JP2013072261A - Toilet bowl washing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a timing of automatic water discharge proper, to suppress the number of times of operation for toilet washing by a user, and to reduce power consumption.SOLUTION: A toilet bowl washing apparatus 1 comprises: a human body detection sensor 12; an electromagnetic valve 11 for opening and closing a washing water supply passage; a controller 13 for controlling the opening/closing operation of the electromagnetic valve 11; and a remote control device 14 for supplying an operation signal for making the controller 13 control the opening/closing operation. The controller 13 performs automatic washing by activating the electromagnetic valve 11 and discharging washing water to a toilet bowl 2 when an off delay time is elapsed, and performs intentional washing by activating the electromagnetic valve 11 while taking priority over the operation of the electromagnetic valve 11 by automatic washing and discharging washing water to a toilet bowl 2 when washing operation of the remote control device 14 is carried out. The controller 13 stores the number of times of automatic washing and that of intentional washing during a preset and predetermined period of time, and changes the off delay time on the basis of the stored number of times of automatic washing and that of intentional washing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet bowl cleaning apparatus that cleans a toilet bowl by discharging water into the toilet bowl.

  Conventionally, as a toilet flushing device, by discharging water to the toilet based on operations for toilet flushing, such as operation of a remote control device after a toilet user (hereinafter simply referred to as "user"), Devices for cleaning toilet bowls are widely used. In such a toilet cleaning device, when a user forgets to perform an operation for toilet cleaning, the toilet is not cleaned and the next user may not be able to use the toilet comfortably.

  Therefore, in the toilet bowl cleaning device, there is a technique for automatically cleaning the toilet bowl when the user does not perform the cleaning process for toilet bowl cleaning after the stool (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for automatically cleaning a toilet after a predetermined time has elapsed since the seating sensor sensed that the user has left the valve seat after stool. Further, in the toilet bowl cleaning device of Patent Document 1, when a user performs an operation for toilet bowl cleaning in a control mode in which the toilet bowl is automatically cleaned, automatic toilet bowl cleaning is canceled and immediately performed. The toilet bowl is washed.

JP 9-195356 A

  In the configuration in which automatic water discharge after stool (water discharge to the toilet as automatic toilet cleaning) is performed as in the toilet cleaning device of Patent Document 1, the start timing of automatic water discharge is used after the stool. It was constant in relation to the person's actions. That is, for example, as in Patent Document 1, when it is detected that the user has moved away from the valve seat as the user's operation after the stool, from the time when the user leaves the valve seat, the automatic water discharge starts. The time until was constant.

  For this reason, in the configuration in which the automatic water discharge after the stool is performed, for example, even if the user wants to check the state of the stool after the stool for health management etc., the automatic water discharge There is a problem that the stool flows. That is, even if the user does not perform an operation for toilet flushing after the stool, the stool is forced to flow by automatic water discharge after a predetermined time, and the user There is a case where time for confirming is not secured.

  Further, in the configuration in which automatic water discharge after stool is performed, for example, as in the toilet bowl cleaning device of Patent Document 1, before the automatic water discharge is started, an operation for toilet flushing by the user is performed. There is a configuration in which automatic water discharge is canceled and the toilet bowl is immediately washed. In such a configuration, if the user wants to clean the toilet before automatic water discharge starts, the user needs to perform an operation for cleaning the toilet.

  However, it may be troublesome for the user to perform an operation for cleaning the toilet bowl depending on the situation of the user. In addition, each time the user performs an operation for cleaning the toilet bowl, power consumption in an operation unit for cleaning the toilet bowl such as a remote controller increases. For this reason, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of power consumption reduction that the frequency | count of operation for toilet bowl washing | cleaning by a user increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above. For example, for a user who wants to check the state of a stool after a stool for health management or the like, automatic water discharge is performed at an appropriate timing. An object of the present invention is to provide a toilet cleaning device that can reduce the number of operations for toilet cleaning by a user and reduce power consumption.

  The toilet cleaning device according to the present invention receives a detection signal from a human body detection unit that detects a user of a toilet, a cleaning valve that opens and closes a supply passage of cleaning water discharged to the toilet, and a detection signal from the human body detection unit, A toilet cleaning device comprising: a control unit that controls an opening / closing operation of the cleaning valve; and an operation unit that supplies an operation signal for controlling the opening / closing operation of the cleaning valve to the control unit, the control unit The automatic cleaning for operating the cleaning valve and discharging the flushing water to the toilet when the predetermined time has elapsed since the user is no longer detected by the human body detection unit, and cleaning the toilet of the operation unit When the operation for the washing is performed, the washing valve is operated based on the operation signal supplied by the washing operation in preference to the operation of the washing valve by the automatic washing, and the toilet is washed. Willingness to discharge water And storing the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of intention cleanings for a predetermined period of time set in advance, and based on the stored number of times of automatic cleaning and times of intention cleaning Change the time. With such a configuration, for example, a user who wants to check the state of the stool after the stool for health management or the like can perform automatic water discharge at an appropriate timing, and an operation for cleaning the toilet by the user Power consumption can be reduced.

  Further, in the toilet bowl cleaning device according to the present invention, preferably, the control unit is preset with a ratio of the number of times of the automatic cleaning to the total of the stored number of times of the automatic cleaning and the number of times of intention cleaning. If the ratio is less than the reference ratio, the predetermined time is shortened. If the ratio of the number of times of automatic cleaning is not less than the reference ratio, the control for extending the predetermined time is performed for each predetermined update time. Do. With such a configuration, the predetermined time until the automatic water discharge is started can be automatically set to an optimum time.

  In the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, preferably, the predetermined time has at least one of a lower limit value when shortened and an upper limit value when extended. With such a configuration, the predetermined time can be maintained in an appropriate range.

  According to the present invention, for example, for a user who wants to check the state of a stool after a stool for health management or the like, automatic water discharge can be performed at an appropriate timing. Power consumption can be reduced.

The figure which shows the application example of the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the structure of the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the time distribution and off-delay time of the frequency | count of washing | cleaning in the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the time distribution and off-delay time of the frequency | count of washing | cleaning in the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the time distribution and off-delay time of the frequency | count of washing | cleaning in the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement routine of the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the OFF delay time change routine of the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the modification of the OFF delay time change routine of the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the time distribution and off-delay time of the frequency | count of washing | cleaning in the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

  The present invention includes intention cleaning in which flush water is discharged into the toilet bowl by an operation for toilet flushing by a user, and automatic cleaning in which flush water is automatically discharged into the toilet bowl when intention cleaning is not performed. In the configuration to be performed, the timing at which water discharge to the toilet as the automatic cleaning is started is changed based on the number of times of intention cleaning and the number of times of automatic cleaning. Thereby, this invention aims at optimization of the timing of automatic water discharge, and electric power reduction. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[Configuration of toilet bowl cleaning device]
As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 of this embodiment cleans the toilet bowl 2 by discharging water into the toilet bowl 2. The toilet cleaning device 1 discharges water supplied from the water supply pipe 3 to the toilet 2 as cleaning water for the toilet 2. The water supplied by the water supply pipe 3 flows into the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 through the stop cock 4 through the inflow pipe 5. Wash water discharged from the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 flows into the toilet bowl 2 through an outflow pipe 6 connected to the toilet bowl 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 includes a device body 10 including an electromagnetic valve 11, a human body detection sensor 12, a controller 13, and a remote control device 14. In the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1, the apparatus main body 10, the human body detection sensor 12, and the controller 13 are provided in a casing 15 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the remote control device 14 is attached to a wall of a room where the toilet 2 is installed, for example, so that the user of the toilet 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as “user”) can operate. Provided.

  In the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, when the user performs an operation for toilet bowl cleaning in the remote control device 14, the intention cleaning in which cleaning water is discharged to the toilet bowl 2 and the intention cleaning are not performed. Automatic washing is performed in which washing water is automatically discharged into the toilet bowl 2. Here, water discharge to the toilet 2 as automatic washing is performed after elapse of a predetermined time from when the user is no longer detected by the human body detection sensor 12 after the user's stool. Hereinafter, the detail of each part of the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus 1 is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 10 includes a water inlet 16 that receives supply of washing water, and a water outlet 17 that serves as an outlet for washing water discharged to the toilet 2. Connected to the water inlet 16 is an inflow pipe 5 (FIG. 1) that guides water supplied by the water supply pipe 3 (FIG. 1) to the toilet bowl cleaning device 1. An outlet pipe 6 (FIG. 1) that guides wash water to the toilet 2 is connected to the outlet 17.

  In the apparatus main body 10, the wash water supplied from the water supply pipe 3 flows from the water inlet 16 through the inflow pipe 5 (see arrow A1). The washing water flowing from the water inlet 16 flows out from the water outlet 17 through the water passage formed in the apparatus main body 10 (see arrow A2), and is supplied to the toilet 2 through the outlet pipe 6. . In the following description, the passage of the cleaning water provided between the water inlet 16 and the water outlet 17 in the apparatus main body 10 is referred to as “main body water passage”.

  The apparatus main body 10 has a piston valve 18. The piston valve 18 is provided on the downstream side of the water inlet 16 in the water passage in the main body. The piston valve 18 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction within the water passage in the main body. Here, the up and down direction is a substantially vertical direction with respect to the floor surface on which the toilet 2 is installed, that is, a substantially vertical direction. In the following description, the vertical direction, which is the moving direction of the piston valve 18, is defined as the vertical direction in the toilet bowl cleaning device 1.

  The piston valve 18 has a packing 18a. The packing 18 a seals between a wall surface formed as a sliding surface of the piston valve 18 in the apparatus main body 10 and an outer peripheral surface of the piston valve 18.

  In the apparatus main body 10, a back pressure chamber 19 is provided above the piston valve 18. The back pressure chamber 19 communicates with the water inlet 16 via a communication passage 18 b formed inside the piston valve 18. A secondary water channel 20 is provided below the piston valve 18. The water flowing into the secondary water channel 20 flows out from the water outlet 17. The water inlet 16 and the secondary water channel 20 are in a non-communication state when the piston valve 18 is located at the lowermost end, and are in a communication state when the piston valve 18 rises from the lowermost position.

  The back pressure chamber 19 communicates with the secondary side water channel 20 by the bypass channel 21. The bypass valve 21 is provided with the electromagnetic valve 11. The electromagnetic valve 11 opens and closes the bypass passage 21. That is, the open / close state of the electromagnetic valve 11 switches the communication state / non-communication state between the back pressure chamber 19 and the secondary water channel 20 via the bypass flow channel 21.

  In the apparatus main body 10 having such a configuration, flush water is discharged to the toilet 2 as follows. In a state where the electromagnetic valve 11 is closed, water flowing from the water supply pipe 3 into the water inlet 16 through the inflow pipe 5 passes through the communication passage 18b of the piston valve 18 and the back pressure chamber 19 on the upstream side of the electromagnetic valve 11. Into the back pressure chamber 19.

  When water accumulates in the back pressure chamber 19, the pressure in the back pressure chamber 19 becomes higher than the pressure in the secondary water channel 20 due to the water pressure in the back pressure chamber 19, and the piston valve 18 is pushed down. Thereby, between the water inlet 16 and the secondary side water channel 20 is closed by the piston valve 18 (it will be in a non-communication state). That is, in a state where the electromagnetic valve 11 is closed, water flowing from the water inlet 16 is blocked by the electromagnetic valve 11 and the piston valve 18, and water is not discharged from the water outlet 17.

  Thus, when the solenoid valve 11 is opened from the state where the solenoid valve 11 is closed and the space between the water inlet 16 and the secondary water channel 20 is closed by the piston valve 18, the back pressure chamber is opened. The water in 19 flows into the secondary side water channel 20 through the bypass channel 21. As a result, the pressure in the back pressure chamber 19 is lowered, and the packing 18a is pushed up by the water in the water inlet 16, whereby the piston valve 18 is raised (moved to the back pressure chamber 19 side). As the piston valve 18 rises, the water inlet 16 and the secondary side water channel 20 are in communication with each other, and the water flowing into the water inlet 16 flows into the secondary side water channel 20 and flows out from the water outlet 17 to the toilet 2. Supplied.

  Then, when the solenoid valve 11 is closed from the state in which water is flowing out from the water outlet 17 by opening the solenoid valve 11, a part of the water flowing from the water inlet 16 is back from the communication passage 18b of the piston valve 18. It flows into the pressure chamber 19 and begins to accumulate in the back pressure chamber 19. As a result, the pressure in the back pressure chamber 19 increases, the pressure in the secondary water channel 20 decreases, and the piston valve 18 is pushed down. And finally, between the water inlet 16 and the secondary side water channel 20 is closed by the piston valve 18, and it will be in the water stop state in which the water discharge from the water outlet 17 is not performed.

  In the discharge of the wash water to the toilet 2 by opening and closing the electromagnetic valve 11, the amount of the wash water discharged to the toilet 2 is adjusted by controlling the opening time (strictly, the excitation time) of the electromagnetic valve 11. The Therefore, the opening time of the electromagnetic valve 11 is longer in the case of stool washing than in the case of urine washing.

  Thus, in the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the solenoid valve 11 which the apparatus main body 10 has is an on-off valve for opening and closing a water flow path in a main body, and supply of the wash water discharged to the toilet bowl 2 is provided. It functions as a cleaning valve that opens and closes the passage. By opening and closing the electromagnetic valve 11, the opening and closing of the water passage in the main body, that is, the water discharge state and the water stop state of the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 are switched.

  The opening / closing operation of the electromagnetic valve 11 is controlled by the controller 13. For this reason, the solenoid valve 11 is connected to the controller 13. The solenoid valve 11 is electrically controlled in accordance with a control signal from the controller 13 to open and close the bypass passage 21. Opening and closing of the bypass passage 21 by the electromagnetic valve 11 is accompanied by opening and closing of the water passage in the main body as described above.

  The human body detection sensor 12 functions as a human body detection unit that detects a user. The human body detection sensor 12 is a non-contact sensor that automatically detects the presence of a user. In the present embodiment, the human body detection sensor 12 is an infrared sensor. Therefore, the human body detection sensor 12 includes a light emitting element that emits infrared light and a light receiving element that receives reflected light of the emitted infrared light.

  The human body detection sensor 12 is disposed in the casing 15 such that the side that transmits and receives infrared rays faces the user. The casing 15 is provided with a detection window 12a for securing infrared transmission and reception by the human body detection sensor 12 on the wall surface on the side where the user is located (see FIG. 1).

  In the present embodiment, the presence / absence of a user sitting on the valve seat 2a of the toilet 2 is detected by the human body detection sensor 12. Therefore, the user seated on the valve seat 2 a is located within the detection range of the human body detection sensor 12. According to the human body detection sensor 12, the user exists within the detection range of the human body detection sensor 12, and the user sitting on the valve seat 2 a is separated from the detection range of the human body detection sensor 12. It is detected that it has come out. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user's sitting is detected when it is detected that the user has left the detection range of the human body detection sensor 12.

  The human body detection sensor 12 is connected to the controller 13. A signal output from the human body detection sensor 12 is input to the controller 13, and the presence / absence of the user is detected by the controller 13.

  In the present embodiment, the human body detection sensor 12 is an infrared sensor. However, as the human body detection unit for detecting the user, various sensors such as a known non-contact sensor and a contact sensor may be employed in addition to the infrared sensor. Can do. In addition, the human body detection unit that detects the user is configured not to be housed in the casing 15 together with the apparatus main body 10 and the like, as in the human body detection sensor 12 of the present embodiment, but to be integrated in the valve seat 2a, for example. Etc.

  The controller 13 functions as a control unit that receives the detection signal from the human body detection sensor 12 and controls the opening / closing operation of the electromagnetic valve 11. Specifically, the controller 13 controls the operation of the electromagnetic valve 11 based on a signal output from the human body detection sensor 12, an operation on the remote control device 14, or the like. For this reason, the controller 13 receives a detection signal from the human body detection sensor 12 and an operation signal from the remote control device 14. Further, a control signal for the electromagnetic valve 11 is output from the controller 13.

  The controller 13 has various functional parts such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and an input / output interface that are connected to each other by a data communication bus or the like. The controller 13 has an input interface for receiving input signals from the human body detection sensor 12 and the remote control device 14 and an output interface for outputting a control signal for the electromagnetic valve 11 as an input / output interface.

  The controller 13 has a storage unit 13a that stores various data used for control of a control program and automatic cleaning as described later. The storage unit 13a is configured by, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like connected to the CPU. The CPU of the controller 13 functions as a calculation unit that performs a predetermined calculation according to a control program or the like. The controller 13 receives power supply via an AC adapter (not shown).

  The remote control device 14 functions as an operation unit that supplies an operation signal for controlling the opening / closing operation of the electromagnetic valve 11 to the controller 13. Specifically, the remote control device 14 transmits an infrared signal as an operation signal supplied to the controller 13. For this reason, the remote control device 14 has a transmitter 22 that transmits an infrared signal. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the remote control device 14 has a rectangular thick plate-like outer shape, and is provided with transmitters 22 at two corners on both sides that are the upper side in the installed state. ing.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 10 is provided with a receiving unit 23 that receives an infrared signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 22 of the remote control device 14. The receiving unit 23 is connected to the controller 13, and the infrared signal received by the receiving unit 23 is input to the controller 13 by being converted into an electrical signal.

  The remote control device 14 has a washing switch 24 as an operation switch for performing toilet flushing, that is, discharging flush water to the toilet 2. When the washing switch 24 is operated by a user or the like, the electromagnetic valve 11 is opened as described above, the toilet flushing device 1 enters the water ejection state, and the flushing water is discharged from the water inlet 16 to the toilet 2. In the present embodiment, the washing switch 24 is a switch for stool washing. However, although illustration is omitted, the remote control device 14 also has other operation switches such as a switch for washing urine.

  The remote control device 14 incorporates a battery for receiving supply of driving power. However, the driving power of the remote control device 14 may be supplied from a power source provided outside the toilet bowl cleaning device 1. In the present embodiment, the operation signal supplied from the remote control device 14 to the controller 13 is an infrared signal, but is not limited to this method. The operation signal from the remote control device 14 may be, for example, a signal using electromagnetic waves of other wavelengths, a signal using ultrasonic waves, a signal transmitted by a wired method, or the like.

  In the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 having the above configuration, the controller 13 controls the automatic cleaning. Specifically, in the automatic cleaning control, a change in the time from when the user is no longer detected by the human body detection sensor 12 until the water discharge to the toilet 2 is started is a predetermined update time set in advance. Done every time. The change in time from when the user is no longer detected by the human body detection sensor 12 until the start of water discharge to the toilet 2 is performed based on the number of automatic washings and the number of intention washings in a certain period. Is called. Hereinafter, the specific content of the control about the automatic cleaning performed in the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[Contents of control]
In the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the controller 13 performs automatic cleaning and intention cleaning. In the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, the automatic cleaning is performed by operating the electromagnetic valve 11 and discharging the flush water to the toilet bowl 2 when a predetermined time has elapsed from when the user is no longer detected by the human body detection sensor 12. Water discharge control (first water discharge control). In addition, the intention cleaning is for cleaning the toilet 2 in preference to the operation of the electromagnetic valve 11 by automatic cleaning (first water discharge control) when an operation for cleaning the toilet 2 of the remote control device 14 is performed. This is the water discharge control (second water discharge control) for operating the electromagnetic valve 11 based on the operation signal supplied by the operation and causing the toilet 2 to discharge the wash water. Here, the operation for cleaning the toilet bowl 2 of the remote control device 14 (hereinafter referred to as “cleaning operation”) is an operation of the cleaning switch 24 of the remote control device 14 in this embodiment.

  In the following description, regarding the automatic cleaning as the first water discharge control, when the user is no longer detected by the human body detection sensor 12, when the solenoid valve 11 is operated to discharge the cleaning water to the toilet 2, That is, the time until the time when water discharge to the toilet 2 is started by the opening operation of the electromagnetic valve 11 is referred to as “off delay time”. The time when the user is no longer detected by the human body detection sensor 12 is referred to as “at the time of sitting”, and the time when water discharge to the toilet 2 is started by the opening operation of the electromagnetic valve 11 is referred to as “at the time of water discharge start”. Therefore, in automatic cleaning, the off-delay time corresponds to a predetermined time that is an elapsed time from the time of sitting to the start of water discharge.

  The graph shown in FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the time from sitting to the start of water discharge and the cumulative number of cleanings for each time period during a predetermined period. Specifically, in the graph shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal axis is divided into time zones every one second with the time of sitting away as a reference (0 seconds). That is, in the graph shown in FIG. 3, the time width Δt of each time zone is 1 second.

  In the graph shown in FIG. 3, the time To (seconds), which is the elapsed time from the time of sitting, indicates the off-delay time (see the straight line O1). That is, in the example shown in FIG. 3, since Δt = 1 second, the off-delay time is 20 seconds (To = 20 seconds). Therefore, the cleaning performed before 20 seconds, which is the off-delay time, that is, the cleaning performed at the time on the left side of the straight line O1 with respect to the horizontal axis of the graph of FIG. Further, the cleaning performed after the elapse of 20 seconds as the off-delay time, that is, the cleaning performed at the time on the right side of the straight line O1 with respect to the horizontal axis of the graph of FIG. 3, is automatic cleaning.

  That is, unless the user performs a cleaning operation in the remote control device 14 before the off-delay time elapses, automatic cleaning is performed when the off-delay time elapses. In addition, since the user performs a cleaning operation in the remote control device 14 before the off-delay time elapses, the cleaning water is discharged to the toilet 2 prior to the automatic cleaning.

  As shown in the graph of FIG. 3, there is a relatively large peak immediately after leaving the seat with respect to the time distribution of the number of times of washing until the elapse of the off-delay time (To), that is, the number of times of intention washing (see symbol P1). There is a relatively small peak just before the off-delay time (see symbol P2). The distribution of the number of times of intention cleaning reflects the usage mode and customs of each user.

  Specifically, the first peak (symbol P1) reflects that most users perform a cleaning operation on the remote control device 14 relatively shortly after the stool and wash the toilet 2. doing. As described above, in the majority of the use frequency of the toilet 2, the cleaning operation of the remote controller 14 is performed by the user relatively soon after the stool (within about 10 seconds from the time of sitting), and the toilet 2 is cleaned. Done.

  Further, the next peak (reference P2) indicates that a part of the user has confirmed the state of the stool after the stool for, for example, health management or the like. After the elapse of about 2 seconds), the cleaning operation is performed in the remote control device 14 and the toilet 2 is cleaned. As described above, when the user does not perform cleaning by the cleaning operation of the remote control device 14 relatively soon after the stool, the user confirms the state of the stool after the stool. There is a tendency to concentrate on a certain time zone when water discharge is started by the cleaning operation of the remote control device 14. In the example shown in FIG. 3, it concentrates on the time slot | zone near 15-17 second after the time of leaving. Note that, for example, when the user forgets to clean the toilet bowl 2, the automatic cleaning is performed when the off-delay time has elapsed from the time of sitting without performing the intention cleaning by the remote control device 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the number of automatic cleanings is considerably smaller than the number of intention cleanings.

  In the control for automatic cleaning in the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, the off-delay time is changed based on the number of intention cleanings and the number of automatic cleanings during a predetermined period, which shows the distribution as described above. The For this reason, the controller 13 that functions as a control unit that controls automatic cleaning stores the number of automatic cleanings and the number of intention cleanings for a predetermined period, and stores the number of automatic cleanings and intentions stored. Change the off-delay time based on the number of washes.

  In the control for automatic cleaning by the controller 13, the respective numbers of automatic cleaning and intention cleaning during a predetermined period set in advance are stored in the storage unit 13 a of the controller 13. In addition, a predetermined period (hereinafter referred to as “data retention period”) used in the control for the automatic cleaning is preset and stored in the storage unit 13 a or the like in the controller 13.

  The controller 13 has a timer, and stores data including the time when the water discharge operation to the toilet 2 is performed and the type of washing (automatic washing or intention washing) along the time axis during the data holding period. By doing so, the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of times of intention cleaning during the data holding period are stored. That is, the controller 13 stores, as history information, the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of times of intention cleaning during a period from the present time to the time when a preset data retention period is traced back.

  Therefore, the number of automatic cleanings and intention cleanings stored in the controller 13 is the number of automatic cleanings and intention cleanings performed between the present time and a time point before the data retention period, and has passed the data retention period. The stored data is deleted at any time. That is, the data stored in the controller 13 as automatic cleaning or intention cleaning data is deleted when the data retention period elapses from the stored time. The data retention period is set, for example, in the range of one week to several months.

  As described above, the control of changing the off-delay time based on the number of automatic cleaning and intention cleaning stored in the controller 13 is performed as follows, for example. When the number of times of automatic cleaning tends to decrease, the off-delay time is shortened, and when the number of times of automatic cleaning tends to increase, the off-delay time is extended.

  The ideal time as the off-delay time is, for example, the following time, that is, for example, for health management that is distributed in the vicinity of the later peak (symbol P2) in the graph shown in FIG. For a user who needs time to check the state of the stool after the stool, the time when the water discharge starts comes immediately after the check of the stool state.

  Therefore, as described above, the number of times of automatic cleaning tends to decrease is that when the user starts the water discharge by the cleaning operation of the remote control device 14 between the time of sitting and the time when the off-delay time elapses. Is increasing. That is, there is an increasing number of cases where intention cleaning is performed before automatic cleaning is activated.

  In such a tendency, it can be said that there is a margin between the time when the user tries to perform the washing operation in the remote control device 14 and the time when the water discharge to the toilet 2 is started by automatic washing. That is, in this case, for a user who confirms the state of the stool after the stool, a time for confirming the state of the stool is secured, but the user who cannot wait for automatic cleaning performs the cleaning operation of the remote control device 14 It can be said that the automatic cleaning is not activated.

  Therefore, in such a case, by shortening the off-delay time, the time from when the user tries to perform the cleaning operation in the remote control device 14 until the start of water discharge is shortened, and the cleaning operation by the user in the remote control device 14 is preferably performed. Reduce the number of times.

  On the other hand, the fact that the number of times of automatic cleaning tends to increase as described above means that the off-delay time elapses before the user performs the cleaning operation of the remote control device 14, and the time when water discharge starts as automatic cleaning comes. The number of cases is increasing. In other words, the number of cases where automatic cleaning is performed before intention cleaning is increasing.

  In such a tendency, it can be said that when the user tries to perform the cleaning operation in the remote control device 14, the off-delay time has already passed and the automatic cleaning is started. That is, in this case, for the user who confirms the state of the stool after the stool, the user does not perform the washing operation of the remote control device 14 after confirming the stool, but the time for confirming the state of the stool It can be said that the situation is not secured.

  Therefore, in such a case, by extending the off-delay time, the time for starting the water discharge as the automatic washing is delayed and the time for checking the state of the stool is secured.

  In the change control of the off-delay time based on the number of automatic washings and intention washings, the process of changing the off-delay time is performed at predetermined update times as described above. The predetermined update time is preset and stored in the storage unit 13a or the like in the controller 13. The predetermined update time is a period shorter than the data holding period, and is set, for example, in the range of about 30 minutes to several hours.

  In the change control of the off-delay time, the length of time for shortening or extending the off-delay time in one change process (hereinafter referred to as “change time length”) is stored in the controller 13 such as the storage unit 13a. Is preset and stored. The change time length is not particularly limited, but is set, for example, in the range of about 0.5 seconds to several seconds.

  Here, assuming that the off-delay time is changed in the time distribution of the number of cleanings shown in FIG. 3, the increase / decrease in the number of automatic cleanings accompanying the change in the off-delay time will be described. Here, the change time length for the off-delay time is 1 second, which is the same as Δt.

  In the time distribution of the number of times of cleaning shown in FIG. 3, when the processing for reducing the off delay time is performed once, the off delay time is changed from the state of To = 20 seconds (see the straight line O1) as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, To1 = 19 seconds (see straight line Oa) (see arrow B1). By reducing the off-delay time in this way, the number of times of intention cleaning (see reference C1) in the time zone immediately before the off-delay time elapses before the change of the off-delay time is added to the number of automatic cleanings. Become.

  On the other hand, when the processing for extending the off-delay time is performed once in the time distribution of the number of cleanings shown in FIG. 3, the off-delay time is To = 20 seconds (see the straight line O1) as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, it changes to To2 = 21 seconds (see the straight line Ob) (see arrow B2). By extending the off-delay time in this way, the number of times of automatic cleaning (see reference C2) in the time zone immediately after the off-delay time elapses before the change of the off-delay time is subtracted from the number of intention cleanings. .

  Note that the description of the case where the off-delay time is changed here is a description of the case where only the off-delay time is changed under the assumption that the distribution of the number of cleanings is constant as shown in FIG. In actual control for changing the off-delay time, the off-delay time is changed in accordance with the change in the distribution of the number of times of cleaning.

  As described above, according to the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment that performs the change control of the off-delay time, it is appropriate for a user who wants to check the state of the stool after the stool for health management, for example. Automatic water discharge (water discharge to the toilet 2 as automatic cleaning) can be performed at the timing, and the number of times the user performs the cleaning operation of the remote control device 14 can be suppressed, thereby reducing power consumption.

  Specifically, the above-described change control of the off-delay time is performed, so that there is a margin between the time when the user tries to perform the cleaning operation in the remote control device 14 and the time when the water discharge starts as automatic cleaning. In this case, the off delay time is shortened. In addition, when the off-delay time elapses before the user performs the cleaning operation on the remote control device 14, the off-delay time is extended.

  By such control, the off-delay time approaches an ideal time that the water discharge start time comes immediately after the user finishes confirming the stool, and automatic water discharge is performed at a more appropriate timing. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of times the user performs the cleaning operation of the remote control device 14 before the automatic cleaning is activated, so that power consumption in the remote control device 14 can be reduced and power saving can be achieved. .

  Below, the detail of the control content performed in the toilet bowl washing | cleaning apparatus 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated. First, an operation routine of the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 as a main routine of control performed in the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. The control process described below is performed by the CPU of the controller 13 reading and executing a predetermined control program stored in the storage unit 13a or the like.

(Operation routine)
As shown in FIG. 6, in the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1, first, an initial value of the off-delay time is set (S10). Here, for example, when the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 is shipped, the off-delay time is preset and stored in the storage unit 13a or the like in the controller 13. The set initial value of the off-delay time is automatically read out when the toilet cleaning device 1 is turned on and used for automatic cleaning.

  In the operation routine of the toilet bowl cleaning device 1, the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 is on standby for use by the user unless the toilet bowl 2 is used by the user (S20).

  Further, in the operation routine of the toilet bowl cleaning device 1, as described above, the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of times of intention cleaning during the data holding period are stored. For this reason, while the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 is on standby, the stored data of the number of times of intention washing and the number of times of automatic washing after a certain period (data holding period) have been deleted (S30). That is, the number of times of automatic cleaning and intention cleaning stored in the controller 13 is the number of times between the present time and the time before the data retention period, and stored data that has passed the data retention period is deleted as needed. The The process of storing the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of intention cleanings will be described later.

  Then, in the operation routine of the toilet bowl cleaning device 1, an off-delay time changing routine for changing the off-delay time is performed as a subroutine (S40). The off delay time changing routine will be described later.

  Here, the process of storing the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of intention cleaning performed in the operation routine of the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 will be described. In this process, first, it is determined whether or not intention cleaning has been input (S50). Here, the input of intention cleaning is an input to the controller 13 of an operation signal by a cleaning operation in the remote control device 14, that is, an operation of the cleaning switch 24. Therefore, in step S50, it is determined whether or not an operation signal is input to the controller 13 by operating the cleaning switch 24 of the remote control device 14.

  In step S50, when there is an input of intention washing (S50, Yes), the number of intention washings is added by one (S60), and the toilet 2 is washed, that is, flush water is discharged to the toilet 2 (S90). ). That is, when there is an input of intention washing, the number of intention washings is counted when the washing water is discharged to the toilet 2, and “1” is added to the number of intention washings stored in the storage unit 13a of the controller 13. The The cleaning frequency data added here is retained during the data retention period as described above.

  On the other hand, if there is no intention cleaning input in step S50 (S50, No), it is determined whether or not the off-delay time has elapsed (S70). Here, when the off-delay time has elapsed (S70, Yes), the number of times of automatic cleaning is added by one (S80), and the toilet 2 is cleaned (S90). That is, when the off-delay time has elapsed without input of intention washing, the number of times of automatic washing is counted when the washing water is discharged to the toilet 2, and the automatic washing stored in the storage unit 13a of the controller 13 is performed. “1” is added to the number of times. The cleaning frequency data added here is retained during the data retention period as described above.

  In step S70, when the off-delay time has not elapsed (S70, No), the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 is on standby (S20). In other words, in the operation routine of the toilet bowl cleaning device 1, the determination whether or not the intention cleaning has been input (S50) and the determination whether or not the off-delay time has elapsed (S70) are performed in parallel. If the intention cleaning is input before the delay time elapses, the intention cleaning is executed. If the off-delay time elapses before the intention cleaning is input, the automatic cleaning is executed. Each time intention cleaning or automatic cleaning is executed, the number of times of intention cleaning or automatic cleaning is added to the data of the number of cleanings held during the data holding period.

(Off delay time change routine)
The off-delay time changing routine (S40 in FIG. 6) will be described. This off-delay time change routine is a process performed in the operation routine of the toilet flushing apparatus 1 as described above, and is updated based on the number of automatic washings and the number of intention washings held during the data holding period. This is a process of changing the off-delay time for each time.

  Specifically, in the off-delay time changing routine of this embodiment, the number of automatic cleanings and the number of intention cleanings (hereinafter referred to as “history times”) as history information stored and held during the data holding period are overall. The ratio of the number of times of automatic cleaning to the total number of times is used. That is, the value of the number of times of history, the number of times of automatic washing / (number of times of automatic washing + number of times of intention washing) is used. In the following description, the value calculated from the number of history times by the number of times of automatic cleaning / (number of times of automatic cleaning + number of times of intention cleaning) is referred to as “automatic cleaning frequency ratio”.

  In the off-delay time change routine, the off-delay time is shortened by a certain time if the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is less than or equal to the preset reference ratio, and the off-delay time is reduced if the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is not less than the reference ratio. Is extended for a certain time.

  In the off-delay time change routine, the reference ratio for comparison of the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is set so that the ideal off-delay time can be obtained in relation to the distribution of the number of automatic cleanings and the number of intention cleanings for the history frequency. Is done. The ideal off-delay time ensures the time for confirming the state of the stool for the user who confirms the state of the stool after the stool, and the user performs a washing operation in the remote control device 14. It is time to activate automatic cleaning before. For example, in the graph shown in FIG. 3, the ideal off-delay time is located immediately after the peak of the later peak (reference numeral P2).

  Therefore, in the off-delay time changing routine, the fact that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is less than or equal to the reference ratio tends to indicate that the automatic cleaning frequency is low, and the remote control by the user before the off-delay time elapses. This means that the number of times the intention cleaning is performed by the cleaning operation in the apparatus 14 is large. An increase in the number of cleaning operations of the remote control device 14 is not preferable from the viewpoint of power saving. Therefore, in this case, the off-delay time is shortened by a certain time.

  Conversely, in the off-delay time changing routine, the fact that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is not less than or equal to the reference ratio tends to indicate that the automatic cleaning frequency is large, and the user performs cleaning in the remote control device 14 for intention cleaning. This means that the off-delay time has passed many times before the operation is performed. An increase in the number of times that the off-delay time elapses before the washing operation in the remote control device 14 indicates that it is not sufficient to secure time for checking the state of the stool. Therefore, in this case, the off-delay time is extended for a certain time.

  The reference ratio used as the comparison target of the automatic cleaning frequency ratio in the off-delay time changing routine is preset and stored in the storage unit 13a or the like in the controller 13. The reference ratio is set to 90%, for example, although it depends on the usage mode and customs of each user.

  As described above, in the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, the controller 13 that executes the off-delay time changing routine is the ratio of the number of automatic cleanings to the total of the stored number of automatic cleanings and the number of intention cleanings (automatic If the cleaning frequency ratio is less than the preset reference ratio, the off-delay time is shortened. If the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is not less than the reference ratio, the off-delay time is extended. For each predetermined update time. The off-delay time changing routine will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  The off-delay time changing routine is a process for changing the off-delay time every predetermined update time as described above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, in the off-delay time changing routine, first, it is determined whether or not a predetermined update time has elapsed since the last off-delay time changing process (S110). Here, when the predetermined update time has elapsed, an off-delay time changing process is executed, and when the predetermined update time has not elapsed (No at S110), the off-delay time changing routine ends. In step S110, when the changing process of the off delay time has not been performed once since the power of the toilet bowl cleaning device 1 is turned on, that is, when the changing process of the off delay time is the first time, the reference of the predetermined update time is For example, when the toilet cleaning device 1 is turned on.

  If it is determined in step S110 that the predetermined update time has elapsed (S110, Yes), it is determined whether the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is equal to or less than the reference ratio (S120). In step S120, when it is determined that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is equal to or less than the reference ratio (S120, Yes), the off-delay time is shortened by a certain time (S130). That is, in this case, the off-delay time is shortened by the change time length described above.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S120 that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is not less than or equal to the reference ratio (S120, No), the off-delay time is extended for a certain time (S140). That is, in this case, the off-delay time is extended by the change time length described above.

  Thus, according to the toilet bowl cleaning apparatus 1 of this embodiment that performs the off-delay time changing routine, the off-delay time until the automatic water discharge is started can be automatically set to an optimum time. That is, as described above, the reference ratio to be compared with the ratio of the automatic cleaning frequency is set so that an ideal off-delay time can be obtained in relation to the distribution of the number of automatic cleaning and the number of intention cleaning with respect to the history frequency. As a result, it is possible to control the off-delay time to a time according to each user's usage mode, habit, and the like.

  In the off-delay time changing routine, the ratio of the number of times of intention cleaning to the total number of times may be used instead of the ratio of the number of automatic cleaning times. That is, the value of the number of times of intention cleaning / (number of times of automatic cleaning + number of times of intention cleaning) may be used. In this case, for example, a reference ratio to be compared with a ratio of the number of times of intention cleaning is set, and when the ratio of the number of intention cleaning is equal to or less than the reference ratio, the off-delay time is extended for a certain time, When the ratio of the number of times is not less than the reference ratio, the off-delay time is shortened by a certain time.

  Further, in the off-delay time changing routine as described above, the reference ratio used as a comparison target of the automatic cleaning frequency ratio may be a value having a predetermined width. In other words, the reference ratio may have a range by setting the reference ratio in the numerical range. In this case, in the off-delay time changing routine, when the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is outside the numerical range as the reference ratio, the off-delay time is changed and the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is within the numerical range as the reference ratio. When off delay time is not changed. When the reference ratio has a predetermined width, the reference ratio is set to 85 to 95%, for example.

  A case where the reference ratio as a comparison target of the automatic cleaning frequency ratio has a predetermined width will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the following description, a lower limit value of a reference ratio having a predetermined width is a value A, and an upper limit value is a value B. That is, the case where the reference ratio is set as a numerical value range of value A to value B will be described. Further, the description overlapping with the above-described off-delay time changing routine will be omitted as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the predetermined update time has elapsed in the determination (S210) of whether or not the predetermined update time has elapsed since the last change processing of the off-delay time (S210, Yes), First, it is determined whether or not the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is equal to or less than a value A that is a lower limit value of the reference ratio (S220). In step S220, when it is determined that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is equal to or less than the value A (S220, Yes), the off-delay time is shortened by a certain time (S230).

  If it is determined in step S220 that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is not less than or equal to the value A (No in S220), it is then determined whether or not the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is equal to or lower than the value B that is the upper limit value of the reference ratio. (S240). In step S240, when it is determined that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is equal to or less than the value B (S240, Yes), the off-delay time is not changed (S250). In other words, in this case, the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is a value within the numerical range of the value A to the value B that is the reference ratio (exceeding the value A and not more than the value B), and the off-delay time is shortened or extended. The off-delay time is maintained.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S240 that the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is not less than or equal to the value B (S240, No), the off-delay time is extended for a certain time (S260).

  In this way, by giving a predetermined range to the reference ratio used in the off-delay time changing routine, the optimum value for the off-delay time can be set when the automatic cleaning frequency ratio does not vary significantly depending on the setting of the reference ratio. The state can be maintained.

  Further, in the off delay time changing routine as described above, an upper limit value and a lower limit value may be provided for the changed off delay time. That is, the off delay time changed by the off delay time changing routine may be changed within a range between the upper limit value and the lower limit value.

  In this case, the controller 13 sets a lower limit value for shortening the off delay time and an upper limit value for extending the off delay time. The upper limit value and the lower limit value for these off-delay times are preset and stored in the storage unit 13a or the like in the controller 13. Then, the controller 13 controls the off delay time between the upper limit value and the lower limit value.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, a lower limit value (see the straight line Ox) and an upper limit value (see the straight line Oy) are set with respect to a predetermined time (see the straight line O1) for the off delay time. In the example shown in FIG. 9, since Δt = 1 second and the standard off-delay time (see the straight line O1) is 20 seconds, the lower limit value of the off-delay time (see the straight line Ox) is 15 seconds, The upper limit (see straight line Oy) is 25 seconds.

  In such a case, for example, from the state where the off-delay time is 20 seconds (see the straight line O1), the case where the automatic cleaning frequency ratio in the history frequency is less than the reference ratio, that is, the off-delay time is relatively shortened. In many cases, the off-delay time has reached the lower limit of 15 seconds (see straight line Ox). Then, when the off-delay time is further reduced by a certain time in the off-delay time changing routine from the state where the off-delay time is 15 seconds (see the straight line Ox) (for example, in the case of S120 in FIG. 7, Yes) The off-delay time is not shortened and is maintained at 15 seconds. That is, the off-delay time has a lower limit of 15 seconds and is not shortened below the lower limit.

  The same applies when the off-delay time reaches the upper limit. That is, for example, from the state where the off-delay time is 20 seconds (see the straight line O1), when the automatic cleaning frequency ratio in the history frequency is not less than or equal to the reference ratio, that is, the off-delay time is often extended, Reaches the upper limit of 25 seconds (see straight line Oy). Then, when the off-delay time is extended for a certain time in the off-delay time change routine (for example, in the case of S120 of FIG. 7, No) from the state where the off-delay time is 25 seconds (see the straight line Oy), The off delay time is not extended and is maintained at 25 seconds. That is, the off delay time has an upper limit value of 25 seconds and is not extended beyond the upper limit value.

  In this way, in the off-delay time changing routine, by setting the upper limit value and the lower limit value for the off-delay time, the off-delay time can be increased even when, for example, the automatic cleaning frequency ratio suddenly increases or decreases during a certain period. Therefore, the off delay time can be maintained within an appropriate range.

  Note that either an upper limit value or a lower limit value may be set and used for the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the off delay time. That is, the off-delay time preferably has at least one of a lower limit value when shortened and an upper limit value when extended.

  In the off-delay time change routine described above, the history count used for calculating the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is the number of cleaning times in a certain period of time called the data retention period. The number of cleanings may be a constant number of cleanings. In other words, the total number of cleanings used for calculating the automatic cleaning frequency ratio may be a predetermined number of times, and the latest data may be held by the predetermined number of times.

  In this case, for example, if the predetermined number of times is 100, the type of the latest 100 cleanings is stored and held, and the automatic cleaning frequency ratio is calculated from the number of automatic cleaning and intention cleaning for the 100 times. The In other words, in this case, the total number of cleanings stored as a history is constant at a predetermined number of times, and the ratio of the number of automatic cleanings is changed by changing the ratio of the total number of automatic cleanings and intention cleanings. The off-delay time is adjusted.

1 Toilet bowl cleaning device 2 Toilet bowl 11 Solenoid valve (cleaning valve)
12 Human body detection sensor (human body detection unit)
13 Controller (control unit)
14 Remote control device (operation unit)

Claims (3)

A human body detection unit that detects a user of a toilet bowl, a cleaning valve that opens and closes a supply path of cleaning water discharged to the toilet, and a detection signal from the human body detection unit, and controls the opening and closing operation of the cleaning valve A toilet cleaning device comprising: a control unit; and an operation unit that supplies an operation signal for controlling an opening / closing operation of the cleaning valve to the control unit,
The controller is
When the predetermined time has elapsed since the user is no longer detected by the human body detection unit, the cleaning valve is operated, and automatic cleaning is performed to discharge cleaning water to the toilet.
In the case where an operation for cleaning the toilet of the operation unit is performed, the cleaning valve is prioritized over the operation of the cleaning valve by the automatic cleaning based on the operation signal supplied by the operation for cleaning. And intention washing that causes the toilet to discharge cleaning water,
Storing the number of times of the automatic cleaning and the number of times of intention cleaning during a predetermined period set in advance, and changing the predetermined time based on the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of times of intention cleaning stored. Toilet bowl cleaning device. The controller is
When the ratio of the number of times of automatic cleaning to the sum of the number of times of automatic cleaning and the number of intention cleaning stored is equal to or less than a preset reference ratio, the predetermined time is shortened and the number of times of automatic cleaning is reduced. The toilet cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein when the ratio is not less than or equal to the reference ratio, the control for extending the predetermined time is performed for each predetermined update time set in advance. The toilet cleaning device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined time has at least one of a lower limit value when shortened and an upper limit value when extended.

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