-off valve 524 and the on-off valve 525 are closed, the on-off valve 521 and the on-off valve 522 are opened, and the replenishing water tank 61 and the accumulated water 23 are communicated with each other through the water refilling pipe 63 and the pipe 543. In this state, the water supply pump 62 is operated for a predetermined time at a predetermined water supply rate, and the water stored in the water replenishing tank 61 is discharged from the jet water discharge port 541, whereby the water level of the accumulated water is set to the level at which the trap 24 is opened. The operation of setting the measurement start water level Y higher than X by a predetermined amount is performed.

  After setting the measurement start water level Y, the on / off valves 521 and 525 are closed, and the on / off valves 522 and 524 are opened, and the water supply pump 62 is operated to store the water stored in the feed water storage tank 61 into the water level forming pipe 511. A water column having a fixed length to the atmosphere opening end of the water level forming pipe 511 by guiding and overflowing from the atmosphere opening end 511a into the trap tank 551 to fill the water level forming pipe 511 with water. It is the composition which produces.

  As described above, the reason for waiting in the water level forming tube 511 in a full state is that it includes a disease in which the patient who is the subject cannot endure urination. In the measurement preparation operation, when the step of filling the water level forming pipe 511 to the full state is performed, the time required for the process is required as a preparation time. However, consideration is given so that the measurement operation can be immediately shifted to. In the next measurement, the pressure sensor 512 measures the head pressure of the water column at a certain height set by the water level formation pipe 511 immediately before the measurement in accordance with the measurement start operation of the subject. Considering environmental fluctuation factors such as atmospheric pressure and temperature at the time of calibration of the relationship with the water level, perform output calibration to correspond to the standard water level value.

  The opening end surface of the water level forming pipe 511 is not facing upward but is facing sideways. This is because when the pipeline is opened and closed upward, the water surface becomes convex upward or concave due to surface tension in a gravitational environment, making it impossible to create a stable absolute water level. . In order to reduce the amount of error, there is a method of reducing the cross-sectional area of the water level forming pipe 511, but the water level forming pipe 511 also has a function of releasing the pressure wave generated in the pipe 543 to be guided, and is necessary. The pipeline cannot be made thinner than that. The water level forming pipe 511 has a function of releasing the pressure wave and a function of calibrating the absolute value. When the opening end surface of the water level forming pipe 511 is turned sideways, the water surface state at the time of opening and closing of the pipe line is not only stabilized, but also has an advantage that the connection to the trap tank 551 is easy.

  Next, the on-off valves 521 and 524 are opened to connect the accumulated water 23 and the pipe 543 of the water level forming pipe 511 so that the measurement start water level Y and the water level in the water level forming pipe 511 are at the same height. The water level change is measured by the pressure sensor 512.

  The trap tank 551 is drained by a drainage pipe connecting pipe 562 extending from a position where a sealed water is formed inside in order to discharge the overflow water from the water level forming pipe 511 at the time of output calibration to the drainage pipe 26. It is connected to a drainage pipe connection port 563 provided in the socket 25, and functions as an edge cutting means for sealing the connection pipe line with the drainage pipe by water sealing.

  Moreover, the urination information measuring device 1 of the present embodiment has a function of measuring the correspondence between the water level of the stored water 23 and the amount of stored water at the installation site and storing it as a calibration relationship in the present invention. For this purpose, a calibration pump 811 that is a quantitative suction type pump capable of sucking an arbitrary amount is provided. The calibration pump 811 uses the pipe 543 that is a measurement pipe in the present invention to suck the accumulated water 23 and trap It is configured to be able to discharge toward the drain pipe via the tank 551 and the drain pipe connecting pipe line 562.

  Then, from the state where the water level of the accumulated water 23 is set to a level equal to or higher than the maximum water level of the urine volume measurement range at the installation site, the accumulated water 23 is sucked and discharged from the bowl 22 by a predetermined amount by the calibration pump 811. By measuring the water head pressure generated by the stored water level with the pressure sensor 512 and calculating the water level, the calibration relationship between the stored water level and the stored water amount is acquired.

  In addition, when the individual difference of the shape of the bowl surface 22 of the Western-style toilet 4 to be used is small and the relationship between the stored water level and the stored water amount is constant, the entire calibration-related measuring means is omitted, and a calibration curve prepared in advance is used. It may be stored in the urine calibration curve storage unit 31 and used as a calibration curve for each device. For example, this configuration can be applied to a toilet bowl in which at least the bowl portion is made of resin.

  In the apparatus configuration to which the present invention is applied, the occurrence of an error in the water level measurement value is caused by bubbling of dissolved air from the water inside the water level forming pipe 511, which is caused by being left unused for a long period of time. It is. In the present embodiment, as described above, the output of the pressure sensor 512 is calibrated with the water level forming pipe 511 filled with water every time measurement is performed. However, when the measurement interval is extended for a long time or the environmental temperature is increased. In some cases, bubbles may be generated from the water in the measurement tube 512 and collected at the top of the measurement tube 512. In that case, when the opening end surface of the water level forming pipe 511 is turned sideways as described above, the generated bubbles accumulate at the top of the water level forming pipe 511 and grow into large bubbles, which are then filled to the full level. The height of the internal water column is lowered by the bubble diameter, and the calibration output of the pressure sensor 512 is lowered.

  Bubbles generated in the conduit 543 for guiding pressure may inhibit the pressure transmission and prevent the pressure from being correctly transmitted, or may cause a pulsation in the pressure variation with time. Further, when the bubbles are caught by the connecting portion of the pressure sensor 512, a damper is formed with respect to the transmitted pressure, and in this case, the output of the pressure sensor is lowered.

  In the present invention, the on-off valve 522 and the on-off valve 524 are opened to supply the water in the replenishing tank 61 to the accumulated water pressure level forming pipe 511, and the bubbles that appear inside the water level forming pipe 511 are pushed out and discharged by being left for a long time. As a result, the refresh operation is performed. Since the electrical output of the pressure sensor 512 is affected by the temperature change in the environment, a state in which the water temperature in the measurement tube greatly fluctuates must be avoided when performing this operation. For this reason, in this embodiment, the water that is considered to have substantially the same temperature as the water in the measuring tube is used to pass water for 1 second to 2 seconds using the stored water in the water retention tank 61 inside the biological information measuring unit 5. The water level forming pipe 511 is moved. Bubbles in the water level forming pipe 511 closest to the pressure sensor 512 are sequentially pushed out into the trap tank 551 and disappear in the course of this operation, so that the water level forming pipe 511 is filled with only water up to the upper atmospheric open end. It becomes a water column in the state and an accurate calibration water level as designed is obtained.

  In this embodiment, the open end 511a of the water level forming pipe 511 is not in a simple form opened upward but is located in the trap tank 551. However, the output calibration in the present invention is a so-called water head. Since a so-called pressure is used, this state does not affect the calibration accuracy.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of operation of the embodiment according to the present invention.
In a standby state where no measurement operation is performed, the presence / absence of a measurement start operation is monitored. That is, the presence / absence of a measurement start operation is determined in S11, and if there is a measurement start operation, the biological information measurement operation starting from S12 is started. The biological information measurement operation is divided into a pre-measurement operation in S12, a urination information measurement in S13, and a post-measurement operation in S14. Details of the pre-measurement operation and the post-measurement operation related to the present invention will be described later. When there is no measurement start operation in S11, the process proceeds to S21, and it is confirmed whether or not the set conditions for performing the refresh operation are met. If it matches, a refresh operation is performed in S22. The specific operation of the refresh operation will be described in detail later. If not, the process returns to the beginning, and it is determined again whether or not the measurement start operation of S11 is performed. When the present invention is used in a water level measurement device for uses other than the biological information measurement device, the biological information measurement operation may be read as an operation for another application.

  FIG. 5 shows detailed steps of each operation described in FIG.

  (A) is an operation | movement flow regarding the operation | movement before a measurement of S12. In S121, the output voltage of the pressure sensor 512 is measured as a calibration water level measurement. At this time, the water level in the water level forming pipe 511 is the full water level up to the atmosphere open end 511a formed in the post-measurement operation performed at the previous measurement, and the calibration water level of the predetermined level in the present invention It has become. S122 is a step of performing water level sensor output calibration, and an output calibration operation for comparing the output voltage of the pressure sensor 512 with the full water level of the water level forming pipe 511 is performed. When the output calibration operation is finished, the on-off valve 521 and the on-off valve 524 existing in the pipe A are opened at S123, the pipe between the ball 22 and the water level forming pipe 511 is communicated, and the ball 22 and the water level forming pipe 511 are connected. Make the water level the same. In this state, the water level forming pipe 511 functions as a part of the water level measuring means in the water level measuring device for the stored water.

  In S124, the output voltage of the pressure sensor 512 is measured as the water level sensor output measurement. S125 is a step of confirming the measurement start water level before urination, and measuring from which water level position the urine information is measured in a pre-stored water level-water quantity calibration curve indicating the calibration relationship between the stored water level and the accumulated water quantity. Perform processing such as origin correction.

  (B) is an operation | movement flow regarding the operation | movement after a measurement of S14. After the series of urination information measurement operations in S13 is completed, the ball 22 is washed in S141 by the user's toilet cleaning operation, and then the water stored in the balls 22 is siphoned by the water discharged from the jet outlet 511. 23 is discharged toward the drain pipe 26. S142 is an operation step similar to a series of operations of toilet flushing for recondensing the trap 24 in a broken state in order to seal the trap 24 again. S143 is a step in which the on-off valve 521 and the on-off valve 522 are opened to form the pipe line B between the replenishing tank 61 and the ball 22 in order to form the measurement start water level Y used for the next measurement.

  Next, in S <b> 144, the water supply pump 62 is driven to supply water in the water tank 61, and the water level of the stored water 23 is replenished until it reaches a predetermined measurement start water level Y. When the formation of the stored water level at the measurement start water level Y is completed, the open / close valve 521 is closed in S145 in order to set the water level of the water level forming pipe 511 to the calibration water level that is the water level for calibrating the output of the pressure sensor 512. Then, the open / close valve 524 is opened to switch the pipe line communicating with the pipe line C. In S146, the water replenishing pump 62 is driven to supply a predetermined amount of water to the water level forming pipe 511, whereby the water level forming pipe 511 becomes full and excess water is discharged to the trap tank 551. S147 is a step in which the water replenishment pump 62 is closed, the on-off valve 524 is closed, and the pipeline C is closed. In this state, the water level forming pipe 511 is maintained in a full state, and functions as a calibration pipeline of the present invention.

(C) is an operation flow relating to the refresh operation of S22. In step S221, the on / off valve 521 and the on / off valve 524 are opened to form the pipe C in order to drain the water stored in the replenishing tank 61 through the water level forming pipe 511. Next, in S222, the water replenishing pump 62 is operated for a predetermined time to supply a predetermined amount of water in the water replenishing tank 61 toward the water level forming pipe 511. When the predetermined time has elapsed, the water replenishment pump 62 is stopped in S223. By this series of operations, water is filled up to the upper end of the water level forming pipe 511, and a calibration water level having a predetermined height is re-formed.
At this time, depending on the structure of the water replenishing pump 62 and the arrangement of the water replenishing tank 61, the water replenishing pump 62 may not be operated, and the water may flow only by the head pressure of the water replenishing tank 61.

  In this embodiment, during the refresh operation, the water level forming tube 511 functions as an output calibration tube, so that the original measurement operation that requires the function as the stored water level measurement tube cannot be performed. Therefore, the predetermined timing for performing the refresh operation in the present invention, which is the refresh operation condition described above, may be changed according to the medical condition. For example, when it is not used at night as in a doctor's office but is frequently used only in the daytime, it is recommended to perform a refresh operation at a predetermined time in the present invention, that is, for example, at 6:00 am before medical examination time. The If the medical institution has a low use frequency and a long use interval, the refresh operation is performed at a predetermined time interval in the present invention. However, the refresh operation itself is not necessary when it is expected to be used 24 hours a day, such as when used in an inpatient ward of a large hospital. You may make it provide the selection means which can select embodiment of operation | movement.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation of another embodiment according to the present invention.
S31 is a step in which the subject inputs an instruction to start the measurement of biological information such as urine flow rate, and S32 is a step in which the position of the measurement start water level, which is the water level in the bowl when starting the measurement, is measured. is there. S33 is a step of confirming whether or not the measured measurement water level has changed by a predetermined value or more from a pre-formed water level, and confirms whether or not a water level change due to mischief or cleaning has occurred. If there is no deviation greater than the predetermined value, it means that normal measurement is possible, and the routine branches to step 50 to start normal measurement operation. When the deviation of a predetermined value or more is confirmed, at step 34, it is informed that an abnormality has occurred and guides the subsequent operation selection. Specifically, whether to stop the measurement or reset the measurement start water level is displayed, and the subject selects an operation in step S35. In this case, on the assumption that the measurement accuracy is lowered, there is an option to force the measurement without resetting the water level. Considering that excretion may not be possible, in this case, the process proceeds to step S50.

  Step S36 is a part for determining whether or not the water level resetting has been selected. When the water level resetting is selected, the toilet is washed, and then the resetting operation for creating the measurement start water level is executed in step S37. To do. In step S36, if the water level resetting is not selected, it is considered that the measurement stop is selected, and the measurement sequence is terminated. When the resetting is completed, the resetting is completed and measurement preparation is completed in step S38, and a guide for waiting for a measurement start instruction is issued. Step S39 is a step for performing an operation instruction operation. When the start of measurement is determined in step S40, a normal measurement operation is performed in step S50. If it is determined that the measurement is to be stopped, the measurement sequence is terminated in step S51. Although this algorithm is designed to check the deviation of the measurement start water level using the measurement operation as a trigger, the trigger is set at a time interval, for example, every 10 minutes, and the measurement start water level is continuously checked. The purpose is the same even if it continues. If there is a measurement start operation by the subject during that time, the measurement action is performed by interrupting the flowchart.

  In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given with the specification giving priority to the measurement of urination information. However, in the case of the idea that measurement with an error is not allowed, the measurement function is stopped when the measurement start water level setting abnormality occurs. It can also be selected. In that case, a remote control operation unit 70 may be provided with a changeover switch for selecting either measurement stop or resetting of the measurement start water level.

  Further, when the maintenance information display unit is provided in the remote control operation unit and the cleaning water supply means 21 fails and the water cannot be stopped properly, the necessity of maintenance of the apparatus itself may be notified.

  In the present embodiment described above, the water level measuring device is incorporated in the biological information measuring device, but the present invention is a water level measuring device having a function of calibrating the pressure of the pressure measuring means with the measurement target being the water level of the toilet bowl. Applicable.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Biological information measuring device 4 ... Western style toilet bowl part 5 ... Biological information measuring part 6 ... Control part 7 ... Input / output part 9 ... Toilet bowl function part 18 ... Cabinet 20・ ・ ・ City water 21 ・ ・ ・ Water supply control means 22 ・ ・ ・ Bowl 23 ・ ・ ・ Reserved water 24 ・ ・ ・ Trap 25 ・ ・ ・ Drain socket 26 ・ ・ ・ Drain piping 30 ・ ・ ・ Urine volume measuring means 31 ・··· Urine calibration curve storage unit 40 ··· Refresh operation unit 41 ··· Timing unit 50 ··· Reserved water level calculation unit 51 ··· Water pressure measurement mechanism unit · 52 · Pipe switching mechanism unit ···・ Water level-water quantity calibration curve storage unit 61... Replenishment tank 62... Replenishment pump 63 ... replenishment pipe line 64 ... overflow pipe line 70 ... remote control operation unit 71 ... remote control (for toilet operation )
72. Remote control (for biological information measuring device)
73 ... Print output unit 74 ... Refresh operation setting input unit 80 ... Calibration water level formation instructing unit 91 ... Sanitary washing function unit 96 ... Refresh operation setting storage unit 171 ... Toilet seat 172 ...・ Back 210 ... Stop cock 211 ... Branch fitting 212 ... Toilet bowl wash water supply pipe 213 ... Three-way valve 214 ... Rim water supply pipe 215 ... Rim spout 216 ... Zet water supply pipe line 511... Water level forming pipe 511 a.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 512 ... Pressure sensor 521 ... Open / close valve 522 ... Open / close valve 524 ... Open / close valve 525 ... Open / close valve 541 ... Zette water outlet (measurement communication port)
543 ... Pipe line 551 ... Trap tank 561 ... Drain pipe pressure measuring sensor 562 ... Drain pipe connection pipe 563 ... Drain pipe connection port 611 ... On-off valve 612 ... Float switch 811: Calibration pump 812: Calibration pipeline X ... Broken water level Y ... Measurement start water level Z ... Post urine water level H ... Overflow water level

Claims (6)

Toilet bowl with a bowl to store water and receive user excreta,
A vertical tubular water level forming pipe with the upper end at the open end of the atmosphere,
Pressure measuring means for measuring the pressure generated by the water level in the water level forming pipe;
A measurement water level forming means for communicating a lower end portion of the water level forming pipe and the stored water in the bowl to form a measurement water level in the measurement water level forming pipe that is the same as the water level of the stored water;
A stored water level calculating means for calculating the level of the stored water based on a pressure measurement value measured by the pressure measuring means at the measured water level;
Calibration water level forming means for supplying water to the water level forming pipe and forming a calibration water level of a predetermined height in the water level forming pipe;
Output calibration means for calibrating the output of the pressure measurement means based on the output value of the pressure measurement means at the calibration water level;
A refresh operation control means for causing the calibration water level forming means to perform a refresh operation for re-forming the calibration water level at a predetermined timing;
A water level measuring device further comprising:   The water level measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the refresh operation causes the water in the water level forming pipe to overflow from the atmosphere open end by replenishing the water level forming pipe.   The water level measuring device according to claim 2, further comprising a water replenishing tank for storing water, wherein the water replenishment is performed by water stored in the water replenishing tank.   The water level measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined timing is a predetermined time.   The water level measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined timing is a predetermined time interval. Toilet bowl with a bowl to store water and receive user excreta,
A standing water level forming pipe whose lower end communicates with the water stored in the bowl and whose upper end is the open end to the atmosphere;
Pressure measuring means for measuring the pressure generated by the water level in the water level forming pipe;
A stored water level calculating means for calculating a water level of the stored water based on a pressure measurement value measured by the water pressure measuring pressure measuring means;
Calibration water level forming means for forming a calibration water level of a predetermined height in the water level forming pipe;
Output calibration means for calibrating the output of the pressure measurement means based on the output value of the pressure measurement means at the calibration water level;
In a water level measuring device having
When the accumulated water level measurement start signal is received, when the accumulated water level obtained by the accumulated water level calculation means deviates from a predetermined water level by a predetermined value or more, an abnormality notifying means for notifying an abnormal condition is further provided. A water level measuring device.