JPH05168572A - Stool apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve a saving of power by keeping the temperature of a stool at a standby temperature lower than a set value while no sitting is on the stool to make the standby temperature lower at nights than that during the daytime. CONSTITUTION:A microcomputer 12 controls a stool heater 17 to keep the temperature of a stool detected with a temperature detection circuit 14 at a set value when a sitting output is given based on an output of a sitting sensor 13 and the temperature of the stool is kept at a standby temperature lower than the set value. The microcomputer 12 also judges whether it is during the daytime or at night based on an output of a photo detector 11. When it is determined to be at night, the stool heater 17 is controlled to turn the standby temperature of the stool lower than that when it is determined to be during the daytime thereby enabling a saving of power.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toilet seat device for heating a toilet seat with a heater.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a heater equipped with a heater for heating a toilet seat in order to eliminate the coldness when sitting on the toilet seat (for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 55-150881).
Conventionally, this type of toilet seat was generally heated to the set temperature all day long, but recently, to save power, it is heated to the set temperature only during the sitting period on the toilet seat, and at other times than the set temperature. Also, a system of maintaining a low standby temperature has been commercialized.

[0003]

Although it is possible to save a certain amount of labor by lowering the temperature of the toilet seat during the non-use period as described above, the standby temperature at night when the toilet seat is not frequently used can be set to If the standby temperature is set to be high during the daytime, it is not possible to sufficiently save power at night. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to save power during the daytime and at the nighttime.

[0004]

According to the present invention, a toilet seat placed on a toilet bowl, a heater for heating the toilet seat, a seating detection means for detecting seating on the toilet seat, and an energization of the heater are controlled. The control means holds the toilet seat at a set temperature when there is a seating output based on the output of the seating detection means, and when the seating output disappears, the toilet seat has a standby temperature lower than the set temperature. In the toilet seat device for controlling the heating means to hold, a light detection means for detecting light around the toilet seat and a determination means for determining whether it is daytime or nighttime based on the output of the detection means are provided, and the control means is provided. When the nighttime determination is performed by this determination means, the standby temperature is changed to a temperature lower than that when the daytime determination is performed.

[0005]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, after the user sits on the toilet seat and leaves the toilet seat, the temperature of the toilet seat is maintained at a standby temperature lower than the set temperature to save power. Furthermore, the standby temperature at night is lowered below the standby temperature during the day to further reduce power consumption.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 3, a toilet bowl (4) is arranged in a room (3) having a window (1) and a lighting (2), and this toilet bowl (4)
A toilet seat (5) and a lid (6) are rotatably mounted on it. A seating sensor (not shown) is provided between the toilet bowl (4) and the toilet seat (5) to detect and output the seating on the toilet seat (5). Behind the toilet bowl (4) is a water storage tank (7) and a first
The storage box (8) is disposed, and the second storage box (9) is disposed laterally. The first storage box (8) is provided with a part of a device for cleaning and drying a local portion, and the second storage box (9) is provided with a part of the cleaning and drying device and a control circuit unit. is doing. The operation panel (10) and light (illuminance) are provided on the upper surface of the second storage box (9).
A detector (11) is provided.

Next, the structure of the control circuit section will be described with reference to FIG. The control circuit section is mainly composed of a microcomputer (12) in which a processing program is stored in advance, and the photodetector (11), the seating sensor (13),
The temperature detection circuit (14) and the operation display circuit (15) provided on the operation panel (10) are connected. On the other hand, the AC power source is connected to the toilet seat heater (1) via the first relay contact (16).
7) and the hot water heater (19) is connected via the second relay contact (18). The toilet seat heater (17) is arranged in the toilet seat (5) so as to heat the toilet seat (5),
The warm water heater (19) is arranged in the portion of the cleaning device that stores the cleaning water. And the first relay contact (16)
Is controlled by the microcomputer (12) via the first heater drive circuit (20) and the second relay contact (18) via the second heater drive circuit (21). The temperature detection circuit (14) includes detection elements for detecting the temperature of the toilet seat (5) and the temperature of the wash water, respectively.

The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. First, the temperature of the toilet seat (5) and the temperature of the wash water are
Microcomputer (12) automatically TS and TS '
However, they can be changed arbitrarily by operating the operation panel (10). The microcomputer (12) takes in the output of the photodetector (11) and determines whether it is daytime or nighttime (absolute determination) depending on whether the illuminance in the room (3) is equal to or higher than a preset illuminance. In addition to this, the ratio of the illuminance in the room (3) and the previously determined illuminance (for example, the average illuminance at dawn or the maximum illuminance of the previous day) is determined, and if the ratio is less than or equal to a predetermined value, it is determined to be night. Alternatively, a method of determining the daytime (relative determination) may be used as long as it is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

When the nighttime determination is made, for example,
Set the temperature of the toilet seat (5) to the set temperature TS as shown at t1.
The second standby temperature TS2 is lower than that of the toilet seat heater (17) via the first drive circuit (20) so that the temperature of the toilet seat (5) detected by the temperature detection circuit (14) becomes this temperature. Control energization. Similarly, the temperature of the cleaning water is set to the second standby temperature TS lower than the set temperature TS '.
2 ', so that the temperature of the wash water detected by the temperature detection circuit (14) becomes this temperature, the second drive circuit (2
The energization of the hot water heater (19) is controlled via 1). As a result, the toilet seat heater (1
7) and the power consumption of the hot water heater (19) can be significantly reduced.

At dawn time t2, the photodetector (1
The illuminance detected by 1) gradually increases, and the microcomputer (12) makes a daytime judgment at time t3 as a result of the absolute judgment or relative judgment described above. When the daytime determination is performed, the microcomputer (12) sets the first standby temperature TS1 higher than the second standby temperature TS2,
The toilet seat heater (17) is controlled so that the temperature of the toilet seat (5) becomes this temperature, and in accordance with this, the temperature of the wash water is higher than the second standby temperature TS2 ', that is, the first standby temperature TS1'. The energization of the hot water heater (19) is also controlled so that As a result, the toilet seat and wash water after t3 are loosened to near their respective set temperatures.

When the user sits on the toilet seat (5) at time t4, the seat sensor (13) detects and outputs it. The microcomputer (12) receives the output of the seating sensor (13) and has a set temperature TS that is higher than the first standby temperature TS1.
And the energization of the toilet seat heater (17) is controlled so that the toilet seat (5) is at this temperature, and in accordance with this, the temperature of the wash water is set to the set temperature TS 'by the hot water heater (19). It also controls energization. As a result, the temperature of the toilet seat (5) becomes a comfortable temperature, and the temperature of the cleaning water ejected from the cleaning device also becomes a comfortable temperature.

At time t5, the seat sensor (1
When the output of 3) disappears, the microcomputer (1
In 2), the temperature settings of the toilet seat and the wash water are changed to the first standby temperatures (TS1, TS1 ') to suppress the power consumption of the toilet seat heater (17) and the hot water heater (19).

When the output of the illuminance sensor (11) gradually decreases in the evening, the microcomputer (12) makes the nighttime determination by the above-described determination at time t6. When the nighttime determination is performed, the microcomputer (12) changes the first standby temperature to the second standby temperature, respectively, and reduces the heat generation amounts of the toilet seat heater (17) and the hot water heater (19). It is also possible to stop the fever of.

When the illumination (2) in the room (3) is turned on at time t7, the output of the photodetector (11) rapidly rises from 0. When the illuminance sharply rises from 0, the microcomputer (12) makes a determination equivalent to sitting on the toilet seat (5) and changes the second standby temperature to the set temperature. This allows the seating sensor (13)
Thus, the temperature of the toilet seat (5) and the wash water can be raised earlier than when seating is detected. Lighting (2)
Seat sensor (13) even when seated without turning on
The output is changed to the set temperature. When the seating sensor (13) detects detachment from the toilet seat (5) at time t8, the microcomputer (12) changes the temperature settings of the toilet seat and the wash water from the set temperature to the first standby temperature, respectively. When the illumination is turned off at time t9, the temperature is changed to the second standby temperature. This can significantly reduce the power consumption of the toilet seat heater (17) and the hot water heater (19) at night.

Further, as shown by t10 to t12, t1
After the lighting (2) is turned on at time 0, if there is no seating output for a predetermined time (T), the microcomputer (12) t
The temperature is changed from the set temperature to the first standby temperature at time 11 and when the illumination (2) is turned off, the temperature is changed to the second standby temperature at time t12.

The toilet seat heater (17) and the hot water heater (1
When energization control to 9) is performed using a timer, the time can be adjusted using the output of the photodetector (11). That is, as shown in FIG. 4, since the output of the photodetector (11) is substantially left-right symmetric about 12 o'clock from 0 o'clock to 24 o'clock, there are two points with a predetermined illuminance (A). Times (A1) and (A2) can be obtained, and the midpoint thereof can be set at 12:00.

[0017]

As described above, the present invention maintains the temperature of the toilet seat at the standby temperature lower than the set temperature when the seat is not seated on the toilet seat, and the standby temperature at night is lower than that at daytime. Since it is lowered, the power consumption of the heater for heating the toilet seat can be significantly reduced, and the power saving effect can be further enhanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an installed state of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram for explaining time adjustment using a photodetector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Toilet bowl 5 Toilet seat 11 Photodetector 12 Microcomputer 13 Seating sensor 17 Toilet seat heater

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Mitsuo Miyabe 3-201 Minamiyoshikata, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture Santoyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hideki Yamazawa 3-201 Minamiyoshikata, Tottori City Tottori Sanyo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Nagatani, Minamiyoshikata 3-chome, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kenichiro Komatsu 3-201 Minamiyoshikata, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture Sanyo Denki Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A toilet seat mounted on a toilet bowl, a heater for heating the toilet seat, a seating detection means for detecting seating on the toilet seat, and a control means for controlling energization of the heater, Based on the output of the seating detection means, the control means keeps the toilet seat at the set temperature when the seating output is present, and when the seating output is exhausted, the toilet seat is heated at the standby temperature lower than the set temperature. In the toilet seat device for controlling the means, a light detecting means for detecting light around the toilet seat,
When the determination means determines whether it is daytime or nighttime based on the output of the detection means and the determination means determines the nighttime, the standby temperature is determined to be daytime. A toilet seat device characterized in that the temperature is changed to a temperature lower than that of the toilet seat device.