JP2023111507A - Western-style toilet apparatus and toilet seat apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a western-style toilet apparatus and a toilet seat apparatus that can determine dirt that causes abnormal jetting of a cleaning nozzle of a local washing part.SOLUTION: A western-style toilet apparatus 1 comprises a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, a local washing part 32 having a washing nozzle 32a, an optical sensor 21, and a dirt determining unit 12 for detecting dirt on the washing nozzle 32a, where the image capture range of the optical sensor 21 includes a jetting state of jetting water of the washing nozzle 32a. The dirt determining unit 12 detects the amount of jetting water based on the image of the jetting state captured by the optical sensor 21, determines that the nozzle is dirty when the detected amount of jetting water does not reach a reference amount, and reports that the nozzle is dirty.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a western style toilet device and a toilet seat device.

Conventionally, there has been proposed a Western-style toilet device that detects dirt adhering to the surface of a washing nozzle of a private part washing unit based on a captured image of the washing nozzle (see Patent Document 1). For example, a contamination determination unit configured by a program or the like can determine contamination by comparing the captured image with a reference image.

JP-A-2000-160640

However, since the cleaning nozzle is very small, and depending on the position of the optical sensor, only a part of the soiled part can be imaged. Therefore, there is a possibility that the soiling cannot be accurately detected even if the comparison with the reference image is performed. In addition, there are cases where the jet water from the cleaning nozzle does not become abnormal even if it is determined that there is dirt, and conversely, there are cases where the jet water from the cleaning nozzle does not become abnormal even if it is determined that there is no dirt, and the jet abnormality cannot be detected. There is a risk.

The present disclosure has been proposed in consideration of such circumstances, and the purpose thereof is to provide a western-style toilet device and a toilet seat device that can determine dirt that causes an ejection abnormality of the washing nozzle of the private washing part.

In order to achieve the above object, the western-style toilet device of the present disclosure includes a bowl portion for receiving excrement, a private part washing portion having a washing nozzle, an optical sensor, a dirt determination portion for detecting dirt on the washing nozzle, The image pickup range of the optical sensor includes the ejection state of the ejection water from the cleaning nozzle, and the contamination determination unit determines the ejection amount based on the image of the ejection state captured by the optical sensor is detected, and if the detected ejection amount does not reach the reference amount, it is determined that the nozzle is dirty, and the presence of the nozzle dirt is notified.

The toilet seat device of the present disclosure is a toilet seat device that constitutes a western-style toilet device by being assembled in a toilet unit having a bowl portion that receives excrement and a private cleaning portion that has a cleaning nozzle, the toilet seat device comprising an optical sensor and the a contamination determination unit for detecting contamination of the cleaning nozzle, the imaging range of the optical sensor includes the jetting state of the jetted water from the cleaning nozzle, and the contamination determination unit captures an image with the optical sensor. The ejection amount is detected based on the image of the ejection state obtained, and if the detected ejection amount does not reach a reference amount, it is determined that the nozzle is dirty, and the presence of nozzle contamination is notified.

Since the Western-style toilet device and the toilet seat device of the present disclosure are configured as described above, it is possible to determine dirt leading to an ejection abnormality of the washing nozzle of the private washing part.

1 is a basic block diagram of a western-style toilet device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same Western-style toilet device. (a) is a schematic perspective view of the western-style toilet device, and (b) is a partial side view of a washing nozzle of the private part washing part. (a) and (b) are diagrams showing two examples of installation positions of an optical sensor and an illumination unit in the western-style toilet device, (a) being a schematic plan view and (b) being a schematic longitudinal sectional view. It is a basic flowchart which shows the operation|movement flow containing excrement imaging of the same western style toilet device. It is a flowchart which shows one operation|movement aspect (foreign object mixture judgment) of the same western style toilet device. It is a flowchart which shows one operation|movement aspect (nozzle dirt determination) of the same western style toilet device. It is a flowchart which shows one operation|movement aspect (detergent running out judgment) of the same western style toilet device. It is a flowchart which shows one operation|movement aspect (clogging judgment) of the same western style toilet device. FIG. 3 is a basic block diagram of a western-style toilet device and a toilet seat device used therein according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same Western-style toilet device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, a schematic basic configuration of the Western-style toilet device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

The Western-style toilet device 1 includes a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, a private part washing portion 32 having a washing nozzle 32a, an optical sensor 21, and a dirt determination portion 12 for detecting dirt on the washing nozzle 32a. . The imaging range of the optical sensor 21 includes the ejection state of the ejection water from the cleaning nozzle 32a. The contamination determination unit 12 detects the ejection amount based on the image of the ejection state captured by the optical sensor 21, and determines that the nozzle is contaminated when the detected ejection amount does not reach the reference amount. inform.

The Western-style toilet device 1 may have, in addition to the function of determining dirtiness, a function of capturing an image of the excrement received by the bowl portion 44, and may also have the following three functions. The three functions are a function of determining whether a foreign object E has entered the bowl portion 44, a function of determining whether the detergent tank 55a has run out of detergent, and a function of determining whether the bowl portion 44 is clogged.

The western-style toilet device 1 having the function of imaging excrement may include the bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, the optical sensor 21 and the excrement image control section 10 . The optical sensor 21 may be configured to pick up an image of excrement falling into the bowl portion 44 . The excrement image control unit 10 may be configured to store captured excrement images, transfer the excrement images to other terminals, and perform various analyzes based on the excrement images.

The Western-style toilet device 1 having the foreign object contamination determination function includes a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, a toilet seat 43, a seating sensor 23, a human sensor 22, an optical sensor 21, and a foreign object E mixed in the bowl portion 44. and a foreign matter contamination judgment unit 11 for judging that the foreign matter has been mixed. Also, the optical sensor 21 may be configured to pick up an image of an object falling into the bowl portion 44 . The foreign matter contamination determination unit 11 may be configured as follows. That is, in a state where the human sensor 22 detects a person and the seating sensor 23 does not detect a person sitting, whether or not the falling object is the foreign object E is determined based on the captured image captured by the optical sensor 21 . Any configuration may be used as long as it judges the presence of a foreign object and, when it determines that the foreign object E is present, notifies that the foreign object is mixed.

The western-style toilet device 1 having a detergent depletion determination function includes a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, a detergent tank 55a containing detergent for supplying foam to the reservoir water surface A of the bowl portion 44, an optical sensor 21, should be provided. The western-style toilet device 1 may further include a detergent depletion determination unit 13 that determines depletion of the detergent in the detergent tank 55a. It is sufficient that the imaging range of the optical sensor 21 includes the water surface in the bowl portion 44 . Detergent depletion determination unit 13 detects the amount of foam on the surface of the reservoir water based on the image of the surface of the reservoir water picked up by optical sensor 21 in the water sealed state, and when the detected foam quantity does not reach the reference amount, the detergent is depleted. Any configuration may be used as long as it judges that the detergent has run out and notifies the user of the detergent shortage.

The western-style toilet device 1 having a clogging determination function may include a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, an optical sensor 21, and a clogging determination portion 14 for detecting clogging of the bowl portion 44. Moreover, the imaging range of the optical sensor 21 only needs to include the reservoir water surface A in the bowl portion 44 . The clogging judgment unit 14 detects the water level of the reservoir water surface A based on the image of the reservoir water surface A captured by the optical sensor 21 in the water sealed state, and determines that the clogging has occurred when the detected water level is higher than a reference level. Any configuration may be used as long as it provides notification.

The Western-style toilet device 1 according to this embodiment has all of the above five functions. As the optical sensor 21 used to realize these functions, one common to all functions can be used.
Next, the detailed configuration of the Western-style toilet device 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the Western-style toilet device 1 has a CPU 5 which is the core of computer processing. The CPU 5 controls the execution of various programs, and controls and monitors the operations of the following units by executing the programs. The western-style toilet device 1 also includes a timer section 7 that performs various timer processes (periodic processes and delay processes).

The western-style toilet device 1 includes an excrement image control section 10, a foreign matter determination section 11, a stain determination section 12, a detergent depletion determination section 13, and a clog determination section 14 in order to execute the five functions. Each part is composed of a program or the like, and the operation of each function is executed in cooperation with the CPU 5 . The excrement image control unit 10 also includes an analysis unit 10 a that generates excrement analysis information based on the excrement image captured by the optical sensor 21 .

The western-style toilet device 1 includes various detection units such as an optical sensor 21, a human sensor 22, and a seating sensor 23. FIG. The optical sensor 21 is an image sensor (electronic camera) or the like for imaging various objects in order to perform the above five functions. In the present embodiment, the optical sensor 21 is commonly used for the five functions, but may be provided separately.

The human sensor 22 is composed of, for example, an infrared sensor, detects the presence or absence of a person in the toilet room, detects the timing of entering the toilet room by the state change of the sensor from off to on, and changes the state from on to off. It is possible to detect the timing of leaving the room.

The seating sensor 23 includes, for example, a load sensor built into the toilet seat 43 that detects seating/leaving, and an infrared sensor that detects seating/leaving from the vicinity of the rotary shaft of the toilet seat 43 . The seating detected by the seating sensor 23 acts as a trigger for a toilet cleaning unit 31, which will be described later. This seated trigger constitutes washing instruction means together with a stool washing button and a urine washing button, which will be described later.

The details of the optical sensor 21 will be described later together with the description of FIG. Also, the optical sensor 21 is used for excrement analysis, but various sensors such as an odor sensor and a radio wave sensor may be further provided.

The various detection units 20 also include a toilet lid open/close detection unit 24 that detects when the toilet lid 42 is stopped at the open/closed position, and a toilet seat open/closed detection unit 25 that detects when the toilet seat is stopped at the open/closed position. .

The western-style toilet device 1 includes an illumination section 26 that illuminates the interior of the bowl section 44 imaged by the optical sensor 21 .

The western-style toilet device 1 includes a notification unit 27 for notifying the user of various events. The mode of notification may be, for example, buzzer sound, synthetic voice output, LED display, or the like. Alternatively, the notification may be made by transmission to a mobile terminal (not shown) via the communication unit 28 . The communication unit 28 may be composed of one or both of a short-range communication unit capable of communication by infrared rays, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and Wi-Fi, and a long-distance communication unit via the Internet, for example.

The Western-style toilet device 1 is provided with a storage section 29 . The storage unit 29 stores various data such as image data captured by the optical sensor 21 and analysis data, and also stores a reference image 29a for comparison with the captured image. The reference image 29a includes, for example, a comparative image for judging whether the nozzle is dirty, a comparative image for judging whether the detergent is running out, or a comparative image for judging clogging.

The Western-style toilet device 1 has an operation unit 30 . The operation unit 30 includes a stool cleaning button and a urination cleaning button (none of which are shown) for outputting a cleaning instruction to the toilet bowl cleaning unit 31 via the CPU 5 and a program. As the operation unit 30, a toilet seat operation unit for electrically opening and closing the toilet seat 43 and a toilet lid operation unit for electrically opening and closing the toilet lid 42 (both not shown) are provided.

The operation unit 30 is provided with operation switches, operation buttons, and the like for various other operations and settings. It is desirable that the operation unit 30 is arranged on both the main body operation unit (not shown) and the remote controller (not shown). As the remote control, one for infrared communication is preferably used.

The western-style toilet device 1 further includes a toilet bowl washing unit 31 and a private parts washing unit 32 . These and other parts of the structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

The western-style toilet device 1 is a seat-type toilet device that is fixed to a floor, a wall, or the like in a toilet space. The main body of this Western-style toilet device has an upwardly-opening bowl portion surrounded by the skirt portion 41. Above the bowl portion 44, the opening surface of the bowl portion 44 can be raised and lowered. is provided with a toilet lid 42 and a toilet seat 43 with the same rotating shaft. The toilet lid 42 and the toilet seat 43 are electrically or manually opened and closed. In the electric operation, each drive section (not shown) operates based on an instruction signal from each opening/closing operation section (not shown) provided in the operation section 30 .

In the inner space of the skirt portion 41, a mechanism portion of the toilet bowl cleaning portion 31 for supplying cleansing water from the water supply port 46 into the bowl portion 44 to clean the inside of the bowl portion 44 is arranged. This mechanism section has a water supply mechanism and a drainage mechanism.

The water supply mechanism includes a water supply port 46, a cleaning water supply path 47 for supplying cleaning water supplied from a water pipe into the bowl portion 44 through the water supply port 46, and a bowl portion disposed in the middle of the cleaning water supply path 47. A water supply valve 48 for supplying or shutting off washing water to the unit 44 is provided.

The drainage mechanism of the Western-style toilet device 1 according to this embodiment has a structure having a movable trap 49 . The trap 49 is rotated by the driving mechanism 50 to form a drain state or a water sealing state. The trap 49 shown in the figure is at the position where the stored water is sealed, and rotates so that the drain port 49a on the open end side of the trap 49 faces the discharge port 52 in the drain state.

The trap 49 is surrounded by a trap case 51 so that sewage and odors do not leak to the outside. Alternatively, the drainage mechanism may be of a siphon type, a siphon jet type, a siphon vortex type, a wash-off type, or the like.

In addition, although the figure shows an example in which the Western-style toilet device 1 is a tankless type that is directly connected to a water supply and does not include a flush tank (low tank), it may be configured to include a flush tank.

Further, in the washing water supply path 47, a foam forming section 54 for mixing detergent and bubbles with the washing water to form bubbles B is provided downstream of the water supply valve 48 (on the water supply port 46 side). In the Western-style toilet device 1, the foam forming section 54 is composed of a bubble mixing section 56 for mixing air bubbles into the wash water, and a detergent mixing section 55 for taking out detergent from the detergent tank 55a and mixing it with the wash water.

In the Western-style toilet device 1, when a washing instruction is given by the washing instruction means, the foam B is mixed with the washing water by the foam forming portion 54, and the mixed washing water is supplied to the bowl portion 44 to be stored water (sealed water). An action to set the state is performed.

The air bubble mixing section 56 includes a sudden pressure change section 56a having a venturi structure and a gas supply valve 56b, and is formed therein with a wash water flow path (not shown) through which wash water from the wash water supply line flows.

As a result, a shearing force is generated at the interface between the gas and the cleaning water of the jet stream, and bubbles are generated. Further, in the air bubble mixing section 56, the cleaning water flowing through the cleaning water channel generates a negative pressure, and the gas supplied from the gas supply valve 56b can be efficiently mixed into the cleaning water flowing through the cleaning water channel by the ejector effect. .

The detergent mixing section 55 mixes a predetermined amount of detergent into the wash water supply path 47 . The detergent mixing unit 55 includes a detergent tank 55a that stores detergent, a detergent supply channel 55c that is connected to the cleaning water supply channel 47, and is disposed midway along the detergent supply channel 55c to supply the detergent to the cleaning water supply channel 47. and a detergent supply valve 55b for supplying or shutting off.

In this embodiment, the detergent is a surfactant. Further, the detergent may be mixed with an aromatic agent so that the washing water is further mixed with an aromatic agent. In this embodiment, the detergent mixing section 55 is arranged on the downstream side of the air bubble mixing section 56 , but may be arranged on the upstream side of the air bubble mixing section 56 . The cleaning water mixed with the detergent and air bubbles is discharged into the bowl portion 44 from the water supply port 46 of the cleaning water supply passage 47 .

When the cleaning water mixed with detergent and air bubbles is supplied to the bowl portion 44 in this manner, the air bubbles collide with the inner surface of the bowl portion 44 . At this time, dirt in the bowl portion 44 is removed by ultrasonic waves generated by bursting of the bubbles. Furthermore, since detergent is supplied to the wash water, the inner surface of the bowl portion 44 is further washed.

The detergent supplied to the bowl portion 44 and the bubbles B formed by air bubbles remain on the reservoir water surface A in the sealed water state. The amount of foam B gradually decreases with the lapse of time. While the foam B remains on the pooled water surface A, the foam B cleans and protects the inner surface of the bowl part 44.例文帳に追加

Next, the details of the private parts washing section 32 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3(a) and (b).

The private part washing part 32 has a nozzle case 32b and a washing nozzle 32a housed therein. The nozzle case 32b is provided at the rear portion of the rim portion 45 of the bowl portion 44 (near the shaft portion of the toilet seat 43). The cleaning nozzle 32a is movable in and out of the nozzle case 32b, pushes open the nozzle cover 45a from the inside, protrudes, advances to the center side of the bowl portion 44, stops, and jets water C from the nozzle port 32c.

Tap water is used as cleansing water for the private parts cleansing unit 32, and is configured to be supplied, for example, through a private cleansing water supply channel (not shown) branched from the cleansing water supply channel.

The forward/backward movement of the washing nozzle 32 a of the private parts washing unit 32 is performed by the private parts washing operation of the operation unit 30 . Specifically, when the user performs a private part washing operation after excretion, the washing nozzle 32a advances to the center side of the bowl portion 44, stops at a predetermined position, and performs washing operation with jet water C until the washing stop operation is performed. to run. It should be noted that the private parts washing unit 32 of the present embodiment performs a nozzle washing operation for washing the washing nozzle 32a itself before and after the washing operation.

Next, the configuration and mounting position of the optical sensor 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b).

The optical sensor 21 has an image sensor (electronic camera) and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the electronic camera. The control circuit controls the light-receiving element (not shown) to open the electronic shutter at intervals of 20 to 120 times/second, preferably at intervals of 20 to 240 times/second. there is

The optical sensor 21 may be installed at various positions such as the bowl portion 44. For example, as shown in FIGS. It may be arranged at various positions such as inside or near the cavity.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, the optical sensor 21 is provided in the vicinity of the rotation axis of the toilet seat 43 on the rim portion 45 and adjacent to the private part washing portion 32, for example. The illumination unit 26 is provided adjacent to the optical sensor 21 on the side opposite to the local cleansing unit 32 . The illumination unit 26 is for illuminating the interior of the bowl 44 for imaging. As will be described later, the timing of illumination varies depending on the subject to be imaged. should be controlled by

As described above, the imaging range of these optical sensors 21 includes the reservoir water surface A in the bowl portion 44, particularly the reservoir water surface A in the water-sealed state. Further, it is sufficient that an object falling into the bowl portion 44, especially an object falling below the rim portion 45 and above the reservoir water surface A, is imaged. Furthermore, the imaging range may include the jetting state of jetted water C from the cleaning nozzle 32a (see FIG. 3) (refer to FIG. 4B).

In short, the imaging targets of the optical sensor 21 include falling excrement (stool D), foreign matter E mixed in the bowl portion 44, the jetting state of the jetted water C from the cleaning nozzle 32a, the state of the foam B on the reservoir water surface A, and the like. The water level of the reservoir water surface A in the water sealed state is included.

Further, feces D excreted to the inner bottom of the bowl portion 44 and urine excreted in a male standing position may be included as the excrement to be imaged. Therefore, the optical sensor 21 may have an imaging range from the upper position of the rim portion 45 to the inner bottom of the bowl portion 44. By combining a plurality of optical sensors 21, such an imaging range can be obtained. may be covered.

Next, refer to FIGS. 5 to 9 for the functions of (1) image pickup of excrement, (2) determination of contamination, (3) determination of nozzle contamination, (4) determination of running out of detergent, and (5) determination of clogging. I will explain while

Here, the function of (1) is to use excrement (stool D) received by the bowl portion 44 as the object to be imaged. The function (2) uses the foreign object E as the object to be imaged received by the bowl portion 44 . The function (3) uses the water jet C from the cleaning nozzle 32a as the object to be imaged. The function of (4) is to use the bubbles B on the water surface A in the bowl portion 44 as the object to be imaged. The function (5) uses the water level of the reservoir water surface A as the object to be imaged.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart (steps S1 to S9) showing examples of execution timings of functions (1) to (5) in chronological order.

When the entry of a person into the toilet room is detected at the time when the state of the human sensor 22 changes from off to on, continuous imaging by the optical sensor 21 for imaging the excrement image is started (step in FIG. 5). S1, S2). Continuous imaging is performed until a person's leaving the room (state change timing from ON to OFF of the human sensor 22) is detected.

In the Western-style toilet device 1 of the present embodiment, (1) imaging of an excrement image (excretion image control) (step S3 in FIG. 5), (2) foreign matter contamination judgment (FIG. 5) Step S4), (3) Each function of nozzle contamination determination (step S5 in FIG. 5) is executed. Note that these individual timings are different from each other, and will be described later in the description of each unit.

(4) The operation of the detergent depletion determination function (step S7 in FIG. 5) is to detect the state (amount of foam) of the foam B supplied into the bowl portion 44 in the water sealed state during flushing of the toilet. For this reason, it is desirable that the operation be performed in the initial state of the introduction of the foam B, considering that the foam B will gradually decrease. Further, the operation of (5) clogging determination function (step S8 in FIG. 5) is to detect the water level of flushing water supplied into the bowl portion 44 in the water-sealed state during toilet flushing. It is preferably performed in a later initial state.

In the present embodiment, these are executed at the same time as the timing of leaving the room (step S6 in FIG. 5) or the timing of leaving the seat at which continuous imaging stops or after a predetermined time (for example, several seconds). If the toilet lid 42 is closed at the timing of leaving the seat, these functions may be executed using the closing of the toilet lid 42 as a trigger.

Further, continuous imaging by the optical sensor 21 may not be performed until the timing of leaving the room, but may be performed until the end of (4) determination of running out of detergent or (5) determination of clogging, whichever is later. In other words, since the Western-style toilet device 1 uses the same optical sensor 21 in executing the five functions, the driving/stopping of continuous imaging is repeated more than necessary so that the optical sensor 21 is efficiently used for all the functions. It is desirable to use it so that it is not
The operation of each function will be described below.

(1) Excrement Image Control First, when a person enters the toilet room and the human detection sensor 22 detects the person entering the room, the optical sensor 21 starts continuously capturing images of the inside of the bowl portion 44 . Excrement images captured by the optical sensor 21 are captured at predetermined intervals, such as 100 msec intervals, until the human sensor 22 detects that the person has left the room. go. Alternatively, only images showing excrement may be saved.

The imaging of the inside of the bowl portion 44 by the optical sensor 21 may be started when the seating sensor 23 is turned on and stopped when the seating sensor 23 is turned off instead of when the user enters/exits the room.

When the occupant excretes, the analysis unit 10a generates excrement analysis information based on the excrement image, and the information is also stored in the storage unit in association with the excrement image. Excrement analysis information may include information generated based on information detected by an odor sensor or a radio wave sensor.

Excrement analysis information may include properties and amount in the case of stool D, and amount and urination time in the case of urine. The properties of stool D are desirably classified according to the Bristol stool properties classification (coarse stool, hard stool, slightly hard stool, normal stool, slightly soft stool, muddy stool, and watery stool). The amount of defecation, the amount of urine, and the duration of urination can be calculated from excrement images, the number of images, and the like.

Such excrement analysis information may then be transmitted to the management server (not shown) via the communication unit 28 at the timing of the human sensor 22 leaving the room.

Also, the excrement image and the excrement analysis information can be saved in a portable terminal (not shown) via the communication unit 28, or can be saved in a USB (not shown) via a USB connection unit (not shown). can be Needless to say, since the excrement image is related to the user's privacy, approval based on the identification information is required when transmitting the image to the portable terminal.

If the excrement image and the excrement analysis information are linked and stored for each user in this way, the health condition can be grasped based on them. In addition, if such information is stored in a management server (not shown) of a medical institution or the like, it can be used for medical treatment.

(2) Determination of Contamination of Foreign Matter Determination of contamination by foreign matter may be made during continuous imaging from entering the room to leaving the room as described above. What is necessary is just to monitor the contamination of the inside. Description will be made below along the flow chart (steps S100 to S110) of FIG.

First, the most recent images continuously captured by the optical sensor 21 are captured, and the presence or absence of a falling object is determined based on the image data (steps S100 to S102). If there is no falling object, the operation ends (N of step S102, S110). If there is a falling object, the human sensor 22 determines whether or not a person has been detected, and the seating sensor 23 determines whether or not the person is seated on the toilet seat 43 (Y in step S102, S103, S104). If the human sensation is not being detected, or if the person is seated, the operation ends (N of step S103, Y of S104, S110). As images for judging the presence or absence of a fallen object, a plurality of images immediately preceding the execution timing of the foreign matter contamination judging section 11 may be used for judging.

If the presence of a person is being detected and the person is not seated, that is, if a person is entering the room and the person is not seated on the toilet seat 43, the falling object is the excrement (stool D or urine in the sitting position) when the person is seated. It is determined that the object (foreign substance candidate) is other than the object (Y of step S103, N of S104). In that case, detailed determination is performed (Y in step S103, N in S104, S105).

The detailed judgment is a judgment that excludes toilet paper and male standing urine from the foreign matter E, and may be judged based on at least one of the color, size, and shape of the falling object recognized in the captured image. The toilet paper may be determined, for example, by its color (light color such as white) or size (wider than the stool D). Urine may be determined, for example, by its shape (longer than stool D) and color (translucent).

If the falling object is determined to be toilet paper or standing urine, it is determined that the falling object is not a foreign object E, and the operation ends (N of step S106, S110). If the falling object is the foreign object E, it is determined that the foreign object E is mixed in the bowl portion 44, the effect is notified through the notification unit, the washing prohibition mode is set, and the operation ends (N in step S107, S108-S110).

It should be noted that items other than toilet paper and standing urine are also assumed as items other than the foreign object E. FIG. The object may also be judged by at least one of color, size, and shape. Alternatively, an object that is not the foreign object E may be registered as a comparison image, and the object may be determined as the foreign object E by comparing the captured image with the comparison image.

A mode of notification includes buzzer ringing and lamp blinking. The information may be notified to the portable terminal via the communication unit 28, or may be combined. The notification to the mobile terminal may be made through one or both of the short-range communication unit and the long-range communication unit.

The flush prohibition mode is a mode in which flushing of the toilet, that is, flushing water to the bowl portion 44 and drainage from the bowl portion 44 based on the operation of the trap 49 are not performed even when a flushing instruction is given. It should be noted that the operation configuration may be such that the setting is not changed to the washing prohibition mode.

In addition, it is desirable that the cleaning prohibition mode is canceled by operating the mode reset button (not shown) or the like on the operation unit 30 so that the mode reset button is operated after removing the foreign matter. It is desirable that the buzzer ringing and lamp blinking continue to operate until the mode reset button is operated.

According to such foreign matter contamination judgment operation, if the foreign matter E enters the bowl portion 44, the foreign matter contamination is notified immediately after the entry timing, so that the user can immediately know that the foreign matter has entered. be able to. As a result, the user can quickly deal with contamination with foreign matter, and clogging of the bowl portion 44 with the foreign matter E can be prevented.

In the present embodiment, since the determination of presence of foreign matter is an operation that is activated between entering and leaving the room (see FIG. 5), it is not determined whether or not the presence of a human is being detected in the predetermined periodic processing of FIG. may

Further, the open state of the toilet lid 42 detected by the toilet lid opening/closing detection unit 24 may be added as a condition for detecting a foreign object candidate. Note that in the case where the imaging range of the optical sensor 21 is limited below the rim portion 45, if the toilet lid 42 is closed, the fallen object is not included in the captured image. You don't have to.

(3) Determination of Nozzle Dirt Determination of nozzle contamination may be performed during continuous imaging from entering the room to leaving the room as described above, and the contamination judging section 12 may operate at the timing of the start of washing the private parts. Description will be made below along the flow chart (steps S200 to S210) of FIG.

First, when a person performs a washing operation while sitting on the toilet seat 43, the washing nozzle 32a advances toward the center of the bowl portion 44 and starts jetting washing water from the washing nozzle 32a toward the private part (step S200). ~S202). During a predetermined period of time during the ejection, an image captured by the optical sensor 21 that is capturing an image of the interior of the bowl portion 44 is captured, compared with a reference image 29a stored in the storage portion 29, and the presence or absence of contamination is determined. (steps S203 to S205).

Note that the determination of nozzle contamination uses an image captured during washing by the private washing unit 32, that is, the inside of the bowl unit 44 is imaged while the person is seated on the toilet seat 43. It is desirable to illuminate within portion 44 .

The reference image 29a is image data obtained by capturing an appropriate ejection state (ejection amount) in washing the private parts, and by comparing the ejection state of the captured image and the reference image 29a, the ejection amount at that timing reaches the appropriate ejection amount. It is determined whether or not For example, by comparing the ejection height and ejection width of the ejection water, it is possible to determine whether the reference amount has been reached or not. Note that the reference image 29a may not be image data that is actually captured, and may be image data that is generated by synthesis, for example.

The optical sensor 21 continuously captures images at a rate of about 20 to 240 times/second while the water C is ejected from the cleaning nozzle 32a. Therefore, it is desirable to take out a plurality of data from the continuously captured images during the predetermined time period and compare each of the data with the reference image 29a.

If the ejection amount of the ejection water C does not reach the standard ejection amount, it is determined that there is contamination (Y in step S205). In this case, the presence of contamination is reported through the notification unit 27, the special cleaning mode cleaning is executed for the cleaning nozzle 32a, and when the special cleaning is completed, the local cleaning is resumed, and the operation ends (steps S206 to S210). ). If it is determined that there is no dirt, the local cleansing is continued, and the operation ends (N of step S205, S209, S210).

If it is determined from the captured image that the dirt is such that almost no jet water is coming out, the cleaning nozzle 32a may be retracted after performing the special cleaning or without performing the special cleaning.

A mode of notification includes buzzer ringing and lamp blinking. The information may be notified to the portable terminal via the communication unit 28, or may be combined. The notification to the mobile terminal may be made through one or both of the short-range communication unit and the long-range communication unit.

The special cleaning mode is cleaning for cleaning the cleaning nozzle itself, similar to the nozzle cleaning performed before and after the private cleaning, and is preferably performed at a position behind the private cleaning position (for example, the nozzle cleaning position). Examples of the special cleaning mode include cleaning that is performed for a longer time than normal nozzle cleaning, cleaning that uses a larger amount of water per unit time, and cleaning that uses detergent.

Therefore, when it is determined that there is contamination and special cleaning is performed, the cleaning nozzle 32a is temporarily retracted, and after the special cleaning is completed, it advances to a predetermined position for local cleaning. It should be noted that after the special cleaning is completed, an image may be taken again by the optical sensor 21 to confirm whether or not the dirt has been removed.

In the present embodiment, the determination of nozzle contamination is performed when washing the user's private parts as described above, but it may be performed when nozzle washing is performed before or after washing the private parts of the user. That is, it may be determined whether or not the ejection amount is appropriate based on the captured image of the ejection state of the nozzle cleaning. In that case, it is needless to say that the reference image to be compared is an image obtained by capturing an appropriate ejection amount of nozzle cleaning.

According to such a nozzle contamination determination operation, the contamination of the washing nozzle 32a can be found when the user actually cleans the private part. In addition, since the presence or absence of contamination is determined from the image of the ejection state, the user can quickly know the contamination leading to the ejection abnormality and can deal with it early.

Also, if the image of the dirt on the surface of the cleaning nozzle 32a is used, the dirt that causes the jetting abnormality cannot be detected, or the dirt that does not cause the jetting abnormality is detected. , it is possible to discover stains that directly lead to ejection anomalies.

Furthermore, when it is determined that there is dirt, in addition to notification, special cleaning is performed to remove dirt, so if the cleaning nozzle can be cleaned by this special cleaning, it is possible to immediately resume washing the local area. .

(4) Detergent Depletion Determination Detergent depletion determination may be made after the person leaves the room or leaves the seat, as described above. It should be noted that the operation of this example is based on the premise that continuous imaging by the optical sensor is stopped at the timing of leaving the room. Description will be made below along the flow chart (steps S300 to S307) of FIG.

First, the illumination unit 26 is turned on, the optical sensor 21 takes an image of the inside of the bowl 44, and then the illumination is turned off (steps S300 to S303). The imaging in this case is assumed to be continuous imaging for a predetermined time. By comparing the captured image captured by the optical sensor 21 at this time with the reference image stored in the storage unit 29, it is determined whether or not the amount of bubbles B has reached the reference amount (step S304). .

Points for judging the appropriate amount of foam B include the presence or absence of breaks in the foam B on the reservoir water surface A, the surface area of the foam B, the area where there is no foam B, and the thickness of the foam B at the breaks in the foam B. , and the reference image 29a based on these may be prepared. In addition, instead of comparing with the reference image 29a, the amount of foam is determined by the presence or absence of breaks in the foam B on the reservoir water surface A, the surface area of the foam B, the area of the portion without the bubbles B, the thickness of the foam B at the breaks in the foam B, and the like. may be calculated numerically and compared with a reference numerical value.

If it is determined that the amount of foam has not reached the reference amount, it is determined that the detergent in the detergent tank 55a has run out. , S307). If it is not determined that the detergent has run out, the operation ends (N of step S305, S307).

Considering that the user has already left the room, the mode of notification should be a buzzer ringing, a notification to the mobile terminal via the communication unit 28 (preferably a long-distance communication unit), or a combination thereof. is desirable.

According to such a detergent depletion determination operation, the detergent replenishment timing can be known without a person directly checking the detergent tank 55a for detergent depletion. In addition, since the device itself automatically determines whether the detergent has run out, it is possible to save the trouble of checking the detergent tank 55a directly, and to replenish the detergent tank 55a with detergent in a timely manner.

The operation shown in the figure is a procedure for restarting the optical sensor 21, but it may be performed while the optical sensor 21 is continuously capturing images. In that case, it is only necessary to capture the imaging data at the execution timing of this determination. For example, the amount of foam may be detected using a plurality of recent image data.

(5) Judgment of clogging Judgment of clogging may be started after the timing of leaving the room or after the timing of leaving the seat, as described above. It should be noted that the operation of this example is based on the premise that the continuous imaging by the optical sensor 21 is stopped at the timing of leaving the room. Description will be made below along the flow chart (steps S400 to S411) of FIG.

First, the illumination unit 26 is turned on, the optical sensor 21 takes an image of the inside of the bowl 44, and then the illumination is turned off (steps S400 to S403). The imaging in this case is assumed to be continuous imaging for a predetermined time. At this time, by comparing the captured image data captured by the optical sensor 21 with the reference image 29a stored in the storage unit 29, it is determined whether or not the water level in the bowl portion 44 exceeds the reference level. (step S404).

As the reference image 29a, an image of an appropriate water level captured in advance by the optical sensor 21 attached to the bowl portion 44 may be used, and the reference level may be set to an upper threshold value of the appropriate level.

If it is determined that the water level exceeds the reference level, it is determined that clogging has occurred in the bowl portion 44, the trap 49, or the like, and the notifying portion 27 notifies to that effect, sets the washing prohibition mode, and operates. ends (Y in step S405, S406, S407, S411).

Considering that the user has already left the room, it is desirable that the mode of notification be a buzzer ringing, a notification to the mobile terminal via the communication unit 28 (preferably a long-distance communication unit), or a combination of these. . In addition, it is also possible to continue the notification by blinking the lamp so that when a person enters the room, the abnormality can be detected.

The flush prohibition mode is a mode in which even if a flushing instruction is issued, the flushing water is not supplied to the bowl portion 44 and water is not drained from the bowl portion 44 based on the operation of the trap 49 . It should be noted that the operation configuration may be such that the setting is not changed to the washing prohibition mode.

In addition, it is preferable that the operation unit 30 is provided with a mode reset button (not shown) or the like, and the washing prohibition mode is canceled by operating the mode reset button after clogging is cleared. It is desirable that the buzzer ringing and lamp blinking continue to operate until the mode reset button is operated.

If clogging is not determined, then the captured image data is compared with another reference image 29a (an image indicating the seal breaking level) to confirm that the water level in the bowl portion 44 has reached the seal breaking level (lower limit level). It is determined whether or not there is (step S408).

As the reference image 29a in this case, an image of the water level at the seal-breaking level captured in advance by the optical sensor 21 attached to the bowl portion 44 may be used. Here, the seal breaking level may be a level set slightly higher than the water level at which the seal is actually broken.

If it is determined that the water level has not reached the seal-breaking level, it is determined that the seal has been broken, and at least one of additional water supply and notification that the seal has been broken is executed, and the operation ends (step S409). Y, S410, S411). If it is not determined that the seal has been broken, the operation ends (N in step S409, S411).

According to such a clogging determination operation, it is possible to easily determine whether the water level is abnormal, so that clogging can be quickly determined. Also, if a plurality of past image data are stored in the storage unit 29, it is also possible to investigate the cause of the water level rise based on them.

In addition, in the present embodiment, since the level of seal breakage is checked using images, not only countermeasures against clogging but also seal breakage can be quickly dealt with.

The operations of (4) Detergent depletion judgment and (5) Clogging judgment in this figure are procedures for first restarting the optical sensor 21, but are executed while continuous imaging by the optical sensor 21 is continuing. may For example, instead of stopping the continuous imaging by the optical sensor 21 at the timing of leaving the room, the continuous imaging may be stopped after capturing the captured images in the operations (4) and (5) after leaving the room.

The western-style toilet device 1 uses the image from the optical sensor 21 for the above operations (1) to (5), and has the same configuration. Therefore, the optical sensor 21 can be efficiently utilized. For example, by using the optical sensor 21 provided for picking up excrement for judging whether detergent has run out, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of a multifunctional toilet having a health management function and a nozzle dirt monitoring function.

The Western-style toilet device 1 shown above has the toilet lid 42 and the toilet seat 43 integrated. (see FIGS. 10 and 11). A description will be given below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG.

This Western-style toilet bowl device 1A has components that are substantially the same as those shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the human sensor 22, the operation unit 30, the toilet bowl washing unit 31, and the private parts washing unit 32 among these components are provided in the toilet bowl unit 61 (see FIG. 10). Note that the detailed structure and operation of the Western-style toilet device 1A are the same as those shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, so description thereof will be omitted.
The basic configuration of the toilet seat device 60 is described below.

This toilet seat device 60 constitutes a Western-style toilet device 1A by being assembled to a toilet unit 61 having a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement and a private part washing portion 32 having a washing nozzle 32a. The toilet seat device 60 includes an optical sensor 21 and a dirt determination section 12 that detects dirt on the cleaning nozzle 32a. The imaging range of the optical sensor 21 includes the ejection state of the ejection water from the cleaning nozzle 32a. The contamination determination unit 12 detects the ejection amount based on the image of the ejection state captured by the optical sensor 21, and determines that the nozzle is contaminated when the detected ejection amount does not reach the reference amount. inform.

Also, one of the optical sensor 21 and the dirt determination section 12 may be provided in the toilet unit 61 instead of the toilet seat device 60, and the private cleaning section 32 may be provided in the toilet seat device 60 instead of the toilet unit 61. It may be the one that was given.

The Western-style toilet device 1A may have, in addition to the dirt determination function described above, a function of capturing an image of the excrement received by the bowl portion 44, and may also have the following three functions. The three functions are a function of determining whether foreign matter is mixed in the bowl portion 44, a function of determining whether the detergent tank 55a is out of detergent, and a function of determining whether the bowl portion 44 is clogged.

The Western-style toilet device 1A having the function of imaging excrement may be any device provided with the bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, the optical sensor 21, and the excrement image control section 10. FIG. The optical sensor 21 may be configured to pick up an image of excrement falling into the bowl portion 44 . The excrement image control unit 10 may be configured to store the excrement image, transfer the excrement image to another terminal, and perform various analyzes based on the excrement image.

The toilet bowl unit 61 of the Western-style toilet device 1A having the function of determining foreign matter contamination may be any unit provided with the bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement and the human sensor 22. The toilet bowl unit 61 will be described next. It is sufficient if the device 60 is assembled.

The toilet seat device 60 of the Western-style toilet device 1A having a foreign matter contamination determination function includes an optical sensor 21, a seating sensor 23, and a foreign matter contamination determination section 11 that determines whether a foreign matter E has entered the bowl portion 44. Anything is fine. Also, the optical sensor 21 may be configured to pick up an image of an object falling into the bowl portion 44 . The foreign matter contamination determination unit 11 may be configured as follows. That is, in a state where the human sensor 22 detects a person and the seating sensor 23 does not detect a person sitting, whether or not the falling object is the foreign object E is determined based on the captured image captured by the optical sensor 21 . Any configuration may be used as long as it judges the presence of a foreign object and, when it determines that the foreign object E is present, notifies that the foreign object is mixed.

In addition, in order to realize this function, one of the optical sensor 21 and the foreign object determination section 11 may be provided in the toilet bowl unit 61 instead of the toilet seat device 60 .

The toilet bowl unit 61 of the Western-style toilet device 1A having the function of determining whether the detergent has run out includes a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, and a detergent tank 55a containing detergent for supplying foam to the water surface A of the bowl portion 44. , and a toilet seat device 60, which will be described next, may be assembled to this toilet bowl unit 61. As shown in FIG.

The toilet seat device 60 of the Western-style toilet device 1A having the detergent depletion determination function may include the optical sensor 21 and the detergent depletion determination unit 13 that determines depletion of detergent in the detergent tank 55a. It is sufficient that the imaging range of the optical sensor 21 includes the reservoir water surface A in the bowl portion 44 . Detergent depletion determination unit 13 detects the amount of foam on reservoir water surface A based on the image of reservoir water surface A picked up by optical sensor 21 in the water sealed state, and when the detected foam amount does not reach a predetermined amount, detergent depletion is detected. Any configuration may be used as long as it judges that the detergent has run out and notifies the user of the detergent shortage.

Further, in order to realize this function, one of the optical sensor 21 and the detergent depletion determination unit 13 may be provided in the toilet unit 61 instead of the toilet seat device 60 .

The toilet bowl unit 61 of the Western-style toilet device 1A having the clogging determination function may be provided with a bowl portion 44 for receiving excrement, and the toilet seat device 60 described below may be assembled to the toilet bowl unit 61.

As the toilet seat device 60 of the Western-style toilet device 1A having a clogging determination function, it is sufficient that it includes the optical sensor 21 and the clogging determination section 14 for detecting clogging of the bowl portion 44 . Moreover, the imaging range of the optical sensor 21 only needs to include the reservoir water surface A in the bowl portion 44 . The clogging judging part 14 detects the water level of the reservoir water surface A based on the image of the reservoir water surface A captured by the optical sensor 21 in the sealed water state, and determines that the clogging occurs when the detected water level is higher than a predetermined level. Any configuration may be used as long as it provides notification.

In addition, in order to realize this function, one of the optical sensor 21 and the clogging determination section 14 may be provided in the toilet bowl unit 61 instead of the toilet seat device 60 .

The Western-style toilet device 1A according to the present embodiment has all four functions in addition to the stain determination function. As the optical sensor 21 used to realize these functions, one common to all functions can be used.

Since the operations and effects of the five functions are the same as those of the Western-style toilet device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the description is omitted.

1, 1A Western-style toilet device 3 Floor 5 CPU
7 timer unit 10 excrement image control unit 10a analysis unit 11 foreign matter contamination determination unit 12 nozzle dirt determination unit 13 detergent exhaustion determination unit 14 clogging determination unit 20 various detection units 21 optical sensor 22 human sensor 23 seating sensor 24 toilet lid open/close detection Part 25 Toilet seat open/close detection part 26 Lighting part 27 Notification part 28 Communication part 29 Storage part 29a Reference image 30 Operation part 31 Toilet bowl washing part 32 Private part washing part 32a Washing nozzle 32b Nozzle case 32c Nozzle mouth 40 Body part 41 Skirt part 42 Toilet lid 43 Toilet seat 44 Bowl portion 45 Rim portion 45a Nozzle lid 46 Water supply port 47 Washing water supply path 48 Water supply valve 49 Trap 49a Drainage port 50 Drive mechanism 51 Trap case 52 Drainage port 54 Foam formation unit 55 Detergent mixing unit 55a Detergent tank 55b Detergent supply Valve 55c Detergent supply path 56 Air bubble mixing section 56a Rapid pressure change section 56b Gas supply valve 60 Toilet seat device 61 Toilet bowl unit A Reservoir water surface B Foam C Jet water D Feces E Foreign matter

Claims (12)

a bowl portion for receiving waste;
a private cleaning unit having a cleaning nozzle;
an optical sensor;
a contamination determination unit that detects contamination of the cleaning nozzle,
The imaging range of the optical sensor includes the ejection state of the ejection water of the cleaning nozzle,
The contamination determination unit detects the ejection amount based on the image of the ejection state captured by the optical sensor, determines that the nozzle is contaminated when the detected ejection amount does not reach a reference amount, and determines that the nozzle is contaminated. A Western-style toilet device characterized by notifying that there is dirt. In claim 1,
The Western-style toilet device, wherein the contamination determination unit determines whether or not the ejection amount has not reached the reference amount by comparing a captured image with a pre-stored reference image. In claim 1 or 2,
The western-style toilet bowl apparatus, wherein the contamination determination unit outputs to the private parts washing device an instruction to execute a special cleaning mode for performing special cleaning on the cleaning nozzle when it is determined that there is contamination. In any one of claims 1 to 3,
It has a communication unit that communicates with an external communication terminal,
The Western-style toilet device, wherein the contamination determination unit notifies the communication terminal of nozzle contamination via the communication unit when it is determined that the contamination is present. In any one of claims 1 to 5,
A Western-style toilet device, wherein the optical sensor is also used for imaging excrement. A toilet seat device that constitutes a western-style toilet device by being attached to a toilet unit having a bowl portion for receiving excrement and a private part washing portion having a washing nozzle,
an optical sensor;
a contamination determination unit that detects contamination of the cleaning nozzle,
The imaging range of the optical sensor includes the ejection state of the ejection water of the cleaning nozzle,
The contamination determination unit detects the ejection amount based on the image of the ejection state captured by the optical sensor, determines that the nozzle is dirty when the detected ejection amount does not reach a reference amount, and determines that the nozzle is dirty. A toilet seat device characterized in that it notifies of a presence. In claim 6,
The toilet seat device, wherein the contamination determination unit determines whether or not the ejection amount has not reached the reference amount by comparing a captured image with a pre-stored reference image. In claim 6 or 7,
The toilet seat apparatus is characterized in that, when it is determined that the toilet seat is soiled, the dirt determining section outputs to the private parts washing device an instruction to execute a special cleaning mode in which the cleaning nozzle is specially cleaned. In any one of claims 6 to 8,
Equipped with a communication unit that wirelessly connects with an external communication terminal,
The toilet seat device, wherein the contamination determination unit notifies the communication terminal of the nozzle contamination via the communication unit when determining that the contamination is present. In any one of claims 6 to 9,
The toilet seat device, wherein the optical sensor is also used for imaging excrement. In any one of claims 6 to 10,
A toilet seat device according to claim 1, wherein one of said optical sensor and said dirt determination section is provided in said toilet bowl unit in place of said toilet seat device. In any one of claims 6-11,
A toilet seat device, wherein the private part washing unit is provided in the toilet seat device in place of the toilet bowl unit.

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