JP7375589B2 - toilet seat - Google Patents

Description

Aspects of the present invention generally relate to toilet seats.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a toilet seat including a bottom plate, a top plate, and a joining member has been known (for example, Patent Document 1). In such a toilet seat, for example, the bottom plate and the top plate are made by molding a material containing resin, and the bottom plate and the top plate are joined by a joining member made by injecting and hardening the material containing resin between the bottom plate and the top plate. It is manufactured by joining the upper plate.

As a material for such a toilet seat, for example, an inexpensive resin such as polypropylene (PP) is used. However, when a toilet seat is molded using a resin such as PP, there is a problem that the surface of the toilet seat is easily scratched when wiping the toilet paper dry due to its low surface hardness.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-170761

As a means of improving the scratch resistance of a toilet seat, it is possible to increase the surface hardness of the toilet seat by adding an inorganic filler to the resin that is the material of the toilet seat. However, if a large amount of inorganic filler is added to the material of the joining member injected between the bottom plate and the top plate, the fluidity of the material to be injected may become low, and there is a possibility that the material cannot be firmly filled into the joining part. Moreover, in this case, there is a risk that the material may leak from the injection part, resulting in a worsened appearance, or that the bonding strength between the bottom plate and the top plate by the joining member is reduced.

The present invention was made based on the recognition of this problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toilet seat that can improve the scratch resistance of the surface while suppressing deterioration of the appearance.

A first invention includes a bottom plate, a top plate provided above the bottom plate, and a joining member for joining the bottom plate and the top plate, and the top plate includes a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic filler. , the joining member includes a thermoplastic resin, and the melt flow rate of the joining member is higher than the melt flow rate of the upper plate, higher than the melt flow rate of the bottom plate, and is 20 g/10 min or more. It is a toilet seat that is characterized by certain things.

According to this toilet seat, the surface hardness of the top plate can be improved because the top plate contains a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic filler. Thereby, the scratch resistance of the surface of the upper plate side of the toilet seat can be improved. In addition, by setting the melt flow rate of the joining member to be higher than the melt flow rate of the top plate, higher than the melt flow rate of the bottom plate, and 20 g/10 min or more, the fluidity of the material of the joining member may become too low. can be suppressed. This allows the joining part to be firmly filled with the material of the joining member, but also prevents the material from leaking from the injection part, deteriorating the appearance, and reducing the adhesive strength of the joining member between the bottom plate and the top plate. can be suppressed. Further, since the fluidity of the material of the joining member can be prevented from becoming too low, the size of the injection part (the exposed surface of the joining member) can be reduced. Thereby, the range of the exposed surface of the joining member, which has a different appearance from the upper plate, can be made as small as possible.

A second invention is the toilet seat according to the first invention, wherein the joining member does not contain an inorganic filler or contains an amount of an inorganic filler smaller than that contained in the top plate.

According to this toilet seat, even if the joining member does not contain an inorganic filler or even if the joining member contains an inorganic filler, the amount of inorganic filler contained in the joining member is greater than the amount of inorganic filler contained in the top plate. Since the amount is small, it is possible to prevent the fluidity of the material of the joining member from becoming too low. This allows the joining part to be firmly filled with the material of the joining member, but also prevents the material from leaking from the injection part, deteriorating the appearance, and reducing the adhesive strength of the joining member between the bottom plate and the top plate. can be suppressed.

A third invention is the toilet seat according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the joining member has an exposed surface exposed to the outside, and the exposed surface is located on the lower surface of the toilet seat.

According to this toilet seat, by arranging the exposed surface on the lower surface of the toilet seat, it is possible to make the exposed surface of the joining member, which looks different from the top plate, less noticeable. Furthermore, by arranging the exposed surface on the underside of the toilet seat, it is possible to reduce the load on the exposed surface.

A fourth invention is the toilet seat according to any one of the first to third inventions, characterized in that the bottom plate contains a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic filler.

According to this toilet seat, the surface hardness of the bottom plate can be improved because the bottom plate contains a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic filler. Thereby, the scratch resistance of the surface of the bottom plate side of the toilet seat can also be improved.

In a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the thermoplastic resin included in the upper plate is a crystalline resin, and the thermoplastic resin is heated by the heating section and is heated by the mold. This toilet seat is characterized in that it is formed by filling a material heated to a high temperature, gradually cooling the material, and further cooling the mold using a cooling section to harden the material.

According to this toilet seat, the thermoplastic resin contained in the top plate is a crystalline resin, and a mold heated by a heating section is filled with material heated to a higher temperature than the mold, and the material is gradually cooled. Furthermore, by molding by cooling the mold using a cooling section and hardening the material, crystallization near the surface can be promoted and surface hardness can be increased. This further suppresses scratches on the surface.

According to the aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a toilet seat that can improve surface scratch resistance while suppressing deterioration in appearance.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet device including a toilet seat according to an embodiment. It is an exploded perspective view showing a toilet seat concerning an embodiment. It is a perspective sectional view showing a part of toilet seat concerning an embodiment. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are cross-sectional views schematically showing a part of the toilet seat according to the embodiment. 5(a) to 5(c) are cross-sectional views showing a part of the manufacturing process of the toilet seat according to the embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a toilet device including a toilet seat according to an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet device 500 includes a toilet seat device 100 and a Western-style seated toilet bowl (hereinafter simply referred to as "toilet bowl") 200.

The toilet seat device 100 is mounted on top of the toilet bowl 200. The toilet seat device 100 may be attached integrally to the toilet bowl 200, or may be attached to the toilet bowl 200 in a detachable manner. The toilet seat device 100 includes a toilet seat 10, a toilet lid 20, and a main body portion 30.

Here, in this specification, the upper side as viewed from the user sitting on the toilet seat 10 is referred to as the "upper side", and the lower side as seen from the user sitting on the toilet seat 10 is referred to as the "lower side". In addition, the left and right directions as viewed from the user sitting on the toilet seat 10 with his/her back to the toilet lid 20 in an open state are referred to as "left side" and "right side," respectively, and the front and rear directions are respectively referred to as "front" and "backward." ”. FIG. 1 shows an example of an upper UW, a lower DW, a left side LW, a right side RW, a front FW, and a rear BW.

The toilet bowl 200 has a bowl portion 200a that is recessed downward. The toilet bowl 200 receives the user's excreta such as urine and feces at the bowl portion 200a. The main body part 30 of the toilet seat device 100 is provided at the upper part behind the bowl part 200a of the toilet bowl 200. The main body portion 30 pivotally supports the toilet seat 10 and the toilet lid 20 so as to be openable and closable.

The toilet seat 10 has an opening 10h. The toilet seat 10 is provided on the toilet bowl 200 so as to surround the outer edge of the bowl part 200a, and the bowl part 200a is exposed through the opening 10h. Thereby, the user can defecate into the bowl part 200a while sitting on the toilet seat 10. This example shows a so-called O-shaped toilet seat 10 in which a through-hole-like opening 10h is formed. The toilet seat 10 is not limited to an O-shape, but may be U-shape or the like. Inside the toilet seat 10, a heater or the like is provided as appropriate to warm the seat portion (the portion that contacts the user's buttocks).

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the toilet seat according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a perspective sectional view showing a part of the toilet seat according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the toilet seat 10 includes a bottom plate 11, a top plate 12, a first joining member 13, and a second joining member 14. The top plate 12 is provided above the bottom plate 11. The first joining member 13 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the toilet seat 10 and joins the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12. The second joining member 14 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the toilet seat 10 and joins the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12. Hereinafter, the first joining member 13 and the second joining member 14 will be collectively referred to as the "joining member 15."

A more specific structure of the toilet seat 10 will be described below. Note that directions such as "upward" and "downward" refer to the state in which the bottom plate 11 of the toilet seat 10 is placed on a horizontal surface (the state in which the bottom plate 11 of the toilet seat 10 is placed on the toilet bowl 200 and the user can sit on it). I use it as a standard.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12 each have an opening 11h and an opening 12h. The shape of the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12 when viewed from above is substantially the same as the shape of the toilet seat 10 when viewed from above. That is, the shape of the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12 when viewed from above is annular or U-shaped. The opening 11h of the bottom plate 11 and the opening 12h of the top plate 12 form an opening 10h of the toilet seat 10.

The bottom plate 11 has a bottom plate base 11a, an inner peripheral support part 11b, and an outer peripheral support part 11c. The bottom plate base portion 11a has a substantially uniform thickness, and, for example, the front portion is provided along the horizontal direction, and the rear portion is inclined upward. Support legs 11d that are in contact with the top surface of the toilet bowl 200 are appropriately provided on the bottom plate base 11a. The inner peripheral support portion 11b is provided on the inner peripheral side of the toilet seat 10 with respect to the bottom plate base portion 11a. The outer peripheral support portion 11c is provided on the outer peripheral side of the toilet seat 10 with respect to the bottom plate base portion 11a.

The upper plate 12 has a seating portion 12a, an inner circumferential side wall portion 12b, and an outer circumferential side wall portion 12c. The seating portion 12a supports the buttocks of a user seated on the toilet seat 10 from below. The seating portion 12a is supported from below by an inner circumferential side wall portion 12b and an outer circumferential side wall portion 12c. The inner peripheral side wall portion 12b is provided on the inner peripheral side of the toilet seat 10 with respect to the seating portion 12a. The outer peripheral side wall portion 12c is provided on the outer peripheral side of the toilet seat 10 with respect to the seating portion 12a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner peripheral side wall portion 12b is provided on the inner peripheral support portion 11b of the bottom plate 11. The outer peripheral side wall portion 12c is provided on the outer peripheral support portion 11c of the bottom plate 11. The lower end of the inner peripheral side wall portion 12b is joined to the inner peripheral support portion 11b by a first joining member 13. The lower end of the outer peripheral side wall portion 12c is joined to the outer peripheral support portion 11c by a second joining member 14.

The bottom plate base 11a and the seating portion 12a are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Moreover, the inner peripheral side wall part 12b and the outer peripheral side wall part 12c are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. Thereby, an internal space S surrounded by the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12 is formed in the toilet seat 10.

In addition, when the toilet seat 10 is U-shaped, the inner peripheral support part 11b and the outer peripheral support part 11c are connected around the bottom plate base 11a, and the inner peripheral side wall part 12b and the outer peripheral side wall part 12c are connected around the seating part 12a. They may be connected. In this case, the first joining member 13 and the second joining member 14 may be continuous and integrally provided around the bottom plate base 11a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the toilet seat 10 has a lower surface 10a, an upper surface 10b, an inner surface 10c, and an outer surface 10d. The lower surface 10a is a surface of the toilet seat 10 that faces downward. The upper surface 10b is a surface of the toilet seat 10 that faces upward. The upper surface 10b is located above the lower surface 10a. The inner surface 10c is a surface facing the inner peripheral side of the toilet seat 10. The outer surface 10d is a surface facing the outer circumferential side of the toilet seat 10. The inner surface 10c connects the lower surface 10a and the upper surface 10b on the inner peripheral side of the toilet seat 10. The outer surface 10d connects the lower surface 10a and the upper surface 10b on the outer peripheral side of the toilet seat 10. Hereinafter, the inner surface 10c and the outer surface 10d will be simply referred to as "side surfaces".

In this example, the lower surface of the bottom plate base 11a of the bottom plate 11, the lower surface of the inner peripheral support part 11b, and the lower surface of the outer peripheral support part 11c constitute the lower surface 10a of the toilet seat 10. Further, the first joining member 13 has an exposed surface 13a that is exposed to the outside between the inner peripheral support portion 11b of the bottom plate 11 and the inner peripheral side wall portion 12b of the top plate 12. The second joining member 14 has an exposed surface 14a exposed to the outside between the outer peripheral support portion 11c of the bottom plate 11 and the outer peripheral side wall portion 12c of the upper plate 12. The exposed surface 13a and the exposed surface 14a are each located on the lower surface 10a of the toilet seat 10. In other words, the exposed surface 13a and the exposed surface 14a each constitute the lower surface 10a of the toilet seat 10.

In this way, by arranging the exposed surface 13a and the exposed surface 14a on the lower surface 10a of the toilet seat 10, the exposed surface 13a of the first joining member 13 and the exposed surface 14a of the second joining member 14, which have a different appearance from the top plate 12, can be placed on the lower surface 10a of the toilet seat 10. It can be made inconspicuous. Moreover, by arranging the exposed surfaces 13a and 14a on the lower surface 10a of the toilet seat 10, it is possible to make it difficult to apply a load to the exposed surfaces 13a and 14a.

Further, in this example, the upper surface of the seating portion 12a of the upper plate 12 constitutes the upper surface 10b of the toilet seat 10. Further, the inner circumferential side surface of the inner circumferential wall portion 12b of the top plate 12 constitutes the inner circumferential surface 10c of the toilet seat 10. Further, the outer circumferential side surface of the outer circumferential side wall portion 12c of the upper plate 12 constitutes an outer circumferential surface 10d of the toilet seat 10.

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are cross-sectional views schematically showing a part of the toilet seat according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the upper plate 12 of the toilet seat 10. FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the joining member 15 of the toilet seat 10.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the upper plate 12 includes a thermoplastic resin 18a and an inorganic filler 18b. For example, a crystalline resin is used as the thermoplastic resin 18a. As the thermoplastic resin 18a, for example, PP or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is used.

The inorganic filler 18b is a filler made of an inorganic material. As the inorganic filler 18b, for example, a fibrous inorganic filler such as glass fiber is used. The inorganic filler 18b does not have to be fibrous. Further, the inorganic filler 18b may be, for example, a mineral such as an acicular mineral, a plate-like mineral, or a frit mineral. When using glass fiber as the inorganic filler 18b, it is preferable to use a glass fiber having a fiber diameter of 6 μm or more and 24 μm or less (for example, about 13 μm) and a length of 10 μm or more and 3000 μm or less (for example, 300 μm or more and 1000 μm or less). The amount of the inorganic filler 18b contained in the upper plate 12 is 5 parts by mass or more and 30 parts by mass or less (for example, 10 parts by mass) based on 100 parts by mass of the total of the thermoplastic resin 18a and the inorganic filler 18b (upper plate 12). degree) is preferable.

Since the upper plate 12 contains the thermoplastic resin 18a and the inorganic filler 18b, the surface hardness of the upper plate 12 can be improved. Thereby, on the upper plate 12 side of the toilet seat 10, the scratch resistance of the surface can be improved.

Further, the bottom plate 11 includes, for example, a thermoplastic resin 18a and an inorganic filler 18b. The thermoplastic resin 18a and the inorganic filler 18b contained in the bottom plate 11 are, for example, the same as the thermoplastic resin 18a and the inorganic filler 18b contained in the top plate 12. The amount of inorganic filler 18b contained in the bottom plate 11 is, for example, the same as the amount of inorganic filler 18b contained in the top plate 12.

Since the bottom plate 11 contains the thermoplastic resin 18a and the inorganic filler 16b, the surface hardness of the bottom plate 11 can be improved. Thereby, the scratch resistance of the surface of the bottom plate 11 side of the toilet seat 10 can also be improved.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, the bonding member 15 (first bonding member 13 and second bonding member 14) includes, for example, a thermoplastic resin 18a and does not include an inorganic filler 18b. In the embodiment, the joining member 15 may include a thermoplastic resin 18a and an inorganic filler 18b. When the bonding member 15 contains the inorganic filler 18b, the amount of the inorganic filler 18b contained in the bonding member 15 is smaller than the amount of the inorganic filler 18b contained in the upper plate 12. When the joining member 15 contains the inorganic filler 18b, the amount of the inorganic filler 18b contained in the joining member 15 is 1 mass part per 100 parts by mass of the total of the thermoplastic resin 18a and the inorganic filler 18b (joining member 15). It is preferable that the amount is less than 100%.

In this way, even if the bonding member 15 does not contain the inorganic filler 18b or the bonding member 15 contains the inorganic filler 18b, the amount of the inorganic filler 18b contained in the bonding member 15 is equal to the amount of the inorganic filler 18b contained in the upper plate 12. Since the amount is smaller than the amount of filler 18b, it is possible to prevent the fluidity of the material of joining member 15 from becoming too low. This makes it possible to firmly fill the joint part with the material of the joint member 15, but also prevents the material from leaking from the injection part, deteriorating the appearance, and reducing the adhesive strength of the joint member 15 between the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12. You can prevent yourself from doing it.

In the embodiment, at least one of the first bonding member 13 and the second bonding member 14 has a composition that does not contain the inorganic filler 18b or contains a smaller amount of the inorganic filler 18b than the amount contained in the upper plate 12. It is preferable that both the first bonding member 13 and the second bonding member 14 have a composition that does not contain the inorganic filler 18b or contains a smaller amount of the inorganic filler 18b than the amount contained in the upper plate 12. .

Further, the melt flow rate of the joining member 15 is higher than the melt flow rate of the upper plate 12. Further, the melt flow rate of the joining member 15 is higher than that of the bottom plate 11. The melt flow rate of the joining member 15 is 20 g/10 min or more, preferably 50 g/10 min or more. The melt flow rate can be determined as a melt mass flow rate in accordance with JIS K 7210-1:2014 or JIS K 7210-2:2014. For example, when the thermoplastic resin 18a is PP, the melt flow rate can be determined as a melt mass flow rate based on JIS K 7210-1:2014. For example, when the thermoplastic resin 18a is PBT, the melt flow rate can be determined as a melt mass flow rate based on JIS K 7210-2:2014.

By setting the melt flow rate of the joining member 15 to be higher than the melt flow rate of the top plate 12, higher than the melt flow rate of the bottom plate 11, and 20 g/10 min or more, the fluidity of the material of the joining member 15 is reduced. You can prevent it from going too far. This makes it possible to firmly fill the joint part with the material of the joint member 15, but also prevents the material from leaking from the injection part, deteriorating the appearance, and reducing the adhesive strength of the joint member 15 between the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12. You can prevent yourself from doing it. Furthermore, in order to prevent the fluidity of the material of the joining member 15 from becoming too low, the size of the injection part (the exposed surface 13a of the first joining member 13 or the exposed surface 14a of the second joining member 14) can be made small. I can do it. Thereby, the range of the exposed surface 13a of the first joining member 13 or the exposed surface 14a of the second joining member 14, which differs in appearance from the upper plate 12, can be made as small as possible.

In the embodiment, the melt flow rate of at least one of the first bonding member 13 and the second bonding member 14 is higher than the melt flow rate of the top plate 12, higher than the melt flow rate of the bottom plate 11, and is 20 g. /10min or more, and the melt flow rate of both the first joining member 13 and the second joining member 14 is higher than the melt flow rate of the top plate 12 and higher than the melt flow rate of the bottom plate 11, and the melt flow rate is 20 g/min or more. It is preferable that it is 10 min or more.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of the toilet seat 10 according to the embodiment will be described.
The toilet seat 10 is constructed by, for example, producing a bottom plate 11 and a top plate 12 by molding a material containing the above-mentioned resin, and joining the bottom plate 11 and top plate 12 with a first joining member 13 and a second joining member 14. It can be manufactured by Below, the process of forming the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12 will be explained in detail.

5(a) to 5(c) are cross-sectional views showing a part of the manufacturing process of the toilet seat according to the embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c), a mold M used for molding the bottom plate 11 and the top plate 12 is provided with a heating section H and a cooling section C.

In the manufacturing process, first, as shown in FIG. 5(a), a mold M heated by a heating section H is filled with a material X containing the above crystalline resin or the like. At this time, the material X is filled into the mold M while being heated to a higher temperature than the mold M. In other words, the material X is filled into a mold M heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the heat distortion temperature (ISOR 75) by minus 30° C. and lower than the temperature of the injection cylinder, while being heated by the injection cylinder. As a result, the material X is gradually cooled in the mold M. Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the mold M is cooled by the cooling part C, so that the material X is cooled and hardened inside the mold M. Next, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the molded toilet seat 10 (bottom plate 11 and top plate 12) is taken out from the mold M by hardening the material X.

In this way, the mold M heated by the heating part H is filled with the material X heated to a higher temperature than the mold M, the material X is gradually cooled, and the mold M is further cooled by the cooling part C. By molding the toilet seat 10 by hardening the material X, crystallization near the surface of the toilet seat 10 can be promoted and the surface hardness of the toilet seat 10 can be increased. Thereby, scratches on the surface of the toilet seat 10 can be further suppressed.

As described above, according to the embodiment, it is possible to provide a toilet seat that can improve the scratch resistance of the surface while suppressing deterioration of the appearance.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the invention is not limited to these descriptions. Appropriate design changes made by those skilled in the art with respect to the above-described embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they have the characteristics of the present invention. For example, the shape, size, material, arrangement, installation form, etc. of each element included in the toilet seat etc. are not limited to those illustrated and can be changed as appropriate.
Furthermore, the elements of each of the embodiments described above can be combined to the extent technically possible, and combinations of these are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 10 toilet seat, 10a lower surface, 10b upper surface, 10c inner surface, 10d outer surface, 10h opening, 11 bottom plate, 11a bottom plate base, 11b inner circumference support section, 11c outer circumference support section, 11d support foot, 11h opening, 12 top plate , 12a seating part, 12b inner wall, 12c outer wall, 12h opening, 13, 14 first and second joining members, 13a, 14a exposed surface, 15 joining member, 18a thermoplastic resin, 18b inorganic filler, 20 Toilet lid, 30 Main unit, 100 Toilet seat device, 200 Toilet bowl, 200a Bowl part, 500 Toilet device, C Cooling part, H Heating part, M Mold, S Internal space, X Material

Claims (5)

The bottom plate and
a top plate provided above the bottom plate;
a joining member that joins the bottom plate and the top plate;
Equipped with
The upper plate includes a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic filler,
The joining member includes a thermoplastic resin,
A toilet seat characterized in that the melt flow rate of the joining member is higher than the melt flow rate of the top plate, higher than the melt flow rate of the bottom plate, and is 20 g/10 min or more. The toilet seat according to claim 1, wherein the bonding member does not contain an inorganic filler or contains a smaller amount of inorganic filler than the amount contained in the top plate. The joining member has an exposed surface exposed to the outside,
The toilet seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the exposed surface is located on a lower surface of the toilet seat. The toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bottom plate contains a thermoplastic resin and an inorganic filler. The thermoplastic resin contained in the upper plate is a crystalline resin,
Filling a mold heated by a heating part with a material heated to a higher temperature than the mold, gradually cooling the material, and further cooling the mold by a cooling part to harden the material. The toilet seat according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is molded.

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