JP7474693B2 - Portable toilet buckets and portable toilets - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable toilet bucket that is removably attached to the toilet body of a portable toilet, and a portable toilet equipped with the same.

A portable toilet is equipped with a removable bucket that is placed under the toilet seat. After using the portable toilet, the user or caregiver (hereinafter collectively referred to as the user) removes the bucket from the toilet body and carries it to a wastewater discharge location, such as a toilet. The user then drains the wastewater that has accumulated in the bucket into the toilet bowl or the like. The user then washes the bucket and attaches it back to the toilet body.

The bucket has a container and a handle that spans the top of the container. A user can remove the bucket by lifting the handle. A user can also carry the bucket by moving while holding the handle. A user can also drain wastewater from the container into a toilet bowl or the like by tilting the container while holding the handle. A bucket for a portable toilet is required to be easy to drain wastewater into a toilet bowl or the like when the container is tilted, and to be easy to wash.

Patent Document 1 discloses a portable toilet bucket in which the upper surface of the bottom wall of the container is formed in a circular shape, the horizontal cross section of the lower part of the peripheral wall of the container is also formed in a circular shape, and a long and thin spout is formed at the front end of the upper edge of the container. In the portable toilet bucket disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the container is tilted, wastewater inside the container is concentrated and discharged from the spout.

JP 2018-201587 A

Meanwhile, while draining wastewater from the bucket into a toilet bowl or the like, the user must endure the smell of the wastewater. For this reason, it is desirable to drain wastewater from the bucket into a toilet bowl or the like in as short a time as possible. However, with the portable toilet bucket disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the container was tilted relatively greatly in order to drain the wastewater quickly, the wastewater would sometimes overflow the spout and spread out to the sides, splashing outside the toilet bowl or the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide a portable toilet bucket that allows wastewater to be quickly drained when the container is tilted and is easy to clean.

The portable toilet bucket of the present invention comprises a container having an upper edge that opens upward, and a handle that spans from the left to right sides of the container and is rotatably engaged with the container. The container has a bottom wall that is circular when viewed from above, and a peripheral wall that extends upward from the bottom wall. The peripheral wall has a rear peripheral wall that has an arc-shaped horizontal cross section, and a front peripheral wall that extends forward from the rear peripheral wall and has a forward-convex horizontal cross section. The front peripheral wall has a lower wall portion, a left wall portion that extends upward from the left end of the lower wall portion, and a right wall portion that extends upward from the right end of the lower wall portion. The lower wall portion, the left wall portion, and the right wall portion form a flow path that extends forward and backward when viewed from above. The left-right width of the flow path is greater than half the radius of the bottom wall.

The portable toilet bucket has a circular bottom wall when viewed from above and a peripheral wall extending upward from the bottom wall, making it easy to wash. The front peripheral wall has a lower wall portion, a left wall portion, and a right wall portion, and the lower wall portion, the left wall portion, and the right wall portion form a flow path that extends forward and backward when viewed from above. When the container is tilted forward, the wastewater in the container is discharged through the flow path. The portable toilet bucket has the flow path, so the wastewater can be discharged smoothly. The left and right width of the flow path is greater than half the radius of the bottom wall. The left and right width of the flow path is relatively large. Therefore, the flow path can guide a relatively large amount of wastewater in a short period of time. Even if the container is tilted relatively greatly to quickly discharge the wastewater, the wastewater does not spread out sideways beyond the flow path, and the wastewater can be prevented from splashing outside the toilet bowl, etc. Therefore, the wastewater can be quickly discharged from the container.

The bottom wall may have a horizontal wall that extends horizontally and is circular when viewed from above. The left and right width of the flow path may be greater than the radius of the horizontal wall.

The bottom wall may be concavely curved.

This makes the container even easier to clean as there are no bends at the bottom.

The width of the flow passage from left to right may be greater than the radius of the bottom wall.

The container may have an annular leg that is provided below the bottom wall and is generally annular when viewed from below. The left and right width of the flow path may be greater than the radius of the annular leg.

When viewed from the side, the contour of the front peripheral wall may have a curved portion whose inclination angle with respect to the horizontal line decreases the further upward.

This allows wastewater to be discharged more smoothly from the flow path. In addition, dirt is less likely to remain in the flow path after the wastewater is discharged.

The left and right parts of the container may be formed with an axial hole that engages with the handle. The container may be formed so that when water is stored in an amount that is 50% or less of the container's internal volume, the position of the center of gravity of the container and the water in the front-to-rear direction is located between a position 10 mm forward from the front end of the axial hole and a position 10 mm rearward from the rear end of the axial hole, regardless of the water level.

This allows the bucket to remain stable when the handle is lifted, making it easier to carry the bucket. It also makes it easier to drain wastewater from the bucket into a toilet, etc.

The left and right parts of the container may be formed with an axial hole that engages with the handle. The container may be formed so that when water is stored in an amount that is 50% or less of the container's internal volume, the position of the overall center of gravity of the container and the water is located behind a vertical plane passing through the axis of the axial hole at least when the container is tilted downward toward the front at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and is located forward of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the axial hole at least when the container is tilted downward toward the rear at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

As a result, if the container tilts at least 0-20 degrees when the portable toilet bucket is removed from the toilet body by grasping the handle or when being carried, gravity acting on the container and water will function to correct the tilt. This prevents the container from tilting too far, and prevents wastewater from spilling out of the container.

The peripheral wall may be provided with a mark indicating the position of the water level when 1 liter of water is stored in the container.

In a portable toilet, a specified amount of water is stored in the bucket before use. With the above features, by looking at the mark, it is easy to confirm that the specified amount of water has been stored in the container. This prevents more water than necessary from being stored in the container, thereby saving water.

The upper edge of the container may have an outer peripheral wall extending vertically and a liquid drain plate protruding forward from the front of the outer peripheral wall.

As a result, when the container is tilted to drain wastewater, the wastewater flows down from the tip of the drain plate. This prevents the wastewater from running down the outer peripheral wall, preventing the outer peripheral wall from becoming dirty. This prevents the outer peripheral wall of the container from becoming dirty when wastewater is discharged.

The portable toilet of the present invention is equipped with the portable toilet bucket described above.

The present invention provides a portable toilet bucket that allows wastewater to be quickly drained when the container is tilted and is easy to clean.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable toilet according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable toilet bucket according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 of a container according to a modified example. FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 of a container according to another modified example. XI-XI line cross-sectional view of FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is an enlarged left side view showing the vicinity of the axial hole of the container. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of an axial hole of the container. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion XIV in FIG. 7 . FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion XV in FIG. 7 . FIG. FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion XVII of FIG. 16 . FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the handle shaft. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the portable toilet bucket with the handle tilted forward. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the portable toilet bucket when lifted with the handle upright. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the portable toilet bucket with the handle tilted backwards. 13 is a diagram showing the engagement state of the shaft and the shaft hole when the handle is raised upright. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the position of a stopper when the handle is tilted backward. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the position of a stopper when the handle is rotated upward. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the position of the stopper when the handle is raised upright. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing a portable toilet bucket and the water in the container, in which (a) shows the container not tilted, (b) shows the container tilted downward toward the rear, and (c) shows the container tilted downward toward the front. 1A is a side view showing a schematic diagram of a portable toilet bucket and a toilet bowl before the container is tilted, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the engagement state of the shaft and the shaft hole at that time. 1A is a side view showing a schematic diagram of a portable toilet bucket and a toilet bowl when the container is tilted, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the engagement state of the shaft and the shaft hole at that time. 13A is a schematic side view of the portable toilet bucket and toilet bowl when the container is further tilted, and FIG. 13B is a diagram showing the engagement state of the shaft and shaft hole at this time. A diagram showing the position of the stopper when the handle is tilted forward for a portable toilet bucket according to another embodiment.

Below, a portable toilet and a bucket for a portable toilet according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable toilet 1 according to this embodiment. In the following description of the portable toilet 1, the terms front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom refer to the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom directions, respectively, as seen by a user sitting on a toilet seat 5, which will be described later.

<Portable toilet>
The portable toilet 1 comprises a toilet body 2 and a portable toilet bucket (hereinafter simply referred to as a bucket) 10 that is detachably attached to the toilet body 2.

<Toilet body>
First, the toilet body 2 will be described. The toilet body 2 includes a chair portion 3, legs 4 supporting the chair portion 3, a toilet seat 5, a backrest 6, armrests 7, and a lid 8. The chair portion 3 is formed in a box shape that opens upward. The bucket 10 is attached to the inside of the chair portion 3. The toilet seat 5 is rotatably attached to the rear portion of the chair portion 3. When the toilet seat 5 is rotated forward, it can be laid horizontally, and a user can sit on the toilet seat 5. When the toilet seat 5 is rotated upward, it can be raised, and the inside of the chair portion 3 can be opened. By raising the toilet seat 5, the bucket 10 can be removed upward from the chair portion 3, and the bucket 10 can be attached from above toward the chair portion 3.

The toilet body 2 shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example. As long as the bucket 10 can be removably attached, the configuration of the toilet body 2 is not particularly limited. The armrests 7, backrest 6, or lid 8 are not necessarily required. If the seat portion 3 is configured to be placed directly on the floor, the legs 4 may be omitted.

<Bucket>
Next, the bucket 10 will be described. In the following description of the bucket 10, the terms "front,""back,""left," and "right" refer to the front, back, left, and right directions, respectively, as seen by a user sitting on the toilet seat 5 when the bucket 10 is attached to the toilet body 2. The terms "upper" and "lower" refer to the upper and lower directions, respectively, when the bucket 10 is placed on a horizontal surface. The symbols F, Re, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower, respectively.

Unless otherwise specified, "forward" includes not only the horizontal forward direction, but also directions tilted at angles of 45 degrees or less to the left or right from that direction. "Backward" includes not only the horizontal backward direction, but also directions tilted at angles of 45 degrees or less to the left or right from that direction. "Left" includes not only the horizontal leftward direction, but also directions tilted at angles of 45 degrees or less forward or backward from that direction. "Right" includes not only the horizontal rightward direction, but also directions tilted at angles of 45 degrees or less forward or backward from that direction. "Up" includes not only the vertical upward direction, but also directions tilted at angles of 45 degrees or less forward or backward from that direction. "Down" includes not only the vertical downward direction, but also directions tilted at angles of 45 degrees or less forward or backward from that direction.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bucket 10 according to this embodiment. The bucket 10 has a container 20 and a handle 50. The container 20 has an upper edge 22 that opens upward. The handle 50 spans from the left side to the right side of the container 20. The handle 50 spans the container 20 so as to straddle the upper edge 22. The handle 50 is engaged with the container 20 so as to be rotatable about an axis C1, as will be described in detail later.

<Container>
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are a plan view, a left side view, a rear view, and a bottom view, respectively, of the container 20. Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the container 20, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the container 20, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 7, the container 20 includes a bottom wall 24, a peripheral wall 26 extending upward from the bottom wall 24, an upper edge portion 22 located above the peripheral wall 26, and an annular leg 28 provided on the underside of the bottom wall 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom wall 24 is formed in a circular shape when viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom wall 24 is formed in a concave shape that is recessed downward. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 24 has a horizontal wall 24A that extends horizontally and is circular when viewed from above, and an inclined wall 24B that is inclined diagonally upward from the outer peripheral end of the horizontal wall 24A.

However, the shape of the bottom wall 24 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom wall 24 may be curved in a concave shape. The bottom wall 24 may be formed without a bent portion. In this case, the bottom wall 24 is also formed in a circular shape when viewed from above. The bottom wall 24 may be formed in a hemispherical shape.

As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom wall 24 may be inclined upward as it approaches the front. In this case, the bottom wall 24 may also be formed in a circular shape when viewed from above.

As shown in FIG. 8, the peripheral wall 26 has a rear peripheral wall 26A having an arc-shaped horizontal cross section, and a front peripheral wall 26B extending forward from the rear peripheral wall 26A and having a forwardly convex horizontal cross section. When viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 4, the contour of the front peripheral wall 26B has a curved portion 26BL whose inclination angle α with respect to the horizontal line decreases the further upward. The proportion of the curved portion 26BL that accounts for the entire contour of the front peripheral wall 26B is not particularly limited, but is preferably 50% or more, and more preferably 65% or more. In this embodiment, it is 80% or more. The entire contour of the front peripheral wall 26B may be the curved portion 26BL.

As shown in FIG. 7, an upper vertical wall 26BU is provided above the portion 26BL that is curved so that the inclination angle α with respect to the horizontal line decreases as it goes upward. The upper vertical wall 26BU is a substantially vertical wall. The upper vertical wall 26BU may extend vertically or may be slightly inclined from the vertical plane. For example, the upper vertical wall 26BU may be inclined at an angle of ±10 degrees or less, preferably ±5 degrees or less, from the vertical plane. The upper vertical wall 26BU plays a role in preventing urine from splashing forward of the container 20 due to the force of urination when the portable toilet 1 is used. From the viewpoint of preventing urine from splashing, the vertical dimension of the upper vertical wall 26BU is preferably 3 mm or more, and more preferably 8 mm or more. On the other hand, if the vertical dimension of the upper vertical wall 26BU is large, when the container 20 is tilted forward to drain the wastewater after using the portable toilet 1, the last remaining wastewater tends to jump in front of the upper vertical wall 26BU and hit the upper vertical wall 26BU and splash out. From the viewpoint of preventing such splashing of sewage, the vertical dimension of the upper vertical wall 26BU is preferably 30 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or less. If the vertical dimension of the upper and lower vertical walls 26BU is 17 mm or less, it is possible to further prevent the splashing of sewage.

Figure 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the front peripheral wall 26B, taken along line XI-XI in Figure 4. The vertical cross-section shown in Figure 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the front peripheral wall 26B at a midpoint between the rear end 26Bb of the front peripheral wall 26B and the front end 20f of the container 20. As shown in Figure 11, the front peripheral wall 26B has a lower wall portion 27D, a left wall portion 27L extending upward from the left end of the lower wall portion 27D, and a right wall portion 27R extending upward from the right end of the lower wall portion 27D. As shown in Figure 3, the lower wall portion 27D, the left wall portion 27L, and the right wall portion 27R form a flow path 27 that extends forward and backward when viewed from above.

The left and right widths W27 of the flow path 27 are relatively large. The left and right widths W27 of the flow path 27 referred to here refer to the left and right widths at the cross section of the flow path 27 (cross section at the intermediate position between the rear end 26Bb of the front peripheral wall 26B and the front end 20f of the container 20). The left and right widths W27 of the flow path 27 are larger than half the radius r24 of the bottom wall 24. The left and right widths W27 of the flow path 27 are also larger than the radius r24A of the horizontal wall 24A of the bottom wall 24. Here, the left and right widths W27 of the flow path 27 are larger than the radius r24 of the bottom wall 24. The left and right widths W27 of the flow path 27 are also larger than the radius r28 of the annular leg 28 (see FIG. 6). The radius of the annular leg 28 means 1/2 the inner diameter of the annular leg 28. The annular leg 28 is formed in a substantially annular shape when viewed from below. The term "approximately annular" includes a shape that goes around the center 24C of the bottom wall 24 (i.e., a strict annular shape) and a shape in which a slit 28a is provided in part of the annular shape, as shown in FIG. 6.

The upper limit of the width W27 of the flow passage 27 from left to right is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is, for example, 170 mm or less. This makes it easier to pour wastewater all at once without it overflowing, even into the relatively small water collection area of a standard Japanese-style toilet.

In the portable toilet 1, it is recommended that a predetermined volume of water be stored in the bucket 10 before use. As shown in FIG. 7, the peripheral wall 26 is provided with a step 25 as a marker indicating the position of the water surface when a predetermined volume of water is stored in the container 20. Here, the step 25 is provided at the position of the water surface when 1 liter of water is stored in the container 20. Since a sufficient water level can be secured by storing 1 liter of water, feces are usually submerged in water, and the generation of odor can be suppressed. The step 25 is provided on the rear peripheral wall 26A, but may be provided on the front peripheral wall 26B. Note that the marker may be any visible one and is not limited to the step 25. Instead of the step 25, a groove, a protrusion, or the like may be used as the marker. Also, colored lines, figures, letters, symbols, or the like may be used as the marker. However, using the step 25 as a marker is particularly preferable, as it ensures visibility even if dirt accumulates, and will not fade even after long periods of use.

As shown in FIG. 7, the upper edge portion 22 has an inner peripheral wall 22A located above the peripheral wall 26, an upper wall 22B extending outward from the upper end of the inner peripheral wall 22A, and an outer peripheral wall 22C extending downward from the outer end of the upper wall 22B. The upper edge portion 22 is formed in a shape that is folded downward from the inside to the outside. The upper edge portion 22 is formed in an inverted U-shaped cross section. Note that the inner peripheral wall 22A may coincide with the upper vertical wall 26BU described above, or may be part of the upper vertical wall 26BU.

As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right portions of the container 20 are formed with axial holes 30 into which the handle 50 (see FIG. 2) engages. Here, the axial holes 30 are formed in the left and right portions of the outer peripheral wall 22C of the upper edge portion 22.

As shown in FIG. 12, the shaft hole 30 includes a circular hole 31 and a vertical hole 32 extending upward from the circular hole 31. The imaginary line 30s in FIG. 12 is a line representing the boundary between the circular hole 31 and the vertical hole 32. The circular hole 31 is an example of a lower hole located at the bottom, and the vertical hole 32 is an example of an upper hole extending upward from the lower hole. The vertical hole 32 extends straight upward from the circular hole 31. The vertical hole 32 has a front edge 32f and a rear edge 32b that extend linearly up and down, and an upper edge 32t that connects the upper ends of the front edge 32f and the rear edge 32b. The upper edge 32t extends horizontally. The rear edge 32b is formed behind the front edge 32f and faces the front edge 32f. In this embodiment, the front edge 32f extends upward from the front end 31f of the circular hole 31. The shaft hole 30 is formed in a b-shape. The center line 32CL of the vertical hole 32 (a line extending vertically between the leading edge 32f and the trailing edge 32b) is offset from the center 31C of the circular hole 31 toward the leading edge 32f. The vertical length H32f of the leading edge 32f is longer than the hole width W32 between the leading edge 32f and the trailing edge 32b.

As shown in FIG. 13, the peripheral portion of the vertical hole 32 of the outer peripheral wall 22C is provided with an inverted U-shaped reinforcing rib 34 that protrudes outward. The reinforcing rib 34 protrudes from the outer peripheral wall 22C in one axial direction. In detail, the peripheral portion of the left vertical hole 32 is provided with a reinforcing rib 34 that protrudes leftward, and the peripheral portion of the right vertical hole 32 is provided with a reinforcing rib 34 that protrudes rightward. The reinforcing rib 34 has a front rib 34A located in front of the vertical hole 32, a rear rib 34B located behind the vertical hole 32, and an upper rib 34T located above the vertical hole 32. In addition, the peripheral portion of the circular hole 31 is also provided with an arc-shaped reinforcing rib 35 that protrudes outward. The reinforcing rib 34 and the reinforcing rib 35 are connected. In this embodiment, the reinforcing rib 34 and the reinforcing rib 35 are formed to surround the entire axial hole 30.

In addition, the outer peripheral wall 22C is provided with transverse ribs 36A and 36B that extend forward and rearward from the reinforcing rib 34. The transverse rib 36A is formed above the transverse rib 36B. The front-to-rear length of the lower transverse rib 36B is longer than the front-to-rear length of the upper transverse rib 36A.

4 and 5, a handle 40 is provided at the rear of the upper edge 22 and at the center in the left-right direction. FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the handle 40, and is an enlarged view of part XIV in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 14, the handle 40 has a curved wall 41 extending rearward and downward from the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 22C, a horizontal wall 42 extending rearward from the rear end of the curved wall 41, and a vertical wall 43 extending downward from the rear end of the horizontal wall 42. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the handle 40 has a left wall 44L and a right wall 44R provided on the left and right of the curved wall 41, the horizontal wall 42, and the vertical wall 43, respectively. In this embodiment, the horizontal wall 42 extends in the horizontal direction, and the vertical wall 43 extends in the vertical direction. However, the horizontal wall 42 may be slightly inclined from the horizontal direction, and the vertical wall 43 may be slightly inclined from the vertical direction.

The left-right length W40 of the handle 40 (see FIG. 5) is set to a length that allows at least three fingers to be inserted. Here, the left-right length W40 of the handle 40 is set to 35 mm or more. The left-right length W40 of the handle refers to the inner dimension of the handle 40. In other words, it refers to the distance between the right side of the left wall 44L and the left side of the right wall 44R of the handle 40. As shown in FIG. 14, the vertical length H43 of the vertical wall 43 is 2 mm or more, preferably 4 mm or more, so that the handle 40 can be easily hung. The radius of curvature R of the curved wall 41 is at least 1 mm or more, and preferably 3 mm or more. The radius of curvature R of the curved wall 41 is preferably 30 mm or less.

Figure 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the front end of the container 20, and is an enlarged view of part XV in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 15, the upper edge 22 of the container 20 is provided with a liquid-removing plate 23 that protrudes forward from the front of the outer peripheral wall 22C. Here, the liquid-removing plate 23 is formed flush with the upper wall 22B.

2, the front-rear length of the container 20 is longer than the left-right length of the container 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the front-rear length L20f between the front end 20f of the container 20 and the axial hole 30 is longer than the front-rear length L20b between the rear end 20b of the container 20 and the axial hole 30. The front-rear length between the front end 20f of the container 20 and the axial hole 30 refers to the front-rear length between the front end 20f of the container 20 and the central position of the axial hole 30 in the front-rear direction (here, the position of the center 31C of the circular hole 31). Similarly, the front-rear length between the rear end 20b of the container 20 and the axial hole 30 refers to the front-rear length between the rear end 20b of the container 20 and the central position of the axial hole 30 in the front-rear direction (here, the position of the center 31C of the circular hole 31).

The above is the configuration of the container. Next, the handle 50 will be described. Figure 16 is a perspective view of the handle 50. Figure 17 is an enlarged view of part XVII in Figure 16.

＜Handle＞
As shown in FIG. 16, the handle 50 has a handle portion 51 and engaging portions 52 provided at both ends of the handle portion 51. The engaging portions 52 are portions that engage with the axial hole 30 of the container 20. As shown in FIG. 17, the engaging portions 52 extend inward from the tip of the handle portion 51. The engaging portions 52 have a shaft 54, a stopper 56 provided on the inside of the shaft 54, and a reinforcing portion 58 provided on the outside of the shaft 54. The stopper 56 is provided on the tip side of the shaft 54. In detail, the engaging portion 52 on the right side of the handle 50 has the reinforcing portion 58, the shaft 54 provided to the left of the reinforcing portion 58, and the stopper 56 provided to the left of the shaft 54. The engaging portion 52 on the left side of the handle 50 has the reinforcing portion 58, the shaft 54 provided to the right of the reinforcing portion 58, and the stopper 56 provided to the right of the shaft 54.

The shaft 54 is formed in a square prism shape. As shown in FIG. 18, the cross-sectional shape of the shaft 54 is formed in a square shape. The square shape referred to here is not limited to a strict square shape with right-angled corners, but also includes a square shape with rounded corners as shown in FIG. 18. The shaft 54 has a first shaft edge 54a, a second shaft edge 54b located on the opposite side of the first shaft edge 54a, a third shaft edge 54c connecting one end of the first shaft edge 54a to one end of the second shaft edge 54b, and a fourth shaft edge 54d connecting the other end of the first shaft edge 54a to the other end of the second shaft edge 54b. The length of the first shaft edge 54a and the second shaft edge 54b is longer than the length of the third shaft edge 54c and the fourth shaft edge 54d.

Since the handle 50 is rotatably engaged with the container 20, the handle 50 can be tilted forward as shown in FIG. 19. Also, the handle 50 can be stood up as shown in FIG. 20. Also, the handle 50 can be tilted backward as shown in FIG. 21. When the handle 50 is tilted backward, it rests on the side wall 42 of the handle 40. When the handle 50 is tilted backward, it is supported by the handle 40.

The shaft 54 is inserted into the shaft hole 30. The shaft 54 is sized to be rotatable within the circular hole 31. The maximum dimension L54 of the cross section of the shaft 54 (here, the diagonal dimension; see FIG. 18) is smaller than the inner diameter of the circular hole 31. When the shaft 54 is in the circular hole 31, the handle 50 can be rotated. When the handle 50 is in the folded position, the shaft 54 is positioned within the circular hole 31.

When the handle 50 is lifted upright (see FIG. 20), as shown in FIG. 22, the shaft 54 moves from the circular hole 31 to the vertical hole 32 and fits into the vertical hole 32. When the shaft 54 fits into the vertical hole 32, the rotation of the shaft 54 is restricted by the vertical hole 32. Therefore, when the handle 50 is lifted upright, the handle 50 cannot rotate. The shaft 54 and the vertical hole 32 form a locking mechanism 55 that fixes the handle 50 to be unrotatable relative to the container 20 when the handle 50 is lifted upright.

When the shaft 54 fits into the vertical hole 32, the first shaft edge 54a faces the front edge 32f of the vertical hole 32, and the second shaft edge 54b faces the rear edge 32b of the vertical hole 32. The third shaft edge 54c abuts the upper edge 32t of the vertical hole 32. The width W32 of the vertical hole 32 (see FIG. 12) is equal to or slightly greater than the length H54c of the third shaft edge 54c. The vertical length H32f of the front edge 32f of the vertical hole 32 is longer than the length H54a of the first shaft edge 54a. The vertical length H32b of the rear edge 32b of the vertical hole 32 is shorter than the length H54a of the first shaft edge 54a.

As shown in FIG. 18, the reinforcing portion 58 is formed in a rectangular prism shape, similar to the shaft 54. The cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing portion 58 is formed in a rectangular shape that is one size larger than the shaft 54. As shown in FIG. 22, when the shaft 54 fits into the vertical hole 32, the reinforcing portion 58 is inserted inside the reinforcing rib 34. The reinforcing portion 58 fits inside the reinforcing rib 34 and comes into contact with the reinforcing rib 34.

As shown in FIG. 17, the stopper 56 has a disk-shaped stopper body 56A and a protrusion 56B protruding from the stopper body 56A. When viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 54, the stopper 56 is formed in a b-shape. The stopper 56 is provided to prevent the engagement portion 52 of the handle 50 from slipping out of the shaft hole 30. FIGS. 23 to 25 are schematic diagrams showing the shaft hole 30, the stopper 56, and the shaft 54 when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 54. FIGS. 23 to 25 are diagrams showing the right outer peripheral wall 22C of the container 20 as viewed from the back side (in other words, diagrams showing the right outer peripheral wall 22C of the container 20 as viewed from the left side to the right).

23, when the handle 50 is tilted down, at least a portion of the stopper body 56A is located inside the circular hole 31 as viewed from the axial direction. The stopper body 56A may be formed in a circular shape with an outer diameter equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the circular hole 31 as viewed from the axial direction, but here it is formed in a circular shape with an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the circular hole 31. The outer diameter D56A of the stopper body 56A is larger than the hole width W32 of the vertical hole 32.

When the handle 50 is tilted backward as shown in FIG. 21, the protrusion 56B protrudes upward from the stopper body 56A as seen from the axial direction as shown in FIG. 23. When the handle 50 is tilted backward as seen from the axial direction, the protrusion 56B is located inside the vertical hole 32. The container 20 is made of resin and has elasticity. When the stopper 56 is inserted into the axial hole 30 with the handle 50 tilted backward, the circular hole 31 is temporarily pushed wide by the stopper body 56A. Therefore, the stopper body 56A can pass through the circular hole 31. Also, since the protrusion 56 is located inside the vertical hole 32, it can pass through the vertical hole 32 as it is. Therefore, by pressing the stopper 56 against the axial hole 30 from the front side with the handle 50 tilted backward, the stopper 56 can be positioned on the back side of the axial hole 30 (in other words, inside the outer peripheral wall 22C).

As shown in FIG. 24, when the handle 50 is rotated from its reclined position, the protrusion 56B moves outward from the axial hole 30 when viewed from the axial direction. The protrusion 56B overlaps with the peripheral portion of the axial hole 30 in the outer wall 22C when viewed from the axial direction. The protrusion 56B comes into contact with the peripheral portion of the axial hole 30, restricting the handle 50 from shifting in the axial direction and preventing the handle 50 from coming out of the axial hole 30.

When the handle 50 is lifted upright as shown in FIG. 20, the shaft 54 moves from the circular hole 31 to the vertical hole 32 as shown in FIG. 25. The protrusion 56B is located in front of the vertical hole 32 when viewed from the axial direction. In this case, too, the protrusion 56B overlaps with the surrounding portion of the shaft hole 30 in the outer wall 22C when viewed from the axial direction. This prevents the handle 50 from slipping out of the shaft hole 30.

After using the portable toilet 1, the user removes the bucket 10 from the toilet body 2 by lifting the handle 50 upright. The user also carries the bucket 10 to the toilet by moving while holding the handle 50. As described above, the length L20f of the front part of the axial hole 30 of the container 20 is longer than the length L20b of the rear part of the axial hole 30 (see FIG. 4). However, the front peripheral wall 26B is inclined obliquely upward when viewed from the side. The container 20 is formed so that when a predetermined amount of water or less is stored, the front-to-rear position of the center of gravity of the container 20 and the water is located near the axial hole 30 regardless of the water level. In other words, the container 20 is formed so that when a predetermined volume of water or less is stored, the combined center of gravity of the container 20 and the water is substantially located directly below the axial hole 30, and the center of gravity is formed to have little fluctuation in the front-to-rear position even if the water level changes.

If the container 20 is too full, it becomes difficult to carry the bucket 10, so in the portable toilet 1, an upper limit for the storage volume of the container 20 is often set in advance. The above-mentioned predetermined volume may be equal to the upper limit for the storage volume of the container 20, for example. However, this is not limited. The above-mentioned predetermined volume may be less than the upper limit for the storage volume of the container 20. Here, as shown in FIG. 20, the container 20 is formed so that when water is stored in an amount equal to or less than 50% of the internal volume of the container 20, the position of the center of gravity of the container 20 and the water in the front-to-rear direction is located between a position P1 10 mm forward from the front end of the axial hole 30 and a position P2 10 mm rearward from the rear end of the axial hole 30, regardless of the water level.

As described above, the bucket 10 is formed so that the front-rear position of the center of gravity does not change much even if the water level changes. However, when the bucket 10 is removed from the toilet body 2 or transported, it may tilt due to shaking or contact with furniture. Depending on the shape of the container 20, the center of gravity may move to the tilted side, and gravity may act to promote the tilt. In that case, the tilt may become large and wastewater may spill from the container 20. For example, this may occur when a corner shape where water can accumulate exists on the tilted side at a location away from the vertical plane passing through the axis C1 (see Figure 2) of the axial hole 30. However, the above phenomenon can be avoided by devising the shape of the container 20 to reduce the volume of water that accumulates on the tilted side. For example, the above phenomenon can be avoided by angling the bottom, making the area between the bottom and the front and rear walls curved or spherical, or deepening the bottom so as to reduce the angle between the bottom and the front and rear walls, which becomes the corner of the accumulation.

In this embodiment, the container 20 is formed as follows. In Figs. 26(a) to (c), the vertical line VP represents a vertical plane passing through the axis C1 of the shaft hole 30. The angle θ represents the inclination angle of the container 20 with respect to the horizontal plane. The symbol G represents the position of the center of gravity of the container 20 and the water as a whole. In this embodiment, the container 20 is formed so that when 50% or less of the internal volume of the container 20 is stored with water, the center of gravity G is located forward of the vertical plane VP when the container 20 is tilted downward at an angle θ greater than 0 degrees and less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 26(b). Also, when 50% or less of the internal volume of the container 20 is stored with water, the center of gravity G is located rearward of the vertical plane VP when the container 20 is tilted downward at an angle θ greater than 0 degrees and less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 26(c).

According to this embodiment, when the bucket 10 is removed from the toilet body 2 or when it is transported, at least if the container 20 is tilted at an angle of less than 20 degrees, gravity acts to return the tilt. This prevents the tilt from becoming too large, and suppresses wastewater from spilling from the container 20. Note that the container 20 may be configured so that gravity acts to return the tilt even if it is tilted at an angle of 20 degrees or more.

The above is the configuration of the portable toilet 1 and bucket 10 according to this embodiment. Next, an example of how to use the bucket 10 will be described.

<How to use the bucket>
When a user uses the portable toilet 1, wastewater accumulates in the bucket 10. To discard the wastewater in the bucket 10, the user first removes the bucket 10 from the toilet body 2 by standing and lifting the handle 50. At this time, the shaft 54 of the handle 50 fits into the vertical hole 32 of the container 20, and the handle 50 is fixed to the container 20 so that it cannot rotate. Therefore, the user can easily remove the bucket 10.

The user then moves to the toilet while holding the handle 50. At this time, the handle 50 is fixed to the container 20 so that it cannot rotate, preventing the container 20 from shaking. Even if the container 20 hits furniture or the like while being carried, it will not tilt significantly. Therefore, it is possible to prevent wastewater from spilling when carrying the bucket 10.

After arriving at the toilet, the user discharges the wastewater from the bucket 10 into the toilet bowl. The operation of discharging wastewater from the bucket 10 into the toilet bowl will be described with reference to Figures 27 to 29. Figures 27(a), 28(a), and 29(a) are side views that show the bucket and toilet bowl, and Figures 27(b), 28(b), and 29(b) are views that show the shaft and shaft hole.

As shown in FIG. 27(a), the user stands above the toilet bowl 60 and grasps the handle 50 with one hand h1 while hooking the handle 40 of the container 20 from below with the other hand h2. Then, by lifting the handle 40, the container 20 is tilted forward together with the handle 50.

As shown in FIG. 28(a), by gradually increasing the inclination of the container 20, wastewater in the container 20 is quickly drained into the toilet. At this time, as shown in FIG. 28(b), the shaft 54 of the handle 50 is pushed from the periphery of the vertical hole 32, and a force (see arrow A1) acts on the shaft 54 to tilt it away from the vertical hole 32. However, since the vertical length of the front edge 32f of the vertical hole 32 is longer than the length of the first shaft edge 54a of the shaft 54, even if the shaft 54 tilts, the lower end 54ad of the first shaft edge 54a remains supported by the front edge 32f of the vertical hole 32. Therefore, the shaft 54 is prevented from coming off the vertical hole 32.

Therefore, as shown in Figures 29(a) and (b), even if the container 20 is tilted significantly, the shaft 54 does not come out of the vertical hole 32, and the handle 50 is not released. With the handle 50 remaining in a fixed state, the container 20 can be tilted as intended by the user. If the handle 50 is unintentionally released while the container 20 is being tilted, the container 20 may tilt suddenly, causing wastewater to be rapidly discharged and splashed outside the toilet bowl 60. However, this embodiment can prevent this from happening.

After draining the wastewater from the container 20 as described above, the user washes the bucket 10. In doing so, for example, the bucket 10 is placed on a sink or the floor of a bathtub, and the handle 50 is tilted backwards. This allows the inside of the container 20 to be washed without being hindered by the handle 50.

After washing the bucket 10, the user fills the container 20 with a specified volume of water. Then, the user lifts the handle 50 upright, carries the bucket 10 while holding the handle 50, and attaches it to the toilet body 2. After that, the user tilts the handle 50 backward and tilts the toilet seat 5 (see Figure 1) forward. This makes the portable toilet 1 usable again. Note that the task of filling the container 20 with water can be performed not only before attaching the bucket 10 to the toilet body 2, but also after attaching it to the toilet body 2.

The above is an example of how to use the bucket 10. Note that, in this example, the wastewater from the bucket 10 is discharged into the toilet bowl 60 of the toilet, but the place where the wastewater is discharged is not limited to the toilet bowl of the toilet.

Effects of the embodiment
Next, various effects brought about by this embodiment will be described.

According to the bucket 10 of this embodiment, the bucket 10 has a bottom wall 24 that is circular when viewed from above and a peripheral wall 26 that extends upward from the bottom wall 24, making it easy to wash. In addition, the front peripheral wall 26B of the peripheral wall 26 has a lower wall portion 27D, a left wall portion 27L, and a right wall portion 27R, and the lower wall portion 27D, the left wall portion 27L, and the right wall portion 27R form a flow path 27 that extends forward and backward when viewed from above. When the container 20 is tilted forward, the wastewater in the container 20 is discharged through the flow path 27. According to the bucket 10 of this embodiment, the flow path 27 is provided, so that the wastewater can be discharged smoothly. In addition, the left and right width W27 of the flow path 27 is larger than half the radius r24 of the bottom wall 24. The left and right width W27 of the flow path 27 is relatively large. Therefore, the flow path 27 can guide a relatively large amount of wastewater in a short period of time. Even if the container 20 is tilted relatively greatly to quickly drain the wastewater (see FIG. 29(a)), the wastewater will not spread out sideways beyond the flow path 27, and the wastewater can be prevented from splashing outside the toilet bowl 60. Therefore, the wastewater can be quickly drained from the container 20.

As shown in FIG. 9, by curving the bottom wall 24 in a concave shape, there is no bend in the bottom of the container 20, making the container 20 even easier to wash.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, when viewed from the side, the contour of the front peripheral wall 26B has a curved portion 26BL such that the inclination angle α with respect to the horizontal line decreases the further upward. This allows wastewater to be discharged more smoothly from the flow path 27. In addition, dirt is less likely to remain in the flow path 27 after the wastewater is discharged.

According to this embodiment, the container 20 is formed so that when water is stored in an amount that is 50% or less of the container 20's internal volume, the position of the center of gravity of the container 20 and the water in the front-to-rear direction is located between position P1, 10 mm forward from the front end of the axial hole 30, and position P2, 10 mm rearward from the rear end of the axial hole 30, regardless of the water level (see FIG. 20). This stabilizes the position of the bucket 10 when the handle 50 is lifted. This makes it easier to carry the bucket 10. It also makes it easier to drain wastewater from the bucket 10 into the toilet 60.

According to this embodiment, the container 20 is formed so that when 50% or less of the container 20's internal volume is filled with water, the position of the overall center of gravity G of the container 20 and the water is located behind the vertical plane VP passing through the axis C1 of the shaft hole 30 when the container 20 is tilted downward at an angle θ of less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane HP, and is located forward of the vertical plane VP passing through the axis C1 of the shaft hole 30 when the container 20 is tilted downward at an angle θ of less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane HP. As a result, even if the bucket 10 is tilted by shaking or touching furniture during removal and transportation, gravity acts in the direction to return the tilt, so the posture of the bucket 10 is stable. This makes it easier to carry the bucket 10.

According to this embodiment, a step 25 is provided on the peripheral wall 26 of the container 20 as a marker indicating the position of the water surface when 1 liter of water is stored in the container 20 (see FIG. 7). When pouring water into the container 20, by comparing the position of the step 25 with the water surface, it is possible to easily check whether 1 L of water has been stored in the container 20. This prevents more water than necessary from being stored in the container 20, and allows water to be saved.

As shown in FIG. 15, the upper edge 22 of the container 20 has a liquid drain plate 23 that protrudes forward from the front of the outer peripheral wall 22C. Therefore, when the container 20 is tilted forward to drain wastewater, the wastewater flows down from the tip of the liquid drain plate 23. This prevents wastewater from running down the outer peripheral wall 22C and the front peripheral wall 26B, preventing the outer peripheral wall 22C and the front peripheral wall 26B from becoming dirty. This prevents the outer peripheral wall 22C and the front peripheral wall 26B of the container 20 from becoming dirty when wastewater is drained.

<Other embodiments>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment is merely an example. The present invention can be embodied in various other forms. Next, examples of other embodiments will be briefly described.

In the above embodiment, the stopper 56 is inserted into the shaft hole 30 with the handle 50 tilted backward (see FIG. 23), but as shown in FIG. 30, the stopper 56 may be inserted into the shaft hole 30 with the handle 50 tilted forward. That is, the stopper 56 may be formed so that the protrusion 56B is located inside the vertical hole 32 when viewed from the axial direction when the handle 50 is tilted forward. In this case, the handle 50 can be attached to the container 20 by tilting the handle 50 forward. When the container 20 is attached to the toilet body 2 or placed on the floor, etc., if the handle 50 is tilted backward, the protrusion 56B of the stopper 56 is located below the circular hole 31, and the protrusion 56B can engage with the lower part of the circular hole 31. Therefore, the handle 50 can be prevented from coming off the container 20 not only when the handle 50 is lifted, but also when the handle 50 is tilted backward.

The shapes of the bottom wall 24 and the peripheral wall 26 of the container 20 described above are merely examples and are not limiting in any way.

As long as the shaft 54 of the handle 50 is rotatable, the shape of the shaft hole 30 is not particularly limited. The locking mechanism 55 that fixes the handle 50 to the container 20 so that it cannot rotate when the handle 50 is lifted may not be required.

The left and right width W27 of the flow passage 27 may be equal to or less than the radius r24A of the horizontal wall 24A of the bottom wall 24. The left and right width W27 of the flow passage 27 may be equal to or less than the radius r24 of the bottom wall 24. The left and right width W27 of the flow passage 27 may be equal to or less than the radius r28 of the annular leg 28.

When viewed from the side, the inclination angle α of the contour of part or all of the front peripheral wall 26B relative to the horizontal line does not have to decrease the further upward. The inclination angle α of the contour of part or all of the front peripheral wall 26B may be constant or may increase the further upward.

The container 20 may be formed so that the fore-aft position of the overall center of gravity of the container 20 and the water is located forward of position P1, which is 10 mm forward from the front end of the axial hole 30, or rearward of position P2, which is 10 mm rearward from the rear end of the axial hole 30, when the water level is at a predetermined level.

When the container 20 is tilted forward and downward, the position of the overall center of gravity of the container 20 and the water does not have to be located rearward of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the axial hole. When the container 20 is tilted backward and downward, the position of the overall center of gravity of the container 20 and the water does not have to be located forward of the vertical plane passing through the axis of the axial hole.

The volume of water indicated by the mark on the peripheral wall 26 (the step 25 in the above embodiment) is not limited to 1 liter. Also, the mark is not necessarily required and may be omitted.

The drain plate 23 of the container 20 may not be required.

1...Portable toilet, 2...Toilet body, 10...Portable toilet bucket, 20...Container, 22...Upper edge, 22C...Outer wall, 23...Draining plate, 24...Bottom wall, 24A...Horizontal wall, 25...Step (marker), 26...Peripheral wall, 26A...Rear peripheral wall, 26B...Front peripheral wall, 27...Flow path, 27D...Lower wall, 27L...Left wall, 27R...Right wall, 28...Annular leg, 30...Axial hole, 31...Circular hole, 32...Vertical hole, 32f...Front edge, 32b...Rear edge, 34...Reinforcing rib, 36A...Horizontal rib, 36B...Horizontal rib, 50...Handle, 54...Axle, 54a...First axis edge, 54b...Second axis edge, 54c...Third axis edge, 54d...Fourth axis edge, 58...Reinforcing part

Claims (11)

a container having an upper edge that opens upward;
a handle extending from the left portion to the right portion of the container and rotatably engaged with the container;
The container has a bottom wall that is circular when viewed from above, and a peripheral wall that extends upward from the bottom wall,
The peripheral wall has a rear peripheral wall having an arc-shaped horizontal cross section, and a front peripheral wall extending forward from the rear peripheral wall and having a forwardly convex horizontal cross section,
the front peripheral wall has a lower wall portion, a left wall portion extending upward from a left end of the lower wall portion, and a right wall portion extending upward from a right end of the lower wall portion,
a flow path extending forward and backward as viewed from above is formed by the lower wall portion, the left wall portion, and the right wall portion;
A portable toilet bucket, wherein the left and right width of the flow path is greater than half the radius of the bottom wall. The bottom wall has a horizontal wall that extends horizontally and is circular when viewed from above,
2. The portable toilet of claim 1, wherein the left-to-right width of the flow path is greater than the radius of the horizontal wall. The portable toilet bucket of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall is concavely curved. A portable toilet bucket according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the width of the flow passage from left to right is greater than the radius of the bottom wall. The container has an annular leg that is provided below the bottom wall and is generally annular when viewed from below,
A portable toilet bucket as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the left and right width of the flow path is greater than the radius of the annular leg. The portable toilet bucket according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the contour of the front peripheral wall, when viewed from the side, has a curved portion such that the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal line decreases the further upward. The left and right portions of the container are formed with an axial hole that engages with the handle,
A portable toilet bucket as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the container is formed so that when water is stored in the container at 50% or less of its internal volume, the front-to-rear position of the overall center of gravity of the container and the water is located between a position 10 mm forward of the front end of the axial hole and a position 10 mm rearward of the rear end of the axial hole regardless of the water level. The left and right portions of the container are formed with an axial hole that engages with the handle,
A portable toilet bucket as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the container is configured so that, when water is stored in an amount that is 50% or less of the container's internal volume, the position of the overall center of gravity of the container and the water is located rearward of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the axial hole, at least when the container is tilted downward toward the front at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and is located forward of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the axial hole, at least when the container is tilted downward toward the rear at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The portable toilet bucket according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the peripheral wall is provided with a mark indicating the position of the water surface when 1 liter of water is stored in the container. A portable toilet bucket according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the upper edge of the container has an outer peripheral wall extending vertically and a liquid drain plate protruding forward from the front of the outer peripheral wall. A portable toilet equipped with a portable toilet bucket according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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