JP7435030B2 - urinal - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to urinals.

Conventionally, in public men's restrooms, urinals are sometimes installed separately from the toilet bowl. In this case, the urinal is connected to the building's drainage pipes via the appliance drain pipe. A urinal includes, for example, a bowl part that receives the user's urine, a trap part that forms accumulated water in the bowl part, and a water discharge part that discharges flushing water toward the bowl part to drain water from the drainage pipe. , a use detection section that detects the use of the urinal by a human body in front of the urinal, and a control section that controls a water spouting section.

In addition to the main cleaning mode in which the urinal drains urine from the trap after use (urinating) by the user, the urinal also discharges cleaning water toward the bowl at predetermined times throughout the day. There is a case where an equipment protection cleaning mode, which is cleaning for a fixed period of time, is executed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-061070

However, with the conventional urinals mentioned above, for example, if the amount of urine discharged into the drainage pipe becomes excessive and the urinal becomes temporarily crowded with users, equipment protection such as periodic cleaning is required. Even if cleaning is performed, urine stains within the drainage pipe cannot be removed, and urinary stones are likely to adhere or accumulate within the drainage pipe. That is, conventional urinals have room for improvement in suppressing adhesion and accumulation of urinary stones in the drainage pipe.

One aspect of the embodiment has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a urinal that can suppress adhesion and accumulation of urinary stones in a drainage pipe.

A urinal according to one aspect of the embodiment is a urinal that is connected to a drainage pipe of a building via an appliance drain pipe, and includes a bowl portion that receives urine from a user and a reservoir that forms water in the bowl portion. a trap unit for controlling the water discharge unit, a water discharge unit for discharging flushing water toward the bowl unit to perform a drainage operation on the drainage pipe, a usage detection unit for detecting the use of the urinal, and a water discharge unit for controlling the water discharge unit. , a control unit that executes a main cleaning mode that discharges flush water after using the urinal, and an equipment protection cleaning mode that discharges flush water at a predetermined timing; The usage time is calculated, and the equipment protection cleaning mode is executed according to the cumulative usage time at a predetermined time interval.

According to such a configuration, the amount of urine discharged into the drainage pipe can be estimated from the cumulative usage time of the urinal. Since equipment protection cleaning is performed according to the estimated amount of urine, that is, the amount of urine discharged into the drainage pipe, it is possible to perform cleaning while taking into consideration the state of urine stains in the drainage pipe. This will prevent the adhesion and accumulation of urinary stones in the drainage pipe, even if, for example, the number of people using the urinal temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, resulting in an excessive amount of urine being discharged into the drainage pipe. Can be suppressed.

Further, in the above-mentioned urinal, the control unit controls the water spouting unit to execute a pre-flushing mode in which flushing water is discharged immediately before use of the urinal, and the controller controls the urinal according to the cumulative usage time at a predetermined time interval. Changing the amount of washing water in the pre-washing mode.

According to such a configuration, since the amount of cleaning water in the pre-cleaning mode is changed according to the amount of urine discharged into the discharge pipe, cleaning can be performed in consideration of the state of urine stains in the drainage pipe. This will prevent the adhesion and accumulation of urinary stones in the drainage pipe, even if, for example, the number of people using the urinal temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, resulting in an excessive amount of urine being discharged into the drainage pipe. Can be suppressed.

Further, in the above-described urinal, the control unit increases the amount of flushing water in the pre-flushing mode when the cumulative usage time at a predetermined time interval exceeds a preset preset time.

According to such a configuration, by detecting that the cumulative usage time of the urinal has exceeded the set time, it is possible to estimate that the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe has reached the amount that should be flushed. Can be done. In this case, in order to increase the amount of flushing water in the pre-flushing mode, even if equipment protection cleaning cannot be performed because the urinal is continuously used by a large number of users, the urine stains in the drainage pipe can be checked. Cleaning can be carried out with consideration given to This will prevent the adhesion and accumulation of urinary stones in the drainage pipe, even if, for example, the number of people using the urinal temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, resulting in an excessive amount of urine being discharged into the drainage pipe. Can be suppressed.

Further, in the above-mentioned urinal, the control unit controls the control unit to control the urinal when the urinal is not used during a predetermined secured time in a state where the cumulative usage time at a predetermined time interval is equal to or longer than a predetermined set time. executes the equipment protection washing mode, and increases the amount of washing water in the pre-washing mode at the time of use if the urinal is used during the secured time.

According to this configuration, when the amount of urine discharged into the drainage pipe reaches the amount that should be cleaned, equipment protection cleaning is performed if the specified time can be secured, and if the specified time cannot be secured, the equipment protection cleaning is performed. That is, when the user uses the urinal within a predetermined secured time, the amount of pre-cleaning water during this use is increased, so cleaning can be performed taking into consideration the urine stains in the drainage pipe. This will prevent the adhesion and accumulation of urinary stones in the drainage pipe, even if, for example, the number of people using the urinal temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, resulting in an excessive amount of urine being discharged into the drainage pipe. Can be suppressed.

Further, in the above-mentioned urinal, the control unit controls the equipment protection cleaning mode to include a first cleaning mode using cleaning water, and a second cleaning mode executed after the first cleaning mode and using sterilized water. The control unit prohibits the second cleaning mode within a predetermined prohibition time after executing the first cleaning mode.

According to such a configuration, when the equipment protection cleaning mode has a first cleaning mode using cleaning water and a second cleaning mode using sterilized water after the first cleaning mode is executed, the equipment protection cleaning mode after the first cleaning Since the second cleaning is not performed immediately, it is possible to prevent the sterilizing water from being washed away, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the sterilizing effect.

Further, in the above-mentioned urinal, the use detection section is a human body detection section that detects a user of the urinal, and the control section calculates the cumulative usage time based on the detection result of the human body detection section. do.

According to such a configuration, the cumulative usage time of the urinal can be easily determined, and as a result, the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe can be easily estimated.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, adhesion and accumulation of urinary stones in the drainage pipe can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a urinal system including a urinal according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view showing an example of the urinal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the automatic urinal cleaning unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an operation example of the main cleaning mode of the urinal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing an operation example of the equipment protection cleaning mode of the urinal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the equipment protection cleaning mode for the urinal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the pre-cleaning mode of the urinal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the urinal pre-cleaning mode according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the equipment protection cleaning mode and pre-cleaning mode of the urinal according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the urinal equipment protection cleaning prohibition mode according to the fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the urinal disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

<First embodiment>
First, a urinal 1 system including a urinal 10 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a urinal system 1 including a urinal 10 according to a first embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 schematically shows a urinal system 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the urinal system 1 includes a urinal 10, an appliance drain pipe 50, and a drain pipe 60.

For example, a plurality of urinals 10 are installed side by side on the front side of the wall surface 2 (see FIG. 2) of the toilet room, or a single urinal is installed. When the urinal 10 is a wall-mounted type installed on the front side of the wall 2, the appliance drain pipe 50 is provided on the back side of the wall 2 on which the urinal 10 is installed. In addition, when the urinal 10 is a floor-standing type urinal placed directly on the floor surface 3, the appliance drain pipe 50 is provided under the floor surface 3.

One end of the appliance water pipe 50 is connected to the urinal 10, and the other end is connected to a drainage pipe 60 of the building. The appliance drain pipe 50 drains waste water flowing in from the urinal 10 to a drain pipe 60. "Drainage" refers to urine, washing water (including functional water such as sterilized water), washing water containing urine, etc. discharged from the urinal 10.

When the urinal 10 is wall-mounted, the drainage pipe 60 is provided on the back side of the wall surface 2 on which the urinal 10 is installed. The drain pipe 60 may be provided under the floor surface 3 depending on the configuration of the appliance drain pipe 50. In addition, when the urinal 10 is a floor-standing type, the drainage pipe 60 is provided under the floor surface 3. The drainage pipe 60 extends horizontally, for example, with a gentle downward slope. That is, the drainage pipe 60 is arranged slightly inclined from horizontal. Hereinafter, the upstream side of the slope of the drainage pipe 60 will be referred to as the "upstream side," and the downstream side will be referred to as the "downstream side."

The drain pipe 60 is connected to a vertical drain pipe (not shown) on the downstream side. The drain pipe 60 drains the waste water flowing in from the appliance drain pipe 50 to a vertical drain pipe. In the drainage pipe 60, the drainage water flows toward the downstream side, as shown by arrow A in the figure.

In the urinal system 1 shown in FIG. 1, each of the plurality of urinals 10 is connected to a drain pipe 60 via an appliance drain pipe 50. Moreover, in the urinal system 1 shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of urinals 10 are arranged in line at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of the drainage pipe 60.

Next, the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view showing an example of the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the automatic cleaning unit 20 of the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the urinal 10 includes a toilet main body 11 and an automatic cleaning unit 20. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the urinal 10 is wall-mounted and has above-floor piping; however, the urinal 10 is not limited to this, and may include one in which the appliance drain pipe 50 is piped to the bottom of the floor and the drainage pipe 60 is piped under the floor, The urinal 10 may be of a floor-standing type.

The urinal 10 is, for example, a water-saving type that uses 0.5 to 2.0 L (preferably 0.5 to 1.0 L) of water to clean the toilet bowl (main cleaning to be described later). Hereinafter, the front side of the urinal 10 will be defined as the "front", the back side will be defined as the "rear", the left side will be defined as the "left", and the right side will be defined as the "right" when the urinal 10 is viewed from the front. Note that "upper" means the upper side in the vertical direction, and "lower" means the lower side in the vertical direction.

The toilet bowl body 11 is made of ceramic. Note that the toilet main body 11 is not limited to this, and may be made of resin or a combination of ceramic and resin. The toilet main body 11 includes a storage section 12, a bowl section 13, a drain port section 14, a trap section 15, and a drain device connection section 16. The storage section 12 is formed at the upper end of the toilet main body 11. The storage section 12 becomes a space for storing an automatic cleaning unit 20, which will be described later.

The bowl portion 13 forms a bowl surface extending downward from the front surface 12a of the storage portion 12. The bowl portion 13 receives the user's urine on the bowl surface. The drain port section 14 has a drain port 14a formed at the bottom of the bowl section 13, and drains urine, washing water (including functional water such as sterilized water), washing water containing urine, etc. from the bowl section 13. It is discharged into the trap section 15.

The trap section 15 forms, for example, a P-shaped trap on the downstream side of the drain port section 14, and forms accumulated water _WT in the bowl section 13. The trap section 15 secures water sealing by the stored water _WT .

Drainage device connection section 16 is formed downstream of trap section 15 . A drainage flange 17 is connected to the drainage equipment connection portion 16. An appliance drain pipe 50 is connected to the drain flange 17 . Note that the drain flange 17 is connected to the drain device connecting portion 16 with a sealing material (not shown) interposed therebetween. As described above, the appliance drain pipe 50 extends from the front side to the back side of the wall surface 2 and is connected to the drain pipe 60.

The automatic cleaning unit 20 cleans the toilet main body 11 (the bowl surface of the bowl portion 13). As shown in FIG. 2 and described above, the automatic cleaning unit 20 is housed in the housing section 12 at the upper end of the toilet main body 11. The storage portion 12 is closed with a lid 18 that is separate from the toilet main body 11. Further, the front surface 12a of the storage section 12 is inclined toward the rear.

The automatic cleaning unit 20 housed in such a housing section 12 includes a water supply pipe 21, a water stop valve 22, a valve unit 23, and a water discharge section 24, as shown in FIG.

The water supply pipe 21 supplies washing water from a water supply source (not shown) such as a tap water supply. The water shutoff valve 22 is connected to the water supply pipe 21, and supplies and shuts off cleaning water to a valve unit 23, which will be described later. The valve unit 23 is provided downstream of the water stop valve 22 .

The water discharging unit (hereinafter referred to as a spreader) 24 discharges cleaning water supplied from the valve unit 23 and functional water (electrolyzed water) supplied from an electrolyzed water generation unit 37 (described later) toward the bowl unit 13. The spreader 24 discharges cleaning water or functional water (electrolyzed water) toward the bowl portion 13 to perform a drainage operation on the drainage pipe 60 .

The valve unit 23 includes a branch part 31, a first constant flow valve 32, a main water discharge flow path solenoid valve 33, a second constant flow valve 34, an electrolyzed water flow path solenoid valve 35, a check valve 36, and an electrolytic water flow path solenoid valve 34. A water generation unit 37 is provided.

The branch part 31 branches the water supply pipe 21 into the main water discharge flow path 21a and the electrolyzed water flow path 21b. The first constant flow valve 32 is provided in the main water discharge flow path 21a. The main water discharge flow path solenoid valve 33 is provided downstream of the first constant flow valve 32 in the main water discharge flow path 21a.

The second constant flow valve 34 is provided in the electrolyzed water flow path 21b. The electrolyzed water flow path solenoid valve 35 is provided on the downstream side of the second constant flow valve 34 in the electrolyzed water flow path 21b, and discharges and stops the discharge of cleaning water containing functional water (electrolyzed water). The check valve 36 is provided downstream of the electrolyzed water flow path solenoid valve 35 in the electrolyzed water flow path 21b.

The electrolyzed water generation unit 37 is disposed immediately upstream of the spreader 24 so as to generate electrolyzed water, which is functional water, and to quickly discharge water from the spreader 24. Note that the above-described check valve 36 is located upstream of the electrolyzed water generation unit 37 in order to prevent backflow of electrolyzed water.

The electrolyzed water generation unit 37 is configured to generate electrolyzed water by generating hypochlorous acid from chloride ions in the cleaning water at the electrodes of the electrolyzed water generation unit 37, and discharges the generated electrolyzed water as cleaning water. . Note that electrolyzed water is water containing a component that generates hypochlorous acid from chloride ions in the washing water, and has a sterilizing effect and an effect of suppressing the growth of urolithiasis bacteria and bacteria. Hereinafter, such electrolyzed water will be referred to as "sterilized water."

The spreader 24 includes a use detection section 25 that detects the use of the urinal 10 (in this embodiment, detects the presence or absence of a user in front of the urinal 10, hereinafter referred to as a human body detection sensor). The front side of 13 can be detected. The human body detection sensor 25 detects the presence or absence of a user of the urinal 10.

In this embodiment, the urinal 10 uses a human body detection sensor that detects the presence or absence of a user of the urinal 10. movement or the state of urine mixed in the trap section 15). In this case, for example, a photoelectric (light amount, distance) sensor, microwave sensor, ultrasonic sensor, electrostatic sensor, etc. may be used. can.

The automatic cleaning unit 20 includes a control section 40. The control unit 40 controls the spreader 24 via the main water discharge flow path solenoid valve 33 and the like based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor 25 (a detection signal transmitted from the human body detection sensor 25), a predetermined program, and the like.

Specifically, the control unit 40 controls opening and closing of the main water discharge flow path electromagnetic valve 33 based on the detection signal from the human body detection sensor 25 and a predetermined program, and causes the spreader 24 to discharge cleaning water. Note that when the main water spouting flow path solenoid valve 33 is open, the amount of washing water discharged from the spreader 24 (washing water amount) is determined by the opening time of the main water spouting flow path solenoid valve 33.

In addition, the spreader 24 can also discharge the cleaning water from both the main water discharge channel 21a and the electrolyzed water channel 21b so that the instantaneous flow rate of the discharged cleaning water can be changed. The instantaneous flow rate is the flow rate per unit time.

Moreover, the spreader 24 may have another water discharge flow path mechanism added separately from the main water discharge flow path 21a so that the instantaneous flow rate of the flushing water to be discharged can be changed. In this case, the spreader 24 has a value that is the sum of the amount of water spouted from the main water spouting channel 21a and the instantaneous flow rate of the water spouted, as well as the amount of water spouted from other water spouting channels and the instantaneous flow rate of the water spouted. You can spray water with Furthermore, it is also possible to cope with this by providing a mechanism for changing the instantaneous flow rate of water discharge in the main water discharge flow path 21a.

Returning to FIG. 3, the control unit 40 controls the opening and closing of the electrolyzed water flow path solenoid valve 35 based on the detection signal from the human body detection sensor 25 and a predetermined program, operates the electrolyzed water generation unit 37, and generates the generated water. Bacterial water is discharged from the spreader 24 toward the bowl part 13.

Here, for example, in the horizontal direction, the bowl portion 13 forms an arcuate surface having a relatively large radius of curvature at its upper portion, and an arcuate surface having a relatively small radius of curvature at its lower portion. The bowl portion 13 is formed into a bowl shape with a curved bottom that converges. The spreader 24 is provided at a height above the center of the left-right central axis of the bowl portion 13.

Therefore, in each cleaning mode such as the main cleaning mode described later, the cleaning water discharged from the spreader 24, after cleaning the bowl part 13, is temporarily stored in the bottom part near the drain port 14a, which is the entrance to the trap part 15. The head height of the temporarily accumulated cleaning water (height from the surface of the accumulated water _WT during normal operation) acts to exert pressure on the accumulated water _WT in the trap section 15, and the trap It is discharged from the trap section 15 to the appliance drain pipe 50 and the drain pipe 60 while replacing the inside of the section 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, a perforated plate 19 is arranged on the upstream side of the drain port portion 14, and the above-described drain port 14a is formed on the downstream side. Furthermore, as described above, the drainage device connection section 16 is provided on the downstream side of the trap section 15. Although a drain flange 17 is connected to the drain appliance connecting portion 16, the drain flange 17 may be omitted and the appliance drain pipe 50 may be directly connected to the drain appliance connecting portion 16.

Further, the control unit 40 uses a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a work area to execute a program stored in a storage unit (not shown) by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). This is accomplished by executing. Note that the control unit 40 can also be realized by, for example, an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The control unit 40 controls each unit based on various input signals. The storage section (not shown) is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory. In this embodiment, for example, the RAM in the microcomputer stores various settings and field data in an external EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

As described above, the control unit 40 controls the discharge of cleaning water toward the bowl unit 13 by the spreader 24. As automatic cleaning of the urinal 10, the control unit 40 executes a main cleaning mode in which cleaning water is discharged to clean the bowl part 13 after the user uses the urinal 10. The control unit 40 also discharges cleaning water to clean the appliance drain pipe 50 and the drain pipe 60 at predetermined time intervals (predetermined timing) during the day as automatic cleaning of the urinal 10, which will be described later. Execute equipment protection cleaning mode.

In addition, the control unit 40 automatically cleans the urinal 10 in a pre-cleaning mode, which will be described later, in which cleaning water is discharged immediately before the user uses the urinal 10, and a first cleaning mode, which will be described later, in an equipment protection cleaning mode. After executing , a second cleaning mode, which will be described later, may be executed, in which the sterilized water generated by the electrolyzed water generation unit 37 is discharged.

Next, automatic cleaning (main cleaning) of the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an operation example of the main cleaning mode of the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. Fig. 4(b) shows the timing of human body detection and toilet flushing on/off in cases where the detection is not effective, such as when the passing of a user is temporarily detected. It shows.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the human body detection sensor 25 locates the user within the detection area (human detection ON), and a human body is detected within the detection area for a predetermined definite time T _A1 (for example, 5 seconds) or more. If this occurs, the control unit 40 determines that the urinal 10 that has come close to the urinal 10 has been used based on the detection signal from the human body detection sensor 25 . Note that the control unit 40 makes various determinations, such as whether or not the urinal 10 has been used, using a determination unit (not shown), for example.

When the user's position is outside the detection area by the human body detection sensor 25 (human body detection off), the control unit 40 determines that the user has finished urinating (human body detection off) based on the detection signal from the human body detection sensor 25. It is determined that the user has moved away from the toilet bowl 10). The control unit 40 executes the main cleaning mode when the human body detection is turned off. In this cleaning mode, urine stains on the bowl surface are washed away, and while the inside of the trap section 15 is replaced with cleaning water, the accumulated water _WT with a high urine concentration is discharged from the trap section 15.

As shown in FIG. 4(b), even if the user's position is within the detection area by the human body detection sensor 25 (even if human body detection is turned on), the detection time by the human body detection sensor 25 will not exceed the predetermined fixed time. If T _A1 is not reached, the control unit 40 determines that the detection is not valid, such as when a person simply passes through the detection area.

Next, automatic cleaning (equipment protection cleaning) of the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a timing chart showing an operation example of the equipment protection cleaning mode of the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the equipment protection cleaning mode of the urinal 10 according to the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, in addition to the main cleaning mode described above, an equipment protection cleaning mode, which is a fixed-time cleaning, is executed for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of urinary stones in the drainage pipe 60 into which the wastewater from the trap section 15 flows. In the equipment protection cleaning mode, as described above, the control section 40 controls the spreader 24 to discharge cleaning water toward the bowl section 13 at a predetermined timing.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 40 executes the equipment protection cleaning mode at a predetermined timing every predetermined time _TB . Furthermore, the control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time T _C of the urinal 10 based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor 25 . In this case, the control unit 40 adds up the time T _i of "(urinal 10) in use" based on the human body detection ON time of the human body detection sensor 25, so that the cumulative usage time T _C (= ΣT _i ) is calculated.

The control unit 40 executes the equipment protection cleaning mode between the equipment protection cleaning and the equipment protection cleaning according to the cumulative usage time _TC in the predetermined time interval _TD . Specifically, the control unit 40 protects the equipment when the cumulative usage time T _C at the predetermined time interval T _D exceeds a predetermined set time T _E (see FIG. 6) (T _C ≧ _TE ). Execute cleaning mode. Note that the control unit 40 may execute the equipment protection cleaning mode when the cumulative usage time T _C at the predetermined time interval T _D exceeds the set time T _E (T _C > T _E ).

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 40 determines whether a predetermined time T _B set in advance has elapsed since the previous equipment protection cleaning mode was executed (step S101). When the control unit 40 determines that the predetermined time _TB has elapsed in the process of step S101 (step S101 Yes), it executes the equipment protection cleaning mode (step S102). Note that the control unit 40 makes a determination in processing such as step S101, for example, in a determination unit (not shown).

When the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S101 that the predetermined time _TB has not elapsed (step S101: No), the control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC of the urinal 10 (step S103). The control unit 40 determines whether the cumulative usage time _TC is greater than or equal to the predetermined set time _TE within the predetermined time _TD (step S104).

If the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S104 that the cumulative usage time _TC within the predetermined time _TD is greater than or equal to the predetermined set time _TE (step S104: Yes), the control unit 40 determines that the predetermined time _TB has not elapsed. Also, the equipment protection cleaning mode is executed (step S105).

Note that, after completing the process in step S105, the control unit 40 returns to the process in step S101 and starts determining whether or not the predetermined time _TB has elapsed. The control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC after the processing in step S105 after this equipment protection cleaning mode, and also uses this equipment protection cleaning mode as a reference for the start time of the predetermined time _TD .

Further, if the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S105 that the cumulative usage time _TC within the predetermined time _TD is less than the predetermined set time _TE (step S104: No), for example, the control unit 40 returns to the process of step S101. , continues to determine whether a predetermined time _TB has elapsed since the previous equipment protection cleaning mode was executed.

In this way, according to the first embodiment, the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 can be estimated from the cumulative usage time _TC of the urinal 10. Then, according to the estimated amount of urine, that is, the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60, the equipment protection cleaning is performed even if it is not the original equipment protection cleaning timing, so that the urine stains in the drainage pipe 60 are removed. Cleaning can be done in consideration of the situation. As a result, even if, for example, the number of users of the urinal 10 temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, and the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 becomes excessive, the adhesion of urinary stones in the drain pipe 60 can be avoided. and deposition can be suppressed.

Furthermore, since the control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor 25, it is easy to calculate the cumulative usage time _TC of the urinal 10 without using any means such as actually measuring the usage time. can be asked for. Thereby, the amount of urine discharged into the drainage pipe 60 can be easily estimated.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a urinal 10 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation of the pre-cleaning mode of the urinal 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the pre-cleaning mode of the urinal 10 according to the second embodiment. Note that the second embodiment differs in configuration from the first embodiment described above in that the control unit 40 performs pre-cleaning.

In the second embodiment, the user performs pre-cleaning immediately before using the urinal 10. The main purpose of pre-cleaning is to wet the bowl surface in order to prevent urine from adhering to the surface of the bowl portion 13 (bowl surface). For this reason, the amount of standard cleaning water for pre-cleaning is smaller than for the main cleaning performed after pre-cleaning. That is, the time period for discharging the cleaning water from the spreader 24 is short.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the user's position is within the detection area by the human body detection sensor 25 (human body detection on), and human body detection is performed within the detection area for a predetermined time T _A2 (for example, 2 seconds) or more. Based on the detection signal from the human body detection sensor 25, the control unit 40 determines that the person is the user of the urinal 10 who has approached the urinal 10. The control unit 40 executes the pre-cleaning mode after a predetermined time _TA2 has elapsed since the human body detection was turned on.

When the user's position is outside the detection area by the human body detection sensor 25 (human body detection off), the control unit 40 determines that the user has finished urinating (human body detection off) based on the detection signal from the human body detection sensor 25. It is determined that the user has moved away from the toilet bowl 10). The control unit 40 executes the main cleaning mode when the human body detection is turned off.

In addition, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, even if the user's position is within the detection area by the human body detection sensor 25 (even if human body detection is turned on), the detection time by the human body detection sensor 25 is If the predetermined time (pre-cleaning confirmation time) T _A2 is not reached, the control unit 40 determines that the detection is not valid, such as when a person simply passes through the detection area.

Between equipment protection cleaning and equipment protection cleaning, the control unit 40 changes the amount of cleaning water during pre-cleaning (hereinafter referred to as pre-cleaning water amount) according to the cumulative usage time _TC in the predetermined time interval _TD . do. Specifically, the control unit 40 increases the amount of pre-wash water when the cumulative usage time _TC in the predetermined time interval _TD becomes equal to or longer than a predetermined set time _TE (see FIG. 8). Note that the control unit 40 may increase the amount of pre-cleaning water when the cumulative usage time T _C at the predetermined time interval T _D exceeds the set time T _E (T _C > T _E ).

In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC of the urinal 10 from the detection result of the human body detection sensor 25 (step S201), and calculates the cumulative usage time TC within the predetermined time _TD . It is determined whether _C is longer than a predetermined set time _TE (step S202). Note that the control unit 40 makes a determination in processing such as step S201, for example, in a determination unit (not shown).

If the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S202 that the cumulative usage time _TC within the predetermined time _TD is greater than or equal to the predetermined set time _TE (step S202: Yes), the control unit 40 detects the presence or absence of the user by the human body detection sensor 25. (Step S203), and when it is determined that there is a user (Step S203: Yes), that is, when the next user is detected, the pre-wash water amount is increased (Step S204) and the pre-wash mode is executed (Step S205). ).

Note that, after completing the process in step S205, the control unit 40 returns to the process in step S201, for example, and starts calculating the cumulative usage time _TC . The control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC after the processing in step S205 after this pre-cleaning mode, and also uses this pre-cleaning mode as a reference for the start time of the predetermined time _TD .

Further, if it is determined in the process of step S203 that there is no user (including temporary detection) (step S203: No), the control unit 40 repeats the process of step S203 until it is determined that there is a user. .

If the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S202 that the cumulative usage time TC is less than the predetermined set _{time TE} within the predetermined time _TD (step S202: No), the control unit 40 detects the presence or absence of the user by the human body detection sensor 25. If it is determined that there is a user (Step S206: Yes), the pre-cleaning water amount is kept at the standard level (Step S207) and the pre-cleaning mode is executed (Step S208).

Note that if the control unit 40 determines that there is no user (including temporary detection) in the process of step S206 (step S206: No), the control unit 40 returns to the process of step S202, and calculates the cumulative usage time _TC . While continuing the calculation, it continues to determine whether the cumulative usage time _TC is greater than or equal to the set time _TE within the predetermined time _TD .

As described above, according to the second embodiment, since the amount of pre-cleaning water is changed according to the amount of urine discharged into the discharge pipe 60, cleaning can be performed in consideration of the state of urine stains inside the drain pipe 60. . As a result, even if, for example, the number of users of the urinal 10 temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, and the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 becomes excessive, the adhesion of urinary stones in the drain pipe 60 can be avoided. and deposition can be suppressed.

Furthermore, by detecting that the cumulative usage time _TC of the urinal 10 has exceeded the set time _TE , it can be estimated that the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 has reached the amount that should be flushed. Can be done. In this case, in order to increase the amount of pre-rinsing water, even if the urinal 10 is continuously used by a large number of users and equipment protection cleaning cannot be performed, the situation of urine stains in the drain pipe 60 can be improved. Careful cleaning can be performed. As a result, even if, for example, the number of users of the urinal 10 temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, and the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 becomes excessive, the adhesion of urinary stones in the drain pipe 60 can be avoided. and deposition can be suppressed.

<Third embodiment>
Next, a urinal 10 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the equipment protection cleaning mode and pre-cleaning mode of the urinal 10 according to the third embodiment. Note that the third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments described above in that the control unit 40 performs either equipment protection cleaning or increasing the amount of pre-cleaning water when _the cumulative usage time _TC is equal to or greater than the set time TE. The configuration is different from the form.

In the third embodiment, the control unit 40 performs equipment protection cleaning at a predetermined timing every predetermined time _TB . Furthermore, the control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time T _C of the urinal 10 based on the detection result of the human body detection sensor 25 . Further, the control unit 40 performs pre-cleaning immediately before the user uses the urinal 10.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 40 determines whether a predetermined time T _B set in advance has elapsed since the previous equipment protection cleaning mode was executed (step S301). If the control unit 40 determines that the predetermined time _TB has elapsed in the process of step S301 (step S301: Yes), it executes the equipment protection cleaning mode (step S302). Note that the control unit 40 makes a determination in processing such as step S301, for example, in a determination unit (not shown).

If the control unit 40 determines that the predetermined time _TB has elapsed in the process of step S301 (step S301: Yes), it executes the equipment protection cleaning mode (step S302).

When the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S301 that the predetermined time _TB has not elapsed (step S301: No), the control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC of the urinal 10 (step S303). The control unit 40 determines whether the cumulative usage time _TC is greater than or equal to the predetermined set time _TE within the predetermined time _TD (step S304).

If the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S304 that the cumulative usage time _TC within the predetermined time _TD is greater than or equal to the predetermined set time _TE (step S304: Yes), the control unit 40 sets the preset secured time _TF (e.g. , about 20 seconds), the presence or absence of a user is determined by the human body detection sensor 25 (step S305).

When the control unit 40 determines that there is a user in the process of step S305 (step S305: Yes), that is, when the next user is detected, the control unit 40 increases the amount of pre-wash water (step S306) and executes the pre-wash mode. (Step S307).

Note that, after completing the process in step S307, the control unit 40 returns to the process in step S301 and starts determining whether or not the predetermined time T _B has elapsed. The control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC after the processing in step S307 after this pre-cleaning mode, and also uses this pre-cleaning mode as a reference for the start time of the predetermined time _TD .

If the control unit 40 determines that there is no user (including temporary detection) in the process of step S305 (step S305: No), the control unit 40 executes the equipment protection cleaning mode even if the predetermined time _TB has not elapsed. (Step S308).

Note that, after completing the process in step S308, the control unit 40 returns to the process in step S301 and starts determining whether or not the predetermined time T _B has elapsed. The control unit 40 calculates the cumulative usage time _TC after the processing in step S308 after this equipment protection cleaning mode, and also uses this equipment protection cleaning mode as a reference for the start time of the predetermined time _TD .

Further, if the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S304 that the cumulative usage time _TC within the predetermined time _TD is less than the predetermined set time _TE (step S304: No), for example, the control unit 40 returns to the process of step S301. , continues to determine whether a predetermined time _TB has elapsed since the previous equipment protection cleaning mode was executed.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, when the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 reaches the amount that should be cleaned, if the predetermined secured time _TF can be secured, equipment protection cleaning is performed and If the secured time _TF cannot be secured, that is, if the user uses the urinal within the secured time _TF , the amount of pre-flushing water during this use will be increased, so that the amount of urine stains in the drain pipe 60 can be increased. Careful cleaning can be performed. As a result, even if, for example, the number of users of the urinal 10 temporarily increases and the situation becomes crowded, and the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 becomes excessive, the adhesion of urinary stones in the drain pipe 60 can be avoided. and deposition can be suppressed.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a urinal 10 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing procedure of the equipment protection cleaning prohibition mode (second cleaning prohibition mode) for the urinal 10 according to the fourth embodiment. Note that the fourth embodiment differs in configuration from the first to third embodiments described above in that the equipment protection cleaning mode includes a first cleaning mode and a second cleaning mode.

In the fourth embodiment, when executing the equipment protection cleaning mode, the control unit 40 first executes the first cleaning mode, and then executes the second cleaning mode. In the first cleaning mode, cleaning water is discharged from the spreader 24 toward the bowl portion 13. In the second cleaning mode, sterilizing water is discharged from the spreader 24 toward the bowl portion 13.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, the control unit 40 performs control to prohibit execution of the second cleaning within a predetermined prohibition time _TG after performing the first cleaning.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 40 executes the first cleaning mode (step S501). The control unit 40 determines whether a predetermined prohibition time T _G (for example, 20 seconds) has elapsed since the process in step S501 (step S502). Note that the control unit 40 makes the determination in the process of step S502, for example, in a determination unit (not shown).

Here, if the control unit 40 determines in the process of step S502 that the prohibition time _TG has not elapsed (step S502: No), it prohibits execution of the second cleaning mode (step S503). Note that, as described later, the control unit 40 repeats the process of step S503 until it determines that the prohibition time _TG has elapsed.

When the control unit 40 determines that the prohibition time _TG has elapsed in the process of step S502 (step S502: Yes), the control unit 40 cancels the second cleaning prohibition (step S504) and executes the second cleaning mode (step S505). ). Then, after completing the process in step S505, the control unit 40 ends the second cleaning prohibition mode.

When the equipment protection cleaning mode has a first cleaning mode using cleaning water and a second cleaning mode using sterilized water after the first cleaning mode is executed, the cleaning water from the first cleaning once flows backward and then flows downstream. If the sterilized water for the second wash is introduced before flowing to the side, not only will the sterilized water for the first wash prevent the backflow of the sterilized water, but the sterilized water will finally flow into the connection part 60a. Since the wash water (backflow water) of the first wash that had been held back passes through at the end, the sterilization effect may be weakened.

In the fourth embodiment, since the second cleaning is not performed immediately after the first cleaning, it is possible to prevent the sterilizing water from being washed away, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sterilizing effect.

In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the cumulative usage time T _C of the urinal 10 is calculated from the time when the human body detection sensor 25 turns on human body detection. The urinal 10 may be configured to include a measuring section that measures the time during which urine is detected, and to calculate the cumulative usage time _TC of the urinal 10 based on the measurement result (urine detection time) of the measuring section.

With this configuration, as in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the cumulative usage time T _C of the urinal 10 can be easily determined, and the amount of urine discharged into the drain pipe 60 can be easily estimated. can do. Note that, as described above, a microwave sensor, a capacitance sensor, or the like is used as a sensor for measuring the time during which the presence of urine such as urine flow is detected.

Further, in the first to fourth embodiments described above, the automatic cleaning unit 20 is arranged inside the urinal 10, but the automatic cleaning unit 20 is arranged separately from the urinal 10. Good too. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of urinals 10 are controlled by a single control section 40 of the automatic cleaning unit 20. Further, the automatic cleaning unit 20 is separated from the urinal 10 and placed on the back side of the wall 2 of the toilet room (behind the wall), and the control unit 40 is configured to perform coordination between the urinals 10 via electrical communication. It's okay.

Further advantages and modifications can be easily deduced by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

10 Urinal 13 Bowl part 15 Trap part 24 Water discharge part (spreader)
25 Usage detection unit (human body detection sensor)
40 Control part 50 Appliance drain pipe 60 Drain pipe T _C cumulative usage time T _D predetermined time T _E setting time T _F secured time T _G prohibited time W _T accumulated water

Claims (5)

A urinal connected to a building's drainage pipe via an appliance drain pipe, the urinal comprising:
a bowl part that receives the user's urine;
a trap section that forms accumulated water in the bowl section;
a water discharge section that discharges cleaning water toward the bowl section to perform a drainage operation on the drainage pipe;
a use detection unit that detects use of the urinal;
a control unit that controls the water spouting unit to execute a main cleaning mode that discharges flushing water after using the urinal, and executes an equipment protection cleaning mode that discharges flushing water at a predetermined timing;
The control unit calculates the cumulative usage time of the urinal, executes the equipment protection cleaning mode according to the cumulative usage time at a predetermined time interval , and controls the water spouting unit to control the water discharge unit immediately before using the urinal. A urinal that executes a pre-flushing mode in which flushing water is discharged, and changes the amount of flushing water in the pre-flushing mode according to the cumulative usage time at a predetermined time interval . The urinal according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit increases the amount of flushing water in the pre-flushing mode when the cumulative usage time at a predetermined time interval exceeds a preset preset time. The control unit executes the equipment protection cleaning mode when the urinal is not used for a predetermined secured time in a state where the cumulative usage time in a predetermined time interval is equal to or longer than a predetermined set time. 3. The urinal according to claim 2 , wherein if the urinal is used during the secured time period, the amount of flushing water in the pre-flushing mode is increased when the urinal is used by the user . The equipment protection cleaning mode includes a first cleaning mode that uses cleaning water, and a second cleaning mode that is executed after the first cleaning mode and uses sterilized water,
The urinal according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the control unit prohibits the second cleaning mode within a predetermined prohibition time after executing the first cleaning mode. The use detection unit is a human body detection unit that detects a user of the urinal,
The urinal according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the control unit calculates the cumulative usage time based on the detection result of the human body detection unit.

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