JP7432411B2 - toilet device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to toilet bowl devices.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a toilet device that includes a detection section and automatically opens and closes a toilet lid or the like by detecting a person based on the detection result of the detection section. For example, a toilet device is known that includes a human body detection sensor that detects when a user is standing in front of the toilet (see Patent Document 1, which will be described later).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-93274

The space in which the toilet device is provided is not limited to a toilet room, but may be a space in which a bathtub is provided, for example. The toilet device described in Patent Document 1 includes a human body detection sensor that detects a state in which a user is standing in front of the toilet bowl. However, in the toilet device described in Patent Document 1, the detection range expands upward, and the detection area is wide. Therefore, there is a risk that a person other than the user of the toilet device, such as a person passing in front of the toilet device, will be erroneously detected and the toilet device will malfunction.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a toilet device with less risk of malfunction.

The present disclosure includes a toilet main body, a toilet lid, a foot detection unit whose detection direction is toward the floor, and an effective detection range within the detectable range is above the floor, and the foot detection unit. The present invention relates to a toilet device, comprising: a control section that detects a user and controls opening and closing of the toilet lid based on a detection result of the section.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet device according to the present embodiment. It is a side view of the toilet device concerning this embodiment. It is a top view of the toilet device concerning this embodiment. 4 is a side cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in FIG. 3. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows control of the toilet lid concerning this embodiment. It is a graph which shows the detection distance characteristic of the foot|foot detection part of this embodiment.

(Configuration of toilet device 1)
A toilet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-rear direction is defined as the front-rear direction when viewed from a user (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "user") seated on the toilet seat 31 of the toilet device 1. The direction connecting the left and right sides that intersect in the front-rear direction is defined as the width direction. The direction perpendicular to the floor surface F of the toilet room and the direction toward the toilet lid 3 is defined as the upward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the downward direction, and these are defined as the vertical direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toilet device 1 includes a toilet main body 2, a toilet lid 3, a functional section 4, and a foot detection section 7. The toilet device 1 is a flush type device that is disposed in, for example, a toilet room (not shown) and flushes waste into the sewer.

The toilet main body 2 is installed, for example, in a wall-mounted manner, and includes a bowl portion 21 and a drain port 22. The bowl portion 21 is a recessed portion with an open top for receiving dirt and the like. The drain port 22 is an opening that is disposed at the lower end of the bowl portion 21 and is continuous with an external sewer pipe (not shown). The drain 22 is connected to the sewer pipe via the drain trap 8 shown in FIG. The drain trap 8 has a U-shaped flow path that extends downward between the lower end of the drain port 22 and the sewer pipe and then bends upward. The accumulation of water in the drain trap 8 prevents odor from moving from the sewer pipe side to the bowl portion 21 side.

The toilet lid 3 covers the bowl portion 21 and the opening of the toilet seat 31 and is disposed above the toilet seat 31. The toilet seat 31 is a substantially annular flat member with an open center, and is placed on the top of the bowl portion 21 so as to be openable and closable. The toilet seat 31 is placed so that its opening communicates with the opening of the bowl portion 21.
The toilet lid 3 is attached so that it can be opened and closed like the toilet seat 31.

The functional unit 4 is disposed at the rear of the toilet main body 2 and includes an opening/closing mechanism for the toilet seat 31 and the toilet lid 3, and a control unit 6 for controlling the opening/closing of the toilet lid 3. The control unit 6 controls the toilet lid 3 to open by operating the opening/closing mechanism of the toilet lid 3 using a motor device or the like based on the detection result by the foot detection unit 7, which will be described later. The control performed by the control unit 6 will be described in detail later. In addition to the opening/closing mechanism and the control section 6, the functional section 4 may include functional components such as a heating device, a music board, and a speaker (all not shown). The functional section 4 is provided with electrical wiring for connecting various mechanisms and devices, supplying power to the functional components within the functional section 4, water supply piping, and the like. The upper surface of the functional section 4 is covered with a top cover 5.

The foot detection unit 7 is a sensor that detects the distance between the user's foot and an object such as the floor F within the detectable range 70 . The detection direction of the foot detector 7 is toward the floor F, as shown in FIG. The foot detection section 7 is, for example, an optical distance measuring sensor having a light emitting section and a light receiving section (not shown), and includes, for example, an infrared distance measuring sensor. The optical distance measuring sensor can measure the distance to a detection target such as a user's foot in the detectable range 70 by having a light receiving unit receive reflected light such as infrared light emitted from a light emitting unit. The foot detection unit 7 may be a sonic distance measuring sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor. It is preferable that the distance measuring sensor be an analog output type rather than a digital output type. By using an analog output type distance measuring sensor, a continuous detection signal can be obtained, which facilitates adjustment of the effective detection range, which will be described later. The detection result by the foot detection section 7 is output as, for example, a detection voltage. The signal is AD converted by an AD converter (not shown) and input to the control unit 6. The detection cycle of the detection target by the foot detection unit 7 is not particularly limited. The detection cycle can be, for example, a 100 msec detection cycle.

The detectable range 70 is a range in which the foot detecting section 7 can detect the distance to objects such as the user's feet and the floor F. As shown in FIG. 4, the detectable range 70 is the range from the mounting position of the foot detection part 7 to the front of the toilet main body 2 and toward the floor surface F. By setting the detectable range 70 to the above range, the feet of the user approaching the toilet device 1 can be detected in order to use the toilet device 1. In addition to the above, objects other than the user, such as a person passing by the toilet device 1, can be prevented from being detected.

(Control by control unit 6)
The control unit 6 controls opening and closing of the toilet lid 3 based on the detection results in the effective detection range closer to the toilet main body 2 than the floor surface F. The effective detection range is a range within which detection results are determined to be the user's feet, etc. The effective detection range can be, for example, a range within the detectable range 70 and a distance D above the floor surface F. The range above the floor surface F by a distance D is shown as the range above the imaginary line L2 parallel to the floor surface F in FIG. The effective detection range is set, for example, by setting the detection voltage of the floor surface F output from the foot detection section 7 as a reference value, and setting a voltage higher than the detection voltage as the first threshold value. In addition to the above, the effective detection range may be the same range as the detectable range 70.

It is preferable that the control unit 6 controls opening of the toilet lid 3 based on a detected voltage higher than the first threshold value. As described above, when the foot of the user of the toilet device 1 enters the effective detection range, the user is detected and the toilet lid 3 is controlled to be opened. Furthermore, since control is performed based on the detected voltage in the range closer to the toilet body 2 than the floor F, even if there are objects on the floor F, the user's feet can be accurately detected and malfunctions can be prevented. It can be prevented. Furthermore, depending on the type of foot detection unit 7, if the distance to the detection target is too far, detection accuracy may not be guaranteed. However, as described above, the user's feet are detected using the area where the foot detection unit 7 has high detection accuracy, so the reliability of the detection results can be improved.

The control unit 6 may set the range in front of the tip of the toilet lid 3 as the effective detection range in a plan view, and control the opening of the toilet lid 3 based on the detection result of the effective detection range. The effective detection range can be, for example, within the detectable range 70 and in front of the tip of the toilet lid 3. The area in front of the tip of the toilet lid 3 is shown in FIG. 4 as the area in front of an imaginary line L1 extending vertically from the tip of the toilet lid 3. The above range is set, for example, by providing a second threshold value for the detection voltage output from the foot detection section 7. The control unit 6 can control opening of the toilet lid 3 when a voltage lower than the second threshold is detected. According to the above, when the user is located close enough to the toilet lid 3 to interfere with the user, the user's feet are not detected, so it is possible to prevent the toilet lid 3 from opening and causing interference between the user and the toilet lid 3. Furthermore, depending on the type of foot detection unit 7, detection accuracy may not be guaranteed if the distance to the detection target is too close. However, as described above, the user's feet are detected using the area where the foot detection unit 7 has high detection accuracy, so the reliability of the detection results can be improved.

The effective detection range may be determined according to the distance characteristics of the foot detection section 7. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the distance characteristics of the detection voltage of the optical distance measuring sensor as the foot detecting section 7. As shown in FIG. The vertical axis of the graph in FIG. 6 indicates the detection voltage Vout (V), and the horizontal axis indicates the distance L (cm) between the foot detection section 7 and the detection target. The solid line graph shows the distance characteristic when the target reflectance is 90%, and the broken line graph shows the distance characteristic when the target reflectance is 18%. As shown in FIG. 6, when the optical distance measurement sensor is too close or too far from the target, it is difficult to uniquely determine the distance L to the target from the detection voltage Vout. There is. Therefore, the detection distance range indicated by diagonal lines in FIG. 6 (for example, L=50 mm to 185.5 mm) may be set as the effective detection range.

The control unit 6 controls opening of the toilet lid 3 when at least one of the detection voltages higher than the first threshold value and detection voltages lower than the second threshold value is detected multiple times within a predetermined time. You may do so. The control unit 6 may maintain the toilet lid 3 in a closed state if the plurality of detected voltages are not detected within a predetermined period of time. Thereby, for example, if a person other than the user passes in front of the toilet device 1 and a predetermined detection voltage is detected only once, the control to open the toilet lid 3 is not performed. Therefore, user detection accuracy can be improved and malfunctions can be prevented. The detection voltage may be a detection result that satisfies both of the conditions that the detection voltage is higher than the first threshold value and lower than the second threshold value, or may be a detection result that satisfies only one of the conditions. . It is preferable that the number of the plurality of detections is, for example, 3 to 5 because the influence on disturbance noise is low and the software processing time is short. Any time can be set as the predetermined time.

The control unit 6 may control the toilet lid 3 to open when the foot detection unit 7 detects the approach of the detection target and the separation of the detection target is not detected within a predetermined time. If the above conditions are not met, the control unit 6 may maintain the toilet lid 3 in a closed state. Thereby, since the toilet lid 3 is controlled to be opened when the approach of the user is detected, malfunction of the toilet lid 3 can be prevented. The approach and separation of the detection target can be determined, for example, by an increase of the detection voltage output from the foot detection section 7 to a predetermined voltage value or more and a fall to a predetermined voltage value or less within a predetermined time.

The control unit 6 may set the detection voltage of the foot detection unit 7 detected at a predetermined timing as the detection voltage of the floor F. The control unit 6 may simultaneously set the first threshold value using the detected voltage of the floor surface F as a reference. As a result, even if an article such as a rug or footwear is placed on the floor surface F, the reference of the floor surface F is set according to the situation, so the user's feet can be accurately detected and convenient. Malfunction of the lid 3 can be prevented. The predetermined timing is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, the timing when the toilet device 1 is powered on, and the timing when a predetermined time T1 has elapsed since the previous setting. The predetermined time T1 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, about 12 hours to 24 hours.

The control unit 6 may set the detection voltage of the foot detection unit 7, which is constant for a predetermined time period T2 or more, as the detection voltage of the floor surface F. The control unit 6 may simultaneously set the first threshold value using the detected voltage of the floor surface F as a reference. As a result, articles such as rugs and footwear that are stationary on the floor surface F are recognized as the floor surface F after the predetermined time T2 has elapsed, and the detection voltage of the floor surface F is set. Therefore, by setting the first threshold value based on the detection voltage of the floor surface F set above, the user's feet can be accurately detected and malfunction of the toilet lid 3 can be prevented. The predetermined time T2 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, about one hour.

The control unit 6 may perform a process of repeating the setting of the detection voltage of the floor surface F at predetermined time intervals. As a result, even if the condition of items existing on the floor surface F changes, the reference of the floor surface F is reset after a predetermined period of time, so the user's feet can be accurately detected, and the toilet lid 3 malfunction can be prevented.

(Control flow of toilet lid 3 by control unit 6)
An example of the control flow of the toilet lid 3 by the control unit 6 will be explained using the flowchart of FIG. First, for example, when the toilet device 1 is powered on, floor detection voltage V setting S1 is performed, and the detection voltage detected by the foot detection section 7 is set as the detection voltage V of the floor F. Next, threshold value α setting S2 is performed using the floor surface detection voltage V as a reference. The threshold value α is a value corresponding to the first threshold value, and is, for example, a value obtained by adding a predetermined value to the floor surface detection voltage V.

In the detection S3, a target object is detected in the detection range of the foot detection section 7. If the predetermined time T1 has passed since the floor detection voltage setting S1, that is, if S4 is YES, the floor detection voltage V setting S1 is performed again based on the detected voltage of the detection S3. If the predetermined time T1 has not yet elapsed since the floor detection voltage setting S1, that is, if S4 is NO, the process advances to S5.

In S5, it is determined whether the detected value S of the foot detection section 7 fluctuates within the predetermined time T2. If the fluctuation width of the detected value S is less than the predetermined value within the predetermined time T2, that is, if S5 is NO, then the floor surface detection voltage V setting S1 is performed again based on the detected value S. If the fluctuation range of the detected value S exceeds the predetermined value within the predetermined time T2, that is, if S5 is YES, the process proceeds to S6.

In S6, it is determined whether the detected value S is equal to or greater than the threshold value α and the number of detections c during which the detected value S equal to or greater than the threshold value α is detected is equal to or greater than the number of detections n within a predetermined period of time. The number of detections n is set in advance. If at least one of the above conditions is not satisfied, that is, if S6 is NO, detection S3 is performed again. When all of the above conditions are satisfied, that is, when S6 is YES, the process proceeds to S7.

In S7, it is determined whether the detected value S has increased within a predetermined time. If the detected value S has not increased within the predetermined time, that is, if S7 is NO, detection S3 is performed again. If the detected value S is rising, control to open the toilet lid 3 is executed in S8.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications, improvements, and the like are included in the present disclosure. In the above embodiment, the determinations S4, S5, S6, and S7 by the control unit 6 are all executed in the order shown in FIG. 5. It is not limited to this. The control unit 6 may be of any type as long as it controls opening the toilet lid 3 when the detected value S exceeds the threshold value α. That is, it is possible to arbitrarily select and combine determinations S4, S5, S6, and S7. Furthermore, the order in which the determinations are made may be changed. For example, S4 may be performed after S5, or S6 may be performed after S7.

1 Toilet device, 2 Toilet body, 3 Toilet lid, 6 Control unit, 7 Foot detection unit, 70 Detectable range, F Floor surface

Claims (7)

The toilet bowl body,
Toilet lid and
a foot detection section whose detection direction is toward the floor surface, and whose effective detection range within the detectable range is a range above the floor surface;
a control unit that detects the user and controls opening and closing of the toilet lid based on the detection result of the foot detection unit ;
The effective detection range is set by providing a second threshold at a detection voltage lower than the detection voltage at the tip position of the toilet lid in plan view,
The said control part is a toilet device which performs control to open the said toilet lid based on the detection voltage lower than the said 2nd threshold value. The toilet bowl body,
Toilet lid and
a foot detection section whose detection direction is toward the floor surface, and whose effective detection range within the detectable range is a range above the floor surface;
a control unit that detects the user and controls opening and closing of the toilet lid based on the detection result of the foot detection unit;
In the effective detection range, a first threshold value is provided at a detection voltage higher than the detection voltage at the floor surface, and a second threshold value is provided at a detection voltage lower than the detection voltage at the tip position of the toilet lid in plan view. is set with
The control unit opens the toilet lid when at least one of a detection voltage higher than the first threshold value and a detection voltage lower than the second threshold value is detected multiple times within a predetermined time period. A toilet device that performs control. The toilet bowl body,
Toilet lid and
a foot detection section whose detection direction is toward the floor surface, and whose effective detection range within the detectable range is a range above the floor surface;
a control unit that detects the user and controls opening and closing of the toilet lid based on the detection result of the foot detection unit;
The control unit detects the approach of the detection target using the foot detection unit, and controls opening of the toilet lid if separation of the detection target is not detected within a predetermined time. The toilet bowl body,
Toilet lid and
a foot detection section whose detection direction is toward the floor surface, and whose effective detection range within the detectable range is a range above the floor surface;
a control unit that detects the user and controls opening and closing of the toilet lid based on the detection result of the foot detection unit;
In the toilet device, the control unit sets a detection voltage of the foot detection unit detected at a predetermined timing as a detection voltage of the floor surface. The toilet bowl body,
Toilet lid and
a foot detection section whose detection direction is toward the floor surface, and whose effective detection range within the detectable range is a range above the floor surface;
a control unit that detects the user and controls opening and closing of the toilet lid based on the detection result of the foot detection unit;
In the toilet device, the control unit sets a detection voltage of the foot detection unit, which is constant for a predetermined period of time or more, as a detection voltage of the floor surface. The effective detection range is set by providing a first threshold at a detection voltage higher than the detection voltage of the floor surface,
The toilet device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the control unit controls opening of the toilet lid based on a detected voltage higher than the first threshold. The toilet device according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein the control unit repeats the setting as the detection voltage of the floor surface at predetermined time intervals.

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