JP7514722B2 - Toilet - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a toilet bowl.

Patent Document 1 discloses a toilet equipped with a toilet flushing device. This toilet has a rear cover that covers the toilet flushing device at the rear of the toilet body.

JP 2013-087519 A

A power cord that supplies power to the toilet flushing device and a water supply hose that supplies flushing water to the toilet flushing device are arranged behind the toilet body. The power cord and water supply hose tend to get caught unintentionally between other components, and there is a need for technology to prevent interference between the power cord and water supply hose and other components. However, Patent Document 1 does not consider at all how to prevent interference between the power cord and water supply hose and other components.

This disclosure was completed based on the above circumstances, and aims to reduce interference between at least one of the power cord and the water supply hose and other components.

The toilet disclosed herein comprises a toilet body and a rear cover that covers a functional section at the rear of the toilet body, and the rear cover is provided with a positioning section that positions at least one of the power cord and the water supply hose.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a toilet according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which a rear cover is removed from FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear cover as seen obliquely from the front. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the positioning portion and the power cord. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. 13 is a rear view showing how the front cover is assembled. 13 is a view showing how the front cover is assembled, as viewed obliquely from the front. FIG. FIG. 11 is a rear view showing a positioning portion and a water supply hose according to another embodiment.

As shown in Figure 1, the toilet 10 of the first embodiment comprises a toilet body 11, a toilet flushing device 30, a rear cover 40, and a front cover 50. Hereinafter, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of each component will respectively indicate the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction as seen by a person seated on the toilet 10. In each figure, the up-down direction is indicated by arrows UP and DW, the front-rear direction is indicated by arrows FR and BW, and the left-right direction is indicated by arrows L and R.

The toilet body 11 has a toilet bowl and a toilet drainage channel 13 (not shown). The downstream end of the toilet drainage channel 13 opens in the left-right center at the rear of the toilet body 11. The toilet drainage channel 13 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) located to the left of the toilet body 11 by a connecting member 14. The connecting member 14 is a connecting pipe that bends and extends to the left from the toilet drainage channel 13. A toilet seat device 20 is attached to the upper part of the toilet body 11.

The toilet seat device 20 includes a toilet seat box 21, a toilet seat (not shown), and a toilet lid 27. The toilet seat box 21 has a cover body 22 and a base member 23 (see FIG. 8), and houses various devices (not shown) inside. The various devices include, for example, a private parts cleansing device, a warm air drying device, a deodorizing device, a toilet seat/toilet lid opening/closing device, a human body detection device, and a control device for controlling these devices. The base member 23 is fixed to the rear upper surface of the toilet body 11 by bolting or the like.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the toilet flushing device 30 is provided at the rear upper part of the toilet 10. The toilet flushing device 30 includes flush water supply passages 31A and 31B, an on-off valve (not shown), a constant flow valve, a check valve, and a pressure accumulator 32. The flush water supply passage 31A and the on-off valve shown in Fig. 1 are arranged in the toilet seat box 21. The constant flow valve and the check valve are provided in the valve case 33. The valve case 33 is arranged so as to protrude downward from the base member 23. The valve case 33 is an example of a functional part. The pressure accumulator 32 adds the water force of the pressure accumulator water discharged from the pressure accumulator 32 to the flush water flowing in the flush water supply passages 31A and 31B. The pressure accumulator 32 is another example of a functional part. The pressure accumulator 32 is a substantially cylindrical body extending in the left-right direction, and is suspended from the base member 23. The pressure accumulator 32 is connected to the flush water supply passage upstream of the on-off valve by a connecting pipe 34A. A drain plug 34 is provided on the connecting pipe 34A and protrudes downward. The pressure accumulator 32 and the valve case 33 are arranged side by side below the base member 23.

The toilet seat device 20 and the toilet flushing device 30 are powered by a power cord 35 shown in Figures 2 and 3. The power cord 35 is led downward from the rear end of the toilet seat box 21, passes between the pressure accumulator 32 and the valve case 33, and is pulled out downward from the rear cover 40. The power cord 35 pulled out from the rear cover 40 is connected to a socket (not shown) provided on the wall W.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the rear cover 40 covers the valve case 33 and the pressure accumulator 32 from the rear of the toilet body 11. The rear cover 40 is fixed to the base member 23. In detail, the upper end of the rear cover 40 is hooked to the base member 23 at the right end. The upper end of the rear cover 40 is screwed to the base member 23 at the center. The toilet 10 has a connecting member 14 disposed directly below the rear cover 40. The lower end 41 of the rear cover 40 is formed in an arc shape with a predetermined gap between it and the outer circumferential surface of the connecting member 14. The predetermined gap is set according to the assembly error of the connecting member 14 so that the rear cover 40 and the connecting member 14 do not interfere with each other.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear cover 40 has a rear wall portion 40A, a left wall portion 40B, a right wall portion 40C, and a lower wall portion 40D. The rear wall portion 40A has a generally rectangular shape extending left and right, and constitutes the rear surface of the toilet bowl 10 below the toilet seat box 21. In the installed state of the toilet bowl 10 shown in FIG. 1, the rear wall portion 40A is disposed opposite the wall surface W. The front surface of the rear wall portion 40A is provided with a protruding portion 42 and a rear screw fastening portion 43 that are fixed to the front cover 50. The left wall portion 40B and the right wall portion 40C are provided in a form that rises forward from the left and right ends of the rear wall portion 40A. The left wall portion 40B and the right wall portion 40C are provided with pedestal portions 44, 44 that protrude left and right, respectively. The pedestal portion 44 has an attachment surface for attaching the side cover 15 shown in FIG. 1. In a configuration in which the pedestals 44, 44 are provided on the rear cover 40, sink marks caused by the pedestals do not appear on the exterior of the toilet 10, as would occur if the pedestals were provided on the rear surface of the side cover 15. This improves the appearance quality of the toilet 10. Mounting fixtures (not shown), such as hook-and-loop fasteners, are provided on the mounting surfaces of the pedestals 44, 44. With this configuration, the mounting fixtures can be reliably attached in the correct position, using the pedestals 44, 44 as markers.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the rear cover 40 is provided with a positioning portion 45 for positioning the power cord 35. The positioning portion 45 is provided at a position exposed to the outside on the rear cover 40. Specifically, the rear cover 40 has a notch portion 46 and a standing wall 47 rising forward from the edge of the notch portion 46. The notch portion 46 is formed by cutting out the lower end portion 41 of the rear cover 40. The positioning portion 45 is provided in a form protruding from the standing wall 47 into the notch portion 46, and is exposed rearward and downward from the notch portion 46. In other words, the positioning portion 45 is exposed to the outside at a position away from the outer peripheral edge of the rear cover 40 toward the center of the rear cover 40. The standing wall 47 is provided at the left edge of the notch portion 46. A standing wall is also provided at the right edge of the notch portion 46. The upper edge of the cutout 46 is formed like a eaves that is lower than the standing wall 47, and the front surface is curved. With this configuration, even if the power cord 35 comes into contact with the upper edge of the cutout 46, the power cord 35 is unlikely to be damaged.

The positioning portion 45 contacts at least the front surface of the power cord 35. Specifically, the positioning portion 45 is hook-shaped and contacts the front surface and the right surface of the power cord 35. The positioning portion 45 restricts the forward movement of the power cord 35, preventing the power cord 35 from wrapping around the underside of the base member 23. The left surface of the power cord 35 contacts the standing wall 47. The rear surface of the power cord 35 contacts the upper edge of the notch portion 46 above the positioning portion 45. The rear cover 40 restricts the movement of the power cord 35 in the front, rear, left and right directions by the positioning portion 45, the standing wall 47 and the upper edge of the notch portion 46. In the present disclosure, the contact of the power cord 35 with the positioning portion 45, etc. is not limited to a configuration in which the power cord 35 is always in contact with the positioning portion 45, etc. The power cord 35 may contact the positioning portion 45, etc. during the installation work of the toilet seat device 20 or when an external force acts on the power cord 35.

The positioning portion 45 is provided at the lower end 41 of the rear cover 40, as shown in FIG. 2. The power cord 35 is pulled downward from the positioning portion 45 and routed toward the outlet. The positioning portion 45 is provided at the center portion CP in the left-right direction of the rear cover 40. If the left-right dimension of the rear cover 40 is 1, the center portion CP can be in the range of 1/4 to 3/4 of the dimension from the left end. In detail, the positioning portion 45 is provided at the right end of the area formed in an arc shape at the lower end 41.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the rear cover 40 has a recess 48 in which a portion of the power cord 35 is housed. The recess 48 is formed in a groove shape that opens to the front surface of the rear wall portion 40A and extends vertically. In other words, the recess 48 opens toward the pressure accumulator 32 and the valve case 33. The recess 48 is formed in a position that overlaps with the diameter portion of the pressure accumulator 32 immediately behind the pressure accumulator 32 and in the vicinity thereof. The rearmost portion of the rear surface of the recess 48 is disposed forward of the rearmost portion of the toilet bowl 10. With this configuration, there is no risk of the recess 48 narrowing the distance between the rearmost portion of the toilet bowl 10 and the wall surface W due to the formation of the recess 48.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the front cover 50 covers the pressure accumulator 32 from the front at the rear of the toilet body 11. The front cover 50 and the rear cover 40 are assembled together to form a space below the base member 23 to accommodate the pressure accumulator 32.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the front cover 50 is fixed to the base member 23. In detail, the front cover 50 has a hook portion 51 that is hooked to the base member 23 and a front screw portion 52 that is screwed to the base member 23. The hook portion 51 has a cross rib shape that protrudes to the left. The tip of the hook portion 51 has chamfered left and right corners and a lower corner. The hook portion 51 is inserted into a box-shaped insertion portion 24 provided in the base member 23. The front screw portion 52 is fastened to the base screw hole portion 25 provided in the base member 23 via a screw. A protrusion 53 that contacts the right side of the base screw hole portion 25 is provided on the front surface of the front screw portion 52. The protrusion 53 contacts the right side of the base screw hole 25, determining the insertion position of the latch part 51 relative to the insertion part 24 and preventing rattling caused by the clearance between the insertion part 24 and the latch part 51.

As shown in FIG. 8, the front cover 50 is provided with an engagement portion 54 and a front screw hole portion 55 to which the protrusion 42 and the rear screw fastening portion 43 provided on the rear cover 40 are fixed. The engagement portion 54 is box-shaped and protrudes rearward. The front screw hole portion 55 has a boss-shaped screw hole in the seat surface of the base. A reinforcing rib 56 extending to the left and right is provided between the engagement portion 54 and the front screw hole portion 55. As shown in FIG. 3, when the pressure accumulator 32 is assembled to the front cover 50, a gap 57 is formed between the reinforcing rib 56 and the outer peripheral surface of the pressure accumulator 32 for inserting fingers. This configuration improves the ease of assembly of the pressure accumulator 32 to the front cover 50.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 10, the rear cover 40 and the front cover 50 constitute a protective part 60 that protects the drain plug 34. The protective part 60 has a rear protrusion 49 that protrudes downward from the rear cover 40 and a front protrusion 59 that protrudes downward from the front cover 50. The rear protrusion 49 and the front protrusion 59 support the toilet seat device 20 in front of and behind the drain plug 34 so that the drain plug 34 does not contact the floor surface F when the toilet seat device 20 is placed on the floor as shown in Fig. 10. When the toilet seat device 20 is attached to the toilet body 11 as shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the rear protrusion 49 is located above the lower end of the drain plug 34. With this configuration, interference between the rear protrusion 49 and the connecting member 14 arranged directly below the rear protrusion 49 can be avoided. When the toilet seat device 20 is attached to the toilet body 11, the lower end of the front protrusion 59 is located lower than the lower end of the drain plug 34. In other words, the protective part 60 can adequately protect the drain plug 34 by providing the front protrusion 59 on the front cover 50, which is not likely to interfere with the connecting member 14, while keeping the lower end of the rear protrusion 49 above.

The method of attaching the front cover 50 and rear cover 40 to the toilet seat device 20 will be described. The front cover 50 and rear cover 40 are attached to the toilet seat device 20 before the toilet seat device 20 is placed on the toilet body 11.

First, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the worker brings the front cover 50 closer to the base member 23 from the right, inserts the hooking portion 51 into the insertion portion 24, and aligns the positions of the base screw hole portion 25 and the front screwing portion 52. Then, the front screwing portion 52 is screwed into the base screw hole portion 25. Next, the worker brings the rear cover 40 closer to the front cover 50 from the rear, inserts the protruding portion 42 into the fitting portion 54, and aligns the positions of the front screw hole portion 55 and the rear screwing portion 43. The rear screwing portion 43 is screwed into the front screw hole portion 55, and the rear cover 40 is fixed to the base member 23. Then, the power cord 35 is moved behind the positioning portion 45 and hooked onto the positioning portion 45. With the above, the installation of the front cover 50 and the rear cover 40 to the toilet seat device 20 is completed.

The method of installing the toilet 10 equipped with the pressure accumulator 32 will be described. The installer removes the rear cover 40 from the toilet seat device 20 to which the front cover 50 and rear cover 40 are attached. Next, the installer attaches the pressure accumulator 32 to the base member 23 using a hanging bracket (not shown). At this time, the power cord 35 is passed behind the pressure accumulator 32. The installer reattaches the rear cover 40 to the toilet seat device 20 in the same manner as the installation method described above, and hooks the power cord 35 onto the positioning portion 45. In this state, part of the power cord 35 is housed in the recess 48.

The installer sets up the toilet body 11. Next, the installer attaches the toilet seat device 20, to which the front cover 50, pressure accumulator 32, and rear cover 40 are attached, to the toilet body 11. Specifically, the installer stands in front of the toilet seat device 20, holds the toilet seat device 20 in his/her hands, and places the toilet seat device 20 on the toilet body 11. During this process, the flush water supply channel 31A on the toilet seat device 20 side, which opens downward as shown in Figure 1, is connected to the flush water supply channel 31B on the toilet body 11 side, which opens upward. The flush water supply channels 31A and 31B are located in positions that are difficult for the installer holding the toilet seat device 20 in his/her hands to see.

When the toilet seat device 20 is placed on the toilet body 11 in a forward tilted position, the power cord 35 is subjected to a force acting on the power cord 35 in a direction that causes it to wrap around the bottom of the base member 23 due to its own weight. For this reason, if the positioning portion 45 is not provided, there is a concern that the power cord 35 will move forward and become caught between the flush water supply path 31A on the toilet seat device 20 side and the flush water supply path 31B on the toilet body 11 side. In this embodiment, even if a force acts on the power cord 35 in a direction that causes it to wrap around the bottom of the base member 23, the positioning portion 45 restricts the forward movement of the power cord 35. For this reason, the power cord 35 is less likely to become caught between the flush water supply path 31A on the toilet seat device 20 side and the flush water supply path 31B on the toilet body 11 side, and the workability when placing the toilet seat device 20 is good. After placing the toilet seat device 20 on the toilet body 11, the installer fixes the toilet seat device 20 to the toilet body 11 by bolting or the like. The installer connects the power cord 35 pulled out from the rear cover 40 to an electrical outlet. This completes the installation of the toilet 10.

The operation and effects of the embodiment configured as described above are explained below.

The toilet 10 of this embodiment includes a toilet body 11 and a rear cover 40 that covers the pressure accumulator 32 and the valve case 33 behind the toilet body 11. The rear cover 40 is provided with a positioning portion 45 that positions the power cord 35. According to this toilet 10, the position of the power cord 35 is determined by the positioning portion 45 provided on the rear cover 40, and interference between the power cord 35 and other components can be suppressed. Therefore, when the toilet seat device 20 is attached to the toilet body 11, it is possible to suppress the power cord 35 from being unintentionally caught between the flush water supply channel 31A on the toilet seat device 20 side and the flush water supply channel 31B on the toilet body 11 side. Furthermore, even when the toilet seat device 20 is attached to the toilet body 11, the power cord 35 can be pulled out from the normal position to suppress interference between the power cord 35 and other components such as the connection member 14.

The positioning portion 45 in this embodiment is provided at a position exposed to the outside on the rear cover 40. With this configuration, the positioning portion 45 can determine the position at which the power cord 35 is pulled out from the toilet 10 to the outside. This prevents the power cord 35 from being pulled and interfering unintentionally with the pressure accumulator 32, valve case 33, etc., when the power cord 35 pulled out from the toilet 10 to the outlet. With the configuration in which the positioning portion 45 is exposed to the outside, the positioning portion 45 does not have an undercut shape, and the positioning portion 45 can be easily formed.

In this embodiment, the positioning portion 45 is provided at the lower end 41 of the rear cover 40. This configuration makes it easy to route the power cord 35 left or right, as shown in FIG. 6, depending on the location of the outlet.

The positioning portion 45 in this embodiment is provided in the left-right center portion CP of the rear cover 40. With this configuration, the power cord 35 can be easily connected to an outlet located on either the left or right side of the toilet body 11. With the positioning portion 45 provided in the left-right center portion CP, the position where the power cord 35 is pulled out is difficult to see from the front of the toilet body 11. This prevents the user from getting a cluttered impression due to the power cord 35 being visible.

The rear cover 40 of this embodiment has a recess 48 in which a portion of the power cord 35 is housed. With this configuration, the power cord 35 can be housed in the recess 48 while avoiding the pressure accumulator 32 and the valve case 33, and the power cord 35 is less likely to interfere with the pressure accumulator 32 and the valve case 33.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

The positioning portion 145 shown in FIG. 11 positions the water supply hose 135. An example of the water supply hose 135 is a hose for supplying grey water to the toilet flushing device.

The position of the positioning portion is not limited. For example, the positioning portion may be provided on the front surface of the rear wall portion. The positioning portion may be provided so as to protrude outward from the outer peripheral edge of the rear wall portion. The positioning portion may be provided on either the right end portion or the left end portion of the rear cover.

The shape of the rear cover can be changed. The rear cover may not have a recess in which a portion of the power cord is accommodated, and the rear wall may be flat. The lower end of the rear cover may be formed in a straight line, provided that a distance from the outer circumferential surface of the connection member is secured.

The shape of the positioning portion and the manner in which the position of the power cord is determined are not limited. For example, the positioning portion may be configured with a pair of walls, and the power cord may be press-fitted between the pair of walls.

The functional part is not limited to the pressure accumulator and the valve case. The functional part may be a part of the water supply hose or a drainage channel in the toilet body. If the water pressure of the flushing water supplied is sufficient, the toilet does not need to be equipped with a pressure accumulator.

10...toilet bowl, 11...toilet bowl body, 32...pressure accumulator, functional part, 33...valve case, functional part, 35...power cord, 40...rear cover, 41...lower end, 45, 145...positioning part, 48...recess, 135...water supply hose, CP...center part

Claims (5)

The toilet bowl body,
A rear cover that covers a functional part at the rear of the toilet body,
The rear cover is provided with a positioning portion for positioning at least one of a power cord and a water supply hose ,
The rear cover has a cutout portion and a standing wall provided in the cutout portion,
The positioning portion is a hook-shaped member provided on the vertical wall . The toilet according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion is provided at a position on the rear cover that is exposed to the outside. The toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the positioning portion is provided at the lower end of the rear cover. The toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positioning portion is provided in the center of the rear cover in the left-right direction. The toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rear cover has a recess in which at least one part of the power cord and the water supply hose is accommodated.

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