JP2024050218A - Water closet - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a water closet capable of ensuring the capacity of a water storage tank disposed on a back side of a wall or in a cabinet and ensuring maintainability of a pump device and a peripheral device thereof.SOLUTION: A water closet 1 of the invention has a bowl part 14 including a dirt receiving surface 10 for receiving the dirt and a rim part 12 formed on an upper edge of the dirt receiving surface, a toilet bowl body 2 having a drain flow passage 16 for discharging the dirt in the bowl part and a skirt part 18 surrounding the bowl part and the drain flow passage from outside, a tank device 6 having a water storage tank 4 for storing washing water, and a pump device 8 that pressurizes the washing water supplied from the water storage tank and supplies the washing water to the bowl part of the toilet bowl body. The water storage tank is disposed on the outside of the toilet bowl body by being concealed on the back side of a wall W disposed behind the toilet bowl body or in a cabinet C, while the pump device 8 is disposed on inner side than the skirt part of the toilet bowl body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to flush toilets, and in particular to flush toilets that are flushed with flush water to expel waste.

Conventionally, as a flush toilet that is flushed with flush water to expel waste, so-called "pump-type flush toilets" have been known, in which flush water stored in a water storage tank is pressurized by a pump device into the toilet body to flush the toilet, as described in Patent Document 1, for example.
In the conventional flush toilet described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the water tank and pump device are each positioned outside the toilet body by being concealed behind a wall located behind the toilet body or within a cabinet.

JP 2018-199996 A

However, in the conventional flush toilets described above, the water tank and pump device are concealed behind the wall behind the toilet body or within a cabinet, so in order to ensure the capacity of the water tank while also providing space to install the pump device, a fairly large amount of space must be secured behind the wall or within the cabinet.
In addition, while the water tank that stores the cleaning water has a relatively long lifespan, there has been significant technological advancement in related equipment such as the pump unit and the control device that controls its drive unit, and regular maintenance and replacement of parts and equipment are required. Therefore, if the pump unit and its peripheral equipment (control device, etc.) are concealed behind a wall or inside a cabinet, there is a problem that maintainability is impaired.
Therefore, in recent years, a pressing issue has been how to ensure the capacity of a water storage tank placed behind a wall or inside a cabinet while also ensuring ease of maintenance of the pump device and its peripheral devices.

The present invention was made to solve the problems of the conventional technology mentioned above and the problems that have been required in recent years, and aims to provide a pump-type flush toilet that can ensure both the capacity of the water tank placed behind the wall or inside the cabinet and the ease of maintenance of the pump device and its peripheral equipment.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flush toilet that is flushed with flushing water to discharge waste, comprising a toilet body having a bowl portion including a waste receiving surface that receives waste and a rim portion formed on the upper edge of the waste receiving surface, a drainage flow path that discharges waste in the bowl portion, and a skirt portion that surrounds the bowl portion and the drainage flow path from the outside, a tank device having a water storage tank that stores flushing water, and a pump device that pressurizes the flushing water supplied from the water storage tank and supplies it to the bowl portion of the toilet body, wherein the water storage tank is positioned outside the toilet body by being concealed behind a wall located behind the toilet body or within a cabinet, while the pump device is positioned inside the skirt portion of the toilet body.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the water storage tank of the tank device is positioned outside the toilet body by being concealed behind a wall located behind the toilet body or within a cabinet, while the pump device can be positioned inside the skirt portion of the toilet body.
This makes it possible to secure space on the front side of the wall behind the toilet body or outside the cabinet (such as the space behind and above the toilet body) without compromising the design of the toilet body, and this space can be utilized, for example, as space for installing windows, decorative shelves, etc., thereby increasing the freedom of layout in the space around the flush toilet.
In addition, by positioning the tank device's water storage tank outside the toilet body, concealed behind the wall behind the toilet body or within a cabinet, and positioning the pump device inside the skirt portion of the toilet body, it is possible to ensure a large capacity of the water storage tank while reducing the wall thickness or space within the cabinet by the space occupied by the pump device, compared to when the pump device is concealed behind the wall or within a cabinet together with the tank device's water storage tank, ensuring a large capacity of the water storage tank.
Furthermore, if the pump device were concealed behind the wall behind the toilet body or inside a cabinet, it would be difficult to access the pump device and its peripheral equipment when performing maintenance such as inspection or part replacement. However, by positioning the pump device in the space inside the skirt portion of the toilet body, the pump device and its peripheral equipment can be easily accessed from the front side of the wall or outside the cabinet, improving maintainability.
Therefore, the water storage tank of the tank device, which has a long life and is less likely to lose its water storage function, can be placed behind the wall or inside a cabinet, while the pump device, which has seen greater technological advances than the water storage tank and requires more frequent maintenance such as inspection and part replacement, can be placed in part inside the toilet body.
This makes it possible to ensure the capacity of the water tank placed behind the wall or inside the cabinet, while also ensuring ease of maintenance of the pump device and its peripheral devices on the toilet body side.

In the present invention, the lower end position of the water tank is preferably set at a position lower than the upper surface of the rim portion of the toilet body.
In the present invention configured in this manner, conventional water tanks that are concealed behind a wall or within a cabinet located behind the toilet body use gravity (potential energy) to supply the flushing water inside to the downstream side (towards the toilet body), so-called "gravity-fed water tanks" are used. In order to utilize the effect of gravity (potential energy) of the flushing water in the storage tank, the water level in the storage tank (for example, the water level in the storage tank during standby) is set as high as possible, so that the lower end position of the storage tank is set above the upper surface of the rim of the toilet body.
In contrast, the present invention employs a so-called "pump-type water storage tank," in which flushing water supplied from the water storage tank by a pump device is pressurized and supplied to the bowl portion of the toilet body, thereby allowing the lower end position of the water storage tank to be set at a position lower than the upper surface of the rim portion of the toilet body.
Therefore, a larger space can be secured above the toilet body, and this can be utilized more effectively.
In addition, by setting the lower end position of the water storage tank at a position lower than the upper surface of the rim portion of the toilet body, even in situations where the gravitational effect (potential energy) of the flushing water in the water storage tank is difficult to exert, the flushing water in the water storage tank can be supplied sufficiently to the bowl portion of the toilet body by the pressure force of the pump device.

In the present invention, preferably, the skirt portion has a rear wall portion provided on the rear side of the toilet body and a toilet side opening that penetrates this rear wall portion in the front-to-rear direction, the water storage tank has a supply port that is directed from the rear side of the toilet body toward the toilet side opening and supplies flushing water in the water storage tank to the toilet body side, and the flush toilet further has a water-passing member that connects the supply port of the water storage tank to the pump device, and this water-passing member is arranged to pass through the toilet side opening.
In the present invention configured in this way, a toilet-side opening can be provided that penetrates the rear wall on the rear side of the skirt part of the toilet body in the front-to-rear direction, and the supply port of the water storage tank that supplies flushing water from the water storage tank to the toilet body side can be arranged to be directed from the rear side of the toilet body toward the toilet-side opening. Also, the water-passing member that connects the supply port of the water storage tank to the pump device can be arranged to pass through the toilet-side opening of the toilet body.
In addition, by directing the supply inlet of the water storage tank toward the opening on the toilet side, it is possible to eliminate wasted space that would otherwise be required for the water-passing member connecting the supply inlet of the water storage tank and the pump device to take a detour, and to connect the supply inlet of the water storage tank and the pump device via the shortest route.
Therefore, the capacity of the water storage tank can be secured and pressure loss due to the flow path length of the water-passing member can be reduced, so that the flushing water in the water storage tank can be efficiently supplied to the bowl portion of the toilet body by the pump device.
The water-passing member may be provided integrally with the pump device. This eliminates the need for a retaining member (such as a hose clamp) that would be required at the connection between the water-passing member and the pump device. This allows the water storage tank and the pump device to be connected with the shortest distance in the front-to-rear direction, thereby reducing the forward projection dimension of the flush toilet.
This allows for greater freedom in the layout of the space around the flush toilet.

In the present invention, the flush toilet preferably further has a control device which controls the pump device, and this control device is disposed in the toilet body.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the water storage tank of the tank device, which is less likely to lose its water storage function and has a long life, is placed behind the wall or inside the cabinet, while the pump device and control device, which have made greater technological advances than the water storage tank and require more frequent maintenance such as inspection and part replacement, can be placed in a part of the toilet body.
This improves the ease of maintenance of the pump device, the control device, and their peripheral devices on the toilet body side.
In addition, compared to concealing the pump device and control device together with the water storage tank of the tank device behind a wall or inside a cabinet, the thickness of the wall or the space inside the cabinet can be reduced by the space occupied by the pump device and control device, while ensuring a large capacity of the water storage tank.

In the present invention, preferably, the flush toilet further has a private part washing device that is provided at the rear of the upper surface of the toilet body and that sprays washing water onto the private parts of the toilet user to wash them, and this private part washing device has an outer shell that forms its outer shell, and the overflow water level of the washing water in the water storage tank is set at a position higher than the upper surface of the rim part of the toilet body, and lower than the upper end of the outer shell of the private part washing device.
In the present invention configured in this manner, if the overflow level of the flushing water in the water storage tank is set at a position lower than the top surface of the rim of the toilet body, for example, if a blockage occurs on the toilet body side, there is a possibility that the flushing water in the water storage tank will exceed the overflow level behind the rear wall of the toilet body or inside the cabinet before the toilet body side becomes full, causing water to leak outside the machine.
Furthermore, if the overflow water level of the flushing water in the water storage tank is set at a position higher than the upper end of the outer shell of the private parts cleansing device, when a clog occurs in the main body of the toilet, the main body will fill up with water and the flushing water in the main body will overflow from the top of the rim, allowing the user to notice the leakage on the main body side. However, if such leakage exceeds the upper end of the outer shell of the private parts cleansing device, it may not be possible to install windows, shelves, etc. in the space above the upper end of the outer shell of the private parts cleansing device.
Therefore, in the present invention, the overflow water level of the flushing water in the water storage tank is set at a position higher than the upper surface of the rim part of the toilet body, and lower than the upper end of the outer shell of the local cleansing device. Therefore, if a clog occurs in the toilet body and the flushing water in the toilet body overflows from the upper surface of the rim, the user will be able to notice the leakage on the toilet body side, and a window, display shelf, etc. can be installed in the space above the upper end of the outer shell of the local cleansing device.

In the present invention, preferably, the flush toilet is a wall-hung type flush toilet further having a frame portion that is arranged behind a wall or within a cabinet located behind the toilet body and that fixes the toilet body and the tank device, the downstream side of the drainage flow path of the toilet body being directed toward the back side of the wall or within the cabinet, and the water storage tank being arranged above the drainage flow path.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the flush toilet is a wall-hung type flush toilet that is positioned behind the wall or inside a cabinet located behind the toilet body and has a frame portion for fixing the toilet body and the tank device, and the downstream side of the toilet body's drainage flow path is directed toward the back of the wall or inside the cabinet, and the water storage tank is positioned above the drainage flow path. Therefore, in the unlikely event that the tank device fails, only the tank device behind the wall or inside the cabinet can be replaced alone, while the toilet body and its drainage flow path fixed by the frame portion are maintained as they are (fixed state).

In the present invention, preferably, the tank device further includes an overflow path that connects the water storage tank and the toilet body and allows flushing water overflowing from the water storage tank to flow, the overflow path having an upstream end connected to the water storage tank side and a downstream end connected to the toilet body side, and allowing flushing water overflowing from the water storage tank to flow from the upstream end through the toilet side opening to the toilet body from the downstream end.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the overflow path of the tank device which connects the water storage tank and the toilet body and allows flushing water overflowing from the water storage tank to pass from the upstream end through the toilet side opening of the toilet body to the downstream end to the toilet body.
In addition, by passing flushing water overflowing from the water storage tank through the front side of the wall or into the bowl part (user side) of the toilet body at the front of the cabinet, it is possible for the user to easily detect an abnormality.
Furthermore, in the unlikely event that a blockage such as poor drainage occurs on the toilet body side, if the point where water ultimately leaks is the bowl part of the toilet body, the user can clean it, thereby preventing corrosion of furniture around the flush toilet due to water leakage.
On the other hand, if the overflow path is configured so that it is completed only behind the wall or within the cabinet, such as by connecting its downstream end to a drainage flow path behind the wall or within the cabinet, then in the event of a leak, it will not be possible to clean the back of the wall or inside the cabinet, which will result in the wood, etc. within the wall, becoming corroded.
Furthermore, if an overflow path were provided so that it was completed only behind the wall or within the cabinet, there would be a problem in that the capacity of the water storage tank would not be secured.
To address these problems, in the present invention, the overflow path of the tank device is capable of passing flushing water overflowing from the storage tank from the upstream end through the toilet body's toilet side opening from the downstream end to the toilet body, thereby ensuring the capacity of the storage tank and increasing the freedom of layout in the space surrounding the flush toilet.

In the present invention, preferably, an inspection opening is provided in the wall located behind the toilet body or the private parts cleaning device or in the front wall of the cabinet, and the water-passing member or the overflow path is arranged to pass through the inspection opening.
With the present invention configured in this manner, when performing maintenance on the back of the wall behind the toilet body or on related equipment of the tank device inside the cabinet, or when performing maintenance on the pump device or parts of the personal cleansing device (small parts, etc.) on the toilet body side, access can be easily made through the inspection opening without destroying the wall or cabinet, thereby improving maintainability.

The flush toilet of the present invention can ensure the capacity of the water tank, which is placed behind a wall or inside a cabinet, while also ensuring ease of maintenance of the pump device and its peripheral equipment.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen diagonally from the front and above. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention. Next, Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention, seen diagonally from the front and above. Also, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. Also, Fig. 5 is a rear view of a flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention.
First, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, a flush toilet 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a so-called "wall-hung flush toilet", in which the rear of the toilet body 2 is fixed to the wall W of the toilet room T (or the front wall W of the cabinet C).

Next, the wall-hung flush toilet 1 of this embodiment comprises a ceramic toilet body 2, a tank device 6 equipped with a water storage tank 4 that stores flush water to be supplied to the toilet body 2, and a pump device 8 that is provided downstream of the tank device 6 and pressurizes the flush water supplied from the water storage tank 4 and supplies it to the toilet body 2.
Further, a fixing device S for fixing the toilet body 2 and the tank device 6 is provided on the back side of the wall W of the toilet room T (or inside the cabinet C). This fixing device S includes a plurality of frame parts (vertical frame members S1, horizontal frame members S2) that form an outer frame of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape.

When the rear part of the toilet body 2 is fixed to the fixing device S via the wall W of the toilet room T (or the front wall W of the cabinet C) with a bolt B and a nut N (see Figure 3), the entire toilet body 2 is fixed to the front side of the wall W by the fixing device S and is fixed above the floor surface F.
In addition, the tank device 6 is fixed to the back side of the wall W (or within the cabinet C) by a fixing device S, and the tank device 6 is positioned outside the toilet body 2 by being concealed in the space behind the wall W (or within the cabinet C).
On the other hand, the pump device 8 is disposed inside the toilet body 2 .

Next, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, the toilet body 2 specifically has a bowl portion 14 including a waste receiving surface 10 for receiving waste and a rim portion 12 formed on the upper edge of this waste receiving surface 10.
The toilet body 2 also includes a drain trap portion 16 that forms a drainage flow path for discharging waste within the bowl portion 14, and a skirt portion 18 that is formed to surround the bowl portion 14 and the drain trap portion 16 from the outside.
Here, the skirt portion 18 is not limited to a ceramic skirt portion formed integrally with the toilet body 2, but also includes a panel member or the like that is provided separately from the toilet body 2 and removably attached to cover the toilet body 2 from the outside.
The pump device 8 is disposed inside the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2 and in the space behind the bowl portion 14 .

1 and 4, the drain trap portion 16 has an inlet portion 16a connected to the lower portion of the bowl portion 14, and extends from the inlet portion 16a to a lowermost end portion 16b at a rearward and downward direction, and then forms a curved drain flow path that rises rearward and upward. The downstream end (rear end) of the curved drain flow path extends rearward.
A drain pipe 20 is installed on the back side of the wall W at the rear of the toilet body 2 (or inside the cabinet C). This drain pipe 20 extends from below to above the floor surface F, and is then directed toward the toilet body 2 (front side), with an inlet 20a located at its front end (upstream end) connected to an outlet 16c at the rear end (downstream end) of the drain trap portion 16 via a drain socket 22.

1 to 3 and 5, the tank device 6 includes a water supply pipe 24 connected to the upstream side of the water storage tank 4. The most upstream side of the water supply pipe 24 is connected to an external water supply source 26 such as a water supply.
Further, a stop valve 28 and a valve unit 30 are provided in the water supply pipe 24 from the water supply source 26 side (upstream side) to the downstream side. This valve unit 30 includes a constant flow valve 32 provided in the water supply pipe 24, an on-off valve (diaphragm valve 34) provided downstream of this constant flow valve 32, and an electromagnetic valve 36 that opens and closes this on-off valve (diaphragm valve 34).
Furthermore, a water supply nozzle 38 is provided at the downstream end of the water supply pipe 24. This water supply nozzle 24a is directed toward the inside of the water storage tank 4 and serves as a water supply section that supplies flush water from the water supply pipe 24 into the water storage tank 4.
As a result, when the diaphragm valve 34 is opened by operation of the solenoid valve 36, the cleaning water supplied into the water supply pipe 24 from the water supply source 26 by the water supply pressure of a water supply or the like is passed through the stopcock 28 and the constant flow valve 32 of the valve unit 30, whereby the flow rate is adjusted to a constant value, and then passes through the diaphragm valve 34 and is supplied into the water storage tank 4 from the water supply nozzle 38.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6 includes a main tank 40 disposed on the lower side, and an auxiliary tank 42 connected to the upper end of the main tank 40.
These tanks 40, 42 are in communication with each other in the vertical direction.
As a result, the cleaning water supplied from the water supply nozzle 38 is first received in the auxiliary tank 42, then passes through the lower opening 42a of the auxiliary tank 42, and is supplied into the main tank 40 from the upper opening 40a of the main tank 40, which is connected to this lower opening 42a.
1 to 5, the auxiliary tank 42 has an overflow port 42b provided in a portion of its side wall. An overflow pipe 44 is connected to this overflow port 42b, and this overflow pipe 44 forms an overflow path that passes the flush water in the auxiliary tank 42 to the bowl portion 14 side of the toilet body 2 without passing through the main tank 40.

Furthermore, a check valve 46 for opening and closing the overflow port 42b is provided near the connection between the auxiliary tank 42 and the overflow pipe 44 (near the inlet 44a of the overflow pipe 44).
This check valve 46 constantly closes the overflow port 42b during normal use of the tank device 6. More precisely, during normal use, when the toilet flush is not being performed, the overflow port 42b is slightly opened (slightly open state) by the check valve 46, thereby preventing the check valve 46 from sticking.
On the other hand, when the toilet is flushed, the check valve 46 operates to close the overflow port 42b, preventing backflow of water from the pump device 8, thereby suppressing a decrease in flushing performance.
In addition, in the event of an abnormality such as a malfunction of the tank device 6 or shutdown due to a power outage, when the water level in the main tank 40 rises above the full water level and the water level in the auxiliary tank 42 rises to a predetermined height, i.e., the overflow level of the water storage tank 4, the check valve 46 is designed to open due to the cleaning water in the auxiliary tank 42.
This allows flush water flowing out from the overflow port 42 b to flow into the bowl portion 14 of the toilet body 2 without backflowing from the overflow pipe 44 .

Next, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, the pump device 8 includes a pump main body 48 having a built-in drive unit (not shown), and a suction pipe 50 and a discharge pipe 52 provided on the upstream and downstream sides, respectively, of the pump main body 48.
In addition, a supply port 40b is provided on the front wall of the main tank 40, which is directed from the rear side to the front side of the toilet body 2, and the upstream end of the suction pipe 50 of the pump device 8 is connected to the supply port 40b of the main tank 40 via a water-passing member (water-passing pipe 54).
Furthermore, the water pipe 54 extends from the connection portion with the supply port 40b of the main tank 40 to the inside of the main tank 40 on the upstream side thereof.
In addition, the upstream end of the discharge pipe 52 of the pump device 8 is connected to the pump main body 48, while the downstream end of the discharge pipe 52 is connected to the main water passage 2a inside the rear side of the toilet body 2 via a flexible hose 56.

In addition, the downstream end (outlet portion 44 b ) of the overflow pipe 44 is also connected to the main water passage 2 a of the toilet body 2 .
As shown in Figure 3, the main water channel 2a of the toilet body 2 is formed in the left-right central part of the rear side inside the toilet body 2 so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and at its front end (downstream end) there are formed a first rim water channel 2b and a second rim water channel 2c which branch out to the left and right.
Furthermore, a first rim water outlet 2d and a second rim water outlet 2e are formed at the downstream ends of the first rim water conduit 2b and the second rim water conduit 2c, respectively.

1 to 5, the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a controller 58, which is a control device that controls the operation of the pump device 8. This controller 58 is located in a part of the toilet body 2.
The tank device 6 also includes a float switch 60 that detects the water level in the main tank 40 .
The opening and closing operation of the solenoid valve 36 of the valve unit 30 is controlled by a controller 58 based on the water level in the main tank 40 detected by a float switch 60 .
In addition, the operation of the pump device 8 is also controlled by the controller 58 based on the water level in the main tank 40 detected by a float switch 60.
For example, when the water level in the main tank 40 detected by the float switch 60 is below a predetermined level, the solenoid valve 36 and the diaphragm valve 34 open, thereby opening the water supply pipe 24 and operating the pump device 8.
When the water level in the main tank 40 reaches a predetermined water level, the solenoid valve 36 closes and the diaphragm valve 34 closes, thereby closing the water supply pipe 24 and stopping the pump device 8.

In addition, when the pump device 8 is operated, the cleaning water stored in the main tank 40 is sucked from the water supply pipe 54 through the suction pipe 50 into the pump body 48, and then pressure-fed to the discharge pipe 52.
As a result, all of the flushing water supplied from the main tank 40 to the discharge pipe 52 by the pump device 8 is supplied from the flexible hose 56 to the main water passage 2a of the toilet body 2, and then supplied into each rim water passage 2b, 2c.
The flush water in each of the rim water channels 2b, 2c is discharged into the bowl portion 14 only from each of the rim water outlets 2d, 2e, thereby performing a toilet flush (so-called toilet flush using 100% rim water discharge).

Next, specific features relating to the structure of the toilet body 2, tank device 6 equipped with the water storage tank 4, pump device 8, and surrounding parts in the flush toilet 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5.
First, as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the height position P1 of the lowest end 40c of the main tank 40 of the water storage tank 4 in the tank device 6 is set at a position lower than the height position P2 of the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 in the toilet body 2.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the water storage tank 4 (main tank 40, auxiliary tank 42) is disposed above the drainage flow path (drain trap portion 16 and drainage pipe 20).

Next, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 to 5, the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment is further equipped with a private parts washing device 62 that sprays wash water onto the private parts of the toilet user to wash them.
This private parts washing device 62 is provided behind the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 of the toilet body 2, and has an outer shell portion 62a that forms the outer shell of the body.
3 and 5, the external shape of the local cleaning device 62 and its outer casing 62a are shown by imaginary lines.
Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, if the water level equal to the lower limit position of the overflow port 42b in the auxiliary tank 42 is defined as the "overflow water level WL1 in the water storage tank 4," this overflow water level WL1 is located above the full water level WL2 of the main tank 40 in the water storage tank 4.
Furthermore, the overflow water level WL1 in the water tank 4 is set at a position higher than the height position P2 of the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 in the toilet body 2, and at a position lower than the height position P3 of the upper end 62b of the outer shell portion 62a in the local cleansing device 62.

Next, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2 has a rear wall portion 18a provided on its rear side, and a rear opening 18b, which is a toilet side opening that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction through the left-to-right center of the upper edge of the rear wall portion 18a.
As a result, the water pipe 54 connecting the supply port 40b of the main tank 40 and the suction pipe 50 of the pump device 8 is arranged to pass through the rear opening 18b of the rear wall portion 18a of the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2.
Here, the rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18 in the toilet body 2 of the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment has a notched shape with its upper edge cut out in a concave downward shape, but it is not limited to this shape and may also be in the shape of a hole that penetrates the rear wall portion 18a in the front-to-rear direction without cutting out the upper edge of the rear wall portion 18a of the skirt portion 18.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the overflow pipe 44 has an upstream end (inlet portion 44a) connected to the overflow port 42b of the auxiliary tank 42 of the water storage tank 4, and a downstream end (outlet portion 44b) connected to the main water passage 2a of the toilet body 2, and the intermediate path between the inlet portion 44a and the outlet portion 44b of the overflow pipe 44 passes through the rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18.
As a result, the overflow pipe 44 forms an overflow path that allows the flush water in the auxiliary tank 42 to flow to the bowl portion 14 side of the toilet body 2 without passing through the main tank 40.
In addition, flushing water overflowing from the overflow outlet 42b of the auxiliary tank 42 of the water storage tank 4 passes through the overflow pipe 44 from the upstream end (inlet portion 44a) to the rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18, and from the downstream end (outlet portion 44b) to the main water passage 2a of the toilet body 2, and can then be passed into the bowl portion 14 from each of the rim water outlets 2d, 2e of each of the rim water passages 2b, 2c.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, an inspection opening 64 is provided in the wall W disposed behind the toilet body 2 and the private parts cleansing device 62 or in the front wall W of the cabinet C, penetrating in the front-rear direction.
The water passage member (water passage pipe 54 ) and the overflow path (overflow pipe 44 ) are arranged to pass through the inspection opening 64 .

Next, the operation of the flush toilet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be explained with reference to FIGS.
First, with the flush toilet 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6 is positioned outside the toilet body 2 by being concealed behind the wall W located at the rear of the toilet body 2 or within the cabinet C, while the pump device 8 can be positioned inside the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2.
This makes it possible to secure space on the front side of the wall W behind the toilet body 2 or outside the cabinet C (such as the space behind and above the toilet body 2) without compromising the design of the toilet body 2, and this space can be utilized, for example, as space for installing a window, a decorative shelf, etc., thereby increasing the freedom of layout in the space around the flush toilet 1.
In addition, by positioning the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6 outside the toilet body 2 and concealing it within the rear wall WC of the toilet body 2, and positioning the pump device 8 inside the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2, it is possible to ensure a large capacity of the water storage tank 4 while reducing the thickness of the wall W or the space within the cabinet C by the space occupied by the pump device 8, compared to when the pump device 8 is concealed behind the wall W or within the cabinet C together with the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6.
Furthermore, if the pump device 8 were concealed behind the rear wall W of the toilet body 2 or inside the cabinet C, it would be difficult to access the pump device 8 and its peripheral equipment during maintenance such as inspection and part replacement. However, by positioning the pump device 8 in the space inside the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2, the pump device 8 and its peripheral equipment (controller 58, etc.) can be easily accessed from the front side of the wall W or outside the cabinet C, improving maintainability.
Therefore, the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6, which is less likely to lose its water storage function and has a long life, is placed behind the wall W or inside the cabinet C, while the pump device 8, which has seen greater technological advances than the water storage tank 4 and requires more frequent maintenance such as inspection and part replacement, can be placed in a part of the toilet body 2.
This makes it possible to ensure the capacity of the water tank 4, which is placed behind the wall W or inside the cabinet C, while also ensuring ease of maintenance of the pump device 8 and its peripheral equipment (controller 58, etc.) on the toilet body 2 side.

Furthermore, in conventional water storage tanks that are concealed behind the wall W located behind the toilet body 2 or within the cabinet C, a so-called "gravity-fed water storage tank" is used, in which the flushing water inside is supplied to the downstream side (towards the toilet body) by utilizing gravity (potential energy). In order to utilize the effect of gravity (potential energy) of the flushing water in the storage tank, the water level in the storage tank (for example, the water level in the storage tank during standby) is set as high as possible, and the lower end position of the storage tank is set above the upper surface of the rim of the toilet body.
In contrast, the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment employs a so-called "pump-type water storage tank 4," in which flush water supplied from the water storage tank 4 is pressurized by a pump device 8 and supplied to the bowl portion 14 of the toilet body 2, so that the height position P1 of the bottom end 40c of the main tank 40 in the water storage tank 4 can be set at a position lower than the height position P2 of the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 in the toilet body 2.
Therefore, a larger space can be secured above the toilet body 2, which can be effectively utilized, for example, as space for installing a window, a display shelf, etc.
In addition, since the height position P1 of the lowest end 40c of the main tank 40 in the storage tank 4 is set at a position lower than the height position P2 of the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 in the toilet body 2, even in a situation where the gravitational effect (potential energy) of the flushing water in the main tank 40 of the storage tank 4 is difficult to exert, the flushing water in the main tank 40 of the storage tank 4 can be sufficiently supplied to the bowl portion 14 of the toilet body 2 by the pressure force of the pump device 8.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, a toilet side opening (rear opening 18b) that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction can be provided in the rear wall portion 18a on the rear side of the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2, and the supply port 40b of the main tank 40, which supplies flushing water from the storage tank 4 to the toilet body 2, can be arranged to be directed from the rear side of the toilet body 2 towards the rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2.
Furthermore, the water-passing member (water-passing pipe 54) connecting the supply port 40b of the main tank 40 of the water storage tank 4 to the pump device 8 could be arranged to pass through the rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2.
In addition, since the supply port 40b of the main tank 40 of the water storage tank 4 is directed toward the rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2, it is possible to eliminate wasted space that would be required for the water-passing member (water-passing pipe 54) connecting the supply port 40b of the main tank 40 and the pump device 8 to have to take a detour, and it is possible to connect the supply port 40b of the main tank 40 of the water storage tank 4 and the pump device 8 via the shortest route.
Therefore, the capacity of the water storage tank 4 can be secured and the pressure loss due to the flow path length of the water passage member (water passage pipe 54) can be reduced, so that the flushing water in the water storage tank 4 can be efficiently supplied to the bowl portion 14 of the toilet body 2 by the pump device 8.
The water-passing member (water-passing pipe 54) may be provided integrally with the pump device 8. This eliminates the need for a holding member (such as a hose clamp) that would be necessary at the connection between the water-passing member (water-passing pipe 54) and the pump device 8. As a result, the water storage tank 4 and the pump device 8 can be connected so that the distance between them in the front-to-rear direction is the shortest, which makes it possible to reduce the forward projection dimension of the flush toilet 1.
Therefore, the degree of freedom in the layout of the space around the flush toilet 1 can be increased.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6, which is less likely to lose its water storage function and has a long life, is positioned behind the wall W or within the cabinet C, while the pump device 8 and control device (controller 58), which have made greater technological advances than the water storage tank 4 and require more frequent maintenance such as inspection and part replacement, can be positioned in a part of the toilet body 2.
This improves the ease of maintenance of the pump device 8, the controller 58, and their peripheral devices on the toilet body 2 side.
Furthermore, compared to the case where the pump device 8 and the controller 58 are concealed behind the wall W or within the cabinet C together with the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6, the capacity of the water storage tank can be increased while reducing the thickness of the wall W or the space within the cabinet C by the amount of space occupied by the pump device 8 and the controller 58.

Furthermore, according to the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, if the overflow level WL1 of the flush water in the storage tank 4 is set at a position lower than the height position P2 of the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 of the toilet body 2, for example, if a blockage occurs on the toilet body 2 side and the connection seal portion of the inlet portion 44a of the overflow pipe 44 is damaged, it is possible that the flush water in the storage tank 4 will exceed the overflow level WL1 behind the rear wall W of the toilet body 2 or inside the cabinet C before the toilet body 2 side becomes full of water, causing water to leak outside the machine.
When the tank device 6 of the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment is to comply with overseas standards such as those for Europe, for example, an opening that communicates with the atmosphere may be provided above the overflow port 42b in the auxiliary tank 42 of the water storage tank 4 and below the water supply nozzle 38, and a space (air gap) may be provided between the lower edge of this opening (corresponding to the upper limit water level in the auxiliary tank 42) and the lower end of the water outlet of the water supply nozzle 38 above it.
When adopting a configuration in which such a space (air gap) is provided, if the overflow port 42b is set below the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 of the toilet body 2, there is a problem in that if a blockage such as poor drainage occurs on the toilet body 2 side, there is a risk that water will leak from the space (air gap) (leakage outside the machine) before leaking from the bowl portion 14 of the toilet body 2.
Furthermore, if the overflow water level WL1 of the flushing water in the storage tank 4 is set at a position higher than the position P3 of the upper end 62b of the outer casing 62a of the local cleansing device 62, when a blockage occurs on the toilet body 2 side, the toilet body 2 side will become full and the flushing water in the toilet body 2 will overflow from the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12, allowing the user to notice the leakage on the toilet body 2 side, but if such leakage exceeds the upper end 62b of the outer casing 62a of the local cleansing device 62, it may not be possible to install a window, display shelf, etc. in the space above the upper end 62b of the outer casing 62a of the local cleansing device 62.
Therefore, in the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, the overflow level WL1 of the flush water in the storage tank 4 is set at a position higher than the height position P2 of the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12 in the toilet body 2, and is set at a position lower than the height position P3 of the upper end 62b of the outer shell portion 62a of the local cleansing device 62.
As a result, if a blockage occurs on the toilet body 2 side and the cleaning water inside the toilet body 2 overflows from the upper surface 12a of the rim portion 12, the user can notice the leakage on the toilet body 2 side, and a window, display shelf, etc. can be installed in the space above the upper end 62b of the outer shell 62a of the local cleansing device 62.

Furthermore, according to the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, the flush toilet 1 is a wall-hung type flush toilet that is positioned behind the wall W located behind the toilet body 2 or within the cabinet C and has a fixing device S that fixes the toilet body 2 and the tank device 6, the downstream side of the drainage flow path (drain trap portion 16) of the toilet body 2 is directed toward the back side of the wall W or within the cabinet C, and the water storage tank 4 is positioned above the drainage flow path (drain trap portion 16 and drain pipe 20).
Therefore, even if a malfunction occurs in the tank device 6, the toilet body 2 and its drainage flow path (drainage pipe 20) fixed by the fixing device S can be maintained as they are (fixed state), and only the tank device 6 behind the wall W or inside the cabinet C can be replaced alone.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, the overflow path (overflow pipe 44) of the tank device 6, which connects the storage tank 4 and the toilet body 2 and allows flushing water overflowing from the storage tank 4 to flow, allows flushing water overflowing from the storage tank 4 to flow from the inlet portion 44a of the overflow pipe 44 through the rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2 to the toilet body 2, and from the outlet portion 44b of the overflow pipe 44.
Furthermore, by routing the overflow pipe 44 which forms the overflow path through the rear opening 18b in the rear wall portion 18a of the skirt portion 18 of the toilet body 2, flushing water overflowing from the storage tank 4 flows into the front side of the wall W or the bowl portion 14 (user side) of the toilet body 2 in front of the cabinet C, making it easier for the user to detect an abnormality.
Furthermore, in the unlikely event that a blockage such as poor drainage occurs on the toilet body 2 side, if the point from which water ultimately leaks is the bowl portion 14 of the toilet body 2, the user can clean it, thereby preventing corrosion of furniture around the flush toilet 1 due to water leakage.
On the other hand, if the overflow pipe 44 forming the overflow path is configured so that its downstream end (outlet portion 44b) is connected to a drainage flow path or the like on the back side of the wall W or within the cabinet C, then when a leak occurs, it will not be possible to clean the back side of the wall W or within the cabinet C, which will result in the problem that wood, etc. within the wall W will corrode.
Furthermore, if an overflow path (overflow pipe 44) were provided so as to be completed only on the rear side of the wall W or within the cabinet C, there would be a problem in that the capacity of the water storage tank 4 could not be secured.
To address these problems, in this embodiment, the overflow path (overflow pipe 44) of the tank device 6 can pass flushing water overflowing from the storage tank 4 from the upstream end (inlet portion 44a) through the toilet side opening of the toilet body 2 (rear opening 18b of the skirt portion 18) and then from the downstream end (outlet portion 44b) to the toilet body 2, thereby ensuring the capacity of the storage tank 4 and increasing the freedom of layout in the space surrounding the flush toilet 1.

Furthermore, according to the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, an inspection opening 64 is provided in the wall W located behind the toilet body 2 and the local cleansing device 62 or in the front wall W of the cabinet C, and the water-passing member (water-passing pipe 54) or overflow path (overflow pipe 44) is arranged to pass through the inspection opening 64.
This allows easy access through the inspection opening 64 without destroying the wall W or cabinet C when performing maintenance on the back side of the rear wall W of the toilet body 2 or on related equipment of the tank device 6 inside the cabinet C, or when performing maintenance on the pump device 8 or parts (small parts, etc.) of the personal cleansing device 62 on the toilet body 2 side, thereby improving maintainability.

Note that, in the flush toilet 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention described above, the rear part of the toilet body 2 is fixed to the wall W of the toilet room T (or the front wall W of the cabinet C) and is positioned above the floor surface F, in the form of a so-called "wall-hung flush toilet", but it is not limited to this form and can also be applied to a so-called "floor-mounted flush toilet" form in which the toilet body 2 is positioned on the floor surface F.
Furthermore, in the flush toilet 1 of this embodiment, flush water supplied to the toilet body 2 from the water storage tank 4 of the tank device 6 by pressurization using the pump device 8 is discharged into the bowl portion 14 only from each rim water outlet 2d, 2e, thereby providing a form in which the toilet is flushed using 100% rim water discharge.
In this type of toilet flushing using 100% rim water spouting, noise reduction can be achieved, but other configurations are also applicable, particularly in cases where noise reduction is not a priority.
For example, as another form, it is possible to adopt one of the rim spouts 2d, 2e of the toilet body 2, and also adopt a jet nozzle that sprays water from below and in front of the bowl portion toward the inlet of the drain trap portion.
In this case, a switching valve that switches the water passage downstream of the pump device 8 may be provided in part of the toilet body 2, and this switching valve may switch the water passage downstream of the pump device 8 so that it communicates with the rim water passage upstream of the rim spout, or so that it communicates with the Z water passage upstream of the Z spout.
This allows the toilet to be flushed using a combination of rim water spouting from the rim spout and jet water spouting from the jet spout, thereby improving water conservation compared to flushing the toilet using 100% rim water spouting.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Flush toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention 2 Toilet body 2a Main waterway 2b First rim waterway 2c Second rim waterway 2d First rim water outlet 2e Second rim water outlet 4 Water storage tank 6 Tank device 8 Pump device 10 Waste receiving surface 12 Rim portion 12a Top surface of rim portion 14 Bowl portion 16 Drain trap portion (drain flow path)
16a Inlet of drain trap portion 16b Bottom end of drain trap portion 16c Outlet of drain trap portion 18 Skirt portion 18a Rear wall of skirt portion 18b Rear opening of skirt portion (toilet bowl side opening)
20 Drain pipe 20a Drain pipe inlet 22 Drain socket 24 Water supply pipe 26 Water supply source 28 Stopcock 30 Valve unit 32 Constant flow valve 34 Diaphragm valve 36 Solenoid valve 38 Water supply nozzle (water supply section)
40 Main tank 40a Upper opening of main tank 40b Supply port 40c Bottom end of main tank 42 Auxiliary tank 42a Lower opening of auxiliary tank 42b Overflow port 44 Overflow pipe (overflow path)
44a Inlet of overflow pipe (upstream end of overflow path)
44b Outlet of the overflow pipe (downstream end of the overflow path)
46 Check valve 48 Pump body 50 Suction pipe 52 Discharge pipe 54 Water passage pipe (water passage member)
56 Flexible hose 58 Controller (control device)
60 Float switch 62 Local cleaning device 62a Outer part of local cleaning device 62b Upper end of outer part of local cleaning device 64 Inspection opening B Bolt C Cabinet F Floor N Nut P1 Height position of the bottom end of the main tank in the water storage tank (bottom end position of the water storage tank)
P2 Height position of the upper surface of the rim part of the toilet body P3 Height position of the upper end of the outer shell part of the private parts washing device S Fixing device S1 Vertical frame member (frame part)
S2 Horizontal frame member (frame part)
T Toilet room W Toilet room wall or cabinet front wall WL1 Overflow water level of water storage tank WL2 Full water level of water storage tank's main tank

Claims (8)

A flush toilet that is flushed with flush water to expel waste,
a toilet body including a bowl portion including a waste receiving surface for receiving waste and a rim portion formed on an upper edge of the waste receiving surface, a drainage flow path for discharging waste within the bowl portion, and a skirt portion surrounding the bowl portion and the drainage flow path from the outside;
A tank device including a water storage tank for storing cleaning water;
a pump device that pressurizes flush water supplied from the water storage tank and supplies it to the bowl portion of the toilet body,
A flush toilet characterized in that the water tank is located outside the toilet body by being concealed behind a wall or within a cabinet located behind the toilet body, while the pump device is located inside the skirt portion of the toilet body. The flush toilet of claim 1, wherein the lower end of the water tank is set at a position lower than the upper surface of the rim of the toilet body. The skirt portion includes a rear wall portion provided on the rear side of the toilet body, and a toilet side opening portion passing through the rear wall portion in the front-rear direction,
the water storage tank is provided with a supply port directed from the rear side of the toilet body toward the toilet side opening and supplies flush water in the water storage tank to the toilet body side,
2. The flush toilet according to claim 1, further comprising a water-passing member that connects the supply port of the water storage tank with the pump device, the water-passing member being arranged to pass through the toilet-side opening. The flush toilet according to claim 1, further comprising a control device that controls the pump device, the control device being disposed in the toilet body. The flush toilet further has a genital washing device that is provided at the rear of the upper surface of the toilet body and sprays wash water onto the genitals of the toilet user to wash them, and this genital washing device has an outer shell that forms the outer shell of the genital washing device,
A flush toilet as set forth in claim 3, wherein the overflow water level of the flush water in the water storage tank is set at a position higher than the upper surface of the rim portion of the toilet body, and lower than the upper end of the outer shell portion of the pubic cleansing device. The flush toilet according to claim 1, further comprising a frame portion that is arranged behind the wall or inside the cabinet located behind the toilet body and that fixes the toilet body and the tank device, and the downstream side of the drainage flow path of the toilet body is directed toward the back side of the wall or inside the cabinet, and the water storage tank is arranged above the drainage flow path. The flush toilet according to claim 5, wherein the tank device further comprises an overflow path that connects the water storage tank and the toilet body and allows flush water overflowing from the water storage tank to pass through, the overflow path having an upstream end connected to the water storage tank and a downstream end connected to the toilet body, and allows flush water overflowing from the water storage tank to pass from the upstream end through the toilet side opening to the toilet body from the downstream end. The flush toilet according to claim 7, wherein an inspection opening is provided in the wall or the front wall of the cabinet located behind the toilet body or the private parts cleaning device, and the water-permeable member or the overflow path is arranged to pass through the inspection opening.

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