JP4059068B2 - Toilet seat device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a toilet seat device that raises and lowers a toilet seat and a toilet seat support member.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-94184 discloses a toilet seat device in which a toilet seat or a toilet seat support member can be lifted and lowered by a lifting device in order to facilitate the operation at the time of sitting on or leaving the toilet seat.
[0003]
In the publication, the toilet seat box is lifted and lowered by an air bag (FIGS. 5 and 6); the toilet seat box is lifted and lowered by a hydraulic device (FIGS. 7 and 8); The structure (FIGS. 3 and 4) which is made to be moved, and the structure (FIGS. 1 to 3) where the toilet seat is moved up and down by a spring and a buffer bag are described.
[0004]
In particular, FIG. 8 of the same publication has a configuration in which a toilet seat box is installed on a plate that is raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder, and the toilet seat is raised and lowered by the plate so that the toilet seat box and the toilet seat are raised and lowered integrally. Are listed. It should be noted that it is extremely convenient for wheelchair users to make the toilet seat as liftable. There is a height difference of about 8-9 cm between the seat surface of the wheelchair and the toilet seat surface.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-94184 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Of the toilet seat device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-94184, the toilet seat box does not move up and down in FIGS. 5-7, when the toilet seat box is raised, the rear portion of the toilet seat is lifted, but when this rear portion is seated on the lifted toilet seat, excessive stress is generated in the hinge portion of the toilet seat, and the weight of the seated person is reduced. When it is extremely large, the hinge is easily broken.
[0007]
In the mode in which the toilet seat box and the toilet seat are lifted and lowered by the plate as shown in FIG. 8, the plate remains protruding forward from the toilet seat box when the toilet seat is raised, so that the Western-style toilet is used for boys' small size. Inconvenient. Moreover, when cleaning the upper surface of a western style toilet bowl, a plate gets in the way.
[0008]
In order to solve these problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a toilet seat device in which a toilet seat support member such as a toilet seat box and the toilet seat are moved up and down simultaneously.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A toilet seat device according to the present invention includes a toilet seat support member installed on a rear upper surface of a Western-style toilet, a toilet seat rotatably connected to the toilet seat support member, and a lift device for a toilet seat support member that lifts and lowers the toilet seat support member And a toilet seat elevating device provided on the toilet seat for raising and lowering the toilet seat, and a control means for controlling each elevating device so that the toilet seat support member and the toilet seat are simultaneously raised and lowered.
[0010]
In such a toilet seat device, the toilet seat and the toilet seat support member are raised and lowered by the respective lifting devices, so that excessive stress is not applied to the hinge portion of the toilet seat even if the toilet seat is seated on the raised toilet seat.
[0011]
Moreover, the plate which supports a toilet seat support member and a toilet seat from the bottom is unnecessary, and it is easy to use a western style toilet for boys' small use. Moreover, it is easy to clean the Western-style toilet.
[0012]
In the present invention, it is preferable that a distance sensor for detecting a distance between the toilet seat and the upper surface of the western-style toilet is provided, and the control unit performs control based on a detection distance of the distance sensor. This reliably prevents an excessive load from being applied to the hinge.
[0013]
In the present invention, it is also possible to control each lifting device so that the toilet seat support member and the toilet seat are always at substantially the same height.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a Western-style toilet equipped with a toilet seat device according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a side view of the Western-style toilet when the toilet seat and toilet seat box are raised, and FIG. 3 is a control block diagram.
[0015]
A toilet seat box 4 is installed on the rear upper surface of the western-style toilet 2 so as to be lifted and lowered by a toilet seat box lifting device 20. A toilet lid 6 and a toilet seat 8 are connected to the toilet seat box 4 by a hinge 10 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction.
[0016]
A pair of bags 12 are attached to the back of the O-shaped toilet seat 8 on the left and right. Each bag 12 has a bellows shape, and a rubber foot 14 is attached to the lower surface thereof. A distance sensor 16 is provided on the front rear surface of the toilet seat 8. The distance sensor 16 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves or infrared rays in a direction perpendicular to the back surface of the toilet seat, thereby measuring the distance between the upper surface of the Western-style toilet 2 and the back surface of the toilet seat 8.
[0017]
The toilet seat box lifting / lowering device 20 is provided in the base 22 fixed to the upper surface portion of the Western-style toilet 2, the rack-type guide 24 erected from the base 22, and the toilet seat box 4; And a step motor 26 provided on the slider 28, and a pinion (not shown) fixed to the rotating shaft of the step motor 26 and meshed with the rack of the guide 24. . When the step motor 26 rotates forward, the toilet seat box 4 rises, and when it reverses, the toilet seat box 4 descends.
[0018]
In the toilet seat box 4, an air pump 32 for sending air into the bag 12 and an electric three-way valve 34 having an air vent 36 are installed. The three-way valve 34 is connected to the bag 12 via a hose 38. The air pump 32, the three-way valve 34, the hose 38 and the bag 12 constitute a toilet seat lifting / lowering device 30.
[0019]
The toilet seat box lifting device 20 and the toilet seat lifting device 30 are operated by a remote controller (not shown) provided on the wall surface of the toilet room. This remote control is provided with a raising switch 40 (FIG. 3) for simultaneously raising the toilet seat box 4 and the toilet seat 8 and a lowering switch 42 for lowering the toilet seat box 4 and the toilet seat 8.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 3, signals from the ascending switch 40 and the descending switch 42 are input to the control circuit 44 in the toilet seat box 4. A signal from the distance sensor 16 is also input to this control circuit.
[0021]
Next, the operation of the toilet seat device configured as described above will be described.
[0022]
When the raising switch 40 of the remote controller is pressed, the motor 26 rotates forward and the toilet seat box 4 rises. Further, the air pump 32 is also operated by the operation of the ascending switch 40, and at the same time, the electric three-way valve 34 selects the flow path so that the air pump 32 communicates with the bag 12. As a result, air is supplied from the air pump 32 to the bag 12 via the three-way valve 34 and the hose 38, the volume of the bag 12 is increased, and the toilet seat 8 is raised. The distance between the toilet seat 8 and the upper surface of the toilet bowl 2 is measured by the distance sensor 16, and the measurement data is transmitted to the control circuit 44. Based on this measurement data, the control circuit 44 controls the rotational speed of the step motor 26 or the discharge amount of the air pump 32 so that the toilet seat 8 rises at the same speed as the toilet seat box 4. The rising distance (position) of the toilet seat box 4 is detected from the number of rotations of the step motor 26.
[0023]
When the toilet seat box 4 and the toilet seat 8 are raised by a predetermined distance, the step motor 26 and the air pump 32 are stopped, and the electric three-way valve 34 selects a flow path for trapping air in the bag 12. In this way, the toilet seat user sits on the toilet seat 8 in a state where the toilet seat box 4 and the toilet seat 8 are in a high position.
[0024]
After sitting down, the lowering switch 42 of the remote controller is pressed. As a result, the step motor 26 reverses. In addition, the electric three-way valve 34 selects a flow path that allows the bag 12 to communicate with the air vent 36, whereby the air in the bag 12 is released and the toilet seat 8 is lowered. Even in this case, the distance between the toilet seat 8 and the upper surface of the toilet 2 is measured by the distance sensor 16, and the data is transmitted to the control circuit 44. Further, the height of the toilet seat box 4 is detected from the rotational speed of the step motor 26. Then, the opening degree of the three-way valve 34 or the rotational speed of the step motor 26 is controlled by the control circuit 44 so that the toilet seat 8 descends at the same speed as the toilet seat box 4.
[0025]
After using the toilet bowl 2, the user lifts the toilet seat box 4 and the toilet seat 8 by pressing the lift switch again, and then the user stands up from the toilet seat 8.
[0026]
In the toilet seat device according to this embodiment, both the toilet seat 8 and the toilet seat box 4 are raised, so that excessive stress is not applied to the hinge 10 of the toilet seat 8 even if the toilet seat 8 is seated.
[0027]
In this embodiment, since the bag 12 can be rotated up and down by the hinge 10 together with the toilet seat 8, the Western-style toilet 2 can be easily used for boys. Moreover, the toilet bowl 2 can be easily cleaned. Furthermore, since air is contained in the bag 12, the impact when sitting on the toilet seat is mitigated.
[0028]
Since the toilet seat box 4 moves up and down, the upper surface of the toilet bowl below the toilet seat box 4 can be easily cleaned.
[0029]
In the above embodiment, air is used to increase or decrease the volume of the bag 12, but a liquid such as oil may be used. Also, one pair of bags is provided on the left and right sides of the toilet seat, but two or more pairs may be provided, and one U-shaped bag may be provided along the left and right sides and the front of the toilet seat.
[0030]
In this embodiment, by pushing the lift switch once, the height of the toilet seat rises to, for example, about 45 cm, which is a general seating surface height of a wheelchair, and then automatically stops. The rising height can be adjusted.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
According to the toilet seat device of the present invention, excessive stress is prevented from being generated in the hinge portion of the toilet seat. In addition, since the toilet seat elevating member can be rotated in the vertical direction together with the toilet seat by a hinge, it is easy to be used for boys and the toilet is easily cleaned.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a Western-style toilet equipped with a toilet seat device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the toilet seat and toilet seat box of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the toilet seat device according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Western style toilet 4 Toilet seat box 6 Toilet seat 8 Toilet seat 10 Hinge 12 Bag 14 Rubber foot 16 Distance sensor 20 Toilet seat box lifting device 26 Step motor 30 Toilet seat lifting device 32 Air pump 34 Three-way valve 38 Hose

Claims (3)

A toilet seat support member installed on the rear upper surface of the Western-style toilet,
A toilet seat rotatably connected to the toilet seat support member;
A lifting device for a toilet seat support member that lifts and lowers the toilet seat support member;
A toilet seat lifting and lowering device for raising and lowering the toilet seat provided on the toilet seat;
Control means for controlling each lifting device so that the toilet seat support member and the toilet seat are lifted and lowered simultaneously;
A toilet seat device comprising: 2. The toilet seat device according to claim 1, further comprising a distance sensor that detects a distance between the toilet seat and an upper surface of the Western-style toilet, and the control unit performs control based on a detection distance of the distance sensor. 3. The toilet seat device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls each lifting and lowering device so that the toilet seat support member and the toilet seat are always at substantially the same height.

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