JP2025153651A - Flush toilet device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a water closet device capable of actualizing water saving while effectively utilizing washing water stored in a washing water tank for securing sufficient washing performance.SOLUTION: A water closet device (1) includes a water closet body (2) including a bowl part (2a), a rim water discharge port (2c), a drain trap pipeline (2b), and a jet water discharge port (2d), a washing water tank body (4), a rim drain valve (8), a jet drain valve (10), and an air exhaust passage (15) formed on the upstream side of a jet water channel to exhaust air in an air layer. A rim water discharge drain port and a jet water discharge drain port are both provided at a position higher than the lower end of the rim water discharge port so that before the jet drain valve is opened after starting washing, the washing water is supplied into the jet water channel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a flush toilet apparatus, and in particular to a flush toilet apparatus that flushes using flush water stored in a flush water tank.

JP 2015-168994 A (Patent Document 1) describes a flush toilet. In this flush toilet, opening a drain valve provided in the water storage tank device causes flush water to be discharged from the two rim spouts and jet spout provided in the flush toilet, thereby cleaning the bowl. In this flush toilet, flush water discharged from the water storage tank device first flows into a single water conduit, which then branches, and flush water is discharged from the two rim spouts and jet spout.

JP 2015-168994 A

However, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, flush water discharged from the water storage tank device first flows into a single water channel, which then branches, with flush water being discharged from the rim and jet outlets. Before the drain valve is opened, a relatively large air space exists within the water channel into which the flush water flows. For this reason, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, after the drain valve is opened, the air space that existed within the water channel is filled with flush water, and then flush water is discharged from the rim and jet outlets. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately set the timing at which flush water begins to be discharged from the rim and jet outlets. As a result, it becomes difficult to effectively utilize flush water and achieve a high flushing effect while reducing the amount of flush water used.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a flush toilet device that effectively utilizes the flush water stored in the flush water tank, ensuring sufficient flushing performance while also achieving water conservation.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flush toilet device that flushes using flush water stored in a flush water tank, comprising a flush toilet main body equipped with a bowl portion, a rim spout provided at the top of this bowl portion, a drain trap pipe extending from the bottom of the bowl portion, and a jet spout provided opposite the inlet of this drain trap pipe; a flush water tank main body that stores flush water for flushing the bowl portion of this flush toilet main body; and a rim water conduit provided at a rim spout drain outlet formed in the flush water tank main body, which discharges water from the rim spout through a rim water conduit provided in the flush toilet main body. It has a rim drain valve that discharges or stops flush water, a jet drain valve that is installed at a jet water discharge outlet formed in the flush water tank body and that discharges or stops flush water from the jet spout via a jet water conduit installed in the flush toilet body, and an exhaust path for discharging air from the air layer formed upstream of the jet water conduit, and is characterized in that the rim water discharge outlet and jet water discharge outlet are both installed at a position higher than the bottom end of the rim water discharge outlet, and flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit after flushing begins and before the jet drain valve is opened.

The present invention, configured in this manner, is equipped with a rim drain valve that starts or stops flush water from the rim spout, and a jet drain valve that starts or stops flush water from the jet spout, so the timing for flush water being discharged from each spout can be accurately set, allowing for effective use of flush water. Furthermore, the present invention, configured as described above, is equipped with an exhaust path for discharging air from the air layer in the jet water conduit, and flush water is supplied to the jet water conduit after flushing begins and before the jet drain valve is opened, thereby discharging air from the jet water conduit and raising the water level in the jet water conduit. As a result, flush water can be discharged from the jet water conduit soon after the jet drain valve is opened. This makes effective use of the flush water stored in the flush water tank, ensuring sufficient flushing performance while also achieving water conservation.

In the present invention, preferably, flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit by opening the rim drain valve after flushing begins and before the jet drain valve is opened, thereby discharging flush water from the rim spout, and thereby allowing flush water to flow in from the jet spout.

With this configuration, the present invention supplies flush water into the jet conduit by opening the rim drain valve and discharging flush water from the rim outlet before the jet drain valve is opened, so the water level in the jet conduit can be raised without requiring any special configuration to supply flush water into the jet conduit.

In the present invention, preferably, the supply of wash water into the jet water conduit causes the water level in the jet water conduit to rise, and when the jet drain valve opens, the water level in the drain trap pipe rises higher than the water level in the jet water conduit.

With this configuration, the water level in the drain trap pipe rises higher than the water level in the jet water conduit, allowing air trapped in the drain trap pipe to be discharged quickly, and siphon action can be initiated in the drain trap pipe early after jet water discharge begins. This allows the siphon action to be initiated with a small amount of flush water, achieving water conservation.

In the present invention, the cross-sectional area of the jet outlet is preferably larger than the cross-sectional area of the rim outlet.

With this configuration, the cross-sectional area of the jet spout is larger than that of the rim spout, allowing a large flow of water to be discharged from the jet spout, and a siphon action can be generated within the drain trap pipe in a short period of time. This allows the siphon action to be initiated with a small amount of flush water, thereby achieving water conservation.

In the present invention, preferably, flush water is discharged from the rim spout to form a swirling flow on the inner wall surface of the bowl portion, and this swirling flow swirls around the bowl portion one or more times.

With this configuration, the present invention creates a swirling flow when water is discharged from the rim spout, and this swirling flow circulates around the bowl more than once, allowing for thorough cleaning of the inner wall surface of the bowl while saving water.

In the present invention, the jet drain valve preferably opens when the water level in the jet water conduit reaches its highest point or thereafter.

With this configuration, the present invention opens when the water level in the jet water conduit reaches its highest point or thereafter, so the jet drain valve opens after the air in the air layer in the jet water conduit has been exhausted. This prevents the air in the air layer from mixing with the wash water, and reduces the generation of abnormal noise when the jet is spraying water.

In the present invention, preferably, one end of the exhaust path that communicates with the inside of the jet water conduit opens at a position higher than the water surface in the jet water conduit that rises due to the supply of wash water into the jet water conduit.

With this configuration, one end of the exhaust path opens at a position higher than the water level in the jet conduit, which rises when wash water is supplied into the jet conduit. This allows exhaust to be performed even when the water level in the jet conduit is raised, making it easy to raise the water level in the jet conduit.

In the present invention, preferably, one end of the exhaust path opens upward into the ceiling surface of the jet waterway.

With this configuration, one end of the exhaust path opens upward onto the ceiling surface of the jet water conduit. Therefore, even if the cleansing water in the jet water conduit enters the exhaust path, the cleansing water is immediately discharged, ensuring a stable airway.

In the present invention, the exhaust path is preferably configured to communicate the interior of the jet water conduit with the outside air.

With this configuration, the exhaust path of the present invention is designed to connect the inside of the jet waterway with the outside air, making it easy to exhaust air from inside the jet waterway.

In the present invention, the exhaust path is preferably configured to provide communication between the interior of the jet water conduit and the air layer within the flush water tank body.

With this configuration, the exhaust path is designed to connect the inside of the jet water conduit with the air layer inside the flush water tank body, preventing dust and other particles from entering the exhaust path from the outside air.

In the present invention, the jet water conduit is preferably configured so that an air layer remains inside it even when wash water is supplied into the jet water conduit before the jet drain valve is opened.

With this configuration, even when cleaning water is supplied to the jet water conduit before the jet drain valve is opened, an air layer remains inside the jet water conduit, preventing cleaning water from entering the exhaust path.

In the present invention, the jet water conduit is preferably configured so that an air pocket is formed inside it after the jet drain valve is opened.

With this configuration, the jet water conduit is configured so that an air pocket is formed inside it after the jet drain valve is opened, thereby reducing the effective volume of the jet water conduit and wasting flush water.

The flush toilet device of the present invention makes effective use of the flush water stored in the flush water tank, ensuring sufficient flushing performance while also achieving water conservation.

1 is a top view showing the schematic configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a flush water supply system in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a flush water tank body provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a time chart showing the operation of a flush toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an exhaust path according to a modified example in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Next, a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a top view showing the schematic configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the flush water supply system in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a flush water tank main body provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a flush toilet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of a flush toilet main body 2 and a flush water tank main body 4 located at the rear of this flush toilet main body 2. The flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment is configured so that flushing is performed after use by operating a lever handle 4a provided on the flush water tank main body 4. Note that the drain valve and other components provided inside the flush water tank main body 4 are not shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The flush toilet body 2 comprises a bowl portion 2a and a drain trap pipe 2b extending from the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. A rim spout 2c is provided at the upper edge of the bowl portion 2a, and a jet spout 2d is provided at the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. During toilet flushing, flush water is discharged from the rim spout 2c and jet spout 2d at a predetermined timing, respectively, cleaning the waste-receiving surface of the bowl portion 2a and discharging waste and flush water from within the bowl portion 2a into the drain trap pipe 2b. The waste and flush water discharged into the drain trap pipe 2b are then discharged through a drain socket (not shown) into the sewer pipe (not shown). In this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the jet spout 2d is configured to be larger than that of the rim spout 2c. Furthermore, when multiple rim spouts 2c are provided, the cross-sectional area of the jet spout 2d is preferably configured to be larger than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the rim spouts 2c.

As shown in Figure 3, flush water is supplied to the flush water tank body 4 from a water supply source 6 such as a tap, and the supplied flush water is stored inside the flush water tank body 4. The flush water tank body 4 also has a built-in rim drain valve 8 and a jet drain valve 10, and is configured to discharge or stop flush water from a drain port provided at the bottom of the flush water tank body 4.

In this embodiment, flush water discharged by opening the rim drain valve 8 passes through the rim water conduit 2e formed inside the flush toilet main body 2 and is discharged from the rim water outlet 2c. Furthermore, flush water discharged by opening the jet drain valve 10 passes through the jet water conduit 2f formed inside the flush toilet main body 2 and is discharged from the jet water outlet 2d.

Next, the internal structure of the flush water tank body 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an inner tank 14 is arranged inside the flush water tank main body 4. Also provided inside the flush water tank main body 4 are a rim drain valve 8 arranged inside the flush water tank main body 4 on the outside of the inner tank 14, a jet drain valve 10 arranged inside the inner tank 14, a ball tap 16 which is a water supply valve, and a water pressure drive mechanism 18.

The flush water tank body 4 and inner tank 14 are containers configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet body 2. In this embodiment, the flush water tank body 4 is made of ceramic, and the inner tank 14, which is placed inside this flush water tank body 4, is made of resin. In this specification, "flush water stored in the flush water tank body 4" includes not only flush water stored inside the flush water tank body 4 (outside the inner tank 14), but also flush water stored in the inner tank 14.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, a rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and a jet water spouting drain outlet 4c are provided on the bottom surface of the flush water tank main body 4, and in this embodiment, these drain outlets are configured to be circular. Note that, as shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c (only the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c is shown in Figure 2) are formed at the same height as the upper end surface of the bowl portion 2a, while the rim water spouting outlet 2c is formed below the upper end surface of the bowl portion 2a. Therefore, in this embodiment, both the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c are provided at a higher position than the lower end of the rim water spouting outlet 2c.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, flush water stored within the flush water tank main body 4 (and outside the inner tank 14) flows into the rim water conduit 2e of the flush toilet main body 2 through the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b, and flush water stored in the inner tank 14 flows into the jet water conduit 2f of the flush toilet main body 2 through the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c. However, the inner tank 14 can also be omitted, in which case flush water stored in a single (undivided) space within the flush water tank main body 4 is supplied to the flush toilet main body 2 through the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner tank 14 is placed on the bottom surface of the flush water tank main body 4, and a circular outlet 14a is formed on the bottom surface of the inner tank 14. This outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 is arranged concentrically so as to align with the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c provided in the flush water tank main body 4. That is, in this embodiment, the center of the circular jet water spouting drain outlet 4c and the circular outlet 14a coincide when viewed from above. For this reason, flush water within the inner tank 14 is discharged through the outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c of the flush water tank main body 4, and flows into the jet water conduit 2f of the flush toilet main body 2.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14 is formed by a drain port forming member 14b that is constructed separately from the main body of the inner tank 14. This drain port forming member 14b is a cylindrical member that is attached watertight to the bottom surface of the inner tank 14 and forms the discharge port 14a on its inside. In addition, a seat surface is provided at the upper end of the drain port forming member 14b, and the discharge port 14a is closed when the jet drain valve 10 seats on this seat surface. Therefore, in this embodiment, the seat surface on which the jet drain valve 10 seats is constructed from a member separate from the inner tank 14.

An overflow pipe 15, which serves as an exhaust path, is attached to the side of the drain outlet forming member 14b. This overflow pipe 15 is an L-shaped pipe that extends from the side of the drain outlet forming member 14b and opens upward above the top end of the inner tank 14. This allows the space inside the drain outlet forming member 14b to communicate with the outside air above the water surface of the inner tank 14 via the overflow pipe 15.

When the flush water level in the flush water tank body 4 exceeds the height of the overflow pipe 15, the flush water flows into the overflow pipe 15 and is discharged through the drain port forming member 14b into the jet conduit 2f. Meanwhile, when flush water flows into the jet conduit 2f, the air in the air layer formed at the upstream end of the jet conduit 2f is discharged to the outside air through the overflow pipe 15. In other words, when the flush toilet device 1 is in standby mode, the upstream end of the jet conduit 2f is filled with flush water up to the water level W2 (Figures 2 and 4), and an air layer is formed between this water level W2 and the jet drain valve 10. When flush water flows into this air layer, the air in the air layer is pushed out and discharged through the overflow pipe 15.

That is, the lower end of the overflow pipe 15 communicates with an opening 15a provided on the inner surface of the drain port forming member 14b, and this opening 15a is provided below the jet drain valve 10 and at a position higher than the water surface W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f. In this way, the overflow pipe 15 provides communication between the interior of the jet water conduit 2f and the air layer within the flush water tank main body 4. This allows communication between the interior of the jet water conduit 2f and the outside air.

Next, as shown in Figure 4, the rim drain valve 8 is a valve body arranged to open and close the rim spouting drain outlet 4b provided in the flush water tank body 4, and the rim spouting drain outlet 4b is opened when the rim drain valve 8 is pulled upward. This causes flush water in the flush water tank body 4 to be discharged into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 1) in the flush toilet body 2 and discharged from the rim spout 2c. Therefore, the rim drain valve 8 is provided in the rim spouting drain outlet 4b formed in the flush water tank body 4, and causes or stops flush water from being discharged from the rim spout 2c via the rim water conduit 2e provided in the flush toilet body 2.

In this embodiment, the user rotates the lever handle 4a on the flush water tank body 4, which pulls the ball chain 8a (Figure 4) connected to the rim drain valve 8, causing the rim drain valve 8 to be raised. As a variant, the present invention can also be configured so that the rim drain valve 8 is raised and flushing is performed based on a control signal from a remote control device (not shown) or a detection signal from a human presence sensor (not shown).

The jet drain valve 10 is installed in the jet water spouting drain port 4c formed in the flush water tank main body 4, and discharges or stops flush water from the jet water spout 2d via the jet water conduit 2f installed in the flush toilet main body 2. In other words, by pulling the jet drain valve 10 upward, the jet drain valve 10 lifts off the seat surface of the discharge port 14a, opening the discharge port 14a. As a result, flush water in the inner tank 14 flows into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 1) through the discharge port 14a and the jet water spouting drain port 4c of the flush water tank main body 4.

In this way, by lifting the jet drain valve 10, flush water in the inner tank 14 is drained from the outlet 14a, passes through the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c, flows into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 1) in the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the jet water spouting outlet 2d. If the inner tank 14 is omitted, the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c is opened and closed directly by the jet drain valve 10, and flush water is drained from the flush water tank main body 4.

Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is configured to be pulled up from the discharge port 14a by the water pressure drive mechanism 18. That is, the jet drain valve 10 is a valve body equipped with a valve stem 10a extending upward, and the valve stem 10a is pulled up by the water pressure drive mechanism 18. Then, when the jet drain valve 10 is pulled up to a predetermined height, it is disconnected from the water pressure drive mechanism 18 and gently descends to close the discharge port 14a. The configuration of the water pressure drive mechanism 18 will be described later.

Furthermore, the ball tap 16, which serves as a water supply valve, is configured to allow flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 to flow in through the inlet pipe 16a, and to switch on and off the supply of flush water to be stored in the flush water tank main body 4 and inner tank 14.

As shown in Figure 4, the ball tap 16 is connected to an inlet pipe 16a and an outlet pipe 16b, and a valve seat 20b is opened and closed by a built-in main valve body 20a. The ball tap 16 also has a float 22 and an arm portion 24 that is rotated by the float 22. The float 22 provided on the ball tap 16 operates in conjunction with the water level in the flush water tank body 4, and when the float 22 drops to a predetermined position, the built-in main valve body 20a opens and flush water is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18.

In other words, a main valve body 20a is positioned inside the ball tap 16 to open and close the valve seat 20b. When the valve is open, tap water flowing in from the inlet pipe 16a passes through the valve seat 20b and flows out into the outlet pipe 16b. The outlet pipe 16b is then connected to the water pressure drive mechanism 18.

The main valve element 20a is a roughly disc-shaped diaphragm-type valve element that is attached to the ball tap 16 so that it can seat and unseat on the valve seat 20b. A pressure chamber 20c is formed inside the ball tap 16 on the opposite side of the valve seat 20b from the main valve element 20a. A pilot valve port (not shown) is provided in the ball tap 16 so that it communicates with the interior of this pressure chamber 20c. When this pilot valve port (not shown) is closed and the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c increases, this pressure presses the main valve element 20a against the valve seat 20b, causing it to seat on the valve seat 20b.

Meanwhile, the float 22 is supported by an arm portion 24, to which a pilot valve (not shown) is connected, and is configured so that the pilot valve moves as the arm portion 24 rotates. In this embodiment, the float 22 is disposed within the flush water tank body 4, and moves up and down depending on the water level within the flush water tank body 4. As a result, when the water level within the flush water tank body 4 rises above a predetermined level, the float 22 is pushed upward, which moves the pilot valve (not shown), closing the pilot valve port (not shown) provided on the ball tap 16. On the other hand, when flush water is drained from the flush water tank body 4 and the water level drops, the float 22 moves downward, and the pilot valve port (not shown) opens. For this reason, during standby for toilet flushing when the water level within the flush water tank body 4 is higher than the predetermined level, the pilot valve port (not shown) of the ball tap 16 is in a closed state.

Furthermore, tap water that flows into the ball tap 16 from the inlet pipe 16a flows into the pressure chamber 20c. When the pilot valve port (not shown) is closed, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c increases. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c increases in this way, this pressure presses the main valve element 20a toward the valve seat 20b, causing the main valve element 20a to close the valve seat 20b.

On the other hand, when the rim drain valve 8 is opened during the flushing operation and the water level in the flush water tank body 4 falls below a predetermined level, the float 22 drops, the pilot valve (not shown) moves, and the pilot valve orifice (not shown) opens. When the pilot valve orifice (not shown) opens, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c decreases. This causes the main valve element 20a to move away from the valve seat 20b, opening the valve seat 20b. In this way, when the pilot valve orifice (not shown) is open, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c does not increase, and the valve seat 20b remains open.

Next, the configuration of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 will be described with reference to FIG.
The water pressure drive mechanism 18 is configured to drive the jet drain valve 10 using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied to the flush water tank body 4 from the water main. Specifically, the water pressure drive mechanism 18 has a cylinder 18a into which water supplied from the ball tap 16 flows, a piston 18b slidably disposed within this cylinder 18a, and a rod 28 that protrudes from the lower end of the cylinder 18a and drives the jet drain valve 10. Furthermore, a spring 18c is disposed inside the cylinder 18a and urges the piston 18b downward, and a packing is attached to the piston 18b to ensure watertightness between the inner wall surface of the cylinder 18a and the piston 18b. In addition, a clutch mechanism 30 is provided at the lower end of the rod 28, and this clutch mechanism 30 connects and disconnects the rod 28 and the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10.

Cylinder 18a is a cylindrical member with its axis oriented vertically, and slidably accommodates piston 18b inside. Furthermore, an outlet pipe 16b extending from ball tap 16 is connected to the lower end of cylinder 18a, allowing flushing water flowing out from ball tap 16 to flow into cylinder 18a. Therefore, piston 18b inside cylinder 18a is pushed up against the biasing force of spring 18c by the water flowing into cylinder 18a.

Meanwhile, an outlet hole is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 18a, and a water supply pipe 32 is connected to this outlet hole. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 18a from the outlet pipe 16b connected to the bottom of the cylinder 18a, the piston 18b is pushed upward from the bottom of the cylinder 18a. Then, when the piston 18b is pushed up to a position above the outlet hole, the water that has flowed into the cylinder 18a flows out from the outlet hole into the water supply pipe 32. Furthermore, the flush water that has flowed into the water supply pipe 32 flows into the inner tank 14.

The rod 28 is a rod-shaped member connected to the underside of the piston 18b, and extends through a through-hole formed in the bottom surface of the cylinder 18a, protruding downward from within the cylinder 18a. The valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10 is connected to the lower end of the rod 28 via a clutch mechanism 30, and the rod 28 connects the piston 18b and the jet drain valve 10. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 18a and pushes up the piston 18b, the rod 28 connected to the piston 18b lifts the jet drain valve 10 upward, opening the jet drain valve 10.

In addition, a gap is provided between the rod 28 protruding from below the cylinder 18a and the inner wall of the through-hole in the cylinder 18a, and some of the water that flows into the cylinder 18a flows out through this gap. The water that flows out through the gap flows into the inner tank 14. However, because this gap is relatively narrow and has high flow resistance, even when water is flowing out through the gap, the water flowing into the cylinder 18a from the outflow pipe 16b increases the pressure inside the cylinder 18a, pushing up the piston 18b against the biasing force of the spring 18c.

Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 30 detachably connects the rod 28 and the jet drain valve 10. When the jet drain valve 10 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 28, the clutch mechanism 30 is configured to disconnect the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10 from the rod 28. When the clutch mechanism 30 is disconnected, the jet drain valve 10 is no longer linked to the movement of the piston 18b and rod 28, and the jet drain valve 10 descends as the water level in the inner tank 14 drops, closing the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14.

Next, with new reference to FIG. 5, the operation of the flush toilet apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained.
FIG. 5 is a time chart showing the operation of a flush toilet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing, from the top down, the jet water spouting state, the rim water spouting state, the ball tap state, and the water level of each part.

First, when the toilet is in standby mode for flushing, the rim discharge drain port 4b of the flush water tank body 4 and the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14 are closed by the rim drain valve 8 and jet drain valve 10, respectively. Also, when in standby mode, the initial water level in the flush water tank body 4 is higher than a predetermined water level, which causes the pilot valve port (not shown) of the ball tap 16 (Figure 4) to be in a closed state, and the valve seat 20b is closed by the main valve body 20a. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, when in standby mode (before time t1 in Figure 5), the water level W1 of the accumulated water in the bowl portion 2a, the water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f, and the water level W3 in the drain trap conduit 2b are the same and coincide with the height of the top 2g of the drain trap conduit 2b.

The water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f is located below the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c of the flush water tank body 4, so in the standby state, an air layer exists between the water surface at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f and the jet water spouting drain outlet 4c.

Next, at time t1 in Figure 5, when the user rotates the lever handle 4a (Figure 4) on the flush water tank main body 4 to flush the toilet, the ball chain 8a connected to it pulls up the rim drain valve 8. This pulls the rim drain valve 8 away from the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b, opening the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b. When the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b is opened, flush water that had been stored inside the flush water tank main body 4 (outside the inner tank 14) flows from the rim water spouting drain outlet 4b into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 1) and is discharged from the rim water spout outlet 2c. The rim water spouting from the rim water spout outlet 2c creates a swirling flow on the waste receiving surface of the bowl section 2a, cleaning the waste receiving surface. When cleaning water is discharged from this rim water outlet 2c, a swirling flow is formed on the inner wall surface of the bowl portion 2a, and this swirling flow swirls around the bowl portion 2a more than once, thoroughly cleaning the bowl portion 2a.

Flush water discharged from the rim water outlet 2c first flows into the bowl section 2a, causing the water level W1 of the accumulated water in the bowl section 2a to rise. Because the bowl section 2a and the drain trap pipe 2b are connected via the inlet of the drain trap pipe 2b, when the water level W1 of the accumulated water in the bowl section 2a rises, the water level W3 in the drain trap pipe 2b also rises with a delay. Furthermore, because the bowl section 2a and the jet water conduit 2f are connected via the jet water outlet 2d, when the water level W1 of the accumulated water in the bowl section 2a rises, flush water flows into the jet water conduit 2f via the jet water outlet 2d. Therefore, after the water level W1 of the accumulated water in the bowl section 2a rises, the water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f also rises with a delay.

In this way, in this embodiment, after flushing begins at time t1, flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit 2f before the jet drain valve is opened (time t2 in Figure 5). That is, in this embodiment, after flushing begins, before the jet drain valve 10 is opened (time t2 in Figure 5), the rim drain valve 8 is opened (time t1 in Figure 5) to discharge flush water from the rim water outlet 2c, which causes flush water to flow in from the jet water outlet 2d, thereby supplying flush water into the jet water conduit 2f.

In this way, supplying flush water into the jet water conduit 2f causes the water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f to rise. Here, as described above, there is an air layer between the water surface at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f and the jet water spouting outlet 4c. Therefore, when the water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f rises, the air in the air layer passes through the overflow pipe 15, which serves as an exhaust path, and is discharged into the outside air (above the water surface in the flush water tank body 4).

However, even when the water level W2 reaches its highest point before the jet drain valve 10 is opened, the water level W2 is lower than the jet water discharge outlet 4c, and an air layer remains. In other words, the jet water conduit 2f is configured so that an air layer remains inside it, even when flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit 2f before the jet drain valve 10 is opened. Furthermore, the opening 15a provided on the inner surface of the drain outlet forming member 14b that communicates with the overflow pipe 15 remains higher than the water surface W2, even when the water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f has risen. Therefore, flush water does not enter from the lower end of the overflow pipe 15 due to the rise in water level W2.

As described above, after water discharge from the rim spout 2c begins and before the jet drain valve 10 opens, the water level W2 rises, and the water level W3 in the drain trap pipe 2b also rises. As shown in Figure 5, the rise in water level W3 in the drain trap pipe 2b is faster and greater than the rise in water level W2. Thus, the supply of flush water into the jet water conduit 2f causes the water level W2 in the jet water conduit 2f to rise, and at the time the jet drain valve 10 opens (time t2 in Figure 5), the water level W3 in the drain trap pipe 2b rises higher than the water level W2 in the jet water conduit 2f.

Meanwhile, as flush water is discharged from the rim discharge outlet 4b, the water level in the flush water tank body 4 drops. This causes the float 22 of the ball tap 16 (Figure 4) to drop, opening the pilot valve port (not shown). As a result, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20c drops, opening the main valve body 20a and allowing flush water to be supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 (Figure 4) through the outflow pipe 16b.

When flush water is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18, the flush water that flows into the cylinder 18a pushes up the piston 18b against the biasing force of the spring 18c. This causes the rod 28 connected to the piston 18b to pull up the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10, opening the outlet 14a of the inner tank 14. In other words, the jet drain valve 10 is driven and opened by the water supply pressure of tap water supplied via the ball tap 16.

As a result, at time t2 in Figure 5, the discharge port 14a opens, and flush water stored in the inner tank 14 flows through the discharge port 14a and jet water discharge port 4c into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 2) and is discharged from the jet water discharge port 2d. Furthermore, the jet water discharged from the jet water discharge port 2d fills the drain trap pipe 2b, inducing a siphon action. Due to the siphon action, the accumulated water and waste in the bowl portion 2a are sucked into the drain trap pipe 2b and discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown).

That is, as shown in Figure 5, when the discharge port 14a opens at time t2 and flush water is discharged from the jet water discharge port 2d, the water level W3 in the drain trap pipe 2b rises in a short time, filling the drain trap pipe 2b. This causes a siphoning effect, so the accumulated water in the bowl portion 2a is sucked into the drain trap pipe 2b, and the water level W1 of the accumulated water in the bowl portion 2a drops. Also, as described above, the water level W3 in the drain trap pipe 2b rises before the jet drain valve 10 opens. Therefore, when jet water discharge begins, the drain trap pipe 2b is filled with water early, shortening the time from the start of jet water discharge to the occurrence of the siphoning effect. (Note that when the jet drain valve 10 is open and flush water is flowing into the jet water conduit 2f from the jet water discharge outlet 4c, it is difficult to accurately determine the water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f. The graph of water level W2 between times t2 and t3 in Figure 5 shows an approximate value.)

As described above, the water level W2 at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f has risen before the jet drain valve 10 is opened, and the air layer above the water level W2 has been reduced. Therefore, when the jet drain valve 10 is opened, the air layer at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f is filled with water in a short period of time, allowing flush water to be discharged from the jet water outlet 2d quickly. In this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is opened at the time when the water level in the jet water conduit 2f has reached its highest point, or thereafter.

In this way, in the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, siphon action can be generated within the drain trap pipe 2b early after the jet drain valve 10 opens. In particular, the flush water initially discharged from the jet water discharge outlet 4c (discharge outlet 14a) has a high head pressure due to the high water level in the inner tank 14. In this embodiment, the air space at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f is configured to be relatively small, so flush water with high head pressure immediately after drainage begins is less likely to be wasted filling the air space. As a result, flush water with high head pressure can be effectively used to flush the toilet, increasing the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the jet water spout 2d. Furthermore, the jet water conduit 2f is configured so that an air pocket forms inside it near its ceiling surface even after the jet water discharge valve 10 opens. This allows the effective volume of the jet water conduit 2f to be reduced, reducing the amount of flush water wasted before siphon action is activated.

Meanwhile, when the jet drain valve 10 is raised to a predetermined height together with the piston 18b of the hydraulic drive mechanism 18, the clutch mechanism 30 (Figure 4) separates the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10 from the rod 28. As a result, the jet drain valve 10 descends toward the discharge port 14a as the water level in the inner tank 14 drops. Then, at time t3 in Figure 5, the jet drain valve 10 seats on the discharge port 14a, closing the discharge port 14a. This stops jet water spouting from the jet water outlet 2d.

When the jet drain valve 10 is closed and the jet water discharge is stopped, the siphon action in the drain trap pipe 2b stops, and flush water in the bowl section 2a is no longer sucked into the drain trap pipe 2b. Meanwhile, because water continues to be discharged from the rim water outlet 2c, the water level W1 in the bowl section 2a begins to rise after the jet drain valve 10 is closed. Accordingly, the water level W2 in the jet water conduit 2f also rises. Furthermore, as the siphon action stops, the water level W3 in the drain trap pipe 2b drops rapidly.

When the main valve body 20a of the ball tap 16 is open, flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 (tap water) is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 via the ball tap 16 and flows into the inner tank 14 through the water supply pipe 32 (Figure 4) connected to the cylinder 18a. Therefore, after the jet water spouting stops at time t3 in Figure 5, the water level in the inner tank 14 rises due to flush water flowing in from the water supply pipe 32.

Meanwhile, because the rim drain valve 8 remains open, flush water within the flush water tank body 4 flows out through the rim water discharge drain outlet 4b, and the water level within the flush water tank body 4 continues to drop. Then, at time t4 in Figure 5, when the water level within the flush water tank body 4 drops to a predetermined dead water level, the rim drain valve 8 seats on the rim water discharge drain outlet 4b and the rim drain valve 8 closes. This stops rim water discharge from the rim water discharge outlet 2c. Also, at time t4 when rim water discharge is stopped, the water level W1 within the bowl section 2a, the water level W2 within the jet water conduit 2f, and the water level W3 within the drain trap pipe 2b have returned to the water levels in the standby state.

Furthermore, even after the rim drain valve 8 is closed, the main valve body 20a of the ball tap 16 remains open, so flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 (tap water) flows into the inner tank 14 from the water supply pipe 32 via the ball tap 16 and the water pressure drive mechanism 18. This causes the water level in the inner tank 14 to rise. Then, at time t5 in Figure 5, when the inner tank 14 is full, the flush water that flowed into the inner tank 14 from the water supply pipe 32 overflows and flows into the flush water tank main body 4. This causes the water level in the flush water tank main body 4 to begin to rise.

Next, when the water level in the flush water tank body 4 rises to a predetermined level, the float 22 of the ball tap 16 rises, closing the pilot valve (not shown). When the pilot valve closes in this way, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d increases. Then, at time t6 in Figure 5, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d presses the main valve element 20a against the valve seat 20b, closing the main valve element 20a. This stops the water supply from the water supply source 6 to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 via the ball tap 16, and stops the supply of flush water into the inner tank 14.

When the water supply to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 is stopped, the piston 18b (Figure 4) inside the cylinder 18a, which had been pushed up by the water supply, is pushed down by the biasing force of the spring 18c. As a result, the rod 28 attached to the piston 18b also drops. When the rod 28 drops to a predetermined position, the clutch mechanism 30 reconnects the rod 28 to the valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10. This completes one toilet flush, and the flush toilet device 1 returns to its standby state for toilet flushing.

The flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a rim drain valve 8 that starts or stops flush water from the rim spout 2c, and a jet drain valve 10 that starts or stops flush water from the jet spout 2d, allowing the timing for flush water to be accurately set and flush water to be used effectively. The flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment is also equipped with an overflow pipe 15, which serves as an exhaust path for discharging air from the air layer in the jet water conduit 2f. After flushing begins, flush water is supplied to the jet water conduit 2f before the jet drain valve 10 is opened, discharging air from the jet water conduit 2f and raising the water level W2 within the jet water conduit 2f. As a result, flush water can be discharged from the jet water conduit 2d early after the jet drain valve 10 is opened, allowing jet spouting to begin at the desired timing. This makes effective use of the flush water stored in the flush water tank, ensuring sufficient flushing performance while also achieving water conservation.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit 2f by opening the rim drain valve 8 and discharging flush water from the rim spout 2c before the jet drain valve 10 is opened, so the water level in the jet water conduit 2f can be raised without the need for a special configuration to supply flush water into the jet water conduit 2f.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the water level in the drain trap pipe 2b rises higher than the water level in the jet water conduit 2f, allowing air trapped in the drain trap pipe 2b to be discharged quickly, and siphon action can be initiated in the drain trap pipe 2b soon after jet water discharge begins. This allows siphon action to be initiated with a small amount of flush water, achieving water conservation.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the jet water outlet 2d is larger than the cross-sectional area of the rim water outlet 2c, allowing water to be discharged at a large flow rate from the jet water outlet 2d, and a siphon action can be generated within the drain trap pipe 2b in a short period of time. This allows the siphon action to be activated with a small amount of flush water, achieving water conservation.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, a swirling flow is created by the water discharged from the rim spout 2c, and this swirling flow swirls around the bowl portion 2a more than once, allowing the inner wall surface of the bowl portion 2a to be thoroughly cleaned while also saving water.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 opens when the water level W2 in the jet water conduit 2f reaches its highest point or thereafter, so the jet drain valve 10 opens after the air in the air layer in the jet water conduit 2f has finished being exhausted. This prevents the air in the air layer from mixing with the flush water, and reduces the generation of abnormal noise when the jet water is discharged.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, one end of the overflow pipe 15 opens at a position higher than the water surface W2 in the jet conduit 2f, which has risen due to the supply of flush water into the jet conduit 2f. This means that exhaust can be performed even when the water surface W2 in the jet conduit 2f has risen, making it easy to raise the water surface W2 in the jet conduit 2f.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the overflow pipe 15, which serves as the exhaust path, is configured to provide communication between the inside of the jet water conduit 2f and the air layer inside the flush water tank body 4, which is the outside air, making it easy to exhaust air from within the jet water conduit 2f.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, even when flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit 2f before the jet drain valve 10 is opened, an air layer remains inside the jet water conduit 2f, preventing flush water from entering the overflow pipe 15.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the jet water conduit 2f is configured so that an air pocket is formed inside it after the jet drain valve 10 is opened, which reduces the effective volume of the jet water conduit 2f and reduces the amount of flush water wasted.

The above describes a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, but various modifications can be made to the above embodiment. In particular, in the above embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is opened using the water pressure drive mechanism 18, so that the jet drain valve 10 opens after the rim drain valve 8 is opened. However, as a modification, the rim drain valve 8 and/or jet drain valve 10 can be configured to be opened using the power of a motor (not shown), and the motor can be operated so that the jet drain valve 10 opens with a delay. Alternatively, the present invention can be configured so that the rim drain valve 8 and jet drain valve 10 are pulled up by a ball chain or the like connected to the lever handle 4a, and by lengthening the ball chain or the like attached to the jet drain valve 10, the jet drain valve 10 opens after the rim drain valve 8 is opened.

In the above-described embodiment, the air in the air layer at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f was exhausted via the overflow pipe 15. However, as a modification, a separate pipe can be provided for exhausting the air. In the modification shown in Figure 6, an opening 34 is provided in the horizontal surface at the top end of the bowl section 2a of the flush toilet main body 2, and an exhaust pipe 36 is attached to this opening 34 to ensure an exhaust path. That is, the opening 34 in the horizontal surface at the top end of the bowl section 2a is connected to the jet water conduit 2f provided within the flush toilet main body 2. The exhaust pipe 36 is then attached to extend vertically upward from this opening 34 to form an exhaust path. In this modification, one end of the exhaust path opens upward on the ceiling surface of the jet water conduit. That is, by opening one end of the exhaust path upward on the ceiling surface of the jet water conduit, even if flush water in the jet water conduit 2f enters the exhaust path, the flush water is immediately discharged, ensuring a stable airway.

1 Flush toilet device 2 Flush toilet body 2a Bowl portion 2b Drain trap pipe 2c Rim spout 2d Jet spout 2e Rim water conduit 2f Jet water conduit 2g Top portion 4 Flush water tank body 4a Lever handle 4b Rim water spout drain outlet 4c Jet water spout drain outlet 6 Water supply source 8 Rim drain valve 8a Ball chain 10 Jet drain valve 10a Valve shaft 14 Inner tank 14a Discharge outlet 14b Drain outlet forming member 15 Overflow pipe (exhaust path)
15a Opening 16 Ball tap (water supply valve)
16a Inlet pipe 16b Outlet pipe 18 Water hydraulic drive mechanism 18a Cylinder 18b Piston 18c Spring 20 Main body 20a Main valve body 20b Valve seat 20c Pressure chamber 22 Float 24 Arm 28 Rod 30 Clutch mechanism 32 Water supply pipe 34 Opening 36 Exhaust pipe

Claims (12)

A flush toilet device that flushes using flush water stored in a flush water tank,
a flush toilet body having a bowl portion, a rim spout provided at the top of the bowl portion, a drain trap pipe line extending from the bottom of the bowl portion, and a jet spout line provided opposite the inlet of the drain trap pipe line;
a flush water tank body that stores flush water for flushing the bowl portion of the flush toilet body;
a rim drain valve that is provided in a rim spout drain outlet formed in the flush water tank body, and that discharges or stops flush water from the rim spout outlet via a rim water conduit provided in the flush toilet body;
a jet drain valve that is provided at a jet water spouting drain outlet formed in the flush water tank body, and that discharges or stops flush water from the jet water spouting outlet via a jet water conduit provided in the flush toilet body;
an exhaust path for discharging air from an air layer formed upstream of the jet water channel;
and
The rim water spouting outlet and the jet water spouting outlet are both provided at a position higher than the lower end of the rim water spouting outlet,
A flush toilet apparatus characterized in that flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit after flushing begins and before the jet drain valve is opened. A flush toilet apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit by opening the rim drain valve after flushing begins and before the jet drain valve is opened, thereby discharging flush water from the rim spout, thereby allowing flush water to flow in from the jet spout. A flush toilet apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the supply of flush water into the jet water conduit causes the water level in the jet water conduit to rise, and when the jet drain valve opens, the water level in the drain trap pipe rises higher than the water level in the jet water conduit. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the jet spout is larger than the cross-sectional area of the rim spout. A flush toilet apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein flush water discharged from the rim spout forms a swirling flow on the inner wall surface of the bowl portion, and this swirling flow swirls one or more times within the bowl portion. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the jet drain valve opens when the water level in the jet waterway reaches its highest point or thereafter. A flush toilet apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein one end of the exhaust path that communicates with the inside of the jet water conduit opens at a position higher than the water level in the jet water conduit that rises due to the supply of flush water into the jet water conduit. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one end of the exhaust path opens upward into the ceiling surface of the jet waterway. The flush toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust path is configured to communicate the interior of the jet waterway with outside air. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the exhaust path is configured to provide communication between the interior of the jet water conduit and the air layer within the flush water tank body. A flush toilet apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the jet water conduit is configured so that an air layer remains inside it even when flush water is supplied into the jet water conduit before the jet drain valve is opened. A flush toilet apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the jet water conduit is configured so that an air reservoir is formed inside after the jet drain valve is opened.