JP4544244B2 - Heating toilet seat and toilet device equipped with it - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toilet seat having a heating function.

  In the conventional heating toilet seat of this type, a hollow portion 1 is formed inside as shown in FIG. 11, and a seat portion 3 of a ring-shaped toilet seat 2 used on a toilet bowl is made of a transparent polypropylene resin. The radiant heat from the lamp heater 4 provided along the entire ring shape of the toilet seat 2 is quickly transmitted to the seating portion 3 to quickly raise the temperature of the warming surface on which the user is seated, while in series with the lamp heater 4 It was the structure which prevents the temperature rise of the toilet seat 2 with the connected thermostat 5 (for example, refer patent document 1).

  However, in the configuration of FIG. 11, the thermostat 5 is installed to ensure safety against overheating, but there is no detailed description of the thermostat 5 and a generally used bimetal type thermostat is used. As shown in FIG. 12, since a slight gap d is formed between the heat sensitive surface 6 and the bimetal 7 which is a metal cap that receives the radiant heat of the lamp heater 4, heat transfer from the heat sensitive surface 6 to the bimetal 7. Since radiation from the heat-sensitive surface 6 and heat conduction via air take time, it takes time for the temperature of the bimetal 7 to rise, and from this response delay, it is considered that the safety aspect is jeopardized due to the detection delay of the overtemperature.

In other words, in this type of heated toilet seat, the lamp heater 4 has to quickly bring the toilet seat to an appropriate temperature in a short period of time until it is energized and seated immediately before the user sits on the toilet seat for power saving. A lamp heater with a temperature rise is used. Therefore, when the thermostat of the above-described form is connected to such a current circuit of the lamp heater and used as a means for preventing overheating, the response delay of the thermostat which is hardly a problem with ordinary heating appliances, for example, electric heaters. However, with a heated toilet seat that uses a lamp heater that puts the buttocks directly and the temperature rises instantaneously, it quickly gets over the proper temperature and becomes uncomfortable for the user, and further exceeds the discomfort. If it becomes hot, the user may have to get up from the toilet seat.
JP 2000-210230 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention in view of the problems of the prior art is to provide a heated toilet seat that can quickly detect a temperature change of a radiant heating element and can be used safely and comfortably.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a seat part, a toilet seat having a hollow part therein, a heating element that instantaneously heats the seat part, and a temperature detection means that detects the temperature of the seat part of the toilet seat, A non-recoverable radiation-responsive thermostat having a bimetal coated with a heat-resistant black paint that is connected in series to the heating element and receives radiation light of the heating element, and connected in series to the heating element, And a return type heat conduction thermostat having a metal cap on the front surface of the bimetal so as not to directly receive the radiation light of the heating element, and a controller for controlling energization of the heating element by a signal of the temperature detection means, the non-recoverable radiation responsive thermostat is transparent glass cap to drip-proof or waterproof water droplets or dust from entering therein said heat-resistant black paint applied Baimeta Provided in the front, a heating toilet seat which is characterized in that blocking operate at higher temperatures than the heat conduction type thermostat of the return type.

With this configuration, in a heated toilet seat that instantaneously heats, the bimetal of the non-returnable radiation-responsive thermostat that receives the radiation of the heating element can quickly detect temperature changes during instantaneous heating and operate without response delay. In addition, there is a cap on the front surface of the bimetal so that the radiation of the heating element is not directly received even when the temperature of the toilet seat rises gradually due to a problem with temperature control, and it is lower than the non-returnable radiation response thermostat Heated toilet seat can be used safely and comfortably by shutting off with a return type heat conduction thermostat that shuts off at temperature.

In this case, the non-returnable radiation-responsive thermostat is provided with a transparent glass cap on the front side of the bimetal coated with heat-resistant black paint to prevent water or dust from entering inside. With the configuration that cuts off at a higher temperature than the heat conduction type thermostat, it is possible to prevent flooding into the current-carrying part of the radiation-responsive thermostat even if the cavity is submerged, and maintain electrical insulation, thus preventing electric shock Can do.

  The heating toilet seat according to the present invention is connected in series to the heating element and receives a radiation heat from the heating element and a return type heat conduction thermostat having a cap on the front surface of the bimetal so as not to directly receive the radiation light from the heating element. A non-returning radiation-responsive thermostat that has a bimetal and shuts off at a higher temperature than the return-type heat conduction thermostat can detect sudden and slow temperature abnormalities in the toilet seat and control the toilet seat safely. be able to.

In a first aspect of the present invention, a seat part and a toilet seat having a hollow portion therein, a heating element that instantaneously heats the seating part, temperature detection means that detects the temperature of the seating part of the toilet seat, and the heating element in series And a non-returnable radiation-responsive thermostat having a bimetal coated with a heat-resistant black paint that receives radiation light of the heating element, connected in series to the heating element, and the heating element and a return-type heat conduction type thermostat having a metal cap bimetal front so as not to receive the radiation beam directly, the non-recoverable radiation responsive thermostat is drip-proof or waterproof water droplets and dust inside to prevent entry transparent glass cap provided on the front surface of the bimetal the heat resistance of the black paint is applied, interrupting operation child at a temperature higher than the heat conduction type thermostat of the return type of the A heating toilet seat, which was characterized by. With this configuration, in a heated toilet seat equipped with a heating element that instantaneously heats, the bimetal of the non-recoverable radiation-responsive thermostat that receives the radiation light of the heating element can quickly detect temperature changes during instantaneous heating and delay the response. In addition, there is a cap on the front surface of the bimetal so that the radiation of the heating element is not directly received even when the temperature of the toilet seat rises gradually due to problems with temperature control, and non-recoverable radiation. It is possible to provide a safe and comfortable heating toilet seat that is shut off by a return-type heat conduction thermostat that shuts off at a temperature lower than that of the response thermostat.

In this case, the non-returnable radiation-responsive thermostat is provided with a transparent glass cap on the front side of the bimetal coated with heat-resistant black paint to prevent water or dust from entering inside. With the configuration that cuts off at a higher temperature than the heat conduction type thermostat, it is possible to prevent flooding into the current-carrying part of the radiation-responsive thermostat even if the cavity is submerged, and maintain electrical insulation, thus preventing electric shock Can do.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, the heating toilet seat described in the first aspect of the invention is provided with human body detecting means for detecting the entrance of a human body. When the human body detecting means detects the human body, power is applied to the heating element, and The seating portion is heated to an appropriate temperature before sitting. With this configuration, since the toilet seat is instantaneously heated, power saving can be achieved.

  The third aspect of the invention is a toilet apparatus provided with a heated toilet seat according to the first or second aspect of the invention, particularly in the toilet apparatus, and a toilet apparatus that can expect the effects of the above-described inventions can be obtained and used comfortably. it can.

The object of the present invention can be achieved by using the first to third aspects of the present invention as the main part of the embodiment, so the details of the embodiment corresponding to each claim will be described below with reference to the drawings. It will be described and the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Further, in the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations and the effects and the same description is not repeated.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a cross section of a main part of a heating toilet seat according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a toilet apparatus equipped with the heating toilet seat, and FIG. 3 illustrates a seating portion of the heating toilet seat. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the heating toilet seat, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a seating portion of the heating toilet seat.

  1 to 5, a heated toilet seat with a hot water washing function for washing an anus and a bidet after a stool has a horizontally long main body 21 attached to the rear end of the toilet 20 of the toilet device. A part of the warm water washing function is internally provided, and a ring-shaped toilet seat 22 and a toilet lid 23 mounted on the toilet 20 are rotatably provided. Further, a human body detection sensor 25 for detecting the presence or absence of a human body in the toilet room is incorporated in the sleeve portion of the main body 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet seat 22 is formed by fixing an aluminum seating portion 24 to the upper portion of a synthetic resin lower frame body 26 with a sealing material, and prevents water droplets or the like from entering the inside. The structure has a drip-proof sealed cavity 27.

  Inside the hollow portion 27, a radiation reflecting plate 28 (reflector) having a mirror-finished aluminum plate facing the seating portion 24 of the toilet seat 22 on which a user who uses the toilet device sits, and both sides of the seating portion 24 Are provided with a plurality of radiant heating elements, a front lamp heater 29 and a rear lamp heater 29b (hereinafter referred to as lamp heater 29 when it is not necessary to distinguish between them). As shown in FIG. 1, the radiant light reflection plate 28 has an upward bent portion 28a on the entire circumference of the inner and outer end portions thereof, and the radiated light from the lamp heater 29 is deflected by the bent portion 28a. Therefore, the radiant heat distribution to the seating portion 24 is made uniform by acting so as to increase the radiation density of the outer peripheral edge portion and the inner peripheral edge portion of the seating portion 24 away from the lamp heater 29. A radiation-responsive thermostat 30 electrically connected in series with the lamp heater 29 is provided in the vicinity of the lamp heater 29 to prevent an excessive temperature rise of the seating portion 24 of the toilet seat 22 in the event of an unsafe situation. Act to do. The radiant light reflecting plate 28 is made of an aluminum plate to reduce the weight, but a stainless plate, a plated steel plate or the like may be used.

  The lamp heater 29 is configured by enclosing a small amount of halogen in a filament 33 made of tungsten and an inert gas 34 such as argon inside a glass tube 32, and forms tungsten halide as the filament 33 generates heat. By repeating the halogen cycle reaction, the filament 33 is prevented from being consumed. By this action, the filament 33 having a very small heat capacity can be used as a heat source, and the radiation energy can be caused to rise very steeply. That is, the lamp heater 29 moves the seat 24 of the toilet seat 22 in a very short time, such as several seconds, until the user enters the toilet room, lowers clothes, and sits on the seat 24 of the toilet seat 22. It is a radiation-type heating element that can be heated up to an appropriate temperature at high speed. Note that the lamp heater 29 is not necessarily a halogen lamp heater depending on the required degree of characteristics.

  The lamp heater 29 is fixed to the radiant light reflecting plate 28 by a lamp heater fixture 36 formed of a leaf spring material, and the radiant light reflecting plate 28 is fixed to the boss 37 of the resin lower frame body 26 with screws. .

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross section of a part of the aluminum seating portion 24 constituting the toilet seat 22. In FIG. 5, the cavity 27 side of the toilet seat 22, that is, the inner surface to which the radiation light of the lamp heater 29 is irradiated forms a black-coated radiation absorption layer 42 that easily absorbs the radiation light, and the outer side, that is, the seating side. Is formed with an alumite layer 41 having an anticorrosive effect and a surface decorative layer 43 coated thereon for a desired appearance effect. The alumite layer 41 and the painted surface decorative layer 43 do not necessarily have to be both, and only one of the alumite layer 41 or the painted surface decorative layer 43 has a significant anticorrosion effect such as chemical resistance and gloss. Design such as color and shade can be added. However, by having both the alumite layer 41 and the painted surface decorative layer 43, a higher anticorrosive effect and a sterilizing effect can be added by using, for example, a paint containing a sterilizing material. In addition, as a result of confirming various colors with respect to the color of the radiation absorbing layer 42, it was found that black has the highest endothermic efficiency and the heating rate of the seating portion 24 can be increased. It should be noted that the temperature can be raised even in gray, red, blue, etc. from the viewpoint of being practical without regard to the maximum speed. The black color is not necessarily limited to coating, and surface treatment such as dyeing may be used. In the case of aluminum, boehmite treatment is also practical. In addition, the surface decorative layer 43 applied to the outer surface of the seating portion 24 in FIG. 5 can be dyed, but if at least the surface of the seating portion is painted, it is not only an anticorrosive effect but also a metal toilet seat such as aluminum. However, it is possible to wipe off the cold feeling as seen, and for example, it is possible to produce a soft image or a high-class image by pearl coating such as pearls.

  Because the seat 24 of the toilet seat 22 is made of a metal and aluminum press (drawing) product, the thermal conductivity is about 200 W · mK, which is an order of magnitude higher than the resin of about 0.1 to 1 W · mK. The radiation absorbing layer 42 is heated by receiving radiation from the lamp heater 29, and at the same time, heat can be quickly transferred to the outer surface of the seating portion 24, that is, the surface decorative layer 43. And since it is aluminum with high heat conductivity, the soaking | uniform-heating effect which makes temperature distribution more uniform is acquired. Further, the required strength can be ensured even if the plate thickness is reduced by work hardening by pressing (drawing) aluminum. For example, in the case of resin, a thickness of about 3 mm is required from the viewpoint of strength, but in the case of a drawn product of an aluminum plate, half of 1.5 mm or less is sufficient. As the thickness is reduced, the heat capacity can be reduced, so that the amount of heat and time required for temperature increase can be reduced. As a result of the experiment, it was concluded that the aluminum plate thickness is preferably 0.8 to 1.2 mm in terms of strength and heating time.

  The lower frame 26 constituting the toilet seat 22 is provided with a radiation reflecting plate 28 on its inner surface, and a radiation responsive thermostat 30 connected in series with the front lamp heater 29 and the rear lamp heater 29b to the radiation reflecting plate 28. A heat conduction type thermostat 31 is attached. An aluminum seat 24 is attached to the upper part of the lower frame body 26, and a thermistor 44, which is a toilet seat temperature detecting means, is attached to the inner surface of the seat 24 to detect the temperature of the aluminum seat 24. It has been. Further, the toilet seat 22 has an electrode 46 formed on the rotation shaft 45 thereof and constitutes a toilet seat position detecting means 47 together with a bearing portion (not shown) of the main body 21, and the toilet seat 22 is in a standing state or is used by being seated. It can be detected whether the toilet 20 is in a substantially horizontal use position.

  The main body 21 takes in a detection signal of a room temperature thermistor 48 as a room temperature detection means to control the temperature of the lamp heater 29 and energizes the lamp heater 29 of the toilet seat 22 to start the temperature rise. There is provided a control unit 50 mainly composed of a microcomputer having a timer unit 49 for counting the number of times. The control unit 50 takes in signals from the human body detection sensor 25, the seating detection means 38, and the toilet seat position detection means 47 that detect a person entering the room, controls the start and stop of energization of the lamp heater 29, the thermistor 44, the room temperature. The temperature of the lamp heater 29 can be controlled so that the signal from the thermistor 48 is taken in and the temperature of the seating portion 24 that is the warming surface becomes a predetermined temperature that is an appropriate temperature.

In FIG. 6, the radiation responsive thermostat 30 has a structure in which a bimetal 51 is exposed in the cavity 27 so as to receive the radiated light of the lamp heater 29, and is installed with the bimetal 51 facing the lamp heater 29. Further, a heat-resistant black paint is applied to the light receiving surface of the bimetal 51 as the radiant heat absorbing material 52. And radiation response type thermostat 3
0 is configured to efficiently absorb the heat radiated from the radiation-type heating element toward the bimetal 51 by the radiant heat absorber 52, and to raise the temperature of the bimetal more quickly. The radiation response thermostat 30 is set such that the distance a between the lamp heater 29 and the seating portion 24 of the toilet seat 22 is larger than the distance b between the lamp heater 29 and the bimetal 51. This distance a indicates the distance to the radiation absorbing layer 42 which is a light receiving surface provided on the inner surface of the seating portion 24 in the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 7, the heat conduction thermostat 31 has a cap 54 on the front surface of the bimetal 51 so that the bimetal 51 does not directly receive the radiated light of the lamp heater 29, and is set to face the lamp heater 29. The cap 54 is made of a metal having good thermal conductivity, here, an aluminum alloy, and a radiant heat absorbing material made of a black paint is provided on the surface thereof.

  The radiation response thermostat 30 and the heat conduction thermostat 31 are connected in series to the two lamp heaters 29 and 29b.

  In the above embodiment, when the user enters the toilet, the human body detection sensor 25 detects the entry and the signal is sent to the control unit 50. At this time, when it is confirmed by the signal from the toilet seat position detecting means 47 that the toilet seat 22 is in a substantially horizontal use position, the control unit 50 starts energizing the lamp heater 29. By this initial energization, the input energy is instantaneously converted into radiant energy and radiated from the filament 33 through the glass tube 32 and the radiant light reflector 28 toward the seating portion 24 of the toilet seat 22. Further, the radiation energy of the lamp heater 29 raises the temperature of the radiation absorbing layer 42 and the seating portion 24 provided on the inner surface of the seating portion 24 of the toilet seat 22. As described above, in this embodiment, when the user enters the toilet, the lamp heater 29 is energized, the warming surface of the seating portion 24 of the toilet seat 22 can be heated almost instantaneously, and the control unit 50 Even in the unlikely event of an unsafe situation due to a failure or the like, the energization of the lamp heater 29 can be cut off by the fast response radiation responsive thermostat 30 in which the bimetal 51 receives the radiant light of the lamp heater 29. Unlike a heated toilet seat that is always energized and kept warm and has a large heat dissipation loss, there is almost no heat dissipation loss and an extremely energy-saving and safe heating toilet seat is realized. The hinge cover 56 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is formed integrally with the seating portion 24 in the case of a resin heated toilet seat (not shown) generally used in the past. In the above embodiment, the seat 24 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is made of metal (aluminum) and the hinge cover 56 is made of propylene resin. This is because, by minimizing the number of locations to be heated by the lamp heater 29 and reducing the heat capacity to be heated, the seating section 24 can be raised in temperature instantaneously with less power, In addition, power can be saved. That is, the aluminum material of the seating portion 24 has a high thermal conductivity and conducts heat so that the temperature becomes uniform. However, since the hinge cover 56 is made of resin and has a low thermal conductivity, the heat of the seating portion 24 is transferred to the hinge cover 56. Is hardly taken away. In this way, by configuring the upper member of the toilet seat 22 with a plurality of members having different thermal conductivities, it is possible to prevent heat from being taken away excessively by a portion that does not need to be warmed, and heat loss can be reduced. . As described above, the seat 24, which is the upper component of the toilet seat 22, the hinge cover 56, and the lower frame 26, the toilet seat 22 having the cavity 27 therein, and the radiant heating element provided in the cavity 27 29 and a reflector 28 provided on the lower frame 26 side so as to face the radiation-type heating element 29, and at least the seating portion 24 of the upper frame is made of metal (aluminum material), and the upper frame is seated. With the configuration in which the radiation absorbing layer 42 is provided on the inner surface of the part 24, an energy-saving instantaneous heating toilet seat that can instantaneously raise the temperature of the seating part 24 more quickly with less power can be realized.

Further, the control unit 50 calculates from the temperature difference between them and the respective temperatures based on the signals of the thermistor 44 and the room temperature thermistor 48 at the start of energization, and the energization limit time for initial energization that is set and stored in advance. When the elapsed time counted by the timer unit 49 reaches the energization limit time, the energization amount is reduced or zero, and then the seating portion 24 of the toilet seat 22 is set to an appropriate temperature based on the signal from the thermistor 44. The energization amount is controlled so that

  Thereby, the thermistor 44 detects the temperature in the vicinity of the seating portion 24 that is actually touched by the user, and the control unit 50 accurately raises and maintains the temperature to an appropriate temperature, so that the use of the toilet seat 22 is comfortable, and the thermistor 44 and Since the amount of radiant energy input is controlled in accordance with the amount of load based on the signal from the room temperature thermistor 48, it can be heated to a suitable temperature with higher accuracy and safety.

  In addition, since the initial energization time control is prioritized, the energization amount is reduced and the temperature rise rate is reduced after the energization limit time, so even if the response speed of the toilet seat temperature detection means is slow, the toilet seat can be warmed safely. In addition, an inexpensive toilet seat temperature detecting means can be used. In general, many common heaters control the temperature by reducing the applied voltage, but the lamp heater 29 repeats a halogen cycle reaction for forming tungsten halide as the filament 33 generates heat, so that the filament 33 Therefore, when the temperature of the glass tube is 200 ° C. or lower, the halogen cycle becomes unstable. Therefore, in order for the lamp heater 29 to bring the seating portion 24 to an appropriate temperature, the energization cycle is changed within an output range in which the halogen cycle is effective.

  On the other hand, when the toilet seat 22 is in a standing state or a male user stands the toilet seat 22 in a standing state for small use after entering the toilet room, the control unit 50 is based on a signal from the toilet seat position detecting means 47. Stops energizing the lamp heater 29. As a result, it is possible to reduce the wasteful heating of the toilet seat 22 and to further save energy, and in the energized state, the lifetime of the filament 33 in the length direction, which is the tension direction of the filament 33, is applied, resulting in a disconnection. Shortening can be prevented.

  Further, even if the user opens and closes the toilet seat 22 in an upright state and a substantially horizontal state according to the purpose, the impact of the lamp heater fixture 36 of the leaf spring material, which is an elastic material, is reduced, thereby reducing the glass tube or Filament breakage can be prevented.

  Next, when the user is seated for defecation, the energization amount to the lamp heater 29 is controlled by changing the energization amount to zero or the toilet seat temperature does not rise excessively according to the signal of the seating detection means 38. Thereby, the toilet seat temperature does not rise excessively during use, and it can be used safely without fear of causing burns or the like.

  In particular, since the heated toilet seat is seated with the skin in direct contact with the toilet seat with a built-in lamp heater, sufficient consideration must be given to safety. In the normal use state, it can be used safely and comfortably as described above. However, for some reason, a malfunction occurs in the control unit 50 such as a microcomputer (not shown), and the lamp heater 29 is continuously energized. It is necessary to ensure that the safety device operates even in the case of breakage. The following cases can be considered as cases where the toilet seat temperature rises excessively during use. That is, when a malfunction occurs in the control unit 50 such as a microcomputer (not shown) and the lamp heater 29 is continuously energized, and when a malfunction occurs in the thermistor 44 and the toilet seat temperature gradually increases. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 12, a thermostat is usually used in which a bimetal 7 is enclosed in a metal cap 6 and blocks light. In this configuration, the cap 6 is first heated, and the bimetal is heated from the cap 6. Therefore, when the temperature of the toilet seat 22 changes in a short time, there may be a delay in circuit shut-off. In the present embodiment, in order to solve this problem, a radiation response type thermostat 30 and a heat conduction type thermostat 31 are provided corresponding to a plurality of lamp heaters 29, and these are connected in series.

  First, a radiation response type thermostat will be described. The radiation responsive thermostat 30 exposes the bimetal 51, and a heat-resistant black paint is applied to the surface of the bimetal 51 as the radiant heat absorber 52. Therefore, since the bimetal 51 directly receives the radiant light from the lamp heater 29, the bimetal 51 is directly heated by the radiant light from the lamp heater 29, and in addition, the bimetal 51 has a heat resistant material as a radiant heat absorber 52 on the surface. Since the black paint is applied, most of the radiant heat reaching the bimetal 51 from the lamp heater 29 is absorbed by the bimetal 51 and quickly follows a sudden change in the temperature of the toilet seat 22. Therefore, the lamp heater 29 can be de-energized when the temperature rises.

  Further, the radiation responsive thermostat 30 is set at a position where the distance a between the lamp heater 29 and the toilet seat 22 is larger than the distance b between the lamp heater 29 and the radiation responsive thermostat 30. As a result, the temperature of the bimetal 51 is raised earlier than the rise in the surface temperature of the toilet seat 22, so that the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 is shut off before the toilet seat 22 surface temperature rises excessively and becomes dangerous such as a burn. You can do it safely.

  Further, in the present embodiment, if the temperature of the bimetal 51 can be raised quickly, malfunction of the radiation response thermostat 30 can be prevented. That is, if the temperature of the bimetal 51 can be raised quickly, the operating temperature of the radiation-responsive thermostat 30 (opening the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29) can be set higher than the normal use temperature of the toilet seat 22. In addition, it is possible to avoid the danger that the radiation response thermostat 30 operates during normal use and the heating function of the toilet seat cannot be used.

  That is, FIG. 8 shows the temperature near the bimetal 51 and the surface temperature of the seating portion 24 when the lamp heater 29 is energized with the distance b = 7 mm and the distance a = 15 mm in the radiation response thermostat 30 having the configuration shown in FIG. It is a result. In FIG. 8, curve (A) is the surface temperature of the seating portion 24. At room temperature of 5 ° C., the temperature can be raised to the normal toilet seat control temperature (T1) in about 7.5 seconds (t1). On the other hand, the temperature of the bimetal 51 of the radiation-responsive thermostat 30 rises faster than the seating portion 24 to the toilet seat control temperature (T1) in t2 time, as shown by the curve (B). When the seating portion 24 becomes equal to or higher than the maximum set temperature (T2) of the toilet seat 22, the temperature of the bimetal 51 reaches the off (opening) operating temperature (T3) of the radiation response thermostat 30 and cuts off the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29. .

  Therefore, when a malfunction occurs in the microcomputer or the like, and the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 cannot be cut off, the radiation response thermostat 30 is activated to cut off the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 before the safety limit temperature is reached. To do. At this time, the surface temperature of the toilet seat 22 does not reach the safety limit temperature (T4). Further, since the radiation response type thermostat 30 is a non-return type, when the radiation response type thermostat 30 is operated, the toilet seat temperature does not increase excessively thereafter.

  Next, the heat conduction type thermostat 31 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the heat conduction type thermostat 31 has the same configuration as the conventional thermostat 5 already shown in FIG. 12, and a bimetal 51 is included in a metal cap 54 to block radiation from the lamp heater 29. It is the composition which does. In this configuration, the cap 54 is first heated, and heat conduction and radiation from the cap 54 are performed. Therefore, it takes time for the bimetal to reach a predetermined temperature. However, when the user is seated on the toilet seat 22 and the lamp heater 22 is in a heat retaining state with a low output, the heat conduction type thermostat 31 has substantially the same temperature as the toilet seat temperature.

In FIG. 9, the thermistor 44 malfunctions, and the temperature of the toilet seat 22 cannot be accurately detected. When the toilet seat temperature gradually increases, the temperature of the toilet seat 22 (curve C) and the temperature of the bimetal 51 of the heat conduction thermostat 31 ( Curve D) is shown. Although the toilet seat temperature gradually rises, the temperature of the bimetal 51 also rises in the same manner, the seating portion 24 becomes equal to or higher than the maximum set temperature (T2) of the toilet seat 22, and the temperature of the bimetal 51 is turned off of the heat conduction thermostat 31 ( When the operating temperature (T5) is reached, the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 is shut off. Since the temperatures of the bimetal 51 and the toilet seat 22 are substantially equal, the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 is surely cut off before the toilet seat reaches the safety limit temperature (T4).

  Since the off operation temperature (T5) of the heat conduction type thermostat 31 is lower than the radiation operation type thermostat 30 off operation temperature (T3), for example, depending on the use environment, the toilet seat may be operated when there is no abnormality. Therefore, the heat conduction type thermostat 31 is a return type, and the temperature of the bimetal 51 is recovered at a temperature lower than the off-operation temperature (T5), so that it can be used again.

  Further, the radiation response type thermostat 30 performs the off operation when the toilet seat surface temperature is not less than the maximum set temperature (T2) of the toilet seat 22 and not more than the safety limit temperature (T4), but the radiation response type thermostat 30 substantially does. The off-operating temperature (T3) of the toilet seat can be set to a higher safety limit temperature (T4) of the toilet seat, so that the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 is easily interrupted by the radiation response thermostat 30 and the heating function of the toilet seat 22 is used. There is no danger of being unable to do so. That is, the first stage of the initial energization time is temperature control by the timer unit 49 and the thermistor 44 of the control unit 50, and the second stage is shut off of the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 by turning off the heat conduction type thermostat 31 (however, due to temperature drop) The circuit is restored), and the third stage is safe for a long time by setting the multi-stage safety function by shutting off the energization circuit of the lamp heater 29 by the non-reset type radiation response thermostat 30 (the circuit cannot be restored). And it can be used comfortably.

  In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of front lamp heaters 29 and rear lamp heaters 29b are arranged in front of and behind the toilet seat 22, and a plurality of them are installed. A radiation-responsive thermostat 30 faces each of the lamp heaters 29 and 29b. 30b and heat conduction type thermostats 31 and 31b are provided and are connected in series. The return-type heat conduction thermostats 31 and 31b operate at a low temperature, and the non-return-type thermostats 30 and 30b operate at a higher operating temperature than the return-type heat conduction thermostats 31 and 31b. By doing so, it can be used safely and comfortably with higher multiple safety and long term.

  In this embodiment, each of the lamp heaters is provided with a radiation response type and a heat conduction type thermostat facing each other. However, when a plurality of lamp heaters are provided, the lamp heaters are arranged at any position in the series of lamp heaters. By providing the thermostats facing each other, the same safe operation can be performed. In addition, if there are a plurality of the same type of thermostats, even if one of the same type of thermostats malfunctions, the other one can reliably perform a safe operation.

  Further, since the lamp heaters 29 and 29b are divided into a plurality of pieces, in the conventional ring-shaped toilet seat 2 shown in FIG. 11, one ring-shaped lamp heater 4 is arranged in substantially the entire cavity 1 of the toilet seat 2. Thus, the problem that the lamp heater 4 is directly stressed due to the deflection of the toilet seat 2 and the installation error of the lamp heater 4 is solved, and the risk of the lamp heater 29 being damaged due to the deflection of the toilet seat 22 or the like can be eliminated.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the heating toilet seat according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and particularly shows a partial cross-sectional view of the thermostat. The basic configuration of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the difference is that the structure of the thermostat connected in series to the lamp heater is improved. Therefore, only the structure of the different thermostat will be described. .

In FIG. 10 , the radiation response type thermostat 30 c has a cap 53 made of transparent glass so that the bimetal 51 receives the radiation light from the lamp heater 29. The provision of the transparent glass cap 53 makes it possible to provide a drip-proof or waterproof type in which water droplets and dust do not enter the inside of the radiation-responsive thermostat 30c. Even if the cavity 27 is submerged, the radiation response Infiltration of the current-carrying portion of the thermostat 30c can be prevented, and electrical insulation can be maintained, so that electric shock can be prevented. In the radiation response thermostat 30c, a heat-resistant black paint is applied as a radiation heat absorbing material 52 to the light receiving surface of the bimetal 51 as in FIG. The radiation-responsive thermostat 30 is configured to efficiently absorb the heat radiated from the radiation-type heating element toward the bimetal 51 by the radiant heat absorber 52 and to raise the temperature of the bimetal more quickly. Further, the radiation responsive thermostat 30c is set such that the distance a between the lamp heater 29 and the surface of the toilet seat 22 is larger than the distance b between the lamp heater 29 and the bimetal 51. Therefore, since the bimetal 51 directly receives the radiant light from the lamp heater 29, the bimetal 51 is directly heated by the radiant light from the lamp heater 29, and in addition, the bimetal 51 has a heat resistant material as a radiant heat absorber 52 on the surface. Since the black paint is applied, most of the radiant heat reaching the bimetal 51 from the lamp heater 29 is absorbed by the bimetal 51 and quickly follows the rapid fluctuation of the temperature of the toilet seat 22, so that the radiation responsive thermostat 30 has the lamp heater 29. Therefore, the lamp heater 29 can be de-energized when the temperature rises.

  In addition, the transparent glass of the cap 53 is excellent in the transmission characteristic of the radiant light of the lamp heater 29 by using quartz glass, can be made to respond more rapidly, and can improve the safety | security of interruption | blocking. Of course, other glasses can be used practically depending on the degree of necessity. Further, if the plate pressure of the transparent glass 53 is too thick, the transmission performance is deteriorated. Therefore, the plate thickness is preferably 1.5 mm or less, and preferably 1.2 mm or less. In each of the above embodiments, the material of the seating portion is a pressed product of an aluminum plate, but the same effect can be obtained even by other processing methods such as aluminum die casting. The type of metal may also be a copper plate or a steel plate.

  In the above embodiment, the radiation-responsive thermostat is set so that the toilet seat surface temperature is not less than the toilet seat's maximum set temperature and not more than the safety limit temperature of the toilet seat, and the thermostat operates in normal use. Thus, even if the toilet seat surface temperature is abnormally increased, the energization circuit of the radiant heating element can be reliably cut off at a temperature lower than the safety limit temperature where there is a risk of burns.

Further, a plurality of radiation-type heating elements are provided so as to face each of the radiation-type heating elements, and are provided with a radiation-responsive thermostat and a heat conduction thermostat electrically connected in series. opposite the, respectively that of the heating element by connecting to the electrical series heterogeneous thermostat, ensures radiant heating elements be abnormally excessive occurs in any of the radiant heating elements in any of the thermostats Can be cut off.

  In addition, the heat conduction thermostat cap is made of a metal with excellent heat conductivity, and the surface facing the radiant heating element is equipped with a radiant heat absorber. Even if the temperature rises gradually, the heat conduction to the bimetal is improved and the bimetal temperature can follow the toilet seat temperature, so the conduction circuit of the radiant heating element is reliably shut off at a temperature lower than the safety limit temperature. be able to.

Furthermore, the thermal conduction thermostat is set to be turned off at the toilet seat's maximum set temperature and below the toilet seat's safety limit temperature, and there is no malfunction that would cause the thermostat to operate under normal usage conditions. Even when the toilet seat surface temperature rises abnormally, the energization circuit of the radiant heating element can be reliably cut off at a temperature lower than the safety limit temperature at which there is a risk of burns.

  Furthermore, the heat conduction type thermostat is a return type, and the radiation response type thermostat is a non-return type.For example, even when a heat conduction type thermostat having a relatively low off-operation temperature is operated in an abnormal environment, By returning to an environment below a certain temperature, the heat conduction type thermostat returns and the toilet seat can be used again.

  As described above, in the heating toilet seat of the present invention, the bimetal of the thermostat is heated by the radiant light from the radiant heating element so that the temperature change can be detected quickly, and a heating toilet seat that can be used safely is obtained. It can be applied as a heating technique for equipment used by a user in contact with a human body in addition to being seated.

Schematic configuration diagram showing a cross section of the main part of the toilet seat of the heating toilet seat according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The perspective view of the toilet apparatus which mounted the heating toilet seat in the same Embodiment 1 in the toilet bowl The top view which removed the seating part of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 1 The principal part disassembled perspective view of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 1 Sectional view of the seating portion of the heating toilet seat in the first embodiment Sectional drawing of the principal part of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 1 Sectional drawing of the principal part of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 1 Characteristic chart of temperature control of heating toilet seat in the first embodiment Characteristic chart of temperature control of heating toilet seat in the first embodiment Sectional drawing of the principal part of the heating toilet seat in Embodiment 2 Sectional view of the main part of a conventional heated toilet seat Cross section of a conventional heated toilet seat thermostat

22 Toilet seat 24 Seating section 27 Cavity section 29 Lamp heater (radiant heating element)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Radiation response type thermostat 31 Heat conduction type thermostat 41 Anodized layer 42 Radiation absorption layer 43 Surface decoration layer 44 Thermistor (temperature detection means)
48 Room temperature thermistor (room temperature detection means)
50 Control Unit 51 Bimetal 52 Radiant Heat Absorber 53 Transparent Glass (Cap)
54 Cap 55 Radiant Heat Absorbing Material a Distance between Radiant Heating Element and Toilet Seat Surface b Distance between Radiant Heating Element and Thermostat T2 Maximum Set Temperature of Toilet Seat T3 Off-Operating Temperature of Thermal Conductive Thermostat T4 Toilet Seat Safety Limit temperature

Claims (3)

A seat and a toilet seat having a cavity inside;
A heating element that instantaneously heats the seat;
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the seating portion of the toilet seat;
A non-recoverable radiation-responsive thermostat having a bimetal connected in series to the heating element and coated with a heat-resistant black paint that receives the radiation of the heating element;
A return type heat conduction thermostat connected in series to the heating element and having a metal cap on the front surface of the bimetal so as not to directly receive the radiation of the heating element;
A control unit for controlling energization of the heating element by a signal of the temperature detection means,
The non-returnable radiation-responsive thermostat is provided with a transparent glass cap that prevents drip or dust from entering water or dust inside, and is provided on the front surface of the bimetal coated with the heat-resistant black paint. Heating toilet seat, which operates to shut off at a higher temperature than the heat conduction thermostat. Human body detecting means for detecting entry of a human body is provided, and when the human body is detected by the human body detecting means, power is applied to the heating element so that the seating portion is heated to an appropriate temperature before the human body is seated on the toilet seat. The heated toilet seat according to claim 1. A toilet apparatus provided with the heating toilet seat according to claim 1 or 2 in a toilet bowl.

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