JP2023010360A - Catch basin - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique for accurately detecting a discharge state of a liquid.SOLUTION: A catch basin 13 installed at a discharge port comprises: a catch basin body 20 having a shape that can be installed in the discharge port; an electrode 72 for sensing a liquid; and a liquid guide part 74 for guiding the liquid flowing into the catch basin body 20 to a position of the electrode 72.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a perforated plate provided at a liquid outlet of a toilet bowl or the like.

As a method of detecting clogging of a urinal, a technique of incorporating a sensor into a urinal has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a Doppler sensor that generates a Doppler signal by transmitting a propagating wave to a water sealing portion provided in a part of a drainage portion and receiving a propagating wave reflected by the water sealing surface of the water sealing portion. , a water supply unit that supplies water toward the drainage unit; a water supply unit that controls the water supply unit to supply water; A detector that acquires time and detects that the drain is clogged when the acquired time exceeds a second threshold.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-61030

In order to detect urinal clogging by applying the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to replace the existing urinal with the urinal disclosed in Patent Document 1, so the introduction cost is high. can be There is a demand for a technique that enables accurate detection of the discharge state of wastewater in a urinal or the like while suppressing introduction costs.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for accurately detecting the liquid discharge state.

In order to solve the above problems, a perforated plate according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a perforated plate that is installed at an outlet, and has a main body having a shape that can be installed at the outlet, and a detection unit for detecting liquid. and a liquid introduction section for guiding the liquid flowing into the main body to the position of the detection section.

1 is a front view of a urinal according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view of a urinal according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the urinal which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the perforated plate which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows roughly the structure of the perforated plate which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows a mode when waste water is accumulated in the toilet bowl. It is a figure which shows the structure of the estimation apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows another example of the perforated plate which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows another example of the perforated plate which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of liquid in the perforated plate shown in FIG. 9; It is a figure which shows another example of the perforated plate which concerns on embodiment.

As an embodiment of the present disclosure, the perforated plate installed at the outlet of the urinal is provided with a detection unit for detecting drainage and a transmission unit for transmitting information related to the detection result of the detection unit to the outside. Techniques for incorporating sensing devices are described.

1 to 3 show the configuration of a urinal according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view of the urinal 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the urinal 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line UU in FIG. 2. FIG. The urinal 1 includes a urinal body 10, a toilet bowl 11, a water discharger 12, and a perforated plate 13. - 特許庁

The urinal body 10 has an upper end surface 10A, a left side surface 10B and a right side surface 10C. The upper end surface 10A has a flat plate shape, has width in the front-rear direction (front-rear is the front side and back side in FIG. 1, the same shall apply hereinafter), and extends in the left-right direction (left and right is the left-right side in FIG. 1, the same applies hereinafter). ing. The upper end surface 10A is curved with recesses in the rearward direction at the left and right central portions of the front end.

The left side surface 10B has a width in the front-rear direction, and extends downward from the left end of the upper end surface 10A (bottom is the bottom side in FIG. 1, the same applies hereinafter). Also, the right side surface 10C has a width in the front-rear direction and extends downward from the right end of the upper end surface 10A. The left side 10B and the right side 10C decrease in dimension between each other downwardly. Further, the left side 10B and the right side 10C project forward at the front sides of their respective lower end portions, extend toward the left-right center, and are connected to each other at the left-right center. Moreover, the left-right central portion where the left side 10B and the right side 10C are connected recedes toward the lower end. The urinal main body 10 has rear ends of an upper end surface 10A, a left side surface 10B, and a right side surface 10C formed on the same plane. As a result, the urinal body 10 can be attached by abutting the rear ends of the upper end surface 10A, the left side surface 10B, and the right side surface 10C, which are formed on the same plane with the wall surface W on which the urinal body 10 is installed (FIGS. 3).

The toilet bowl 11 has a facing surface 11A, a pair of left and right washing stages 11B, a discharge port 11C, and a convex portion 11D. The facing surface 11A is concave and curved in the rearward direction at the central portion in the left and right direction, and extends in the vertical direction while facing forward. Specifically, the facing surface 11A is formed with a left-right intermediate portion 11G extending vertically and having a width in the left-right direction from the upper portion to the lower portion of the left-right central portion. The left and right intermediate portions 11G are slightly recessed and curved in the rearward direction at the left and right central portions, and are formed in a substantially planar shape facing forward. Further, the facing surface 11A is provided with a planar portion 11K formed in a planar shape at the upper end portion of the left and right intermediate portions 11G. A pair of curved surfaces 11H curved forward are formed on the facing surface 11A from both left and right intermediate portions 11G. These curved surfaces 11H are symmetrical to each other with respect to the left-right center. These curved surfaces 11H are continuous with each other at the upper ends of the left and right intermediate portions 11G and extend to the upper ends of the opposing surfaces 11A. Further, these curved surfaces 11H are continuous with each other at the lower ends of the left and right intermediate portions 11G and extend to the lower ends of the opposing surfaces 11A. The opposing surface 11A has a curved surface 11H whose horizontal cross-sectional shape in use has a radius of curvature that gradually decreases downward. Further, the toilet bowl 11 is formed with a bowl-shaped portion 11J extending upward in a bowl-like shape at its lower end portion. In the toilet bowl 11, the rear side of the bowl-shaped portion 11J is the lower end portion of the facing surface 11A. The upper end of the facing surface 11A of the toilet bowl 11 is connected to the front end of the upper end surface 10A of the urinal body 10 . Moreover, the right and left ends of the facing surface 11A and the front upper end of the bowl-shaped portion 11J of the toilet bowl 11 are connected to the front ends of the left side 10B and the right side 10C of the urinal body 10, respectively. In addition, the facing surface 11A is provided with an insertion hole 11F that penetrates in the front-rear direction through a flat portion 11K formed at the upper end portion of the left-right intermediate portion 11G.

A pair of left and right washing stages 11B are provided on both left and right sides of the toilet bowl 11 so as to extend in the vertical direction. Specifically, the pair of left and right cleaning stages 11B are provided on the pair of curved surfaces 11H symmetrically in the center of the left and right sides. Further, the upper ends of the pair of left and right cleaning stages 11B are positioned near both the left and right sides of the left and right intermediate portions 11G. Further, the pair of left and right cleaning stages 11B are inserted with a predetermined gap between the upper end and the insertion hole 11F provided in the flat portion 11K formed at the upper end portion of the left and right intermediate portions 11G of the facing surface 11A. It is provided below the hole 11F. A pair of left and right cleaning stages 11B extends downwardly and forwardly from the curved surface 11H of the facing surface 11A. More specifically, the pair of left and right washing stages 11B are concavely curved downward, and are inclined downward and extended forward (see FIG. 3). In addition, the left and right paired cleaning stages 11B have a horizontal dimension between them that increases from the upper end toward the upper and lower central portions (see FIG. 1). In addition, the horizontal dimension between the pair of left and right washing stages 11B decreases from the upper and lower center toward the lower end (see FIG. 1). The pair of left and right washing stages 11B are connected to each other at the lower ends thereof at the center of the front side of the bowl-shaped portion 11J of the toilet bowl 11 (see FIG. 2).

The discharge port 11C is provided at the lower end of the bowl-shaped portion 11J of the toilet bowl 11 so as to open vertically. That is, the discharge port 11C is formed at the lower end of the toilet bowl 11. As shown in FIG. 11 C of discharge ports are located in the rear side of the lower end of a pair of right-and-left washing stage 11B. The outlet 11C is connected to a drain pipe D drawn out from the wall surface W on which it is installed via a drain path 10K provided downstream of the outlet 11C (see FIG. 3).

The convex portion 11D is formed to protrude forward and extend in the vertical direction at the left-right central portion of the facing surface 11A in the use state. The convex portion 11D has an upper end positioned below the upper ends of the pair of left and right cleaning stages 11B and extends downward. Specifically, the upper end of the convex portion 11D is positioned below the upper ends of the pair of left and right cleaning stages 11B and in the vicinity of the upper ends of the pair of left and right cleaning stages 11B (see FIG. 1). Moreover, the lower end of the convex portion 11D extends to the lower end portion which is the lower portion of the facing surface 11A. The convex portion 11D is formed so as to gradually protrude forward toward the left-right center of the facing surface 11A. In addition, the horizontal dimension of the convex portion 11D at the center portion in the vertical direction is larger than the horizontal dimension of the upper end portion and the lower end portion (see FIG. 1). In addition, the projection 11D has a forwardly protruding dimension at the center in the vertical direction larger than the forwardly projecting dimensions at the upper end and the lower end.

The water discharger 12 has a spreader 12A which is a water discharger. The spreader 12A is disk-shaped, and the central axis of the disk extends in the front-rear direction. The spreader 12A has a disk-shaped rear end surface formed flat. The rear end surface of the spreader 12A abuts on a flat portion 11K formed at the upper end portion of the left and right intermediate portions 11G of the opposing surface 11A, and is mounted to cover the insertion hole 11F formed at the upper end portion of the opposing surface 11A from the front side. Thus, the spreader 12A is provided above the convex portion 11D and the pair of right and left cleaning stages 11B. Further, the spreader 12A is attached to a flat portion 11K formed at the upper end portion of the left and right intermediate portions 11G of the facing surface 11A. In addition, the spreader 12A is provided with a human body detection sensor on the disc-shaped front end surface.

The perforated plate 13 has a disc shape and a center axis of the disc extends vertically. The perforated plate 13 has an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the discharge port 11C. The perforated plate 13 is provided with a plurality of projections (not shown) directed outward in the radial direction on its disk-shaped outer peripheral surface. The plurality of projections have the same dimension of protruding from the outer peripheral surface. The perforated plate 13 is placed on the discharge port 11C. At this time, a plurality of protrusions of the perforated plate 13 are brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the discharge port 11C. As a result, the disk-shaped outer peripheral surface of the perforated plate 13 does not come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the discharge port 11C, and a predetermined gap is provided between the disk-shaped outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the discharge port 11C. be able to. At this time, the convex portion 11D provided on the facing surface 11A of the toilet bowl 11 is spaced from the outer peripheral edge of the perforated plate 13 at its lower end.

FIG. 4 shows the appearance of the perforated plate according to the embodiment. The perforated plate 13 includes a perforated plate main body 20 and a detection device 30 mounted so as to be fitted inside the perforated plate main body 20.例文帳に追加The detection device 30 detects liquid present in the toilet bowl 11 above the outlet 11C, and transmits information related to the detection result to an external estimation device. The information to be transmitted may be the detected result itself or information generated from the detected result. Based on the information received from the detection device 30, the estimation device estimates the state of discharge at the discharge port 11C or the discharge path (discharge path 10K, drain pipe D, etc.).

The detection device 30 may be configured integrally with the perforated plate main body 20 or may be configured separately from the perforated plate main body 20 . In the former case, the technique of the present embodiment can be applied only by replacing the perforated plate of the existing urinal with the perforated plate 13 of the present embodiment without replacing or repairing the urinal itself. Therefore, the introduction cost can be reduced. In the latter case, the detection device 30 may have a shape that can be fitted into or placed on the existing perforated plate main body 20 . As a result, the technique of the present embodiment can be applied only by fitting or placing the detection device 30 of the present embodiment on the perforated plate of the existing urinal without replacing or repairing the urinal itself. Therefore, the introduction cost can be reduced.

FIG. 5 schematically shows the configuration of the perforated plate according to the embodiment. The perforated plate body 20 has a bowl-like shape with a recess 21 inside, and the detection device 30 has an outer shape that fits into the recessed portion 21 of the perforated plate body 20 . The detection device 30 includes a main body 31, a substrate 51 on which a communication device functioning as a transmission section is mounted, and a pair of electrodes 54 functioning as a detection section.

The main body 31 has a cover 40 , a housing portion 50 and a bottom surface 60 . The housing portion 50 houses a substrate 51 , electrodes 54 , and a battery (not shown) that supplies power to the substrate 51 . The substrate 51 comprises a processing device 52 and a communication device 53 . Processing device 52 includes an ammeter that measures the current flowing between a pair of electrodes 54 . The processing device 52 generates communication data to be sent to the estimating device based on the measurement results of the ammeter. The processing device 52 may, for example, directly use the current value or resistance value measured by the ammeter as communication data, or count the time during which the current value measured by the ammeter is continuously equal to or greater than a predetermined value. It may be communication data. The communication device 53 transmits the communication data generated by the processing device 52 to the estimation device by wireless communication.

The electrode 54 is provided so as to protrude to the outside of the housing portion 50 . If there is drainage between the electrodes 54, the current will be detected by the ammeter since the drainage will provide continuity between the electrodes 54. FIG. While the urinal 1 is being used, or while flushing water is being discharged after the urinal 1 is in use or when not in use, the current is detected by the ammeter because the drainage flows inside the perforated plate 13. . When the discharge port 11C and the discharge path are in a normal state, the liquid level of the waste water becomes lower than the electrode 54 after a certain period of time has passed, so that the electrodes 54 are no longer electrically connected and the current is no longer detected by the ammeter. However, if the drainage port 11C or the drainage path is clogged and the drainage is not discharged normally, the time for which the drainage is accumulated inside the perforated plate 13 becomes longer, so the current is detected by the ammeter. become longer. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the time during which the current is continuously The state of wastewater discharge from the discharge port 11C, such as overflow of wastewater from the bowl 11, is estimated. As a result, it is possible to accurately estimate the discharge state with a simple configuration, so that the introduction cost can be reduced.

Since urine contains more ions than the clean water used for the wash water, the resistance measured by the ammeter is higher when urine is flowing between the electrodes 54 than when only wash water is flowing. value becomes smaller. Therefore, by analyzing the current value or resistance value measured by the ammeter, it is possible to estimate the frequency, amount, time, components, etc. of urination. Even if the wastewater is discharged normally, the current is continuously detected by the ammeter during the period of urination and the period of cleansing water being discharged. Since it varies from person to person, the period during which the current is continuously sensed by the ammeter also varies from person to person. Therefore, the period of urination may be identified based on the current value or resistance value measured by the ammeter. As a result, the influence of individual differences in urination time can be reduced, and the state of waste water discharge can be estimated more accurately. If water containing detergent or the like is used as cleaning water instead of clean water, the current value or resistance value of the cleaning water may be measured in advance.

The cover 40 has a tubular portion 41 , an upper surface 42 and a water collecting portion 45 . The housing portion 50 is housed in a watertight space formed by the tubular portion 41 , the top surface 42 and the bottom surface 60 . An opening 43 is provided in the tubular portion 41 between the upper surface 42 and the water collecting portion 45 above the position of the electrode 54 . The upper surface 42 is slanted downward toward the opening 43 . An opening 44 is also provided between the upper surface 42 and the water collecting portion 45 on the opposite side of the opening 43 . The water collecting portion 45 is formed in a donut shape so as to be smoothly connected to the edge portion 22 of the perforated plate body 20 . The upper surface of the water collecting portion 45 is inclined so that the upper portion of the opening 43 is lower. Drainage flows from the edge portion 22 of the perforated plate body 20 to the water collecting portion 45 and falls from the central opening of the water collecting portion 45 to the upper surface 42 . When a large amount of waste water remains, the waste water is discharged from both the openings 43 and 44. When the amount of waste water becomes small, the remaining waste water flows downward toward the opening 43 due to the inclination of the upper surface 42, and is opened. 43 to between the electrodes 54 . As a result, it is possible to more reliably detect that the waste water remains in the toilet bowl 11. - 特許庁

FIG. 6 shows the condition when the waste water is accumulated in the toilet bowl. If the communication device 53 is submerged in the drainage water, the radio waves transmitted from the communication device 53 may be attenuated, which may hinder communication. Therefore, at least the communication device 53 is configured to float on water. In this embodiment, the substrate 51 on which the communication device 53 is mounted is housed in the housing portion 50, and the housing portion 50 is housed in the main body 31, so that the detection device 30 as a whole is configured to float on water. In another example, only the communication device 53 or only the communication device 53 and a part of the structure may float in water, and the rest of the structure may sink together with the perforated plate body 20 . With such a configuration, it is possible to secure the communication strength of the communication device 53 and improve the stability of wireless communication. In addition, since the power required for communication can be reduced, the battery can be used for a long time.

A floating height detection unit may be further provided for detecting the floating height when the configuration including the communication device 53 floats on the waste water accumulated in the toilet bowl 11 . The flying height detection unit may include, for example, a vertically extending resistance wire and an ammeter that measures the resistance value of the resistance wire. In this case, the lower end of the resistance wire is attached to the perforated plate body 20 or a structure that maintains a state of being submerged together with the perforated plate body 20 without floating on water, and for a structure that floats on drainage, depending on the floating height An electrical contact is provided that is configured to vary the location of electrical connection with the resistance wire. The floating position detection unit may be an ultrasonic sensor, a distance sensor, or the like for detecting the height between the floating structure and the perforated plate main body 20 or the like. Based on the floating height detected by the floating height detection unit, the water level of the waste water accumulated in the toilet bowl 11 can be estimated, so the discharge state of the waste water can be estimated more accurately. In addition, it is possible to detect the overflow of the waste water from the toilet bowl 11 and issue a warning before the waste water overflows from the toilet bowl 11. - 特許庁

FIG. 7 shows the configuration of estimation apparatus 100 according to the embodiment. The estimation device 100 includes a communication device 101 , a display device 102 , an input device 103 , a storage device 120 and a control device 110 . The estimation device 100 may be a server device, a device such as a personal computer, or a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone terminal, a smart phone, or a tablet terminal.

A communication device 101 controls communication with other devices. The communication device 101 receives information from the communication device 53 of the detection device 30 by wireless communication. The communication device 101 may communicate with other devices by any wired or wireless communication method.

The display device 102 displays screens generated by the control device 110 . The display device 102 may be a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or the like. The input device 103 transmits an instruction input by the user of the estimation device 100 to the control device 110 . The input device 103 may be a mouse, keyboard, touchpad, or the like. The display device 102 and the input device 103 may be implemented as touch panels.

Storage device 120 stores programs, data, and the like used by control device 110 . The storage device 120 may be a semiconductor memory, hard disk, or the like. The storage device 120 stores a detection information holding unit 121 and an estimation reference holding unit 122 .

The detection information holding unit 121 holds information received from the detection device 30 . The estimation reference holding unit 122 holds an estimation reference for estimating the discharge state of the waste water from the outlet 11</b>C of the urinal 1 .

The estimation criterion may be a criterion relating to the amount of time that the detection device 30 has continuously detected the presence of waste water. For example, it may be estimated that the outlet 11C or the discharge path is clogged when the time for which the presence of waste water is continuously detected exceeds a predetermined threshold. Further, the degree of clogging of the discharge port 11C or the discharge path may be estimated according to the time during which the presence of waste water is continuously detected.

If the current or resistance is measured by an ammeter, the estimation criterion may be a criterion relating to the measured current or resistance. For example, by identifying whether or not urination is in progress based on the measured current value or resistance value, and subtracting the period of urination from the time during which the presence of waste water was continuously detected, the wash discharged after urination The time until the water is discharged may be calculated, and the discharge state of the waste water may be estimated based on the calculated time. The estimation criteria are the criteria for statistical values such as the average value, maximum value, minimum value, median value, rate of change, average value of rate of change, and rate of change of rate of change calculated from time-series current or resistance values. There may be. The estimation criterion may be a criterion relating to the shape of a waveform that indicates the time change of the current value or the resistance value.

The estimation criterion may be an algorithm that inputs the detection information received from the detection device 30 or the generated information generated from the detection information and outputs the discharge state of the waste water from the outlet 11C of the urinal 1. . This algorithm may be realized by a neural network or the like and learned by machine learning. In machine learning, a set of past detection information or generated information and information indicating the discharge state of waste water at that time may be used as learning data. In this case, when past detection information or generated information is input to the input layer of the neural network, information indicating the discharge state of waste water at that time is output from the output layer of the neural network. Layers may be adjusted.

If there is a correlation between the detection information or the generation information and the water level of the waste water accumulated in the toilet bowl 11, an estimation standard for estimating the water level of the waste water from the detection information or the generation information is estimated based on the correlation. It may be held in the reference holding section 122 . This estimation criterion may be an algorithm that inputs sensed or generated information and outputs the water level of the wastewater. This algorithm may also be realized by a neural network or the like and learned by machine learning. When the above-described floating height detection unit is provided in the urinal 1, the water level of the drainage may be estimated from the information detected by the floating height detection unit.

The control device 110 includes a detection information receiving section 111 , a discharge state estimating section 112 , a water level estimating section 113 , an estimation result output section 114 and an estimation reference setting section 115 . These configurations are implemented in terms of hardware by a CPU, memory, other LSIs, etc. of any computer, and in terms of software, by programs loaded in the memory, etc. It depicts the functional blocks implemented by Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these functional blocks can be implemented in various forms, such as hardware only or a combination of hardware and software.

The detection information receiving unit 111 receives detection information from the detection device 30 and stores it in the detection information holding unit 121 . When the estimation criterion held in the estimation criterion holding unit 122 uses the generated information generated from the detection information received from the detection device 30, the detection information reception unit 111 receives from the detection information received from the detection device 30 Generation information is generated and stored in the detection information holding unit 121 .

The discharge state estimating unit 112 uses the estimation criteria held in the estimation reference holding unit 122, and estimates the discharge state of wastewater in the urinal 1 based on the detection information or generated information held in the detection information holding unit 121. do. The discharge state estimator 112 estimates whether or not the discharge port 11C of the urinal 1 or the discharge path is clogged, or the degree of clogging.

The discharge state estimator 112 may estimate the discharge state of the waste water in the urinal 1 based on information received from the detection device 30 and information that can be received from other devices. For example, when the discharge state of the waste water is estimated based on the time when the waste water is continuously detected, the discharge state estimation unit 112 determines the time when the human body detection sensor of the urinal 1 detects the user, the time when the water discharge unit Information such as the time at which the washing water was discharged may be further acquired from the device 12 to estimate the discharge state of the waste water. This makes it possible to more accurately estimate the discharge state of waste water.

The water level estimation unit 113 uses the estimation reference held in the estimation reference holding unit 122, and based on the detection information or generated information held in the detection information holding unit 121, Estimate the water level of the effluent.

The estimation result output unit 114 outputs the results estimated by the discharge state estimation unit 112 and the water level estimation unit 113 . For example, the estimation result output unit 114 may display the estimation result on the display device 102, may output the estimation result as voice from a speaker (not shown), or output the estimation result to an external device via the communication device 101. You can send the results. The estimation result output unit 114 may determine the output destination according to the content of the estimation result. For example, when the detection device 30 continuously detects drainage for a period of time longer than the first threshold and there is a sign that the discharge port 11C or the discharge path is completely clogged, the urinal 1 is installed. You may transmit an estimation result to the management main body or maintenance main body, such as the installed facility. If the discharge port 11C or the discharge path is clogged and the time for which the detection device 30 continuously detects the drainage is longer than the second threshold that is larger than the first threshold, in addition to the management subject or the maintenance subject Then, the estimation result may be transmitted to the cleaning company in charge of cleaning the urinal 1 . In addition, when it is estimated that the water level of the wastewater accumulated in the toilet bowl 11 has reached the level at which there is a risk of overflowing, or when it is estimated that it has already overflowed, in addition to the management entity or maintenance entity Then, the estimation result may be sent to the cleaning company. Accordingly, it is possible to cause an appropriate subject to take appropriate measures according to the discharge state of the waste water in the urinal 1 .

The estimation criteria setting unit 115 generates or acquires estimation criteria used by the discharge state estimation unit 112 and the water level estimation unit 113 and stores them in the estimation criteria holding unit 122 . The estimation criterion setting unit 115 may acquire the estimation criterion from an external device via the communication device 101 . Also, the estimation criteria may be received from the administrator via the input device 103 . The threshold for the time during which drainage is continuously detected at which it should be assumed that the outlet 11C or the discharge path is clogged is the amount of flush water discharged from the urinal 1, the discharge time, and the number of people using the urinal 1. , the type of facility where the urinal 1 is installed, the discharge performance of the discharge port 11C and the discharge route of the urinal 1, the volume of the toilet bowl 11 of the urinal 1, etc. Therefore, an external device or input device An estimation criterion may be set from 103 via an estimation criterion setting unit 115 . Also, the estimation criterion may be changed according to changes in the usage of the urinal 1 and the like. If the estimation criterion algorithm is trained by an external learning device, the trained estimation criterion may be obtained from the learning device.

The estimation criterion setting unit 115 may machine-learn the estimation criterion using the detection information held in the detection information holding unit 121 as learning data, and update the estimation criterion. The estimation criterion setting unit 115 may change the estimation criterion based on the history of detection information held in the detection information holding unit 121 .

A part or all of the configuration of the estimation device 100 may be provided in the detection device 30 . In this case, those configurations may be provided on the substrate 51 of the detection device 30 or realized by the processing device 52 .

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the detection device 30 was installed on the perforated plate 13 placed on the outlet 11C of the urinal 1 and the state of drainage from the outlet 11C was estimated. The technique in the form of is also available for estimating the discharge state of wastewater from outlets such as arbitrary toilet bowls, washstands, bathrooms, bathtubs, kitchen sinks, and the like. It can also be used to estimate the state of liquid discharge from an arbitrary discharge port for discharging liquid.

FIG. 8 shows another example of the perforated plate according to the embodiment. In the example shown in this figure, the detection device is built into the perforated plate 13 . 8A is a top view of the perforated plate 13, and FIG. 8B is a side view of the perforated plate 13. FIG. A circular recess 71 is formed near the center of the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 , and an electrode 72 functioning as a detection unit for detecting liquid is provided on the bottom near the center of the recess 71 . A peripheral edge portion 70 of the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 is inclined so as to become lower toward the end, and an opening 73 is provided on the inclined surface. The lower part of the perforated plate 13 has a shape that fits into the discharge port 11</b>C, and an electrode 54 is provided on the lower side surface of the opening 73 .

Since the electrode 72 is provided on the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 and is configured such that when the user urinates, part of the urine accumulates in the concave portion 71, the urination can be detected more reliably by the electrode 72. can. The concave portion 71 may be provided with an opening for allowing the waste water collected in the concave portion 71 to drop into the discharge port 11C after the washing water is flushed after urination.

When the wastewater remains in the toilet bowl 11, the electrode 54 can more reliably detect the wastewater falling from the opening 73 of the peripheral portion 70 of the perforated plate 13 toward the discharge port 11C.

The processing device 52 and the communication device 53 are provided inside the perforated plate 13 . The perforated plate 13 in this figure is also configured to float on water. Thereby, the communication strength of the communication device 53 can be ensured, and the stability of wireless communication can be improved. In addition, since the power required for communication can be reduced, the battery can be used for a long time.

FIG. 9 shows another example of the perforated plate according to the embodiment. 9(a) is a perspective view of the perforated plate 13 viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 9(b) is a perspective view of the perforated plate 13 viewed obliquely from below. The perforated plate 13 shown in this figure includes a liquid guide portion 74 for guiding the liquid flowing into the perforated plate 13 to the position of the electrode 72 in addition to the structure of the perforated plate 13 shown in FIG.

The liquid introducing portion 74 is provided in the peripheral portion 70 around the electrode 72 provided near the center of the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 . The liquid introducing portions 74 are provided at at least four locations on the front, rear, left, and right of the electrode 72 . The liquid introducing portion 74 includes a convex portion protruding from the upper surface of the peripheral edge portion 70 . The convex portion is provided along the radial direction from the edge of the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 toward the vicinity of the center. In the example shown in this figure, two convex portions are provided at four locations on the front, back, left, and right of the electrode 72 so as to face each other along the radial direction, and a flow path is formed from the edge of the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 to the vicinity of the center. It is formed. As a result, urine can be collected on the electrode 72 from the front, rear, right, and left directions of the electrode 72 .

FIG. 10 schematically shows the liquid flow in the perforated plate 13 shown in FIG. Liquid such as urine that flows from the toilet bowl 11 onto the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 is guided by the liquid introducing portion 74 so as to flow toward the vicinity of the center of the upper surface of the perforated plate 13, and flows down the inclined surface of the recess 71 to reach the electrode. Collected at 72 positions. As a result, even a small amount of urine can be detected more reliably. In addition, even if the direction (rotation) of the perforated plate 13 cannot be fixed when the perforated plate 13 is installed, liquid such as urine flowing into the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 can be detected from all sides by the position of the electrode 72. can be collected and detected, the detection accuracy can be improved.

FIG. 11 shows another example of the perforated plate according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the perforated plate 13 viewed obliquely from above. The perforated plate 13 shown in this figure includes a liquid introducing portion 74 having a shape different from that of the perforated plate 13 shown in FIG.

In the example of FIG. 9, two liquid introducing portions 74 are provided on each of the front, back, left, and right sides of the electrode 72, but in the example of FIG. 11, one liquid introducing portion 74 is provided on each of the four sides of the electrode 72. . Also in this case, even a small amount of urine can be detected more reliably. In addition, even if the direction (rotation) of the perforated plate 13 cannot be fixed when the perforated plate 13 is installed, liquid such as urine flowing into the upper surface of the perforated plate 13 can be detected from all sides by the position of the electrode 72. can be collected and detected, the detection accuracy can be improved.

The number, position, shape, height, and the like of the liquid introducing portions 74 may be arbitrarily adjusted according to the shape and size of the upper surface of the perforated plate 13, the position of the electrode 72, and the like.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the embodiments merely show the principles and applications of the present invention. In addition, many modifications and changes in arrangement are possible in the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention defined in the claims.

1 urinal, 10 urinal main body, 10K discharge path, 11 toilet bowl, 11C discharge port, 12 water discharge part, 13 perforated plate, 20 perforated plate main body, 21 concave portion, 22 edge, 30 detection device, 31 main body, 40 cover , 41 cylindrical portion, 42 upper surface, 43 opening, 44 opening, 45 water collecting portion, 50 housing portion, 51 substrate, 52 processing device, 53 communication device, 54 electrode, 60 bottom surface, 70 peripheral portion, 71 concave portion, 72 electrode, 73 opening, 74 liquid introduction unit, 100 estimation device, 111 detection information reception unit, 112 discharge state estimation unit, 113 water level estimation unit, 114 estimation result output unit, 115 estimation reference setting unit, 121 detection information storage unit, 122 estimation reference holding part.

Claims (5)

A perforated plate installed at the discharge port,
a main body having a shape that can be installed in the outlet;
a detection unit for detecting liquid;
a liquid guide section for guiding the liquid flowing into the main body to the position of the detection section;
Perforated plate with 2. The perforated plate according to claim 1, wherein the liquid introducing portion includes a convex portion protruding from the upper surface of the main body. The detection unit is provided near the center of the upper surface of the main body,
The perforated plate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid introduction portion is provided around the detection portion. 4. The perforated plate according to claim 3, wherein the liquid introducing portion is provided at least on the front, rear, right, and left sides of the detection portion. The detection unit is provided in a concave portion on the upper surface of the main body,
5. The perforated plate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an inclined surface for allowing liquid to flow from said liquid introducing portion toward said detecting portion.

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