JP6770382B2 - Switchgear - Google Patents

Description

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

Toilet lid / toilet seat opening / closing devices are known. For example, Patent Document 1 includes a detecting means capable of detecting the position of the toilet lid / toilet seat, a drive source capable of transmitting power to the toilet lid / toilet seat, and a control means for controlling the drive source. A toilet lid / toilet seat opening / closing device that controls a drive source so as to move the toilet lid / toilet seat in the closing direction when the detection means detects that the toilet seat has stopped for a predetermined time or longer is described. Such switchgear is required to operate more quickly and smoothly in order to improve usability.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-180508

However, in such a conventional device, it is difficult to speed up the opening / closing operation because the mechanical frictional force and viscous resistance (hereinafter referred to as “friction force”) of the mechanism that supports the rotation of the toilet lid / toilet seat fluctuate greatly. .. In other words, if the driving force of the drive source is set large in order to speed up the opening / closing operation, the opening / closing member will collide with the toilet body at high speed when the frictional force or the like becomes small, and a sound will be produced, which will make the user feel uncomfortable. Because it gives.

Further, in order to alleviate the impact of this collision, if the driving force of the driving source is set small, the operation becomes awkward and the quality is impaired when the frictional force or the like becomes large. That is, the present inventor has recognized that increasing the driving force of the drive source to speed up the opening / closing operation and smoothing the opening / closing operation to improve the operation quality 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 a closing 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 is driven by an opening / closing body that can be opened / closed between the closed position and the open position. It includes a drive output unit for opening and closing the opening / closing body based on the driving force of the motor, and a control unit configured to be able to control the driving speed which is the rotation speed of the driving output unit. When closing the opening / closing body, the control unit switches between a control for increasing the driving speed, a control for decreasing the driving speed, and a control for maintaining the driving speed according to the driving speed, and the driving speed is predetermined. Controlled by speed , the control unit controls the opening / closing body to be urged toward the closing direction when the opening / closing body approaches the closing position, and the control unit more strongly closes the opening / closing body over time. Control to urge .

According to this aspect, in the switchgear, the control unit is configured to change the driving force according to the rotation speed to control the driving speed to a predetermined speed, so that the fluctuation of the driving speed is suppressed. Becomes possible.

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 includes an opening / closing body that can be opened / closed between a closed position and an open position, a control unit that controls a drive motor that opens / closes the opening / closing body, To be equipped with. The control unit puts the drive motor in the short brake state when the open / close body reaches the closed position.

According to this aspect, since the drive motor is put into the short brake state when the opening / closing body reaches the closed position, unnecessary movement of the opening / closing body can be suppressed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a switchgear capable of improving the speed and smoothness of the closing 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 periphery of the drive output part of the switchgear of FIG. It is another side view which shows typically the periphery of the drive output 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. FIG. 9A is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the drive output unit in the middle state of the rotary drive process. FIG. 9B is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the drive output unit in a state where the rotation drive process is completed. It is a side view which shows the flush toilet device in the state which finished the rotation drive processing. FIG. 11A is a front view of a flush toilet device showing an open / close body in a floating state. FIG. 11B is a front view showing an opening / closing body that has been closed.

First, the background to the present invention will be described. The present inventors examined the influence of the frictional force of the switchgear and the like. The switchgear is often provided with mechanical elements such as a shaft and bearings for mechanically supporting the toilet lid / seat. It was confirmed that these frictional forces and the like fluctuate greatly due to manufacturing variations, fluctuations due to the rotation position of the toilet lid / toilet seat, and fluctuations due to aging. In a device with large manufacturing variations such as frictional force, if the driving force of the drive source is set large in order to speed up the operation, in a device with small frictional force, the opening / closing member collides with the toilet body at high speed and makes a collision noise. May occur and give the user a sense of discomfort. On the other hand, when the driving force of the driving source is set small in order to alleviate the collision, a phenomenon is observed in which the operation is remarkably slowed in the device having a large frictional force or the like. Further, in a device in which the frictional force and the like fluctuate greatly depending on the rotation position, the operation speed fluctuates depending on the position and the operation quality is deteriorated, for example, the operation becomes slow in the region where the frictional force and the like are large and the operation becomes faster in the region where the frictional force and the like are small. A phenomenon of decrease was observed. Further, considering that the frictional force and the like increase due to aging of the shaft and the bearing, the opening / closing operation may be stopped in the middle. It was also found that if the toilet lid / seat is equipped with a spring that applies a load in the rotational direction, fluctuations in the spring load will be added to fluctuations in frictional force, etc., making it even more difficult to achieve both speeding up and smoothing of operation. ..
Based on such findings, the present invention has been made to suppress the influence of variations in mechanical elements and aging, and to improve the speed and smoothness of the closing operation of the opening / closing body in particular.

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 20a. 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 shaft M of the drive device 11 provided on the right side of the rotation shaft of the rear portion 30a. 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 mainly includes a switchgear 12, a drive device 11 including a drive output unit (see also FIG. 4), and a control unit. The opening / closing body 12 is a toilet seat 20 or a toilet lid 30, and is configured to be openable / closable between the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the open position shown in FIG. The opening / closing body 12 is provided with a drive input unit that is rotationally driven by engaging with the drive output unit of the driving device 11 to open / close the opening / closing body 12. The drive output unit and the drive input unit form a meshing portion, and the meshing unit transmits the driving force of the drive output unit to the drive input unit to rotationally drive the opening / closing body 12. The opening / closing body 12 is configured to electrically open / close by driving the drive motor of the driving device 11. The drive output unit is a drive output member for opening and closing the opening / closing body 12 based on the driving force of the drive motor. The control unit is configured to be able to control the rotation speed of the drive output unit (hereinafter, "drive speed Vd").

(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 is a drive mechanism that rotationally drives the drive output unit 47 based on the drive force of the drive motor 14 (hereinafter, “driving force Fd”). 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. 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 embodiment, a DC motor is used as the drive motor 14. The drive motor 14 outputs a driving force Fd, which is a rotational torque, by supplying a driving current through a lead wire (not shown). The drive motor 14 outputs a driving force Fd in the forward rotation direction that opens the opening / closing body 12 by a driving current in a predetermined forward direction, and outputs a driving force Fd in the reverse direction that closes the opening / closing body 12 by a driving current in a predetermined reverse direction. To do. Further, by short-circuiting the lead wire of the drive motor 14, the drive motor 14 is put into a short brake state.

(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. The worm and worm wheel of the first worm portion 41 and the second worm portion 42 of the embodiment 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 driving force 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 Fd 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. In the embodiment, a multi-plate clutch having a structure in which a plurality of disks are alternately stacked is adopted. 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 portion 43 is a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force Fd transmitted from the drive motor 14 to the output shaft portion 45 via the first worm portion 41, the second worm portion 42, and the clutch portion. 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 driving force Fd 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 meshes with the drive output unit 47 is rotationally driven.

(Bending member)
The urging member 46 is an urging mechanism that applies an urging force (hereinafter, “urging force Fu”) in the direction of opening the opening / closing body 12 to the drive output unit 47. 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 driving force Fd. 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 switchgear 10 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.

Due to the backlash of the speed reduction mechanism in the drive device 11, a detection error may occur in the detection signal of the rotation detection unit 44, and the accuracy of rotation control may decrease. Therefore, in the embodiment, the potentiometer 44a rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the output side of the plurality of worm gears (first worm unit 41, second worm unit 42), and the driving force Fd is based on the output signal of the potentiometer 44a. May be configured to change. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the drive device 11 in the axial direction by providing a plurality of worm gears and folding back a plurality of axial directions. Further, by providing the potentiometers 44a on the output sides of the plurality of worm gears, it is possible to reduce the influence of the worm gear backlash on the output signals of the potentiometers 44a that detect the rotation of the drive output unit 47. Further, even when a resin worm gear is adopted, it is possible to suppress a detection error due to its flexibility. Further, by providing the potentiometer 44a on the output side of the worm gear, the rotation speed of the potentiometer 44a can be reduced.

(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 periphery of the drive output unit 47 of the switchgear 10. FIG. 6 is another side view schematically showing the periphery of the drive output unit 47 of the switchgear 10. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the opening / closing body 12 is in the open position (hereinafter, “open state”), and FIG. 6 shows a state in which the opening / closing body 12 is in the closed position (hereinafter, “closed state”). In the open state, the opening / closing body 12 comes into contact with the stopper 58 of the rotation stopper, and the clockwise rotation is restricted. 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 used to open and close the opening / closing body 12 by a driving force transmitted from a drive motor via the drive output unit 47. It is a mechanical part. The meshing portion 52 is provided with a play that facilitates attachment / detachment of the drive input portion 48 to / from the drive output portion 47. Therefore, depending on the driving state, the contact portion of the drive output unit 47 with the flat portion 48s of the drive input unit 48 is switched. In the state of FIG. 5, the leading contact portion 47f contacts the drive input unit 48, and in the state of FIG. 6, the lagging contact portion 47d contacts the drive input unit 48. 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.

(Control unit)
Next, the control unit 16 will be described. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the switchgear 10. The control unit 16 mainly includes a control unit 160 and an operation unit 170. The control unit 16 is configured to be able to control the drive speed Vd, which is the rotation speed of the drive output unit 47 (see also FIG. 5). 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 configures the toilet seat 20 or the opening / closing body 12 which is the toilet lid 30 so that it can be opened and closed. 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. As an example, the control signal 162a is a PWM signal, and the drive current 162b may be changed according to its duty. 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 MPU 171, a closing operation switch unit 172, and a motion sensor unit 173. The operation MPU 171 is an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) in which a computer system is integrated into one integrated circuit. The closing 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 MPU 171. The closing operation switch unit 172 may be provided outside the flush toilet device 100, for example, may be installed on a wall surface near the flush toilet device 100, or may be a portable remote controller. The remote controller may be configured to be able to communicate with the operation unit 170 wirelessly or by wire. 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 operation MPU 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 closing operation switch unit 172 and the human feeling signal 173a of the motion sensor unit 173. To.

(Closed operation)
Next, the closing operation of the switchgear 10 will be described. The closing operation is an operation of rotating the opening / closing body 12 in the open position to the closed position to close it. FIG. 5 shows the periphery of the drive output unit 47 in the open state and FIG. 6 shows the periphery of the drive output unit 47 in the closed state. The rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47 shown in FIG. 5 is expressed as an angle viewed clockwise with reference to the rotation position (dashed line N) of the drive output unit 47 in the closed state. 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. The alternate long and short dash line N is a line rotated counterclockwise by about 5 ° from the horizontal. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47 in the open state may be set to, for example, 110 °. Before the closing operation, the drive output unit 47 stands by in the open state. That is, in the closing operation, the opening / closing body 12 rotates counterclockwise from the closed position (rotation angle θd = 110 °), and the opening / closing body 12 passes through an upright position (rotation angle θd = 90 °). This is an operation in which the opening / closing body 12 reaches the closed position (rotation angle θd = 0 °). The closing operation of the switchgear 10 is controlled by the closing operation process 120.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the closing operation process 120. As shown in FIG. 8, the closing operation process 120 mainly includes a start processing 121, a rotation drive process 122, a closing process 124, and a stop process 125. The start process 121, the rotation drive process 122, the closing process 124, and the stop process 125 may each be processed by the control MCU 161.

(Start process)
The activation process 121 is a process for controlling the activation of the closing operation, and includes step S101 corresponding to the operation of the closing operation switch unit 172, step S102 corresponding to the closing operation for closing the opening / closing body 12, and the motion sensor unit. Includes step S103 corresponding to the detection state of 173. In step S101, it is detected whether or not the switch of the closing operation switch unit 172 is in the ON state, and if it is in the ON state, the process proceeds to the rotation drive process 122. In step S102, the closing operation of the opening / closing body 12 by the user is detected, and when the operation is detected, the process proceeds to the rotation drive process 122. The closing 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 MPU 171. It can be determined that the operation MPU 171 has detected the closing operation when the signal of the potentiometer 44a has a predetermined change. In step S103, the motion sensor unit 173 detects the absence of the user, and when the absence of the user is detected, the process proceeds to the rotation drive process 122. The detection of the user's absence may be determined to be the absence when a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) has elapsed since the motion sensor unit 173 stopped detecting the location of the person. If none of steps S101 to S103 is detected, the process returns to the beginning. When shifting to the rotation drive process 122 in the start process 121, the operation MPU 171 outputs an operation signal 171b to the control MCU 161. The operation MPU 171 starts the rotation drive process 122 based on the operation signal 171b.

(Rotation drive processing)
Next, the rotation drive process 122 will be described. FIG. 9A is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the drive output unit 47 in the middle state of the rotation drive process 122. FIG. 9B is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the drive output unit 47 in a state where the rotation drive process 122 is completed. The rotation drive process 122 is a process in which the opening / closing body 12 in the open position is rotationally driven in the closing direction to a state close to the closed position by the driving force Fd. Specifically, the rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47 is changed from 110 ° to the operation switching angle θs. The operation switching angle θs may be predetermined to, for example, 10 ° in the vicinity of the closed position. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a flush toilet device 100 in a state where the rotation drive process 122 is completed. FIG. 10 shows the state of the toilet lid 30 as the opening / closing body 12, and in this state, the rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47 is the operation switching angle θs described later. The description of FIGS. 9 and 10 is the same for the toilet seat 20.

It is also conceivable to control the drive motor 14 so as to output a driving force Fd having a constant magnitude in the rotary drive process 122. However, in this case, the speed of the closing operation of the opening / closing body 12 may fluctuate due to fluctuations in the frictional force or the like at the portion supporting the rotation, and the operation may become awkward. Further, if the frictional force or the like exceeds the driving force Fd, there is a concern that the opening / closing body 12 may stop in the middle. On the contrary, if the frictional force or the like is particularly small, there is a concern that the opening / closing body 12 may be accelerated too much and collide with the toilet bowl main body 102 or the like to generate a loud collision sound. Such concerns can also arise from fluctuations in the urging force of the urging member 46. From the viewpoint of improving the operating quality, it is desirable to rotate the opening / closing body 12 at a speed within a given range regardless of fluctuations in frictional force and the like. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the drive speed Vd of the drive output unit 47 so as to keep it within a predetermined speed range. The drive speed Vd may be calculated and detected by the control MCU 161 from the output signal of the potentiometer 44a, for example.

Specifically, the control unit 16 switches the drive speed Vd in advance by switching between a control for increasing the drive speed Vd, a control for decreasing the drive speed Vd, and a control for holding the drive speed Vd according to the drive speed Vd. It is configured to control to a set reference speed. The reference speed does not have to have a range, and may have a range. In the control of the embodiment, the drive speed Vd is set to provide a neutral intermediate speed range in which neither acceleration nor deceleration is performed between the upper limit speed and the lower limit speed. By providing an intermediate speed range, free rotation of the opening / closing body 12 can be allowed within this intermediate speed range. In the control that maintains the drive speed Vd, it is possible to save power consumption and suppress the generation of unnecessary driving noise. In the control of the embodiment, the range of this speed ratio is set to 105% to 95% when the desired reference speed is 100%. The reference speed during the closing operation may be constant or may be changed. In the control of the embodiment, as an example, the reference speed is gradually reduced as the rotation angle θd becomes smaller. In this case, since the speed is reduced at the end of the rotation drive process 122, it is possible to smoothly shift to the closing operation.

As shown in FIG. 8, the rotation drive process 122 causes a deceleration operation of step S104 corresponding to the rotation angle θd, step S105 for detecting the drive speed Vd, and step S106 corresponding to the drive speed Vd and its upper limit. It includes step S108, step S109 corresponding to the drive speed Vd and its lower limit, step S110 for accelerating, and step S111 for maintaining the speed.

Step S104 determines whether or not the rotation angle θd is equal to or greater than the operation switching angle θs, and if it is greater than or equal to the operation switching angle θs, the process proceeds to step S105. It's a step. The rotation angle θd may be calculated by the control MCU 161 performing a predetermined calculation based on the digital signal 163b of the A / D converter 163. Step S105 is a step of detecting the drive speed Vd from the rotation angle θd. The drive speed Vd may be calculated by the control MCU 161 as a difference of the rotation angle θd obtained in step S104 for each predetermined time (for example, 10 ms).

(Deceleration operation)
Step S106 is a step of determining whether or not the drive speed Vd obtained in step S105 exceeds a predetermined upper limit speed, and if it exceeds, the process proceeds to step S108, and if not, the process proceeds to step S109. Step S108 is a step of reducing the driving force Fd of the driving motor 14 to reduce the driving speed Vd. Specifically, the control MCU 161 calculates the speed difference between the drive speed Vd and the upper limit speed, and changes the control signal 162a so as to reduce the drive current 162b of the drive motor 14 according to the calculated speed difference. As the drive current 162b decreases, the drive force Fd of the drive motor 14 decreases, and the drive speed Vd decreases. The relationship between the reduction width of the driving force Fd with respect to the speed difference between the driving speed Vd and the upper limit speed may be set within a range that satisfies the stability condition of the feedback control system. The upper limit speed may be set to, for example, 105% of the desired driving speed. In this case, by providing step S106 and step S108, the drive speed Vd can be controlled within a range of about 105% or less of the desired drive speed. In the deceleration operation of step S108, the drive motor 14 may be controlled to supply a drive current in the reverse direction to operate the brake, but the switchgear 10 of the embodiment controls the drive motor 14 to a short brake state. .. Specifically, the short braking state may be established by short-circuiting the input lead wire of the drive motor 14 by the switching element of the motor driver 162.

(Acceleration operation)
Step S109 determines whether or not the drive speed Vd obtained in step S105 is less than a predetermined lower limit speed, and if it is less than, the process proceeds to step S110, and if it is not less than (or more), step S109. This is a step of shifting to S111. Step S110 is a step of increasing the driving force Fd of the driving motor 14 to accelerate the driving speed Vd. Specifically, the control MCU 161 calculates the speed difference between the drive speed Vd and the lower limit speed, and changes the control signal 162a so as to increase the drive current 162b of the drive motor 14 according to the calculated speed difference. As the drive current 162b increases, the drive force Fd of the drive motor 14 increases and the drive speed Vd increases. The transfer function in this step may be set in a range that satisfies the stability condition of the feedback control system. For example, by setting the lower limit speed to 95% of the desired driving speed, the driving speed Vd can be controlled in a range of about 95% or more of the desired driving speed.

(Speed maintenance operation)
Step S111 is a step of controlling the driving force Fd of the driving motor 14 so as to maintain the driving speed Vd. Drive means based on various principles can be used to maintain the drive speed Vd. In the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the drive motor 14 is controlled in a non-energized state. Specifically, the switching element of the motor driver 162 may be turned off to turn it off. By making it non-energized, it becomes a neutral state (driving force Fd = 0) in which neither acceleration nor deceleration occurs, and the rotational speed of the opening / closing body 12 is maintained by its inertia. The rotation speed of the opening / closing body 12 changes with the passage of time due to gravity acting on the opening / closing body 12 and the like, urging force Fu, frictional force, and the like.

Step S108, step S110 or step S111 proceeds to step S104 in a state where the execution is continued. That is, the rotation drive process 122 is continuously executed for a period in which the rotation angle θd is equal to or greater than the operation switching angle θs. The rotation drive process 122 rotationally drives the opening / closing body 12 from the open position to the closed position.

(Closed process)
Next, the closing process 124 will be described. The opening / closing body 12 may cause a one-sided floating phenomenon in which one of the left and right sides floats due to the influence of friction or the like. FIG. 11A is a front view of the flush toilet device 100 showing the opening / closing body 12 in a one-sided floating state. FIG. 11B is a front view showing the opening / closing body 12 that has completed the closing process 124. FIG. 11A shows an example in which the opening / closing body 12 is a toilet lid 30, but the same applies to the toilet seat 20. As shown in FIG. 11A, the left side portion 30d of the toilet lid 30 is floating from the toilet bowl main body 102 as compared with the right side portion 30c, and the toilet lid 30 is tilted upward to the left. It is desirable that the one-sided floating of the opening / closing body 12 is inconspicuous because it gives a feeling of strangeness to the user. The closing process 124 is a process for suppressing the one-sided floating of the opening / closing body 12 by urging the opening / closing body 12 approaching the closing position toward the closing direction side. In particular, the control unit 16 reduces the drive speed Vd when the drive output unit 47 reaches the operation switching angle θs determined before the closed position, and then urges the opening / closing body 12 toward the closing direction. It may be controlled so as to increase the driving force Fd of the driving motor 14. In the closing process 124, the rotation angle θd of the drive output unit 47 changes from the operation switching angle θs to the closed position. The closing process 124 includes steps S112 and S113. Step S112 is a step of driving the opening / closing body 12 toward the closed position by the driving force Fd of the drive motor 14. The opening / closing body 12 is urged and pressed by the driving force Fd. Step S113 determines whether or not the rotation angle θd is in the closed position, and if it is in the closed position, the process proceeds to the stop process 125, and if it is not in the closed position, step S112 is continued.

When friction or the like is large, it is desirable to drive the opening / closing body 12 with a stronger driving force. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the switchgear 12 to be more strongly urged toward the closing direction side with the passage of time. In particular, the driving force Fd that urges the opening / closing body 12 may be increased according to the elapsed time after the opening / closing body 12 reaches the operation switching angle θs. An example of the relationship between the elapsed time from reaching the operation switching angle θs and the driving force Fd for the switchgear 10 of the embodiment is shown below. The driving force Fd is shown as a ratio to the maximum driving force.
(1) Elapsed time 0 ms: Driving force Fd = 10%
(2) Elapsed time 40 ms: Driving force Fd = 15%
(3) Elapsed time 80 ms: Driving force Fd = 20%
(4) Elapsed time 120 ms: Driving force Fd = 25%
(5) Elapsed time 160 ms: Driving force Fd = 30%
(6) Elapsed time 200 ms: Driving force Fd = 35%
(7) Elapsed time 240 ms: Driving force Fd = 40%
(8) Elapsed time 280 ms: Driving force Fd = 45%
(9) Elapsed time 320 ms: Driving force Fd = 50%
As an example, the duty ratio of the control signal 162a may be set to the above ratio corresponding to the elapsed time counted by the timer function of the control MCU 161. The closing process 124 ends when the rotation angle θd reaches the closed position, and the process shifts to the stop process 125.

(Stop processing)
Next, the stop process 125 will be described. The stop process 125 is a process of braking the opening / closing body 12 that has reached the closed position in order to reduce unnecessary movements such as bouncing of the opening / closing body 12. In particular, in the stop process 125, the control unit 16 controls so as to suppress the rotation of the opening / closing body 12 when the opening / closing body 12 reaches the closed position. The stop process 125 includes steps S114 and S115. Step S114 is a step of reducing unnecessary operation by applying a brake to the opening / closing body 12 by the drive motor 14. Step S115 is a step of determining whether or not a release operation for releasing the stop process 125 has been performed, ending the stop process 125 if the operation is performed, and continuing step S114 if the operation is not performed. The release operation includes, for example, an operation for opening the opening / closing body 12. The braking operation of the drive motor 14 may be an operation based on various principles, but in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 shorts the drive motor 14 when the switchgear 12 reaches the closed position. Control to the braking state. Specifically, the short braking state may be established by short-circuiting the input lead wire of the drive motor 14 by the switching element of the motor driver 162.

Next, the features of the switchgear 10 of the embodiment configured in this way will be described.
If the collision sound of the opening / closing body 12 with the toilet body 102 or the like during the closing operation is loud, the user may feel uncomfortable and the operation quality may be impaired. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 switches between a control for increasing the drive speed Vd, a control for decreasing the drive speed Vd, and a control for holding the drive speed Vd according to the drive speed Vd. It is configured to control the drive speed Vd to a predetermined speed. According to this configuration, by controlling the drive speed Vd within a predetermined range, the influence of variations in mechanical elements and aging on the rotation speed of the opening / closing body 12 during the closing operation is suppressed, and the opening / closing body 12 is suppressed. It is possible to realize a smooth closing operation. As a result, even if the closing operation is speeded up, the risk of impairing the operation quality can be reduced.

As the drive motor, a motor having a size that can withstand the load in the closing direction due to the weight of the opening / closing body 12 is often used. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of miniaturizing the switchgear 10, it is desirable that the drive motor 14 be miniaturized. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the drive output unit 47 is provided with the urging force Fu in the direction of opening the opening / closing body 12 by the urging member 46, and the urging force Fu is the urging force Fu from the opening position to the closing position. It gets bigger as it gets closer to. According to this configuration, at least a part of the load in the closing direction due to the weight of the opening / closing body 12 can be canceled by the urging force Fu in the opening direction, so that the drive motor 14 can be miniaturized accordingly.

If the driving sound during the closing operation is loud, the user may feel uncomfortable and the operation quality may be impaired. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the drive motor 14 to the short brake state in the control of reducing the drive speed Vd. According to this configuration, the driving noise can be reduced as compared with the case of the reverse braking, so that it is possible to improve the operation quality at the time of closing operation.

From the viewpoint of energy saving, it is desirable that the power consumption during the closed operation is small. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the drive motor 14 in a non-energized state in the control for maintaining the drive speed Vd. According to this configuration, the control for maintaining the drive speed Vd results in a neutral state in which neither acceleration nor deceleration occurs, and the speed is maintained by the inertia of the opening / closing body 12, etc., so that power consumption during this period can be reduced.

From the viewpoint of the operation quality during the closing operation, it is desirable that the opening / closing body 12 quietly lands on the toilet bowl main body 102 or the like. On the other hand, if the opening / closing body 12 lands slowly, it may close incompletely due to the influence of friction or the like. In particular, when there is a difference in friction or the like between the portions supporting the left and right rotation of the opening / closing body 12, a one-sided floating phenomenon may occur in which one of the left and right sides is closed. Such a phenomenon may give the user a sense of discomfort, and it is desirable to improve it. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the switchgear 12 so as to urge the switchgear 12 toward the closing direction when the switchgear 12 approaches the closing position. According to this configuration, since the opening / closing body 12 is urged toward the closing direction, the influence of friction such as the one-sided floating phenomenon can be alleviated. The drive device 11 is provided only in the portion that supports one rotation of the opening / closing body 12, and even when the left-right friction or the like becomes asymmetrical, the one-sided floating phenomenon of the opening / closing body 12 can be suppressed.

If the operating speed of the opening / closing body 12 changes suddenly, the user may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the switchgear 12 to be more strongly urged toward the closing direction side with the passage of time. According to this configuration, since the opening / closing body 12 is gradually and more strongly urged with the passage of time, this discomfort can be alleviated.

When the opening / closing body 12 reaches the closed position, the momentum may cause vibration or the like. The vibration of the opening / closing body 12 may give the user a sense of discomfort, and it is desirable to improve it. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls so as to suppress the rotation of the switchgear 12 when the switchgear 12 reaches the closed position. According to this configuration, since the rotation of the opening / closing body 12 is suppressed, the vibration of the opening / closing body 12 can be improved.

From the viewpoint of energy saving, it is desirable that the power consumption in the state where the rotation of the opening / closing body 12 is suppressed is small. Therefore, in the switchgear 10 of the embodiment, the control unit 16 controls the drive motor 14 to the short brake state when the switchgear 12 reaches the closed position. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the power consumption in the state where the rotation of the opening / closing body 12 is suppressed.

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.

(Modification example)
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, 16 ... Control unit, 20 ... Toilet seat, 30 ... Toilet lid, 40 ... Casing, 41 ... 1 worm part, 42 ... 2nd worm part, 43 ... reduction gear part, 44 ... rotation detection part, 44a ... potentiometer, 45 ... output shaft part, 46 ... urging member, 47 ... drive output Department, 48 ... Drive input unit, 50 ... Housing, 52 ... Engagement part, 58 ... Stopper, 100 ... Flush toilet device, 102 ... Toilet bowl body, 120 ... Closing operation processing, 121 ... Start Processing, 122 ... Rotational drive processing, 124 ... Closing 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 MPU, 172 ... closed operation switch section, 173 ... motion sensor section.

Claims (6)

An opening / closing body that is a toilet seat or a toilet lid and is configured to be able to open / close between a closed position and an open position.
A drive output unit for opening and closing the opening / closing body based on the driving force of the drive motor,
A control unit configured to be able to control the drive speed, which is the rotation speed of the drive output unit,
With
When the opening / closing body is closed, the control unit switches between a control for increasing the driving speed, a control for decreasing the driving speed, and a control for maintaining the driving speed according to the driving speed. Control the drive speed to a predetermined speed ,
The control unit controls the opening / closing body to be urged toward the closing direction when the opening / closing body approaches the closing position.
The control unit is a switchgear that controls the switchgear so as to urge the switchgear more strongly toward the closing direction with the passage of time . An urging force is applied to the drive output unit in the direction of opening the opening / closing body by the urging member.
The switchgear according to claim 1, wherein the urging force increases as the switchgear approaches the closed position from the open position. The switchgear according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive motor to a short brake state in a control for reducing the drive speed. The switchgear according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit controls the drive motor in a non-energized state in control for maintaining the drive speed. The opening / closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the control unit controls so as to suppress rotation of the opening / closing body when the opening / closing body reaches a closed position. The switchgear according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit controls the drive motor to a short brake state when the switchgear reaches a closed position.

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