JP7481741B2 - Toilet System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a toilet system.

Technology for displaying the presence of people in a toilet stall has been proposed in the past. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology in which an infrared sensor installed in a toilet stall detects the presence or absence of a person in the stall and displays the detected presence or absence of a person on a display.

Microfilm of Utility Model Application No. 63-162837

However, in the past, the occupancy display system and the automatic toilet flushing system were not integrated into one unit, so both systems had to be installed separately, and the installation process could be complicated. This led to problems with the time and effort required to install the systems.

The present invention aims to provide a toilet system that can improve the ease and speed of system installation by unitizing the occupancy display system and the automatic flushing system.

A toilet system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
A presence detection device that is installed in a toilet stall and has a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a person in the stall;
an opening/closing detection device connected to the presence detection device, detecting an opening/closing state of the door of the private room and outputting a detection result to the presence detection device;
A display device that displays the usage status of the private room;
A flushing device capable of automatically flushing the toilet bowl in the private room,
The occupancy detection device further has a control unit that controls the display of the usage status by the display device and the cleaning of the toilet by the cleaning device based on the detection result of the presence or absence of a person in the room by the detection unit and the detection result of the open/close state by the open/close detection device.

In the toilet system,
The control unit may control the display device to display that the private room is in use when the open/close detection device detects the door being closed and the detection unit detects the occupant, and then control the flushing device to flush the toilet when the detection unit no longer detects the occupant.

In the toilet system,
The opening/closing detection device may detect the opening/closing state of the door based on a contact/separation state of a magnet installed on the door.

In the toilet system,
the display device is installed at a location away from the toilet, and the control unit controls the display of the usage status by the display device through wireless communication or wired communication;
The control unit may control at least one of the display device and the cleaning device to measure the elapsed time from when the closed state of the door is detected by the opening/closing detection device and when the occupant is detected by the detection unit, and to output an alert when the elapsed time reaches a set time.

In the toilet system,
A plurality of the private rooms are provided, and each private room is provided with an occupancy detection device corresponding to a different identification number;
The display device may display the usage status of each individual room based on control of the display of the usage status by the control unit of each individual room's occupancy detection device and the identification number associated with each individual room's occupancy detection device.

According to the present invention, the occupancy indication system and the automatic cleaning system are integrated into a single unit, which makes it possible to improve the ease and speed of system installation work.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a toilet system according to a first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing a toilet system according to a first embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the toilet system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a toilet system according to a second embodiment.

Below, a toilet system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is one example of an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not to be interpreted as being limited to these embodiments. In addition, in the drawings referred to in this embodiment, identical parts or parts having similar functions are given the same or similar symbols, and repeated explanations will be omitted. Also, for convenience of explanation, the dimensional ratios of the drawings may differ from the actual ratios, and some components may be omitted from the drawings.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a toilet system 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the toilet system 1 includes a flush drive device 2, which is an example of a flushing device, a display device 3, an open/close detection device 4, and a presence detection device 5. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the toilet system 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the presence detection device 5 includes a detection unit 51 and a control unit 52. The display device 3 includes a display unit 31 and a display control unit 32. These components of the toilet system 1 will be described in detail below.

The flush drive device 2 is a device capable of automatically flushing the toilet bowl 7 in the toilet cubicle 6. The flush drive device 2 is connected to the occupancy detection device 5, for example, by wire. The flush drive device 2 automatically flushes the toilet bowl 7 by automatically draining water from the tank 8 installed in the toilet bowl 7 into the toilet bowl 7 according to a control signal S1 from the control unit 52 of the occupancy detection device 5. The specific form of the control signal S1 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a voltage signal or a current signal. The flush drive device 2 can be installed without modifying the flush lever part of an existing toilet, and may be configured to allow manual flushing by operating the flush lever part. The flush drive device 2 may also be equipped with an onomatopoeic sound output function that makes the sound of the toilet being used less audible with onomatopoeic sounds such as the sound of running water.

The display device 3 is installed outside the private room 6 and displays the presence or absence of a person in the private room 6. More specifically, the display device 3 is wirelessly connected to the presence detection device 5, and the display control unit 32 of the display device 3 displays the usage status of the private room 6 on the display unit 31 based on a control signal S2 by wireless communication from the control unit 52 of the presence detection device 5. The display device 3 is wired to the presence detection device 5, and the display control unit 32 of the display device 3 may display the usage status of the private room 6 on the display unit 31 based on a control signal by wired communication from the control unit 52 of the presence detection device 5. The display device 3 is not directly connected to the opening/closing detection device 4. The display device 3 may be installed in a location away from the toilet. By installing the display device 3 in a location away from the toilet, the usage status can be grasped from a location away from the toilet, thereby reducing congestion in the toilet. The display unit 31 may display the usage status by LED display, liquid crystal display, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the display device 3 displays the usage status of the men's restroom cubicles 6 by turning on the display board for the men's restroom when it is full and turning off the display board when it is vacant, or by displaying the display board in different colors when it is full and vacant, and displays the usage status of the women's restroom cubicles by turning on the display board for the women's restroom when it is full and turning off the display board when it is vacant, or by displaying the display board in different colors when it is full and vacant. However, the present invention is not limited to such a display mode of usage status. The display control unit 32 can be configured with hardware such as a CPU. A part of the display control unit 32 may be configured with software.

The opening/closing detection device 4 is connected to the occupancy detection device 5, for example, by wire, detects the open/closed state of the door 9 of the private room 6, and outputs the detection result to the occupancy detection device 5. More specifically, the opening/closing detection device 4 detects the approach/detachment state of the magnet 10 installed on the door 9 to the opening/closing detection device 4, and detects the open/closed state of the door 9 based on the detected approach/detachment state. The opening/closing detection device 4 may be, for example, a magnet sensor equipped with a reed switch.

The presence detection device 5 is installed in the toilet stall 6 and detects the presence or absence of a person in the stall 6. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the presence detection device 5 is installed on the wall in front of the toilet bowl 7 in the stall 6. The detection unit 51 of the presence detection device 5 detects the presence or absence of a person in the stall 6, for example, by infrared rays. The control unit 52 of the presence detection device 5 controls the display of the usage status of the stall 6 by the display device 3 and the flushing of the toilet bowl 7 by the flush drive device 2 based on the detection result of the presence or absence of a person by the detection unit 51 and the detection result of the open/closed state of the door 9 by the open/close detection device 4.

Specifically, when the open/close detection device 4 detects that the door 9 is closed and the detection unit 51 detects an occupant, the control unit 52 controls the display device 3 with the control signal S2 to display that the private room 6 is in use. On the other hand, when the open/close detection device 4 detects that the door 9 is open or the detection unit 51 detects no occupant, the control unit 52 controls the display device 3 with the control signal S2 to display that the private room 6 is vacant.

The control unit 52 also controls the flush drive unit 2 with a control signal S1 to flush the toilet bowl 7 when the open/close detection device 4 detects that the door 9 is closed and the detection unit 51 detects a person in the room, and then the detection unit 51 no longer detects a person in the room.

The control unit 52 may also measure the elapsed time from when the open/close detection device 4 detects the closed state of the door 9 and when the detection unit 51 detects a person in the room, and control at least one of the display device 3 and the flush drive device 2 to output an alert when the elapsed time reaches a set time. Outputting an alert can improve the safety of using the toilet. The alert by the display device 3 may be issued by displaying the usage status in a manner different from the normal (for example, blinking display). The alert by the flush drive device 2 may be issued by outputting sound in a manner different from the normal (for example, outputting an unpleasant sound). The control unit 52 may be configured with hardware such as a CPU and a data transmission/reception circuit. A part of the control unit 52 may be configured with software.

Next, an example of the operation of the toilet system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, first, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the closed state of the door 9 has been detected based on the detection result output from the open/close detection device 4 (step S1).

If the door 9 is detected as being closed (step S1: Yes), the control unit 52 determines whether or not a person has been detected in the private room 6 based on the detection result of the detection unit 51 (step S2). On the other hand, if the door 9 is not detected as being closed (step S1: No), the control unit 52 repeats the determination of whether or not the door 9 is detected as being closed (step S1).

If a person is detected in the private room 6 (step S2: Yes), the control unit 52 controls the display device 3 to display that the private room 6 is in use and starts measuring the elapsed time (step S3). On the other hand, if a person is not detected in the private room 6 (step S2: No), the control unit 52 repeatedly determines whether a person is detected in the private room 6 (step S2).

After causing the display device 3 to display that the private room 6 is in use and starting to measure the elapsed time, the control unit 52 determines whether or not a person is no longer detected in the private room 6 based on the detection result of the detection unit 51 (step S4).

If no occupant is detected (step S4: Yes), the control unit 52 controls the flush drive device 2 to automatically flush the toilet bowl 7 (step S5). On the other hand, if an occupant is detected (step S4: No), the control unit 52 determines whether the elapsed time has reached a preset time (step S8).

If the elapsed time reaches the set time (step S8: Yes), the control unit 52 causes at least one of the display device 3 and the flush drive device 2 to output an alert (step S9). After outputting the alert, the control unit 52 repeatedly determines whether or not a person is no longer detected (step S4).

On the other hand, if the elapsed time has not reached the set time (step S8: No), the control unit 52 repeats the determination as to whether or not a person is no longer detected (step S4).

After causing the flush drive device 2 to automatically flush the toilet bowl 7, the control unit 52 determines whether or not the open state of the door 9 has been detected based on the detection result of the open/close detection device 4 (step S6).

If the open state of the door 9 is detected (step S6: Yes), the control unit 52 stops measuring the elapsed time (step S7).

On the other hand, if the open state of the door 9 is not detected (step S6: No), the control unit 52 determines whether the elapsed time has reached a preset time (step S10).

If the elapsed time reaches the set time (step S10: Yes), the control unit 52 causes at least one of the display device 3 and the water flush drive device 2 to output an alert (step S11). After outputting the alert, the control unit 52 repeatedly determines whether the open state of the door 9 has been detected (step S6).

On the other hand, if the elapsed time has not reached the set time (step S10: No), the control unit 52 repeats the determination as to whether the open state of the door 9 has been detected (step S6).

Next, we will explain the effects of the toilet system 1 according to the first embodiment configured as described above.

In conventional toilet systems, the occupancy display system is composed of an open/close detection device 4 and a display device 3, and the automatic flushing system is composed of an occupancy detection device 5 and a flush drive device 2; the occupancy display system and the automatic flushing system are independent of each other. This means that the occupancy display system and the automatic flushing system must be installed separately, and also requires complex work such as connecting the open/close detection device 4 and the display device 3 with a wire. This means that conventionally, the installation of the system was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

In contrast, according to the toilet system 1 of the first embodiment, the open/close detection device 4 and the occupancy detection device 5 are connected, and the control of the display of the usage status of the cubicle 6 by the display device 3 and the control of the automatic flushing by the flush drive device 2 can be integrated on the occupancy detection device 5 side. In other words, according to the toilet system 1 of the first embodiment, the occupancy display system and the automatic flushing system can be integrated into a single unit. This allows the occupancy display system and the automatic flushing system to be installed simultaneously, improving the ease and speed of the installation work.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment in which the occupancy status of a plurality of private rooms 6 is displayed based on the identification numbers will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the second embodiment, multiple cubicles 6 are installed in the same toilet, and each cubicle 6 is provided with an occupancy detection device 5 associated with a different identification number (identification numbers 1 to 3 in the example shown in FIG. 4).

The display control unit 32 (see FIG. 2) of the display device 3 displays the usage status of each private room 6 based on the control of the display of the usage status by the respective control units 52 (see FIG. 2) of the occupancy detection devices 5 for each private room 6 and the identification number associated with each of the occupancy detection devices 5 for each private room 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the display control unit 32 is instructed by the control units 52 of the occupancy detection devices 5 with identification numbers 1 and 3, in which no occupant P has been detected, to display that the private room 6 is vacant, and when the display control unit 32 is instructed by the control unit 52 of the occupancy detection device 5 with identification number 2, in which occupant P has been detected, to display that the private room 6 is in use, it displays "In use 1, Vacant 2."

According to the second embodiment, it is possible to display the usage status corresponding to multiple private rooms 6, thereby improving convenience.

The aspects of the present invention are not limited to the individual embodiments described above, but include various modifications that may be conceived by a person skilled in the art, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above. In other words, various additions, modifications, and partial deletions are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the conceptual idea and intent of the present invention derived from the contents defined in the claims and their equivalents.

It is also possible to combine or replace parts of the configurations described in the embodiments including the above-mentioned modified examples. Furthermore, it is also possible to apply only parts of the configurations described in the embodiments including the above-mentioned modified examples. In these cases, in addition to those explicitly stated in this specification, there are unique configurations derived from each of the configurations.

1 Toilet system 2 Flush drive device 3 Display device 4 Open/close detection device 5 Presence detection device 51 Detection unit 52 Control unit 6 Private room 7 Toilet bowl

Claims (5)

A presence detection device is installed in front of a toilet bowl in a toilet stall and has a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a person in the stall by infrared rays ;
A display device that displays the usage status of the private room;
an opening/closing detection device that is connected to the presence detection device and is not directly connected to the display device, and detects an opening/closing state of the door of the private room and outputs a detection result to the presence detection device ;
a flushing device capable of automatically flushing the toilet bowl in the private room;
The occupancy detection device further has a control unit that controls the display of the usage status by the display device and the flushing of the toilet bowl by the flushing device based on the detection result of the presence or absence of a person by the detection unit and the detection result of the open/close state by the open/close detection device. The toilet system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the display device to display that the private room is in use when the open/close detection device detects the door is closed and the detection unit detects the occupant, and then controls the flushing device to flush the toilet bowl when the detection unit no longer detects the occupant. The toilet system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the open/close detection device detects the open/close state of the door based on the contact/disconnection state of a magnet installed on the door. the display device is installed at a location away from the toilet, and the control unit controls the display of the usage status by the display device through wireless communication or wired communication;
The toilet system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit measures the elapsed time from when the closed state of the door is detected by the opening/closing detection device and when the occupant is detected by the detection unit using the infrared rays, and controls at least one of the display device and the flushing device to output an alert when the elapsed time reaches a set time. A plurality of the private rooms are provided, and each private room is provided with an occupancy detection device corresponding to a different identification number,
A toilet system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display device displays the usage status of each individual room based on control of the display of the usage status by the respective control units of the occupancy detection devices for each individual room and the identification number associated with each occupancy detection device for each individual room.

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