JP2020074938A - Toilet seat device and manufacturing method of toilet seat - Google Patents

Abstract

To more properly detect biological information with a simple configuration in a toilet seat device having a toilet seat heater.SOLUTION: A toilet seat device that can detect biological information of a user who is sitting on a seat includes: a sheet-like toilet seat heater which is attached to a rear surface of a seating surface of a toilet seat; a sensor which detects biological information; and a cushion part which is arranged between the rear surface and the bottom surface facing the rear surface in the toilet seat and sandwiches the sensor vertically with an upper cushion contacting the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and a lower cushion contacting the bottom surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet seat device and a method of manufacturing a toilet seat.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of toilet seat device, there is known a device in which a sensor that detects vibration or the like is provided in the toilet seat in order to acquire biological information of a seated user. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a toilet seat device in which a cord-shaped piezoelectric sensor is arranged so as to extend over substantially the entire circumference in the toilet seat. In this toilet seat device, the piezoelectric sensor is laterally positioned by a plurality of holders protruding upward from the bottom surface inside the toilet seat. In addition, the elastic pressing means projecting downward from the back side of the seating surface of the toilet seat and the rigid projection protruding upward from the bottom surface inside the toilet seat are arranged in a pair to form an upper and lower side. The piezoelectric sensor is sandwiched between and in a bent state.

JP 2005-110910 A

  In the above-described toilet seat device, since it is necessary to provide a holder for positioning the piezoelectric sensor, a pressing means for sandwiching the piezoelectric sensor, a protrusion, and the like, it is necessary to prepare a dedicated toilet seat for acquiring biometric information, which results in cost reduction. It leads to an increase. Further, since the piezoelectric sensor is sandwiched between the pressing means and the protrusion in a bent state, an excessive load may be applied to the piezoelectric sensor at the bent portion, which may affect the detection. Further, although it is described that the toilet seat device described above is provided with a toilet seat heater, the influence of heat of the toilet seat heater is not taken into consideration, and the sensor may be affected by heat.

  The main object of the present invention is to detect biometric information more appropriately with a simple structure in a toilet seat device including a toilet seat heater.

  The present invention adopts the following means in order to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

The toilet seat device of the present invention is
A toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a seated user,
A sheet-shaped toilet seat heater attached to the back of the seating surface of the toilet seat,
A sensor for detecting the biological information,
A cushion portion disposed in the toilet seat between the back surface and a bottom surface facing the back surface and sandwiching the sensor from above and below by an upper cushion contacting the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and a lower cushion contacting the bottom surface.
The main point is to provide.

  The toilet seat device of the present invention is provided with a cushion part that sandwiches a sensor for detecting biological information from above and below by an upper cushion that contacts the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and a lower cushion that contacts the bottom surface. Thereby, the heat of the toilet seat heater can be prevented from being directly transmitted to the sensor by the upper cushion, and the influence of heat on the sensor can be suppressed. In addition, with a simple configuration including a cushion portion that sandwiches the sensor from above and below, it is possible to appropriately hold the sensor without providing various configurations for positioning the sensor inside the toilet seat and without applying an excessive load to the sensor. it can. Therefore, in the toilet seat device including the toilet seat heater, the biometric information can be detected more appropriately with a simple configuration.

  In the toilet seat device of the present invention, in the cushion portion, the upper cushion may be made of a material having higher flame retardancy than the lower cushion. This makes it possible to improve the flame retardancy of the upper cushion that is in contact with the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and improve safety. Further, the heat resistance of the upper cushion is improved, so that the influence of heat on the sensor can be further suppressed.

  In the toilet seat device of the present invention, the cushion portion has the upper surface of the upper cushion attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater, and the upper surface of the lower cushion and the lower surface of the upper cushion attached with the sensor sandwiched therebetween. The lower surface of the lower cushion may be in contact with the bottom surface without being attached to the bottom surface. By doing this, the toilet seat heater is attached to the back side of the seating surface of the toilet seat, and the upper cushion is attached to the toilet seat heater, so that slight variations occur in the seating surface due to the heartbeat and breathing of the seated user. Even in such a case, it can be easily transmitted to the sensor through the toilet seat heater and the upper cushion. Further, since the lower surface of the lower cushion is not attached to the bottom surface but only contacts with the bottom surface, it is possible to prevent an excessive restraining force from acting on the cushion portion and affecting the detection by the sensor. Therefore, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of the biological information by the sensor.

The method for manufacturing a toilet seat of the present invention is
A method of manufacturing a toilet seat of a toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a user who is seated,
(A) a step of preparing a sensor unit by attaching a lower surface of the upper cushion and an upper surface of the lower cushion with a sensor for detecting the biological information sandwiched between an upper cushion and a lower cushion from above and below; ,
(B) attaching a sheet-shaped toilet seat heater to the back surface of the top plate having the seating surface of the toilet seat,
(C) attaching the upper cushion of the sensor unit to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater;
(D) a step of combining the top plate and the bottom plate of the toilet seat,
The main point is to include.

  In the method for manufacturing a toilet seat of the present invention, a sensor unit is prepared by pasting a lower surface of an upper cushion and an upper surface of a lower cushion with a sensor for detecting biological information sandwiched between an upper cushion and a lower cushion from above and below. I'll do it. Then, the upper cushion of the sensor unit is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater attached to the back surface of the top plate of the toilet seat. Accordingly, by sticking the upper cushion of the sensor unit to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater, it is possible to easily position and attach the sensor to the toilet seat. Therefore, the toilet seat of the toilet seat device including the toilet seat heater and capable of detecting biological information can be easily manufactured without requiring complicated work.

3 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the heating toilet seat device 10. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the electrical connection relationship of the heating toilet seat apparatus 10. It is an exploded perspective view of the toilet seat 20. It is a side view of the toilet seat 20. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a process chart showing an example of a method for manufacturing the toilet seat 20.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the heated toilet seat device 10, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the electrical connection relationship of the heated toilet seat device 10, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the toilet seat 20. Yes, FIG. 4 is a side view of the toilet seat 20, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heating toilet seat device 10 is attached to the upper surface of the toilet 1, and opens and closes with respect to the toilet seat device main body 12 and the toilet seat device main body 12 via the hinge shaft portion 21a (see FIG. 3). A toilet seat 20 that is supported, a toilet seat heater 25 and a sensor unit 30 that are built in the toilet seat 20, a toilet lid 14 that is openably and closably supported by the toilet seat device body 12 via a hinge shaft, and a user. An operation panel 16 capable of various operations according to the above, a nozzle unit 19 for injecting cleaning water toward a human body part, and a control device 40 for controlling the entire device. The nozzle unit 19 includes a heat exchange unit that heats water from the water supply pipe with a heater, a pulsating pump that adjusts the strength of the wash water, a switching valve that switches the flow path of the wash water, a posterior wash nozzle and a bidet wash nozzle. A moving device for moving forward and backward is provided.

  The operation panel 16 includes a plurality of operation units 17 for performing various operations and a display unit 18 such as a liquid crystal screen for displaying various information. The plurality of operation units 17 include a buttocks washing switch for instructing buttocks washing, a bidet washing switch for instructing bidet washing, a stop switch for instructing to stop washing, a washing water temperature adjusting switch for adjusting the temperature of washing water, and washing water. A water pressure adjustment switch for adjusting the momentum, a toilet seat temperature adjustment switch for adjusting the heating temperature of the toilet seat 20, and the like are provided. The display unit 18 displays biological information and the like detected by the sensor unit 30 and output from the control device 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the toilet seat heater 25 is a sheet-shaped heater including a metal sheet 26 such as aluminum foil and a heater wire 27 arranged on the sheet 26. The seat 26 is formed in a shape that is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the toilet seat 20 and conforms to the outer shape, and is attached to the back surface of the top plate 21 having the seating surface that is the upper surface of the toilet seat 20. The heater wire 27 is wound around the seat 26 in a meandering manner so as to heat the seating surface of the toilet seat 20 substantially uniformly.

  The sensor unit 30 is for detecting biological information such as heartbeat information and respiration information of the user sitting on the toilet seat 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the sensor unit 30 includes a strain sensor 32 and a cushion portion 35.

  The strain sensor 32 detects a strain generated in the toilet seat 20 (the seating surface of the top plate 21) and detects a relatively large strain generated by an impact when the user sits on the toilet seat 20 or leaves the seat. Or to detect a relatively small distortion caused by the user's heartbeat or breathing while sitting on the toilet seat 20. The strain (signal) detected by the strain sensor 32 is output to the control device 40 via the signal line 34.

  The cushion portion 35 includes an upper cushion 36 that contacts the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 and a lower cushion 37 that contacts the upper surface of the bottom plate 22 of the toilet seat 20 (bottom surface inside the toilet seat 20). The sensor 32 is sandwiched and held from above and below. Each of the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37 is made of a material such as polyurethane foam to which a flame retardant is added, and is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the present embodiment, for example, the amount of flame retardant added to the upper cushion 36 is set to be larger than that of the lower cushion 37, so that the upper cushion 36 is formed of a material having higher flame retardancy than the lower cushion 37. The upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 (seat 26) with a double-sided tape or an adhesive, and the lower surface of the upper cushion 36 and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 are both surfaces at a portion where the strain sensor 32 is not arranged. It is attached with tape or adhesive. The lower surface of the lower cushion 37 is only in contact with the bottom plate 22 of the toilet seat 20 and is not attached. The height (thickness) of the cushion portion 35 with the strain sensor 32 sandwiched therebetween is slightly larger than the height of the inner space of the toilet seat 20 (the distance between the lower surface of the top plate 21 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 22). Therefore, the cushion portion 35 is disposed inside the toilet seat 20 in a state of being deformed by being slightly crushed in the vertical direction.

  Although not shown, the control device 40 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU and includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like in addition to the CPU. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the control device 40 includes a signal processing unit 42, an information extraction unit 44, a determination output unit 46, and an operation control unit 48.

  The signal processing unit 42 includes a bandpass filter 42a that extracts a signal of a specific frequency component, an amplifier circuit 42b that amplifies the signal, and the like, and is input from the sensor unit 30 (strain sensor 32) via the signal line 34. The detection signal is processed and output to the information extraction unit 44. The bandpass filter 42a extracts a signal of a specific frequency component such as a frequency component corresponding to a heartbeat or a frequency component corresponding to respiration from the signal to be processed. The information extraction unit 44 performs predetermined extraction processing on the signal output from the signal processing unit 42 to extract various information (numerical values) such as heartbeat information and respiration information of the user, and outputs the information to the determination output unit 46. The determination output unit 46 determines, based on the various information extracted by the information extraction unit 44, the grasp of the transition of various information, the presence or absence of a change from the previous value, the comparison with the reference range, and the like. The determination output unit 46 determines, for example, whether the user's heartbeat information or respiratory information is within a predetermined reference range to determine whether the user's health condition is good or not, and whether or not there is a change in physical condition. The determination output unit 46 also outputs the determination result and displays it on the display unit 18 or the like of the operation panel 16. The operation control unit 48 controls operations such as local cleaning by the nozzle unit 19 and heating of the toilet seat heater 25 based on the operation signal input from the operation unit 17 of the operation panel 16.

  Here, as described above, the strain sensor 32 detects a relatively large strain and outputs a detection signal when the user sits down or sits down, and the strain sensor 32 relatively moves while the user sits down. A small distortion is detected and a detection signal is output. Therefore, the control device 40 can determine whether the user is sitting or sitting based on the difference in the intensity of the detection signal, and can determine whether the above-mentioned health condition is good or not and whether there is a change in physical condition. For example, when the control device 40 determines that the user is sitting in the standby mode, the control device 40 switches to a determination mode that determines whether the user is in good health or whether there is a change in physical condition. It can be switched. Further, by determining whether the user is sitting or sitting based on the detection signal of the strain sensor 32, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated seating detection sensor such as an infrared type for detecting the seating of the user. be able to. In the seating detection sensor such as an infrared type, a cover formed of a light-transmissive material is provided so as to be exposed on the surface of the toilet seat device body 12, but erroneous detection occurs due to adhesion of dirt to the cover or the like. there is a possibility. In the present embodiment, the strain sensor 32 provided in the toilet seat 20 is also used for detecting seating and seating, so seating and seating can be appropriately detected without being affected by dirt and the like.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the toilet seat 20 will be described. FIG. 6 is a process chart showing an example of a method for manufacturing the toilet seat 20. In the method of manufacturing the toilet seat 20, first, the toilet seat heater 25 is prepared (step S100) and the sensor unit 30 is prepared (step S110). In step S100, the toilet seat heater 25 is prepared by arranging (fixing) the heater wire 27 in a meandering manner on the seat 26 formed in a shape matching the outer shape of the toilet seat 20. The heater wire 27 may be disposed between the two sheets 26 and the sheets 26 may be attached to each other. Further, in step S110, the strain sensor 32 is sandwiched between the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37, and the lower surface of the upper cushion 36 and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 are attached to each other by a double-sided tape or an adhesive. Prepare 30. Note that the steps S100 and S110 may be performed in the reverse order. Further, step S110 may be performed after the next step S120.

  Then, the toilet seat heater 25 is attached to the back surface of the top plate 21 of the toilet seat 20 with a double-sided tape or an adhesive (step S120). Then, the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 of the sensor unit 30 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 with a double-sided tape or an adhesive (step S130). In this way, the sensor unit 30 prepared in step S110 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 together with the unit. Therefore, the upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, and the lower surface of the upper cushion 36 and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 are attached while the strain sensor 32 is arranged between the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37. As compared with the case where the work is performed, the work of attaching the sensor unit 30 can be easily performed. The sensor unit 30 is attached such that the signal line 34 extends rearward of the top plate 21 (toilet seat 20). In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the sensor unit 30 is attached to a slightly front side (lower side in the figure) of the front-back direction center of the toilet seat 20. This is to enable the biometric information to be properly detected even when the user is seated near the front of the toilet seat 20. When the sensor unit 30 is attached in this manner, the top plate 21 to which the toilet seat heater 25 and the sensor unit 30 are attached and the bottom plate 22 are combined (step S140), and the manufacturing of the toilet seat 20 is completed.

  Since the heated toilet seat device 10 described above includes the cushion portion 35 that sandwiches the strain sensor 32 from above and below by the upper cushion 36 and the lower cushion 37, the heat of the toilet seat heater 25 is directly transferred to the strain sensor 32 by the upper cushion 36. It is possible to prevent the strain sensor 32 from being affected by heat. Moreover, with a simple configuration including the cushion portion 35, the strain sensor 32 can be appropriately held without being overloaded.

  Further, in the heated toilet seat device 10, the upper cushion 36 has higher flame retardancy than the lower cushion 37, and therefore safety can be improved. Further, by improving the heat resistance of the upper cushion 36, it is possible to further suppress the influence of the heat of the toilet seat heater 25 on the strain sensor 32.

  In the heated toilet seat device 10, the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 is attached to the lower surface of the upper cushion 36, and the lower surface of the lower cushion 37 is It is provided without being attached to the bottom plate 22. For this reason, since the toilet seat heater 25 is attached to the back side of the seating surface of the toilet seat 20 and the upper cushion 36 is attached to the toilet seat heater 25, a slight distortion due to the user's heartbeat or breathing occurs on the seating surface. In this case, it can be easily transmitted to the strain sensor 32 via the toilet seat heater 25 and the upper cushion 36. Further, since the lower surface of the lower cushion 37 only contacts the bottom plate 22 without being affixed thereto, it is possible to prevent an excessive restraining force from acting on the cushion portion 35 and affecting the detection of the strain sensor 32. Therefore, the accuracy with which the strain sensor 32 detects biometric information can be improved. Further, the cushion portion 35 maintains a state in which it is deformed by being slightly crushed in the vertical direction inside the toilet seat 20, so that variation in how strain is transmitted to the strain sensor 32 is suppressed and stable detection accuracy is achieved. Can be kept.

  In the method of manufacturing the toilet seat 20, the sensor unit 30 is prepared in advance and is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25 attached to the back surface of the top plate 21, so that the sensor unit 30 is positioned and attached to the toilet seat 20. Can be done easily.

  In the above-described embodiment, the sensor unit 30 is prepared in advance and attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, and the upper cushion 36. The lower surface of the upper cushion 36 and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 may be attached to each other while the strain sensor 32 is arranged between the lower cushion 37 and the lower cushion 37.

  In the embodiment, in the cushion portion 35, the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 is attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, and the upper surface of the lower cushion 37 is attached to the lower surface of the upper cushion 36. Is not attached to the bottom plate 22 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 22), the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the cushion portion 35, the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 may not be attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, and the lower surface of the lower cushion 37 may be attached to the bottom plate 22. Alternatively, the cushion portion 35 may be such that the upper surface of the upper cushion 36 is not attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater 25, and the lower surface of the lower cushion 37 is not attached to the bottom plate 22. Even in these cases, the cushion portion 35 maintains the position of the strain sensor 32 and appropriately transmits the strain to the strain sensor 32 by maintaining the deformed state of being crushed in the vertical direction inside the toilet seat 20. The biological information can be detected.

  Although the upper cushion 36 has higher flame retardancy than the lower cushion 37 in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lower cushion 37 may have flame retardancy as high as that of the upper cushion 36. However, in order to increase the flame retardancy of the lower cushion 37 more than necessary and to secure the necessary flame retardancy for the cushion portion 35 as a whole, it is preferable to use the embodiment.

  In the embodiment, the strain sensor 32 is used to acquire the biological information, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any sensor can be used as long as it can detect a minute fluctuation occurring on the seating surface of the toilet seat 20 (top 21). Types of sensors may be used. For example, a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, a pressure sensor, an electrostatic sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or the like may be used.

  Correspondence between the main elements of the present embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the column of means for solving the problem will be described. In the present embodiment, the heated toilet seat device 10 corresponds to the “toilet seat device”, the toilet seat heater 25 corresponds to the “toilet seat heater”, the strain sensor 32 corresponds to the “sensor”, and the upper cushion 36 corresponds to the “upper cushion”. The lower cushion 37 corresponds to a “lower cushion”, and the cushion portion 35 corresponds to a “cushion portion”. Further, the sensor unit 30 corresponds to a “sensor unit”, the top plate 21 corresponds to a “top plate”, and the bottom plate 22 corresponds to a “bottom plate”.

  The correspondence between the main elements of the present embodiment and the main elements of the invention described in the section of means for solving the problem is the invention described in the section of the means for solving the problem of the present embodiment. Since this is an example for specifically explaining the mode for carrying out the invention, it does not limit the elements of the invention described in the column of means for solving the problem. That is, the interpretation of the invention described in the column of means for solving the problem should be made based on the description in that column, and the present embodiment is the invention described in the column of the means for solving the problem. Is just a specific example of the above.

  Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments at all, and various embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the present invention. Of course.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in the toilet seat device manufacturing industry and the like.

  1 toilet bowl, 10 heating toilet seat device, 12 toilet seat device body, 14 toilet lid, 16 operation panel, 17 operation part, 18 display part, 19 nozzle unit, 20 toilet seat, 21 top plate, 21a hinge shaft part, 22 bottom plate, 25 toilet seat Heater, 26 seat, 27 heater wire, 30 sensor unit, 32 strain sensor, 34 signal wire, 35 cushion part, 36 upper cushion, 37 lower cushion, 40 control device, 42 signal processing part, 42a bandpass filter, 42b amplification circuit , 44 information extraction unit, 46 determination output unit, 48 operation control unit.

Claims (4)

A toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a seated user,
A sheet-shaped toilet seat heater attached to the back of the seating surface of the toilet seat,
A sensor for detecting the biological information,
A cushion portion disposed in the toilet seat between the back surface and a bottom surface facing the back surface and sandwiching the sensor from above and below by an upper cushion contacting the lower surface of the toilet seat heater and a lower cushion contacting the bottom surface.
Toilet seat device. The toilet seat device according to claim 1,
In the cushion portion, the upper cushion is made of a material having higher flame resistance than the lower cushion. The toilet seat device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
In the cushion portion, an upper surface of the upper cushion is attached to a lower surface of the toilet seat heater, and an upper surface of the lower cushion and a lower surface of the upper cushion are attached to sandwich the sensor, and a lower surface of the lower cushion is attached. The toilet seat device is in contact with the bottom surface without being attached to the bottom surface. A method of manufacturing a toilet seat of a toilet seat device capable of detecting biological information of a user who is seated,
(A) a step of preparing a sensor unit by attaching a lower surface of the upper cushion and an upper surface of the lower cushion with a sensor for detecting the biological information sandwiched between an upper cushion and a lower cushion from above and below; ,
(B) attaching a sheet-shaped toilet seat heater to the back surface of the top plate having the seating surface of the toilet seat,
(C) attaching the upper cushion of the sensor unit to the lower surface of the toilet seat heater;
(D) a step of combining the top plate and the bottom plate of the toilet seat,
A method of manufacturing a toilet seat including.

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