Closestool control method and device and closestool

Abstract

The invention discloses a closestool control method and device and a closestool, the closestool comprises a closestool main body, a flushing unit, a blow-off pipe assembly and a driving mechanism, and the closestool main body comprises a blow-off port; the blow-off pipe assembly is communicated with the blow-off port, the blow-off pipe assembly comprises a blow-off pipe, and the blow-off pipe is connected with an output shaft of the driving mechanism; the method comprises the steps that in response to a received flushing instruction, the flushing unit is controlled to be started; the driving mechanism is controlled to drive the blow-off pipe to rotate in the first direction, so that the included angle between the main body part of the blow-off pipe and the horizontal direction is reduced to a first angle; the driving mechanism is controlled to drive the blow-off pipe to rotate in the second direction, so that the included angle between the main body part of the blow-off pipe and the horizontal direction is increased to a second angle, and the second angle is larger than the first angle; and controlling the flushing unit to be closed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of kitchen and bathroom technology, and more specifically, to a toilet control method, control device, and toilet. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, smart toilets typically use a siphon structure for drainage. The siphon structure's drainage path bends upwards and backwards from the drain outlet in the basin to a certain height (ensuring a water seal is formed at the bottom of the basin), then bends downwards to the lower rear of the drain outlet. Smart toilets using a siphon structure use a relatively large amount of water for flushing. One solution is to equip the toilet with a water tank, which supplies water from a pump into the basin for flushing. This solution ensures the basin is cleaned in one flush, but it is costly due to the need for a water tank and pump. Another solution is to equip the toilet with a shut-off valve, which allows tap water to be supplied to the basin for flushing when the valve is closed. This solution is cheaper, but it requires a very high tap water pressure, which is often insufficient to ensure a clean flush. Furthermore, the noise generated during flushing in smart toilets using a siphon structure cannot be reduced to a minimum. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, embodiments of this disclosure provide a toilet control method, control device, and toilet that can reduce water consumption during the sewage discharge process and generate less noise during sewage discharge.

[0004] This disclosure provides a method for controlling a toilet, the toilet comprising: a toilet body, a flushing unit, a drain pipe assembly, and a drive mechanism, wherein the toilet body includes a drain outlet; the drain pipe assembly is connected to the drain outlet, the drain pipe assembly includes a drain pipe, and the drain pipe is connected to the output shaft of the drive mechanism; the method includes: In response to receiving a flushing command, the flushing unit is controlled to open; The drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the sewage pipe in a first direction, so as to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to a first angle. The drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the sewage pipe in a second direction, thereby increasing the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to a second angle, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle; Control the flushing unit to shut down.

[0005] This disclosure also provides a control device, including a processor and a memory storing a computer program, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the toilet control method as described in any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0006] This disclosure also provides a toilet, including a control device as described in any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0007] The toilet control method, control device, and toilet provided in this disclosure respond to a flushing command by controlling the flushing unit to open and controlling the drive mechanism to rotate the drain pipe in a first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the drain pipe and the horizontal direction to a first angle. At this time, the water-sewage mixture in the pelvic cavity will be quickly discharged into the building pipe through the drain pipe assembly under the natural drop. This results in less noise and less water consumption when the water-sewage mixture passes through the drain pipe assembly. Then, the drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the drain pipe in a second direction to increase the angle between the main body of the drain pipe and the horizontal direction to a second angle, and the flushing unit is controlled to close, thereby forming a water seal in the drain pipe assembly to prevent odor backflow from the drain pipe assembly.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description and the drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the technical solutions of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present disclosure to explain the technical solutions of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 1A A three-dimensional structural diagram of a toilet provided for an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 1B A schematic cross-sectional view of the right side of a toilet provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 1C A schematic diagram of a sewage pipe assembly in the water seal position, provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 1D A schematic diagram of a drain pipe assembly in the drain position, provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 1E A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a sewage pipe assembly provided for an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a toilet control method provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating another toilet control method provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4A schematic diagram of the structure of another toilet provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0011] The correspondence between the reference numerals and the component names is as follows: 100 Toilet body, 110 Basin, 120 Drain outlet, 130 Water supply outlet, 200 Drain pipe assembly, 210 Flexible pipe, 220 Drain pipe, 230 First pipe section, 240 Second pipe section, 300 Mounting base, 320 Discharge outlet, 360 Drain inlet, 400 Drive mechanism, 600 Connecting pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0012] This disclosure describes several embodiments, but these descriptions are exemplary and not limiting, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the drawings and discussed in the detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are also possible. Unless specifically limited, any feature or element of any embodiment may be used in combination with, or may replace, any feature or element of any other embodiment.

[0013] This disclosure includes and contemplates combinations of features and elements known to those skilled in the art. The embodiments, features, and elements disclosed in this disclosure may also be combined with any conventional features or elements to form a unique inventive scheme as defined by the claims. Any feature or element of any embodiment may also be combined with features or elements from other inventive schemes to form another unique inventive scheme as defined by the claims. Therefore, it should be understood that any feature shown and / or discussed in this disclosure may be implemented individually or in any suitable combination. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited except by the limitations imposed by the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

[0014] Furthermore, in describing representative embodiments, the specification may have presented methods and / or processes as a specific sequence of steps. However, the method or process should not be limited to the specific order of steps described herein, to the extent that the method or process does not depend on the specific order of steps described herein. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other sequences of steps are also possible. Therefore, the specific order of steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as a limitation of the claims. Moreover, the claims relating to the method and / or process should not be limited to the steps performed in the order written, and those skilled in the art will readily understand that these orders can be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0015] This disclosure provides a method for controlling a toilet, applied to a toilet.

[0016] In some examples, such as Figures 1A to 1E As shown, the toilet includes: toilet body 100, drain pipe assembly 200 and drive mechanism 400.

[0017] The toilet body 100 has a basin 110 and a drain outlet 120. The drain outlet 120 is located at the lower part of the basin 110. Optionally, the toilet body 100 can be made of ceramic. The user's facing direction when using the toilet is the front side, and the side closer to the wall or support is the rear side. Taking the front side as the viewing direction, the left and right sides of the toilet are as follows: Figure 1A direction shown.

[0018] The sewage pipe assembly 200 is connected to the sewage outlet 120. The sewage pipe assembly 200 includes a sewage pipe 220, which is connected to the output shaft of the drive mechanism 400.

[0019] The drive mechanism 400 is configured to controllably drive the drain pipe 220 to rotate via the output shaft, thereby reducing or increasing the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction.

[0020] In some examples, the toilet also includes a flushing unit (not shown in the figure), which has a water inlet 130 and is connected to the basin 110 through the water inlet 130. The flushing unit is configured to controllably flush water into the basin 110 from the water inlet 130. That is, when the toilet receives a flushing command to flush the basin 110, it controls the flushing unit to flush water into the basin 110.

[0021] Optionally, the flushing unit includes a water tank and a water pump; or the flushing unit may include a water pipe and a switch valve, with tap water connected to the switch valve via the water pipe, and the switch valve connected to the water supply port 130. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the water supply pressure of the toilet to the tap water is much lower than 0.14 MPa, which can ensure that the basin 110 can be cleaned with one flush, and the cost is also lower.

[0022] In some examples, the drain pipe 220 includes a first pipe section 230 and a second pipe section 240 connected in sequence. The first pipe section 230 is the main body of the drain pipe 220. The second pipe section 240 is connected to the mounting base 300 and is connected to the output shaft of the drive mechanism 400. The drive mechanism 400 is configured to controllably drive the second pipe section 240 to rotate via the output shaft, so as to reduce or increase the angle between the first pipe section 230 and the horizontal direction.

[0023] In some examples, the toilet also includes a mounting base 300 having a drain channel with an inlet 360 and an outlet 320. The inlet 360 is located below the outlet 120. The outlet end of the second pipe section 240 is rotatably and sealingly connected to the inlet 360. The outlet 320 is not higher than the inlet 360, that is, the outlet 320 and the inlet 360 can be at the same height; or the outlet 320 can be lower than the inlet 360.

[0024] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the drive mechanism 400 drives the second pipe section 240 to rotate in a controlled manner through the output shaft, the first pipe section 230 rotates based on the second pipe section 240, and the drain pipe 220 has a predetermined water seal position and a drain position.

[0025] When the toilet needs to discharge the water-sewage mixture from the basin cavity 110, the drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the first direction until it reaches the predetermined discharge position. At this time, the inlet end of the first pipe section 230 is lower than the drain outlet 120 and higher than the inlet 360, while the inlet 360 is located below the drain outlet 120. In this way, after the water-sewage mixture in the basin cavity 110 enters the drain pipe assembly 200, it will quickly pass through the drain pipe assembly 200 under the natural drop and be discharged into the building pipe from the inlet 360. This reduces the noise generated when the water-sewage mixture passes through the drain pipe assembly 200, and the water... The kinetic energy loss of the sewage mixture is relatively small during the process of passing through the sewage pipe assembly 200, and the conveying capacity of the sewage mixture after flowing out of the sewage pipe 220 is also relatively strong (which can better suit the application scenario of toilet relocation installation); after the sewage mixture is discharged, the drive mechanism 400 drives the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction until it rotates to the predetermined water seal position. The inlet end of the first pipe section 230 is higher than the sewage outlet 120, so a water seal will be formed at the sewage outlet 120 in the basin cavity 110. Therefore, the building pipe cannot backflow odors from the sewage pipe assembly through the sewage outlet 120 into the basin cavity 110.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the control method for this toilet includes: Step 201: In response to receiving the flushing command, control the flushing unit to turn on; Step 202: Control the drive mechanism 400 to drive the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the first direction, so as to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the first angle; Step 203: Control the drive mechanism 400 to drive the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction, so as to increase the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the second angle, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle; Step 204: Control the flushing unit to shut down.

[0027] The toilet control method of this embodiment controls the flushing unit to open when a flushing command is received, and controls the drive mechanism 400 to drive the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the first angle. At this time, the drain pipe 220 rotates to the drain position, so that the water and sewage mixture in the basin cavity 110 enters the drain pipe 220 and is quickly discharged into the building pipe under the natural drop. The discharge process of the water and sewage mixture (that is, the flushing process of the toilet) has less noise and requires less minimum water because the drain pipe assembly 200 does not have a siphon structure. Moreover, the kinetic energy loss of the water and sewage mixture during the process of passing through the drain pipe assembly 200 is relatively small, and the conveying capacity of the water and sewage mixture after flowing out of the drain pipe 220 is also relatively strong (which can be better applied to the application scenario of toilet relocation installation). After the water-sewage mixture is discharged, the control drive mechanism 400 drives the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction, so as to increase the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the second angle. At this time, the sewage pipe 220 rotates to the water seal position, so that a water seal will be formed at the sewage outlet 120 in the basin 110. Therefore, the building pipe cannot backflow odor from the sewage pipe assembly 200 through the sewage outlet 120 into the basin 110.

[0028] In some examples, the difference between the second angle and the first angle can be between 35° and 55°; however, this disclosure does not limit it.

[0029] Optionally, the flushing commands include defecation flushing commands and urination flushing commands. The flushing durations (i.e., the time from when the flushing unit is turned on to when it is turned off) set for the defecation flushing commands and urination flushing commands can be the same or different. For example, the flushing duration set for the defecation flushing command can be greater than the flushing duration set for the urination flushing command.

[0030] Optionally, the flushing unit includes a solenoid valve or a water pump. The flushing unit precisely opens or closes according to the flushing command issued by the control module, driving the water flow to complete the flushing action.

[0031] Optionally, smart toilets can utilize different intelligent modules working collaboratively to create an automated and comfortable experience. Among these, the automatic flushing function is a key aspect of intelligence, primarily involving the following modules: Sensor detection module: This is the "trigger switch" for automatic flushing. It typically uses infrared or capacitive human body sensors to accurately detect when a user sits down and gets up, providing accurate action signals to the control module.

[0032] Intelligent control module: Centered on a microcontroller (MCU). It receives signals from the sensing module and has built-in flushing logic algorithms (such as delayed start after seat departure). It not only controls the flushing timing but also manages the flushing water volume, mode selection, and coordinates with other modules.

[0033] Flushing Unit: This is the "execution terminal" of the automatic flushing system. Based on instructions from the control module, it drives the water flow to complete the flushing action. The connected instantaneous or storage-type water supply system ensures the immediate and constant temperature of the flushing water, achieving a hygienic and convenient automatic flushing function without manual operation, thus enhancing the user experience.

[0034] like Figure 1C As shown, when the drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate to the water seal position, the inlet end of the first pipe section 230 is higher than the drain outlet 120, and the angle between the first pipe section 230 and the horizontal direction is the second angle θ2; Figure 1D As shown, when the drive mechanism 400 drives the sewage pipe 220 to rotate to the sewage discharge position, the inlet end of the first pipe section 230 is lower than the sewage outlet 120 and higher than the sewage inlet 360. The angle between the first pipe section 230 and the horizontal direction is the first angle θ1, wherein the second angle θ2 is greater than the first angle θ1.

[0035] In some examples, the first angle θ1 is optionally set to 5° by a preset value.

[0036] Optionally, the second angle θ2 can be set to 50° by a preset value.

[0037] In some examples, the range of the first angle can also be determined based on the diameter of the drain pipe and the pit distance of the toilet. Optionally, the maximum value of the first angle range is proportional to the pipe diameter and inversely proportional to the pit distance. Optionally, the first angle θ1 ≤ acrsin(¢ / (D-¢ / 2)). Where D is the distance between the toilet pit and the wall; ¢ is the minimum inner diameter of the drain pipe assembly.

[0038] The toilet's rough-in distance refers to the distance between the toilet's bottom fixing hole and the wall or supporting surface. As an internal pipe structure in the toilet, the drain pipe assembly 200 is limited by the toilet's internal space and drainage structure, resulting in the drain pipe assembly 200's diameter not being too large. In this embodiment, by using the drain pipe assembly 200's diameter (i.e., the minimum inner diameter) and the rough-in distance, the maximum angle between the first pipe section 230 of the drain pipe assembly 200 and the horizontal direction when the toilet is in the drainage position is determined. This ensures the change in gravitational potential energy of the water-sewage mixture during the pouring and drainage process, increases the smoothness of the toilet's drainage structure, and avoids the problem of sewage not being discharged.

[0039] Optionally, in the sewage discharge position, the angle θ1 between the first pipe segment and the horizontal direction is less than 14°, and when the corresponding toilet drain distance is less than or equal to 305mm, the diameter of the first pipe segment 230 of the sewage discharge pipe assembly is less than or equal to 66mm. Alternatively, in the sewage discharge position, the angle θ1 between the first pipe segment 230 and the horizontal direction is less than 10.3°, and when the corresponding toilet drain distance is less than or equal to 400mm, the diameter of the first pipe segment 230 of the sewage discharge pipe assembly 200 is less than or equal to 66mm.

[0040] In some examples, the range of the second angle can be determined based on the diameter of the drain pipe and the distance between the toilet bowl and the wall, as well as the height of the toilet body and the height of the fall. Optionally, the maximum value of the second angle range is inversely proportional to the difference between the drain pipe and the wall diameter, and directly proportional to the difference between the height of the toilet body and the height of the fall. Optionally, in some examples, θ2 ≤ arcsin((H Q -H L ) / (D-¢ / 2)); Where D is the distance between the toilet bowl and the wall; ¢ is the minimum inner diameter of the drain pipe assembly; H Q H is the height of the toilet body. L The height of the water cover between the water surface and the upper surface of the pelvic cavity (the height of the water cover should be such that the splashing water caused by the waste falling from the upper surface of the pelvic cavity to the water cover does not affect the user experience).

[0041] In this embodiment of the disclosure, by determining the maximum angle between the first section 230 of the drain pipe assembly 200 and the horizontal direction when the water seal position in the toilet is determined according to the pipe diameter (i.e., the minimum inner diameter) and the pit distance of the drain pipe assembly 200, it can be ensured that a water seal is formed when the drain pipe rotates to the water seal position, and the water seal formed at this angle will not be too high, thereby avoiding water splashing on the user during the process of sewage falling and affecting the user experience.

[0042] Optionally, in the water seal position, the angle θ2 between the first pipe section 230 and the horizontal direction is ≤59°, the pit distance corresponding to the smart toilet is less than or equal to 305mm, ¢ is less than or equal to 66mm, and H Q The design dimensions are 395mm, H LWhen the design dimension is 160mm, the diameter of the first pipe section 230 of the drain pipe assembly is less than or equal to 66mm. Alternatively, in the water seal position, the angle θ2 between the first pipe section 230 and the horizontal direction is less than 40°, and for smart toilets with a pit distance ≤ 400mm, H... Q The design dimensions are 395mm, H L When the design size is 160mm, the diameter of the first pipe section 230 of the sewage pipe assembly 200 is less than or equal to 66mm.

[0043] In some examples, before the control drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the first direction (step 202), the method further includes: The control drive mechanism 400 drives the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction, so as to increase the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to a third angle, wherein the third angle is greater than the second angle.

[0044] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, by controlling the drive mechanism 400 to drive the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction before rotating it in the first direction, the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction is increased to a third angle. This can further increase the change in gravitational potential energy of the water-sewage mixture when it passes through the drain pipe 220 during the sewage discharge process, increase the sewage discharge smoothness of the toilet structure, and avoid the problem of sewage not being discharged.

[0045] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the size of the third angle can be set as needed. Optionally, the difference between the third angle and the second angle is within 5°. For example, the third angle can also be set as the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction when the drain pipe 220 is rotated in the second direction to the lifting limit position; however, this disclosure does not limit this.

[0046] In some examples, the step of controlling the drive mechanism 400 to rotate the drain pipe 220 in the second direction to increase the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to a third angle begins at a first moment, and the step of controlling the flushing unit to start begins at a second moment. The absolute value of the difference between the first moment and the second moment is less than or equal to a first set duration.

[0047] For example, the first set duration can be 1 second; however, this disclosure does not limit this. By controlling the absolute value of the difference between the first moment and the second moment to be less than or equal to the first set duration, the step of controlling the drive mechanism 400 to rotate the drain pipe 220 in the second direction to increase the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the third angle begins almost simultaneously with the step of controlling the flushing unit to open, thereby ensuring that the toilet completes the flushing command execution process within the preset duration. When the absolute value of the difference between the first moment and the second moment is 0, the step of controlling the drive mechanism 400 to rotate the drain pipe 220 in the second direction to increase the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the third angle begins simultaneously with the step of controlling the flushing unit to open.

[0048] In some examples, the method further includes: After the toilet is turned on, the control drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction, thereby increasing the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction, until the drain pipe 220 reaches the lifting limit position; and / or, The control drive mechanism 400 drives the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction until the sewage pipe 220 reaches the tilting limit position. The positions of the sewage pipe 220 corresponding to the first angle and the second angle are both between the lifting limit position and the tilting limit position.

[0049] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after the toilet is turned on, initialization is performed, and the parameters are saved when the drain pipe 220 reaches the lifting limit position and / or the tilting limit position.

[0050] In some examples, when the control drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate in a second direction or a first direction, the method further includes: The system detects whether the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction changes within a second set time period. If the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction does not change within the second set time period, it determines that the sewage pipe 220 has reached the lifting limit position or the tilting limit position.

[0051] Optionally, the change in the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction can be detected by a position detection sensor or an angle sensor.

[0052] In some examples, such as Figure 3 As shown, the method includes: Step 301: The toilet is turned on and initialized. The drain pipe 220 can be rotated in the second direction by controlling the drive mechanism 400. During this time, the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction gradually increases. If the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction does not change within a second set time period, the drain pipe is determined to be at the lifting limit position. Similarly, the drain pipe 220 can be rotated in the first direction by controlling the drive mechanism 400. During this time, the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction gradually decreases. If the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction does not change within a second set time period, the drain pipe is determined to be at the tilting limit position.

[0053] Step 302: Check if a flushing command has been received. If a flushing command has been received, proceed to step 303. Step 303: Control the drive mechanism 400 to drive the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction, so as to increase the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the third angle; Step 304: Control the flushing unit to turn on and start the timer; Step 305: After flushing for t0 seconds (i.e., the flushing unit is turned on for t0 seconds), control the drive mechanism 400 to drive the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the first direction, so as to reduce the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the first angle, and maintain the current state for t1 seconds (i.e. the fourth set duration mentioned later). Step 306: Control the drive mechanism 400 to drive the sewage pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction, so as to increase the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the second angle, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle and less than the third angle; Step 307: After flushing for t2 seconds (i.e., the flushing unit is turned on for t2 seconds), control the flushing unit to turn off and return to step 302.

[0054] In this embodiment, by first controlling the drive mechanism 400 to rotate the drain pipe 220 in the second direction to increase the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the third angle (step 303), and then controlling the drive mechanism 400 to rotate the drain pipe 220 in the first direction to decrease the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the first angle (step 305), the change in gravitational potential energy of the water-sewage mixture passing through the drain pipe 220 during the sewage discharge process can be further increased, thereby increasing the smoothness of the toilet structure's sewage discharge and avoiding the problem of sewage not being discharged.

[0055] In this embodiment, the values ​​of t0, t1, and t2 can be set as needed, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on them. For example, t0 can be 1 to 2 seconds, t1 can be 4 to 5 seconds, and t2 can be 9 to 10 seconds. In other examples, a flow meter can also be installed in the toilet to monitor the water flow rate. The values ​​of t0, t1, and t2 can also be set in conjunction with the water flow rate data from the flow meter.

[0056] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, in step 305, the drain pipe 220 is rotated to the drain position, and the water carrying the sewage is quickly discharged from the pipe; in step 306, the drain pipe 220 is rotated to the water seal position, and a water seal is formed at the drain outlet 120 in the basin 110 to prevent the building pipe from backflowing odors from the drain pipe assembly 200 into the basin 110 through the drain outlet 120.

[0057] In some embodiments, the toilet includes a mechanical self-locking structure. When the drain pipe 220 reaches the first angle position, the mechanical self-locking structure locks the drain pipe to the current position. Before the control drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction to the second angle, or after flushing for t0 seconds, the drive motor is controlled to rotate in the first direction. Optionally, this rotation angle is no greater than 5°. During rotation, the drain pipe 220 automatically opens the mechanical self-locking switch on the mechanical self-locking structure. After the mechanical self-locking switch is opened, the drive motor is controlled to rotate, driving the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction. Optionally, the first direction can be as follows: Figure 1D The clockwise direction of the viewing angle is used to tilt the sewage pipe 220. The second direction could be as follows: Figure 1D The counter-clockwise direction of the viewing angle is used to raise the sewage pipe 220.

[0058] In this embodiment, after the toilet is turned on, the lifting and tilting limits that the drain pipe 220 can reach are determined, and the sizes of the first and second angles are determined based on these limits. That is, in this disclosure, the drain position (the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction is the first angle) and the water seal position (the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction is the second angle) are positions determined based on the lifting and tilting limits.

[0059] In some examples, the method further includes: The second angle is obtained based on the lifting limit position and the first predetermined rule; the first angle is obtained based on the tilting limit position and the second predetermined rule.

[0060] For example, assuming that in the raised limiting position, the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction is a fourth angle, the first predetermined rule can be: subtract a preset first angle difference from the fourth angle to obtain a second angle; assuming that in the tilting limiting position, the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction is a fifth angle, the second predetermined rule can be: add a preset second angle difference to the fifth angle to obtain a first angle. However, the first and second predetermined rules can be set as needed, and this disclosure does not limit them.

[0061] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the preset first angle difference and the preset second angle difference can be set as needed. For example, optionally, the first angle difference is not less than 5°; optionally, the second angle difference is not less than 5°, and the preset first angle difference can be 8°, 15°, 20°, etc. The preset second angle difference can be 5°, 8°, etc. Optionally, the first angle difference is preset to 8°, and when a fourth angle of 58° is detected, the first angle is obtained as 50° based on the difference between the fourth angle and the first angle. Optionally, the second angle difference is preset to 5°, and when a fifth angle of 0° is detected, the second angle is obtained as 5° based on the fifth angle plus the second angle difference.

[0062] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first predetermined rule may further include: determining the maximum value of the first angle θ1 based on the distance between the toilet pit and the diameter of the drain pipe assembly 200. For details on how to determine the maximum value of the first angle θ1 based on the distance between the toilet pit and the diameter of the drain pipe assembly 200, please refer to the foregoing description.

[0063] The second predetermined rule may also include: determining the maximum value of the second angle θ2 based on the corresponding toilet drain distance, the diameter of the drain pipe assembly 200, the height of the toilet body 100, and the height of the stool drop between the water surface and the upper end face of the basin 110. For details on how to determine the maximum value of the second angle θ2 based on the corresponding toilet drain distance, the diameter of the drain pipe assembly 200, the height of the toilet body 100, and the height of the stool drop between the water surface and the upper end face of the basin 110, please refer to the preceding text.

[0064] In some examples, the step of controlling the drive mechanism 400 to rotate the drain pipe 220 in the first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the first angle (i.e., step 202) is completed within a third set time range.

[0065] In some examples, the third set duration can be set to a duration less than or equal to 1 second. By controlling the motor output power to 100%, the drain pipe tilts rapidly within nearly 1 second, achieving powerful sewage discharge. By rapidly reducing the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the first angle within a relatively short third set duration, the drain pipe 220 can quickly rotate from the water seal position to the discharge position, thereby allowing water to carry the sewage out of the pipe quickly, thus achieving a better sewage discharge effect.

[0066] In some examples, after the step of controlling the drive mechanism 400 to rotate the drain pipe 220 in a first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to a first angle (i.e., step 202), the method further includes: maintaining for a fourth set duration.

[0067] In this embodiment of the disclosure, both the first set duration and the third set duration are less than the fourth set duration.

[0068] For example, the fourth set duration can be 4 to 5 seconds. However, this disclosure does not limit it. The length of the fourth set duration can be set as needed.

[0069] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, a mechanical self-locking structure can be provided on the toilet. When the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction reaches the first angle (i.e. the drain pipe reaches the drain position), the mechanical self-locking structure locks the drain pipe to the current position, thereby keeping the toilet in the current drain state for a fourth set time period.

[0070] In some examples, the drain pipe assembly 200 also includes a flexible pipe 210, one end of which is connected to the drain outlet 120 and the other end to the drain pipe 220. The flexible pipe 210 maintains a sealed connection between the drain outlet 120 and the drain pipe 220. The flexible pipe 210 includes a stretched state and a bent state. When the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction is a first angle, the flexible pipe 210 is in a stretched state; when the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction is a second angle, the flexible pipe 210 is in a bent state.

[0071] like Figures 1B to 1E As shown, the drain outlet 120, flexible pipe 210, first pipe section 230, and second pipe section 240 are sequentially and sealed together. The drain pipe 220 is in different positions, and the distance and relative position between the inlet end of the first pipe section 230 and the drain outlet 120 change. The flexible pipe 210, through its own deformation, ensures that the drain pipe 220 and the drain outlet 120 remain connected at all times. Through the flexible pipe, the drain outlet in the pelvic cavity and the opening of the toilet's drain hole are kept sealed and connected, preventing the pipe from being disconnected due to movement of the drain pipe.

[0072] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the inlet end of the flexible pipe 210 and the drain outlet 120 can be sealed together by means of a fixing ring and a sealing ring.

[0073] In some embodiments, the drain pipe assembly 200 further includes a non-linear connecting pipe 600, the inlet end of which is sealed to the outlet end of the flexible pipe 210, and the outlet end of which is rotatably sealed to the inlet end of the first pipe segment 230. The connecting pipe 600 and the flexible pipe 210 maintain a sealed connection between the drain outlet 120 and the drain pipe 220.

[0074] In other embodiments, the outlet end of the flexible tube 210 and the inlet end of the first tube segment 230 can be sealed together by means of a connection thread and a sealing ring.

[0075] In this embodiment, when the drain pipe 220 is rotated to the water seal position, the flexible pipe 210 is in a bent state. In this way, the clean water that has not been drained from the flexible pipe 210 will flow back to the bottom of the basin 110, which is conducive to the rapid formation of a water seal at the bottom of the basin 110. When the drain pipe 220 is rotated to the drain position, the flexible pipe 210 is in a stretched state. At this time, the flexible pipe 210 extends downward from front to back, while the drain pipe 220 extends downward from back to front. In this way, the water and sewage mixture at the bottom of the basin 110 will quickly pass through the flexible pipe 210 and the drain pipe 220 under the natural drop, which is conducive to the drain pipe assembly 200 quickly draining the water and sewage mixture.

[0076] When the toilet needs to discharge the water-sewage mixture from the basin cavity 110, the drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate to the discharge position. At this time, the inlet end of the first pipe section 230 is lower than the drain outlet 120 and higher than the inlet 360. Correspondingly, the outlet end of the flexible pipe 210 is also lower than the drain outlet 120, while the inlet 360 is located below the drain outlet 120. At this time, the water-sewage mixture in the basin cavity 110 enters the drain pipe 220 and will quickly pass through the first pipe section 230 and the second pipe section 240 under the natural drop and be discharged into the building pipe from the inlet 360. This process of discharging the water-sewage mixture (i.e., The toilet flushing process is quieter and requires less water because the drain pipe assembly 200 does not have a siphon structure. It can also ensure that the basin 110 is cleaned in one flush. Furthermore, the kinetic energy loss of the water-sewage mixture is relatively small during the process of passing through the drain pipe assembly 200. Therefore, the conveying capacity of the water-sewage mixture after flowing out of the drain pipe assembly 200 is also relatively strong (which can solve the technical problem of weak conveying capacity of the water-sewage mixture in the horizontal pipe after flowing out of the drain pipe assembly 200, and better meet the application scenarios of same-floor drainage with horizontal pipes or toilet relocation with horizontal pipes).

[0077] After the water-sewage mixture is discharged, the drive mechanism 400 drives the sewage pipe 220 to rotate to the water seal position. The inlet end of the first pipe section 230 is higher than the sewage outlet 120, and the outlet end of the corresponding flexible pipe 210 is also higher than the sewage outlet 120. At this time, the flexible pipe 210 is a bent pipe that extends upward from its inlet end to its outlet end. Since there is clean water remaining in the basin 110, there is clean water at the bend of the flexible pipe 210 and a water seal is formed. Therefore, the building pipe cannot backflow odor from the sewage pipe assembly through the sewage outlet 120 into the basin 110.

[0078] In some examples, the drive mechanism 400 includes a drive motor; one end of the drain pipe 220 is connected to the mounting base 300 and to the output shaft of the drive motor; The drive motor drives one end of the sewage pipe 220 to rotate around, thereby reducing or increasing the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe 220 and the horizontal direction, while allowing the flexible pipe 210 to switch between a stretched state and a bent state.

[0079] Optionally, the drive motor can be set as a stepper motor or a servo motor, which has fast response speed and high control precision.

[0080] This disclosure also provides a toilet control device, including a processor and a memory storing a computer program. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of any of the toilet control methods described in the above embodiments, and thus has all the above-mentioned beneficial effects, which will not be repeated here.

[0081] The processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. The aforementioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an On-Premises Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0082] like Figure 4 As shown in the illustration, this disclosure also provides a toilet, including the control device, flushing unit, and drive mechanism as described in the above embodiments. The toilet of this disclosure has all the aforementioned beneficial effects, which will not be repeated here.

[0083] In some examples, the toilet may also include a position detection sensor or an angle sensor, wherein the position detection sensor or angle sensor is used to detect the angle between the main body of the drain pipe and the horizontal direction.

[0084] For example, an angle sensor can detect the angle of rotation of the output shaft of the drive motor, and calculate the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction based on the angle of rotation of the output shaft of the drive motor.

[0085] In some examples, the toilet also includes a protection unit. During a power outage, the user can control the drive mechanism via a control unit on the toilet to rotate the drain pipe in a first or second direction. If the charge generated during manual operation is input to the motor in the reverse direction, it may damage the circuit system. Therefore, this disclosure includes a protection unit to block reverse current and prevent charge backflow from damaging the motor.

[0086] In summary, the toilet control method, control device, and toilet provided in this disclosure, when it is necessary to discharge the water-sewage mixture in the basin cavity, control the flushing unit to open; control the drive mechanism 400 to drive the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the first direction, so as to reduce the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to the first angle. At this time, the water-sewage mixture in the basin cavity 110 will be quickly discharged into the building pipe by passing through the drain pipe assembly 200 and the drain channel under the natural drop. The discharge process of the water-sewage mixture has less noise and requires less minimum water consumption because the drain pipe assembly 200 does not have a siphon structure, and it can ensure that... The pelvic cavity 110 can be cleaned with a single flush. Furthermore, the kinetic energy loss of the water-sewage mixture during its passage through the drain pipe assembly 200 is relatively small, resulting in a strong conveying capacity after the water-sewage mixture flows out of the drain pipe assembly 200. After the water-sewage mixture is discharged, the control drive mechanism 400 drives the drain pipe 220 to rotate in the second direction, thereby increasing the angle between the main body of the drain pipe 220 and the horizontal direction to a second angle. The second angle is greater than the first angle, thus forming a water seal at the drain outlet 120 inside the pelvic cavity 110. Therefore, the building pipes cannot backflow odors into the pelvic cavity 110 from the drain pipe assembly 200 through the drain outlet 120.

[0087] In any one or more of the exemplary embodiments described above, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. The computer-readable medium may comprise a computer-readable storage medium corresponding to a tangible medium such as a data storage medium, or a communication medium comprising any medium facilitating the transfer of a computer program from one place to another, for example, according to a communication protocol. In this manner, a computer-readable medium may generally correspond to a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium or a communication medium such as a signal or carrier wave. The data storage medium may be any available medium accessible by one or more computers or one or more processors to retrieve instructions, code, and / or data structures for implementing the techniques described in this disclosure. Computer program products may comprise computer-readable media.

[0088] For example, and not as a limitation, such computer-readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible by a computer. Furthermore, any connection may also be referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if instructions are transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. However, it should be understood that computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carrier waves, signals, or other transient media, but rather refer to non-transient tangible storage media. As used herein, disks and optical discs include compact optical discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile optical discs (DVDs), floppy disks, or Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs use lasers to reproduce data optically. The above combinations should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0089] For example, the instructions may be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general purpose microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Thus, the term "processor" as used herein may refer to any one of the foregoing structures or any other structure suitable for implementing the techniques described herein. Additionally, in some aspects, the functionality described herein may be provided within a special purpose hardware and / or software module configured for encoding and decoding, or incorporated in a combined codec. Also, the techniques may be implemented entirely in one or more circuits or logic elements.

[0090] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in a wide variety of devices or apparatuses, including wireless handsets, integrated circuits (ICs) or a set of ICs (e.g., a chipset). In the embodiments of the present disclosure, various components, modules or units are described to emphasize the functional aspects of the apparatuses configured to execute the described techniques, but they do not necessarily need to be implemented by different hardware units. Instead, as described above, the various units can be combined in a codec hardware unit or provided by a collection of interoperating hardware units (including one or more processors as described above) in conjunction with appropriate software and / or firmware.

[0091] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "one side", "the other side", "one end", "the other end", "edge", "opposite", "four corners", "perimeter", "the structure of the character 'kou'", etc. are orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the structures referred to have a specific orientation, are constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present disclosure.

[0092] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected", "directly connected", "indirectly connected", "fixedly connected", "installed", "assembled" shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; the terms "installed", "connected", "fixedly connected" may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and may be the internal communication of two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0093] While the embodiments disclosed herein are as described above, the content is merely for the purpose of facilitating understanding of this disclosure and is not intended to limit it. It should be noted that the above embodiments or implementations are merely exemplary and not restrictive. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the content specifically shown and described herein. Various modifications, substitutions, or omissions can be made to the form and details of the implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a toilet, characterized in that, The toilet includes: a toilet body, a flushing unit, a drain pipe assembly, and a drive mechanism, wherein the toilet body includes a drain outlet; the drain pipe assembly is connected to the drain outlet, and the drain pipe assembly includes a drain pipe, which is connected to the output shaft of the drive mechanism; the method includes: In response to receiving a flushing command, the flushing unit is controlled to open; The drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the sewage pipe in a first direction, so as to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to a first angle. The drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the sewage pipe in a second direction, thereby increasing the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to a second angle, wherein the second angle is greater than the first angle; Control the flushing unit to shut down.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before controlling the drive mechanism to rotate the sewage pipe in the first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to the first angle, the method further includes: The drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the sewage pipe in a second direction, thereby increasing the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to a third angle, wherein the third angle is greater than the second angle.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of controlling the drive mechanism to rotate the sewage pipe in the second direction to increase the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to a third angle begins at a first moment, and the step of controlling the flushing unit to start begins at a second moment. The absolute value of the difference between the first moment and the second moment is less than or equal to a first set duration.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the toilet is turned on, the drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the drain pipe in the second direction, thereby increasing the angle between the main body of the drain pipe and the horizontal direction, until the drain pipe reaches the lifting limit position; and / or, The drive mechanism is controlled to rotate the sewage pipe in the first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction until the sewage pipe reaches the tilting limit position. The sewage pipe positions corresponding to the first angle and the second angle are both between the lifting limit position and the tilting limit position.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, When controlling the drive mechanism to rotate the sewage pipe in the second direction or the first direction, the method further includes: detecting whether the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction changes within a second set time period; when the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction does not change within the second set time period, determining that the sewage pipe has reached the lifting limit position or the tilting limit position.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second angle is obtained based on the lifting limit position and a first predetermined rule; the first angle is obtained based on the tilting limit position and a second predetermined rule.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the drive mechanism to rotate the sewage pipe in the first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to the first angle is completed within a third set time range; After the step of controlling the drive mechanism to rotate the sewage pipe in the first direction to reduce the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction to the first angle, the method further includes: maintaining it for a fourth set duration; wherein the fourth set duration is longer than the third set duration.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sewage pipe assembly also includes a flexible pipe, one end of which is connected to the sewage outlet and the other end of which is connected to the sewage pipe. The flexible pipe maintains a sealed connection between the sewage outlet and the sewage pipe. The flexible pipe has a stretched state and a bent state. When the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction is the first angle, the flexible pipe is in a stretched state; when the angle between the main body of the sewage pipe and the horizontal direction is the second angle, the flexible pipe is in a bent state.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The toilet also includes a mounting base. The drain pipe includes a first pipe section and a second pipe section connected in sequence, the first pipe section being the main body of the drain pipe. The drain pipe assembly also includes a non-linear connecting pipe, the inlet end of which is sealed to the outlet end of the flexible pipe. The connecting pipe and the flexible pipe maintain a sealed connection between the drain outlet and the drain pipe. The outlet end of the connecting pipe is rotatably sealed to the inlet end of the first pipe section. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor, the second pipe section being connected to the mounting base and to the output shaft of the drive motor. The drive motor drives the second pipe segment to rotate, the second pipe segment drives the first pipe segment to rotate, and the first pipe segment drives the flexible pipe to switch between the stretched state and the bent state.

10. A control device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and a memory storing a computer program, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the toilet control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A toilet, characterized in that, Includes the control device as described in claim 10.

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