JP2017179831A - Sanitary washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that, for example, when measures to cut off power supply to a control part and a load are taken by mechanical switch type seating detection means, a sanitary washing device using a dry battery or secondary battery may have the battery dead at unintended timing since the control part operates only in a seated state.SOLUTION: A sanitary washing device comprises: a control part; a dry battery or secondary battery for supplying electric power to the control part; display means of displaying the remaining amount of the dry battery or secondary battery; a switch for letting the display means make a display; and a detection circuit for detecting the remaining amount of the battery, a current flowing only to the detection circuit with the switch pressed to enable the remaining amount of the battery to be confirmed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  An aspect of the present invention relates to a sanitary washing apparatus.

  Conventionally, a sanitary washing apparatus that is driven using a dry battery or a secondary battery is known.

  For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a sanitary washing device including a remote controller that drives a sanitary washing device using a dry battery or a secondary battery.

  In this sanitary washing device, the mechanical switch type seating detection means cuts off the power supply to the load through which a large current flows, thereby suppressing current consumption when not in use and extending the battery life.

JP-A-11-355066

  However, in a sanitary washing device using a dry battery or a secondary battery, for example, if a mechanical switch type seating detection means is used to cut off the power supply to the control part or the load, the control part only when seated Causes the problem that the battery runs out at an unintended timing.

  Based on this problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary washing device capable of checking the remaining battery level.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning water supply means for supplying cleaning water, a remote control operation section for transmitting an operation signal, a seating detection means for detecting that the human body is seated on the toilet seat, and the seating detection means for allowing the human body to be in the toilet seat In a state where it is detected that the user is seated on the control unit, based on the reception of the operation signal, a control unit that controls the washing water supply unit, a dry battery or a secondary battery that supplies power to the control unit, and the dry battery or 2 And a display means for displaying the remaining battery level of the secondary battery.

  In this configuration, the remaining battery level of the sanitary washing device driven by the battery can be displayed, and the user can check the timing of battery replacement. Moreover, when the sanitary washing device stops moving, the user can check whether the battery of the sanitary washing device has run out. Further, the seating detection means for detecting that the human body is seated on the toilet seat is a mechanical switch. When the human body is seated, the mechanical switch causes the current to be supplied to the control unit, the washing water supply unit, and the remote control receiver unit. And the local cleaning function can be activated.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, a switch for displaying the display means and a detection circuit for detecting the remaining battery level are provided, and a current is supplied to the detection circuit only while the switch is pressed. Sanitary washing device characterized by flowing water.

  In this configuration, by providing a battery remaining amount switch and a battery remaining amount detection circuit separately from the seating detection means, when checking the battery remaining amount, current does not flow to a load other than the battery remaining amount detection circuit, and the battery Each time the remaining amount is displayed, wasteful current consumption can be suppressed.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the sanitary washing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the display means has a smaller current consumption as the remaining amount of the battery decreases.

  In this configuration, the current required to display the remaining battery level can be reduced as the remaining battery level decreases. By reducing the current required to display the battery level when the battery level is low, it is possible to prevent a sudden voltage drop and to prevent the battery from running out without displaying the battery level. be able to.

  According to a fourth invention, in any one of the second and third inventions, when the human body is seated, the display means is located on the back side of the human body, and the switch is detected by the seating detection means. A sanitary washing device characterized in that it cannot be operated in a state where it is detected that it is seated on a toilet seat.

  In this configuration, it is possible to prevent the switch of the seating detection means and the battery remaining amount display switch from being pressed at the same time. When the two switches are pressed simultaneously, the current flowing through the switch of the seating detection means and the current flowing through the battery remaining amount display switch collide when the control unit is energized. By arranging the two switches so as not to be pressed at the same time, the current collision can be prevented with an inexpensive configuration without taking the current collision avoidance IC means.

  According to the sanitary washing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to provide a sanitary washing apparatus capable of checking the remaining battery level in a battery-type sanitary washing apparatus.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a sanitary washing device according to the present invention. It is a block diagram showing typically power supply to a control part of a sanitary washing device concerning the present invention. It is an example of the detail of a structure of the battery residual amount display part of the sanitary washing apparatus which concerns on this invention. (a)-(f) is an example of the detail of the electricity supply pattern to the battery residual amount display part of the sanitary washing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to facilitate understanding, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible in the drawings, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a sanitary washing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing power supply to the control unit of the sanitary washing device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the sanitary washing device 100 includes a western-style seat toilet 110 (hereinafter referred to as a toilet 110), a toilet seat unit 120 provided on the toilet seat unit 120, and a remote control operation unit 10.

  The toilet bowl 110 has a bowl portion 112. The bowl part 112 is provided on the upper part of the toilet bowl 110. The bowl portion 112 has a concave shape that is recessed from the upper surface of the toilet bowl 110. The bowl portion 112 receives filth and urine excreted from the user. Moreover, the bowl part 112 stores water inside and prevents bad odors, pests and the like from entering the room from the drain pipe.

  The toilet seat unit 120 includes, for example, a main body 122, a toilet seat 124, and a toilet lid 126. The toilet seat 124 and the toilet lid 126 are pivotally supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the main body 122. The toilet lid 126 covers the upper part of the toilet seat 124 in the closed state. Note that the toilet lid 126 is not necessarily provided.

  The main body 122 has, for example, a sanitary washing function. The sanitary washing function is a function of performing a washing operation for washing a “butt” of a user sitting on the toilet seat 124.

  In the sanitary washing function, for example, in accordance with a user operation, a nozzle 130 serving as a water discharge means for discharging washing water toward a human body part is advanced from the main body 122 into the bowl 112 of the toilet 110. Then, washing water is ejected from a water outlet provided near the tip of the nozzle 130. As a result, it is possible to clean the user's “buttock” and the like. The nozzle 130 is accommodated in the main body 122 when the sanitary washing function is not executed. The operation of extending and storing the nozzle 130 is driven by a motor or a water pressure of the washing water.

  In addition, the sanitary cleaning function includes, for example, a butt cleaning function for injecting cleaning water toward the “butt” of the user, and a bidet cleaning function for injecting cleaning water toward the female local area.

  The cleaning water used for the sanitary cleaning function is supplied by the cleaning water supply means 140. The washing water supply means 140 supplies the nozzle 130 with cold water supplied from the water supply. The washing water supply means 140 includes, for example, an electromagnetic valve that controls supply / interruption of cold water and a motor that switches the flow path of the buttocks / bidet. The cleaning water supplied by the cleaning water supply unit 140 may be not only cold water but also hot water heated by an external heater such as a central hot water supply. In that case, a mixing valve 142 for mixing cold water and hot water so as to have a temperature suitable for the washing water is provided.

  The toilet seat unit 120 is controlled by a user instruction received by the remote control operation unit 10. The remote controller 10 includes a washing button for flushing the toilet 110, buttons for setting and changing the operation mode, various settings of the main body 122 (set temperature, standby temperature, water temperature, water pressure, discharge position, etc.) A button BP for starting water discharge, stopping water discharge, and the like is provided. In addition, the remote control operation unit 10 may be provided with a display unit DP that displays setting contents and operation status, and an output unit SP such as a speaker that notifies the state.

  The remote controller 10 transmits a button signal pressed by the user to the controller 150 as an operation signal. As the operation signal to be transmitted, for example, it is desirable to use wireless communication means such as radio waves in addition to infrared rays.

  The main body 122 includes a battery box 160 that supplies electric power for driving each load of the sanitary washing device 100. The battery box 160 includes a dry battery or a secondary battery. The battery box 160 can be replaced by the user when the remaining battery level of the dry battery or the secondary battery runs out.

  The main body 122 includes a micro switch 170 as a seating detection unit that detects that a user is seated on the toilet seat unit 120. The micro switch 170 is a switch that is turned on / off by a load when the user is seated. As shown in FIG. 2, the micro switch 170 is connected in series to the power supply line from the battery box 160 to the control unit 150.

  The micro switch 170 is in an open state during standby and cuts off the power supply from the power supply box 160. When the user sits on the toilet seat unit 120, the micro switch 170 is short-circuited, and the power from the battery box 160 passes through the micro switch 170 as shown in FIG. 156, the remote control light receiving unit 151, and the microcomputer 152. With this configuration, power is supplied only during seating, and wasteful power consumption can be suppressed during non-sitting standby.

  The main body 122 includes a battery remaining amount display unit 190 as display means for displaying the battery remaining amount. The main body unit 122 includes a tact switch 180 that displays a battery remaining amount display unit 190. As shown in FIG. 2, the tact switch 180 is connected in series to a power supply line from the battery box 160 to the control unit 150, which is different from the power supply line to which the microswitch 170 is connected.

  The tact switch 180 is in an open state during standby and cuts off power supply from the power supply box 160. When the tact switch 180 is pressed by the user when checking the remaining battery level, the tact switch 180 is short-circuited. As shown in FIG. 2, the power from the battery box 160 passes through the tact switch 180 and the control unit 150. In this configuration, power is supplied only to the microcomputer 152, the detection circuit 154 as the battery remaining amount detection unit, and the battery remaining amount display unit 190. By providing the tact switch 180 in addition to the micro switch 170, when it is desired to check the remaining battery level, power can be supplied only to a load necessary for checking the remaining battery level, and wasteful power consumption can be suppressed. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the tact switch 180 is installed in the main body portion behind the toilet seat unit 120 and cannot be pushed while the user is seated on the toilet seat unit 120. As a result, the current supplied via the tact switch 180 and the micro switch 170 does not collide, and there is no need for countermeasures such as an IC for avoiding current collision, so the control unit 150 is made with an inexpensive configuration. Can do.

  The main body 122 includes a control unit 150 serving as a board that controls the toilet 110 and the toilet seat unit 120. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 150 includes a remote control light receiving unit 151, a microcomputer 152, a booster circuit 156, a cleaning function load driving circuit 158, and a detection circuit 154 as a battery remaining amount detection unit. This is a board that processes the operation of the remote control unit 10 and the tact switch 180 and outputs a signal corresponding to the control to the cleaning function load 200 and the battery remaining amount display unit 190.

  The remote control light receiving unit 151 is, for example, a light receiving element that receives an operation signal from the remote control operation unit 10, and the received operation signal is input to an input port of the microcomputer 152. It is desirable to use radio communication means such as radio waves in addition to infrared rays for the transmission / reception signals of the operation signals of the remote control light receiving unit 151 and the remote control operation unit 10.

  The microcomputer 152 is, for example, a one-chip microcomputer of a processing device in which a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), various input devices, and the like are mounted on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip. It is. In addition, the microcomputer 152 is configured to start up when power is supplied from the battery box 160 when either the micro switch 170 or the switch 180 is turned on.

  The booster circuit 156 is, for example, a circuit combining an inductor and a capacitor, and has a function of boosting the voltage from the battery box 160 to a necessary voltage by the cleaning function load driving circuit. While the micro switch 170 is off, power is not supplied, and wasteful power is not consumed during standby.

  The cleaning function load drive circuit 158 is a circuit for driving, for example, a cleaning water supply unit 140 and a solenoid valve or a motor that configures the cleaning function load 200. It is composed of a transistor and an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, and supplies current to the cleaning water supply means 140 and the electromagnetic valves and motors constituting the cleaning function load 200 in accordance with an output signal from the microcomputer 152.

  The detection circuit 154 includes, for example, two detection resistors for the battery, and reads the power supply voltage of the battery box 160 divided by the two detection resistors by the A / D conversion function of the microcomputer 152, thereby remaining battery level. Calculate

  FIG. 3 is an example of the detailed configuration of the battery remaining amount display unit of the sanitary washing device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the remaining battery capacity display unit 190 is composed of one LED and is arranged next to the tact switch 180. When the tact switch 180 is pressed, the microcomputer 152 outputs a signal to the remaining battery level display unit 190 in accordance with the remaining battery level calculated by the detection circuit 154 and the microcomputer 152.

  FIG. 4 is an example of the details of the energization pattern to the battery remaining amount display part of the sanitary washing device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, a signal output from the microcomputer 152 to the remaining battery level display unit 190 changes according to the calculated remaining battery level. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the remaining battery level is 90% or more, the microcomputer 152 outputs a HIGH signal to the remaining battery level display unit 190, and the LED is always lit. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the remaining battery level is 70% or more and less than 90%, the microcomputer 152 outputs a 1500 ms High signal to the remaining battery level display unit 190 and then outputs a 500 ms Low signal (output) LED may blink. As shown in FIG. 4C, when the remaining battery level is 50% or more and less than 70%, the microcomputer 152 outputs a 1000 ms High signal to the remaining battery level display unit 190, and then outputs a 1000 ms Low signal. The LED blinks. As shown in FIG. 4D, when the remaining battery level is 30% or more and less than 50%, the microcomputer 152 outputs a 500 ms High signal to the remaining battery level display unit 190 and then outputs a 1500 ms Low signal. The LED blinks. As shown in FIG. 4 (e), when the remaining battery level is 10% or more and less than 30%, the microcomputer 152 outputs a 1750 ms Low signal after outputting a 250 ms High signal to the remaining battery level display unit 190, The LED blinks. As shown in FIG. 4 (f), when the remaining battery level is less than 10%, the microcomputer 152 outputs a Low signal to the remaining battery level display unit 190, and the LED does not light up.

  With this configuration, as the remaining battery level decreases, the time during which the remaining battery level is not output is lengthened, thereby reducing the current consumption when the remaining battery level is low. By reducing the voltage drop, it is possible to prevent the microcomputer from being reset during the battery remaining amount display.

10 ... Remote control operation unit 100 ... Sanitary washing device 110 ... Western style toilet
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 112 ... Bowl part 120 ... Toilet seat unit 122 ... Main body part 124 ... Toilet seat 126 ... Toilet lid 130 ... Nozzle 140 ... Washing water supply means 142 ... Mixing valve 150 ... Control part 151 ... Remote control light-receiving part 152 ... Microcomputer 154 ... Battery remaining amount detection Unit 156 ... Booster circuit 158 ... Cleaning function load drive circuit 160 ... Battery box 170 ... Micro switch 180 ... Tact switch 190 ... Battery remaining amount display unit 200 ... Cleaning function load

Claims (4)

Cleaning water supply means for supplying cleaning water;
A remote control operation unit for transmitting operation signals;
Seating detection means for detecting that the human body is seated on the toilet seat;
In a state in which it is detected that the human body is seated on the toilet seat by the seating detection means, a control unit that controls the washing water supply means based on reception of the operation signal;
A dry battery or a secondary battery for supplying power to the control unit;
Display means for displaying the remaining battery level of the dry battery or secondary battery;
A sanitary washing device characterized by comprising: A switch for displaying the display means;
A detection circuit for detecting the remaining battery level;
The sanitary washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a current flows through the detection circuit only while the switch is being pressed.   The sanitary washing device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit consumes less current as the remaining amount of the battery decreases. When the human body is seated, the display means is located on the back side of the human body,
4. The sanitary washing device according to claim 2, wherein the switch cannot be operated in a state where the seat detecting means detects that a human body is seated on a toilet seat.

Images