JP6193134B2 - Western-style toilet - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a Western-style toilet, and more particularly to a Western-style toilet having a lifting / lowering function of a toilet seat device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a structure for cleaning between a toilet bowl body and a toilet seat apparatus, a Western style toilet bowl configured such that the toilet seat apparatus can be raised and lowered with respect to the toilet body body is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-56056 A

  However, in a Western style toilet as described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to lift and lower the toilet seat device while the user is bent in front of the toilet. Elevating work in such a bent posture is not easy especially for elderly people.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a subject, The objective is to provide the western style toilet bowl which can raise / lower the toilet seat apparatus easily with respect to a toilet bowl main body.

  In order to solve the above problems, a Western-style toilet of an aspect of the present invention includes a toilet body, a toilet seat, a toilet seat device that supports the toilet seat, and a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the toilet seat device in conjunction with opening and closing of the toilet seat. . The toilet seat may be supported so as to be rotatable around an opening / closing axis. The elevating mechanism may be configured to convert the rotational movement around the opening / closing axis of the toilet seat into the elevating movement of the toilet seat device.

  According to this aspect, when the toilet seat device is raised with respect to the toilet body, the user only has to open the toilet seat while standing, and does not have to bend in front of the toilet as in the prior art. Therefore, it is possible to easily raise and lower the toilet seat device with respect to the toilet body.

  The lifting mechanism includes an arm that extends vertically from the opening / closing axis of the toilet seat, a frame that supports the arm so as to be rotatable around the axis of rotation of the toilet seat, and a connection that connects the toilet seat and the toilet seat device. And a member. The toilet seat device may be raised and lowered with respect to the toilet body via the connecting member by rotating the arm around the axis of rotation of the arm according to the opening and closing of the toilet seat. In this case, the toilet seat device can be raised and lowered with respect to the toilet body.

  The elevating mechanism may further include a guide mechanism that guides the toilet seat device to move up and down in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the toilet body. In this case, the raising / lowering direction of a toilet seat apparatus can be controlled suitably.

  The elevating mechanism may further include an elastic member provided between the frame and the toilet seat device. In this case, the lifting / lowering workability of the toilet seat device can be improved.

  The lifting mechanism includes a toilet seat side gear that is rotatably provided according to opening and closing of the toilet seat, a toilet seat device side gear that is rotatably provided on the toilet seat device, and a rotation transmission that transmits the rotation of the toilet seat side gear to the toilet seat device side gear. You may provide a member, the rack gear which converts the rotational motion of the toilet seat apparatus side gear into linear motion, and the flame | frame fixed to the toilet bowl main body which supports a rack gear. In this case, the toilet seat device can be raised and lowered with respect to the toilet body.

  The rotation transmission member may be a connecting belt that connects the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat device side gear. In this case, the rotation of the toilet seat side gear can be suitably transmitted to the toilet seat device side gear.

  The rotation transmission member may be an intermediate gear provided between the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat device side gear. In this case, the rotation of the toilet seat side gear can be suitably transmitted to the toilet seat device side gear.

  The intermediate gear may be movable between a first position that engages with the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat apparatus side gear and a second position that does not engage with the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat apparatus side gear. In this case, the toilet seat device can be switched up and down / non-lifted according to the needs of the user, and the operability can be improved.

  The lifting mechanism is an electric lifting device that lifts and lowers the toilet seat device with respect to the toilet body, and when the toilet seat is opened, the toilet seat device is raised to the electric lifting device, and when the toilet seat is closed, the electric lift device is lowered to the electric lifting device. And a control unit. In this case, there is no need to search for an external switch as in a Western-style toilet using a conventional electric lifting device, so that operability can be improved.

  The lifting mechanism is provided between the frame fixed to the toilet body, the toilet seat device and the frame, and is compressed when the toilet seat device is lowered, and the elastic member when the toilet seat is closed. The toilet seat device may be locked to the frame so as to maintain the compressed state, and a lock mechanism may be provided to release the lock of the toilet seat device with respect to the frame so as to release the compression of the elastic member when the toilet seat is opened. In this case, the toilet seat device can be raised and lowered with respect to the toilet body. Moreover, it can be set as a cheap structure compared with the case where an electric raising / lowering apparatus is used.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the western style toilet bowl which can perform raising / lowering of the toilet seat apparatus with respect to a toilet bowl main body easily can be provided.

Fig.1 (a)-(c) is a figure for demonstrating the western style toilet bowl which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic perspective views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the first embodiment. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the second embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the third embodiment. FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining the non-lifting mode in the lifting mechanism according to the third embodiment. FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the fourth embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the fifth embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a Western-style toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The embodiments do not limit the invention but are exemplifications, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

  Fig.1 (a)-(c) is a figure for demonstrating the western style toilet bowl 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The western style toilet 10 according to the present embodiment includes a toilet body 12 having a toilet bowl, a toilet seat 14, and a toilet seat device 16 that supports the toilet seat 14. The toilet seat 14 is supported to be rotatable around an opening / closing axis. The toilet seat device 16 is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the toilet body 12. The toilet seat device 16 includes various functional components. For example, the toilet seat device 16 includes a shower toilet 18, a tank (not shown) for the shower toilet 18, a human body sensor (not shown), a toilet bowl washing tank (not shown), and the like.

  The Western-style toilet 10 according to the present embodiment includes an elevating mechanism that moves the toilet seat device 16 up and down in conjunction with opening and closing of the toilet seat 14. The lifting device is configured to convert the rotational motion of the toilet seat 14 around the opening / closing axis into the lifting motion of the toilet seat device 16. The toilet seat 14 moves up and down with respect to the toilet body 12 according to the opening degree.

  FIG. 1A shows a state in which the toilet seat 14 is closed with respect to the toilet body 12. That is, the opening degree of the toilet seat 14 is 0%. At this time, the lifting device does not raise the toilet seat device 16 relative to the toilet body 12. In this state, there is no gap between the upper surface of the toilet body 12 and the lower surface of the toilet seat device 16. Here, “no gap” does not mean only a state where there is no gap at all, but also includes a state where a very small gap exists such that a human finger cannot enter.

  FIG. 1B shows a state in which the toilet seat 14 is opened about half of the toilet body 12. When the toilet seat 14 is opened about half by the user (that is, the opening degree of the toilet seat 14 is 50%), the elevating mechanism raises the toilet seat device 16 about half of that when fully raised. In this state, a gap 19 is generated between the upper surface of the toilet body 12 and the lower surface of the toilet seat device 16 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 1C shows a state in which the toilet seat 14 is completely opened with respect to the toilet body 12. When the toilet seat 14 is completely opened by the user (that is, the opening degree of the toilet seat 14 is 100%), the lifting mechanism completely raises the toilet seat device 16 relative to the toilet body 12. In this state, a large gap 19 is formed between the upper surface of the toilet body 12 and the lower surface of the toilet seat device 16 as shown in FIG.

  When the toilet seat 14 is closed by the user, the lifting mechanism lowers the toilet seat device 16 toward the toilet body 12 in turn. When the toilet seat 14 is completely closed, there is no gap between the upper surface of the toilet body 12 and the lower surface of the toilet seat device 16.

  Thus, in the western style toilet bowl 10 according to the present embodiment, the toilet seat device 16 is configured to move up and down with respect to the toilet bowl body 12 in conjunction with opening and closing of the toilet seat 14. When raising the toilet seat device 16 with respect to the toilet body 12, the user only has to open the toilet seat 14 while standing, and does not have to bend in front of the toilet as in the prior art. Therefore, according to the western style toilet bowl 10 which concerns on this embodiment, it becomes possible to raise / lower the toilet seat apparatus easily with respect to a toilet bowl main body, As a result, the workability | operativity of toilet bowl cleaning can be improved.

  Next, a first embodiment of the lifting mechanism will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic perspective views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the first embodiment. 2 (a) and 3 (a) show a state in which the toilet seat 14 is closed, and FIGS. 2 (b) and 3 (b) show a state in which the toilet seat 14 is opened.

  The lifting mechanism 20 according to the first embodiment includes a toilet seat arm 21, a frame 22, a connecting plate 23, a guide mechanism 24, and an assist spring 25.

  The connecting plate 23 connects the toilet seat 14 and the toilet seat device 16. The toilet seat 14 is rotatably supported around an opening / closing shaft 26 provided on the connecting plate 23. The toilet seat arm 21 extends vertically from the opening / closing shaft 26 of the toilet seat 14. The toilet seat side end portion of the toilet seat arm 21 is fixed to the rear end portion of the toilet seat 14 by an arm fixing bush 27. The frame 22 is erected on the upper surface of the toilet body 12. The frame 22 is provided with an arm rotation shaft 28. The frame side end of the toilet seat arm 21 is fixed to the arm rotation shaft 28. The toilet seat arm 21 is rotatable around an arm rotation axis 28.

  In the lifting mechanism 20 according to the first embodiment, the toilet seat arm 21 rotates around the arm rotation shaft 28 according to the opening and closing of the toilet seat 14, so that the toilet seat device 16 moves up and down with respect to the toilet body 12 via the connecting plate 23. Is done. That is, when the toilet seat 14 is opened by the user, the toilet seat arm 21 also rotates around the opening / closing axis 26. Then, the toilet seat arm 21 rotates with the arm rotation shaft 28 fixed to the frame 22 as a fulcrum, and the opening / closing shaft 26 is lifted upward. Since the opening / closing shaft 26 is connected to the toilet seat device 16 via the connection plate 23, the toilet seat device 16 rises with respect to the toilet body 12. When the toilet seat device 16 is lowered with respect to the toilet body 12, the reverse operation is performed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the guide mechanism 24 includes an elevating shaft 29 and an elevating guide 30. The elevating shaft 29 is fixed to the frame 22 so as to face the vertical direction with respect to the upper surface of the toilet body 12. The elevating guide 30 is fixed to the toilet seat device 16 and is configured to be movable up and down along the elevating shaft 29. By providing such a guide mechanism 24, the toilet seat device 16 can be guided so as to move up and down in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the toilet body 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the upper end portion 25 a of the assist spring 25 is attached to a spring support pin 22 a provided on the frame 22. On the other hand, the lower end portion 25 b of the assist spring 25 is attached to a spring support portion 16 a provided in the toilet seat device 16. As shown in FIG. 3A, the assist spring 25 is positioned between the spring support pin 22a and the spring support portion 16a so that the assist spring 25 faces the vertical direction with respect to the upper surface of the toilet body 12 when the toilet seat 14 is closed. It is stretched around. When the user opens the toilet seat 14, the lift of the toilet seat device 16 is assisted by the elastic force of the assist spring 25. By providing the assist spring 25, the user can raise the toilet seat device 16 relative to the toilet body 12 with less force. An arbitrary elastic member (for example, rubber) can be used instead of or in addition to the assist spring 25.

  4 (a) and 4 (b) are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the second embodiment. 4A shows a state where the toilet seat 14 is closed, and FIG. 4B shows a state where the toilet seat 14 is opened.

  The lifting mechanism 40 according to the second embodiment includes a toilet seat side gear 41, a toilet seat device side gear 42, a connecting belt 43, a rack gear 44, and a frame 22.

  The toilet seat side gear 41 is provided to be rotatable around the opening / closing shaft 26 in accordance with the opening / closing of the toilet seat 14. The toilet seat device side gear 42 is rotatably provided around a rotation shaft 46 provided in the toilet seat device 16. The connecting belt 43 is stretched between the toilet seat side gear 41 and the toilet seat apparatus side gear 42 and functions as a rotation transmission member that transmits the rotation of the toilet seat side gear 41 to the toilet seat apparatus side gear 42. The rack gear 44 converts the rotational motion of the toilet seat device side gear 42 into linear motion, and is supported by the frame 22 erected on the upper surface of the toilet body 12.

  In the lifting mechanism 40 according to the second embodiment, the toilet seat side gear 41 rotates around the opening / closing shaft 26 according to the opening / closing of the toilet seat 14, whereby the toilet seat device side gear 42 rotates via the connecting belt 43. The rotational motion of the toilet seat device side gear 42 is converted into a linear motion by the rack gear 44, and the toilet seat device 16 is raised relative to the toilet body 12. When the toilet seat device 16 is lowered with respect to the toilet body 12, the reverse operation is performed.

  FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the third embodiment. 5A shows a state in which the toilet seat 14 is closed, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the toilet seat 14 is opened.

  The lifting mechanism 50 according to the third embodiment includes a toilet seat side gear 41, a toilet seat device side gear 42, a first intermediate gear 51, a second intermediate gear 52, a rack gear 44, a frame 22, and an external lever 53. Is provided.

  The toilet seat side gear 41 is provided to be rotatable around the opening / closing shaft 26 in accordance with the opening / closing of the toilet seat 14. The toilet seat device side gear 42 is rotatably provided around a rotation shaft 46 provided in the toilet seat device 16. The first intermediate gear 51 and the second intermediate gear 52 are provided between the toilet seat side gear 41 and the toilet seat device side gear 42, and serve as rotation transmission members that transmit the rotation of the toilet seat side gear 41 to the toilet seat device side gear 42. Function. The rack gear 44 converts the rotational motion of the toilet seat device side gear 42 into linear motion, and is supported by the frame 22 erected on the upper surface of the toilet body 12.

  In the lifting mechanism 50 according to the third embodiment, when the toilet seat side gear 41 rotates around the opening / closing shaft 26 according to the opening / closing of the toilet seat 14, the rotation is performed via the first intermediate gear 51 and the second intermediate gear 52. It is transmitted to the side gear 42. The rotational motion of the toilet seat device side gear 42 is converted into a linear motion by the rack gear 44, and the toilet seat device 16 is raised relative to the toilet body 12. When the toilet seat device 16 is lowered with respect to the toilet body 12, the reverse operation is performed.

  In the third embodiment, it is possible to switch between a lifting mode in which the toilet seat device 16 moves up and down in conjunction with opening and closing of the toilet seat 14 and a non-lifting mode in which the toilet seat device 16 does not move up and down regardless of opening and closing of the toilet seat 14. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining the non-lifting mode. 6A shows a state where the toilet seat 14 is closed, and FIG. 6B shows a state where the toilet seat 14 is opened. Switching between the lift mode and the non-lift mode is performed using the external lever 53. The external lever 53 is connected to the rotation shaft 54 of the second intermediate gear 52. By moving the external lever 53 up and down, the second intermediate gear 52 is movable between the lowered first position and the raised second position. In the first position, the second intermediate gear 52 meshes with the toilet seat side gear 41 (via the first intermediate gear 51) and meshes with the toilet seat device side gear 42 (see FIGS. 6A and 6B). Therefore, the rotation of the toilet seat side gear 41 is transmitted to the toilet seat device side gear 42, and the toilet seat device 16 can be raised and lowered. On the other hand, in the second position, the second intermediate gear 52 does not mesh with the first intermediate gear 51 and the toilet seat device side gear 42 (see FIGS. 6A and 6B). Therefore, the rotation of the toilet seat side gear 41 is not transmitted to the toilet seat device side gear 42, and the toilet seat device 16 does not move up and down. As described above, according to the lifting mechanism 50 according to the thirty-third embodiment, the toilet seat device 16 can be switched between up and down according to the needs of the user, and operability can be improved.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the fourth embodiment. 7A shows a state where the toilet seat 14 is closed, and FIG. 7B shows a state where the toilet seat 14 is opened.

  The lifting mechanism 70 according to the fourth embodiment includes a switch pressing member 71, a switch 72, and an electric lifting device 73.

  The electric lifting device 73 includes a motor (not shown), a mechanism for converting the rotational motion of the motor into a linear motion, and the like, and lifts the toilet seat device 16 relative to the toilet body 12. Since the structure of the electric lifting device that lifts and lowers the toilet seat device 16 is known, detailed description thereof is omitted here. The switch pressing member 71 and the switch 72 constitute a control unit that controls the operation of the electric lifting device 73. The switch 72 has a function of switching the raising / lowering of the electric lifting device 73. The switch pressing member 71 is rotatably provided around the opening / closing shaft 26 in accordance with the opening / closing of the toilet seat 14. When the toilet seat 14 is opened by the user, the switch pressing member 71 rotates around the opening / closing shaft 26 to press the switch 72, and the toilet seat device 16 is raised by the electric lifting device 73. On the other hand, when the toilet seat 14 is closed by the user, the switch pressing member 71 rotates in the reverse direction around the opening / closing shaft 26 and is separated from the switch 72, and the toilet seat device 16 is lowered by the electric lifting device 73.

  Most Western-style toilets using an electric lifting device known in the art control the electric lifting device using a switch provided outside the Western-style toilet. In this case, it takes time to search for an external switch. On the other hand, according to the elevating mechanism 70 according to the fourth embodiment, the operation of the electric elevating device 73 can be controlled simply by opening and closing the toilet seat 14, so that the operability can be improved.

  FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic side views of the main part for explaining the lifting mechanism according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the toilet seat 14 is closed, and FIG. 8B shows a state in which the toilet seat 14 is opened.

  The lifting mechanism 80 according to the fifth embodiment includes a frame 22, a spring 81, and a lock mechanism 82.

  The frame 22 is fixed to the toilet body 12. The spring 81 is provided between the toilet seat device 16 and the frame 22. When the toilet seat device 16 is lowered as shown in FIG. 8A, the spring 81 is compressed. The lock mechanism 82 locks the toilet seat device 16 to the frame 22 so as to maintain the compressed state of the spring 81 when the toilet seat 14 is closed, and releases the compression of the spring 81 when the toilet seat 14 is opened. The toilet seat device 16 is configured to unlock the frame 22. The lock mechanism 82 includes a lock portion 84 that is fixed to the toilet seat device 16, a lock release member that is rotatably provided around the opening / closing shaft 26 according to the opening / closing of the toilet seat 14, and a lock pin 85 that is fixed to the frame 22. Is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the toilet seat 14 is closed and the toilet seat device 16 is lowered, the lock portion 84 is locked to the lock pin 85. Thereby, the compressed state of the spring 81 is maintained. As shown in FIG. 8B, when the toilet seat 14 is opened by the user, the lock release member 83 releases the locking of the lock portion 84 to the lock pin 85. As a result, the compression of the spring 81 is released, and the toilet seat device 16 is raised by the elastic force of the spring 81. An arbitrary elastic member (for example, rubber) can be used instead of or in addition to the spring 81. The lifting mechanism 80 according to the fifth embodiment is advantageous in terms of cost compared to the lifting mechanism 70 described with reference to FIG.

  The present invention has been described above based on the embodiment. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are exemplifications, and that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Western style toilet, 12 Toilet body, 14 Toilet seat, 16 Toilet seat device, 18 Shower toilet, 20 Lifting mechanism, 21 Toilet seat arm, 22 Frame, 23 Connecting plate, 24 Guide mechanism, 25 Assist spring, 26 Opening / closing axis, 28 Arm rotation shaft 29 Lifting shaft, 30 Lifting guide, 40 Lifting mechanism, 41 Toilet seat side gear, 42 Toilet seat device side gear, 43 Connecting belt, 44 Rack gear, 45 Frame, 50 Lifting mechanism, 51 First intermediate gear, 52 Second intermediate gear, 53 External lever, 70 Elevating mechanism, 71 Switch pressing member, 72 Switch, 73 Electric lifting device, 81 Spring, 82 Lock mechanism, 83 Unlocking member, 84 Lock part, 85 Lock pin

Claims (11)

The toilet body,
Toilet seat and
A toilet seat device for supporting the toilet seat;
A lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the toilet seat device in conjunction with opening and closing of the toilet seat;
Equipped with a,
The toilet seat is rotatably supported around an opening / closing axis,
The Western-style toilet , wherein the elevating mechanism is configured to convert a rotational motion around an opening / closing axis of the toilet seat into an elevating motion of the toilet seat device . The lifting mechanism is
An arm extending vertically from the opening / closing axis of the toilet seat;
A frame fixed to the toilet body for supporting the arm rotatably about an arm rotation axis;
A connecting member for connecting the toilet seat and the toilet seat device;
The Western-style toilet according to claim 1, comprising: By the arm in response to the opening and closing of the toilet seat is rotated around the arm rotating shaft, according to claim 2, characterized in that the toilet seat apparatus is lifting with respect to the toilet body through the connecting member Western style toilet bowl. The Western-style toilet according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the lifting mechanism further includes a guide mechanism that guides the toilet seat device to move up and down in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the toilet body. The Western-style toilet according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the elevating mechanism further includes an elastic member provided between the frame and the toilet seat device. The lifting mechanism is
A toilet seat side gear that is rotatably provided according to the opening and closing of the toilet seat;
A toilet seat device side gear provided rotatably on the toilet seat device;
A rotation transmission member for transmitting rotation of the toilet seat side gear to the toilet seat device side gear;
A rack gear that converts the rotational movement of the toilet seat side gear into a linear movement;
A frame that supports the rack gear and is fixed to the toilet body;
The Western-style toilet according to claim 1, comprising: The Western-style toilet according to claim 6 , wherein the rotation transmission member is a connecting belt that connects the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat device side gear. The Western-style toilet according to claim 6 , wherein the rotation transmission member is an intermediate gear provided between the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat device side gear. The intermediate gear is movable between a first position that engages with the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat apparatus side gear and a second position that does not engage with the toilet seat side gear and the toilet seat apparatus side gear. The Western-style toilet bowl according to claim 8 , characterized in that The lifting mechanism is
An electric lifting device for lifting and lowering the toilet seat device relative to the toilet body;
A controller that raises the toilet seat device to the electric lifting device when the toilet seat is opened, and lowers the toilet seat device to the electric lifting device when the toilet seat is closed;
The Western-style toilet according to claim 1, comprising: The lifting mechanism is
A frame fixed to the toilet body,
An elastic member provided between the toilet seat device and the frame and compressed when the toilet seat device is lowered;
The toilet seat is locked to the frame so as to maintain the compressed state of the elastic member when the toilet seat is closed, and the toilet seat is released when the toilet seat is opened. A lock mechanism for unlocking the frame of the device;
The Western-style toilet according to claim 1, comprising:

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