JP6770381B2 - Switchgear - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an opening / closing device for opening / closing an opening / closing body which is a toilet seat or a toilet lid.

A toilet device equipped with an electric switchgear configured to automatically open a toilet lid or the like is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an electric switchgear for a toilet seat or a toilet lid used for a flush toilet. The electric switchgear described in Patent Document 1 includes a rotation shaft on which a mounting base of an opening / closing member composed of a toilet seat or a toilet lid is mounted, a shock absorber attached to the rotation shaft to brake the free rotation of the opening / closing member, and a rotation. It has a drive member having an eccentric member provided on the moving shaft. Such an electric switchgear is required to operate more quickly in order to improve usability.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-102644

In such a conventional device, when the so-called shaft play due to the clearance between the motor shaft and the bearing on the opening / closing member side is large, it is difficult to speed up the opening / closing operation. This is because the opening / closing member collides with the stopper that stops the opening / closing member at the open position at high speed, and the sound is generated and the movement becomes awkward, which impairs the dignity.

On the other hand, if the clearance is reduced, it takes time and effort to disassemble and assemble during cleaning and maintenance (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning, etc."). That is, the present inventor has recognized that the speeding up and smoothing of operations and the improvement of workability such as cleaning are in a trade-off relationship.

An object of the present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a switchgear capable of improving the speed and smoothness of opening operation of a switchgear.

In order to solve the above problems, the opening / closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is an opening / closing body that is a toilet seat or a toilet lid, and can perform an opening operation in the forward rotation direction and a closing operation in the reverse rotation direction from the closed position to the open position. A drive output unit that is rotationally driven based on the rotation of the drive motor, and a drive input unit that is rotationally driven by fitting with the drive output unit with play to open and close the open / close body. Be prepared. The drive output section includes a leading contact section that comes into contact with the drive input section when rotating ahead of the drive input section in the forward rotation direction, and a drive input section when rotating behind the drive input section. When the opening / closing body is opened, the drive output unit moves in the forward rotation direction up to the operation switching angle before the open position while the preceding contact portion is in contact with the drive input unit. The drive output unit that has rotated and rotated to the operation switching angle regulates rotation until the lagging contact unit contacts the drive input unit, and the drive output unit that contacts the drive input unit until the opening / closing body reaches the open position. The drive output unit that rotates in the forward rotation direction and rotates to the operation switching angle rotates in the reverse direction until the lagging contact unit contacts the drive input unit .

According to this aspect, in the switchgear, the drive output unit rotates in the forward rotation direction until the opening / closing body reaches the open position with the lagging contact unit in contact with the drive input unit, so that the drive output unit is before reaching the open position. The speed of the switchgear can be suppressed.

Another aspect of the present invention is also a switchgear. This device is an opening / closing body that is a toilet seat or a toilet lid, and is based on the opening / closing body that is configured to be able to open in the forward rotation direction and the closing operation in the reverse rotation direction from the closed position to the open position, and the rotation of the drive motor. It includes a drive output unit that is rotationally driven, and a drive input unit that is rotationally driven by fitting the drive output unit with play to open and close the opening / closing body. When the opening / closing body is opened, the drive output unit rotates in the forward rotation direction up to the operation switching angle before the open position in contact with the drive input unit, and the drive output unit rotated to the operation switching angle becomes the drive input unit. The rotation is decelerated so as to shift to the non-contact state, and the drive output unit that has shifted to the non-contact state comes into contact with the drive input unit again by catching up with the drive input unit and lags behind the drive input unit. , The opening / closing body rotates in the forward rotation direction until it reaches the open position.

According to this aspect, in the switchgear, the drive output unit that has transitioned to the non-contact state comes into contact with the drive input unit again by being caught up by the drive input unit, and the switchgear is in a state of lagging behind the drive input unit. Since it rotates in the forward rotation direction until it reaches the open position, the speed of the opening / closing body before reaching the open position can be suppressed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a switchgear capable of improving the speed and smoothness of the opening operation of the switchgear.

It is a side view which shows the closed state of the flush toilet device which comprises the opening / closing device which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view which shows the open state of the flush toilet device which comprises the opening / closing device which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the drive device of the switchgear of FIG. It is another perspective view which shows the drive device of the switchgear of FIG. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part of the switchgear of FIG. It is another side view which shows typically the meshing part of the switchgear of FIG. It is a functional block diagram explaining the structure of the switchgear of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the opening operation of the switchgear of FIG. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part in the middle state of the preceding rotation processing. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part in the state which finished the preceding rotation processing. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part in the state which finished the contact part switching process. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part in the state which finished the lagging rotation process. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part in the state which finished the stop process. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part of the switchgear of the 3rd modification. It is a side view which shows typically the meshing part of the switchgear of the 4th modification.

First, the background to the present invention will be described. The present inventors examined the clearance between the shaft on the motor side of the switchgear and the bearing on the switchgear side. If this clearance is large, it becomes difficult to control the movement of the opening / closing member during electric operation, and a phenomenon is observed in which the opening / closing member collides with the stopper that stops the opening / closing member at the open position at high speed and emits an impact sound. In particular, this impact noise became louder when trying to open the operation quickly. This impact sound may give a sense of discomfort to the user and hinders the speeding up of the opening operation. On the other hand, it was also found that if the clearance is excessively small, the workability of the work of separating and assembling them at the time of cleaning or the like may be significantly reduced.
Based on such findings, the present invention has been made to improve the speed and smoothness of the opening operation of the opening / closing body without deteriorating workability such as cleaning.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to each drawing based on a preferred embodiment. The same or equivalent components and members shown in the drawings shall be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are shown enlarged or reduced as appropriate for easy understanding. In addition, some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiment in each drawing are omitted and displayed.
In addition, terms such as first and second can be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The term is used only to distinguish one component from the other.

(Flush toilet device)
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a closed state of a flush toilet device 100 including the opening / closing device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an open state of the flush toilet device 100. Hereinafter, the description will be given based on the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. The X-axis direction corresponds to the horizontal left-right direction, the Y-axis direction corresponds to the horizontal front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical vertical direction. The Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction are orthogonal to the X-axis direction, respectively. The X-axis direction may be expressed as left, right or horizontal, the Y-axis direction may be expressed as forward or backward, and the Z-axis direction may be expressed as upward, downward or vertical.
In FIG. 1, when the flush toilet device 100 is viewed from the direction of arrow P, the right side is referred to as the right and the left side is referred to as the left.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flush toilet device 100 mainly includes two drive devices 11, a toilet body 102, a toilet seat 20, a toilet lid 30, and a casing 40. The casing 40 is provided, for example, on the rear end side of the upper surface of the toilet body 102, and an operation button for performing various operations is attached to the casing 40. The casing 40 is provided with a rotation shaft of the toilet seat 20 extending on both the left and right sides and a rotation shaft of the toilet lid 30 extending on both the left and right sides. Each of the toilet seat 20 and the toilet lid 30 is rotatably provided with this rotation axis as a fulcrum. The drive device 11 may be provided on one or both of the rotating shafts. As an example, in the flush toilet device 100, the drive device 11 is provided only on the right side of the rotating shaft for each of the toilet seat 20 and the toilet lid 30.

(toilet seat)
The toilet seat 20 is rotatably provided with respect to the toilet body 102 about the rotation axis M of the drive device 11 provided on the right side of the rear portion. The toilet seat 20 is configured to be able to be raised and lowered from the closed position to the open position with respect to the toilet body 102. In the closed state shown in FIG. 1, the toilet seat 20 is arranged on the upper surface of the toilet bowl main body 102 at a closed position where the front portion 20b is horizontal to the rear portion 20a, for example. In the open state shown in FIG. 2, the toilet seat 20 is arranged in the open position where the front portion 20b is lifted and rotated by, for example, approximately 110 ° from the closed position.

(Toilet lid)
The toilet lid 30 is rotatably provided with respect to the toilet body 102 about the rotation axis M of the drive device 11 provided on the right side of the rear portion. The toilet lid 30 is configured to be able to be raised and lowered from the closed position to the open position with respect to the toilet seat 20 in the state where the toilet body 102 is closed. In the closed state shown in FIG. 1, the toilet lid 30 is arranged above the toilet seat 20 in a state where the front portion 30b is closed, for example, at a closed position where the front portion 30b is horizontal to the rear portion 30a. In the open state shown in FIG. 2, the toilet lid 30 is arranged in the open position where the front portion 30b is lifted and rotated by, for example, about 110 degrees from the closed position. As shown in FIG. 2, in the embodiment, the drive device 11 for driving the toilet lid 30 is provided apart from the rear upper side of the drive device 11 for driving the toilet seat 20.

(Switchgear)
The switchgear 10 according to the embodiment has an opening / closing body 12 which is a toilet seat 20 or a toilet lid 30, a drive output unit 47 which is rotationally driven based on the driving force of the drive motor 14, and a play (clearance) with the drive output unit 47. Mainly includes a drive input unit 48 that is rotationally driven by fitting the open / close body 12 to open and close the opening / closing body 12. The drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48 form a meshing unit 52 that transmits power by contacting each other, and the meshing unit 52 transmits the rotational driving force of the drive output unit 47 to the drive input unit 48 to open and close the body. 12 is rotationally driven. The drive motor 14 and the drive output unit 47 are provided in the drive device 11. The drive input unit 48 is provided on the toilet seat 20 and the toilet lid 30, which are the opening / closing bodies 12. That is, the opening / closing body 12 is configured to be electrically able to open in the forward rotation direction and close in the reverse rotation direction up to the open position by driving the drive motor 14 of the drive device 11. The drive motor 14, the drive output unit 47, the drive input unit 48, and the meshing unit 52 will be described later.

(Drive)
Next, the drive device 11 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drive device 11 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the drive device 11 in a state where the housing 50 is removed. The drive device 11 mainly includes a drive motor 14, a first worm section 41, a second worm section 42, a reduction gear section 43, an output shaft section 45, an urging member 46, and a rotation detection section 44. Included in. The first worm section 41, the second worm section 42, the reduction gear section 43, the output shaft section 45, the urging member 46, and the rotation detection section 44 are housed in the housing 50. A drive motor 14 is provided at one end of the housing 50 in the X-axis direction, and an extended end of the output shaft portion 45 projects from the other end of the housing 50. A drive output unit 47 is provided on the protruding portion of the output shaft unit 45.

(Drive motor)
The drive motor 14 is a drive source for rotating the toilet seat 20 and the toilet lid 30 to which the drive device 11 is attached. The drive motor 14 outputs rotational torque by supplying a drive current via a lead wire (not shown). The drive motor 14 outputs a rotation torque in the forward rotation direction that opens the opening / closing body 12 by a predetermined drive current in the forward direction, and outputs a rotation torque in the reverse rotation direction that closes the opening / closing body 12 by a drive current in a predetermined reverse direction. Further, by short-circuiting the lead wire of the drive motor 14, the drive motor 14 is put into a short brake state. As the drive motor 14, various types of motors such as a DC motor, a DC brushless motor, and a stepping motor can be used. In the drive device 11 of the embodiment, a DC motor is used as the drive motor 14.

(Warm part)
The first worm unit 41 is a transmission mechanism that is connected to the output rotation shaft of the drive motor 14 to reduce the rotation speed and change the axial direction. The first worm portion 41 may be configured to include a worm gear including a worm and a worm wheel. The second worm section 42 is connected to the output side of the first worm section 41 and is a transmission mechanism for reducing the rotational speed and changing the axial direction. The second worm portion 42 may be configured to include a worm gear including a worm and a worm wheel. The members constituting the first worm portion 41 and the second worm portion 42 may be formed of, for example, a metal material or a resin material. In the first worm portion 41 and the second worm portion 42 of the embodiment, the worm and the worm wheel are formed of a resin material.

(Clutch part)
A clutch portion (not shown) is connected to the worm wheel on the output side of the second worm portion 42. The clutch portion is a transmission mechanism for transmitting the torque transmitted from the drive motor 14 to the reduction gear portion 43 via the first worm portion 41 and the second worm portion 42. The clutch portion functions as a torque limiter that suppresses the transmission of torque when a torque exceeding a predetermined magnitude is input between the input side and the output side. For example, the opening / closing body 12 which is the toilet seat 20 or the toilet lid 30 may be manually opened / closed with respect to the driving force of the driving device 11. In such a case, when a load is applied to the drive output unit 47, the transmission of the load to the drive motor 14 is suppressed, and the drive motor 14, the first worm unit 41, the second worm unit 42, and the reduction gear are suppressed. Protect the unit 43. The clutch portion is not particularly limited as long as it functions as a torque limiter. The drive device 11 of the embodiment employs a multi-plate clutch having a structure in which a plurality of disks are alternately stacked. When the torque exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the clutch portion causes the plurality of internal disks to slip and suppress the transmission of torque.

(Reduction gear)
The reduction gear section 43 is a transmission mechanism for transmitting the torque transmitted from the drive motor 14 to the output shaft section 45 via the first worm section 41, the second worm section 42, and the clutch section. The input side of the reduction gear portion 43 is connected to the output side of the clutch portion. The reduction gear unit 43 may include a plurality of reduction mechanisms including a large-diameter gear and a small-diameter gear. Members such as the large-diameter gear and the small-diameter gear constituting the reduction gear portion 43 may be formed of, for example, a metal material or a resin material. The large-diameter gear and the small-diameter gear of the embodiment are formed of a resin material.

(Output shaft)
The output shaft portion 45 is a member for transmitting the torque transmitted from the drive motor 14 to the opening / closing body 12 via the first worm portion 41, the second worm portion 42, the clutch portion and the reduction gear portion 43. The output shaft portion 45 is a shaft-shaped member that extends in the X-axis direction, and the stretched end of the output shaft portion 45 protrudes from the housing 50, and the drive output portion 47 is formed in the protruding portion. By rotating the drive output unit 47 integrally with the output shaft unit 45, the drive input unit 48 that fits with the drive output unit 47 is rotationally driven.

(Bending member)
The urging member 46 is an urging member that urges the output shaft portion 45 in the rotational direction. The urging member 46 may be, for example, an assist spring that applies an urging force to the output shaft portion 45 in the direction of opening the opening / closing body 12. The urging member 46, which is an assist spring, cancels a part of the force that the opening / closing body 12 tries to close by its own weight, and can open / close the opening / closing body 12 with a small torque. The urging member 46 is formed in a coil shape that surrounds the output shaft portion 45, for example. The fixed end of the coiled urging member 46 is fixed at a predetermined position on the housing 50, and the movable end is fixed at a predetermined position on the output shaft portion 45. The urging member 46 is arranged so that, for example, the urging force is minimized when the opening / closing body 12 is in the open position, and the urging force is maximized when the opening / closing body 12 is in the closed position.

(Rotation detector)
The rotation detection unit 44 is a rotation detection mechanism that detects the rotation angle and rotation speed of the drive output unit 47. As the rotation detection unit 44, rotation detection means based on various types of detection principles such as a rotary encoder and a Hall element can be used. In the drive device 11 of the embodiment, the rotation detection unit 44 includes a potentiometer 44a that rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the drive output unit 47. The rotation detection unit 44 includes a gear 44b to which the rotation of the output shaft unit 45 provided with the drive output unit 47 is transmitted, and the potentiometer 44a rotates together with the gear 44b. The potentiometer 44a can output the rotation angle of the drive output unit 47 as a resistance value, a voltage division ratio, or a voltage. The rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 can be detected by calculating the difference at predetermined time intervals based on the rotation angle of the drive output unit 47.

(Matching part)
Next, the meshing portion 52 of the drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48 will be described. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing the meshing portion 52 of the switchgear 10. FIG. 6 is another side view schematically showing the meshing portion 52 of the switchgear 10. The drive input unit 48 is provided on the base 12b of the opening / closing body 12 which is a toilet seat or a toilet lid, and is a mechanism for opening and closing the opening / closing body 12 by the torque transmitted from the drive motor via the drive output unit 47. It is a part. The meshing portion 52 is not particularly limited as long as it is a mechanism capable of transmitting a rotational force from the drive output unit 47 to the drive input unit 48. The meshing portion 52 has, for example, a configuration in which one of the drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48 is surrounded by the other and engaged in the radial direction, or the drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48 are engaged in the axial direction. May be provided. In the meshing portion 52 of the embodiment, the drive output portion 47 is surrounded by the drive input portion 48, and these are configured to engage in the radial direction.

In order to facilitate the work of separating and mounting the drive input unit 48 from the drive output unit 47, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the drive input unit 48 and the drive output unit 47 are provided with a dimensional difference of a predetermined size. Be done. An example of the short side dimensions C1 and C2 and the long side dimensions D1 and D2 of the drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48 is shown below.
Drive output unit 47: Short side dimension C1 = 8.5 mm Long side dimension D1 = 14.0 mm
Drive input unit 48: Short side dimension C2 = 9.5 mm Long side dimension D2 = 17.5 mm
Rotational angle deviation: ± 5 °
As a result of providing such a dimensional difference in the short side dimensions, as shown in FIG. 5, a play 52a having a predetermined size in the rotation direction is provided in the meshing portion 52 of the drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48. The play 52a is the maximum gap between the outer peripheral flat portion 47s which is the power transmission unit of the drive output unit 47 and the inner peripheral flat portion 48s which is the power transmission unit of the drive input unit 48. That is, within the range of the play 52a, the drive output unit 47 is in a non-contact state in which the driving force cannot be transmitted to the drive input unit 48 even if it rotates in the forward rotation direction R or the reverse rotation direction Q. As shown in FIG. 5, a state in which the drive output unit 47 rotates with respect to the drive input unit 48 about the rotation axis M in advance of the normal rotation direction R is referred to as advance rotation. On the contrary, a state in which the drive output unit 47 lags behind the drive input unit 48 and rotates is called lagging rotation (see FIG. 6).

The meshing portion 52 in the state of the preceding rotation is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, in the meshing portion 52 of the embodiment, a shaft-shaped drive output portion 47 provided with a pair of outer peripheral flat portions 47s on the outer peripheral surface has a pair of inner peripheral flat portions 48s on the inner peripheral surface. It is surrounded by a cylindrical drive input unit 48 provided. The pair of outer peripheral flat portions 47s are power transmission portions that come into contact with the pair of inner peripheral flat portions 48s that are power transmission portions. As shown in FIG. 5, the outer peripheral flat portion 47s of the drive output unit 47 comes into contact with the inner peripheral flat portion 48s of the drive input unit 48 when rotating in advance of the drive input unit 48. Is formed.

The meshing portion 52 in the state of lagging rotation is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer peripheral flat portion 47s of the drive output unit 47 has a lagging contact portion 47d that comes into contact with the inner peripheral flat portion 48s of the drive input unit 48 when rotating behind the drive input unit 48. Is formed.

(Functional block)
Next, the functional block of the switchgear 10 will be described. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the switchgear 10. The switchgear 10 includes a drive unit 150, a control unit 160, and an operation unit 170. The drive unit 150 includes two drive devices 11 and is configured to be able to open and close the opening / closing body 12 which is the toilet seat 20 or the toilet lid 30. As described above, the drive output unit 47 of the drive device 11 constitutes the drive input unit 48 and the meshing unit 52 provided on the opening / closing body 12. In the switchgear 10, the control unit 160 outputs a drive current 162b to the drive motor 14 based on the operation signal 171b of the operation unit 170, so that the drive motor 14 rotationally drives the switchgear 12 via the meshing portion 52. Is controlled.

(Controller unit)
The control unit 160 is a control circuit configured to be able to control the rotation of the drive motor 14, and is arranged, for example, on a printed wiring board (not shown). The control unit 160 may be provided, for example, in the casing 40 (see also FIG. 1) of the flush toilet device 100. The control unit 160 mainly includes a control MCU 161, a motor driver 162, and an A / D converter 163. The control MCU 161 is an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) in which a computer system is integrated into one integrated circuit. The motor driver 162 is configured to output a drive current 162b to the drive motor 14 based on the control signal 162a of the control MCU 161. The A / D converter 163 converts the rotation signal 163a, which is an analog signal (for example, analog voltage) output from the potentiometer 44a included in the rotation detection unit 44 (see also FIG. 4), into a digital signal 163b, and converts it into a control MCU 161. Output. The control MCU 161 calculates the rotation angle θd and the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 based on the digital signal 163b from the A / D converter 163. The A / D converter 163 may be integrated with the control MCU 161 into one integrated circuit. The control unit 160 is configured to control the rotation of the drive motor 14 of the drive unit 150 according to a predetermined algorithm based on the operation signal 171b of the operation unit 170 and the rotation signal 163a of the potentiometer 44a.

(Operation unit)
The operation unit 170 is a control circuit configured to control the control unit 160, and is arranged on, for example, a printed wiring board (not shown). The operation unit 170 may be provided, for example, in the casing 40 (see also FIG. 1) of the flush toilet device 100. The operation unit 170 mainly includes an operation MCU 171, an operation switch unit 172, and a motion sensor unit 173. The operation MCU 171 is an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) in which a computer system is integrated into one integrated circuit. The operation switch unit 172 includes one or more switches to which the user's operation is input, and outputs a switch signal 172a based on the user's operation to the operation MCU 171. The operation switch unit 172 may be provided outside the flush toilet device 100, and can communicate wirelessly or by wire, for example, by installing it on a wall surface near the flush toilet device 100 or by using a portable remote controller. Various forms are conceivable. The motion sensor unit 173 includes a sensor capable of detecting the location of a human using infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, visible light, or the like, and outputs a motion signal 173a corresponding to the presence or absence of the user's location to the operating MCU 171. The operation unit 170 is configured to output an operation signal 171b such as an opening operation start or a closing operation start to the control unit 160 based on the switch signal 172a of the operation switch unit 172 and the human sensor 173a of the motion sensor unit 173. ..

(Open operation)
Next, the opening operation of the switchgear 10 will be described. The opening operation is an operation of rotating the opening / closing body 12 in the closed position to the opening position to open it. FIG. 6 shows a meshing portion 52 in a state where the opening / closing body 12 is in the closed position. In this state, the lower surface of the opening / closing body 12 is in a horizontal position, and the drive output unit 47 stands by at a position where the lagging contact unit 47d contacts the drive input unit 48. At this time, the drive output unit 47 is arranged at a position rotated in the reverse direction Q by the play 52a with respect to the horizontal position, for example. Here, the rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47 is expressed as a relative value with respect to the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line N with reference to the rotation position (dotted chain line N) of the drive output unit 47 at the closed position. The alternate long and short dash line N is a line that passes through the rotation axis M and bisects the distance between the pair of outer peripheral flat portions 47s. That is, in the open operation, the opening operation is performed from the closed position (rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47) to the upright position (rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47) in which the opening / closing body 12 rotates in the normal rotation direction R and stands upright. This is an operation of reaching the open position (rotation angle θd = 110 ° of the drive output unit 47) via 90 °). The opening operation of the switchgear 10 is controlled by the opening operation process 120.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the opening operation process 120. As shown in FIG. 8, the open operation process 120 mainly includes a start process 121, a leading rotation process 122, a contact portion switching process 123, a lagging rotation process 124, and a stop process 125.

(Start process)
The activation process 121 is a process for controlling the activation of the opening operation, and includes step S101 corresponding to the operation of the operation switch unit 172, step S102 corresponding to the lifting operation of the opening / closing body 12, and the motion sensor unit 173. The step S103 corresponding to the person detection is included. In step S101, it is detected whether or not the switch of the operation switch unit 172 is in the ON state, and if it is in the ON state, the process proceeds to the preceding rotation process 122. In step S102, a lifting operation for lifting the opening / closing body 12 is detected, and when the operation is detected, the process proceeds to the preceding rotation process 122. The lifting operation can be detected based on the signal of the potentiometer 44a. The signal of the potentiometer 44a is input to the control MCU 161 via the A / D converter, and further transferred to the operation MCU 171. It can be determined that the operation MCU 171 has detected the lifting operation when the signal of the potentiometer 44a has a predetermined change. In step S103, it is determined whether or not the motion sensor unit 173 has detected the user, and if the user is detected, the process proceeds to the preceding rotation process 122. If none of steps S101 to S103 is detected, the process returns to the beginning. When shifting to the preceding rotation process 122 in the start processing 121, the operation MCU 171 outputs an operation signal 171b to the control MCU 161.

(Advance rotation processing)
Next, the preceding rotation process 122 will be described. FIG. 9 is a side view of the meshing portion 52 in the middle state of the preceding rotation process 122. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the meshing portion 52 in a state where the preceding rotation process 122 is completed. The advance rotation process 122 is a process in which the drive output unit 47 rotates in advance of the drive input unit 48 to rotate and drive the drive input unit 48 and the opening / closing body 12 in the opening direction. In the preceding rotation process 122, when the opening / closing body 12 is opened, the drive output unit 47 changes from the state in which the lagging contact unit 47d stands by in contact with the drive input unit 48 (see FIG. 6) to the forward rotation direction R. It rotates and shifts to a state in which the leading contact portion 47f is in contact with the drive input portion 48 (see FIG. 5). That is, FIG. 6 shows the initial state of the preceding rotation processing 122, and FIG. 5 shows the intermediate state of the preceding rotation processing 122. Further, the drive output unit 47 is controlled so as to rotate in the forward rotation direction R up to the operation switching angle in a state where the preceding contact unit 47f is in contact with the drive input unit 48. FIG. 9 is a side view of the meshing portion 52 in the middle state of the preceding rotation process 122. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the opening / closing body 12 is rotated by approximately 45 ° from the closed state. The advance rotation process 122 includes a step S104 in which the drive output unit 47 is driven in a normal rotation to rotate in advance, and a step S105 corresponding to the rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47. In step S104, the drive motor 14 is driven in the forward rotation so that the preceding contact portion 47f of the drive output unit 47 rotates in advance in a state of being in contact with the inner peripheral flat portion 48s of the drive input unit 48.

From the viewpoint of usability, it is desirable that the opening / closing body 12 rotates at a constant speed as much as possible while suppressing the influence of mechanical factors such as frictional force and viscous force. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, a feedback control system is configured that feeds back the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 to keep the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 within a predetermined range. In such a feedback control system, for example, the control MCU 161 calculates the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 from the difference of the digital signal 163b at predetermined time intervals, and controls the drive of the drive motor 14 based on this rotation speed. It may be configured as follows. For example, when the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 is less than the lower limit speed, the drive motor 14 is accelerated, when the rotation speed exceeds the upper limit speed, the drive motor 14 is decelerated, and when the rotation speed is within the predetermined speed range, the drive current is turned off. May be good. In the off state of the drive current, the drive input unit 48 and the opening / closing body 12 may be controlled to rotate freely due to their inertia. Since the influence of the mechanical element can be suppressed, the overshoot of the opening operation can be suppressed when the opening operation of the opening / closing body 12 is speeded up.

In step S105, it is detected whether or not the rotation angle θd is equal to or greater than a predetermined operation switching angle, and if it is less than the operation switching angle, step S104 is continued, and if it is equal to or more than the operation switching angle, the contact portion switching process is performed. Move to 123. The rotation angle θd can be calculated by the control MCU 161 performing a predetermined calculation based on the digital signal 163b of the A / D converter 163. The operation switching angle may be set to an angle in the vicinity of the upright state in which the opening / closing body 12 stands upright. As an example, the operation switching angle may be set to, for example, 80 ° before the upright state, or may be set to 90 °, which is a substantially upright state. In the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the operation switching angle is set to 100 °, which is before the open position beyond the upright state. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the meshing portion 52 in a state where the preceding rotation process 122 is completed. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the opening / closing body 12 is rotated by approximately 100 ° from the closed position.

(Contact switching process)
Next, the contact portion switching process 123 will be described. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the meshing portion 52 in a state where the contact portion switching process 123 is completed. The contact portion switching process 123 is a process of switching the contact portion in contact with the inner peripheral flat portion 48s from the leading contact portion 47f to the lagging contact portion 47d. In the contact unit switching process 123, the drive output unit 47 first rotates to the operation switching angle. The drive output unit 47 rotated to the operation switching angle regulates the rotation so as to shift to the non-contact state with the drive input unit 48. Here, restricting rotation means decelerating by changing the rotation speed in the negative direction. Therefore, restricting rotation includes reducing the rotation speed, stopping the rotation, and rotating in the opposite direction, and does not include accelerating the rotation.

The drive output unit 47 that has transitioned to the non-contact state is overtaken by the drive input unit 48, so that the lagging contact unit 47d comes into contact with the drive input unit 48. That is, the drive output unit 47 shifts to the power transmission state with the drive input unit 48 again in a state where the lagging contact unit 47d is in contact with the drive input unit 48.
In the embodiment, the drive output unit 47 rotated to the operation switching angle has a reverse rotation direction Q opposite to the normal rotation direction R until the lagging contact unit 47d contacts the drive input unit 48 before rotating in the normal rotation direction R. It is controlled to rotate to. The contact portion switching process 123 shifts from the state shown in FIG. 10 to the state shown in FIG. In particular, in the contact portion switching process 123, the leading contact portion 47f is temporarily separated from the inner peripheral flat portion 48s by changing the rotation of the drive output unit 47 rotated to the operation switching angle. In this state, the driving force is not transmitted to the driving input unit 48. However, the drive input unit 48 and the opening / closing body 12 continue to rotate due to their inertia, and as shown in FIG. 10, the lagging contact portion 47d reaches a state of contact with the inner peripheral flat portion 48s after a certain period of time.

The contact unit switching process 123 includes a step S106 for reversely driving the drive output unit 47 and a step S107 for monitoring the passage of a predetermined time T1. In step S106, the drive output unit 47 is reversely driven and rotated in the reverse direction Q. In step S107, the timer function of the control MCU 161 detects whether or not the elapsed time has passed the predetermined time T1, and if it has not passed, step S106 is continued, and when the time T1 has passed, the process shifts to the lagging rotation process 124. To do. Here, the time T1 may be calculated based on the difference between the rotation speed of the drive input unit 48 and the opening / closing body 12 and the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 and the size of the play 52a in the rotation direction. As an example, the time T1 can be calculated as a value obtained by dividing the size of the play 52a in the rotation direction converted into an angle by the difference in the rotation speed converted into an angular velocity.

(Late rotation processing)
Next, the lagging rotation process 124 will be described. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the meshing portion 52 in a state where the lagging rotation process 124 is completed. The lagging rotation process 124 is a process in which the drive output unit 47 lags behind the drive input unit 48 and rotates to rotate the drive input unit 48 and the opening / closing body 12 in the opening direction while suppressing the acceleration of the opening / closing body 12. Is. In the lagging rotation process 124, the drive output unit 47 is controlled to rotate in the forward rotation direction R until the opening / closing body 12 reaches the open position with the lagging contact unit 47d in contact with the drive input unit 48. .. During this time, the drive output unit 47 rotates to an open position angle (rotation angle θd = 110 °) corresponding to the open position of the opening / closing body 12. With this configuration, the opening / closing body 12 reaches the open position after the lagging rotation process 124 is completed. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the opening / closing body 12 is rotated by approximately 110 ° from the horizontal state. In this state, the opening / closing body 12 stops in contact with the rotation stopper 58.

The lagging rotation process 124 includes a step S108 of rotating the drive output unit 47 in a lagging rotation while driving it in a normal rotation, and a step S109 of monitoring the passage of a predetermined time T2. In step S109, the timer function of the control MCU 161 detects whether or not the elapsed time has elapsed the predetermined time T2, and if the elapsed time has not elapsed, step S108 is continued, and when the time T2 elapses, the process proceeds to the stop process 125. .. The time T2 may be calculated based on the angle difference between the open position angle and the operation switching angle and the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47. As an example, the time T2 can be calculated as a value obtained by dividing this angular difference by the rotational speed of the drive output unit 47 converted into an angular velocity.

(Stop processing)
Next, the stop process 125 will be described. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the meshing portion 52 in a state where the stop processing 125 is completed. The stop process 125 is a process of maintaining the opening / closing body 12 in the open position after the opening / closing body 12 reaches the open position. In the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the drive output unit 47 rotates to a position where the leading contact unit 47f comes into contact with the drive input unit 48 after the switchgear 12 rotates in the forward rotation direction R to reach the open position. And stop. The stop process 125 includes a step S110 for driving the drive output unit 47 in a normal rotation, a step S111 for monitoring the passage of a predetermined time T3, and a step S112 for stopping the rotation of the drive output unit 47.

In step S110, after the opening / closing body 12 reaches the open position, the drive output unit 47 is further driven in the forward rotation to switch the contact portion in contact with the inner peripheral flat portion 48s from the lagging contact portion 47d to the leading contact portion 47f. .. In step S111, the timer function of the control MCU 161 detects whether or not the elapsed time has passed the predetermined time T3, and if it has not passed, step S110 is continued, and if the time T3 has passed, the process proceeds to step S112. .. The time T3 may be calculated based on the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 and the size of the play 52a in the rotation direction. As an example, the time T3 can be calculated as a value obtained by dividing the size of the play 52a in the rotation direction converted into an angle by the rotation speed converted into an angular velocity.

In step S112, the rotation of the drive motor 14 is stopped in a state where the preceding contact portion 47f is in contact with the drive input portion 48. In step S112, the drive motor 14 may be controlled to the short brake state after the opening / closing body 12 is stopped at the open position. Specifically, the input lead wire of the drive motor 14 can be short-circuited by the switching element of the motor driver 162 to bring the short brake state. The stop process 125 ends the open operation process 120.

Next, the features of the switchgear 10 of the present embodiment configured in this way will be described.
In order to remove the toilet seat 20 and the toilet lid 30 during cleaning and maintenance, the drive input unit 48 may be removed from the drive output unit 47. If the play between the drive input unit 48 and the meshing portion 52 of the drive output unit 47 is too small, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to separate or mount the drive input unit 48 from the drive output unit 47. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the drive input unit 48 is rotationally driven by fitting with the drive output unit 47 with play to open and close the switchgear 12. With such a configuration, as compared with the case where there is no play in the rotation direction, these can be easily separated and the workability of cleaning and maintenance is improved.

It is desirable that the opening operation of the opening / closing body 12 is speeded up in order to improve usability. Further, the collision sound of the opening / closing body 12 with the stopper 58 of the rotation stopper gives a feeling of strangeness to the user, and therefore it is desirable to alleviate it. Therefore, in the opening / closing device 10 of the embodiment, when the opening / closing body 12 is opened, the drive output unit 47 is positive up to the operation switching angle before the opening position in a state where the preceding contact unit 47f is in contact with the drive input unit 48. The drive output unit 47 that has rotated in the rolling direction R and has rotated to the operation switching angle regulates the rotation until the lagging contact unit 47d comes into contact with the drive input unit 48, and the regulated drive output unit 47 has the lagging contact unit 47d. The switchgear 12 is controlled to rotate in the forward rotation direction R until it reaches the open position in contact with the drive input unit 48. With this configuration, the drive output unit 47 drives the opening / closing body 12 by the preceding rotation up to the operation switching angle, so that the opening operation can be speeded up. Further, since the drive output unit 47 drives the opening / closing body 12 to the vicinity of the open position by lagging rotation, the acceleration due to the weight of the opening / closing body 12 is suppressed, and the collision sound of the opening / closing body 12 with the stopper 58 for stopping the rotation is suppressed. Can be alleviated.

In the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, in order to regulate the rotation of the drive output unit described above, the speed of rotation is reduced, the rotation is stopped, and the rotation is performed in the opposite direction. Includes at least one. With this configuration, various algorithms can be adopted to regulate rotation.

It is desirable that the opening / closing body 12 opens more quickly. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the drive output unit 47 rotated to the operation switching angle is controlled to rotate in the reverse direction Q until the lagging contact unit 47d comes into contact with the drive input unit 48. With this configuration, the drive output unit can be switched to the lagging contact unit 47d in a shorter time than when there is no process of rotating in the reverse direction Q, so acceleration by the weight of the opening / closing body 12 is effective. Can be suppressed. For example, the operation switching angle can be set to a position closer to the open position beyond the upright state of the opening / closing body 12, and the opening operation of the opening / closing body 12 can be further speeded up.

If the opening / closing body 12 vibrates after the opening / closing body 12 reaches the open position, a vibration noise may be generated between the opening / closing body 12 and the stopper 58, for example. It is desirable to suppress such vibration noise because it gives the user a sense of discomfort. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, when the switchgear 12 reaches the open position, the drive output unit 47 rotates to a position where the preceding contact unit 47f comes into contact with the drive input unit 48 and stops. Be controlled. With this configuration, the drive input unit 48 and the opening / closing body 12 are contacted from both sides by the rotation stopper 58 and the preceding contact portion 47f, so that the vibration of the opening / closing body 12 is suppressed.

After the opening / closing body 12 stops at the open position, the opening / closing body 12 may move unintentionally due to a small impact. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the drive motor 14 is controlled to the short brake state while the switchgear 12 is stopped at the open position. With this configuration, the movement of the opening / closing body 12 is suppressed by the drive motor 14 in the short brake state as compared with the case where the short brake control is not performed.

If the shapes of the drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48 are complicated, the labor for processing them may become excessive. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the outer peripheral portion of the drive output unit 47 is provided with an outer peripheral flat portion 47s provided with at least one of the leading contact portion 47f and the lagging contact portion 47d, and is included in the drive input unit 48. The peripheral portion is provided with an inner peripheral flat portion 48s for contacting the outer peripheral flat portion 47s. With this configuration, the shapes of the drive output unit 47 and the drive input unit 48 are simplified, and the labor for processing is reduced.

The above description has been made based on the embodiment of the present invention. These embodiments are exemplary, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and modifications are possible within the claims of the invention, and that such modifications and modifications are also within the claims of the present invention. It is about to be understood. Therefore, the descriptions and drawings herein should be treated as exemplary rather than limiting.

Hereinafter, a modified example will be described. In the drawings and description of the modified examples, the same or equivalent components and members as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. The description that overlaps with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the configuration different from the embodiment will be mainly described. By providing the same configuration as that of the embodiment, these modified examples have the same function and effect as that of the embodiment.

(First modification)
In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the drive output unit 47 is controlled to rotate in the reverse direction Q until the lagging contact unit 47d comes into contact with the drive input unit 48 at the operation switching angle has been described, but the present invention is limited to this. I can't. For example, the drive output unit 47 rotated to the operation switching angle may be controlled to stop until the lagging contact unit 47d comes into contact with the drive input unit 48. That is, the drive output unit 47 is controlled to stop until the lagging contact unit 47d comes into contact with the drive input unit 48 after rotating to the operation switching angle and before rotating in the forward rotation direction R. Specifically, in step S106 of the contact portion switching process 123, the drive output unit 47 may be controlled to be stopped instead of being reversely driven. Since the opening / closing body 12 and the drive input unit 48 continue to rotate due to their inertia even while the lagging contact unit 47d is stopped, the lagging contact unit 47d comes into contact with the drive input unit 48 after a certain period of time has elapsed. ..

(Second modification)
In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the rod-axis drive output unit 47 is surrounded by the tubular drive input unit 48 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the rod-axis drive input unit may be surrounded by a tubular drive output unit.

(Third modification example)
In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the drive output unit 47 has a pair of outer peripheral flat portions 47s and each of them has a power transmission unit has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The drive output unit may have, for example, a power transmission unit on a single flat outer peripheral portion. FIG. 14 is a side view showing the meshing portion 252 of the switchgear 200 of the third modification. FIG. 14 corresponds to FIG. 5, the drive output unit 247 corresponds to the drive output unit 47, and the drive input unit 248 corresponds to the drive input unit 48. As shown in FIG. 14, the drive output unit 247 has a shaft shape having a D-character cross section, and the drive input unit 248 has a tubular shape having a D-character cross section. The drive output unit 247 has a leading contact portion 247f and a lagging contact portion 247d on one outer peripheral flat portion 247s.
An example of the short side dimensions C3 and C4 and the long side dimensions D3 and D4 of the drive output unit 247 and the drive input unit 248 is shown below.
Drive output unit 247: Short side dimension C3 = 11.5 mm Long side dimension D3 = 14.0 mm
Drive input unit 248: Short side dimension C4 = 13.5 mm Long side dimension D4 = 17.5 mm
Rotational angle deviation: ± 30 °

(Fourth modification)
Further, the drive output unit may be formed in a gear shape including a plurality of teeth, and a power transmission unit may be provided for each tooth. FIG. 15 is a side view showing the meshing portion 352 of the switchgear 300 of the fourth modification. FIG. 15 corresponds to FIG. 5, the drive output unit 347 corresponds to the drive output unit 47, and the drive input unit 348 corresponds to the drive input unit 48. As shown in FIG. 15, the drive output unit 347 has a shaft shape having a cross section in a cross section, and the drive input unit 348 has a tubular shape having a cross section in a cross section. That is, the drive output unit 347 and the drive input unit 348 constituting the meshing portion 352 are formed in a gear shape including a plurality of teeth. A leading contact portion 247f and a lagging contact portion 347d are provided on the outer peripheral flat portion 347s of the drive output portion 347.

(Other variants)
In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the drive device 11 is provided on the right side of the toilet seat 20 and the toilet lid 30 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Drive devices may be provided on both the left and right sides of the toilet seat and the toilet lid.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the drive device 11 for driving the toilet lid 30 is provided on the same side as the drive device 11 for driving the toilet seat 20 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The toilet seat drive device may be provided on the opposite side of the toilet lid drive device in the left-right direction.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the drive device 11 for driving the toilet lid 30 is provided non-coaxially with the drive device 11 for driving the toilet seat 20 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The toilet seat drive may be provided coaxially with the toilet lid drive.

10 ... Opening and closing device, 11 ... Drive device, 12 ... Opening and closing body, 14 ... Drive motor, 20 ... Toilet seat, 30 ... Toilet lid, 40 ... Casing, 41 ... 1st worm part, 42 ...・ 2nd worm part, 43 ・ ・ reduction gear part, 44 ・ ・ rotation detection part, 45 ・ ・ output shaft part, 46 ・ ・ urging member, 47 ・ ・ drive output part, 47d ・ ・ lagging contact part, 47f ・・ Advance contact part, 47s ・ ・ Flat outer circumference, 48 ・ ・ Flat drive input, 48s ・ ・ Flat inner circumference, 50 ・ ・ Housing, 52 ・ ・ Mating part, 58 ・ ・ Stopper, 100 ・ ・ Flush toilet device , 102 ... Toilet bowl body, 120 ... Open operation processing, 121 ... Start processing, 122 ... Advance rotation processing, 123 ... Contact part switching processing, 124 ... Lagging rotation processing, 125 ... Stop processing, 150 ...・ Drive unit, 160 ・ ・ Control unit, 161 ・ ・ Control MCU, 162 ・ ・ Motor driver, 163 ・ ・ A / D converter, 170 ・ ・ Operation unit, 171 ・ ・ Operation MCU, 172 ・ ・ Operation switch , 173 ... Human sensor unit.

Claims (6)

An opening / closing body that is a toilet seat or a toilet lid and is configured to be able to open in the forward rotation direction and close operation in the reverse rotation direction from the closed position to the open position.
A drive output unit that is rotationally driven based on the rotation of the drive motor,
A drive input unit that is rotationally driven by fitting with the drive output unit with play to open and close the opening / closing body,
With
The drive output unit includes a preceding contact unit that comes into contact with the drive input unit when rotating ahead of the drive input unit in the normal rotation direction, and when rotating behind the drive input unit. Is formed with a lagging contact portion that comes into contact with the drive input portion.
When the opening / closing body is opened, the drive output unit rotates in the forward rotation direction to an operation switching angle before the open position in a state where the preceding contact unit is in contact with the drive input unit.
The drive output unit rotated to the operation switching angle regulates rotation until the lagging contact unit contacts the drive input unit.
The drive output unit in contact with the drive input unit rotates in the forward rotation direction until the opening / closing body reaches the open position .
A switchgear characterized in that the drive output unit rotated to the operation switching angle rotates in a reverse direction until the lagging contact unit contacts the drive input unit . An opening / closing body that is a toilet seat or a toilet lid and is configured to be able to open in the forward rotation direction and close operation in the reverse rotation direction from the closed position to the open position.
A drive output unit that is rotationally driven based on the rotation of the drive motor,
A drive input unit that is rotationally driven by fitting with the drive output unit with play to open and close the opening / closing body,
With
The drive output unit includes a preceding contact unit that comes into contact with the drive input unit when rotating ahead of the drive input unit in the normal rotation direction, and when rotating behind the drive input unit. Is formed with a lagging contact portion that comes into contact with the drive input portion.
When the opening / closing body is opened, the drive output unit rotates in the forward rotation direction to an operation switching angle before the open position in a state where the preceding contact unit is in contact with the drive input unit.
The drive output unit rotated to the operation switching angle regulates rotation until the lagging contact unit contacts the drive input unit.
The drive output unit in contact with the drive input unit rotates in the forward rotation direction until the opening / closing body reaches the open position.
Wherein the drive output unit which is rotated to operate the switching angle, open closing device you wherein lagging contact portion is stopped until the contact with the driving input portion. Claim 1 is characterized in that restricting the rotation of the drive output unit includes at least one of reducing the speed of rotation, stopping the rotation, and rotating in the opposite direction. Or the opening / closing device according to 2 . Any of claims 1 to 3 , wherein when the switchgear reaches the open position, the drive output unit rotates and stops at a position where the preceding contact unit comes into contact with the drive input unit. The switchgear described in. The switchgear according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the drive motor is controlled to a short brake state when the switchgear is stopped at an open position. A flat portion provided with at least one of the leading contact portion and the lagging contact portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the drive output portion.
The switchgear according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein another flat portion for contacting the flat portion is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the drive input portion.

Images