JP7402427B2 - toilet seat device - Google Patents

Description

Aspects of the present invention generally relate to toilet seat devices.

A known method for detecting seating on a toilet seat is to use a mechanical switch. Mechanical switches are inexpensive, but require the sinking movement of the toilet seat for detection. For this reason, there is a risk that the ease of use may be reduced due to looseness, or that the design quality may be reduced because the height of the product increases due to the sinking.

For example, there is a capacitive human body detection sensor that installs a detection electrode inside the toilet seat, sends a pulse signal to the detection electrode, and measures the current to detect changes in capacitance due to a person sitting on the seat. (For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). With a capacitive human body detection sensor, there is no need to sink the toilet seat, and there are fewer restrictions on operation and design than with mechanical switches. In particular, in toilet seat devices such as sanitary washing devices that clean private parts of the human body, there is a tendency to prioritize design, and there is a demand for the adoption of capacitive human body detection sensors.

In addition, when a heater to warm the seating surface and a heat diffusion part to diffuse the heat of the heater are installed inside the toilet seat, the heat diffusion part can be used as a detection electrode and the static between the detection electrode and the earth can be used. A method of detecting seating based on a change in capacitance has also been proposed (for example, Patent Document 3). In this method, the heat dissipation section is widely placed over the entire toilet seat, so the capacitance signal itself detected when the user sits on the seat is large. It has the advantage of having little effect on detection. Furthermore, since the thermal diffusion section is used as a detection electrode, there is an advantage that there is no need to newly provide a detection electrode for seating detection.

When using the thermal diffusion section as a detection electrode, the detection electrode is placed overlapping the heater. Further, even when a detection electrode separate from the heat diffusion section is provided, the detection electrode needs to be placed close to the heater in order to appropriately detect the human body while appropriately warming the seating surface. Therefore, there is a possibility that the detection electrode may be short-circuited with the heater. For example, when the detection electrode and the heater are insulated only by the coating of the heater, if a defect occurs in the coating of the heater and dielectric breakdown occurs, the detection electrode will short-circuit with the heater.

A relatively high voltage such as an AC voltage from a commercial power source is applied to the heater. On the other hand, a relatively low voltage obtained by stepping down the AC voltage of a commercial power source is applied to the detection electrode and a detection circuit that detects the capacitance of the detection electrode. Therefore, if the detection electrode is short-circuited with the heater, the high voltage of the heater will be input to the detection electrode and the detection circuit, which may cause the detection circuit to malfunction.

Patent No. 5029483 Patent No. 4645989 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-138247

The present invention has been made based on the recognition of this problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a toilet seat device that can suppress failure of the detection circuit even when the detection electrode is short-circuited with the heater.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a toilet seat having an internal space, a seating surface, and an inner surface facing opposite to the seating surface in the internal space; a heater that warms the seating surface from the inside; a detection electrode provided in the internal space; a detection circuit connected to the detection electrode and configured to detect the capacitance of the detection electrode; The toilet seat device is characterized by comprising: a control unit that detects seating on the toilet seat based on the capacitance; and a capacitor provided between the detection electrode and the detection circuit.

According to this toilet seat device, by providing a capacitor between the detection electrode and the detection circuit, even if the detection electrode is short-circuited with the heater, the high voltage of the heater is detected because the impedance component due to the capacitor is present in the middle. Direct input to the circuit can be suppressed. Thereby, even when the detection electrode is short-circuited with the heater, failure of the detection circuit can be suppressed.

A second invention according to the first invention includes at least two capacitors, a first capacitor and a second capacitor, connected in series between the detection electrode and the detection circuit, and the first capacitor includes: The toilet seat device is characterized in that the toilet seat is provided in the internal space, and the second capacitor is provided outside the internal space.

According to this toilet seat device, by arranging the first capacitor and the second capacitor in two areas with different environments, failure of the detection circuit can be more reliably suppressed. For example, if water enters the interior space of the toilet seat from the outside, detergent or the like enters the interior space when cleaning the toilet seat, and the first capacitor placed in the interior space of the toilet seat malfunctions, the detection electrode may become heated. Even if there is a short circuit with the second capacitor, failure of the detection circuit can be suppressed by the second capacitor.

A third invention is based on the second invention, and includes a main body that pivotally supports the toilet seat so as to be openable and closable and houses the detection circuit therein, and the second capacitor is provided inside the main body. This toilet seat device is characterized by:

According to this toilet seat device, malfunction of the detection circuit due to noise intrusion can be suppressed. For example, even if noise enters between the first capacitor and the second capacitor, the influence of the noise can be suppressed by the second capacitor. On the other hand, if noise enters between the second capacitor and the detection circuit, it is difficult to suppress the influence of the noise, and the detection circuit may malfunction due to the noise. For this reason, it is preferable that the second capacitor be placed as close to the detection circuit as possible. Therefore, by providing the second capacitor inside the main body and shortening the distance between the second capacitor and the detection circuit, malfunction of the detection circuit due to noise intrusion can be suppressed.

A fourth invention is the toilet seat device according to the second or third invention, wherein the first capacitor is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the heater.

According to this toilet seat device, by placing the first capacitor as far away as possible from the heater, which is the source of heat, it can be made less susceptible to heat even when the heater is driven, and the capacitance of the first capacitor changes due to temperature. It can be made less susceptible to variations.

In a fifth invention, in any one of the second to fourth inventions, the detection electrode has a larger area than the heater, and also serves as a heat diffusion part that diffuses heat of the heater to the inner surface. The toilet seat device is characterized in that the first capacitor is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the detection electrode.

According to this toilet seat device, by placing the first capacitor as far away as possible from the heater, which is the source of heat, and the detection electrode, which diffuses the heat of the heater, even when the heater is driven, it can be made less susceptible to the effects of heat. This can be made less susceptible to variations in capacitance change of the first capacitor due to temperature.

In a sixth invention, in any one of the second to fifth inventions, the toilet seat includes a wiring member that connects the first capacitor and the second capacitor in series, and the toilet seat includes a toilet seat main body and a toilet seat main body. a pair of hinge portions provided at a rear end, one of the pair of hinge portions having an opening for communicating the internal space with the external space and through which the wiring member is passed. The toilet seat device is characterized in that the first capacitor is arranged closer to one of the pair of hinge parts than the other hinge part.

According to this toilet seat device, the first capacitor can be easily connected to the detection electrode and the wiring member by arranging the first capacitor near the hinge portion having the opening through which the wiring member passes. Further, for example, by arranging the first capacitor near the opening, it is possible to easily prevent the wiring member from overlapping the detection electrode and causing a short circuit between the wiring member and the detection electrode or the heater wire. Therefore, insulation measures for the wiring member can be simplified, and when the first capacitor is disposed in the interior space of the toilet seat, an increase in the number of parts and manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

A seventh invention is the toilet seat device according to any one of the first to sixth inventions, wherein the control section detects a failure of the capacitor.

According to this toilet seat device, it is possible to prevent the condenser from continuing to be used with a faulty capacitor. For example, it is possible to prevent the detection electrode from short-circuiting with the heater in a state where the capacitor is out of order, thereby preventing the detection circuit from breaking down. Therefore, failure of the detection circuit can be more reliably suppressed.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a toilet seat device is provided that can suppress failure of the detection circuit even when the detection electrode is short-circuited with the heater.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a toilet device including a toilet seat device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the toilet seat according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the toilet seat according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the toilet seat according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically representing the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 6A and 6B are graphs schematically representing an example of the operation of the toilet seat device according to the first embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing typically a toilet seat device concerning a 2nd 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.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a toilet device including a toilet seat device according to a first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the toilet device 2 includes a Western-style seated toilet bowl (hereinafter simply referred to as a "toilet bowl" for convenience of explanation) 4 and a toilet seat device 10 provided thereon. The toilet seat device 10 includes a main body 12, a toilet seat 14, and a toilet lid 16.

In the following description of the embodiment, "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "right side", and "left side" are used, but these directions are as shown in FIG. This is the direction seen from the user sitting on the toilet seat 14.

The toilet bowl 4 has a bowl portion 4a that is recessed downward. The toilet bowl 4 receives the user's excreta such as urine and feces at the bowl portion 4a. The main body part 12 of the toilet seat device 10 is provided at the upper part behind the bowl part 4a of the toilet bowl 4. The main body portion 12 pivotally supports a toilet seat 14 and a toilet lid 16 so as to be openable and closable.

The toilet seat 14 includes a toilet seat main body 14a and a pair of hinge parts 14b and 14c provided at the rear end of the toilet seat main body 14a. The pair of hinge parts 14b and 14c, for example, extend rearward from both ends of the rear end of the toilet seat main body 14a. The main body portion 12 pivotally supports the toilet seat 14 via a pair of hinge portions 14b and 14c so as to be openable and closable.

The toilet seat main body 14a has an opening 14d. The toilet seat main body 14a is provided on the toilet bowl 4 so as to surround the outer edge of the bowl portion 4a, and exposes the bowl portion 4a through the opening 14d. This allows the user to defecate into the bowl portion 4a while sitting on the toilet seat 14. This example shows a so-called O-shaped toilet seat 14 in which a through-hole-like opening 14d is formed. The toilet seat 14 is not limited to an O-shape, but may be U-shape or the like.

The toilet seat device 10 has a heating function for the toilet seat 14 that warms the seating surface of the toilet seat 14. Additionally, the toilet seat device 10 has a sanitary cleaning function that cleans the private parts of the user sitting on the toilet seat 14, such as the buttocks. In other words, the toilet seat device 10 is a sanitary cleaning device. However, the toilet seat device 10 does not necessarily have to have a sanitary cleaning function. The toilet seat device 10 only needs to have at least a heating function for the toilet seat 14. In other words, the toilet seat device 10 may be a heated toilet seat device.

The toilet seat device 10 has a nozzle 20 for cleaning private parts of the human body. The nozzle 20 is provided in the main body 12 and moves forward and backward between a position housed in the main body 12 and a position advanced from the main body 12 into the bowl part 4a. Note that FIG. 1 shows a state in which the nozzle 20 has advanced into the bowl portion 4a.

The main body section 12 is configured to be able to communicate with an operation section 6 such as a remote control. Communication between the main body section 12 and the operation section 6 may be wired communication or wireless communication. The main body portion 12 advances the nozzle 20 into the bowl portion 4a in response to an input operation instruction from the operation portion 6, for example.

The nozzle 20 discharges water toward the human body's private parts to clean the human body's private parts. A bidet cleaning spout 20a and a butt cleaning spout 20b are provided at the tip of the nozzle 20. The nozzle 20 can wash the female private parts of a woman sitting on the toilet seat 14 by jetting water from a bidet washing spout 20a provided at its tip. Alternatively, the nozzle 20 can wash the "butt" of the user sitting on the toilet seat 14 by jetting water from the butt washing spout 20b provided at the tip thereof. Note that in the present specification, "water" includes not only cold water but also heated hot water.

Modes for washing the "butt" include, for example, "butt washing" and "soft washing" which gently washes with a water stream softer than "butt washing". The nozzle 20 can perform, for example, "bidet cleaning," "butt cleaning," and "soft cleaning."

In the nozzle 20 shown in FIG. 1, the bidet cleaning spout 20a is provided closer to the tip of the nozzle 20 than the butt cleaning spout 20b, but the installation positions of the bidet cleaning spout 20a and the butt cleaning spout 20b are different. is not limited to this. The bidet cleaning spout 20a may be provided closer to the rear end of the nozzle 20 than the butt cleaning spout 20b. Moreover, although the nozzle 20 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with two water spouts, three or more water spouts may be provided.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing a part of the toilet seat according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 2 schematically represents a cross section taken along line A1-A2 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the toilet seat main body 14a of the toilet seat 14 has an internal space SP. In other words, the toilet seat main body 14a is hollow. The toilet seat 14 has, for example, an upper plate 30 and a lower plate 32, and by joining the upper plate 30 and the lower plate 32, a toilet seat main body 14a and a pair of hinge parts 14b, 14c are formed, and the upper plate An internal space SP is formed between 30 and the lower plate 32. The upper plate 30 has a seating surface 30a on which a user sits, and an inner surface 30b facing the lower plate 32. In other words, the inner surface 30b is a surface facing away from the seating surface 30a within the interior space SP. The upper plate 30 and the lower plate 32 may be joined by bonding using an adhesive or by welding using vibration welding or the like. However, the configuration of the toilet seat 14 is not limited to the above, and may be any configuration having at least an internal space SP, a seating surface 30a, and an inner surface 30b.

FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the toilet seat according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view schematically showing a part of the toilet seat according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 schematically represents a cross section taken along the line B1-B2 in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the toilet seat device 10 further includes a heater 40 and a detection electrode 42.

The heater 40 generates heat by passing an electric current through it. The heater 40 is, for example, cord-shaped. The heater 40 includes, for example, a heating wire 40a and a covering 40b surrounding the heating wire 40a. The covering 40b is, for example, an insulator made of resin or the like. The heater 40 is provided in the internal space SP, and heats the seating surface 30a from inside via the inner surface 30b by applying an external AC voltage. That is, the heater 40 provides a heating function for the toilet seat 14.

The detection electrode 42 is provided within the internal space SP. The detection electrode 42 is provided, for example, on the inner surface 30b. The detection electrode 42 is used to detect sitting on the toilet seat 14. The detection electrode 42 is, for example, sheet-shaped. The area of the detection electrode 42 is larger than the area of the heater 40. Thereby, the detection electrode 42 diffuses the heat of the heater 40 to the inner surface 30b. In this way, the detection electrode 42 functions as an electrode for detecting seating on the toilet seat 14, and has a larger area than the heater 40, and serves as a heat diffusion section that diffuses the heat of the heater 40 to the inner surface 30b. also works. In other words, the detection electrode 42 is a heat diffusion sheet. However, the position where the detection electrode 42 is provided is not limited to the inner surface 30b, and may be any position within the internal space SP where seating on the toilet seat 14 can be detected. The detection electrode 42 does not necessarily have to function as a heat diffusion section.

The heater 40 is provided overlapping the detection electrode 42. A first adhesive 44 is provided between the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42. The first adhesive 44 joins the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42.

A second adhesive 46 is provided between the detection electrode 42 and the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. The second adhesive 46 bonds the detection electrode 42 and the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. Thereby, the detection electrode 42 is provided on the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. In this way, the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42 are attached to the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30 via the first adhesive 44 and the second adhesive 46. Thereby, the seating surface 30a can be warmed from inside via the inner surface 30b.

The detection electrode 42 is a conductor. The detection electrode 42 is, for example, metal foil. The thermal conductivity of the metal foil is higher than that of the upper plate 30. Examples of the detection electrode 42 include aluminum foil and copper foil.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heater 40 meanders around the detection electrode 42 and is arranged over substantially the entire detection electrode 42. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the detection electrode 42 is provided over substantially the entire inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30. The heater 40 meanders below the inner surface 30b of the upper plate 30 and is disposed over substantially the entire inner surface 30b. In this way, the cord-shaped heater 40 is provided on the inner surface 30b while being bent. Thereby, substantially the entire seating surface 30a can be appropriately warmed. Note that the heater 40 is not limited to a cord shape, and may be a sheet shape or the like. The configuration of the heater 40 may be any configuration capable of warming the seating surface 30a from the inside.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the electrical configuration of the toilet seat device according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the toilet seat device 10 includes a power supply circuit 50, a control section 52, a detection circuit 54, and a control load 56.

The power supply circuit 50 , the control section 52 , the detection circuit 54 , and the control load 56 are provided inside the main body section 12 . In other words, the main body section 12 houses the power supply circuit 50, the control section 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56 therein. The main body portion 12 includes, for example, a case plate and a case cover that covers the upper side of the case plate. The inside of the main body portion 12 is, for example, the inside of a space surrounded by a case plate and a case cover.

Power supply circuit 50 is electrically connected to AC power supply PS. The power supply circuit 50 converts the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply PS into a DC voltage, and supplies the converted DC voltage to the control unit 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56. The power supply circuit 50 is a so-called AC-DC converter. The power supply circuit 50 is, for example, an isolated AC-DC converter that electrically isolates a primary side (AC side) and a secondary side (DC side). Power supply circuit 50 is, for example, an isolated flyback converter. The control unit 52, the detection circuit 54, and the control load 56 operate in response to the supply of DC voltage from the power supply circuit 50.

The control unit 52 comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the toilet seat device 10. The control unit 52 is electrically connected to the detection circuit 54 and the control load 56, and controls the operation of the detection circuit 54 and the control load 56.

The toilet seat device 10 has, for example, a plurality of control loads 56. The control load 56 is, for example, a motor for moving the nozzle 20 forward or backward, a solenoid valve for switching between supplying water to the nozzle 20 (discharging water from the nozzle 20) and stopping the supply of water to the nozzle 20. be. The control load 56 includes, for example, a heat exchanger that heats the water supplied to the nozzle 20, a switching valve that switches the paths of the bidet wash spout 20a and the butt wash spout 20b, and a switch that sucks air in the bowl portion 4a. It may further include a deodorizing device for deodorizing. The control load 56 may be any device that is operated by the DC voltage supplied from the power supply circuit 50 and whose operation is controlled by the control unit 52.

The control unit 52 is communicably connected to the operation unit 6 via, for example, a communication circuit (not shown). Various operating instructions are input to the control unit 52 according to the operation of the operating unit 6, such as execution of private part cleaning by the nozzle 20 and stopping of private part cleaning, for example. The control unit 52 controls the operation of the control load 56 in accordance with an operation instruction input from the operation unit 6. Thereby, the control unit 52 controls execution of private part cleaning by the nozzle 20, stopping of private part cleaning, etc. in accordance with the operation of the operating unit 6.

The detection circuit 54 is connected to a detection electrode 42 provided in the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14. The detection circuit 54 detects the capacitance of the detection electrode 42. More specifically, the detection circuit 54 detects a change in capacitance between the detection electrode 42 and the ground when the toilet seat 14 is seated and when the toilet seat 14 is not seated. This is a type of capacitance detection circuit.

The detection circuit 54 is connected to the control section 52. The detection circuit 54 detects the capacitance of the detection electrode 42 based on the control of the control unit 52, for example, and inputs the detection result to the control unit 52.

The control unit 52 controls the detection of capacitance by the detection circuit 54 and detects seating on the toilet seat 14 based on the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 54. The control unit 52 controls the operation of the plurality of control loads 56 based on, for example, an operation instruction input from the operation unit 6 and a detection result of the detection circuit 54.

The control unit 52 operates a predetermined control load 56 in response to an operation instruction from the operation unit 6 when the seating on the toilet seat 14 is detected based on the detection result of the detection circuit 54 . On the other hand, if the control unit 52 does not detect the seating on the toilet seat 14, the control unit 52 does not operate the predetermined control load 56 even if an operation instruction is input from the operation unit 6. For example, the control unit 52 prevents the nozzle 20 from cleaning the private parts when the seating is not detected. This can prevent water from being discharged from the nozzle 20 when the user or the like is not seated on the toilet seat 14.

Further, for example, when the deodorizing device is used as the control load 56, the control unit 52 operates the control load 56 in response to detection of seating on the toilet seat 14. In this manner, the control unit 52 changes the operating state of the control load 56 based on the detection result of the detection circuit 54 (detection result of seating on the toilet seat 14), depending on the type of the control load 56. The control unit 52 operates the control load 56 or prohibits the operation of the control load 56 according to the detection result of the detection circuit 54.

Note that the capacitance detection operation by the detection circuit 54 may be performed based on the control of a control unit different from the control unit 52, or may be performed based on independent control of the detection circuit 54. . The control unit 52 does not necessarily have to control the capacitance detection operation by the detection circuit 54.

The power supply circuit 50 is electrically connected to a power supply terminal 58, for example. Power supply circuit 50 is electrically connected to AC power supply PS via power supply terminal 58. The AC power supply PS is, for example, an AC 100V (effective value) commercial power supply. The power terminal 58 is, for example, an outlet plug.

Heater 40 is connected to power terminal 58 . Thereby, the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply PS is applied to the heater 40. Further, a switching element 60 is provided between the heater 40 and the power supply terminal 58 for switching between applying and stopping the application of the AC voltage to the heater 40. The switching element 60 is connected to the control section 52. The control unit 52 controls switching of the switching element 60 on and off. In other words, the control unit 52 controls the application of electricity to the heater 40 (application of alternating current voltage and stopping of application). The switching element 60 is, for example, a bidirectional optical thyristor. Thereby, the control unit 52 connected to the secondary side of the power supply circuit 50 can be electrically insulated appropriately from the AC power on the primary side.

One hinge portion 14b of the pair of hinge portions 14b and 14c of the toilet seat 14 has an opening 14p that communicates the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14 with the external space (see FIG. 3). The opening 14p is provided, for example, on the inner side surface of the hinge portion 14b facing the main body portion 12. The opening 14p, for example, allows the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14 and the interior space of the main body portion 12 to communicate with each other.

A pair of wiring members 40c and 40d for electrically connecting the heater 40 and the power supply terminal 58 are passed through the opening 14p of the hinge portion 14b, as shown in FIG. As a result, the pair of wiring members 40c and 40d are pulled out to the outside of the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14 through the opening 14p, are inserted into the interior of the main body 12, and are connected to the power terminals 58 and 40d inside the main body 12. It is electrically connected to the switching element 60. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the wiring members 40c and 40d from being exposed to the outside and being visually recognized by the user or the like.

Note that the power supplied to the heater 40 is not limited to the AC power of the AC power supply PS, and may be, for example, DC power converted by the power supply circuit 50.

The toilet seat device 10 further includes a capacitor 80 provided between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54. The capacitor 80 is provided within the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14, for example. Inside the main body part 12, a large number of devices such as a power supply circuit 50, a control part 52, a detection circuit 54, and a control load 56 are provided. There isn't much free space. Therefore, by providing the capacitor 80 in the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14, the capacitor 80 can be arranged more easily than inside the main body portion 12.

However, the capacitor 80 is not limited to the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14 but may be provided inside the main body 12 or the like. Water or the like may enter the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14 through the opening 14p or the like. Therefore, when the capacitor 80 is provided inside the main body portion 12, it is possible to more easily suppress failure of the capacitor 80 due to exposure to water than when the capacitor 80 is provided inside the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are graphs schematically representing an example of the operation of the toilet seat device according to the first embodiment.
The detection circuit 54 is connected to the detection electrode 42 via a capacitor 80, and detects a change in the capacitance of the detection electrode 42 by transmitting a pulse signal of a predetermined frequency to the detection electrode 42. The frequency of the pulse signal is, for example, about 10 kHz to 20 kHz. In this way, the pulse signal is a relatively high frequency signal and is input to the detection electrode 42 through the capacitor 80. Therefore, even if the capacitor 80 is provided between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54, it is possible to prevent the capacitor 80 from affecting the detection of seating.

For example, the detection circuit 54 transmits a predetermined number of pulse signals to the detection electrode 42 and detects the charge accumulated on the detection electrode 42 when each pulse is applied to the detection electrode 42 . That is, the detection circuit 54 detects a change in the capacitance of the detection electrode 42 based on a change in the voltage of the detection electrode 42 when the pulse signal is transmitted.

The control unit 52 controls the detection of capacitance by the detection circuit 54 and determines the presence or absence of a human body based on the detected capacitance. In a self-capacitance type sensor, the capacitance of the detection electrode 42 is larger in a state where a human body is present than in a state where there is no human body. In this case, the voltage of the detection electrode 42 when transmitting a pulse signal is higher in a state where a human body is present than in a state where there is no human body.

As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the control unit 52 detects seating on the toilet seat 14 when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 exceeds the threshold value Vth. However, when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 does not exceed the threshold value Vth, non-seating on the toilet seat 14 is detected. In other words, when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 exceeds the threshold value Vth, the control unit 52 determines that the user or the like is sitting on the toilet seat 14, and the detection circuit 54 determines that the user or the like is sitting on the toilet seat 14. If the detected voltage of the detection electrode 42 does not exceed the threshold value Vth, it is determined that the user is not sitting on the toilet seat 14.

Furthermore, if the capacitor 80 causes a short-circuit failure, as shown in FIG. 6(a), even if the user is not seated on the toilet seat 14, the The voltage of the detection electrode 42 becomes larger than the upper limit value VU. Therefore, when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 exceeds the upper limit value VU, the control unit 52 determines that the capacitor 80 has caused a short-circuit failure. In other words, the control unit 52 detects a short-circuit failure of the capacitor 80 when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 is equal to or higher than the upper limit value VU.

On the other hand, if the capacitor 80 causes an open failure, the pulse signal is no longer input to the detection electrode 42, so that the user or the like is seated on the toilet seat 14, as shown in FIG. 6(b). Even if it is, the voltage of the detection electrode 42 when transmitting the pulse signal becomes smaller than the lower limit value VL. Therefore, if the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 does not exceed the lower limit value VL, the control unit 52 determines that the capacitor 80 has an open failure. In other words, the control unit 52 detects an open failure of the capacitor 80 when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 is below the lower limit value VL.

In this way, the control unit 52 detects a failure of the capacitor 80. More specifically, the control unit 52 detects a short-circuit failure and an open failure of the capacitor 80 based on the detection result of the detection circuit 54.

The toilet seat device 10 includes a notification section 62 for notifying a user or the like of a failure of the capacitor 80. When the control unit 52 detects a failure of the capacitor 80, it operates the notification unit 62 to notify the user of the failure of the capacitor 80. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the toilet seat device 10 from continuing to be used while the capacitor 80 is in a failed state.

The notification unit 62 is, for example, a light emitting element such as an LED that provides notification by lighting up a light. The notification unit 62 may be a speaker that provides notification by voice, or a display device such as a liquid crystal display that provides notification by displaying characters, symbols, or the like. The configuration of the notification unit 62 may be any configuration that can appropriately notify the user or the like of a failure of the capacitor 80.

Further, the failure of the capacitor 80 may be notified by an external device such as the operation unit 6. The control unit 52 may be configured to transmit the detection of the failure of the capacitor 80 to an external device when the failure of the capacitor 80 is detected. In this case, the toilet seat device 10 may not include the notification section 62. In this way, the notification section 62 is provided as necessary and can be omitted.

As described above, the heater 40 is provided overlapping the detection electrode 42. At this time, insulation between the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42 is ensured by the coating 40b of the heater 40. Therefore, if a defect occurs in the coating 40b of the heater 40 and dielectric breakdown occurs, the detection electrode 42 may be short-circuited with the heating wire 40a of the heater 40.

A voltage on the primary side of the power supply circuit 50 is applied to the heater 40 . On the other hand, the voltage on the secondary side of the power supply circuit 50 is applied to the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54 . Therefore, if the detection electrode 42 is short-circuited with the heater 40 and a high voltage on the primary side is input to the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54, there is a possibility that the detection circuit 54 will malfunction.

Although it is possible to provide an insulator between the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42, it is difficult to provide an insulator over almost the entire detection electrode 42, which has a relatively large area, and this increases the manufacturing cost of the toilet seat device 10. I invite you. Furthermore, if an insulator is further provided between the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42, there is a possibility that the heat of the heater 40 will be difficult to be transmitted to the seating surface 30a.

In contrast, in the toilet seat device 10 according to the present embodiment, a capacitor 80 is provided between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54. The voltage applied to the heater 40 is an AC voltage or a DC voltage at a relatively low frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. Capacitor 80 suppresses the passage of DC voltage and low frequency AC voltage. Therefore, in the toilet seat device 10 according to the present embodiment, by providing the capacitor 80 between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54, even when the detection electrode 42 is short-circuited with the heater 40, the impedance component due to the capacitor 80 is Therefore, it is possible to prevent the high voltage of the heater 40 from being directly input to the detection circuit 54. Thereby, even when the detection electrode 42 is short-circuited with the heater 40, failure of the detection circuit 54 can be suppressed.

Further, as described above, the pulse signal input from the detection circuit 54 to the detection electrode 42 is a relatively high frequency signal, and the pulse signal is input to the detection electrode 42 through the capacitor 80. Therefore, in the toilet seat device 10, failure of the detection circuit 54 can be suppressed while suppressing the effect on detection of seating.

Furthermore, compared to the case where an insulator is provided between the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42, the capacitor 80 can be relatively easily placed inside the toilet seat 14 or the main body 12, and has a simpler configuration. Failure of the detection circuit 54 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the heat of the heater 40 does not become difficult to be transmitted to the seating surface 30a.

Further, in the toilet seat device 10, the control unit 52 detects a failure of the capacitor 80. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the toilet seat device 10 from continuing to be used while the capacitor 80 is in a failed state. For example, it is possible to prevent the detection electrode 42 from short-circuiting with the heater 40 when the capacitor 80 is out of order, thereby preventing the detection circuit 54 from breaking down. Therefore, failure of the detection circuit 54 can be suppressed more reliably.

For example, a ceramic capacitor is used as the capacitor 80. However, the capacitor 80 is not limited to this, and may be other types of capacitors. The capacitance of the capacitor 80 may be appropriately set according to the frequency of the pulse signal, the voltage value of the voltage input to the heater 40, the frequency of the AC voltage input to the heater 40, and the like.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram schematically representing a toilet seat device according to a second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, the toilet seat device 10a includes at least two capacitors 80, a first capacitor 81 and a second capacitor 82. Components that are substantially the same in function and configuration as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 are connected in series between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54. In other words, the first capacitor 81 is provided between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54, and the second capacitor 82 is provided between the first capacitor 81 and the detection circuit 54.

The first capacitor 81 is provided within the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14. The second capacitor 82 is provided outside the internal space SP. The second capacitor 82 is provided inside the main body portion 12, for example.

The toilet seat device 10a includes a wiring member 84 that connects a first capacitor 81 and a second capacitor 82 in series. The wiring member 84 is drawn out from the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14 to the outside of the interior space SP by being inserted through the opening 14p provided in the hinge portion 14b. In this way, the opening 14p of the hinge portion 14b is an opening for communicating the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14 with the external space, and through which the wiring member 84 is passed. One end of the wiring member 84 is located within the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14 and is connected to the first capacitor 81 . The other end of the wiring member 84 is pulled out to the outside of the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14 through the opening 14p, is inserted into the main body 12, and is connected to the second capacitor 82 inside the main body 12. . Thereby, the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 are connected in series.

Note that the position of the second capacitor 82 is not limited to the inside of the main body portion 12. The second capacitor 82 may be provided, for example, on the outer surface of the main body portion 12, or may be provided in a space behind the bowl portion 4a of the toilet bowl 4. The second capacitor 82 may be located at any position outside the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14. However, in consideration of the fact that the detection circuit 54 is provided inside the main body 12, it is most preferable that the second capacitor 82 is provided inside the main body 12.

The first capacitor 81 is arranged in the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14 at a position that does not overlap with the heater 40. Furthermore, the first capacitor 81 is arranged in the internal space SP at a position that does not overlap with the detection electrode 42. More specifically, the first capacitor 81 is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42 when viewed from above when the toilet seat 14 is lowered (seated state). In other words, the first capacitor 81 is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the heater 40 and the detection electrode 42 in the direction orthogonal to the seating surface 30a.

Further, the first capacitor 81 is arranged closer to one hinge portion 14b having the opening 14p than the other hinge portion 14c of the pair of hinge portions 14b and 14c. The distance between the first capacitor 81 and the hinge section 14b is shorter than the distance between the first capacitor 81 and the hinge section 14c.

The first capacitor 81 is provided on the rear side of the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14. The first capacitor 81 is, for example, provided behind the opening 14d in the internal space SP. The first capacitor 81 is arranged close to the hinge portion 14b on the rear side of the internal space SP.

However, the position of the first capacitor 81 is not limited to the above, and may be any position within the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14. The first capacitor 81 may be placed overlapping the detection electrode 42, for example.

Also in the toilet seat device 10a, the control unit 52 detects seating on the toilet seat 14 when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 exceeds the threshold value Vth, and 42 does not exceed the threshold value Vth, non-seating on the toilet seat 14 is detected.

In addition, if at least one of the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 has a short-circuit failure, even if the user is not seated on the toilet seat 14, the detection when the pulse signal is transmitted is detected. The voltage of the electrode 42 becomes larger than the upper limit value VU. Therefore, the control unit 52 detects a short-circuit failure in at least one of the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 is equal to or higher than the upper limit value VU.

On the other hand, if at least one of the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 causes an open failure, the pulse signal will no longer be input to the detection electrode 42, so that the pulse signal will not be input to the detection electrode 42. Even if there is, the voltage of the detection electrode 42 when transmitting the pulse signal will be smaller than the lower limit value VL. Therefore, the control unit 52 detects an open failure in at least one of the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 when the voltage of the detection electrode 42 detected by the detection circuit 54 is below the lower limit value VL.

In this way, even when the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 are provided, short-circuit failures and open failures of the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 are detected based on the detection results of the detection circuit 54. be able to.

As described above, the toilet seat device 10a according to the present embodiment includes at least two capacitors 80, the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82, which are connected in series between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54. , a first capacitor 81 is provided in the interior space SP of the toilet seat 14, and a second capacitor 82 is provided outside the interior space SP. In this way, by arranging the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82 in two areas with different environments, failure of the detection circuit 54 can be more reliably suppressed. For example, water may enter the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14 from the outside, detergent or the like may enter the internal space SP during cleaning of the toilet seat 14, and the first capacitor 81 disposed in the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14 may malfunction. Even if the detection electrode 42 is short-circuited with the heater 40 in this state, failure of the detection circuit 54 can be suppressed by the second capacitor 82.

Further, in the toilet seat device 10a, a second capacitor 82 is provided inside the main body portion 12. Thereby, malfunction of the detection circuit 54 due to noise intrusion can be suppressed. For example, even if noise enters between the first capacitor 81 and the second capacitor 82, the influence of the noise can be suppressed by the second capacitor 82. On the other hand, if noise enters between the second capacitor 82 and the detection circuit 54, it is difficult to suppress the influence of the noise, and the detection circuit 54 may malfunction due to the noise. For example, the control unit 52 may erroneously detect whether the vehicle is seated or not. For this reason, it is preferable that the second capacitor 82 be placed as close to the detection circuit 54 as possible. Therefore, by providing the second capacitor 82 inside the main body 12 and shortening the distance between the second capacitor 82 and the detection circuit 54, malfunction of the detection circuit 54 due to noise intrusion can be suppressed.

The second capacitor 82 may be provided integrally with the detection circuit 54, for example. For example, the second capacitor 82 may be mounted on the circuit board on which the detection circuit 54 is provided. This makes it possible to further shorten the distance between the second capacitor 82 and the detection circuit 54, and more reliably suppress malfunctions of the detection circuit 54 due to noise intrusion.

Further, in the toilet seat device 10a, the first capacitor 81 is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the heater 40. In this way, by placing the first capacitor 81 as far away as possible from the heater 40, which is the source of heat, it can be made less susceptible to heat even when the heater 40 is driven, and the capacitance of the first capacitor 81 can be prevented from changing due to temperature. can be made less susceptible to variations in

Furthermore, in the toilet seat device 10a, the first capacitor 81 is arranged at a position that does not overlap the detection electrode 42. In this way, by placing the first capacitor 81 as far away as possible from the heater 40, which is a heat generation source, and the detection electrode 42, which diffuses the heat of the heater 40, it is possible to make it less susceptible to heat even when the heater 40 is driven. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of variations in capacitance change of the first capacitor 81 due to temperature.

Furthermore, in the toilet seat device 10a, the first capacitor 81 is arranged closer to one hinge portion 14b of the pair of hinge portions 14b, 14c than the other hinge portion 14c. In this way, by arranging the first capacitor 81 near the hinge portion 14b having the opening 14p through which the wiring member 84 passes, the first capacitor 81 can be easily connected to the detection electrode 42 and the wiring member 84. Can be done. Furthermore, for example, by arranging the first capacitor 81 near the opening 14p, it is possible to prevent the wiring member 84 from overlapping with the detection electrode 42 and short-circuiting the wiring member 84 with the detection electrode 42 or the heater 40. It can be made easier. Therefore, insulation measures for the wiring member 84 can be simplified, and when the first capacitor 81 is arranged in the internal space SP of the toilet seat 14, an increase in the number of parts and manufacturing costs can be suppressed. can.

Note that the number of capacitors 80 provided between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54 is not limited to two, and may be one as shown in the first embodiment, or three or more. Three or more capacitors 80 may be connected in series between the detection electrode 42 and the detection circuit 54.

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, etc. of each element included in the toilet device 2, the toilet seat devices 10, 10a, 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.

2 toilet device, 4 toilet bowl, 6 operation unit, 10, 10a toilet seat device, 12 main body, 14 toilet seat, 16 toilet lid, 20 nozzle, 30 upper plate, 32 lower plate, 40 heater, 42 detection electrode, 44 first adhesive agent, 46 second adhesive, 50 power supply circuit, 52 control unit, 54 detection circuit, 56 control load, 58 power supply terminal, 60 switching element, 62 notification unit, 80 capacitor, 81 first capacitor, 82 second capacitor, 84 wiring parts

Claims (6)

A toilet seat having an interior space, a seating surface, and an interior surface facing away from the seating surface within the interior space;
a heater that is provided in the internal space and warms the seating surface from the inside via the inner surface;
a detection electrode provided in the internal space;
a detection circuit connected to the detection electrode and detecting the capacitance of the detection electrode;
a control unit that detects seating on the toilet seat based on the capacitance detected by the detection circuit;
at least two capacitors, a first capacitor and a second capacitor, connected in series between the detection electrode and the detection circuit;
Equipped with
the first capacitor is provided in the internal space of the toilet seat,
The toilet seat device , wherein the second capacitor is provided outside the internal space . The toilet seat is pivotably supported so as to be openable and closable, and includes a main body portion that houses the detection circuit therein,
The toilet seat device according to claim 1 , wherein the second capacitor is provided inside the main body. The toilet seat device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the first capacitor is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the heater. The detection electrode has a larger area than the heater and also functions as a heat diffusion section that diffuses heat of the heater to the inner surface,
The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the first capacitor is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the detection electrode. comprising a wiring member connecting the first capacitor and the second capacitor in series,
The toilet seat has a toilet seat main body and a pair of hinge parts provided at the rear end of the toilet seat main body,
One of the pair of hinge parts communicates the internal space with the external space and has an opening for passing the wiring member,
The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the first capacitor is arranged closer to the one hinge part than the other hinge part of the pair of hinge parts. The toilet seat device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit detects a failure of the capacitor.

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