JPH08319647A - Washing mechanism of urine sampling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent the scattering of wash water into a room by fitting a position sensor, etc., to a closet seat movably having a urine sampling vessel and operating a washer for the urine sampling vessel only when the closet seat is placed at a horizontal position after urine sampling. CONSTITUTION: A movable urine sampling vessel 68, a urine-sampling vessel washing nozzle and a position (horizontal) sensor for a closet seat are installed on the rear side of the closet seat 14 for a stool 12 with a urine analyzer 20 for checking individual health. When urine is inspected, the urine sampling vessel 68 is projected when a person sits and operates a control unit 24, and a gathered sample is analyzed by the urine analyzer 20. The urine sampling vessel 68 is washed by the washing nozzle after urine sampling, and the washing is flowed into the stool 12. The urine sampling vessel 68 is washed so far as the horizontality of the closet seat 14 is detected at that time while an alarm is given by a buzzer, etc., when the closet seat is placed at a nonoperating position after usage. Accordingly, washing is not conducted under the state, in which the closet seat 14 is opened, thus preventing the scattering of wash water into a room.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Object of the invention]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sampling device for sampling urine excreted by an individual in a toilet during urine analysis. More specifically, the present invention relates to a urine collection container cleaning mechanism of such a sampling device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A toilet having a urine analysis function has been proposed, which can support the individual's health check by sampling and analyzing urine using the toilet.

JP-A-62-187253 discloses a sampling device adapted to collect urine by swinging a swing arm equipped with a urine collecting container in a bowl of a toilet bowl. A test cleaning area is formed at the rear of the toilet bowl, and the urine sample is analyzed in this area, and the urine collection container is cleaned by the cleaning water sprayed from the cleaning nozzle.

The problem with this device is that it is not possible to use standard toilet bowls on the market, but it requires a special toilet bowl for urine sampling purposes, which has an inspection and washing room at the rear of the toilet bowl. . Since such a special toilet bowl has to be specially manufactured separately from the standard toilet bowl, and thus it is difficult to reduce the cost by mass production, it is too expensive to be popularized in general households and offices. Also, when converting an existing toilet equipped with a standard toilet bowl to a urine analysis toilet, it is necessary to first remove the existing toilet bowl and then install a special toilet bowl for the purpose of urine analysis. In addition to costly and labor-intensive, it will lead to the disposal of existing equipment.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-30764 proposes to attach a urine sampling device to a toilet seat. A swing arm carrying a urine collection container is pivotally supported on a toilet seat and is rotated together with the toilet seat. The urine collection container is returned under the toilet seat when not in use. This urine collecting device has an advantage that it does not require a special toilet bowl and can sample urine using a commercially available standard toilet bowl.

[0006]

Since the sampling device is not provided with a cleaning device for cleaning the urine collection container,
It is also unsanitary and there is a risk that a good urine sample cannot be collected. Therefore, it is preferable that the toilet seat is further provided with a cleaning means such as a cleaning nozzle to clean the urine collection container after use. However, since this sampling device is attached to the toilet seat and is designed to rotate with the toilet seat, when the toilet seat is inadvertently set up during or before the cleaning of the urine collection container, the cleaning water is stored in the toilet room. There is a risk that the urine collection container may be insufficiently cleaned as it scatters.

An object of the present invention is to provide a urine sampling device capable of sampling urine using a commercially available standard toilet bowl and capable of cleaning the urine collection container without any trouble.

[0008]

Configuration of the Invention

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a urine sampling device mounted on a toilet seat to rotate together with the toilet seat, and a cleaning means for cleaning the urine collection container,
A control means for controlling the cleaning means and a toilet seat detecting means for detecting the position of the toilet seat are provided. This control means activates the cleaning means only when the toilet seat is in its operating position (horizontal position on the toilet bowl) after using the urine collection container.

When the toilet seat is upright when the urine collection container is to be washed, an alarm device such as a buzzer can be activated to remind the user to lower the toilet seat.

As described above, since the urine collection container is washed only when the toilet seat is in the horizontal position, the used washing water surely falls into the toilet bowl. Therefore, the wash water does not scatter in the room.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a toilet 10 is a toilet bowl 1.
2, a toilet seat 14, a toilet lid 16 and a cistern 18. A housing 22 of a urine analyzer 20 is attached to the toilet bowl 12. The control unit 24 for controlling the urine analyzer 20 and the urine sampling device of the present invention and outputting the analysis result can be installed on the side wall of the toilet.

Referring to FIG. 2, the housing 22 is composed of, for example, a frame 26, an upper casing 28, and left and right lower casings 30 and 32, and can be attached to the toilet 12 by a T bolt 34 and a nut 36. The toilet seat 14 and the toilet lid 16 are rotatably attached to the housing 22.

In the housing 22, a polarographic urine analysis flow cell 38 and an electric syringe pump 40 with an electric rotary valve for transferring a urine sample collected by a urine sampling device to the flow cell 38.
Also, a carrier liquid tank 42, a calibration liquid tank 44, etc. are accommodated.

The housing 22 also includes a bidet device 46 having a crotch portion cleaning nozzle, a hot air drying device 48, a deodorizing device 50, a power supply device 52, and an operating portion 54 of the bidet device.
May be stored. The housing 22 may further be provided with a finger sphygmomanometer unit 56, and the blood pressure may be measured by engaging the finger of the subject.

Referring to FIG. 3, the toilet seat 14 incorporates a urine sampling device 58. The urine sampling device 58 includes a frame 60, which is appropriately attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat 14 with screws or the like. Frame 6
0 has a swing arm 62 rotatably supported,
It is configured to be swung by a motor 64 such as a stepping motor and a belt 66.

A urine collection container 6 is provided at the lower end of the swing arm 62.
8 is provided. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the urine collection container 68 has a shallow ship bottom shape, and a urine reservoir 70 is formed at the bottom thereof. The urine collection container 68 is provided with an L-shaped urine collection tube 72 that opens toward the urine reservoir 70, and is configured to suck the urine collected in the urine reservoir. Urine collection 7
A pair of urine detection electrodes 74 are arranged in the urine collection container 68 facing 0, and it is possible to detect whether or not urine has accumulated in a desired level in the urine reservoir by monitoring the electrical resistance of the fluid. ing.

The L-shaped urine collecting tube 72 is connected to a flexible urine suction tube 76 extending inside the hollow of the swing arm 62, and the other end of the suction tube 76 is connected to the syringe pump 40. Similarly, the lead wire 78 of the urine detection electrode 74 also extends inside the swing arm,
It is connected to the control unit 24. The inlet opening of the urine collection container 68 is covered with a metal net 80 made of stainless steel or the like to prevent foreign matter from entering the urine collection container.

As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 5, the frame 60 is formed with a channel-shaped storage / cleaning chamber 84 which opens downward toward the bowl 82 of the toilet bowl 12, and when not in use, the toilet rim 83. The urine collection container 68 is accommodated in the rest position inside the. Urine is collected in the urine collection container 68 by swinging the swing arm 62 to position the urine collection container 68 in the bowl space 82 as shown by a phantom line in FIG. The spray nozzle 86 is directed to the storage / cleaning chamber 84 so that the storage / cleaning chamber 8 can be used after use.
The urine collecting container 68 and the swing arm 62 are washed by injecting pressured water toward the urine collecting container 68 that has returned to 4. Pressure water is supplied to the injection nozzle 86 from a hose 88, and this hose is connected to a water pipe via an electromagnetic valve (described later) arranged in the housing 22.

To outline the fluid transfer system with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 6, the syringe pump 40 has a piston 90 which leads the rotation of a stepping motor 92 controlled by the control unit 24. It is moved up and down by converting it into a linear motion by the mechanism.
The port 94 of the syringe pump is an electric rotary valve 96.
It is connected to the.

The rotary valve 96 includes a stator 98 having a plurality of ports, a rotor 100, and a control unit 2.
It can be configured with a motor 102 controlled to four. The control unit 24 drives the motor 102 to rotate the rotor 100 so that the port 94 of the syringe pump 40 is connected to the urine suction tube 76 from the urine collection container 68.
Flow cell 38, carrier liquid tank 42, cistern 1
8, the calibration solution tank 44, or the drain pipe 104 that extends to the bowl of the toilet bowl 12.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of the control unit 24. The control unit 24 is composed of a programmed microcomputer (hereinafter, microcomputer) 110, and has a urine analysis start button, various input switches, a liquid crystal display panel 112 for displaying a user's instruction and a urine analysis result, a urine analysis result and data. -Printer unit that outputs trends, flash memory that stores urine analysis data (EEP
ROM), an alarm buzzer 114, and the like.

The output of the flow cell 38 is amplified by the amplifier circuit and then input to the A / D conversion circuit of the microcomputer 110. The signal of the current flowing between the urine detection electrodes 74 is also input to the A / D conversion circuit. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 2
The frame 26 of No. 2 is provided with a proximity sensor 116 composed of a photoelectric sensor or the like pointing toward the toilet seat, and detects whether the toilet seat 14 is standing or lowered. The output of this proximity sensor 116 is also A / D
It is input to the conversion circuit. Instead of the proximity sensor 116,
A pressure sensor or micro switch may be used.

The microcomputer controls the supply of washing water to the swing arm driving stepping motor 64, the rotary valve driving motor 102, the syringe pump driving motor 92, and the urine container washing nozzle 86 via the respective drivers. The valve 118 and the buzzer 114 are driven.

Next, with reference to the schematic view of FIG. 6 and the flow charts of FIGS. 8 and 9, modes of use and operation of the urine sampling device 58 and the urine analyzer 20 will be described.

The subject sits on the toilet seat and the control unit 24
When the urine analysis start switch is pressed, the microcomputer 110 drives the swing arm drive motor 64 to position the urine collection container 68 at an appropriate urine collection position in the bowl space of the toilet bowl. The display panel 112 displays a message such as "please urinate" and prompts urination. When the subject discharges urine toward the urine collection container 68 and the urine detection electrode 74 detects that urine has accumulated in the urine reservoir 70 of the urine collection container, the rotary valve 96 is driven to move the urine collection container 68 to the syringe pump 40. It is connected and, for example, about 3 ml of urine sample is sucked from the urine collection container to the syringe pump 40.

Next, the syringe pump 40 is attached to the discharge line 10.
4 and raise the piston of the syringe pump 40 to discard a portion of the urine sample (eg, about 2 ml) in the toilet bowl. As a result, the air of the syringe pump 40 is evacuated and the bubbles sucked together with the urine are prevented from being sent to the polarographic flow cell 38.

Again, the rotary valve is driven and the syringe pump 40 is connected to the flow cell 38. At this position, the piston of the syringe pump 40 is further raised to reach about 1
0 μl of urine sample is injected towards the flow cell 38. Driving the rotary valve again, syringe pump 4
0 is connected to the discharge conduit 104, and the excess urine in the syringe pump 40 is discarded in the toilet bowl by raising the piston to the top dead center. Next, the syringe pump 40 is connected to the systern 18, the syringe pump 40 is operated to wash the pump chamber of the syringe pump with washing water, and the washing water is discarded in the toilet bowl.

Next, the syringe pump 40 is connected to the carrier liquid tank 42, and the carrier liquid is sucked by the syringe pump 40. Next, the syringe pump 40 is attached to the flow cell 3
8 and the piston is lifted, for example about 2-4 ml
The carrier liquid of is injected into the flow cell 38. As a result, about 10 μl of the urine sample that had been previously ejected passes through the polarographic flow cell 38 while being mixed and diluted with the carrier liquid, and discharged into the bowl of the toilet bowl.

As the mixture of the urine sample and the carrier liquid passes through the flow cell 38, the flow cell outputs an electric signal according to the concentration of urine glucose in the mixture, and this signal is amplified by the amplification circuit and the microcomputer 110 It is input to the / D conversion circuit and converted into a digital value. The microcomputer 110 calculates the urine sugar value based on this data. The urine sugar value is displayed on the display panel 112, stored in the flash memory, and used for calculation of the trend as necessary. Analysis results and trends can be output from the printer unit. After the urine analysis is completed, the carrier liquid is conveyed to the flow cell 38 to clean the flow cell 38.

At any time after the suction of the urine sample, the microcomputer 110 drives the swing arm 62 to return the urine collection container 68 to the storage and washing chamber 84. When the washing of the flow cell is completed, the urine collection container 68 is washed. If the subject leaves the toilet shortly after the urine sampling and a third person enters the toilet for men's urine use instead, the toilet seat 14 may be flipped up. Therefore, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the microcomputer 110 checks the output of the proximity sensor 116 and determines whether the toilet seat 14 is down based on the sensor output. When the toilet seat 14 is flipped up, the microcomputer 110 sounds the buzzer 114 and also displays a warning such as "Please lower the toilet seat" on the display panel 112 to remind the user to lower the toilet seat.
When the toilet seat is lowered accordingly, the electromagnetic valve 118 is opened for a predetermined time, and the washing water is jetted from the jet nozzle 86 to wash the urine collection container 68 and the swing arm 62. Since the storage cleaning chamber 84 is opened downward, the used cleaning water drops into the bowl of the toilet bowl.

[0031]

As described above, in the urine sampling device of the present invention, since the urine collection container is washed only when the toilet seat is horizontally lowered, the urine collection container does not scatter the washing water into the room. Can be thoroughly washed. Therefore, the toilet and the urine sampling device can be kept clean and a fresh urine sample can be collected using a standard toilet bowl.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a urine analyzer equipped with the urine sampling device of the present invention installed in a toilet.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the housing shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the urine sampling device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a urine collection container of the urine sampling device shown in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a fluid transport system of the urine analyzer shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the control unit shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the urine analyzer.

9 is a flowchart of the urine collection container cleaning sequence shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 14: Toilet seat 24: Control unit 58: Urine sampling device 68: Urine collection container 86: Washing nozzle (washing means) 114: Buzzer 116: Proximity sensor

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Toshio Oguro, Toshio Oguro, 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture Totoki Kikai Co., Ltd. (72) Kuniaki Shinohara, Nakajima, Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 2 1st-1st Totoki Equipment Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Urine is attached to a toilet seat so as to rotate together with the toilet seat, and urine is collected by moving a urine collection container from a rest position close to the rim of the toilet bowl to a urine collection position in the bowl space of the toilet bowl. In the urine sampling device, cleaning means for cleaning the urine collection container, toilet seat detecting means for detecting the position of the toilet seat, and control means for controlling the cleaning means based on the output of the toilet seat detecting means are provided, and the control means The urine sampling device is characterized in that the cleaning means is activated only when the toilet seat is in its operating position after using the urine collection container. 2. An alarm means controlled by the control means is further provided, wherein the control means activates the alarm means when the toilet seat is in its non-actuated position after using the urine collection container, and prompts the user to lower the toilet seat. Claim 1 characterized by the above.
Based urine analyzer.