JP2020185130A - Toilet seat device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a toilet seat device that even in the case of taking a heat diffusion part as a detection electrode and detecting seating on the basis of a variation in electrostatic capacitance, can inhibit erroneous detection with a simpler configuration.SOLUTION: A toilet seat device comprises: a toilet seat that includes an internal space and includes a seating surface and an inner surface facing the opposite side to the seating surface in the internal space; a heater that is provided in the internal space and warms the seating surface from inside via the inner surface; an electrically conductive heat diffusion unit for diffusing heat of the heater to the inner surface; a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the seating surface; a detection circuit for detecting electrostatic capacitance of the heat diffusion unit; and a control unit that on the basis of the electrostatic capacitance detected by the detection circuit, detects seating on the toilet seat and, on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, controls electrification to the heater to heat the toilet seat to a predetermined temperature. The control unit corrects the electrostatic capacitance detected by the detection circuit, on the basis of electrification power to the heater.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Aspects of the present invention generally relate to toilet seat devices.

There is known a toilet seat device in which a heater is provided inside a hollow toilet seat so that the seating surface of the toilet seat can be warmed. In such a toilet seat device, a seating sensor for detecting the seating of a user or the like on the toilet seat is provided. For example, when the seating sensor does not detect seating, the temperature of the toilet seat is kept lower than the set temperature, and the temperature is warmed up to the set temperature according to the detection of seating. As a result, the power consumption of the toilet seat device can be suppressed.

The seating sensor includes a switch type and a capacitance type. The switch-type seating sensor detects the seating on the toilet seat by making the rotation shaft portion of the toilet seat movable in the vertical direction and detecting the downward movement of the rotation shaft portion due to seating with the switch. The capacitance type seating sensor is provided with a conductive detection electrode on the toilet seat, and detects seating by utilizing the fact that the capacitance of the detection electrode increases when the human body sits down. Therefore, in the capacitance type seating sensor, it is not necessary to move the toilet seat up and down, and it is possible to make the toilet seat device thinner as compared with the case where the switch type seating sensor is used.

In a capacitance type seating sensor, for example, as in Patent Document 1, the heat diffusion portion that diffuses the heat of the heater is used as a detection electrode, and the seating is detected by the change in capacitance between the detection electrode and the ground. There is a method to do. In this method of using the heat diffusion portion as a detection electrode, the heat diffusion portion is widely arranged on the entire toilet seat. Therefore, compared to the case where a dedicated detection electrode having a size smaller than that of the heat diffusion part is provided, the capacitance signal itself detected when the user sits down is larger, and the sitting style and physique of the person are further increased. It has the advantage of being less affected by variations such as. Further, since the existing heat diffusion portion is used as the detection electrode, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to newly provide a detection electrode for seating detection.

In a general structure relating to the heat diffusion portion and the heater wire, the heater wire coated with a general-purpose resin such as vinyl chloride is adhered to a heat diffusion plate made of, for example, aluminum or copper foil. Since the joint portion between the heat diffusion portion and the heater wire is configured so that the distance between the joint portions is short and the contact area is wide in order to improve the thermal coupling between the two, a large electrostatic coupling is formed here. Occur. As a result, the seating sensor is electrostatic in that it includes in parallel the capacitance between the heat diffuser and the heater wire in addition to the capacitance between the heat diffuser and the ground via the seated human body. The capacitance will be detected (see FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1).

The capacitance between the heat diffusion portion and the heater wire changes significantly due to heating of the heater, and there is a possibility that the seating detection may cause an erroneous detection. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the heater wire is cut off at a high frequency by using inductance, the influence of the capacitance between the heat diffusion portion and the heater wire is suppressed, and the influence of the temperature change of the heater wire on the seating detection is exerted. I try to suppress it.

However, in Patent Document 1, the inductance inserted into the heater has an inductance that becomes high impedance to the extent that it does not affect the capacitance detection at high frequencies, and requires a relatively high current capacitance. The inductance can be large and expensive.

Therefore, in the toilet seat device, it is desired to use the heat diffusion portion as a detection electrode so that erroneous detection can be suppressed with a simpler configuration even when seating is detected by a change in capacitance.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-138247

The present invention has been made based on the recognition of such a problem, and even when seating is detected by a change in capacitance by using a heat diffusion part as a detection electrode, a toilet seat that can suppress erroneous detection with a simpler configuration. The purpose is to provide the device.

The first invention is provided in a toilet seat having an internal space and having a seating surface and an inner surface having an inner surface facing the opposite side of the seating surface in the inner space, and being provided in the inner space through the inner surface. A heater that warms the seating surface from the inside, a conductive heat diffusion portion that is provided on the inner surface and has a larger area than the heater and diffuses the heat of the heater to the inner surface, and the seating surface. Based on the temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heat diffusion unit, the detection circuit that is electrically connected to the heat diffusion unit and detects the capacitance of the heat diffusion unit, and the capacitance detected by the detection circuit. The control unit includes a control unit that heats the toilet seat to a predetermined temperature by detecting seating on the toilet seat and controlling energization of the heater based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Is characterized in that the capacitance detected by the detection circuit is corrected based on the energizing power to the heater, and the seating on the toilet seat is detected based on the corrected capacitance. It is a toilet seat device.

According to this toilet seat device, erroneous detection of seating can be suppressed by correcting the capacitance detected by the detection circuit based on the energizing power to the heater. Further, it is not necessary to newly add a component such as an inductance in order to suppress a false detection of seating. Therefore, it is possible to provide a toilet seat device capable of suppressing erroneous detection with a simpler configuration even when seating is detected by a change in capacitance using the heat diffusion portion as a detection electrode.

A second invention is a toilet seat device according to the first invention, wherein the control unit corrects the capacitance based on the average value of the energizing power to the heater per unit time. ..

According to this toilet seat device, the capacitance can be corrected with higher accuracy, and erroneous detection of seating can be suppressed more reliably.

A third invention is a toilet seat device according to a second invention, wherein the unit time is 10 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less.

According to this toilet seat device, the capacitance can be corrected with higher accuracy, and erroneous detection of seating can be suppressed more reliably.

A fourth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third inventions, the control unit further corrects the capacitance based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. It is a toilet seat device.

According to this toilet seat device, the capacitance can be corrected with higher accuracy, and erroneous detection of seating can be suppressed more reliably.

According to the aspect of the present invention, there is provided a toilet seat device capable of suppressing erroneous detection with a simpler configuration even when seating is detected by a change in capacitance using a heat diffusion portion as a detection electrode.

It is a perspective view which shows typically the toilet device provided with the toilet seat device which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which represents a part of the toilet seat which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view which shows typically the heating part which concerns on embodiment. It is a partial cross-sectional view which shows a part of the heating part which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows typically the electric structure of the toilet seat device which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows a part of the control part which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation of the control part which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows a part of the control part which concerns on embodiment. 9 (a) to 9 (g) are graphs schematically showing an example of the operation of the control unit according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, similar components are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a toilet device including the toilet seat device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet device 2 includes a Western-style sitting toilet (hereinafter simply referred to as a “toilet bowl” for convenience of explanation) 4 and a toilet seat device 10 provided on the toilet device 2. The toilet seat device 10 has a main body portion 12, a toilet seat 14, and a toilet lid 16.

In the description of the following embodiments, "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "right side", and "left side" are used, but these directions are as shown in FIG. This is the direction seen from the user sitting on the toilet seat 14.

The toilet bowl 4 has a bowl portion 4a that is recessed downward. The toilet bowl 4 receives excrement such as urine and stool of the user in the bowl portion 4a. The main body 12 of the toilet seat device 10 is provided in the upper part behind the bowl portion 4a of the toilet bowl 4. The main body 12 pivotally supports the toilet seat 14 and the toilet lid 16 so as to be openable and closable.

The toilet seat 14 has an opening 14a. The toilet seat 14 is provided on the toilet bowl 4 so as to surround the outer edge of the bowl portion 4a, and exposes the bowl portion 4a through the opening 14a. As a result, the user can excrete in the bowl portion 4a while sitting on the toilet seat 14. In this example, a so-called O-shaped toilet seat 14 in which a through-hole-shaped opening 14a is formed is shown. The toilet seat 14 is not limited to the O-shape, but may be a U-shape or the like.

The toilet seat device 10 has a heating function of the toilet seat 14 for warming the seating surface of the toilet seat 14. In addition, the toilet seat device 10 has a hygienic cleaning function for cleaning local areas such as the "buttocks" of the user sitting on the toilet seat 14. The toilet seat device 10 is, in other words, a sanitary cleaning device. However, the toilet seat device 10 does not necessarily have to have a hygienic cleaning function. The toilet seat device 10 may have at least a heating function for the toilet seat 14. In other words, the toilet seat device 10 may be a heated toilet seat device.

The toilet seat device 10 has a nozzle 20 for cleaning a local part of the human body. The nozzle 20 is provided in the main body portion 12 and moves back and forth between a position where the nozzle 20 is housed in the main body portion 12 and a position where the nozzle 20 advances from the main body portion 12 into the bowl portion 4a. Note that FIG. 1 shows a state in which the nozzle 20 has advanced into the bowl portion 4a.

The main body 12 is configured to be able to communicate with an operation unit 6 such as a remote controller. The communication between the main body unit 12 and the operation unit 6 may be wired communication or wireless communication. The main body portion 12 advances the nozzle 20 into the bowl portion 4a in response to an input of an operation instruction from the operation unit 6, for example.

The nozzle 20 discharges water toward the local part of the human body to clean the local part of the human body. A bidet cleaning spout 20a and a buttocks cleaning spout 20b are provided at the tip of the nozzle 20. The nozzle 20 can inject water from the bidet washing spout 20a provided at the tip thereof to wash a female local part of a woman sitting on the toilet seat 14. Alternatively, the nozzle 20 can inject water from the buttocks washing spout 20b provided at the tip thereof to wash the "buttocks" of the user sitting on the toilet seat 14. The term "water" in the specification of the present application includes not only cold water but also heated hot water.

The mode for washing the "buttocks" includes, for example, "buttock washing" and "soft washing" in which the "buttocks washing" is gently washed with a softer stream of water than the "buttocks washing". The nozzle 20 can perform, for example, "bidet cleaning", "buttock cleaning", and "soft cleaning".

In the nozzle 20 shown in FIG. 1, the bidet cleaning spout 20a is provided on the tip side of the nozzle 20 with respect to the buttocks cleaning spout 20b, but the installation positions of the bidet cleaning spout 20a and the buttocks cleaning spout 20b are provided. Is not limited to this. The bidet cleaning spout 20a may be provided on the rear end side of the nozzle 20 with respect to the buttocks cleaning spout 20b. Further, although the nozzle 20 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with two spouts, three or more spouts may be provided.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the toilet seat according to the embodiment.
FIG. 2 schematically shows the cross section of the A1-A2 line of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet seat 14 has an internal space SP. In other words, the toilet seat 14 is hollow. The toilet seat 14 has, for example, an upper plate 30 and a lower plate 32, and by joining the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 32, an internal space SP is formed between the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 32. The upper plate 30 has a seating surface 30a on which the user is seated and an inner surface 30b facing the lower plate 32. In other words, the inner surface 30b is a surface facing the seating surface 30a in the internal space SP. The upper plate 30 and the lower plate 32 may be bonded by using an adhesive or by using vibration welding or the like. However, the configuration of the toilet seat 14 is not limited to the above, and may be any configuration having at least an internal space SP, a seating surface 30a, and an inner surface 30b.

The toilet seat 14 has a heating unit 34. The heating unit 34 warms the seating surface 30a of the upper plate 30. The heating unit 34 is provided on the inner surface 30b in the internal space SP, for example. The heating unit 34 is attached to, for example, the inner surface 30b. As a result, the heating unit 34 warms the seating surface 30a from the inside.

FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the heating portion according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the heating portion according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 schematically shows the cross section of the B1-B2 line of FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heating unit 34 includes a heat diffusion unit 41 and a heater 43. The heater 43 generates heat by passing an electric current. The heater 43 has, for example, a heating wire 43a and a coating 43b that covers the periphery of the heating wire 43a. The coating 43b is an insulator made of, for example, a resin. The heater 43 is provided in the internal space SP, and by applying an AC voltage from the outside, the seating surface 30a is warmed from the inside via the inner surface 30b.

The heat diffusion portion 41 is provided on the inner surface 30b. The heat diffusion unit 41 is, for example, in the form of a sheet. In other words, the heat diffusion unit 41 is a heat diffusion sheet. The heater 43 has, for example, a cord shape. The area of the heat diffusion portion 41 is larger than the area of the heater 43. As a result, the heat diffusion unit 41 diffuses the heat of the heater 43 onto the inner surface 30b.

A first adhesive 44 is provided between the heat diffusion portion 41 and the heater 43. The first adhesive 44 joins the heat diffusion portion 41 and the heater 43.

A second adhesive 45 is provided between the heat diffusion portion 41 and the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. The second adhesive 45 joins the heat diffusion portion 41 and the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. As a result, the heat diffusion portion 41 is provided on the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30.

The heat diffusion unit 41 is a conductor. The heat diffusion unit 41 is, for example, a metal foil. The thermal conductivity of the metal foil is higher than the thermal conductivity of the upper plate 30. Examples of the heat diffusion unit 41 include an aluminum foil and a copper foil.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heater 43 meanders in the heat diffusion unit 41 and is arranged over substantially the entire heat diffusion unit 41. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the heating portion 34 is provided over substantially the entire inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. In other words, the heat diffusion portion 41 is provided on substantially the entire inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. The heater 43 meanders under the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30 and is arranged over substantially the entire inner surface 30b. In this way, the cord-shaped heater 43 is provided on the inner surface 30b while being bent. The heater 43 is not limited to the cord shape, but may be a sheet shape or the like. The structure of the heater 43 may be any structure capable of warming the seating surface 30a from the inside.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the toilet seat device 10 further includes a temperature sensor 46. The temperature sensor 46 detects the temperature of the seating surface 30a of the toilet seat 14. The temperature sensor 46 is provided on the inner surface 30b of the toilet seat 14. The temperature sensor 46 detects the temperature of the seating surface 30a via the inner surface 30b by being attached to the inner surface 30b by, for example, adhesion or adhesion.

The heat diffusion portion 41 has an opening 41a that exposes a part of the inner surface 30b. The temperature sensor 46 is directly attached to the inner surface 30b via the portion of the opening 41a. As described above, the temperature sensor 46 is arranged in the vicinity of the heat diffusion portion 41, for example, on the inner surface 30b so as not to overlap the heat diffusion portion 41 in the vertical direction (direction orthogonal to the inner surface 30b). However, the temperature sensor 46 may be provided, for example, above the heat diffusion portion 41 or below the heat diffusion portion 41 (between the inner surface 30b and the heat diffusion portion 41).

For the temperature sensor 46, for example, a thermistor is used. However, the temperature sensor 46 is not limited to the thermistor, and may be any temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the seating surface 30a. The temperature sensor 46 may be, for example, a non-contact temperature sensor or the like. In this case, the temperature sensor 46 may be provided on the main body 12 or the like. The position where the temperature sensor 46 is arranged is not limited to the inner surface 30b, and may be any position where the temperature of the seating surface 30a can be appropriately detected.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the toilet seat device 10 includes a power supply circuit 50, a control unit 52, a detection circuit 54, and a control load 56.

The power supply circuit 50 is electrically connected to the AC power supply PS. The power supply circuit 50 converts the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply PS into a DC voltage, and supplies the converted DC voltage to the control unit 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56. The power supply circuit 50 is a so-called AC-DC converter. The control unit 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56 operate in response to the supply of DC voltage from the power supply circuit 50.

The control unit 52 comprehensively controls the operation of each unit of the toilet seat device 10. The control unit 52 is electrically connected to the detection circuit 54 and the control load 56, and controls the operation of the detection circuit 54 and the control load 56.

The toilet seat device 10 has, for example, a plurality of control loads 56. The control load 56 is, for example, a motor for moving the nozzle 20 forward and backward, an electromagnetic valve for switching between supplying water to the nozzle 20 (water discharge from the nozzle 20) and stopping the supply of water to the nozzle 20. is there. The control load 56 sucks, for example, a heat exchanger that heats the water supplied to the nozzle 20, a switching valve that switches the paths of the bidet washing spout 20a and the buttocks washing spout 20b, and the air in the bowl portion 4a. It may further include a deodorizing device for deodorizing. The control load 56 may be any device that operates by the DC voltage supplied from the power supply circuit 50 and whose operation is controlled by the control unit 52.

The control unit 52 is communicably connected to the operation unit 6 via, for example, a communication circuit (not shown). Various operation instructions according to the operation of the operation unit 6, such as execution of local cleaning by the nozzle 20 and stop of local cleaning, are input to the control unit 52. The control unit 52 controls the operation of the control load 56 in response to an operation instruction input from the operation unit 6. As a result, the control unit 52 controls the execution of local cleaning by the nozzle 20 and the stop of local cleaning according to the operation of the operation unit 6.

The detection circuit 54 is electrically connected to the heat diffusion unit 41 of the heating unit 34 provided in the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14. The detection circuit 54 detects the capacitance of the heat diffusion unit 41. More specifically, the detection circuit 54 uses the heat diffusion unit 41 of the heating unit 34 as a detection electrode, and the ground of the heat diffusion unit 41 in a state of being seated on the toilet seat 14 and a state of not being seated on the toilet seat 14. It is a self-capacitance type capacitance detection circuit that detects the change in capacitance between.

The detection circuit 54 is connected to the control unit 52. For example, the detection circuit 54 detects the capacitance of the heat diffusion unit 41 based on the control of the control unit 52, and inputs the detection result to the control unit 52.

The control unit 52 controls the detection of the capacitance by the detection circuit 54, and detects the seating on the toilet seat 14 based on the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54. The control unit 52 controls the operation of the plurality of control loads 56, for example, based on the operation instruction input from the operation unit 6 and the detection result of the detection circuit 54.

When the control unit 52 detects the seating on the toilet seat 14 based on the detection result of the detection circuit 54, the control unit 52 operates the predetermined control load 56 in response to the operation instruction from the operation unit 6. On the other hand, when the control unit 52 does not detect the seating on the toilet seat 14, the control load 56 does not operate the predetermined control load 56 even if the operation instruction is input from the operation unit 6. For example, when the control unit 52 does not detect seating, the control unit 52 prevents the nozzle 20 from performing local cleaning. As a result, it is possible to prevent water from being discharged from the nozzle 20 when the user or the like is not seated on the toilet seat 14.

Further, for example, when the deodorizing device is used as the control load 56, the control unit 52 operates the control load 56 in response to the detection of seating on the toilet seat 14. In this way, the control unit 52 changes the operation state of the control load 56 based on the detection result of the detection circuit 54 (the detection result of sitting on the toilet seat 14) according to the type of the control load 56. The control unit 52 operates the control load 56 or prohibits the operation of the control load 56 according to the detection result of the detection circuit 54.

The capacitance detection operation by the detection circuit 54 may be executed based on the control of a control unit different from the control unit 52, or may be performed based on the independent control of the detection circuit 54. .. The control unit 52 does not necessarily have to control the capacitance detection operation by the detection circuit 54.

The power supply circuit 50 is electrically connected to, for example, the power supply terminal 58. The power supply circuit 50 is electrically connected to the AC power supply PS via the power supply terminal 58. The AC power supply PS is, for example, a commercial power supply of AC100V (effective value). The power supply terminal 58 is, for example, an outlet plug.

The power supply circuit 50 includes, for example, a rectifier circuit 60, a smoothing capacitor 62, and a conversion circuit 64. The rectifier circuit 60 rectifies the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply PS and converts it into a pulsating rectified voltage. The rectifier circuit 60 is, for example, a full-wave rectifier using a diode bridge, and converts an AC voltage into a full-wave rectified rectifier voltage. The rectifier circuit 60 may be, for example, a half-wave rectifier.

The smoothing capacitor 62 smoothes the rectified voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 60 and converts the rectified voltage into a DC voltage.

The conversion circuit 64 converts the DC voltage converted by the smoothing capacitor 62 into a DC voltage corresponding to the control unit 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56. The conversion circuit 64 is a so-called DC-DC converter. The conversion circuit 64 converts, for example, a DC voltage of 100V into a DC voltage of about 5V to 24V. The conversion circuit 64 is, in other words, a buck converter. The conversion circuit 64 supplies the converted DC voltage to each part of the toilet seat device 10 such as the control unit 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56. As a result, each of the control unit 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56 can operate according to the supply of the DC voltage from the conversion circuit 64 (power supply circuit 50).

The conversion circuit 64 has a transformer 66 that electrically insulates the primary side (AC power supply PS side) and the secondary side (load side). The conversion circuit 64 is, for example, an isolated converter. The conversion circuit 64 is, for example, a flyback converter. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent an operator who works on the control load 56 from receiving an electric shock with a relatively high primary power. However, the conversion circuit 64 does not necessarily have to be an isolated converter.

The power supply circuit 50 further includes, for example, capacitors 68 and 70 for suppressing common mode noise, and a primary-secondary coupling capacitor 71.

The capacitors 68 and 70 are provided between the power supply terminal 58 and the rectifier circuit 60. One end of the capacitor 68 is electrically connected to one input terminal of the rectifier circuit 60. The other end of the capacitor 68 is set to the common potential GND. One end of the capacitor 70 is electrically connected to the other input terminal of the rectifier circuit 60. The other end of the capacitor 70 is set to the common potential GND. The common potential GND is, for example, the potential of the earth (so-called earth). The common potential GND may be, for example, the potential of the conductive frame or chassis of the toilet seat device 10 (so-called frame ground or chassis ground).

The primary-secondary coupling capacitor 71 connects the primary side and the secondary side of the transformer 66. More specifically, the primary-secondary coupling capacitor 71 connects the common potential GND on the primary side of the transformer 66 and the common potential GND on the secondary side.

The heater 43 of the heating unit 34 is connected to the power supply terminal 58 (rectifier circuit 60). As a result, the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply PS is applied to the heater 43. Further, a switching element 72 for switching between applying the AC voltage to the heater 43 and stopping the application is provided between the heater 43 and the power supply terminal 58. The switching element 72 is connected to the control unit 52. The control unit 52 controls on / off switching of the switching element 72. In other words, the control unit 52 controls the energization of the heater 43 (application of AC voltage and stop of application). The switching element 72 is, for example, a bidirectional optical thyristor. As a result, the control unit 52 connected to the secondary side of the power supply circuit 50 can be appropriately electrically insulated from the AC power on the primary side.

The power supplied to the heater 43 is not limited to the AC power of the AC power supply PS, and may be, for example, DC power after being smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 62 or DC power after being converted by the conversion circuit 64. ..

The control unit 52 is connected to the temperature sensor 46. The temperature sensor 46 inputs the temperature detection result of the seating surface 30a to the control unit 52. The control unit 52 heats the toilet seat 14 to a predetermined temperature by controlling the energization of the heater 43 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46. In this way, the control unit 52 detects the seating on the toilet seat 14 based on the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54, and controls the energization of the heater 43 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46. To do.

The control unit 52 controls the energization of the heater 43 so that the temperature of the seating surface 30a of the toilet seat 14 detected by the temperature sensor 46 becomes a predetermined set temperature set by the operation of the operation unit 6, for example. To do. At this time, the control unit 52 performs so-called PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control that changes the on / off duty ratio of the switching element 72 according to, for example, a temperature difference between the set temperature and the detection temperature. Thereby, for example, the temperature of the seating surface 30a can be adjusted more accurately. The on / off control of the switching element 72 is not limited to the PWM control, and may be, for example, a so-called PFM (Pulse Frequency Modulation) control that changes the frequency of the on / off pulse.

Further, for example, when the control unit 52 does not detect the seating based on the detection result of the detection circuit 54, the control unit 52 lowers the temperature of the seating surface 30a of the toilet seat 14 to be lower than the set temperature. Then, when the control unit 52 detects seating, the control unit 52 raises the temperature of the seating surface 30a of the toilet seat 14 to a set temperature. As a result, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed when not in use, and power consumption of the toilet seat device 10 can be suppressed.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a part of the control unit according to the embodiment. It should be noted that this is an extraction of the portion according to the present invention from the block diagram of the electrical configuration of FIG. 5, and the components not shown in FIG. 6 in FIG. 5 are merely omitted from the drawing display.
As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 52 is functionally roughly classified into a microcomputer 52a and a correction unit 52b. The microcomputer 52a is the center of the control unit 52, and the correction unit 52b is a feature of the present invention. The control unit 52 has a subtractor 100. The control unit 52 inputs the capacitance signal S1 corresponding to the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54 and the correction value Vc1 based on the energizing power to the heater 43 to the subtractor 100. The subtractor 100 calculates the corrected capacitance signal S2 by subtracting the correction value Vc1 from the capacitance signal S1. The capacitance signal S1 is, for example, a voltage signal input from the detection circuit 54. As a result, the control unit 52 corrects the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54 based on the energizing power to the heater 43.

The control unit 52 includes an average circuit 102, an arithmetic unit 104, and a switching element 106. The average circuit 102 has, for example, a resistance element 102a and a capacitor 102b. One end of the resistance element 102a is connected to the switching element 106. The other end of the resistance element 102a is connected to the capacitor 102b. One end of the capacitor 102b is connected to a connection point between the resistance element 102a and the arithmetic unit 104. The other end of the capacitor 102b is set to the reference potential GND. The average circuit 102 is, in other words, an integrator circuit.

The other end of the switching element 106 has two inputs, one of which is selected according to the state of the control terminal and connected to the resistance element 102a, and one is when the heater 43 is fully turned on. The signal voltage Vfull corresponding to the input power is input, and the other is the reference potential GND. The signal voltage Vfull is a voltage signal that means the magnitude of the electric power consumed by the heater 43 when the heater 43 is continuously energized (in the case of PWM control, it is fully energized). The energizing power to the heater 43 may be obtained by dividing the square of the effective value of the AC voltage of the AC power supply PS by the resistance value of the heater 43, but the power itself can be input to the control unit 52 and averaged (signal processing). Therefore, as a signal indicating the magnitude of electric power, the signal voltage converted into a voltage value suitable for the circuit operation of the control unit 52 is Vfull. Then, the energization signal of the heater 43 is input to the control terminal of the switching element 106. That is, the switching element 106 switches the connection state of the two signals in synchronization with the switching element 72 for energizing the heater 43. Specifically, when the heater is energized, the signal voltage Vfull is connected to the resistance element 102a, and when the heater is not energized, the reference potential GND and the resistance element 102a are connected. As a result, electric power (corresponding signal voltage) corresponding to the energizing electric power to the heater 43 can be input to the average circuit 102.

The output signal of the averaging circuit 102, which is an integrating circuit, is an average value obtained by averaging the input signals based on the time constants of the resistance element 102a and the capacitor 102b. In this way, the average circuit 102 calculates the average value Vh of the energizing power to the heater 43 per unit time, and inputs the calculated average value Vh to the calculator 104. The configuration of the average circuit 102 is not limited to the integrator circuit, and may be any circuit capable of calculating the average value Vh.

The calculator 104 calculates the correction value Vc1 by multiplying the input mean value Vh by a predetermined coefficient K1, and inputs the calculated correction value Vc1 to the subtractor 100. The coefficient K1 may be appropriately set according to, for example, the degree of fluctuation of the capacitance signal S1 and the energizing power to the heater 43. The arithmetic unit 104 may be provided as needed, and the average value Vh may be used as it is as the correction value Vc1 by adjusting the value of the signal voltage Vfull.

In this way, the control unit 52 corrects the capacitance signal S1 corresponding to the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54 based on the average value Vh of the energizing power to the heater 43 per unit time.

The unit time is, for example, 10 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less. In other words, the time constant between the resistance element 102a and the capacitor 102b is 10 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less.

For example, when energization control is performed on the heater 43 by PWM control or the like, the on / off cycle of the heater 43 (switching element 72) is about several tens of msec to several hundred msec. On the other hand, the time change of the capacitance signal, which is a problem to be solved by the present invention, is caused by the temperature fluctuation of the heating unit 34 of the toilet seat 14, and is a slow change rate of at least in seconds. Therefore, if the energizing power to the heater 43 is used as it is as the correction value Vc1, the correction value Vc1 fluctuates in a short time due to the influence of the PWM control, and the correction of the capacitance signal S1 may become unstable. I am concerned.

Therefore, when controlling to adjust the heat generation amount of the heater 43 by periodically switching the switching element 72 on and off, as described above, the average value Vh of the energizing power to the heater 43 per unit time. It is preferable to obtain and correct the capacitance signal S1 based on the average value Vh. As a result, the influence of PWM control and the like can be suppressed, and the capacitance signal S1 can be corrected more appropriately.

The unit time (time constant) for calculating the average value Vh may be appropriately determined according to the time change of the capacitance signal S1 and the period of PWM control. For example, when the on / off cycle of the switching element 72 is about several tens of msec to several hundreds of msec, the unit time is set to 10 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less. As a result, the influence of PWM control and the like can be suppressed more appropriately, and the capacitance signal S1 can be corrected more appropriately.

For example, when the on / off cycle of the switching element 72 is relatively long, the correction value Vc1 may be obtained from the signal voltage Vfull without obtaining the average value Vh. That is, the average circuit 102 may be provided as needed and can be omitted.

The control unit 52 further includes a subtractor 110. The control unit 52 inputs the corrected capacitance signal S2 calculated by the subtractor 100 and the correction value Vc2 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46 to the subtractor 110. The subtractor 110 calculates the corrected capacitance signal S3 by subtracting the correction value Vc2 from the capacitance signal S2.

The control unit 52 includes a subtractor 112 and an adder 114. The control unit 52 inputs the toilet seat temperature signal V1 corresponding to the toilet seat temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46 and the reference temperature signal Vref corresponding to room temperature or the like to the subtractor 112. The reference temperature is a temperature that serves as a reference for temperature correction, in other words, a temperature at which temperature correction does not need to be performed, that is, a temperature at which the temperature correction amount becomes zero. Therefore, in general, it is convenient to choose room temperature.

By subtracting the reference temperature signal Vref from the toilet seat temperature signal V1, the subtractor 112 calculates the temperature signal V2 corresponding to the change in the temperature of the toilet seat 14, that is, the temperature difference from the reference room temperature, and the calculated temperature. The signal V2 is input to the arithmetic unit 114.

The calculator 114 calculates the correction value Vc2 by multiplying the input temperature signal V2 by a predetermined coefficient K2, and inputs the calculated correction value Vc2 to the subtractor 110. The coefficient K2 may be appropriately set according to, for example, the degree of fluctuation of the capacitance signal S2, the value of the temperature signal of the toilet seat 14 (the output voltage of the temperature sensor 46), and the like. The calculator 114 may be provided as needed, and the temperature signal V2 or the toilet seat temperature signal V1 may be used as it is as the correction value Vc2 depending on the relationship with the fluctuation amount of the capacitance signal S2.

In this way, the control unit 52 further corrects the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46. Then, the control unit 52 detects the seating on the toilet seat 14 based on the corrected capacitance signal S3. As a result, erroneous detection of seating on the toilet seat 14 can be appropriately suppressed.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of the operation of the control unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 schematically shows an example of detection control of seating on the toilet seat 14 by the control unit 52. Further, FIG. 8 is an extraction of the portion according to the present invention from the block diagram of the electrical configuration of FIG. 5, similarly to FIG. In FIG. 8, the element of the correction unit in the control unit 52 is deleted with respect to FIG. 6, the control unit 52 is composed of only the microcomputer 52a, and the operation of FIG. 7 is executed in the microcomputer 52a.

As shown in FIG. 7, when detecting seating on the toilet seat 14, the control unit 52 operates the detection circuit 54 every time ΔT elapses for a predetermined time, and acquires the capacitance signal S1 from the detection circuit 54. (Steps S101 and S102 in FIG. 7). The predetermined time ΔT is, for example, about 100 msec (for example, 10 msec or more and 200 msec or less). However, the predetermined time ΔT is not limited to the above, and may be any time during which the seating of the user or the like on the toilet seat 14 can be appropriately detected.

After acquiring the capacitance signal S1, the control unit 52 acquires the toilet seat temperature signal V1 from the temperature sensor 46 (step S103 in FIG. 7).

The control unit 52 controls the energization of the heater 43 so that the temperature of the seating surface 30a of the toilet seat 14 detected by the temperature sensor 46 becomes a predetermined set temperature by switching the switching element 72 on and off. doing. Therefore, if the power consumption when the heater 43 is fully energized and the on time and off time of the switching element 72 are known, the average value Vh of the energizing power to the heater 43 per unit time can be calculated.

After acquiring the toilet seat temperature signal V1 from the temperature sensor 46, the control unit 52 calculates the average value Vh based on the energization signal to the heater 43 (step S104 in FIG. 7). For example, assuming that the average unit time to be calculated is 10 seconds, the process of step S104 in FIG. 7 is performed 100 times in 10 seconds (because it is executed every 100 ms). Therefore, the data of whether the signal to the switching element 72 was on or off is stored for the past 100 times including the latest data, and is updated every time (the latest data is stored and the oldest data is discarded). .. Now that the total on-time of the heater 43 for the past 10 seconds is known, multiplying this by the power consumption of the heater 43 when fully energized gives an average value of Vh. This replaces the circuit operation in which Vh of FIG. 6 is obtained with software.

After acquiring the mean value Vh, the control unit 52 multiplies the mean value Vh by the correction coefficient K1 (the multiplication result corresponds to the correction value Vc1 in FIG. 6), and subtracts the value from the capacitance signal S1. As a result, the corrected capacitance signal S2 is calculated (step S105 in FIG. 7). This replaces the circuit operation of the arithmetic unit 104 and the subtractor 100 in FIG. 6 with software.

After calculating the capacitance signal S2, the control unit 52 calculates the temperature signal V2 by subtracting the reference temperature signal Vref from the toilet seat temperature signal V1 (step S106 in FIG. 7). This replaces the circuit operation of the subtractor 112 in FIG. 6 with software.

The control unit 52 multiplies the calculated temperature signal V2 by the correction coefficient K2 (the multiplication result corresponds to the correction value Vc2 in FIG. 6), and subtracts the value from the capacitance signal S2 to obtain the corrected static value. The capacitance signal S3 is calculated (step S107 in FIG. 7). This replaces the circuit operation of the arithmetic unit 114 and the subtractor 110 in FIG. 6 with software.

The control unit 52 compares the calculated corrected capacitance signal S3 with the determination value (step S108 in FIG. 7). The control unit 52 determines that the user or the like is seated on the toilet seat 14 when the capacitance signal S3 is equal to or more than the determination value, and when the capacitance signal S3 is less than the determination value, the toilet seat 14 It is determined that the user or the like is not seated.

The control unit 52 repeats the processes of steps S101 to S108 described above. Thereby, the seating of the user or the like on the toilet seat 14 can be detected based on the change in the capacitance of the heat diffusion unit 41 provided in the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14. In the above steps S104 to S107, the function of the correction unit 52b in the control unit 52 of FIG. 6 is executed by software.

9 (a) to 9 (g) are graphs schematically showing an example of the operation of the control unit according to the embodiment.
In FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (g), the horizontal axis is time.
The vertical axis of FIG. 9A represents the energization of the heater 43. In other words, it represents the on / off state of the switching element 72.
The vertical axis of FIG. 9B is the capacitance signal S1.
The vertical axis of FIG. 9C is a correction value Vc1 based on the energizing power to the heater 43.
The vertical axis of FIG. 9D is the capacitance signal S2.
The vertical axis of FIG. 9E is the toilet seat temperature signal V1.
The vertical axis of FIG. 9F is a correction value Vc2 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46.
The vertical axis of FIG. 9 (g) is the capacitance signal S3.

9 (a) to 9 (g) schematically show an example of changes in capacitance S1 and the like when energization control of the heater 43 is performed without being seated on the toilet seat 14.

In FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (g), the time T1 represents the time when the energization control of the heater 43 is started. This is a case where, for example, the user of the toilet seat device 10 operates the operation unit 6 to turn on the heating function of the toilet seat 14. For example, when the control unit 52 heats the temperature of the seating surface 30a of the toilet seat 14 from a room temperature state to a predetermined target temperature, the on / off duty ratio of the switching element 72 is initially set to 100%, and the heater 43 is energized. I do. Then, the control unit 52 reduces the on / off duty ratio of the switching element 72 as the temperature of the seating surface 30a approaches the target temperature.

The time T2 represents the time when the temperature of the seating surface 30a reaches the target temperature. The temperature of the seating surface 30a does not immediately start to decrease even if the duty ratio is reduced by detecting the arrival at the target temperature or the energization of the heater 43 is stopped, but tends to continue to increase slightly. have. So-called overshoots tend to occur. It is considered that this is a delay due to the time when heat is transferred from the heater 43 to the heat diffusion unit 41 and further to the temperature sensor 46 via the upper plate 30 of the toilet seat 14.

The time T3 represents the time when the temperature of the seating surface 30a overshoots, exceeds the target temperature, and then drops to the target temperature again. When the temperature of the seating surface 30a falls below the target temperature, the control unit 52 increases the duty ratio again. By repeating this, the control unit 52 controls the energization of the heater 43 so that the temperature of the seating surface 30a becomes substantially constant near the target temperature. Further, the time T4 represents a time when the energization control of the heater 43 is stopped, for example, a time when the heating function of the toilet seat 14 is turned off.

As shown in FIG. 9B, the inventor of the present application increases the capacitance signal S1 when the energization control of the heater 43 is started, even though the seating state on the toilet seat 14 has not changed. I found out to do.

Therefore, when the seating determination is made based on the capacitance signal S1, the capacitance signal S1 is not seated on the toilet seat 14, as shown in the period Tover in FIG. 9B. There is a possibility that the determination value Vth will be exceeded and erroneous detection will occur.

For example, it is conceivable to correct the capacitance signal S1 based on the temperature of the seating surface 30a. However, the change in the capacitance signal S1 at the start of energization is more rapid than the temperature rise of the seating surface 30a, and it is possible that sufficient correction cannot be performed at the start of energization only with the temperature of the seating surface 30a. There is sex.

As a result of diligent studies, the inventor of the present application has found that the change in the capacitance signal S1 during energization control of the heater 43 has a higher correlation with the energizing power of the heater 43 than the temperature of the seating surface 30a. .. In particular, when PWM control or the like is performed, the change in the capacitance signal S1 during energization control of the heater 43 has a high correlation with the average value Vh of the energizing power to the heater 43 per unit time.

Therefore, as described above, the average value Vh and the correction value Vc1 of the energizing power to the heater 43 per unit time are calculated, and the correction value Vc1 is subtracted from the capacitance signal S1. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9D, the increase in the capacitance signal accompanying the energization of the heater 43 can be appropriately suppressed, and erroneous detection can be suppressed.

Then, the correction value Vc2 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46 is calculated, and the correction value Vc2 is further subtracted from the capacitance signal S2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9 (g), the increase in the capacitance signal accompanying the energization of the heater 43 can be suppressed more appropriately, and the false detection can be suppressed more reliably.

Whether or not the correction is performed based on the energizing power to the heater 43 and whether or not the correction is appropriate depends on the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device 10 being changed from the normal state as follows. It can be confirmed by operating it. For example, it can be confirmed by shutting off (disconnecting) the energization signal from the control unit 52 to the heater 43 and turning on the heating of the toilet seat 14 to operate the toilet seat 14. The energization signal to the heater 43 is, for example, a control signal of the switching element 72.

When the energization signal is cut off as described above, even if the control unit 52 intends to energize the heater 43, the heater 43 is not actually energized, so that the capacitance signal S1 does not change, but the control unit 52 does not. , The capacitance signal S1 is negatively corrected based on the correction value Vc1. Even if the toilet seat 14 is seated here, the capacitance becomes positive, but since it is corrected to be negative, the determination value is not exceeded and the seating determination is not made. Therefore, when the determination of seating is affected by blocking the energization signal, it can be determined that the capacitance is corrected based on the energization power to the heater 43.

Further, for example, in a state where the heating of the toilet seat 14 is set to off, the heater 43 is forcibly energized by another means instead of the signal from the control unit 52. For example, the heater 43 is forcibly energized by forcibly turning on the switching element 72 or bypassing the switching element 72 with a lead wire. In this case, since the control unit 52 does not intend to energize the heater 43, the capacitance is not corrected, but the temperature of the heater 43 rises. Therefore, the capacitance increases, and as in the example shown in FIG. 9A, there is a possibility that it is determined to be seated even though it is not seated. Therefore, even if the determination of seating is affected by forcibly energizing the heater 43, it can be determined that the capacitance is corrected based on the energizing power to the heater 43.

As described above, in the toilet seat device 10 according to the present embodiment, erroneous detection of seating is suppressed by correcting the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54 based on the energizing power to the heater 43. be able to. Further, it is not necessary to newly add a component such as an inductance in order to suppress a false detection of seating. Therefore, even when the heat diffusion unit 41 is used as a detection electrode and seating is detected by a change in capacitance, it is possible to provide a toilet seat device 10 capable of suppressing erroneous detection with a simpler configuration.

Further, in the toilet seat device 10, the control unit 52 corrects the capacitance based on the average value Vh of the energizing power to the heater 43 per unit time, thereby correcting the capacitance with higher accuracy. This makes it possible to more reliably suppress false detection of seating.

Further, in the toilet seat device 10, by setting the unit time to 10 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less, the capacitance can be corrected with higher accuracy, and erroneous detection of seating can be suppressed more reliably.

Further, in the toilet seat device 10, the control unit 52 can further correct the capacitance based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46, so that the capacitance can be corrected with higher accuracy, and the seating can be performed. False detection can be suppressed more reliably.

In the above embodiment, after subtracting the correction value Vc1 based on the energizing power to the heater 43 from the capacitance signal S1, the correction value Vc2 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46 is subtracted. On the contrary, the correction value Vc1 may be subtracted after the correction value Vc2 is subtracted from the capacitance signal S1.

Further, one correction value based on each of the energizing power to the heater 43 and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46 may be calculated, and one correction may be collectively subtracted from the capacitance signal S1.

Further, in the above embodiment, the correction based on the energizing power to the heater 43 and the correction based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46 are performed on the capacitance signal S1. For example, FIG. 9 ( As shown in d), when the erroneous detection can be appropriately suppressed only by the correction based on the energizing power to the heater 43, the correction based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46 does not necessarily have to be performed. ..

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. With respect to the above-described embodiment, those skilled in the art with appropriate design changes are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the features of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, material, arrangement, etc. of each element included in the toilet device 2 and the toilet seat device 10 are not limited to those illustrated, and can be changed as appropriate.
In addition, the elements included in each of the above-described embodiments can be combined as much as technically possible, and the combination thereof is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as the features of the present invention are included.

2 Toilet device, 4 Toilet bowl, 6 Operation part, 10 Toilet seat device, 12 Main body part, 14 Toilet seat, 16 Toilet lid, 20 Nozzle, 30 Upper plate, 32 Lower plate, 34 Heating part, 41 Heat diffusion part, 43 Heater, 44 1st adhesive, 45 2nd adhesive, 46 temperature sensor, 50 power supply circuit, 52 control unit, 54 detection circuit, 56 control load, 58 power supply terminal, 60 rectifier circuit, 62 smoothing capacitor, 64 conversion circuit, 66 transformer, 68 Capacitors, 70 Capacitors, 71 Primary-Secondary Coupling Capacitors, 72 Switching Elements, 100 Subtractors, 102 Average Circuits, 102a Resistance Elements, 102b Capacitors, 104 Capacitors, 106 Switching Elements, 110 Subtractors, 112 Subtractors, 114 Capacitor

Claims (4)

A toilet seat that has an internal space and has a seating surface and an inner surface that faces the opposite side of the seating surface in the internal space.
A heater provided in the internal space and warming the seating surface from the inside via the inner surface,
A conductive heat diffusing portion provided on the inner surface, having an area larger than that of the heater, and diffusing the heat of the heater to the inner surface.
A temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the seating surface and
A detection circuit that is electrically connected to the heat diffusion unit and detects the capacitance of the heat diffusion unit.
The toilet seat is squeezed by detecting seating on the toilet seat based on the capacitance detected by the detection circuit and controlling energization of the heater based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. A control unit that heats to a predetermined temperature and
With
The control unit corrects the capacitance detected by the detection circuit based on the energizing power to the heater, and detects sitting on the toilet seat based on the corrected capacitance. A featured toilet seat device. The toilet seat device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit corrects the capacitance based on an average value of energizing power to the heater per unit time. The toilet seat device according to claim 2, wherein the unit time is 10 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less. The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit further corrects the capacitance based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

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