KR20220151362A - Free-standing toilet type uroflowmeter apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a free-standing toilet type uroflowmeter apparatus. The free-standing toilet type uroflowmeter apparatus according to the present invention includes: a toilet body (100) having a water collecting tank (110); a uroflowmeter sensor (120) located on the bottom surface of the water collecting tank (110) to measure a flow rate over time; and a proximity sensor (130) located on the upper side of the toilet body (100) to detect the presence of an object close to the toilet body (100). Alternatively, the free-standing toilet type uroflowmeter apparatus according to the present invention includes: a toilet body (400) having a water collecting tank (410); a urine container (460) which is installed on the toilet body (400), is formed such that a part of the outer periphery of an upper opening is in close contact with a wall surface of the water collecting tank (410), is formed so that urine introduced from the upper opening flows out to a lower opening, has an outflow valve (461) for opening and closing the lower opening, and has a uroflowmemter sensor (462) located at an upper end of the outlet valve (461) to measure a flow rate over time; and a proximity sensor (430) located on the upper side of the toilet body (400) to detect the presence of an object close to the toilet body (400). The present invention can minimize noise due to impact and shaking applied to the measuring container.

Description

Urinal type flow measurement device {FREE-STANDING TOILET TYPE UROFLOWMETER APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a urinal-type flow measurement device, and more particularly, to a urinal equipped with a sensor for measuring urine flow.

Urination is a physiological activity that discharges biological metabolic by-products out of the body in liquid form. Abnormal symptoms of urination function are observed in patients with various urination diseases such as prostatic hyperplasia, neurogenic bladder, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence, cystitis, urethral stricture, and acquired urination disorder. Symptoms of abnormal urinary function include weak urine stream (slow stream), interruption of stream (interruption), need for moxibustion (hesitancy), and dripping at the end of urine stream (terminal drip). , terminal dribbling), having to strain the stomach to urinate (straining), urinating frequently (increased daytime frequency), waking up several times during the night to urinate (nocturia), urinating Inability to tolerate urine (urgency) and leakage of urine (urinary incontinence). For the diagnosis of abnormal voiding function, medical examination, physical examination, residual urine volume test, imaging test, endoscopy test, urodynamic test, and uroflow test are performed.

A urodynamic study is a collective name for tests that consist of several detailed items, such as uroflowmetry, filling period cystometry, urinary pressure uroflowmetry, urethral pressure test, and sphincter electromyography. In patients with dysuria and urinary incontinence, subtests are optionally performed. Urodynamic testing provides the most important information in determining the diagnosis and treatment plan for patients with dysuria and urinary incontinence. In particular, since it is possible to objectively understand the physiological function of the lower urinary tract, which cannot be known through medical examination, physical examination, radiological examination, endoscopy, etc., it is an essential test for patients with various abnormal urination functions.

However, this urodynamic test has a complicated test process and test technique, and a large number of test modules are installed in the test equipment that performs this test and they are connected to each other, so the device is bulky and heavy. In addition, since the urodynamics test belongs to a precision test, the test takes a long time and requires a procedure of inserting a urinary catheter through the patient's urethra to the bladder, so there is a risk of infection. Therefore, since urodynamics cannot be performed in all patients with abnormal voiding function, it is selectively performed for patients who need it.

A uroflow test is the most non-invasive detailed test among urodynamic tests. The patient urinates into a funnel-shaped urinalysis collecting device. The urinary flow discharged by the patient is calculated by weight according to several principles and continuously entered into a personal computer, and is finally expressed in a graph form in units of unit volume/time. That is, the urinary flow test can be represented by objectively schematizing the patient's subjective urination pattern.

In addition, urinalysis is the earliest and most widely used screening test for diagnosis of patients with dysuria because it can be performed quickly, is noninvasive, and is cost-effective. In other words, if abnormalities are found in the urinary flow test, an additional detailed test is required. In addition, it is widely used to determine the treatment effect before and after drug or surgical treatment in patients with dysuria. After uroflowmetry, the result is interpreted along with the amount of residual urine measured by ultrasound to determine the efficiency of urination.

The standard urinary flow test method measures the weight of urine with a load cell during the voiding process, accumulates the urinary flow signal, and then measures the maximum flow rate, average flow rate, voiding time, Clinically important diagnostic parameters such as voided volume are calculated. It is also important to check the pattern of the voiding curve pattern, and the presence of symptoms such as thin urine, interrupted urine, terminal dripping, delayed urine, etc. can be confirmed as objective findings by matching with the urinary flow test.

As the principle of measuring the flow, various methods such as gravimetric and rotating disk are used, but this gravimetric method is the most widely used. A gravimetric flow inspection device is configured in such a way that a load cell is placed on the floor and a collection container made of plastic is placed thereon. The subject urinates into the funnel-shaped collection container from the top of the collection container and measures the weight change of the urine. However, a problem in the measurement is caused by the addition of shock and vibration noise applied to the container.

The patient's urination pattern varies depending on various factors such as the amount of urination, the patient's tension before the test, and the general physical condition, so the use of test results is often limited. Therefore, usually, the best urination pattern is selected through two or more tests and used for diagnosis. In some cases, in order to obtain reliable representative test results, even one patient may need two or more uroflow tests.

Since the urine test device is placed on the floor, there are several important operational problems in reality. First, after the patient has completed the urinalysis, the discharged urine must be directly cleaned by the medical personnel each time. That is, since the urine test is a screening test, many patients are tested every day, and a sanitary problem arises in that it must be emptied quickly and cleanly before the next patient is tested. In other words, this requires the consumption of medical personnel. Second, most of the disposable transparent plastic cups are used as urine collection containers, and urinary flow testing is used as a screening test in many patients, which causes environmental problems. Third, there is a problem that patients unintentionally kick the device by their feet in order to approach the uroflowmetry device installed on the floor. In particular, in the case of patients with weak urinary flow, they come close to the test equipment in order not to spill urine outside the container. A weight sensor is attached to the urine test device, so when a patient touches it, an artifact occurs, resulting in an error in the test result. Fourth, since patients are instructed to urinate in front of an artificial device, it is difficult to accurately reflect the urination patterns of patients under natural conditions. Urinary behavior is a basic physiological activity of individuals with strong privacy, so it is greatly influenced psychologically. Due to the specificity of this test, the patient cannot but feel psychological contraction and tension in the artificial environment of the hospital, such as the urinary flow test space.

Among the diagnostic procedures for patients with urinary dysfunction, the utilization of urinalysis is very high. However, it is necessary to solve the above-mentioned various practical problems according to the urine flow test. It requires a device in the shape closest to the existing toilet type in the actual toilet, and even if it touches the patient's foot, there is no error in the recording signal. Device design is practically necessary.

Korean Intellectual Property Office Publication No. 10-2021-0025297

An object of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide a free-standing toilet type urofowmeter that is not affected by a patient's movement during the examination and can be easily cleaned after the examination.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a urinal-type uroflowmetry device capable of minimizing noise caused by shock and shaking applied to a measuring container during urination.

A urinal-type flow measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a toilet body 100 having a water collecting tank 110; A flow sensor 120 located on the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 110 to measure the flow rate over time; and a proximity sensor 130 positioned above the toilet body 100 to sense the presence of an object close to the toilet body 100 .

Preferably, the urinal-type flow measurement device further includes a drain pipe 140 through which water stored in the water collecting tank 110 is drained, and one end of the drain pipe 140 communicates with the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 110 and the other end thereof An outlet valve 150 that communicates with the sewage pipe and opens and closes a passage between the drain pipe 140 and the water collecting tank 110 may be formed at one end of the drain pipe 140 .

Preferably, the outlet valve 150 may be closed when the proximity sensor 130 detects the presence of a nearby object.

Preferably, the flow sensor 120 is composed of a plurality of load cells 121, and the plurality of load cells 121 are located on the vertices of a regular polygon to form a structure symmetrical to each other, calculated by the plurality of load cells 121. A plurality of signals may be summed to measure the flow rate over time.

Preferably, an elastic body 122 and a housing 123 supporting the elastic body 122 may be provided above the plurality of load cells 121 .

A urinal-type flow measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a toilet body 400 having a water collecting tank 410; It is installed on the toilet body 400, a part of the outer circumference of the upper opening is formed to be in close contact with the wall surface of the water collecting tank 410, and the urine flowing in from the upper opening is formed to flow out to the lower opening, opening and closing the lower opening a urine container 460 having an outlet valve 461 and a flow sensor 462 positioned at an upper end of the outlet valve 461 to measure a flow rate over time; And a proximity sensor 430 located on the upper side of the toilet body 400 to detect the presence of an object close to the toilet body 400, but the outlet valve 461 is the proximity sensor 430 detects the presence of an object in close proximity. If detected, it may be closed.

Preferably, the urinal-type flow measurement device further includes a flushing switch 480 for introducing water for cleaning the water collecting tank 410 into the water collecting tank 410, and by the flushing switch 480 to the water collecting tank 410 The introduced water flows along the wall surface of the water collecting tank 410 and flows into the urine container 460, and the outlet valve 461 supplies the water for cleaning the water collecting tank 410 to the water collecting tank 410 by the flushing switch 480. It can be opened when it enters.

Preferably, when a proximity sensor 430 detects an object close to it and is not detected again, water for cleaning the water collection tank 410 is automatically introduced into the water collection tank 410, and the outlet valve 461 may be opened. have.

The present invention can provide a urinal-type uroflowmetry device that is not affected by a patient's movement during the examination and can be easily cleaned after the examination.

The present invention can provide a urinal-type uroflowmetry device capable of minimizing noise due to shock and shaking applied to the measuring container during urination.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view showing a longitudinal section of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a urinal-type flow measurement device having a plurality of load cells according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a flow sensor having an elastic body according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a control unit of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing the configuration of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view showing a longitudinal section of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a control unit of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible, even if they are displayed on different drawings.

And, in describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function hinders understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Also, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used to describe components of an embodiment of the present invention. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the corresponding component is not limited by the term.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5 , the configuration and operation of the urinal-type flow measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a urinal-type flow measurement device (hereinafter referred to as “the present flow measurement device”) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view showing a longitudinal section of the present flow measurement device.

1 and 2, the present flow measurement device includes a toilet body 100 having a water collecting tank 110, a water flow sensor 120 located on the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 110 and measuring a flow rate over time, and / Or may include a proximity sensor 130 located on the upper side of the toilet body 100 to detect the presence of an object close to the toilet body 100.

The flow sensor 120 may correspond to a load cell that measures the weight of fluid. This flow sensor 120 measures the weight of fluid increased by urination of the subject over time. The flow sensor 120 measures the weight of the fluid over time, and the controller 200 calculates the volume (volume) of the fluid over time based on the weight signal measured by the flow sensor 120 .

Specifically, when urine (urine) flows into the collecting tank 110 due to urination of the test subject, the weight of the fluid stored in the collecting tank 110 increases according to the volume of the flowing urine. At this time, the weight (W) of the fluid is the product of the mass (m) of the fluid and the acceleration of gravity (g), and the mass of the fluid can be obtained by multiplying the volume (V) and the density (p) of the fluid (Equation (1) ). Furthermore, the volume change of the fluid introduced over time is referred to as the flow rate (F), and the volume change of the urine introduced when the subject urinates becomes the urinary velocity (flow rate per hour).

Therefore, the urinary velocity is defined as the time derivative of the urinary volume as in Equation (2) and can be obtained by mathematically differentiating V in Equation (1). This indicates that the urine velocity signal can be calculated by continuously measuring the weight of urine filled in the water collecting tank 110 .

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the flow measurement device includes a drain pipe 140 through which water stored in the water collecting tank 110 is drained and/or an outlet valve that opens and closes a passage between the drain pipe 140 and the water collecting tank 110. (150) may be further included.

One end of the drain pipe 140 communicates with one lower end of the collecting tank 110 and the other end communicates with a sewage pipe (not shown), and one end of the drain pipe 140 opens and closes the passage between the drain pipe 140 and the collecting tank 110. An outlet valve 150 is formed.

The drain pipe 140 may be formed in an inverted U-shape by a trap method or may be formed in a straight shape. In the case of a conventional urinal, when a subject urinates in the water collecting tank 110, the water collecting tank 110 is moved by gravity. The urine introduced into is drained into the sewer pipe through the drain pipe 140, and cannot be stored in the yoga water tank 110, and thus the weight change of the urine cannot be measured.

Due to the structure of the conventional urinal, there is a problem in that the change in the amount of urine due to the subject's urination cannot be measured in the conventional urinal. made available.

According to the present invention, the outlet valve 150 is closed before the subject urinates, and the fluid stored in the water collection tank 110 does not flow to the drain pipe 140 and continues to be stored in the water collection tank 110. Thus, the flow rate over time of the fluid increased by the subject's urination may be measured by the urinary flow sensor 120 . Then, when the subject's urination is finished, the outlet valve 150 is opened and the fluid stored in the water collection tank 110 is drained to the sewage pipe through the drain pipe 140. At this time, as the water stored in the water tank (not shown) flows into the water collection tank 110 through the water supply pipe (not shown), it is first drained to the sewer pipe through the drain pipe 140 together with the stored fluid, and this drainage process is performed in the conventional It is similar to the operation of a normal toilet.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the outlet valve 150 is closed when the proximity sensor 130 provided in the flow measurement device detects the presence of an object close to the flow measurement device.

That is, when an object close to the proximity sensor 130 is detected, it may be recognized that the subject urinates sooner or later, and when an electrical signal is received from the proximity sensor 130, the control unit 200 closes the outlet valve 150 and The operation of the flow sensor 120 is started.

That is, the proximity sensor 130 may detect an object close to the uroflowmetry device and cause the controller 200 to perform a preparation process for storing urine.

Alternatively, together with or separately from the proximity sensor 130, the subject may manually use the retention switch 170 to cause the control unit 200 to perform a preparation process for storing urine. That is, when the subject turns on the storage switch 170, the outlet valve 150 is closed by the controller 200, and when turned off, the outlet valve 150 is opened. This storage switch 170 may have a form of a button, lever, or the like.

Alternatively, the present uroflow measurement device may further include a flushing switch 180, and when the subject finishes urination and operates the flushing switch 180, the outlet valve 150 is opened by the control unit 200, and at the same time the water tank As the water stored in (not shown) flows into the water collection tank 110 through a water supply pipe (not shown), it is drained to the sewage pipe through the drain pipe 140 together with the stored fluid. This flushing switch 180 may have a form of a button, lever, or the like.

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a urinal-type flow measurement device having a plurality of load cells according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the flow sensor 120 provided on the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 110 is composed of a plurality of load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C, and the plurality of load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C are formed on the vertices of a regular polygon. located in the symmetrical structure. Then, the control unit 200 measures the flow rate over time by adding up a plurality of signals calculated by the plurality of load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C. Specifically, the weight signal for the weight detected by the plurality of load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C is transmitted to the controller 200, and the controller 200 transmits the weight signal transmitted from each of the load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C. It is summed up and converted into a volume signal to measure the flow rate over time. A detailed description of the control unit 200 will be described later.

In the course of urination, urine injected into the water collecting tank 110 flows through the wall of the water collecting tank 110 or flows in while directly impacting the surface of the fluid stored in the water collecting tank 110. In this process, since the flow sensor 120 measures the weight of the fluid per hour, the moment the shock is applied to the stored fluid, the weight is greatly measured, so there is a problem in that the weight of the fluid per hour cannot be accurately measured.

In order to solve this problem, the present invention is provided with a plurality of load cells (121A, 121B, 121C) for detecting the weight of the fluid on the bottom surface of the water collection tank 110, and the plurality of load cells (121A, 121B, 121C) in a regular polygon They are placed on the vertices to form a symmetrical structure. When the load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C are configured as described above, each load cell 121A, 121B, and 121C generates a weight equal to the weight (W) of the total fluid stored in the water collecting tank 110 divided by the number of load cells. At this time, noise due to impact is involved in the weight sensed by each load cell (121A, 121B, 121C). At this time, each intervening noise corresponds to random noise with an average value of 0, so the sum of these noises is close to 0. lose Therefore, noise due to impact can be minimized by summing the plurality of weight signals sensed by each of the load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C. That is, by summing and averaging weight signals measured from a plurality of symmetric positions, a flow rate signal from which noise is removed can be obtained.

For example, when three load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C are positioned on the three vertices (A, B, and C) of an equilateral triangle to form a symmetrical structure on the bottom surface of the water tank 110, each load cell detects The weights (W _A , W _B , W _C ) are as in Equation (3) below, and the weight of the entire fluid (W _MEAN ) obtained by summing and averaging each weight signal is as in Equation (4). Equation (5) is obtained by converting Equation (4) into a volume unit of urine volume signal. In the equation below, e _A , e _B , and e _C represent noise intervening in each load cell.

As a result of comparing the flow rate signal measured by the individual load cells 121A or 121B or 121C with the sum average signal of the flow rate signals measured by the three load cells 121A, 121B, and 121C according to the embodiment of the present invention, the individual load cells 121A or 121B or 121C), large noise is intervened at 30 seconds and 50 seconds after urination starts, whereas according to an embodiment of the present invention, three load cells (121A, 121B, 121C ), there was little noise intervening at 30 seconds and 50 seconds after the start of urination, but there was no significant registration.

As a result, it was found that the amount of urination decreases after 30 seconds and 50 seconds from the start of urination, and accordingly, noise intervenes in the urine flow signal by applying an impact to the fluid stored in the droplet without forming a stem. It was found through experimentation that the noise caused by such an impact can be significantly canceled by the summation average method according to the invention.

4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a flow sensor having an elastic body according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the flow sensor 120 provided on the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 110 in the toilet body 100 of the present flow measurement device is provided on the load cell 121 and the upper portion of the load cell 121 for detecting weight. It may include an elastic body 122 and/or housings 123a and 123b supporting the elastic body 122.

The structure of the flow sensor 120 is to attenuate the noise caused by the shock by buffering the shock applied to the fluid stored in the water collecting tank 110 during the urination process, thereby accurately detecting the weight of the fluid itself.

Specifically, a groove G1 through which the flow sensor 120 is inserted and fixed is formed on the bottom surface of the water collection tank 110, and the flow sensor 120 is inserted and installed into the formed groove G1. A load cell 121 for detecting the weight of the fluid is inserted into the groove G1 and installed, and a support housing 123a is inserted and installed on top of the load cell 121. The outer periphery of the insertion portion of the support housing 123a has a wedge shape A stumbling block is formed. Then, the elastic body 122 is inserted into the central groove G2 of the support housing 123a, and a soft cover housing 123b having a convex circular shape is formed at the opening of the groove G2.

The elastic body 122 as a shock absorbing means in the groove G1 may be formed on the back surface of the soft cover housing 123b to have a diameter at which a predetermined distance from the inner periphery of the groove G2 is maintained. Thus, the cover housing 123b and the elastic body 122 absorb and cancel the impact force generated by the urine being urinated. That is, since the aperture of the elastic body 122 is smaller than the inner diameter of the groove G2, when an impact force is transmitted, the elastic body 122 easily contracts and can effectively offset the impact force.

However, the aperture of the elastic body 122 does not make the entire length smaller than the inner diameter of the groove G2, and the lower aperture of the elastic body 122 has a thickness that can be tightly fitted into the groove G2, and the middle or upper aperture Only if it is smaller than the inner diameter of the groove (G2), it does not come off before pulling it by applying artificial force, so that the cover housing (123b) and the support housing (123a) can maintain a coupled state without a separate fixing means, and when impacted The elastic body 122 is easily contracted, and the effect of canceling the impact force can be doubled. At this time, the elastic body 122 may be a rod-shaped object made of a material having elasticity, or may be a spring.

Alternatively, as another embodiment, as a buffering means in the groove G1 of the support housing 123a, instead of protruding the elastic body 122 from the cover housing 123b, pressurized air is introduced into the groove G1 and the cover housing 123b ) and the inside of the groove G1 are sealed, when the impact force is transmitted, the housing 123 absorbs and cancels the impact force as much as possible due to the compressed air, so that noise caused by the temporary impact force can be reduced.

5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a control unit of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the flow measurement device may be implemented as a system including a controller 200 and/or a user terminal 300 .

The controller 200 receives electrical signals from the proximity sensor 130, the storage switch 170, and/or the flushing switch 180, and operates the flow sensor 120 and/or the outlet valve 150 according to the received signals. can control. Furthermore, the control unit 200 converts the weight signal detected and transmitted by the flow sensor 120 into a volume (volume) signal, or sums and averages the weight signals received from a plurality of load cells, and then sums and averages the weight of the fluid. The signal can be converted into a volume signal. The volume signal according to the time converted in this way may correspond to a flow rate signal, and the flow rate signal may be transmitted to the user terminal 300 .

The user terminal 300 may correspond to a memory device, a PC, a smart phone, a wearable device, a display device, and the like, and the control unit 200 and the user terminal 300 may be connected through various wired/wireless communication networks.

The configuration and operation of a urinal-type flow rate measuring device according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 .

6 is a view showing the configuration of a urinal-type flow measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a view showing a longitudinal section of the flow measurement device. And, FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the control unit of the flow measurement device.

6 and 7, the present flow measurement device includes a toilet body 400 having a water collecting tank 410, a urine container 460 installed in the toilet body 400, and/or an upper side of the toilet body 400. It may include a proximity sensor 430 positioned on the toilet body 400 to sense the presence of an object close to the toilet body 400 .

The urine container 460 is installed on the toilet body 400, a part of the outer periphery 463a of the upper opening 463 is formed to be in close contact with the wall of the water collecting tank 410, and the urine flowing in from the upper opening 463 It may be formed to flow out through the lower opening 464 . In addition, the urine container 460 includes an outflow valve 461 that opens and closes the lower opening 464 of the urine container 460, and is located at the upper end of the outflow valve 461 to measure the flow rate over time. (462). The outlet valve 461 may be closed when the proximity sensor 430 detects the presence of a nearby object.

Meanwhile, the urine container 460 has a fixing means 465 and is installed on the toilet body 400 by the fixing means 465 . The fixing means 465 fixes the urine container 460 to the middle of the toilet body 400 while a part of the outer circumference 463a of the upper opening 463 of the urine container 460 adheres to the wall surface of the water collecting tank 410. The fixing means 465 may be coupled to the toilet body 400 by various methods such as bolt coupling, fitting coupling, and coupling using an adhesive.

The flow sensor 462 may be fixedly installed on the inner periphery of the lower opening 464 of the urine container 460 and is located at the top of the outlet valve 461, so that when the outlet valve 461 is closed, the urine container ( 460) to measure the weight of the fluid (yaw) stored in it. The flow sensor 462 may correspond to a load cell that measures the weight of fluid. The flow sensor 462 measures the weight of the fluid in the urine container 460, which is increased by urination of the subject, over time. The flow sensor 462 measures the weight of the fluid over time, and the controller 600 calculates the volume (volume) of the fluid over time based on the weight signal measured by the flow sensor 462 . A detailed description thereof is replaced with the description of FIGS. 1 to 5 described above. In this case, the flow sensor 462 corresponds to the flow sensor 120 and the control unit 600 corresponds to the control unit 200. Urine is stored in the urine container 460 instead of the collecting tank 110 .

When an object close to the proximity sensor 430 is detected, it may be recognized that the subject urinates sooner or later, and when an electrical signal is received from the proximity sensor 430, the control unit 600 closes the outlet valve 461 and the flow sensor Operation 462 is started. Accordingly, before the subject urinates, the outlet valve 461 is closed and the fluid stored in the urine container 460 does not flow to the drain pipe 440 through the lower opening 464 and continues to be stored in the urine container 460. do. Accordingly, the flow rate over time of the fluid increased by the subject's urination may be measured by the flow sensor 462 . In addition, when a nearby object is detected by the proximity sensor 430 and is not detected again, it may be recognized that the subject has finished urinating, and thereafter, water for cleaning the water collection tank 410 is automatically supplied to the water collection tank 410. is introduced, and the outlet valve 461 is opened. At this time, the water introduced into the collecting tank 410 flows along the wall surface of the collecting tank 410 and flows into the urine container 460 to wash the urine container 460 and then passes through the lower opening 464 and the drain pipe 440 to the sewage pipe. drained into

Alternatively, together with or separately from the proximity sensor 430, the subject may manually use the retention switch 470 to cause the control unit 600 to perform a preparation process for storing urine. That is, when the subject turns on the storage switch 470, the outlet valve 461 is closed by the controller 600, and when turned off, the outlet valve 461 is opened. The current storage switch 470 may have a form of a button, lever, or the like.

In addition, the present flow measurement device may further include a flushing switch 480 for introducing water for cleaning the water collection tank 410 into the water collecting tank 410 . When the subject finishes urinating and operates the flushing switch 480, the outlet valve 461 is opened by the control unit 600, and at the same time, the water stored in the water tank (not shown) passes through the water supply pipe (not shown) to the collection tank 410. ) and the introduced water flows along the wall surface of the water collection tank 410 and flows into the urine container 460, washing the urine container 460 and then draining to the sewage pipe through the lower opening 464 and the drain pipe 440. . This flushing switch 480 may have a form of a button, lever, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the flow measurement device may be implemented as a system including a controller 600 and/or a user terminal 700 .

The control unit 600 receives electrical signals from the proximity sensor 430, the storage switch 470 and/or the flushing switch 480, and operates the flow sensor 462 and/or the outlet valve 461 according to the received signals. can control. Furthermore, the control unit 600 converts the weight signal detected and transmitted by the flow sensor 462 into a volume (volume) signal, or sums and averages the weight signals received from a plurality of load cells, and then sums and averages the weight of the fluid. The signal can be converted into a volume signal. The volume signal according to the time converted in this way may correspond to a flow rate signal, and the flow rate signal may be transmitted to the user terminal 700 .

The user terminal 700 may correspond to a memory device, a PC, a smart phone, a wearable device, a display device, and the like, and the control unit 600 and the user terminal 700 may be connected through various wired/wireless communication networks.

Meanwhile, the flow sensor 462 of the present flow measurement device may also be composed of a plurality of load cells, and a detailed description thereof is replaced with the description of FIG. 3 . In addition, the flow sensor 462 of the present flow measurement device may also include a load cell, an elastic body, and a housing, and a detailed description thereof is replaced with the description of FIG. 4 . However, the flow sensor 462 is installed by being fixed to the inner peripheral wall of the lower opening 464 of the urine container 460 instead of being inserted into the groove formed on the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 410, and at this time, the load cell 121 The upper end is bonded to the lower end of the support housing 123a. In addition, the flow sensor 462 is installed so that the flow sensor 462 does not seal the entire area of the lower opening 464 so that the fluid flows through the lower opening 464 even though the flow sensor 462 exists.

The embodiments described in this specification belong to the same technical field, and components constituting one embodiment may be combined with components constituting another embodiment to form a new embodiment.

The protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the description and expression of the embodiments explicitly described above. In addition, it is added once again that the scope of protection of the present invention cannot be limited due to obvious changes or substitutions in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

100, 400: toilet body 110, 410: water tank 120, 462: flow sensor
121: load cell 122: elastic body 123: housing
130, 430: proximity sensor 140, 440: drain pipe 150, 461: outlet valve
170, 470: storage switch 180, 480: flushing switch 200, 600: control unit
300, 700: user terminal 460: urine container 463: upper opening
464: lower opening 465: fixing means

Claims (8)

A toilet body 100 having a water collecting tank 110;
A flow sensor 120 located on the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 110 to measure the flow rate over time; and
A urinal-type flow measurement device including a proximity sensor 130 positioned above the toilet body 100 to detect the presence of an object close to the toilet body 100. The method of claim 1,
The urinal-type flow measurement device further includes a drain pipe 140 through which water stored in the water collecting tank 110 is drained,
One end of the drain pipe 140 communicates with the bottom surface of the water collecting tank 110 and the other end communicates with the sewage pipe, and an outlet valve 150 at one end of the drain pipe 140 opens and closes the passage between the drain pipe 140 and the water collecting tank 110. ) is formed, a urinal-type uroflowmetry device. The method of claim 2,
The outlet valve 150 is closed when the proximity sensor 130 detects the presence of a nearby object. The method of claim 1,
The flow sensor 120 is composed of a plurality of load cells 121, and the plurality of load cells 121 are located on the vertices of a regular polygon to form a structure symmetrical to each other, and a plurality of signals calculated by the plurality of load cells 121 A urinal-type uroflowmetry device in which flow is measured over time by summing The method of claim 4,
An elastic body 122 and a housing 123 supporting the elastic body 122 are provided on top of the plurality of load cells 121. A toilet body 400 having a water collecting tank 410;
It is installed on the toilet body 400, a part of the outer circumference of the upper opening is formed to be in close contact with the wall surface of the water collecting tank 410, and the urine flowing in from the upper opening is formed to flow out to the lower opening, opening and closing the lower opening a urine container 460 having an outlet valve 461 and a flow sensor 462 positioned at an upper end of the outlet valve 461 to measure a flow rate over time; and
Including a proximity sensor 430 located on the upper side of the toilet body 400 to detect the presence of an object close to the toilet body 400,
The outlet valve 461 is closed when the proximity sensor 430 detects the presence of a nearby object. The method of claim 6,
The urinal-type flow measurement device further includes a flushing switch 480 for introducing water for cleaning the water collecting tank 410 into the water collecting tank 410, and the water introduced into the water collecting tank 410 by the flushing switch 480 is It flows along the wall of the water collection tank 410 and flows into the urine container 460,
The outlet valve 461 is opened when water for cleaning the water collection tank 410 flows into the water collection tank 410 by the flushing switch 480. The method of claim 6,
When a nearby object is detected by the proximity sensor 430 and not detected again, water for cleaning the water collection tank 410 is automatically introduced into the water collection tank 410 and the outlet valve 461 is opened. .

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