WO2019004404A1

WO2019004404A1 - Waste suction apparatus and waste identification method

Info

Publication number: WO2019004404A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/024732
Authority: WO
Inventors: 孝司村井; 梅沢　浩之; 鈴木　大輔; 今　雅人; 敬太中野; 雅仲島; 洋子佐藤; 泰則秋葉
Original assignee: 大和ハウス工業株式会社
Priority date: 2017-06-30
Filing date: 2018-06-28
Publication date: 2019-01-03
Also published as: JP7022524B2; JP2019010376A; TW201904533A

Abstract

The present invention precisely determines whether waste is feces or urine. A waste suction apparatus (1) comprises: a cup member (10) covering an excretion site; a suction unit (40) for suctioning waste excreted into the cup member toward a container; a detection unit for detecting objects in the cup member; and a controller (80) for controlling the operation of the suction unit. On the basis of the results detected by the detection unit, the controller determines whether or not waste is present in the cup member, and, if waste is determined to be in the cup member, causes the suctioning unit to perform suctioning. The controller determines the waste to be feces if waste is determined to be present after suctioning has been performed, and determines the waste to be urine if waste is not determined to be present.

Description

Excrement suction apparatus and excrement determination method

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a waste suction device and a method for determining waste.

The treatment of feces such as bedridden patients and elderly people is a heavy burden on the caregiver. Therefore, as described in Patent Document 1 below, an excrement disposal apparatus has been proposed in which excrement collected by a diaper-type cup member is sucked into an excrement container and the excretory part can be cleaned with warm water. There is.

In such an excrement disposal apparatus, whether the excrement is stool (stool) according to the detection result of the electrode provided as a urine (urine) detection sensor and the infrared light emitting unit and light receiving unit provided as a stool detection sensor It is determined whether urine is present, and the washing process is performed in a mode according to the determination result.

JP 2008-43501 A

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, depending on the position and the state of stool in the cup member, the stool detection sensor may not detect it, or it may erroneously detect in response to washing water or urine. In such a case, the aspiration of the excrement and the cleaning of the excretory part may not be performed in an appropriate mode, and thus the aspiration of the excrement and the cleaning of the excretory part may not be sufficiently performed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an excrement suction apparatus and an excrement determination method capable of accurately determining whether excrement is stool or urine.

According to the excrement suction apparatus according to the present invention, the above object is achieved by the cup member covering the excretory part, the suction unit for sucking the excrement excreted in the cup member toward the container, and the cup A detection unit that detects an object in the member; and a control unit that controls an operation of the suction unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the excrement in the cup member based on a detection result of the detection unit. A first judgment unit that judges the presence or absence of an object; a cleaning pretreatment unit that causes the suction unit to perform suction when the first judgment unit judges that the excrement is present in the cup member; When the first determination means determines that the excrement is present after the aspiration by the pre-processing means, the excrement is determined to be stool, and the first determination means determines that the excrement is not present If the excrement is urine and A second judging means for, is solved by having.

Further, according to the excrement determination method according to the present invention, the above-mentioned problem is the excrement determination method by the excrement aspiration apparatus, wherein the excrement aspiration apparatus includes a cup member covering an excretory part, and the cup member A suction unit for suctioning excrement excreted in the container to a container, a detection unit for detecting an object of the cup member, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the suction unit, the control unit The first determination step of determining the presence or absence of the excrement in the cup member based on the detection result of the detection unit, and the control unit determines the excrement on the cup member according to the first determination step. There is the excrement in the cup member after the cleaning pretreatment process step of causing the suction unit to perform suction when it is determined that there is a problem, and the control unit performs suction according to the wash pretreatment process step. If it is determined that Object is determined to feces, the excrement when the excrement is determined not in the cup member is solved by having a second determination step of determining urine.

According to the excrement suction apparatus and excrement determination method according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine whether the excrement is stool or urine based on the detection result of the excrement by the detection unit before and after the aspiration of the excrement. Thereby, the misjudgment of the kind of excretion is suppressed, and the excretion can be processed appropriately.

The above-mentioned excrement suction apparatus further includes a washing unit for supplying washing water to the cup member, and the control unit operates the washing unit in a mode according to the determination result by the second determination unit, It is preferable to further have a cleaning processing means for cleaning the excretory part.
By doing this, it is possible to execute an appropriate cleaning process according to the type of excrement.

In the above-mentioned excrement suction apparatus, the cleaning unit includes a tank for storing cleaning water whose temperature has been adjusted, a flow path connecting the tank and the cup member, and the cleaning liquid collected in the tank. It is preferable that the pre-wash processing unit supplies suction water accumulated in the tank by the pump to the cup member together with suction by the suction unit.
By doing this, it becomes easy to aspirate waste on the container side. In addition, the water accumulated in the flow path can be drained before the excretory part is cleaned.

In the above-mentioned excrement suction apparatus, the pump is operable in a first output mode and a second output mode having a lower output than the first output mode, and the cleaning processing unit is configured to Preferably, the pump is operated in the output mode, and the pre-wash processing means operates the pump in the second output mode.
By doing this, when discharging the water accumulated in the flow path of the washing water, it is possible to suppress that it reaches the excretory part.

In the excrement suction apparatus described above, the detection unit has an electrode unit including one or more electrode pairs, and the first determination unit is configured to set a predetermined condition for at least one of the one or more electrode pairs. It is preferable to determine that the excrement is present if the above condition is satisfied.
By doing this, the excrement in contact with each electrode pair can be detected by the excrement in contact with the electrode pair becoming a conductor. By providing a plurality of electrode pairs on the cup member, excrement can be detected at a plurality of locations on the cup member. Thereby, the detection range rate of excretion can be improved.

In the excrement suction apparatus described above, the cup member has a receiving surface for receiving the excrement, and the electrode unit is provided with a first electrode pair provided at the center of the receiving surface, and the first electrode pair. It is preferable to have one or more second electrode pairs provided around the periphery.
By doing this, it is possible to detect the excrement either in the central part of the excrement receiving surface of the cup member or in the periphery thereof. Thereby, the detection rate of the excrement can be improved regardless of the posture of the user.

According to the excrement suction apparatus and the excrement determination method according to the present invention, it can be accurately determined whether the excrement is stool or urine.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of a waste suction device. It is a figure which shows the state which the user mounted | worn the cup member of the excretion suction apparatus. It is a figure which shows the apparatus main body of a waste suction apparatus, a waste container, and a cartridge tank. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of a cup member. It is a figure which expands and shows the receiving surface periphery of a cup member partially. It is a figure which shows typically the internal structure of the excretion suction apparatus. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a controller. It is a figure which shows the function with which a controller is equipped. It is a flow figure concerning processing of excrement. It is a flowchart of cold water purge processing.

Hereinafter, a configuration example of an excrement suction apparatus according to an embodiment (hereinafter, the present embodiment) of the present invention will be described. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. That is, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof. Also, of course, the present invention may include equivalents thereof.

Further, in the following description, the “height direction” is the height direction of the excrement suction device 1, and corresponds to the vertical direction when the excrement suction device 1 is placed on a horizontal surface. Moreover, "the depth direction" is the depth direction of the excretion suction device 1, and specifically corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the housing 31 described later. Then, the side on which the suction hose 51 for suctioning the excrement is attached in the "depth direction" is referred to as the near side, and the opposite side is referred to as the back side.

<< Configuration of the waste suction device according to the present embodiment >>
First, the configuration of the excrement suction apparatus (hereinafter, excrement suction apparatus 1) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

The excrement suction apparatus 1 has the appearance shown in FIG. 1 and is used to process excrement of a patient who is difficult to walk or a bedridden elderly person (hereinafter, user U).

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the excrement suction apparatus 1 has a suction hose 51 for connecting the cup member 10, the device body 30, the cup member 10 and the device body 30 directly attached by the user U, and a flush water hose 52. , An air return hose 53 and a signal transmission cable 54.

The suction hose 51 is a hose for suctioning excrement. One end (the end on the side connected to the cup member 10) of the suction hose 51 penetrates the bottom wall of the cup member 10, and a space between the bottom wall of the cup member 10 and the crotch of the user I am facing The other end (the end opposite to the side connected to the cup member 10) of the suction hose 51 is connected to the waste container 20. The excrement D received by the cup member 10 at the bottom wall is conveyed to the excrement container 20 through the inside of the suction hose 51 when being aspirated by the excrement suction device 1.

The washing water hose 52 is a hose for washing water supply. The washing water hose 52 constitutes a flow path of the washing water supplied from the washing unit 60 shown in FIG. One end (the end on the side connected to the cup member 10) of the flush water hose 52 penetrates the cup member 10, and the cup member 10 and the crotch of the user (specifically, in the crotch) It faces the space between the part located on the back side rather than the ventral side. Therefore, when the washing water is supplied from the washing unit 60, the washing water flows in the washing water hose 52 in the body of the user toward the portion where the cup member 10 is applied, that is, the crotch. And finally, it ejects from the one end side opening (specifically, nozzle 16 for wash water) of the wash water hose 52. As shown in FIG.

The wash water spouted toward the user's body is received by the cup member 10 and sucked through the suction hose 51 and transported to the waste container 20 as with the excrement D.

The air return hose 53 is a hose for air return. The air return hose 53 has a flow path for returning the air in the cup member 10 sucked together with the waste D and the washing water again into the cup member 10 when the excrement D and the washing water are sucked through the suction hose 51. ing. One end of the air return hose 53 (the end connected to the cup member 10) passes through the cup member 10, and the cup member 10 and the crotch of the user (specifically, in the crotch, It faces the space between the part located on the back side rather than the ventral side. After the air sucked with the excrement D and the wash water passes through the excrement aspiration apparatus 1, the air is directed to the area where the cup member 10 is applied in the user's body, that is, toward the crotch area. It flows inside the return hose 53. Then, the air is finally discharged from one end side opening (specifically, the air outlet 14) of the air return hose 53.

That is, the air in the cup member 10 is circulated between the inside of the cup member 10 and the inside of the apparatus main body 30 of the excrement suction apparatus 1. Thereby, it is possible to keep the odor at the time of defecation inside the cup member 10 and the inside of the device main body 30 of the excrement suction device 1, and to minimize the drift of the odor to the outside.

Further, the signal transmission cable 54 is a transmission path for transmitting a detection signal from the electrode unit 15 as a detection unit for detecting an object in the cup member 10 to the apparatus main body 30 side of the excrement suction apparatus 1. In addition, said "object" is excrement, for example. Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which an electrode is used as the above-described “detection unit” will be described. However, the “detection unit” described above includes an electrode sensor, a capacitance sensor, an optical sensor, and a thermal sensor. One or more of various sensors such as a sensing sensor may be combined. In the present embodiment, by configuring the above-mentioned “detection unit” by the electrodes, cost reduction and simplification of the structure can be achieved as compared with the case of using a plurality of types of sensors.
Then, the detection signal from the electrode unit 15 is input to the controller 80 that controls the operation of the excrement suction apparatus 1 through the signal transmission cable 54.

Next, the structure of the cup member 10 of the excretion suction apparatus 1 and the outline | summary of operation | movement of the excretion suction apparatus 1 are demonstrated.

As shown in FIG. 2, the user U wears the diaper P from above the cup member 10 in a state where the excretory part E is covered by the cup member 10. Then, the user U excretes, for example, in a supine position or in a state of being slightly raised. Then, the excretion suction apparatus 1 detects the excretion in the cup member 10, and determines the kind of excretion. In addition, the said kind of excretion is stool (stool) or urine.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the cup member 10 is applied to the first cover member 11 covering the excretory site E of the user U, and a part of the buttocks of the user U positioned on the back side 2 has a cover member 12. The second cover member 12 extends in a direction to rise substantially vertically from the rear end of the first cover member 11, and the cup member 10 has a substantially L-shaped external shape in a side view.

The first cover member 11 has a receiving surface 11a for receiving excrement excreted in the cup member 10, and a guiding surface 11b for guiding the excrement to the receiving surface 11a. Then, around the receiving surface 11a and the guiding surface 11b, there is formed a wall portion 11c which stands vertically from the receiving surface 11a and the guiding surface 11b and is in close contact with the human body when the cup member 10 is attached. Thereby, at the time of mounting | wearing of the cup member 10, the closed space (following, excrement storage space) by a human body, the receiving surface 11a, the guidance surface 11b, and the wall part 11c is formed. The excrement of the user is temporarily accumulated in the excrement storage space.

As shown in FIG. 5, an electrode portion 15 formed of a plurality of electrodes 15 c is provided on the receiving surface 11 a of the first cover member 11. The electrode portion 15 includes a first electrode pair 15a disposed at the center of the receiving surface 11a, and a plurality of (three in this example) second electrode pairs 15b disposed around the first electrode pair 15a. Have. The first electrode pair 15a and the second electrode pair 15b each consist of a pair of two electrodes 15c of plus and minus poles, and when excrement is in contact with the plus and minus poles of the electrode pair, excretion The object becomes a conductor and current flows in the electrode pair.
Here, the corrosion resistance may be enhanced by plating each of the electrodes 15c with a metal such as gold.
In addition, since the conductivity is different between the washing water and the excrement, it can be determined whether or not the excrement is present on the receiving surface 11a based on the magnitude of the current value flowing to the electrode pair. The details of the detection of the excrement and the determination process of the type of the excrement will be described later.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the first electrode pair 15 a is easy to detect stool received by the receiving surface 11 a by arranging the first electrode pair 15 a at a position facing the anus of the user U. In addition, three second electrode pairs 15b are provided around the first electrode pair 15a, and each second electrode pair 15b is disposed at an angle of approximately 120 degrees with respect to the first electrode pair 15a. As a result, regardless of the posture of the user U (rightward or leftward, supine or raised), excrement is easily detected. That is, when the posture of the user U changes, the angle of the receiving surface 11a with respect to the vertical direction changes, and the site where excrement tends to be placed changes in the receiving surface 11a. Even in such a case, any one of the three second electrode pairs 15b It is possible to detect excrement at

Then, when the excrement is detected by the above-mentioned electrode unit 15, the excrement aspiration apparatus 1 starts the operation of the washing process and the aspiration process of the excrement. Hereinafter, the configuration for realizing the cleaning process and the suction process provided in the excrement suction apparatus 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the wall portion 11 c is provided with a washing water nozzle 16, and a washing water hose 52 is connected to the washing water nozzle 16. Then, the washing water supplied from the apparatus body 30 side of the excrement suction apparatus 1 through the washing water hose 52 is hung from the washing water nozzle 16 on the crotch area, the negative area of the user U and the periphery (hip area etc.) And wash away excrement adhering to the excretory site E and its surroundings.
The washing water nozzle 16 may be provided at a plurality of locations along the wall portion 11 c.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a waste suction port 13 is formed in the vicinity of the connecting portion with the receiving surface 11 a on the guiding surface 11 b of the first cover member 11. A suction hose 51 for suctioning excrement is connected to the excrement suction port 13.
Then, the excrement suction apparatus 1 sucks the excrement stored in the excrement storage space to the device main body 30 side of the excrement suction apparatus 1 through the suction hose 51, and the excretory site E of the user after excretion Wash water is poured from the wash water nozzle 16 around the periphery. Here, after the waste water containing the excrement is temporarily stored in the excrement storage space, the excrement storage device 20 is set in the excrement suction apparatus 1 through the excrement suction port 13 and the suction hose 51. , And stored in the waste container 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an air outlet 14 for blowing out the air sent from the air return hose 53 is formed in the guiding surface 11 b. The air outlet 14 is a vent that circulates the air sucked with the dirty water through the suction hose 51 and returns it to the cup member 10. Then, after cleaning of the excretory part E by the washing water is completed, by continuing the blowout of air from the air outlet 14 for a predetermined time, the excretory part E to which the cleaning water is applied and the periphery thereof can be dried early. .

<< Configuration of Apparatus Body 30 of Waste Suction Apparatus 1 >>
Next, the configuration of the apparatus main body 30 of the excrement suction apparatus 1 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 6.

The device body 30 is a main part of the excrement suction device 1 and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. In addition, the apparatus main body 30 which concerns on this embodiment is a size which can be conveyed, for example by the user's caregiver (assistant). However, the size of the device body 30 can be set arbitrarily.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the device body 30 stores the excrement container 20 therein, and depressurizes the excrement container 20 to store excrement D in the cup member 10. Suction into the vessel 20. Describing in more detail, when the device body 30 reduces the pressure in the excrement container 20, the excretory fluid communicating with the inside of the suction hose 51 connected to the excrement container 20 and the end of the suction hose 51 The object storage space (the space between the cup member 10 and the crotch of the user) is depressurized. Thereby, the device main body 30 sucks the excrement D received by the cup member 10 into the excrement container 20 through the suction hose 51. At this time, the device body 30 suctions the excrement D together with the washing water jetted out in the cup member 10 and the air returned into the cup member 10.

The apparatus body 30 has a case unit 35 as a case unit, a suction unit 40, and a cleaning unit 60, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. Each of these units is housed in the housing 31 of the device body 30. Hereinafter, the case unit 35, the suction part 40, the washing part 60, and the excrement container 20 among the component devices of the excrement suction apparatus 1 will be described.

The case unit 35 is, for example, a bottomed box-like container made of a synthetic resin (for example, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer synthetic resin) as an example), and the excrement container 20 can be accommodated therein. . The case unit 35 has an opening at the upper end. That is, the waste container 20 in the case unit 35 can be taken out from the opening at the upper end of the case unit 35. In the present embodiment, the case unit 35 has a somewhat deep bottom to accommodate the entire waste container 20, and has a height slightly larger than the height of the waste container 20. .

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the case unit 35 is disposed in a space located on the near side in the depth direction (that is, the longitudinal direction of the housing 31) of the inside of the horizontally long housing 31. More specifically, a substantially square opening is provided in a portion of the upper wall (the housing upper wall 31a) of the housing 31 located on the front side in the depth direction. When the case unit 35 is inserted into the housing 31 from the opening, the case unit 35 is disposed inside the housing 31 on the near side in the depth direction. In the present embodiment, the “front side” in the depth direction corresponds to the side on which the case unit 35 is disposed, and the “back side” corresponds to the side opposite to the side on which the case unit 35 is disposed Do.

Moreover, as shown in FIG.3 and FIG.6, the rectangular-shaped inlet port 36 is formed in the side wall located in the edge part by the side of the back in a depth direction among the side walls which case unit 35 has. The intake port 36 is provided in the upper portion of the side wall of the case unit 35 located at the rear end. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, in the case unit 35, a suction filter 37 is installed in the space between the intake port 36 and the excrement container 20. The suction filter 37 is a panel-like member having a certain thickness.

The suction filter 37 covers the air inlet 36 in a state of being attached to the case unit 35. As a result, immediately before the air in the case unit 35 passes through the air inlet 36, foreign substances and the like in the air are captured by the suction filter 37.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the case unit 35 is attached with a lid (hereinafter, referred to as a first lid 32) for closing the upper end opening of the case unit 35. The first lid 32 constitutes a part of the housing upper wall 31a, and is provided so as to be openable and closable by a hinge mechanism. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the first lid 32 is opened by lifting the end portion of the first lid 32 located on the back side.

On the other hand, when the first lid 32 is closed, the upper end opening of the case unit 35 is completely closed. When the excrement container 20 is contained in the case unit 35 in such a state, the first lid 32 covers the excrement container 20 in the case unit 35 from above.

In addition, a cylindrical connector 32 a that engages with the end of the suction hose 51 is formed at the end of the first lid 32 located on the front side. The connector 32 a also protrudes on the back surface side of the first lid 32 (that is, the case unit 35). With the waste container 20 housed in the case unit 35, when the first cover 32 is closed, the lower end of the connector 32a fits into the first suction port 20b of the waste container 20.
Thereby, the suction path of the excrement D which led the cup member 10, the suction hose 51, the connector 32a, and the first suction port 20b is formed.

The suction unit 40 is a mechanism that sucks the air in the case unit 35 to decompress the case unit 35 and discharges (returns) the sucked air into the cup member 10 through the air return hose 53. Specifically, the suction unit 40 includes the blower 41 and a blower casing 43 which is a case for housing the blower 41. The blower casing 43 is connected to the case unit 35 via the air inlet 36 as an air inflow side. The blower casing 43 is connected to the air return hose 53 as an outflow side for circulating air, and is connected to an exhaust hose 55 as an air exhaust side.

The blower 41 receives the supply of drive power from the control power supply 70 shown in FIG.
For example, the blower 41 can adjust the output (in other words, the intake amount per unit time). As an example, the blower 41 can operate in a plurality of output modes such as a strong mode, a medium mode, and a weak mode. And the output mode of the suction part 40 is suitably set according to processes, such as suction of excrement, washing, cold water purge before washing, ventilation.

When the blower 41 operates, the air in the case unit 35 is drawn into the suction unit 40 through the air inlet 36. In the present embodiment, the suction unit 40 operates only when the excrement container 20 is stored in the case unit 35.

Further, most of the air sucked by the suction unit 40 is returned to the cup member 10 through the air return hose 53. More specifically, the air return hose 53 penetrates the housing upper wall 31 a and enters the housing 31. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the end of the air return hose 53 (the end opposite to the side connected to the cup member 10) is connected to the blower casing 43. Then, when the blower 41 discharges the air sucked from the inside of the case unit 35 in the blower casing 43, the air passes through the deodorizing device (not shown) and is then returned to the cup member 10 through the air return hose 53. Become.

In the present embodiment, in order to smoothly return the air into the diaper P, part of the air sucked by the blower 41 is discharged to the atmosphere through the exhaust hose 55 and the deodorizing device 56. As a result, a difference occurs between the amount of air suctioned from the inside of the cup member 10 and the amount of air returned to the cup member 10, and as a result, air is easily returned into the cup member 10.

The cleaning unit 60 corresponds to a cleaning water supply unit, and is a mechanism for supplying cleaning water to the cup member 10. In the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 60 generates hot water and supplies the generated hot water as cleaning water. As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning unit 60 includes a cartridge tank 61, a hot water tank 62, and a pump 63.

The cartridge tank 61 is a tank for storing raw water of washing water, and is removable from the apparatus main body 30. Specifically, in the housing 31, the tank casing 38, which is a box-like container, is disposed at a portion located at the end on the back side (that is, the end located on the opposite side to the case unit 35). It is done. The tank casing 38 can accommodate the cartridge tank 61 therein. Also, the tank casing 38 has an open end at the upper end. That is, the cartridge tank 61 in the tank casing 38 can be taken out from the upper end opening of the tank casing 38. In the present embodiment, the tank casing 38 has a depth sufficient to accommodate the entire cartridge tank 61.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a second lid 33 is attached to the tank casing 38 for closing the upper end opening of the tank casing 38. The second lid 33 is configured as a part of the housing upper wall 31a, and is provided in an openable / closable state by a hinge mechanism. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the second lid 33 is opened by lifting the end portion of the second lid 33 located on the back side. On the other hand, when the second cover 33 is closed, the upper end opening of the tank casing 38 is completely closed, and the upper side of the cartridge tank 61 in the tank casing 38 is covered by the second cover 33.

Further, a cap for supplying water is provided at the upper portion of the cartridge tank 61, and a valve mechanism for supplying water to the tank casing 38 when accommodated in the tank casing 38 is provided at the lower portion. . The water supplied to the tank casing 38 is once received by the pump 63 and then sent from the pump 63 to the hot water tank 62.

As shown in FIG. 6, the hot water tank 62 adjusts (specifically, heats) the temperature of the water received from the pump 63 to generate hot water, and pumps the hot water as washing water. The end of the cleaning water hose 52 (the end opposite to the side connected to the cup member 10) is connected to the cleaning water discharge port of the warm water tank 62. Thereby, the wash water discharged from the warm water tank 62 flows in the wash water hose 52 and finally spouts from the wash water nozzle 16 of the cup member 10.

In addition, the pump 63 which concerns on this embodiment can adjust the supply amount of wash water, for example, changes a supply amount suitably according to the kind of excretion D, and the elapsed time from the time of washing | cleaning start. Is possible.

The waste container 20 is a hollow container for containing the waste D sucked through the suction hose 51 and washing water. The excrement container 20 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a container made of synthetic resin (as an example, made of ABS, PP, PVC), and as shown in FIG. The waste container 20 is normally used in a state of being stored in the case unit 35. Further, in a state in which the excrement container 20 is stored in the case unit 35, the excrement in the internal space of the excrement container 20 and the internal space of the case unit 35 (specifically, in the case unit 35) A space located outside the container 20 is in communication.

Then, when the blower 41 is operated and the air in the case unit 35 is sucked in a state in which the waste container 20 is stored in the case unit 35, the air in the waste container 20 is from the second suction port 20c. Exhausted. Then, the air in the waste container 20 is sucked by the blower 41 together with the air in the case unit 35. As a result, the inside of the waste container 20 is depressurized.

As shown in FIG. 6, the dust removal / deodorization filter 23 is attached at a position covering the second suction port 20c. The dust removal / deodorization filter 23 is a filter that is one size larger than the second suction port 20 c. For example, the dust removal / deodorization filter 23 may be a rectangular sheet-like filter, and the shape is not particularly limited. When the air in the excrement container 20 passes through the second suction port 20c, the components of the excrement D in the air are captured by the dust removal / deodorization filter 23.

In the upper part of the excrement container 20, a substantially oval through hole (hereinafter referred to as a first suction port 20b) is provided at the end opposite to the end where the second suction port 20c is formed. It is done. The first suction port 20 b is formed to suck the excrement D and the washing water into the excrement container 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the end of the suction hose 51 (the end opposite to the side connected to the cup member 10) enters the first suction port 20b.

Further, in the present embodiment, the opening and closing operation of the first lid 32 makes it possible to easily insert and remove the suction hose 51 and the connector 32 a with respect to the excrement container 20. In addition, with this configuration, when the end of the suction hose 51 is removed from the waste container 20, it is difficult for an excessive force to be applied to the end of the hose. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation where the excrement D spatters from the opening of the hose end and contaminates the inside of the case unit 35 because an excessive force is applied to the hose end when removing the hose end. It becomes.

Then, when the blower 41 sucks the air in the case unit 35 in a state in which the first lid 32 is closed and the end of the suction hose 51 reaches the excrement container 20, the inside of the excrement container 20 is decompressed. Ru. At this time, if the excrement D is placed on the cup member 10, the excrement D is aspirated and moved in the suction hose 51 to be transported into the excrement container 20. Further, when the washing water is supplied from the washing unit 60 to the cup member 10, the washing water is also sucked into the waste container 20 through the suction hose 51.

Specifically, when the excreted excrement D and the flush water pass through the tip opening of the end of the suction hose 51 entering the excrement storage container 20, they fall by their own weight in the excrement storage container 20. It will collect in the same tank. On the other hand, air sucked with the excrement D and the wash water is separated from the excrement D and the wash water in the excrement storage container 20, and is discharged from the second suction port 20c of the excrement storage container 20 to the outside of the tank to be a blower. Sucked in to 41.

The excrement container 20 is removed from the case unit 35 when excrement or washing water of a predetermined amount or more is accumulated therein. That is, the excrement container 20 can be attached to and detached from the case unit 35. More specifically, by opening the first lid 32 in the closed state, the end of the suction hose 51 is removed from the waste container 20, and the upper end opening of the case unit 35 is opened. Thereafter, the waste container 20 can be removed from the case unit 35 by lifting the waste container 20 while holding the handle 20 a of the waste container 20.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the air sucked into the excrement container 20 together with the excrement D and the washing water is the internal space of the excrement container 20 (in particular, the upper portion in the internal space) ) And is discharged out of the waste container 20 through the second suction port 20c. Here, when the air moves in the waste container 20, the moving speed (flow velocity) of the air is slower than in the case where the air moves in a general pipe or hose. This makes it easier to separate the air from the excrement D and the wash water in the excrement container 20.

Further, the air which has flowed out of the excrement container 20 from the second suction port 20 c moves in the case unit 35 and is directed to the air inlet 36. Eventually, after passing through the suction filter 37 in the case unit 35, the air moves from the inside of the case unit 35 to the inside of the blower casing 43 through the air inlet 36 and is sucked into the blower 41 in the blower casing 43. As described above, in the present embodiment, the second suction port 20c of the excrement container 20 and the air intake port 36 of the case unit 35 have a part of the space in the case unit 35 between them. , Are separated from each other. That is, in the present embodiment, the second suction port 20c and the suction port 36 are not directly connected, and a pipe or the like connecting the second suction port 20c and the suction port 36 is not provided.

As described above, since the space is provided between the second suction port 20c and the intake port 36, the air that has flowed out of the excrement container 20 from the second suction port 20c is temporarily stored in the above space. After being discharged, the air is drawn into the blower 41 through the air inlet 36. Thereby, when the blower 41 sucks in air in the excrement container 20, water (mist water derived from the excrement D and wash water), bacteria in the excrement D, etc. are aspirated together with the air, and the blower 41 is removed. It is possible to suppress the contamination of the air return hose 53 and the like.

Note that, as described above, the air that has come out of the excrement container 20 is temporarily released into the case unit 35, so that the air may be temporarily mixed with water, bacteria, and the like, and the outside of the excrement container 20. Even if it comes out, it is possible to store water, bacteria, etc. in the case unit 35. That is, in the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the spread of the contaminated portion.

Further, in the present embodiment, by making the circulation path of the excrement suction device 1 compact, the pressure loss when air flows in the device is also suppressed to a small value. As a result, since the load when the blower 41 takes in air is reduced, the magnitude of the output (power consumption) of the blower 41 can also be suppressed. Furthermore, by suppressing the output of the blower 41, an accessory device (for example, a radiator) or the like for removing the operation heat of the blower 41 is not necessary.

<< Configuration of Controller 80 >>
Next, while detecting the excrement excreted by the cup member 10, the type of excrement is determined, and the configuration of the controller 80 as a control unit that controls the operation of the blower 41 and the pump 63 according to the determination result is described. Do.

As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 80 includes a processor 81, a storage device 82, and an input / output interface 83 as hardware.

The processor 81 is hardware for executing an instruction set described in a program. Then, the processor 81 executes various arithmetic processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage device 82.

The storage device 82 includes, for example, a memory and a magnetic disk device, stores various programs and data, and also functions as a work memory of the processor 81. The storage device 82 may include an information storage medium such as a flash memory or an optical disc.

The input / output interface 83 communicates with devices such as the electrode unit 15 connected via a signal transmission cable, the blower 41, the pump 63, the operation unit 34 and the like. The input / output interface 83 may be connected to each of the electrode unit 15, the blower 41, the pump 63, and the operation unit 34 by a dedicated communication cable.

The operation unit 34 is provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 30, includes a plurality of buttons and a display unit, and receives operations of execution and stop of various processes (washing, drying, suction, etc.) of the excrement suction apparatus 1. .

Specifically, current value data is input to the controller 80 from each of the first electrode pair 15 a and the second electrode pair 15 b of the electrode unit 15 via the input / output interface 83.
The controller 80 also sends the control signal of the blower 41 generated by the processor 81 to the blower 41 via the input / output interface 83 to control the operation of the blower 41.
In addition, the controller 80 sends a control signal of the pump 63 generated by the processor 81 to the pump 63 via the input / output interface 83 to control the operation of the pump 63.
Further, the controller 80 receives the operation signal input to the operation unit 34 via the input / output interface 83, and executes processing according to the operation signal.

The controller 80 may also include a circuit for wireless communication. By doing this, the controller 80 can communicate with a computer such as a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal through the circuit for wireless communication. In such a case, the controller 80 may receive an operation signal from an external computer, and operate the excrement suction device 1 based on the received operation signal. In addition, the controller 80 may record data such as a log of operation of the excrement suction apparatus 1 and measured values of the electrode unit 15 for each user, and transmit the recorded data to an external computer.
The wireless communication circuit may be included in the operation unit 34 instead of the controller 80.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the controller 80 functions as a first determination unit 84 as a first determination unit, a pre-wash processing unit 85 as a pre-wash processing unit, and a second determination unit as a second determination unit. 86 and a cleaning processing unit 87 as a cleaning processing unit.

The above-described respective functions provided in the controller 80 are realized by the processor 81 of the controller 80 controlling each part of the controller 80 based on the program and data stored in the storage device 82. The controller 80 may read and acquire the program from a computer-readable information storage medium, or may download and acquire the program via a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet.
The details of each of the above-described functions provided in the controller 80 will be described below.

The first determination unit 84 has a function of determining the presence or absence of excrement in the cup member 10 based on the detection result of the electrode unit 15.
For example, when the detection value of at least one of the plurality of electrode pairs consisting of the first electrode pair 15a and the second electrode pair 15b of the electrode unit 15 satisfies the predetermined condition, the first determination unit 84 determines the cup member 10 It is determined that there is excrement on the receiving surface 11a of the
Here, for example, a current value, an impedance (resistance value), an electrical conductivity, an admittance, or the like may be used as the above-mentioned “detection value”. Moreover, said "predetermined conditions" are conditions for detecting that the electrode pair was connected by the conductor (excrement) by a "detection value." In other words, when a conductor such as excrement is in contact with the electrode pair, the “detected value” of the electrode pair satisfies the “predetermined condition”. On the other hand, when a conductor such as excrement is not in contact with the electrode pair, the "detection value" does not satisfy the "predetermined condition".
For example, in the case where a current value is used as the above “detection value”, the first determination unit 84 receives the cup member 10 when the current value detected by any of the electrode pairs is equal to or more than a predetermined value. It is determined that there is excrement on the surface 11a. On the other hand, when the current value detected by any electrode pair is less than the predetermined value, the first determination unit 84 determines that there is no excrement on the receiving surface 11 a of the cup member 10.

The first determination unit 84 is mainly realized by the processor 81, the storage device 82, and the input / output interface 83 of the controller 80 as follows.

The processor 81 of the controller 80 acquires data of the current value flowing to each electrode pair of the electrode unit 15 through the input / output interface 83. Specifically, the processor 81 acquires data of current values flowing in the first electrode pair 15a and the second electrode pair 15b of the electrode unit 15 through the input / output interface 83. Then, when the positive and negative electrodes of the electrode pair are connected as wastes as conductors, a weak current flows.

Although current flows even when the positive and negative electrodes of the electrode pair are connected with washing water as a conductor, the excrement is higher in salinity than the washing water (there are more electrolytes). In the case of connection, the electrical conductivity is higher, and as a result, the current value is larger. Therefore, by comparing the current value flowing in the electrode pair with an appropriate threshold value, it is possible to distinguish whether the object in contact with the electrode pair is excrement or washing water.
Specifically, the processor 81 determines that there is excrement in the cup member 10 when the current value flowing to any of the electrode pairs is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value. Note that the predetermined threshold is data stored in advance in the storage device 82, and may be appropriately set based on experimental results and the like.

Further, in the above example, a detection circuit that outputs a detection signal to the controller 80 may be connected to each electrode pair of the electrode unit 15 when the current value flowing to any of the electrode pairs is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. . In this case, when the processor 81 receives a detection signal from the detection circuit, the processor 81 determines that the discharge has been detected in the cup member 10.

In the above example, the determination is made based on the current value detected from the electrode unit 15. However, if the data changes according to the conductivity of each electrode pair of the electrode unit 15, the current value is used. The data is not limited, and other data (resistance value, electrical conductivity, etc.) may be used.

Further, the first determination unit 84 detects a change in conductivity between the plus pole (or minus pole) of the first electrode pair 15a and the minus pole (or plus pole) of any second electrode pair 15b. Then, the presence or absence of excrement may be determined.
In addition, the first determination unit 84 changes the conductivity between the plus pole (or minus pole) of one second electrode pair 15b and the minus pole (or plus pole) of the adjacent second electrode pair 15b. It may be detected to determine the presence or absence of excrement.
By this, it is possible to detect excrement in a wide range in the cup member 10.

The cleaning pretreatment unit 85 is a function that causes the suction unit 40 to perform suction when the first determination unit 84 determines that the cup member 10 has excrement.
For example, when the first determination unit 84 determines that the cup member 10 has excrement, the pre-wash processing unit 85 causes the washing unit 60 to supply the washing water to the cup member 10 along with the suction by the suction unit 40. .
In addition, when the cleaning unit 60 supplies the cleaning water by the cleaning unit 60, the output of the pump 63 is set to a mode (second output mode) that is lower than the mode (first output mode) at the time of normal cleaning. And the pump 63 may be operated.

The cleaning pretreatment unit 85 is mainly realized by the processor 81 of the controller 80, the storage device 82, and the input / output interface 83 as follows.

When the processor 81 of the controller 80 determines that there is excrement in the cup member 10 by the first determination unit 84, a strong suction signal for operating the blower 41 in the strong mode is transmitted through the input / output interface 83. Transmit to blower 41. Then, the blower 41 starts suction in the strong mode in response to the reception of the above-described strong suction signal. Thereby, the excrement in the cup member 10 is aspirated to the excrement container 20 side through the suction hose 51.

Next, the processor 81 causes the pump 63 to operate, via the input / output interface 83, a weak ejection signal for operating the pump 63 in the weak mode when a predetermined first time has elapsed from the point of time when the strong mode operation signal is sent. Transmit to Then, the pump 63 starts water supply from the hot water tank 62 in the weak mode in response to the reception of the above-mentioned weak ejection signal. As a result, the washing water is jetted from the washing water nozzle 16 toward the inside of the cup member 10 in the weak mode.
In addition, while the washing water is sent from the pump 63, the blower 41 continues the suction in the strong mode. As described above, the washing water is jetted from the washing water nozzle 16 with a weak force, and suction is performed by the blower 41 in the strong mode. As a result, since the flush water is drawn to the side of the excrement suction port 13, the unheated flush water accumulated in the suction hose 51 can be prevented from hitting the excretory site E.

By the above-described process, it is possible to purge (remove) the cold water accumulated in the washing water hose 52 between the hot water tank 62 and the cup member 10 before washing. In the following, the process of removing the cold water accumulated in the wash water hose 52 before washing by operating the blower 41 and the pump 63 in conjunction with each other is referred to as a cold water purge process.

Then, the processor 81 transmits an operation stop signal to each of the blower 41 and the pump 63 via the input / output interface 83 when a predetermined second time elapses after operating the pump 63 in the weak mode. The operation of the blower 41 and the pump 63 is stopped. The above second time is, for example, a time sufficient to completely replace the washing water accumulated in the washing water hose 52.

The second determination unit 86 determines that the excrement is feces when the first determination unit 84 determines that there is excrement after the suction pre-treatment unit 85 executes the aspiration, and the first determination unit 84 determines the excrement It is a function to determine excrement as urine when it is determined that there is no

The second determination unit 86 determines as described above for the following reasons.
First, when the excrement is urine, the urine is aspirated toward the aspiration hose 51 by suction and cold water purge processing by the cleaning pretreatment unit 85, and after suction, the first determination unit 84 detects the excrement It is believed that they will not be
On the other hand, when the excrement is stool, the stool is heavier than urine, so depending on the suction by the pre-wash processing unit 85 and the cold water purge processing, not all the stool is suctioned to the suction hose 51 side, This is because it is considered that detection of excrement by the first determination unit 84 will be performed later as well.

The second determination unit 86 is mainly realized by the processor 81, the storage device 82, and the input / output interface 83 of the controller 80 as follows.

The processor 81 of the controller 80 acquires the current value flowing through each electrode pair of the electrode unit 15 through the input / output interface 83 after the cold water purge process by the cleaning pretreatment unit 85 is performed. Then, the processor 81 determines that the excrement excreted in the cup member 10 is feces (feces) when the current value flowing to any of the electrode pairs of the electrode unit 15 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. .
On the other hand, the processor 81 determines that the excrement excreted in the cup member 10 is urine when the current value flowing to any of the electrode pairs of the electrode unit 15 is less than a predetermined threshold.

The washing processing unit 87 is a function of operating the washing unit 60 in a mode according to the determination result by the second determination unit 86 to wash the excretory part.
When the washing processing unit 87 supplies the washing water by the washing unit 60, the output of the pump 63 is stronger than the output mode (second output mode) in the cold water purge processing by the washing pretreatment unit 85 (first output) And the pump 63 may be operated.

The cleaning processing unit 87 is mainly realized by the processor 81 of the controller 80, the storage device 82 and the input / output interface 83 as follows.

When the second determination unit 86 determines that the excrement is stool (feces), the processor 81 of the controller 80 executes the cleaning process in the stool mode.
Specifically, the processor 81 executes the blow mode basic suction pattern C times (e.g. 5 times) in which the blower 41 performs the air blowing (suction) for A seconds (e.g. 3 seconds) and the fountain by the pump 63 B seconds (e.g. 5 seconds). The above-described stool mode washing process is performed by executing the above operation.
When the stop signal is input through the operation unit 34 while the cleaning process is being performed, the processor 81 may stop the cleaning process in the above-described stool mode.

In addition, when the second determination unit 86 determines that the excrement is urine, the processor 81 executes the cleaning process in the urine mode.
Specifically, the processor 81 executes the air mode basic cleaning pattern F times (e.g., 1) in which the blower 41 performs air blowing (suction) for D seconds (e.g. 3 seconds) and fountains by the pump 63 for E seconds (e.g. 3 seconds). The above-mentioned urine mode cleaning process is performed by executing the above operation.
The processor 81 may stop the washing process in the above-mentioned urine mode when the stop signal is input through the operation unit 34 while the washing process is being performed.

The output of the blower 41 during the cleaning process may be, for example, equal to or higher than the output in the cold water purge. For example, assuming that the output of the blower 41 at the time of washing of stool is A, the output of the blower 41 at the time of cleaning of urine B is B, and the output of the blower 41 at the time of cold water purge execution is C, ABB ≧ C. Specifically, the output of the blower 41 is three stages of strong, medium and weak, the output of the blower 41 is strong when the stool is washed, the output of the blower 41 is the middle when the urine is washed, and the cold water is purged The output of the blower 41 may be set weak.

Also, the output of the pump 63 at the time of the cleaning process may use, for example, a setting that is stronger than the output of the cold water purge. Specifically, when the output of the pump 63 is three stages of strong, medium and weak, and the output of the pump 63 in the cold water purge is weak, the output of the pump 63 at the time of cleaning processing is set to medium or strong, for example It is good. Further, the output of the pump 63 may be changed in the stool mode and the urine mode. For example, the output of the pump 63 in the stool mode may be stronger than the output of the pump 63 in the urine mode.

Further, in the cleaning process in the urine mode, when the elapsed time from the previous cleaning process in the urine mode is equal to or less than the predetermined frequent urination determination time, blowing of the cleaning water by the pump 63 is not performed. Only (suction) may be performed.

<< Flow of waste disposal in the waste suction device 1 >>
Next, with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the flow of treatment of excrement by the excrement aspiration apparatus 1 will be described.
The processes shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 are mainly executed by the controller 80 controlling each part of the excrement suction apparatus 1.

As shown in FIG. 9, the processor 81 of the controller 80 determines whether or not excrement is detected in the cup member 10 by the electrode unit 15 (S1). For example, the process of S1 is a first determination step performed by the first determination unit 84.

If no excrement is detected in S1 (S1: No), the process of S1 is continued.
Next, when excrement is detected in S1 (S1: Yes), the processor 81 of the controller 80 executes cold water purge processing (S2).
Here, the flow of the cold water purge process will be described with reference to the flow diagram of FIG. The cold water purge process (pre-wash process step) shown in FIG. 10 may be started a predetermined time after the excrement is detected in S1.

As shown in FIG. 10, the processor 81 of the controller 80 operates the blower 41 in the strong mode to perform suction of waste in the cup member 10 by the blower 41 (S11).
The suction by the blower 41 is continued until the end of the suction processing of the excrement. In addition, the output of the blower 41 can be changed during the process of suctioning excrement.

Then, the processor 81 waits for the first predetermined time to elapse from the start of suction execution by the blower 41 in S11 (S12: No), and when the first predetermined time elapses (S12: Yes), the processor 81 sets the pump 63 in the weak mode. Make it work. As a result, the washing water is jetted to the cup member 10 (S13).
The supply of washing water to the cup member 10 by the pump 63 is continued until the process of S15 described later.

And it waits until the 2nd predetermined time passes from the start of supply of the washing water to cup member 10 by pump 63 in S13 (S14: No), and when the 2nd predetermined time passes (S14: Yes), processor 81 The operation of the pump 63 is stopped (S15) to complete the cold water purge process.

Here, returning to FIG. 9 again, the explanation will be continued. As shown in FIG. 9, when the cold water purge process is finished, the processor 81 of the controller 80 determines again whether or not the excrement is detected in the cup member 10 by the electrode unit 15 (S3). For example, the process of S3 is a first determination step performed by the first determination unit 84.

Then, when excrement is detected in the cup member 10 in S3 (S3: Yes), the processor 81 of the controller 80 determines that the excrement detected in S1 is stool (stool) (S4). For example, the processes of S3 and S4 are a second determination step performed by the second determination unit 86.
In this case, the processor 81 of the controller 80 executes the washing process in the stool mode (S5). In addition, the washing process according to the stool mode is performed by the washing processing unit 87.
In addition, after the cleaning process is performed, the ventilation process is appropriately performed. Specifically, the ventilation process is performed, for example, by repeating the process of operating only the blower 41 for a predetermined time while the excrement is not detected in S1 (S1: No). The output of the blower 41 in this ventilation process is set to the weak mode. The ventilation process may be stopped halfway according to the operation received by the operation unit 34, or may be stopped by the setting of the user.

On the other hand, when no excrement is detected in the cup member 10 in S3 (S3: No), and a predetermined time has elapsed from the end of the cold water purge processing and the determination time-over has not occurred (S6: No) , Continue the process of S3.
Then, if no excrement is detected in the cup member 10 in S3 (S3: No), and a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the cold water purge processing and the judgment time-out has occurred (S6: Yes), the controller The processor 81 of 80 determines that the excrement detected in S1 is urine (S7). For example, the processing of S3, S6, and S7 is a second determination step performed by the second determination unit 86.
In this case, the processor 81 of the controller 80 executes the washing process and the drying process in the urine mode (S8). The cleaning process in the urine mode is performed by the cleaning processing unit 87. The drying process is performed by operating the blower 41 for a predetermined time in a state where the supply of the washing water by the pump 63 is stopped after the completion of the washing process.
The drying time may be the same in the stool mode and the urine mode, or the drying time in the stool mode may be longer than in the urine mode.
The above is the flow of the excrement processing performed by the excrement suction apparatus 1.

And according to the excrement determination method by the excrement aspiration apparatus 1 and the excrement aspiration apparatus 1 described above, whether the excrement is stool based on the detection result of the excrement by the electrode unit 15 before and after the aspiration of the excrement It can accurately determine whether it is urine. Thereby, the misjudgment of the kind of excretion is suppressed, and the excretion can be processed appropriately.

Moreover, in the excretion suction apparatus 1, the washing | cleaning part 60 can be performed in the mode according to the kind of excretion, and the appropriate washing | cleaning process according to the kind of excretion can be performed.

Moreover, in the excretion suction apparatus 1, it becomes easy to attract | suck excrement to the excretion container 20 side by supplying wash water at the time of attraction | suction of excretion. In addition, the cold water accumulated in the suction hose 51 can be discharged before the excretory part is cleaned.

Further, in the excrement suction apparatus 1, in the cold water purge, when discharging the cold water accumulated in the cleaning water suction hose 51 by using a mode in which the output of the pump 63 is weaker than the output during normal cleaning. , It can control that cold water gets on the excretory part.

Further, in the excrement suction apparatus 1, the electrode unit 15 has a plurality of electrode pairs, and if the current value flowing through at least one of the plurality of electrode pairs is equal to or more than a predetermined value, there is an excrement. judge.
By doing this, the excrement in contact with the electrode pair of the electrode unit 15 becomes a conductor, and the excrement in contact with each electrode pair can be detected. Further, by providing a plurality of electrode pairs in the cup member 10, excrement can be detected at a plurality of places. Thereby, the detection range rate of excretion can be improved.

Further, in the excrement suction apparatus 1, the electrode portion 15 is provided at the center of the receiving surface 11a of the cup member 10 for receiving excrement, and at the periphery of the first electrode pair 15a. And the second electrode pair 15b described above.
By doing this, the excrement can be detected in any of the center of the excrement receiving surface 11 a and the periphery thereof. Thereby, the detection rate of the excrement can be improved regardless of the posture of the user.

<< Other Embodiments >>
In the above embodiment, the configuration of the excrement suction apparatus of the present invention has been described by way of an example. However, the above embodiment is merely an example, and other embodiments are also conceivable. For example, in the above embodiment, the case unit 35 as the case unit, the excrement container 20, and the blower 41 as the suction unit are contained in one housing 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and while the excrement container 20 and the case unit 35 are accommodated in the housing 31, the blower 41 may be provided outside the housing 31.

Further, in the above embodiment, although the case of using the excrement aspiration apparatus of the present invention to aspirate excrement excreted while the user is in bed is described as an example, the invention is limited thereto It is not a thing. For example, the excrement aspiration apparatus of the present invention may be used to aspirate excrement of a person excreted in a non-water-washing simple toilet installed in a disaster area or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, when suctioning waste, air sucked together with the waste is returned to the inside of the cup member 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and suctioned together with the waste Air may be released into the atmosphere from within the device.

Further, in the above embodiment, one first electrode pair 15a disposed at the center of the electrode unit 15 is provided, but a plurality of first electrode pairs 15a may be provided. In addition, although three second electrode pairs 15 b arranged around the electrode unit 15 are provided, one, two, four or more may be provided.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 excrement suction apparatus 10 cup member 11 first cover member 11 a receiving surface 11 b guiding surface 11 c wall portion 12 second cover member 13 excrement suction port 14 air outlet 15 electrode portion 15 a first electrode pair 15 b second electrode pair 15 c Electrode 16 Nozzle for washing water 20 Waste container (container)
Reference Signs List 20a handle 20b first suction port 20c second suction port 23 dust removing / deodorizing filter 30 device main body 31 housing 31a housing upper wall 32 first lid 32a connector 33 second lid 34 operation unit 35 case unit 36 air inlet 37 suction filter 38 Tank casing 40 Suction part 41 Blower 43 Blower casing 51 Suction hose 52 Wash water hose (flow path)
53 Air Return Hose 54 Signal Transmission Cable 55 Exhaust Hose 56 Deodorizing Device 60 Cleaning Unit 61 Cartridge Tank 62 Hot Water Tank 63 Pump 70 Control Power Supply 80 Controller (Control Unit)
81 processor 82 storage device 83 input / output interface 84 first determination unit (first determination means)
85 Cleaning pretreatment unit (cleaning pretreatment means)
86 Second judgment unit (second judgment means)
87 Cleaning processing unit (cleaning processing means)
D Excretory E Excretion site P diaper U user

Claims

A cup member covering the excretory part,
A suction unit for suctioning waste excreted in the cup member toward the container;
A detection unit for detecting an object in the cup member;
A control unit that controls the operation of the suction unit;
The control unit
A first determination unit that determines the presence or absence of the excrement in the cup member based on the detection result of the detection unit;
Pre-wash processing means for causing the suction unit to perform suction when it is determined by the first determination means that the excrement is present in the cup member;
When the first determination means determines that the excrement is present after the aspiration is performed by the pre-wash processing means, the excrement is determined to be stool, and the first determination means determines that the excrement is not present And a second judging means for judging that the excrement is urine when being excreted.
The cleaning apparatus further comprises a cleaning unit for supplying cleaning water to the cup member,
The said control part operates the said washing | cleaning part in the mode according to the determination result by the said 2nd determination means, and also has a washing | cleaning process means which performs washing | cleaning of the said excretion site | part. Waste suction device.
The cleaning unit is
A tank for storing temperature-adjusted washing water,
A flow path connecting the tank and the cup member;
And a pump for supplying washing water accumulated in the tank to the cup member.
The excrement suction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pre-wash processing unit causes the pump to supply wash water to the cup member together with suction by the suction unit.
The pump is operable in a first output mode and a second output mode having a lower output than the first output mode,
The cleaning processing unit operates the pump in the first output mode,
The excrement suction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pre-wash processing means operates the pump in the second output mode.
The detection unit has an electrode unit including one or more electrode pairs,
The said 1st determination means determines that there exists the said excrement, when the detection value of at least any one of the said 1 or more electrode pairs satisfies predetermined conditions, The said 1st determination means is characterized by the above-mentioned. An excrement suction device described in.
The cup member has a receiving surface for receiving the excrement,
The electrode unit is
A first electrode pair provided at the center of the receiving surface;
6. The waste suction apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: at least one second electrode pair provided around the first electrode pair.
It is the excrement determination method by the excrement aspiration apparatus, and
The waste suction device is
A cup member covering the excretory part,
A suction unit for suctioning waste excreted in the cup member toward the container;
A detection unit for detecting an object in the cup member;
A control unit that controls the operation of the suction unit;
A first determination step of determining the presence or absence of the excrement in the cup member based on the detection result of the detection unit by the control unit;
A cleaning pretreatment process step of causing the suction unit to perform suction when the control unit determines that the excrement is present in the cup member in the first determination step;
When the control unit determines that the excrement is present in the cup member after execution of suction by the cleaning pretreatment process, the excrement is determined to be feces, and the excrement is determined in the cup member And a second determination step of determining that the excrement is urine when it is determined that there is no excrement.